12 p.m. to 1 p.m.

VCU Toastmasters will host its fall open house in Room 106, College of Engineering West Hall, 601 W. Main St. Learn how Toastmasters can help in public speaking and leadership skill-building. VCU Toastmasters is open to all VCU students, faculty, staff and community members.

For more information, contact Laura Osborne at lmnosborne@vcu.edu or (804) 828-0349 or visit http://vcutoastmasters.com.

12 p.m. to 1 p.m.

Comics have long addressed health and wellness topics in their characters and how they did (or didn’t) deal with a chronic illness or mental health issue. The term "graphic medicine" describes how comics and graphic novels are being used to study the delivery of health care, both from the perspective of the patient and the health care provider. Bring your lunch and join the discussion of graphic medicine and its uses at Special Collections, Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences, 509 N. 12th St.

For more information, contact Thelma Mack at mackta@vcu.edu or (804) 828-0017 or visit https://vcu.libcal.com/event/5853844.

2 p.m.

The National Scholarship Office will be holding an informational session regarding the Presidential Management Fellowship in Room 1210, The Honors College, 701 W. Grace St. Faculty and staff are asked to encourage graduate students who are interested in working for the federal government to attend. Students can register at the following link. More details about the Presidential Management Fellowship can be found at www.pmf.gov.

For more information, contact Jeff Wing at jawing@vcu.edu or (804) 828-1803 or visit https://forms.gle/TDmcGLotDtHk141u6.

2:30 p.m.

Get on your stop, breathe and be with VCU's Wellness Resource Center for 20 minutes of mindful meditation. This week will be a guided imagery on walking through autumn leaves. The session will be at the Wellness Resource Center, 815 S. Cathedral Place. Register on the HeartMath appointment calendar at the following URL.

For more information, contact Mia Liadis at liadisa@vcu.edu or (804) 828-9355 or visit http://thewell.vcu.edu.

3 p.m. to 4 p.m.

VCU's School of World Studies presents "Foreign Languages Symposium: Topics on Translation and Interpreting." The session will be held in Room 2104, Academic Learning Commons, 1000 Floyd Ave.

For more information, contact Mar Gongora at mmgongora@vcu.edu.

5 p.m. to 6 p.m.

VCU's Humanities Research Center presents Madison Moore, Ph.D. Moore is is an artist-scholar, DJ and assistant professor of Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies with research and creative interests in black queer studies, performance studies, fashion, contemporary art and popular music. The talk will be in room 250, James Branch Cabell Library, 901 Park Ave.

For more information, contact Brooke Newman at newmanad@vcu.edu.

5 p.m.

Bobby Mitchell is an American pianist whose interests are embedded in the here and now of music as performance art, as well as the more standard classical repertory of centuries past. He will perform at the W.E. Singleton Center for the Performing Arts, 922 Park Ave. A frequent performer of new and rarely heard works, his interests lie mainly with the contemporary music canon and combining these works with the standard repertoire in an illuminating fashion.

For more information, contact Anne Marie Dumain at dumainamm@vcu.edu or (804) 828-1169.

7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Painting and printmaking provide a basis for Tomashi Jackson to engage with the stories of racial injustice endemic in American history. Her material processes are inspired by histories of racialized displacement, segregation and erasure. For the "Great Force" exhibition, the ICA has commissioned Jackson to produce a series of site-specific drawings on its glass facade. She will discuss her work at the Institute for Contemporary Art at the Markel Center, 601 W. Broad St. Jackson will finalize this drawing as a performance during the "Great Force" opening celebration on Oct. 4.

For more information, contact Meredith Carrington at mtcarrington@vcu.edu or (804) 828-1088 or visit https://icavcu.org/events/talk-tomashi-jackson/.

7:30 p.m.

Schuyler Slack, cello and Daniel Stipe, piano, will be featured. The performance will be in W.E. Singleton Center for the Performing Arts, 922 Park Ave.

For more information, contact Anne Marie Dumain at dumainamm@vcu.edu or (804) 828-1169 or visit https://arts.vcu.edu/music/2019/08/26/faculty-recital-tiffany-valvo-clarinet-october-3/.

Thursday, Oct. 3, 2019 at noon

Fidelma B. Rigby, M.D., will discuss human trafficking at a luncheon meeting of the Catholic Graduate Student Organization luncheon. Rigby is an associate professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine at VCU Health and a proponent of medical education on human trafficking. The meeting will be in Room 7-102, James W. and Frances G. McGlothlin Medical Education Center, 1201 E. Marshall St. All are welcome. Pizza and drinks will be provided. RSVP to the following email address.

For more information, contact Mario Dance at medance@vcu.edu or (804) 828-9838.

Thursday, Oct. 3, 2019 at 5 p.m.

The VCU Student Chapter of the American Chemical Society and the Virginia Section of the Women Chemists Committee will host a Careers in Chemistry Panel. The panel will feature Kathryn Deibler, Ph.D., (GSK Consumer Healthcare); Carol Parish, Ph.D., (University of Richmond); and Malgorzata Dukat, Ph.D., (Virginia Commonwealth University). The event will be held in Room 303, James Branch Cabell Library, 901 Park Ave. Hors d'oeuvres will be served at 5 p.m. Speakers will begin at 6 p.m. RSVP on the chapter's Facebook page.

For more information, contact Helen Mai at chemistryatvcu@gmail.com.

Friday, Oct. 4, 2019 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

VCU's Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence, Academic Technologies, VCU Libraries and ALT Lab/Online@VCU will offer a Teaching with Technology Showcase. The event will be held in Room 303, James Branch Cabell Library, 901 Park Ave. VCU experts will have tables set up to present tools, strategies and services to enhance teaching with technology.

For more information, contact Tim Luckritz Marquis at tluckritzmarq@vcu.edu or visit https://altlab.vcu.edu/event/teaching_with_tech_mpc_19/.

Friday, Oct. 4, 2019 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

VCU's Office of Multicultural Student Affairs, Latinx Alumni Council and VCU Career Services presents Futuro Yo: ¿Cuál es tu plan? The career event, in the Rams Lounge, University Student Commons, 907 Floyd Ave., is designed for Latinx students to connect with VCU alumni from the Latinx Alumni Council. Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Kim Green at greenk2@vcu.edu or visit http://bit.ly/latinxcareers.

Sunday, Oct. 6, 2019 from noon to 3 p.m.

VCU Recreational Sports is offering a self-defense course to prepare students, members and faculty/staff for an unexpected attack. The course will be in the Group Exercise Studio, Cary Street Gym, 101 S. Linden St. Register at the following URL by Oct. 4.

For more information, contact Sydney Dale at dalesm3@vcu.edu or (804) 827-6411 or visit https://portal.recsports.vcu.edu/Program/GetProgramDetails?courseId=80ea1b12-271c-425f-bb65-19429567793f&semesterId=3f527b52-e5b9-4169-8a84-c0d899a3ff28.

Monday, Oct. 7, 2019 at 7 p.m.

The Minority Association of Pre-Health Students will host a panel of admissions officers from VCU's School of Medicine. The event, in Room 1112, Grace and Broad Residence Center 1, 1000 W. Grace St., will include tips and activities for students interested in medical school.

For more information, contact Davidyne Reeves at reevesda2@vcu.edu.

Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2019 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The VCUarts Sculpture department will co-host a blood drive with the American Red Cross. The event will be in the first floor lobby of the Fine Arts Building, 1000 W. Broad St. Walk-ins are welcome but appointments are encouraged. Visit the following URL and enter "VCU" in the "Find a Blood Drive" box to schedule an appointment.

For more information, contact Mary Eisendrath at mceisendrath@vcu.edu or (804) 828-7176 or visit https://www.redcrossblood.org.

Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2019 from noon to 3 p.m.

VCU Career Services presents the Public and Social Services Career and Internship Fair. The event will be in the Richmond Salons, University Student Commons, 907 Floyd Ave. This new event combines the former Nonprofit and Social Services and Government and Public Service Career fairs. VCU students and alumni can connect with government agencies, as well as nonprofit, human and social services organizations to explore career and internship opportunities.

For more information, contact Lian Currie at lcurrie@vcu.edu or (804) 828-1645 or visit https://tinyurl.com/PublicSocial19.

Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2019 from noon to 12:45 p.m.

Do you want to reduce stress and improve mental clarity? Chair yoga can provide a calmer and more relaxed feeling which leads to a greater feeling of happiness and well-being. VCU Human Resources will host a class in the Group Exercise Room, Cary Street Gym, 101 S. Linden St. Register in Talent.

For more information, contact Cindi Phares at cphares@vcu.edu or (804) 828-1521 or visit https://hr.vcu.edu/current-employees/worklife/.

Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2019 from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Learn more about the College of Humanities and Sciences' new initiative to place VCU at the forefront of migration studies. Meet the five new faculty in the College who are leading the way in expanding research, teaching and community engagement with social impact. The session will be held in Room 1102, Academic Learning Commons, 1000 Floyd Ave.

For more information, contact McKenna Brown at mbrown@vcu.edu.

Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2019 at 6:30 p.m.

Students Fighting Human Trafficking presents "Human Trafficking 101." This introductory lecture, in Virginia Room B, University Student Commons, 907 Floyd Ave., will include a discussion about human trafficking, its prevalence in the community and steps that can be taken to combat it.

For more information, contact Caitlin Hauser at studentsfightinght@gmail.com.

Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2019 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Health Occupations Students of America will host its second general body meeting in Room 1030G/H, West Grace Street Student Housing – North (Globe), 830 W. Grace St. A Kaplan representative will explain the organization's offerings. Kaplan is a for-profit corporation that provides educational services to colleges and universities and corporations and businesses, including higher education programs, professional training and certifications, test preparation and student support services. The representative will explain Kaplan's free studying and test prep resources.

For more information, contact Jenalyn Abisia at abisiajl@vcu.edu.

Friday, Oct. 11, 2019 from 11:45 a.m. to 8 p.m.

VCU Recreational Sports will host its third annual Dance Day in the Group Exercise Room, Cary Street Gym, 101 S. Linden St. A complete schedule is available at the following URL.

For more information, contact Hannah Kotarski at kotarskih@vcu.edu or (804) 827-7259 or visit https://recsports.vcu.edu/about/news/post-title-352863-en.html.

Monday, Oct. 14, 2019 from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

The Latinx Heritage Month Committee presents Nuestras Raíces at the ICA. The event, at the Institute for Contemporary Art at the Markel Center, 601 W. Broad St., will be a staged platform for individuals and groups to share Latinx experiences through poetry, performance and/or prose. Proposals to participate, which should be submitted by Oct. 3, are available at the following URL.

For more information, contact Kim Green at greenk2@vcu.edu or visit http://bit.ly/nuraprpr.

Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2019 from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

BAPS Campus Fellowship of VCU presents the Diwali Celebration. The Hindu festival of lights symbolizes the spiritual victory of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance. The event, in Commonwealth Ballrooms A and B, University Student Commons, 907 Floyd Ave., will feature inspirational speeches, traditional musical performances and a traditional south Asian dinner. RSVP at the following URL.

For more information, contact Dipen Patel at patelda23@vcu.edu or visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/campus-diwali-celebration-at-vcu-tickets-73915811181?aff=efbeventtix.

Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2019 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Jenny Xie, winner of the 2019 Levis Reading Prize for "Eye Level," will read and participate in a question-and-answer session. The event, in Room 303, James Branch Cabell Library, 901 Park Ave., will be followed by a book sale and signing. The Levis Reading Prize sponsors include the VCU Department of English, VCU Libraries, Barnes and Noble @ VCU and the VCU College of Humanities and Sciences, with additional funding provided by the Levis family. Register at the following URL. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

For more information, contact Sue Robinson at srobinson26@vcu.edu or (804) 828-0129 or visit https://www.library.vcu.edu/about/events/2019-20/levis-prize-2019.html.

Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2019 from noon to 1:15 p.m.

VCU's Center for Corporate Education presents "Negotiating Career Opportunity." This interactive workshop is appropriate for those who want to learn to better negotiate their career choices. Registration is $35 and includes parking and lunch. The session will be held in Room B3189, Center for Corporate Education, Snead Hall, 301 W. Main St. Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Katybeth Lee at kelee@vcu.edu or (804) 828-1595 or visit https://business.vcu.edu/corporate-education.

Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2019 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Bill Bishop, founder and CEO of The BIG Idea Company, a Toronto-based innovation and communications enterprise, will lead a conversation in Room 2201, Academic Learning Commons, 1000 Floyd Ave. A reception, presented by VCU's eClub, will follow at the VCU da Vinci Center, 807 S. Cathedral Place. Bishop is also founder of The New Economy Network. Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Kelsey Steenburgh at steenburghbk@vcu.edu or visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/innovation-in-the-new-economy-with-bill-bishop-tickets-74710668621.

Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2019 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

VCU's da Vinci Center for Innovation will host an event about its 13-month accelerated master's program in product innovation. The program integrates arts, business and engineering principles through advanced product innovation and entrepreneurship. The event will be at the center, 807 S. Cathedral Place. Drinks and light refreshments will be provided. Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Allison Shumacher at schumacheran@vcu.edu or visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2019-master-of-product-innovation-meet-greet-tickets-73967750533.

Confidential advocates provide information and referrals to campus and community resources and support students who have experienced sexual or intimate partner violence, stalking or harassment. Advocates can support students in seeking academic or housing accommodations, filing a report, finding medical care and more. Set up an appointment to request an advocate via email or phone or walk in to University Counseling Services.

For more information, contact Advocates at University Counseling Services at myoptions@vcu.edu or (804) 828-6200 or visit https://counseling.vcu.edu/advocacy-services/.

VCUDine offers a number of October events at Shafer Court Dining Center, 810 Cathedral Place. The events include: weekly Sunday Brunch, National Taco Day (Oct. 4, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.), VCUDine Food Truck Festival (Oct. 10, swipe sales 4-8:30 p.m.), Mediterranean Lunch (Oct. 15, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.), Thai Top 10 (Oct. 23, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.), National Chocolate Day (Oct. 28), Harvest Lunch (Oct. 30, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.) and Halloween Desserts (Oct. 31). Events at Jonah’s include weekly specials, Wing Wednesdays and more. For details follow @VCU_Dining.

For more information, contact Lauren Hay at lhay@vcu.edu or (804) 828-1148 or visit http://vcu.campusdish.com.

Join VCU for the Heart Walk on Oct. 5. Meet at the VCU and VCU Health Team Tent at 9 a.m. in Monroe Park The walk starts at 10 am. Sign up at the following URL.

For more information, contact Cindi Phares at cphares@vcu.edu or (804) 828-1521 or visit https://hr.vcu.edu/current-employees/worklife/.

"Eclipsed" is the story of five Liberian women and their tale of survival near the end of the Second Liberian Civil War. The production, written by Danai Gurira and directed by Tawnya Pettiford-Wates, Ph.D., will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 4 and 5, 2 p.m. Oct. 5 and 3 p.m. Oct. 6 at Richard Newdick Theatre, Shafer Street Playhouse, 221 N. Shafer St. "Eclipsed" premiered in Washington, D.C., and opened on Broadway in 2016 in a production starring Lupita Nyong’o and received nominations for five Tony Awards, including a nomination for best play.

For more information, contact Sharon Ott at theatre@vcu.edu or (804) 828-1514 or visit https://arts.vcu.edu/theatre/on-stage/.

Undergraduate team members will assist with recruitment, marketing and outreach and work in teams to develop research questions and analyze Spit for Science data. Students from all majors and at all class levels are welcome. Enrollment will be for three credits (A-F grading system). Apply at the following URL by 5 p.m. Oct. 25.

For more information, contact Amy Adkins at adkinsae@vcu.edu or visit https://spit4science.vcu.edu/educational-opportunities/.

The university's Wellness Resource Center's Condom Concierge initiative offers sexual health products at no cost to VCU students. Orders may be placed at the following URL.

For more information, contact Keyuna Patterson at pattersonk7@vcu.edu or visit https://thewell.vcu.edu/wellness/sexual-health/condom-ordering/.

The Eighth Annual Jewell and Carl F. Emswiller Interprofessional Symposium (“Building Team Skills for Collaborative Practice”) deadline for abstracts has been extended. Students, faculty, practitioners, educators, researchers and policymakers from all health professions are invited to share innovations and scholarship in interprofessional education and collaborative practice by submitting an abstract at the following URL. The deadline for submission of interactive workshops and oral presentations is 5 p.m. Oct. 4. The deadline for submission of poster presentations is 5 p.m. Nov. 1.

For more information, contact Melissa Burton at mhburton@vcu.edu or (804) 828-2898 or visit http://proposalspace.com/calls/d/1035.