11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Enjoy coffee, tea, hot chocolate and breakfast snacks. Meet representatives from key VCU resource offices, learn about study abroad programs and network with study abroad staff, faculty leaders and student participants. The event will be in Rodney's Lounge, Shafer Court Dining Center, 810 Cathedral Place. Ten students will receive a $500 study abroad award.

For more information, contact VCU Education Abroad Office at abroad@vcu.edu.

1:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

VCU Army ROTC will sponsor a Red Cross blood drive in the Ballroom, University Student Commons, 907 Floyd Ave. Walk in or register at the following URL. Type VCU to find the event and select the Nov. 13 drive.

For more information, contact Natalie Bruhn at bruhnnc@vcu.edu or visit https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/donation-time.

12 p.m. to 1 p.m.

RamTech will host Appy Hour in the SGA Senate Chambers, University Student Commons, 907 Floyd Ave. Smart devices to be displayed include the Amazon Echo, Google Home, TP-Link Smart LED Bulbs and more. Free food will be provided. This is event is free but requires registration at the following URL.

For more information, contact Erinn Budd at budde@vcu.edu or visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ramtech-november-appy-hour-your-smart-home-tickets-70020889365.

12 p.m. to 1 p.m.

VCU English Associate Professor Kathleen J. Graber will speak at the English Faculty Forum. She asks, "What is the post-postmodern, and has it passed? What I offer in response to this question is a sample of recent poems that reveals what feels like an outsized preoccupation with conversation: with new media, various histories, and, notably, other texts. If political discourse is occupied with borders, the porous practices of poets speak back to the illusion of isolation." The forum will be in Room 308, Hibbs Hall, 900 Park Ave. All are welcome.

For more information, contact Rivka Swenson at rswenson@vcu.edu or (804) 828-1331 or visit https://english.vcu.edu/news--events/faculty-forum/.

6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.

The ICA will host the Richmond premiere of "Atlantics," winner of the 2019 Cannes Film Festival Grand Prix. The film, to be shown at the Institute for Contemporary Art at the Markel Center, 601 W. Broad St., was directed by Mati Diop, the first black woman to receive the award. "Atlantics" is set along the Atlantic coast in a suburb of Dakar, where workers on the construction site of a futuristic tower, without pay for months, decide to leave the country by the ocean for a better future. Among them is Suleiman, the lover of Ada, promised to another.

For more information, contact Meredith Carrington at mtcarrington@vcu.edu or (804) 828-1088 or visit https://icavcu.org/films/cinema_1113/.

6:30 p.m.

VCU's Chamber Brass Ensembles will perform in a free concert at the James W. Black Music Center, 1015 Grove 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/chamber-brass-ensembles-november-6/.

Thursday, Nov. 14, 2019 from noon to 1 p.m.

VCU Health and Wellness Library presents "Tobacco: Quit Now Virginia" in Room G-112, ground floor, VCU Health Gateway Building, 1200 E. Marshall St. Sarah Birckhead from the Virginia Department of Health will discuss the health effects of tobacco products and strategies for quitting.

For more information, contact K.J. Ricasata at ricasatakj@vcu.edu or (804) 828-2432 or visit https://vcu.libcal.com/event/6029532.

Thursday, Nov. 14, 2019 at 5 p.m.

VCU's Department of Music will present a free trombone studio recital at the James W. Black Music Center, 1015 Grove Ave.

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

Thursday, Nov. 14, 2019 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

The Society of Women Engineers at VCU and DuPont will host a speed networking and stress relief event. The night, in Room 103, College of Engineering West Hall, 601 W. Main St., will kick off with dinner and speed networking with employees from the DuPont Spruance site. Stay to make friendship bracelets, stress balls and coloring pages to relieve the end-of-semester stress. Students and DuPont employees will also share their experiences from the group's SWE19 conference. Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Emma Madrigal at madrigalem@vcu.edu or visit http://cglink.me/r613318.

Saturday, Nov. 16, 2019 from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

The talent, fashion and elegance of African culture will be celebrated at the African Student Union's first Mr. and Ms. ASU Pageant at Grace Street Theater, 934 W. Grace St. Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Doris Gainyo at gainyodc@vcu.edu or (612) 751-6954 or visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mr-and-ms-asu-pageant-tickets-76174525055?aff=ebdssbeac.

Sunday, Nov. 17, 2019 at 1 p.m.

Global Medical Training will host a medical school admission workshop in Virginia Rooms C and D, University Student Commons, 907 Floyd Ave. The workshop will be conducted by a dean of Georgetown University School of Medicine, David Taylor, M.Ed, and Asante Dickson, M.D., a neuroradiologist and president of Ascension Medical Educators. RSVP to the following URL. Food will be provided.

For more information, contact Parsa Mahmoudi at mahmoudip@vcu.edu or (703) 303-7229 or visit https://bit.ly/2PaOq6h.

Thursday, Nov. 14, 2019 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The Asian Pacific Islander Alliance will host a Thanksgiving potluck in the Shockoe Room, University Student Commons, 907 Floyd Ave. All food is welcome.

For more information, contact Serena Truong at truongsn@mymail.vcu.edu.

Monday, Nov. 18, 2019 at 8 p.m.

Six combos will be featured during a concert by VCU Small Jazz Ensembles at Sonia Vlahcevic Concert Hall, W.E. Singleton Center, 922 Park Ave. Music by Nat Adderley, Luiz Bonfá, Clifford Brown, D’Angelo, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Vince Guaraldi, Oscar Hammerstein II, Sigmund Romberg, Mike Rudd, George Shearing, Wayne Shorter, Horace Silver, Billy Strayhorn and more will be featured. Admission is free.

For more information, contact Antonio Garcia at ajgarcia@vcu.edu or (804) 828-6776.

Monday, Nov. 18, 2019 at 8 p.m.

VCUarts Department of Theatre will present a night of unscripted comedy by the VCU Improv House Teams. The event will be held at Raymond Hodges Theatre, W.E. Singleton Center for the Performing Arts, 922 Park. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased in person at the box office or online at the following URL. Doors will open at 7:30 p.m.

For more information, contact Elizabeth Byland at ebyland@vcu.edu or (859) 803-3374 or visit https://www.showclix.com/event/improv.

Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2019 at noon

The VCU C. Kenneth and Dianne Wright Center for Clinical and Translational Research's KL2 Visiting Scholar Program will present a talk by Alejandra Hurtado de Mendoza, Ph.D., assistant professor at Georgetown University's Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. Her talk, "Developing a Culturally Adapted Telephone Genetic Counseling Intervention to Enhance Genetic Risk Assessment in Underserved Latinas at Risk of Hereditary Breast Cancer," will be in Rooms 104 and 105, Hermes A. Kontos Medical Sciences Building, 1217 E. Marshall St. Lunch will be provided to those who RSVP at the following email address by noon Nov. 13.

For more information, contact Leslie Bobb at lmbobb@vcu.edu or visit https://events.vcu.edu/details.asp?myVal=72098.

Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019 at 11 a.m.

Join VCU's women's basketball team for Education Day as they take on the East Carolina Pirates. The game will be in the Stuart C. Siegel Center, 1200 W. Broad St.

For more information, contact Dylan Baker at dbaker28@vcu.edu or visit https://vcuathletics.com/WBBpromos.

Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Minorities in law at VCU presents Game Night in Room 1112, Grace and Broad Residence Center 1, 1000 W. Grace St. The evening will feature Minute to Win It-inspired games and prizes. Questions, direct message @minoritiesinlaw.vcu on Instagram.

For more information, contact Jordan James at jamesjn2@vcu.edu.

Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Black Excellence at VCU presents the 2019 My Black Speaks seminar in the theater of the University Student Commons, 907 Floyd Ave. Panelists will discuss the essence of unity in minority communities and how to best impact VCU for positive change.

For more information, contact Samuel Adu-Gyamfi at adugyamfisn@vcu.edu.

Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019 from 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

World Studies Society will host a world trivia night featuring Jeopardy and other board games in Virginia Rooms C and D, University Student Commons, 907 Floyd Ave. Pizza, wings, soda and vegetarian options will be available.

For more information, contact Neha Pondicherry at pondicherryn@mymail.vcu.edu or (559) 801-7269.

Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019 from noon to 1 p.m.

Join VCU Human Resources and Quit Now Virginia to find out how to best support yourself and others in quitting tobacco and nicotine products. The session will be held in the Alumni Room, University Student Commons, 907 Floyd Ave. Lunch will be provided by the Wellness Resource Center. Register in Talent or at the following URL.

For more information, contact Cindi Phares at cphares@vcu.edu or (804) 828-1521 or visit https://vcu.csod.com/LMS/LoDetails/DetailsLo.aspx?loId=77dfe8fd-214d-4a14-b181-ed85373c79c2&back=%2fLMS%2fBrowseTraining%2fBrowseTraining.aspx%3ftab_page_id%3d-1700000#t=3.

Friday, Nov. 22, 2019 at 8 a.m.

Registration is open for the fifth annual Virginia Johnson Center's Scientific Symposium. The free event is a showcase of scientific collaborations dedicated to ending critical illnesses. Education credits will be $25 for Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy. The event will be at the Jonah L. Larrick Student Center, 900 Turpin St. Lunch will be provided. Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Katie Cappuccio at katherine.cappuccio@vcuhealth.org or visit https://vcu.cloud-cme.com/VJCscientificsymposium.

Volunteers are needed for the Pace Center's third annual Multicultural Thanksgiving meal. This meal, prepared by VCU students, is a way to introduce other students to your cultural heritage. Participate by preparing a cultural dish for 10 to 15 people. (Pace will provide money for ingredients.) At the meal, at 6-9 p.m. Nov. 20 at the Pace Center, 700 W. Franklin St., take five minutes to share what makes your culture unique, through spoken word, dance or song. Or you can volunteer to help clean up. RSVP at the following URL.

For more information, contact Jean Linnell at operations@thepacecenter.com or (804) 658-4064 or visit http://thepacecenter.com.

Student parking sales for the Monroe Park Campus will take place at 7 a.m. Nov. 14. Monroe Park Campus commuter and housing permits will be available for purchase online on a first-come, first-served basis at this time.

For more information, contact VCU Parking and Transportation at parking@vcu.edu or (804) 828-7275 or visit https://parking.vcu.edu/parking/students/monroe-park-campus-sale/.

For employees who participate in the Virginia Retirement System Hybrid Plan with membership dates in September 2019 or earlier, paycheck contributions and employer matches will automatically increase effective with the Jan. 16, 2020 paycheck. This change does not apply to members of VRS Plan 1 or 2, VaLORS, or the Optional Retirement Plan. Find out more or opt out of the automatic escalation at the following URL.

For more information, contact VCU Human Resources, Benefits Administration at benefits@vcu.edu or (804) 828-4660 or visit http://www.icmarc.org/x3333.xml?RFID=WC1185.

Open forum videos and candidate feedback forms are now available for the executive director for Online@VCU search. Videos and feedback forms will be available to the university community at the following URL until 5 p.m. Nov. 18.

For more information, contact Channing Holloway at csholloway@vcu.edu or visit https://provost.vcu.edu/searches/online/candidates/.

The Multicultural Greek Council at VCU will host a shoe donation drive through Nov. 15. A collection box will be placed in the University Student Commons, 907 Floyd Ave. Shoes will be donated to Soles4Soles.

For more information, contact Desiree Johnson at vcumgc.servicechair@gmail.com.

The Wellness Resource Center has released another episode of its "What the Well?" podcast. In this installment, Mia Liadis, health educator for mental health, talks with the center's peer health educators about self-care steps students can take as they navigate the remainder of the fall semester.

For more information, contact Mia Liadis at liadisa@vcu.edu or (804) 828-6919 or visit https://shows.pippa.io/what-the-well/episodes.

VCU School of Medicine is looking for black women ages 18-25 with a BMI between 25-45 kg/m2 in the Richmond area who want to take part in a study designed to capture experiences of racial discrimination. HER Squared is a research study designed to provide the opportunity to reflect on various experiences with racism and how you deal with the experiences. Compensation is available for eligible participants.

For more information, contact Kristal Brown at kristal.brown@vcuhealth.org or (804) 628-4644 or visit http://hersquaredrva.com.