Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025 @commonwealthtimes @theCT1
VOL. 71, NO. 8 OCT. 15, 2025 THE INDEPENDENT PRESS OF VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY
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Students, faculty call for action to protect college campuses from ICE
HECIEL NIEVES BONILLA Assistant News Editor Students, faculty and human rights groups are calling for VCU and other universities to protect students from profiling and detainment by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as they expand raid operations nationwide. Efforts include a student petition for VCUarts to outline its safety policy and a statewide proposal to reestablish campuses as protected “sanctuary” zones posed by faculty unions and the Virginia Coalition for Human Rights. The efforts come as candidates for statewide office show broad support for local cooperation with ICE. Republican Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, as well as lieutenant governor — and gubernatorial candidate — Winsome Earle-Sears have both previously opposed efforts to make Virginia a “sanctuary state,” meaning they will not cooperate with federal agencies on immigration enforcement. Democratic gubernatorial candidate and former congresswoman Abigail Spanberger said in last week’s debate that she also opposed “providing any sort of sanctuary policies here,” according to a previous report by The Commonwealth Times. Alyse Few, a second-year graphic design major, is one of the students circulating a petition in the School of the Arts [...] SANCTUARY Continued on page 2 Illustration by Zoë Luis.
VCUarts cancels fall graduation, students push back with petition
FEATURES
How Richmond united to bring Francine home MOLLY MANNING News Editor
Students stand at the VCU fall 2019 commencement ceremony. CT file photo by Gessler Santos-Lopez.
MOLLY MANNING News Editor VCUarts will not be holding a Fall 2025 Commencement ceremony, but instead has invited August, December and May graduates to attend the department’s spring celebration. Departments t ypically have their own celebrations outside of the main, university-wide ceremonies. Fall graduates will still be able to attend the Dec. 13 university-wide commencement, but the only VCUarts-specific ceremony will be the May 8 celebration, according to the VCUarts commencement page.
Students told The CT they found out about the change not through the depa r tment, but through their professors, who told them it was due to budget constraints. Kelly Kerr, director of communications for the school of the arts, stated the change was an effort to recognize graduates in the context of the full university community at t he u n iversit y-w ide December commencement. She did not acknowledge the budget.
GRADUATION Continued on page 2
Francine, the 804’s beloved Lowe’s cat, is still spending time in the spotlight after her disappearance, search and return. Richmond continues to show support through events, fundraising, art and more. In October 2024, Francine was officially recognized on the Lowe’s website with a story and accompanying YouTube video deeming her a “local legend.” She has called the Broad Street Lowe’s home for eight years now, and has become a household name in Richmond. When Francine disappeared in early September the community was frenzied to bring her home with hundreds of social media photos showing support. Thanks to volunteers and loca l organizations she was returned safely home, but not without her story going national, even global. Both the Associated Press and Washington Post released stories about the local celebrity’s homecoming, and the Instagram page @WheresFrancine
Local artist Ryan Myers wearing his Francine shirt at Main Line Brewery for Francine Fest on Oct. 8, 2025. Photo by Molly Manning.
that brought attention to her disappearance now has nearly 40,000 followers. “ Fra nc i ne Fe st ,” org a n i z ed by WheresFrancine, brought community members together at Main Line Brewery on Oct. 8. Attendees sported cat sweaters, cat shirts and some even had cat ears or makeup. FRANCINE Continued on page 9
Basketball is back
Comfortable segregation
Theatre: Crucible
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