Transfer junior quarterback Michael Rocco will not be eligible to play for the Spiders in the 2013 season, after leaving the University of Virginia this past semester. After starting all 11 games for Virginia in 2011 and eight games in 2012, Rocco decided to change schools, looking for a fresh start to his football career, he said.
The University of Richmond department of theater and dance is presenting "Spring Awakening," a musical set in late-19th century Germany about teenagers experiencing the tumult that accompanies adolescence. Dorothy Holland, the director of the production, said audiences could expect to laugh, be moved emotionally and be shocked as they viewed the performance.
More than 500 University of Richmond students packed the Alice Haynes Room Tuesday night to support Kappa Alpha Theta sorority's philanthropic fashion show. Theta raised $3,000 for its national philanthropy, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) with the help of students, donations and raffle prizes donated from businesses in the Richmond area, said philanthropy chairwoman Victoria Kinnealey. In between the fashion show and the walk-off, Jeannine Panzera, the volunteer coordinator for the Henrico County branch of CASA and recent Richmond Law graduate, addressed the audience about what CASA does and how KATwalk was benefitting the organization. Members from each sorority modeled clothing loaned by local stores and boutiques including Monkees, Pink, Bliss and Rumors. Senior Jonathan Benjamin, student designer and former point guard for the Spider basketball team, also showcased his own clothing line, Official Visit ActiveWear (OVAW). The "walk-off" part of the event featured two members from each sorority, fraternity and a few other student organizations walking the runway and representing their group with their outfits, song choice and often, a choreographed move. The walk-off was judged by three professors: Robert Hodierne from the journalism department, Timothy Barney from the rhetoric and communications department and Meghan Rosatelli from the School of Continuing Studies. The National CASA Association is a network of 946 programs that are recruiting, training and supporting volunteers to represent the best interests of abused and neglected children in the courtroom and other settings, according to its website. Most of the money that the event raised came from selling tickets throughout the week and at the door of the event, but money was also raised through raffle tickets with prizes donated by Azzuro, Village Dry Cleaner, Martin's and many ther local businesses, said Allie Deering, a junior member of Theta. Benjamin and the models from his clothing line won the walk-off competition by impressing the judges with their dance moves. "It was great to see everyone come out and show their support," said Emily Smith, co-emcee and Theta member.
University of Richmond Chancellor E. Bruce Heilman will set out on a cross-country motorcycle trip to commemorate his 87th birthday this Saturday, meeting with fellow World War II veterans and Richmond alumni along the way. This year Heilman will travel through 17 states.
Senior Jonathan Benjamin can finally publicize his clothing line with his own name after more than a year of marketing and product development. Benjamin, a former University of Richmond varsity basketball player, developed his own clothing line, Official Visit Activewear, or OVAW, in Professor Adam Marquardt's principles of marketing class during the summer of 2011. What began as a simple class project grew into a thriving business after months of hard work, Marquardt said.
The grant will provide start-up money to purchase farming equipment from local sellers, she said, and the equipment will expand current farming projects for women in the village.
Richmond track and cross country alumnus Jeff Watson, who graduated in 2003, ran in Monday's Boston Marathon and was unharmed despite two explosions near the finish line that killed at least three people and injured hundreds more. "It was pretty surreal," Watson said.
A number of people with University of Richmond track and cross country connections were present either as runners or spectators during Monday's Boston Marathon, where two explosions near the finish line killed at least three and injured hundreds more. The exact number of people with Spider connections is not yet known, but no word of injuries has been reported as of yet, according to Jon Molz, assistant coach for the men's track and cross country programs.
A number of University of Richmond students were among the 38,685 participants in the 14th annual Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K race Saturday morning. Richmond Sports Backers, a non-profit organization, organized the race, which USA Today named one of the best races in the country in 2009.
The Sigma Chi fraternity held its annual Derby Days philanthropy event last week, and this year included participation from an independent team, nicknamed Team Three Chopt. "In the past, we've had trouble getting participation from other organizations," said sophomore Ryan Stastny, who serves as philanthropy chairman for the fraternity. "We're glad we were able to expand outside of the Greek community this year," he said. Natasha Berg represented Team Three Chopt in the spelling bee held last Thursday at the Ukrop's Auditorium. All proceeds from the spelling bee event went to Connor's Heroes, a local philanthropy the fraternity has worked with in the past, which provides backpacks to pediatric cancer patients receiving treatment at the Children's Hospital of Richmond, Stastny said. The 12 participants of the spelling bee could be bought back into the competition after one incorrect spelling for a $10 donation, and $20 for subsequent mistakes. The vocabulary ranged from words such as "metamorphosis" and "pomegranate," to the last names of brothers in the fraternity. Berg, who was bought back twice by members of her team, finished second place to Charlotte Denoyer, a member of Pi Beta Phi. Denoyer, who was bought back once by a fellow sorority sister, won the trophy after correctly spelling "Chobanian," the last name of Sigma Chi junior John Chobanian. Donning all black, Team Three Chopt participated in the Powderpuff Football Tournament at the President's Field on Friday afternoon, the final event of the Derby Days week. Senior Lizzie Ruggieri came out to support her team, Team Three Chopt. There were several women in sororities that joined the independent team, said Ruggieri, who is a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma. "We felt like it was time," she said.
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The Czech Republic underwent a faster evolution than most other post-Communist countries because of the implementation of Hayekian economic theory to then-Czechoslovakia's market models, said Vaclav Klaus, former president of the Czech Republic. Klaus spoke to a crowded audience at the Modlin Center for the Arts on April 12, as part of the Jepson School's Marshall Center Lecture Series. Klaus, a Czech politician and economist who told the audience he is still getting used to traveling in the U.S.
Dean Nancy Bagranoff feels honored and privileged to have been nominated as one of Virginia Lawyers Media's most "Influential Women of Virginia" for 2013, she said. Bagranoff, along with 43 other nominees, have been selected to be interviewed and profiled in a special publication of "Virginia Lawyers Weekly" on May 20.
A musician played his flute as the members of the Pilgrimage: Poland team filed into the dark Brown Alley Room, a lone candle lighting their way to the front of the room, where they took turns reflecting on their tour of the Auschwitz concentration camp during spring break. The trip was sponsored by the Office of the Chaplaincy, sending eight students of Jewish or Christian faith, led by Rabbi Andrew Goodman, director of Jewish life, to Poland. "We gather to try and commemorate the 11 million," Goodman said at "Witnessing Despair, Finding Hope: Commemorating the Holocaust" Wednesday night.
The University of Richmond women's lacrosse team prevailed over St. Bonaventure University April 14 at Robins Stadium. Before a vocal crowd of 312 people, the Spiders beat the Bonnies 22-8 on a hot and sunny Sunday afternoon.
At 4 p.m. Sunday, April 21, 99 percussionists will perform an ecological musical composition titled "Inuksuit" in the Greek Theatre to commemorate Earth Day. "Inuksuit" is an Inuit word meaning "to act in the capacity of the human," said John Luther Adams, the composer.
Kappa Alpha Theta and Sigma Phi Epsilon each took home first-place trophies in the fourth annual Greek Games benefiting Special Olympics Virginia on Saturday. Theta had three teams in the competition: Theta Black, Theta Gold and Theta Kite.
Members of the University of Richmond organization, Students Stopping the Trafficking of People (SSTOP), hosted a 27-hour demonstration, "Stand for Freedom," in the University Forum to protest and share information about modern slavery. The demonstration took place from Thursday, April 11 to Friday, April 12, over a period of 27 hours to honor the 27 million lives that are currently trapped in modern slavery, said senior Joell Maisano, a member of SSTOP.
The University of Richmond Symphony Orchestra, made up of both student and community musicians, performed mostly American contemporary music at a performance at 7:30 in Camp Concert Hall Wednesday night. Everything went as planned and the musicians performed for a full audience, said Alexander Kordzaia, the orchestra's director. Kordzaia conducted the first half of the show, and Patrick Cavalheiro, a guest conductor from Brazil, led the group for the second half.
Although many students take the short walk to the lodges, and alumni travel back to Richmond to attend Pig Roast annually, not all students are able to attend the Spring tradition. Some members of the men's tennis, men's golf and women's lacrosse teams were not able to go to Pig Roast because of their athletic obligations. The women's lacrosse players do not know what they are missing because they have never been to Pig Roast, said Tara Coyle, a senior on the team. "As a Division I athlete, you will miss out on some opportunities," Coyle said, "but having the chance to play the game you love with a group of amazing people is the best opportunity to have." Other students may have preferred to go about their Saturday just as they would any other weekend. "I think the estimates have been that 16 to 20 percent of the student body does not drink," said Rick Mayes, political science professor.
