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VCU begins removing Confederate names from buildings

RICHMOND, Va. — Workers at Virginia Commonwealth University are removing Confederate-associated names from its buildings in response to a resolution calling on them to be taken down.

The Richmond-Times Dispatch reports that while the university began discussions about removing Confederate names in 2017, it took action in August following nationwide protests of the police killing of George Floyd and the removal of Confederate statues on Monument Avenue in Richmond.

The name of former Confederate President Jefferson Davis was taken down in November from the chapel in the West Hospital building.

Workers also dismantled a plaque recognizing former Confederate Vice President Alexander Stephens from a building on the Medical College of Virginia campus.

An ‘influencer’ degree? Colleges bet on content creator major as critics question its value

Ask a teen what they want to be when they grow up, and there’s a fair chance being an influencer is on their list. Digital media and the people who star in it have been cultural mainstays for teens’ entire lives, so creating social media, video or podcast content seems a natural, albeit nontraditional, career path. And now they can earn a college degree in that very field. Arizona State University recently launched a new bachelor's degree in content creation, offered through its Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. The curriculum overlaps with that of ASU's mass communication and media studies degree, with the major departure being a slate of specialized electives on podcasting, studio production and on-camera presence. ASU’s announcement was met with swift criticism from many sides — from people who feel content creation is not a legitimate profession to those who question the value of a college degree in launching a social media career.
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