Overcast 63°
Tag:

Virginia Commonwealth University

Obituaries
VCU Student Killed By Car, 26, Was Facing Bright Future In Politics VCU Student Killed By Car, 26, Was Facing Bright Future In Politics
VCU Student Killed By Car, 26, Was Facing Bright Future In Politics A Virginia Commonwealth University student who made history as one of the youngest interns in one governor's administration was fatally struck by a car earlier this month at 26 years old. Shawn Soares, who had been working as the clean energy and climate justice policy manager at the Virginia Conservation Network, died on May 4, when a driver who had been involved in a crash drove up onto the sidewalk and truck him in Richmond, according to WTVR6. Services for Soares, of Richmond, will be held in Loudoun County. Soares was born in India but moved to the U.S. in 2005, eventually settling i…

SHARE

by Cecilia Levine
News
Community Searching For Member Of VCU Final Four Team Reported Missing Community Searching For Member Of VCU Final Four Team Reported Missing
Community Searching For Member Of VCU Final Four Team Reported Missing Concerns among the friends and family of Rob Brandenberg are mounting in the region as they attempt to locate a man who was highlighted on the Virginia Commonwealth University’s shocking Final Four team more than a decade ago and has been reported missing. An alert was issued by the Henrico Police Department in Virginia on Tuesday, Oct. 11 after receiving a missing person report regarding Brandenberg that was filed the previous day. Police said that the woman stated that William “Rob” Brandenberg, 30, of Henrico, was last seen on Monday, Oct. 10, but had not returned. He was last seen driv…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
News
VCU To Pay Nearly $1M To Family Of Student Who Died In Hazing Incident VCU To Pay Nearly $1M To Family Of Student Who Died In Hazing Incident
VCU To Pay Nearly $1M To Family Of Student Who Died In Hazing Incident The family of Adam Oakes, the Virginia Commonwealth University Student who died in a 2021 hazing incident, is set to receive nearly one million dollars from the school as part of a settlement. On Feb. 27, 2021, Oakes drank a large bottle of whiskey at a Delta Chi pledging event, an act of hazing that would cost the student his life.  The Oakes family has worked tirelessly ever since, to keep Adam's legacy alive and advocate for safer practices within sororities and fraternities. In addition to the financial settlement from VCU, the school and the Oakes family have also worked together…

SHARE

by AJ Goldbloom
News
These Virginia Colleges Ranked Among Best In America These Virginia Colleges Ranked Among Best In America
These Virginia Colleges Ranked Among Best In America Virginia is home to multiple prestigious colleges, many of which boast historical significance. Of all of the Commonwealth's institutions, 15 of them were ranked among the top 1,500 on the US News & World Report's 2022-2023 Best Colleges.  The University of Virginia was the highest ranking placing 25th overall, tieing with University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, New York University, and University of Southern California.  Here are the top eight best colleges in Virginia among the top 250 in the country: University of Virginia William and Mary Virginia Tech George Mas…

SHARE

by AJ Goldbloom
Schools
Richmond Community Mourns Loss Of 3rd Grade Teacher With 'Bright Soul' Richmond Community Mourns Loss Of 3rd Grade Teacher With 'Bright Soul'
Richmond Community Mourns Loss Of 3rd Grade Teacher With 'Bright Soul' Julianne Eubanks had an infectious personality, one meant for shaping young minds, her friends said.  In late August, Eubanks passed away peacefully in her sleep, her brother wrote on his Twitter page. Eubanks' relatives, friends, and colleagues are all left with broken hearts, the family wrote on a GoFundMe page. Eubanks With Loved OnesEubanks' Brother's Twitter Page "She touched the lives of anyone who had the honor of knowing her. The light she spread was infectious and will be carried out by those she impacted." Eubanks' family said she was not just a loving sister and daughter, b…

SHARE

by AJ Goldbloom
Police & Fire
Hazing Charges Dropped For 5 Former VCU Students After Pledge's Death Hazing Charges Dropped For 5 Former VCU Students After Pledge's Death
Hazing Charges Dropped For 5 Former VCU Students After Pledge's Death The hazing charges against five former Virginia Commonwealth University students have been dropped, according to NBC4 Washington. Back in September 2021, Loudoun County's Adam Oakes died while pledging the Delta Chi fraternity at VCU, after some of the older members told him to drink a large bottle of whiskey, the website said. Six of the 11 former students involved in the hazing pleaded guilty or no contest, but a prosecutor working on the case did not release the reason why the remaining five students had their charges dropped, NBC4 Washington said. Click here for the full story from NBC…

SHARE

by AJ Goldbloom
News
Hazing Law In Memory Of Virginia University Student Takes Effect: Here's What It Means Hazing Law In Memory Of Virginia University Student Takes Effect: Here's What It Means
Hazing Law In Memory Of Virginia University Student Takes Effect: Here's What It Means A new law that took effect in Virginia July 1 could help prevent other university students from the fate of Adam Oakes. The 19-year-old Virginia Commonwealth University Delta Chi pledge was instructed by the brothers to chug 40 ounces of Jack Daniel's Whiskey during a fraternity event that began at 8 p.m. on Feb. 26, 2021. The 350-pound freshman had a blood alcohol level of .419 — the point where people lose consciousness and when death occurs. That was the case for Oakes, whose brothers left him at the scene to die. Eleven witnesses were charged in Oakes' death, though none with…

SHARE

by Cecilia Levine