In late 2006 VCU conducted the Climate Survey to determine how pleased the staff, faculty and administration is with diversity among their colleagues.

Over all the survey was quite positive, but there were outliers within minority groups and the staff.

To get a better understanding of these outliers, the Equity and Diversity Committee conducted a series of three focus groups. The first was made up of faculty and staff, the second, black faculty and staff, and the third was full time staff.

The findings were startling.

The study found that adjunct faculty feels unappreciated, women aren’t as easily promoted as men, and black faculty feels that the university discriminates.

The EDC realizes that this could be a few upset staff members, but they want to address these issues to make sure they know why someone would feel this way and to insure that no one else does in the future.

They are developing a five-year diversity plan in the hopes to attract more minority administration and therefore more staff.

In the 2007 school year Virginia Commonwealth University enrolled nearly 4,000 students, the school’s highest total in its 40 year history. However, only a fraction of those students came from public  high schools in the city of Richmond.

Just 51 graduates from Richmond city schools enrolled at VCU this past year.  VCU President Eugene Trani, told the Faculty Senate that he believes those numbers are too low.

VCU’s Vice Provost of Admissions, Delores Taylor, believes the city’s small high school population and graduation rates are both factors.

“Compared to some school systems, the numbers of students who are graduating from the high school within the public schools in Richmond are low,” said Taylor.

Not only are the graduation rates low, but Taylor has found an even simpler problem with Richmond and VCU, and that is proximity.

“Many students will decide, for example, that they’d like to go away to school. Many students will decide to go away from home and they may feel that VCU is a little to close to them,” Taylor said.

However, even due to the lack of interests from Richmond Public Schools, Taylor still believes that VCU plays an active role in recruiting these local students.

“We have college representatives, admissions representatives who are visiting the high schools, participating in college fairs, so we are going to the high schools,” said Taylor.

While officials at Virginia Commonwealth believe in the university’s recruiting efforts, public opinion tells us a different story.

Open High School is only minutes away from VCU’s Monroe Park Campus. Guidance counselor Jo Baird says many Open students apply to VCU and are accepted. But population always plays a part in admissions and Open’s senior class tallied only 50 students.

Open is a different Richmond Public School, where 15 students per class is the norm. Interested students must apply for acceptance and seniors participate in classes at J. Seargent Reynolds Community College and VCU.

“One of my, maybe two, I think only one this year is a visiting student at VCU. Um, most of my students…very many of them, the great majority will be taking classes at J Sarge by the time they’re seniors. They’ll be taking one or two dual enrollment classes” said Baird.

Baird found RPS’ low enrollment rate puzzling.

“It’s hard to argue with the scope or the quality of education you’re going to get”, Baird said. “It’s a riddle to me, I don’t know why. Outreach to the schools?”

Open High alumni Titus Jones and Cory Fountain are current VCU students who believe the issue also comes down to the university’s location and its presence within the Richmond Public School system.

“Not a lot of people talk about VCU”, Fountain said. “They talk about State, they talk about Union. It might be because VCU is just so close, they want to get away from home, they don’t want to be here.”

Jones believes that the problem lies in VCU’s outreach toward’s the city’s communities.

“Make yourself known”, Jones said. “We have a partnership with VCU…so that’s how we know about VCU. We come out to VCU and when we need things, VCU comes out and helps us. I’m pretty sure if that’s the same way with high schools, Richmond public schools, they’ll have more students enrolling here” said Jones.

So is VCU’s outreach to public high schools faltering, or do seniors feels they need to go away to college?

Tell us what you think Richmond.

During a recent trip to the Nofolk Naval Station, our crew met up with Kaye and Bob Walsh. Kaye and Bob are the Norfolk branch of the orgainization Mothers Against Drunk Driving and the Navy has reached out to them to help deal with alcoholism.

The Stats

Officals at the Naval Saftey Center in Norfolk belive that the problem with alcohol in the navy is worse now than ever before.In 2006, 111 sailors and marines were killed in car crashes. The year before that 144 were killed. Alcohol was a factor in 61 of those crashes. The Pentagon has noticed this alarming trend and has asked the Navy to do something about it.

Navy Norfolk

In light of the Pentagons demands, the Norfolk Naval Station launched its own investigation into alcohol-related problems. What they found was no surprise. Nearly 30 percent of all traffic related and off duty incidents involved alcohol. Whats even more disturbing is that the sailors being killed are among the youngest in ranks. In 2003 sailors ages 20 to 22 accounted for more than half of the Navys alcohol-related deaths.

Kaye and Bob

To help curb this trend the Navy inlisted the help of MADD members Kay and Bob Walsh. Their job was to come on the ships and talk to the crew about the perils of drinking and driving. “The problem the military is having is the same problem the civilian community is having, young people who think they’re invincible and go out and drink and drive,” says Bob. Kaye and Bob have experienced first hand what happens when people  drive drunk. Their daughter Robin was killed by a drunk driver. “No mother could ever describe the feeling of losing a child, there is nothing comparable,” says Kaye.

So Kaye and Bob come to the Naval base to share their story and their loss with the ships crew members in hope that it changes just one persons life. “We can’t change everybody overnight, but if you can get through to a couple of people at a time, that’s what it’s about,” says Bob.

 What is your reaction to this video? Have you or do you know anyone who has dealt with alcohol problems while they have been in the Navy? Do you think this is even an issue. Feel free to leave any tributes to service men and women who have lost their lives because of alcohol-related accidents.

Virginia’s love for wine has turned into a method of financial support for cancer research.

Virginia held its first annual wine festival this weekend, at the Greater Richmond Convention Center.  More than 40 wineries let visitors sample their finest creations.  Gourmet food companies and restaurants were there with specialty products too.

The Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center is the expo’s charitable partner. Fifty percent of the expo’s profits go towards the Center’s studies and the other half of the earnings support the Virginia Wineries Association and expo expenses.

Alex Papajohn is the founder and director of the expo. The Massey Cancer Center was Papajohn’s first thought of a notable charity.  His parents are cancer survivors and he wanted to partner with a name that is recognized in the community to help drive ticket sales.

Communications Director, Andrea Butler, of the Massey Cancer Center said that the center is excited about the partnership.

“To us the connection is partnering with a large activity in the community where we can reach a lot of people. Cancer affects one out of every two men, and one out of every three women,” Butler said.

Papajohn and Butler agreed that their connection would reach a larger crowd from the surrounding community, who support cancer research.

While this two-day affair is the first of its kind, it was in fact a success. More than 8,000 wine enthusiasts attended the event, which surpassed Papajohn’s predictions of only 5,000.

Papajohn is already making predictions for a bigger expo next year, with plans to lengthen the event to three days, including a wine makers dinner, and trade gala.

With a forecast of 10,000 attendees next year, the increase in wine sales will continue to add to the Massey Cancer Center’s contributions for research.

“In the second or third year, we will really start to raise serious money for a charitable organization,” said Papajohn.

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**Research projects and discoveries for the Massey Cancer Center are endless. Those who missed the wine festival can call (804) 828-1450 or log onto Massey’s website at www.massey.vcu.edu, and click on Support Massey to learn how to make further contributions.

If you’re a Richmond native, you’ve probably heard of or visited the Easter On Parade held annually on scenic Monument Avenue. It focuses on the “fun” rather than religious aspect of Easter by showcasing lots of activities, food, music, and contests throughout the day. Though the Easter On Parade has become a staple event in the heart of downtown Richmond, some might point out that this sort of celebration is part of the commercialization of Easter.

According to www.dictionary.com, “commercialization” means “to make commercial in character, methods, or spirit; to emphasize the profitable aspects of, especially at the expense of quality.” In other words, the meaning of Easter today seems to supercede the religious story that we learned about about as a child. Marketing efforts indulge in profits earned through candy, toys, decorations, etc. at Easter time. According to recent reports, over a billion dollars is spent at Easter time.

How did Easter turn into a gift giving holiday or a reason for children to believe in the “Easter Bunny”?

How many people, Christian and non-Christian, actually know the story behind Easter?

Do today’s celebratory efforts influence you and your beliefs about Easter?

Do advertisements make you feel like you should go out and buy Easter products?

http://www.allaboutjesuschrist.org/origin-of-easter.htm

http://www.venturerichmond.com/events/vrevents.html

A lot of students are traveling abroad to get a different feel of what school is like outside of there own backyard. At Virginia Commonwealth University students earn credits and also get emerged in a different culture. There are financial aid options and programs that will assist you even if you don’t have the money yourself.

In high school I traveled to Spain for two weeks and had a great time. I learned a lot of Spanish and had some great food. I didn’t have to spend a lot of time in the classroom but I did spend time with a family. I learned a lot of differences between the Spanish culture and the American culture. Also, after my trip was over I still keep in contact with the family that I met. I plan to go back to Spain as soon as I graduate from school.

If you have ever been somewhere outside of the country here is a place you can talk about it. Tell me what some of your good traveling abroad stories are?

If you are trying to find a place to study abroad at V.C.U has the Education Abroad Office located on 916 West Franklin Street. Or you can email Elizabeth Sharrett at egsharrett@vcu.edu.

Freedom House is an organization that promotes democracy and monitors freedom across the world. An annual study analyzing press freedoms around the world is compiled by the organization, ranking close to 190 countries in how free their press is. Countries are graded on whether they are “free”, “partly free”, or “not free at all.

In their latest 2007 survey, 74 countries were deemed as free, 58 as partly free, and 63 as not free. The U.S. garnered only 16 points for the second straight year, solidifying its status as a top tier country where its extensive legal system and national constitution protect journalists from the persecution found in other “non-free” countries.

The Top Ten Free Nations

1. Finland

“Finland has an impressive newspaper readership, ranking third in the world for circulation in relation to population. Two hundred newspapers are published, including 31 dailies, according to the Finnish Newspaper Association.”

2. Iceland

“Freedom of the press and of expression are protected under Article 72 of the constitution, and the government generally does not interfere in the independent media’s expression of a wide variety of views…including fines or imprisonment for people who belittle the doctrines of officially recognized religious groups…People may face fines and up to two years’ imprisonment for assaults against race, religion, nationality, or sexual orientation.”

3. Belgium

“Belgium has two separate public broadcasting organizations (one operating in French and the other in Flemish), each with its own domestic and international broadcasting network. The government does not limit access to the internet, which was used by just under 50 percent of the population in 2006.”

4. Denmark

“Press freedom was put to the test when international furor continued over 12 cartoons of the prophet Muhammad that were published in the Copenhagen daily Jyllands-Posten in September 2005. Several Muslim countries boycotted Danish goods, and Danish embassies came under attack. The cartoonists received death threats, bomb threats were made against the newspaper’s headquarters, and hackers attempted to shut down the daily’s online site.”

5. Norway

“Norway has one of the highest newspaper readerships in the world and distributes over 200 newspapers that express a diversity of opinions.”

6. Sweden

“According to the British Broadcasting Corporation, Sweden is among the top consumers of newspapers in the world. Access to the internet is unrestricted by the government, and 76 percent of the population used the medium in 2006, one of the highest proportions of internet users in the world.

7. Luxembourg

Luxembourg is one of the world’s richest countries and “is also home to the largest European satellite operator. There is only one public broadcasting station, CLT. Many broadcasters operate only a few hours a day.”

8. Switzerland

“Broadcast media are dominated by the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation, a public service association subject to private law that operates 7 television networks and 18 radio stations. The corporation is dependent on the government for financing, although its news reporting is politically neutral.”

9. Andorra

“Domestically, there are two daily papers, Diari d’Andorra and El Periodic, as well as two major weekly newspapers, Informacions and 7 Dies. There are approximately 15 radio and 6 television stations.”

10. Netherlands

“The media in the Netherlands are free and independent. Restrictions against insulting the monarch and royal family exist but are rarely enforced. The Netherlands does not have legislation ensuring the right of journalists to protect their sources, although this right can be invoked under Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights.”

Check Out This VCU’s Student’s Opinion On The United States and its Press

Give me your opinion on the U.S. and it’s press freedoms by voting below!
surveys – CLICK HERE

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This story was interesting for me to do to say the least. I did three separate video shoots on three beautiful days. But each shoot I got tired and would get headaches from the pollen. I have bad allergies. In fact you can hear it in my voice during the package. I tried my best to sound clear. But it was hard. The wonderful images you see in my package come primarily from a shoot I did on VCU’s Monroe Park Campus, near the life sciences building. They have really nice ornamentations around there. The rest of the shots come from within a block of my apartment in the Musuem District (This is where I shot my stand up). I will be posting some more info on some things that have helped me with allergies shortly so stay tuned. The pollen is only gonna get worse.

VCU Insight reporter, Ashley Tipton, sat down with rugby player, Monica Motley, to get more insight on what drives her love for a sport that some say, only crazy people play.  Motley is a 23-year-old senior at Virginia Commonwealth University, who played her last game in her college career, in the Marfu Tournament this March.  Motley is part of the VCU Women’s Rugby team, and plays the position of “back” in the “backline.”  She is one of the 5-6 girls who the ball is passed to, for a chance to score a “try” or “goal.”  Motley has played rugby throughout her time at VCU, and is hoping her graduate journey will score a position on Virginia Tech’s Division I team.(AT)If you could describe the game of rugby and your experience at VCU, what would it be?(MM)The game of Rugby is a game in which 15 players are on the field at one time. Eight players called the forwards which are responsible of gaining control of the ball, and the backs which are seven players that are responsible for gaining yards down the field to possibly score. The game is continuous play for two 40 min halves, with the collision of football, but continuous play of soccer. The object is to get the ball in the try zone to outscore the opposite team.(AT)Why did you choose to play rugby…of all sports?

(MM)At first I knew nothing about the sport until a classmate of mine thought I would be good at it. I had played sports all my life and was unsatisfied with not being active in college. After the first game I was hooked, the intensity, the determination, and perseverance that is needed to play the game appealed to me.  

(AT) How are you involved here at VCU?

• I was the 2007 homecoming queen.
• I was a SGA senator, and now am a Senator-at-Large
• Student representative for Recreational Sports and facilities
• Student Ambassador for the School of Education
• Founder “I Believe” Sports: academic tutoring, and mentorship program
• Student representative for programs and activities
• And of course, VCU Women’s Rugby

(AT)What are plans after graduation?

(MM)Pursuing a Masters in Sports Performance and developing my program for at-risk kids to play sports. 

(AT)What’s your best rugby story or memory?  

 (MM)All of my sin-bins, which players get put into a penalty box for a dangerous play!! It seems that I get a bit aggressive on the field but they are never on purpose. It just seems like some girls tend to get in my way and then it doesn’t end up well!!! But there are other girls that have more sin-bins than me!!!

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I woke up around eight last Monday to the sound of a jackhammer eating away a chunk of asphalt on my street. I was startled and confused.

I know eight is kind of late for those that have jobs, but for a college kid, that’s really early. I went out side to see what was going on, and found a bunch of men digging up my gas meter.

That’s when I realized, it was my street’s turn to get the gas upgrade.

The City of Richmond hired the Trafford Corporation to replace the old cast iron gas lines about 10 years ago. They have been working in the Fan for about 2 years. The upgrade also improves the gas pressure going to the home.

Though most are happy the upgrades are taking place, some are upset that the construction damages the roads.

“They tear up the roads and don’t ever replace anything,” says Kyle Murphy, a Bike messenger. “They just put down a layer of dirt and potholes form about two days later.”

Murphy says it’s dangerous to ride with damaged roads. He could easily hurt is bike or himself. He doesn’t like to ride in the middle of the road, but sometimes he’s forced to, and as we all know, that’s where the cars belong.

Kevin Reed is a foreman for the project and says they should be done in the Fan in three years, but then they have the rest of Richmond to finish before they get to repairing the roads.