April 22, 2021 Student Life Newspaper at Washington University in St.Louis

The independent newspaper of Washington University in St. Louis since 1878 THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

VOLUME 142, NO. 23

BUTTERFLY GARDEN

The people behind an underrated campus spot explain how they maintain it (Scene, pg 3)

WWW.STUDLIFE.COM

ART INSTALLATION

GRAD TRANSFER

The significance of a recent exhibit at the Danforth University Center (Cadenza, pg 6)

How one student from Colby College is making waves in the Midwest men’s tennis scene (Sports, pg 7)

Pfizer rollout begins at WUSM campus following pause in J&J distribution ORLI SHEFFEY AND KASEY NOSS SENIOR NEWS EDITOR AND CONTRIBUTING REPORTER

BRIAN CUI | STUDENT LIFE

Protesters march past the George Washington statue, which is covered with a “Justice for Daunte” banner, at Friday night’s protest.

WU students call for police abolition, hang banners and signs on Washington statue at ‘Justice for Daunte’ protest JULIA ROBBINS SENIOR NEWS EDITOR Around 200 students and community members marched from the East End steps to Olin Library Friday night in a demonstration paying tribute to 20-year-old Daunte Wright and 13-year-old Adam Toledo, two people of color recently killed by police officers.

Several speakers at the event called for the abolition of the Washington University Police Department (WUPD) and the upheaval of systems with colonialist undertones.

Demonstrators also hung signs signaling support for the Black Lives Matter movement and a banner that read “Justice for Daunte” on the George Washington statue.

The protest comes as the University plans the implementation of recommendations from the Public Safety Committee report, which student committee members and other activists have described as insufficient.

Students and community members opened the demonstration on the East End steps with speeches and poems before marching to the statue

outside of Olin Library. As they marched, demonstrators chanted in unison: “Justice for Daunte Wright, Adam Toledo too, police don’t keep us safe, we do, we do.”

After more speeches at the statue, an organizer called for people with umbrellas to walk toward the figure of Washington. For several minutes, dozens of students opened their umbrellas to protect the anonymity of the students placing posters and the “Justice for Daunte” banner on the statue. Last fall, current alumna Sabrina Sayed spray painted “colonizer” on the same Washington statue, resulting in a $1,516 fine from the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards.

When asked about potential repercussions for students involved in the action at the statue on Friday, Vice Chancellor for Marketing and Communications Julie Hail Flory told Student Life in an email that the University does not comment on student conduct matters.

Protesters also used chalk to write messages on the base of the statue and the walkways beside it, where photos of both Wright with his son and Toledo were placed in

the flower bed. Phrases including “Enough!,” “Trans lives matter” and “Abolish WUPD” lined the pavement. A protester crossed out the name “John M. Olin” on the side of Olin Library and wrote “War Profiteer” in its place.

Before the demonstration at the Washington statue, junior Sabrina Spence delivered a piece called “Tell me where the danger is” about her experience being pulled over

by WUPD while driving with a permit on campus this April. She spoke about being perceived as a threat on campus and in this country due to the color of her skin, and she described the danger that police pose to Black individuals.

“Tell me who the danger is,” Spence said. “Because from where I stand, I don’t see any. I am looking to the horizon line and I see nothing but angry faces staring back at me.

And God has given us the unalienable right to anger in times where anger is due. And danger and anger can be confused because they are similar, I understand, but danger, danger, I do not see unless you are afraid of what mountains can be moved.”

Following Spence, freshman Jebron

Perkins delivered a poem called “Intro to Criminal Law,” partly inspired by his recently watching the show “How to Get Away with Murder.”

“All you need to get away with murder is a badge,” Perkins said.

“The first murder I remember was Trayvon [Martin]. And that day I prayed to the god of mercy, so that we would be delivered from this new evil. Little did I know there is no new evil. This is the same evil that made our ancestors jump from ships because freedom in death was better than bondage. This is the same evil that killed Emmett [Till] the same bullet that shot Martin. This is the root of the rotten tree we call America.”

“I no longer pray to the god of mercy, I take to the streets,” Perkins said. “We will destroy this cursed system you made. America, this is your hour of reckoning. Abolition now.”

Perkins’ call for police abolition was a constant theme of the night, and several students noted how systems of policing have been marred by racism since their foundation.

SEE JUSTICE, PAGE 2

Washington University School of Medicine resumed its vaccination clinic on Friday, April 16, with a new supply of Pfizer vaccines following a pause in distribution of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to all students, faculty, staff and family members of faculty or staff.

According to Amanda Wilkins, director of occupational health at the School of Medicine, 500 students, faculty and staff had appointments scheduled for April 13 prior to the J&J pause. Nearly all of those appointments were rescheduled for April 16 after the University secured a supply of Pfizer.

“I think that the community has been very understanding and is really flexible with switching from J&J to Pfizer,” Wilkins said Friday.

“Everybody that was supposed to be here on Tuesday and get J&J has been here today to get Pfizer.”

Approximately 2050 community members had received the J&J vaccine through the University between April 6 and April 12, Interim Senior Administrator at WUSM Dr. Eva Aagaard said.

On the morning of April 13, immediately after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended halting the rollout of J&J, Aagaard had an emergency phone call with other health experts at the University. In partnership with Barnes-Jewish Center, she requested a redistribution agreement through the state to reroute a supply of the Pfizer vaccine to the University’s vaccination clinic. Within two hours, the request was approved. At 10:13 a.m., the University notified the community of both the cancellation of J&J appointments and the plan to resume the vaccine clinic with the Pfizer vaccine.

SEE PFIZER, PAGE 2

As Republican legislators threaten funding for Missouri Medicaid expansion, WU administrators and faculty members speak out CHARLOTTE KRAMON STAFF REPORTER Washington University administrators and faculty members are maintaining their support for Medicaid expansion—one of the University’s top political priorities in recent years—as state legislators consider restricting funds for the voter-approved expansion.

In last August’s primary election, Missouri voters passed Amendment 2, which expanded Medicaid eligibility criteria, with 53% of the vote, but Republican state representatives did not allocate the necessary $128 million to fund the program in their March budget. While advocates of Amendment 2 hope the Senate will reverse course, Senate leaders say that it is “too early” to determine the fate of funding for Medicaid expansion.

“[Access to healthcare] is a public good, and at a time when we have seen our society impacted by health dangers in such a profound way… this is the most proximate major thing that could happen that benefits St. Louis and Missouri,” Executive Vice Chancellor for Medical Affairs Dr. David Perlmutter told Student Life this month. “There are many other things to do, but this is the one that’s closest and it’s one that makes so much sense financially.”

The University donated $250,000 in the fall of 2019 to Healthcare for Missouri, a campaign committee promoting Medicaid expansion. In June 2020 Perlmutter and Chancellor Andrew Martin continued this advocacy by endorsing the specific amendment, citing how it would insure an additional 230,000 Missourians, create jobs and increase economic output in the state

by $2.5 billion. They also argued in their endorsement that Medicaid expansion was a “first step” in combating racial inequality.

“Racism is, to be sure, a public health problem and Medicaid expansion is an important first step in righting the unconscionable disparities that disproportionately harm communities of color,” Perlmutter and Martin wrote in a June 23 email to the University community.

The Affordable Care Act guaranteed federal funding for nation-wide medical expansion in 2012, and all but 13 states have since expanded it.

Other states that expanded Medicaid saw increased utilization of medical and preventative services, fewer hospital closures and fewer home evictions. Because low-income communities and communities of color are more likely to be uninsured, Medicaid expansion also led to

reductions in race-based economic inequality.

Various faculty members have been outspoken advocates in support of the state funding for Medicaid expansion, citing the responsibility to care for Missourians in need. Dr. John DiPersio, deputy director of the Siteman Cancer Center at the School of Medicine, told Student Life that Medicaid expansion would have “a profound impact on the healthcare system.”

“We want to take care of people, even people who don’t have sufficient means,” DiPersio said. “We want to take care of everybody equally. There can’t be anything more important than saving the life of a poor person in Missouri.”

According to co-director of the University’s Center for Health Economics and Policy Dr. Karen Joynt Maddox, expanding Medicaid

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is especially beneficial in Missouri, where health outcomes have remained stagnant relative to other states where outcomes have risen over the last decade.

Maddox spoke about the benefits for the state at an April 7 webinar discussing Medicaid expansion.

She emphasized how at least seven rural hospitals in the state have shut down since 2014, and Missouri’s existing cutoff for Medicaid is one of the lowest in the country. In addition, families who make more than 22% of the poverty level, or $10,00012,000, cannot qualify for coverage.

Even with this lack of coverage for many individuals, Missouri spends more on healthcare than other states because Missouri opts to utilize fewer available federal dollars, she said.

SEE MEDICAID, PAGE 2

2 STUDENT LIFE

JULIA ROBBINS & ORLI SHEFFEY | SENIOR NEWS EDITORS | NEWS@STUDLIFE.COM

theFLIPSIDE FLIPSIDE THU 22

MOSTLY SUNNY 58/44

FRI 23

PM SHOWERS 61/51

SAT 24 RAIN 60/42

TUES 27

MON 26

PARTLY CLOUDY 80/63

SUNNY 81/60

SUN 25

PARTLY CLOUDY 69/50

WED 28

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS 70/51

Dr. Julie Gerberding, first woman director of CDC, to be commencement speaker for Class of 2020

EVENT CALENDAR

JULIA ROBBINS SENIOR NEWS EDITOR

THURSDAY 22

Dr. Julie Gerberding, the first woman to be director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will deliver the commencement address for the Class of 2020’s May 30 in-person graduation.

“I couldn’t be more pleased to let this class— who frankly got the raw end of the deal last year—know that Dr. Gerberding, a worldrenowned infectious disease and vaccine expert, will deliver their much anticipated in-person Commencement address,” Chancellor Andrew Martin told The Source.

Gerberding’s expertise received national attention during her time as CDC director from 2002-2009.

Among around 40 other public health crises, Gerberding was tasked with responding to the bioterrorism threats that arose post-9/11, combating the SARS outbreak and dealing with health-related

Paul and Silvia Rava Lecture: Families of Words Virtual Event, 4 p.m.

The Department of Romance Languages and Literatures presents the 2020-2021 Paul and Silvia Rava Lecture: Antony Shugaar. The prolific Antony Shugaar has translated more than 40 books from Italian, including several award-winning modern novels. His translation of Gianni Rodari’s Telephone Tales (Enchanted Lion Books) won the 2021 American Library Association’s Mildred L Batchelder Award, given for a children’s book originating in a non-English language in a market outside the United States and translated into English for publication in the United States.

FRIDAY 23 Esther Dischereit Colloquium: Der Anschlag auf die Synagoge in Halle 2019 Virtual Event, 12 p.m.

Esther Dischereit is a poet, novelist, essayist, and stage and radio dramatist. Dischereit’s work is named as “perhaps the most important German-Jewish voice of the second generation after the Shoah.” She founded the avant-garde project Word / Music and worked as a curator for contemporary art / new media.

JUSTICE from page 1

Sophomore Ahmed Motiwala delivered a poem entitled “How do you kill a colonizer?” Motiwala called for people to recognize and kill the “colonizer” in their own mind that might be holding them back from recognizing the extent of the injustices in the country.

“You do not reform toxic parasites that slowly infect and poison their host,” Motiwala said toward the end of the piece. “You do not rehabilitate plagues that spread and pollute a people, that make a land barren.

Most of all, you do not reform a colonizer’s institution that is succeeding in what it was intended to do.”

Graduate student Lorenzo Lones said that Motiwala’s speech struck a chord with him, particularly the note about colonziers.

Lones suggested that police training has been built in a way that inherently harms Black and brown individuals. “Essentially, the badge gives them a license to kill and react,” he said. “And it's unfortunate because

obviously the people they are killing are disproportionately people of color.”

After Motiwala spoke, the crowd marched to the Washington statue. Perkins said he was inspired by the sight of so many people holding up their umbrellas to protect the activists’ anonymity.

“A big part of why Abolish WUPD is a thing and abolish the police in general is because police officers protect property, they don't protect people,” Perkins said.

“Putting up your umbrella to protect someone doing something that the police are going to try to punish them for, not rightfully, of course, but doing that, it's a tangible piece of solidarity.”

The night also included calls for people to continue action-based work outside of joining demonstrations in the wake of specific tragedies.

Carla Wright, who came second to Claire McCaskill in the Democratic primary for Senate in 2018, spoke about the need for Black individuals to make their voices

MEDICAID from page 1

MATT MILLER | WUSTL PHOTOS

Executive Vice Chancellor for Medical Affairs Dr. David Perlmutter and medical student Hannah Truong stand beside a van that was used to campaign for Medicaid expansion in Missouri last year.

Many Washington University doctors and faculty members have also tried to communicate the importance of expansion to state representatives and senators via emails, advertising and campaigning.

“Many of my colleagues had yard signs, and we were advocating for it on social media,” Associate Professor of Psychiatry Dr. Cynthia Rogers said. “It was a really exciting moment when it passed. I think many of us, however, were aware that we might run into the current challenges. We were cautiously optimistic that it would be implemented.”

Of the more than 230,000 individuals who would gain coverage under the amendment, two out of three are currently uninsured and one in three are on private plans they cannot sustain, Maddox added.

The main obstacle that Democratic lawmakers faced was

resistance from Republicans who pointed to fiscal responsibility when blocking the amendment. However, according to Maddox and other experts, expansion would not require revenue spending and would instead generate millions of dollars for Missouri’s economy.

Martin and Perlmutter’s June statement noted that the state would have extra funds to distribute to social services because the expansion would boost the economy.

“Just imagine what could happen if the state were to use its additional resources to improve early education, which we know will be a critical determinant of improving the chances of Black and poor families to participate in the American dream,” they wrote. “Wouldn’t more jobs and more tax revenue make it possible for the state to increase its investment in education, infrastructure and innovation?”

Perlmutter recalled how,

heard at the polls.

“We complain when we wait for these verdicts and we see these cops getting off, and we're sad about it,” Wright said. “But we can do things about that. We got to hit them with the pen and paper.

Family, we’ve got to vote.”

After the protest, Perkins noted the need for unrelenting pressure to combat the injustices that Black individuals face in the United States.

“Maintaining that pressure, even when there's not a specific case to be mad about, is what creates change,” Perkins said. “If every time it happens, we get mad and then we get complacent, there will never be any change, because they know that they can just wait this out. One of the most important things is proving that we cannot wait it out. You either get with it, or you'll get run over by it.”

Editor’s note: Junior Sabrina Spence is the social media editor for Student Life. She was not involved in the production or the promotion of this article.

when he told his government relations representative at the University that he wanted to campaign for Medicaid expansion about two years ago, his colleagues were “very skeptical.” They told him they had already tried and failed to get it passed in 2014 and 2016.

Advocates proposed the constitutional amendment after Republican majorities in the state legislature repeatedly voted down past attempts to expand Medicaid through legislation, and the University signed on soon after. “There could not be a more powerful thing for the state of Missouri and its community,” Perlmutter told Student Life in November 2019, when the University first endorsed the potential 2020 ballot initiative.

Because the amendment is projected to generate financial gains for the state, some of the University’s faculty advocates believe that Republicans are blocking funding for the amendment for political reasons. According to Maddox, several state officials represent counties whose constituents would benefit from expansion, but nevertheless voted against it.

“There are political issues, there are financial issues and there are ethical issues,” DiPersio said. “Those three should be aligned, meaning that we should do what [is] ethically right, in a way that’s economically sustainable, and in a way that benefits our patients and our constituents of the state, rich and poor.”

THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

concerns in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

The University expects 1,330 graduates from the Class of 2020 to return for this spring’s graduation ceremonies after last year’s in-person graduation festivities were canceled due to the pandemic.

The University will hold three ceremonies for the Class of 2020 on Francis Olympic Field with up to 500 graduates attending each event and two guests allowed for each graduate. Gerberding will deliver her address in person at each of the three ceremonies, and her speeches will be livestreamed for graduates who do not come to campus.

Among other accolades, Gerberding was named to Forbes’ “100 Most Powerful Women in the World” from 2005-2008 and Time Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in the World” in 2004.

Gerberding is currently the executive vice president and chief patient officer at Merck

& Co. Inc., the fifth largest pharmaceutical firm in the world. Gerberding has also served as a faculty member at the University of California, San Francisco, in addition to directing the Prevention Epicenter at the CDC. “As our 2020 graduates have learned, resiliency is an important characteristic to possess, and Dr. Gerberding has mastered it through her key leadership during many urgent crises,” Martin said.

“I trust our graduates will be inspired by Dr. Gerberding, an example of a strong, resilient leader.”

More recently, Gerberding has acted as an expert voice during the pandemic, using her knowledge as an epidemiologist to explain key elements of the pandemic to the general public.

Gerberding had previously delivered the 2008 Commencement speech at the Washington University School of Medicine while she was the acting CDC director.

PFIZER from page 1 “We’ve gotten used to this kind of emergency thing,” Aagaard said. “We've had enough experience with this that we know who the right people are to have a conversation with. It was wonderful that the state was so efficient in approving our redistribution, because that can sometimes be a limiting factor.”

Eligible community members who have yet to receive the vaccine are still able to register through the University. As of Friday, the University had received 500 doses of Pfizer, but that number is expected to increase depending on community demand.

“Every week, you make a request for a certain supply of a certain vaccine, and then you find out over the weekend whether that supply has been granted,” Aagaard said. “It's always a question in terms of trying to figure out each week… how easy will it be for us to give these shots out? Will people show up?”

Despite the challenge of determining the amount of vaccines to request, Wilkins said that no doses have gone to waste since BJC began distributing doses in December.

“We do get a fair share of no shows, but we don't draw up the vaccine unless there are people here,” Wilkins said.

“Towards the end of the day, we slow down what we draw up, so that was what prohibited us from being able to or having to waste doses. We have that luxury with having [a] pharmacy on site, whereas a lot of the other locations don't have that.”

Another logistical challenge is that while the J&J vaccine only requires one dose, the two doses of the Pfizer vaccine must be administered approximately three weeks apart.

With many students already preparing for final exams in the next few weeks, Wilkins said it could pose a challenge for students since the seconddose generally has more severe short-term side effects.

In response, the University is offering four options for scheduling second doses. Although the CDC recommends administering the two doses of Pfizer 21 days apart, Wilkins said that “you can generally do plus or minus a few days.”

“We've offered some starting on the 20th day and then we're going to go until the 26th day,” Wilkins said. “That is really what's recommended and considered safe at this time.”

While many students agreed

ORLI SHEFFEY | STUDENT LIFE

Freshman Despina Tsiamtsiouris receives a dose of the Pfizer vaccine at the WUSM clinic. After the University paused distribution of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine last Tuesday, they resumed the vaccine clinic with Pfizer doses Friday.

that the one dose would have been more convenient, their main concern was scheduling another vaccine appointment after their J&J appointments were canceled.

“I was honestly just worried that I wouldn't get another vaccine, like they wouldn't immediately sign me up for another one,” junior Christina Chen said. “But other than that I was fine with [the Pfizer vaccine].”

“It would have been easier to get one dose, but I also think doing it through the school has made it more organized,” graduate student at the Brown School Chloe Lampros-Monroe said. “I had family members who have driven hours to a CVS [to get vaccinated]...I thought I was gonna have to spend hours on websites, but they just rescheduled me quickly. It was cool.”

Although many students were willing to get any of the three vaccines approved by federal health agencies, Jason Han, a chief resident in anesthesiology at Barnes-Jewish Hospital who was volunteering at the clinic, said that he was concerned that the pause on J&J would increase vaccine hesitancy. The recommendation to temporarily stop distribution of J&J came after six out of seven million recipients developed blood clots.

“A lot of people probably aren't going to be aware of exactly why the vaccines were put on hold and would avoid getting vaccinated because of that,” Han said. “It's unfortunate; it's a small population of folks that are involved. But hopefully, they'll be able to come out with some more evidence and prove that for larger

populations, it's still good.”

However, Wilkins said that for some, the federal health agencies’ decision to pause J&J was reassuring.

“The CDC and FDA are really doing this out of the abundance of caution to make sure that we're really counting for those people who are vaccine hesitant; because even though [the agencies are] putting a pause on it, they want to make sure that it's still safe and effective for everyone,” Wilkins said. “And I think that really shows that they're willing to do that to make sure that everyone has a safe experience.”

Renee Freeman, a registered nurse administering the vaccine on Friday, agreed with Wilkins’ view.

“I hope that it's trust building for people that [federal health agencies] are keeping an eye out and actually taking action in the moment that there could be any type of considered problem with the vaccine, because I know there's a lot of people out there that are very skeptical or very concerned,” Freeman said.

“I think that this shows that they're really doing their due diligence to monitor what's going on with everyone.”

Although it was just Freeman’s first day administering the vaccine with the University, she was excited to see a strong turnout on the clinic’s reopening day.

“I am just so happy to see so many people coming out and the relief that people start to feel after they start getting their injections,” Freeman said. “I think it can be a little bit more emotional than some people were prepared for.”

THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

SCENE

OLIVIA POOLOS | SENIOR SCENE EDITOR | SCENE@STUDLIFE.COM

STUDENT LIFE 3

Rooted in St. Louis: The Elizabeth Danforth Butterfly Garden THOMAS HUMPHREY STAFF WRITER There is a lot to look forward to this summer, and Washington University’s Butterfly Garden should be on that list. Come the imminent summer planting, the garden transformation will be almost unbelievable. A plethora of vibrant blooms will pop up, making the garden the perfect peaceful resting place for students on campus.

Yet humans are only one species among many that gardeners hope to attract—bees, rabbits, owls, hummingbirds and of course, butterflies all stop by, and many make the garden their home. The Butterfly Garden is a garden with a purpose. Pretty as it is, each plant is selected with the entire ecosystem in mind.

Elena Maksaeva and Lee Anne Quatrano, co-chairs of the Butterfly Garden Committee, gave me a tour of the garden and elaborated on the myriad factors that go into planning each summer.

The Elizabeth “Ibby” Danforth Butterfly Garden began as a service project of the Washington University Women’s Club in 1996, to honor the eponymous wife of former chancellor William Danforth.

“25 years ago, it started with the idea of sustainable plants and native species that butterflies would like,” Quatrano said. “The Missouri Botanical Garden collaborated on the garden with us, and June Hutson designed

the space and the plantings that would go in it.”

Much has changed since that planting. This year, a few of the oldest trees in the garden were removed—a hundred year old sick pin oak was taken down, as were all the ash trees, since St. Louis has been plagued by the ash borer beetle. These pests bore into the trees’ trunks, killing the wood and putting them at risk of collapse. Young trees were planted in their place, including a Gillian hybrid oak planted in honor of the retirement of Kent Theiling.

A small note on garden terminology—“perennial” refers to a plant that persists over more than a season, whereas an “annual” lasts just a year.

The butterfly garden has both; Quatrano and Maksaeva estimated between 20-40% are annuals and in recent years the focus has shifted to perennials, as they require less labor over time.

This summer, milkweed is a focus. The pink and orange flowers attract monarchs, who lay their eggs on the plants. “Milkweed is slightly toxic, and birds know that and so the birds don’t eat their caterpillars,” Quatrano explained.

The milkweed habitat has contributed to their recognition as a “Monarch Waystation” where monarchs can rest and lay their eggs during the yearly migration. St. Louis lies on a major migration path, so the Butterfly Garden and other waystations

are essential in absence of natural environments in urban areas.

Milkweed is just one of many factors that bring the butterflies to Wash. U. While milkweed is great for egglaying monarchs, they prefer other plants for food, some of which are difficult to find.

The Butterfly Garden relies partially on Wash. U.’s greenhouse for some of the more rare varieties.

“Tithonia—[a] Mexican sunflower—is hard to find in the nurseries,” said Quatrano of one of the monarch’s favorite flowers. “But if we give the seeds to the biology greenhouse, they will plant them for use. They are awesome… they have right now about six flats of things for us growing.”

Most humans would not think Tithonia very tasty, but swallowtail butterflies have different palates. Herbs, especially parsley, are the preferred food of swallowtail butterflies. Also included are mint, wild strawberry and onion.

But taste alone is not enough for these picky insects; they also appreciate good presentation. Color is essential to attracting butterflies, who apparently prefer red, yellow and orange flowers.

Most of the annual planting is done at their yearly “Big Dig,” this year on May 4 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., where volunteers come to plant the summer annual garden.

Usually, volunteers are able to finish most of their planting during the Big Dig.

COURTESY OF THE ELIZABETH DANFORTH BUTTERFLY GARDEN COMMITTEE

A monarch butterfly rests on the flower of a Tithonia, or Mexican sunflower.

For whatever is unable to get done, Wash. U. contractors from Focal Pointe, under Cody Azotea’s leadership, generously pick up the slack.

Azotea himself has been a huge help; the co-chairs mentioned how he always has an opinion on the plantings.

Azotea has also helped consult on pollinators, which the garden hopes to attract.

“A lot of times [garden volunteers] just mow everything down and won’t let the perennials come back up,” Quatrano said. They have changed this practice in order to provide more space for pollinators by allowing dead annual plant stalks to remain over the winter.

The garden is home to many creatures, and the gardeners work hard to keep an equilibrium between them.

This delicate balance can easily be disrupted, as is evidenced by the recent bunny crisis.

Bunnies have always been the worst pest in the Butterfly Garden. “The bunnies eat everything,” Quatrano said.

“So once we’ve planted baby things, we fence them all off.”

This is a knock-on effect of the aforementioned oak tree removal, which eliminated a habitat for predatory birds.

Without any birds to keep them in check, the bunnies run amuck eating everything they can find. The bunny problem has been a constant, and one that is still not totally resolved.

However, the gardeners are fighting back. Recently, they have installed an “owl platform” on another tree, meant to provide a habit for the predatory birds. No owls have made a permanent home there yet, but they have found a couple of decapitated rabbits, a sign that owls are scouting the area. It is a grisly sight, but mother nature pulls no punches.

The garden is now in the calm before the storm. Soon plants will be growing almost faster than the gardens can keep up with them. Quatrano explained the process of managing and designing in early summer: “[We try to] contain the sprawling part, so when it’s blooming it looks cohesive…[and] we try to group annuals and perennials together to make a statement.”

A particular challenge is the goldenrod, loved by bees.

The plant is faster growing than other flowers, so care is taken to separate it. Other specimens are rarer, such as the Kankakee mallow, a wildflower only found naturally on one Kankakee river island in Illinois.

The garden is constantly evolving. Each year after summer passes the garden committee takes stock of which plants worked and which did not, and adjust their plans accordingly. In the future, they would love to install a water feature, to provide a more permanent water source for the butterflies than the water now collected on flat rocks throughout the garden.

The Butterfly Garden on campus is criminally underused—it is a great study spot, or perhaps a sanctuary for meditation between classes.

The gardeners spend their time crafting it not only for the insects and birds and butterflies, but also for the humans of Wash. U. to come hang out with all the critters and flowers that call the Butterfly Garden home.

WE ARE OPEN with safe social distancing practices.

We offer curb side pick-up.

COURTESY OF THE ELIZABETH DANFORTH BUTTERFLY GARDEN COMMITTEE

Most annual plants like these will be installed during the “Big Dig” in preparation for the summer.

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VOLUME 142, NO. 23 Matthew Friedman Editor-in-Chief editor@studlife.com

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FORUM

THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

REILLY BRADY & JAMILA DAWKINS | SENIOR FORUM EDITORS | FORUM@STUDLIFE.COM

STUDENT LIFE 4

STAFF EDITORIAL

It’s time to talk about George Washington, his statue and his legacy

A

week ago, around 200 Washington University students participated in a protest in tribute to the lives of Daunte Wright and Adam Toledo, two recent victims of police violence. The protest converged outside of Olin Library at the statue of George Washington, on which participants hung a banner that read, “Justice for Daunte.” The statue has been the subject of much campus conversation, especially since alumna Sabrina Sayed received a $1,516 fine after spray painting the statue during a march in the name of Walter Wallace Jr. These recent mobilization efforts have brought the statue, as well as George Washington himself, into a robust campus conversation about Wash. U.’s namesake and the line between understanding problematic history and celebrating it.

It is the opinion of this Editorial Board that the George Washington statue outside Olin Library is distinctly

celebratory and glorifies colonial systems that we should all be dedicated to dismantling.

The inscription on the base of the statue only furthers this point, declaring that the statue was created in 2003 to “commemorate the 150th anniversary of Washington University in St. Louis.” Even without this inscription, statues in general are celebratory in nature, and this one fails to contextualize the complete, problematic legacy of the first president of the United States.

The tension between this legacy and students on campus is especially evident in the priority with which the statue has been treated as compared to student activists.

One of Sayed’s largest complaints with the University’s sanctions against her was the valuation of the damage to the statue instead of the concerns she as a student and activist was attempting to raise about the existence of the statue itself. The “Justice

for Daunte Wright’’ banner, which remained hanging on the statue following Friday’s protest, was removed quickly, gone by the following day and not acknowledged on any formal level. The handling of student criticism against the statue indicates that Wash. U. has failed to fully acknowledge the implications of glorifying a figure who was involved in the construction of the many systems of colonization, racism and injustice that activists continue to fight against today. This bloody history can no longer be swept under the rug.

It’s time we as a university come to terms with the full meaning of our name: Washington University in St. Louis. This means opening discussion on the statue’s significance to the Wash. U. community. It also means ruminating on what it means to be “in St. Louis.” The chancellor has stressed the phrase “in St. Louis, for St. Louis”

as central to Washington University’s purpose and responsibility. But what does that actually mean? Brown School lecturers in particular have advocated for emphasizing that the University was built on stolen land, a point that Sayed also referenced in her op-ed. A statue of George Washington—who ordered the destruction of indigenous communities, advocated for genocide in the case of non-compliance with the colonization of indigenous land and was known as “Town Destroyer” by the Iroquois— cannot be separated from the legacy of the city and the land it stands on, and the people from whom it was taken.

A common response to calls to remove problematic statues involves cautioning against possibly creating historical silence around the issues at play. It’s a fair concern; should the statue be removed, future students may not even know it existed. That is antithetical

to the goal of genuinely examining our history and responsibility as a university.

However, to reduce the conversation to this point limits the broad spectrum of ideas that are available to us.

For example, it has long been practice in Germany to replace Nazi monuments with memorial sites, musueums and smaller “stumbling stones,” plaques embedded in the ground dedicated to people or populations whose struggles might have otherwise been erased from history.

Marking the history of a piece of land or a name thus creates an opportunity for education, reflection and a more honest view of the history of the spaces we occupy. The George Washington statue could even be moved into a museum or otherwise placed in a space where its implications could be examined in full, rather than standing publicly as a context-less vestige of the past.

Naturally, the racial histories

of Germany and the United States are distinct. But that doesn’t mean we don’t have something to learn from their handling of history.

This is only one idea out of many. Ultimately, the fate of the statue should be decided based on student and community input. At the very least, it is time for the University to allow students to air their grievances and share ideas on how the statue and general legacy of Washington have shaped—or hindered—their experiences as students. When these conversations are started, it’s imperative that the administration takes heed so that when more tangible steps are taken, they are informed, genuine and constructive. The University is beyond due for a reflection on why the statue continues to stand and who it stands for. It’s time to break the silence and fully consider the implications of every single word in our name: Washington University in St. Louis.

Why the 2,505 purple pinwheels around campus are important REILLY BRADY SENIOR FORUM EDITOR Editor’s note: This article contains discussion of sexual assault and rape culture. If you or someone you know has been impacted, resources are available at end of the article.

W

hen walking around campus last Thursday, I noticed something different almost immediately—purple pinwheels lined the edge of the field across from the DUC. A friend pointed out a sign nearby: the Sexual Assault and Rape Anonymous Helpline (S.A.R.A.H.) had installed 2,505 pinwheels around campus for sexual assault awareness month, and each pinwheel stood for one Wash. U. student who had been impacted by sexual assault, according to the Campus Climate Survey in

2019. That’s when I looked in the distance and saw that the pinwheels weren’t just right by my feet––I could see purple specks lining the other side of the field as well. These purple pinwheels lined the entirety of Mudd Field, and even more were scattered elsewhere throughout campus. As I walked to classes throughout the day, I noticed these miniature pinwheels popping up everywhere.

While I was aware of the prevalence of sexual assault at college campuses across the country––Wash.

U. included––the pinwheels brought a tangible image to the numbers. As a freshman, to see the pinwheels lined up around the entire field and scattered throughout campus for the first time was powerful, and the image remains powerful every time I walk onto campus. These pinwheels also feel personal––they represent

individuals on our campus, people we live with and have classes with and share a community space with. The issue is personal because it is our community’s issue. It is happening on our campus to our fellow students.

For many, sexual assault is an uncomfortable topic. We don’t want to think about how big of a number 2,505 is, and we avoid confronting the prevalence of the issue. We tend to brush aside that friend who jokes a bit too much about girls who “ask for it.” We push away our concerns with the belief that we are overreacting, or that a trusted friend would never act with malintent. The purple pinwheels force us to confront the uncomfortable.

Yes, the pinwheels are just pinwheels––at the end of the day, they alone won’t change anything. The pinwheels don’t have meaning unless we give them that meaning. But

processing that each of the 2,505 pinwheels represents one person impacted by sexual assault on campus gives weight to the pinwheels. If each student truly takes the time to reflect on the significance of the pinwheels and understand the urgency of the problem, the pinwheels become more than just miniature plastic decor. They are there to serve as not just a reminder, but as a means for each student to grapple with the severity and seriousness of sexual assault on our campus.

While reflection is important, change requires more than just recognizing the issue.

According to the 2019 survey, 42.5% of women and 20.1% of men experience sexual assault during their 4 years at Wash. U. Grappling with these numbers means confronting the real prevalence of sexual assault in our day-today lives. It means calling out

our friends when they make that harmful joke. It means not discrediting a friend’s concerns about another student. It means believing friends when they share their experiences.

It means educating ourselves about how our culture perpetuates sexual assault.

To comprehensively lower the prevalence of sexual assault, we must confront systemic problems like rape culture that reinforces the silencing of victims, the lack of consequences that perpetrators face especially in universities, the lack of trauma-informed support that victims need when reporting and other national-level concerns. But tackling those larger issues starts with individual action.

Confronting that friend may lead them to question their own problematic behavior in the future. Recognizing your own contributions to rape culture through excusing a

friend’s behavior or using harmful language yourself can help in the broader goal of eliminating a culture that excuses behavior rooted in silencing and blaming victims. Validating a friend’s experience can have significant results: A 2014 national study of female rape victims found that positive disclosure encounters can help encourage survivors to pursue further action and report their experiences. It all must start at the individual level. And for those individual actions to start, it takes reflection. For that reflection to occur, there must be a reminder: in this case, the 2,505 purple pinwheels scattered across campus.

Confidential counselors from the Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention (RSVP) Center are available to all students. To make an appointment, call 314-935-3445 or email rsvpcenter@wustl.edu.

Why the J&J pause shouldn’t stop you from getting vaccinated KYA VAUGHN STAFF WRITER

O

n April 13, the CDC and FDA suggested that organizations halt the distribution of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, due to the fact that there have been 6 reported cases of severe blood clots in the United States that appear to be in response to the vaccine.

To date, almost 7 million doses of the J&J vaccine have been distributed, raising alarm amongst individuals who have received the vaccine.

I understand the concern. We’re finally nearing the beginning of the end of this pandemic with the emergence of the vaccine, only to learn that for some

individuals, one of the vaccines could potentially cause a blood clot. Coupled with an already existent hesitancy towards vaccinations, the findings of the blood clot potential in the J&J vaccine are notably concerning.

However, in times like this, we must really know and assess the risks and the benefits of the situation.

It’s important to note that the likelihood of clotting happening to those who have already received the J&J vaccine is slim. Johnson & Johnson stated that the presentation of the blood clot disorder after receiving the vaccine is “extremely rare.”

Simple math—without any additional statistics—shows that if 6 of nearly 7 million people have formed blood

clots post the vaccine, then the probability of others getting these blood clots is approximately 0.00009%.

Compare this number with other reports indicating that you have a higher chance of forming blood clots from flying airplanes or taking contraceptive pills than you do with having received the J&J vaccination. Other reports indicate that the vaccine distribution pause was more of a precautionary measure, seeing as there has not been an association found between the J&J vaccine and the formation of blood clots. All of this illustrates that the J&J vaccine puts you at no higher risk of forming a blood clot than the general population.

In comparison, the odds of contracting the COVID-19

OUR VOICE: EDITORIAL BOARD Staff editorials reflect the consensus of our editorial board. The editorial board operates independently of our newsroom and includes members of the senior staff and forum section editors.

Managing Editors: Jayla Butler, Isabella Neubauer

Senior Forum Editors:

virus are quite high. In St. Louis county, for groups of 25 people, there is an 11% likelihood that someone within that group has COVID-19.

In Missouri as a whole, the 7-day moving average of daily new cases of COVID-19 is 655.6, or 10.7 new cases per every 100,000 individuals in the state. These data illustrate that there is a significantly higher chance of contracting the COVID-19 virus than there is the chance of getting blood clots from the vaccination.

To date, we know that 3,017,265 lives have been lost globally due to the COVID-19 virus, 567,210 of those deaths having occurred in the United States. Immediate symptoms of the virus include fatigue, headaches, chest pain, fever,

Senior Sports Editors: Grady Nance, Clara Richards

Senior Cadenza Editor: Gracie Hime

Senior Copy Editor:

Reilly Brady, Jamila Dawkins

Grady Nance

Senior Scene Editor:

Senior Multimedia Editors:

Olivia Poolos

HN Hoffmann, Jaden Satenstein

shortness of breath and/ or cough. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 10-15% of COVID-19 cases progress to severe disease. If an individual were to contract a severe case of the disease, they could become hospitalized, which could lead to post-hospitalization effects of post-intensive care syndrome (PICS) or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Additionally, COVID-19 can potentially damage one’s heart, lungs and brain, leading to longterm health difficulties.

When it comes to questioning whether or not to receive the vaccination, it’s important to recognize that there is a far higher possibility of having dangerous health outcomes from the

COVID-19 disease than there is of having dangerous health outcomes from the COVID19 vaccinations. Thus far, the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have proven quite effective in keeping individuals from contracting the vaccine and nearly eliminate the risk of severe disease from COVID-19. It’s reasonable to be concerned about the health outcomes of vaccinations, but it’s important to break down the information to really assess the potential harm versus the potential benefit when it comes to vaccinations. The COVID-19 vaccination is our ticket to returning to some level of normalcy. Do the research, know the risks and the benefits and most importantly, get vaccinated.

YOUR VOICE: SUBMISSIONS We welcome letters to the editor and op-ed submissions from our readers.

Submissions may be sent to letters@studlife.com and must include the writer’s name, class and phone

number for verification. We reserve the right to print any submission as a letter or op-ed. Any submission chosen for publication does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Student Life.

CADENZA

THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

JJ COLEY & GRACIE HIME | SENIOR CADENZA EDITORS | CADENZA@STUDLIFE.COM

STUDENT LIFE 5

The final two plays in the Homecoming Voices collection take the stage with productions of vulnerability GRACIE HIME SENIOR CADENZA EDITOR As the final weeks of classes and campus life come to an end, I am proud to say that I finally acquired enough energy to watch a Wash. U. play.

There obviously haven’t been many productions this year, but I’ve still been reluctant to watch the few that have occurred. I can’t get over how awkward I imagine them due to COVID-19 restrictions and the apparent obligation of the actors and writers to address “how theater has changed” or whatever.

While I don’t regret watching the last two Homecoming Voices productions, I must say, they were just as awkward as I expected twhem to be.

Maybe this is because I haven’t seen a live performance in so long and I forgot what it was like, but I feel like the actors in both productions were overcompensating because of lost time on stage. For two very vulnerable plays, they both seemed so inauthentic.

The first play, “Amateurs,” was written by ‘00 Wash. U. graduate Nastaran Ahmadi and directed by Andrea Urice. This play tells the story of an effort to rekindle a relationship between a brother and a sister. Even

though they seem to have a lot in common, they are very different people who live separate and distinct lives. Although there is deep-rooted conflict in the family, it is clear that similarities help the siblings understand and listen to each other.

I enjoyed the general plot of the play, and the outdoor setting really contributed to the natural feelings that were shared in the dialogue. I think it portrays the idea of the “simple life” that can be found in the secluded mountains and forest, but after learning the experiences of the siblings, the audience soon realizes it is no place for “simple living.” The script was beautiful and witty, but the execution wasn’t entirely there. Like I mentioned before, it felt like the actors were trying to compensate for the lost energy and artistic expression that was taken away during COVID-19. For a script that describes the exhausting lives of two characters who had just lost their mother, there was an overabundance of cheeriness and animation; this just seemed out of place.

“Fear is a Gift” was written by 2008 Wash. U. graduate Liza Birkenmeier and directed by Jacqueline Thompson.

This play

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE PERFORMING ARTS DEPARTMENT

Henry (Nathaniel Holmes) and Leigh (Maya Horn) address family turmoil on their late mother’s land in “Amateurs” written by Nastaran Ahmadi.

allows the audience to watch the production and execution of a virtual haunted bike tour that turns into a haunted and deeply unsettling experience for the two hosts.

While I didn’t totally understand the layout of the tour, I basically took it as a more interactive version of a murder-mystery podcast.

I think this play is supposed to have the trope

of “quiet girl who is best friends with an overly perky girl,” and they definitely hit home on emphasizing this contrast.

I was so annoyed by the character Savannah—the overly perky one—because she was so obnoxious that it took away from the haunted, fearful aspect of the play; I couldn’t even take her seriously when she had a mental breakdown. At times, this

contrast was so ridiculous that I felt like I was watching a Disney Channel original movie.

Although this was an awkward production, the script still sounded organic. It didn’t feel like the characters were mechanically reciting it, but instead, it seemed like they had the freedom to improvise their lines. Because of this, the two girls’ conversations

sounded more natural than if they had to hit specific lines at specific times. I appreciated this improvisational, conversation-like script.

Overall, I can’t say that I’m too surprised by my first experience back with theater. This may be an overdramatic bias because of how high my hopes were, but I doubt it will be an easy transition back into theater regardless.

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CADENZA

THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

JJ COLEY & GRACIE HIME | SENIOR CADENZA EDITORS | CADENZA@STUDLIFE.COM

Hostile Terrain 94 mourns each life lost on the southern border LYDIA MCKELVIE STAFF WRITER This week in the Danforth University Center, a temporary wall was constructed that showed a portion of the border between the United States and Mexico covered in orange and beige tags. In my time sitting by it this week, it’s proven to be enough to stop some busy Wash. U. students in their tracks. Some do a double take and continue on their way, some take pictures and some spend moments reading a few. I can’t say exactly what attracted their attention to it amidst the bustle of campus life—whether it was the shocking color, the size of the wall, the volume of the tags or simply an interruption in the usual campus environment.

For me, no matter how long I sat by it, it was impossible to let fade into the background of my gaze. It demanded to be seen, to be read, to be felt.

The exhibition, called Hostile Terrain 94, is a participatory work of 3,200 toe tags commemorating those who have died in the Arizona Desert between the mid-1990s and 2019. The tags are geolocated to the exact spot the remains were found in this desert as a result of the “Prevention through deterrence” immigration enforcement strategy that

began in 1994. This policy, which is still the primary border enforcement strategy in use today, aimed to deter those crossing the border by cutting off historical points of crossing and forcing migrants to traverse “hostile terrains’’ which would prevent human movement.

The exhibition, currently taking place at over 150 host institutions globally, is sponsored and organized by the Undocumented Migrant Project, a nonprofit researchart-education-media collective directed by anthropologist Jason De León. The initial concept of the exhibition was that it would be shown in the weeks preceding the 2020 election, but due to pandemic restrictions, the exhibition was delayed. According to Spanish and Comparative Literature professor Tabea Linhard, one of the primary organizers in making Wash.

U. a hosting institution for this project, the process looked very different than what was expected when planning started in 2019.

“I think it kind of proved to us that it can still be done!”

Linhard said. “Everything looked a little different than we had expected, but it was still possible.”

Participants filled out individual toe tags by picking up the materials at Linhard’s

home, having materials mailed to them, joining virtual sessions or joining socially-distanced toe-tagfilling events. While it was complicated by the demands of COVID restrictions, the organizers felt the participatory aspect was essential to the process of the exhibition.

“It really, in a metaphorical sense but also in a very real sense, allows you to hold the lives in your hand and allows you to realize that these aren’t just toe tags, they are actually memorializing people who have passed away, whether they are identified people or unidentified people,” explained Mattie Gottbrath, coordinator for International Programming and organizer for Hostile Terrain 94. “That’s very powerful as a memorial but also it’s powerful to recognize more broadly that we hold this issue in our hands.

We have the power to do things about this.”

To Linhard, the participatory aspect also speaks to the nature of activism itself. According to Linhard, “Activism is not something that one person alone can do. What makes the map of Hostile Terrains so aesthetically pleasing, is that you have so many people engaged in this act of mourning and the act of memory and it’s also an act of protest, in many ways.”

HOLDEN HINES | STUDENT LIFE

The Hostile Terrain 94 exhibit in the DUC contains a toe tag for every dead migrant, commemorating the lives lost attempting to cross the US/Mexico border.

In this exhibition, “community” entailed more than just the Wash. U. bubble. Local artists of the Latinx community were actively involved in the construction and display, with accompanying works by Mee Jey and Javier Torres-Gomez hanging on the opposite side of the installation wall. “That’s an example of how we each have our different talents,” said Gotthard, “but it’s this greater community that’s really passionate about immigration and immigration reform, and how that creates this much larger piece that is really moving to see and to be a part of.”

The collaboration at the heart of this exhibition is especially powerful in these times, considering the unfortunate need to physically distance from our communities. “Everything about this exhibit is about collaborating,” said Linhard. “You really need a group of people working on this together, thinking about this together; this is not any kind of project that one person alone can do…It’s really about coming together as a community, as challenging as that has been in the last year.”

As an observer, this piece makes me think about the

nature of art and activism.

There is mourning and protest reflected in the process of the piece as much as there is in the viewing of it.

Though I did not fill out a tag myself, there is a tangibility to their having been filled out.

Somebody filled out these tags. Somebody mourned these people. These are not random names and circumstances, but the descriptions of lost lives. Looking at the mass of tags, I can’t help but be swept up by the enormity of that loss. Though the task of change may seem to have a similar enormity, we do have that power.

The Black Rep’s ‘HOME’ is filmed theatre done right SABRINA SPENCE SENIOR EDITOR Filmed live theatre either works, or it doesn’t. In a year of Zoom performances and general theatrical absence, it can be frustrating to sit down in front of your laptop to watch a performance that doesn’t quite live up to the hype of sitting in a theater.

You find yourself missing the incomparable feeling of waiting for the lights to dim and the curtain to rise. When

you watch filmed live theatre productions, you can either have this feeling recreated or it can be glaringly missed. The Black Rep’s production of “HOME” recreates this feeling and then some.

Watching “HOME” felt like sitting in Edison Theater during a typical Black Rep season, something I have dearly missed. From the first few seconds of the show’s opening, the energy is up and it never goes down. SammArt Williams’ “HOME”

tells the story of Crossroads, South Carolina farmhand Cephus Miles (Brian McKinley), who has allowed heartbreak to guide him away from his family home down an unsavory path of drugs and internment. The allure of city life loses its shine, and he is only able to find true peace once he returns home to South Carolina. McKinley’s performance showcases the nuanced emotion of a broken man redeemed with skill and effortless grace.

Accompanied by Christina Yancy (Woman #1) and Tyler White (Woman #2)— who also play a multitude of other characters—the three actors’ performances match one another perfectly in theatrical harmony. Yancy and White in particular can be credited with keeping the energy and vibrancy up from the very beginning. In the first minute, they explode on stage, their voices melding into one as they sing; it turns into a booming, powerful and

boisterous sonic experience that grips you and prepares you for the rest of the show, all before McKinley even steps on stage.

All three actors wore masks for the duration of the show, a subtle reminder of the time and place that we’re in, but not a reminder that was distracting. I was more focused on the actors and the story they were telling than what was on their faces. Although I couldn’t bear to tear myself away from my screen, after

a while the masks faded into the background, so enthralled was I with the story that director Ron Homes crafted.

Even with the masks, the exuberance behind their performances comes through to the point where it’d almost be impossible to imagine the power that they could convey in a non-pandemic era during a performance without masks.

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SPORTS

THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

GRADY NANCE & CLARA RICHARDS | SENIOR SPORTS EDITORS | SPORTS@STUDLIFE.COM

PHOTO COURTESY OF MELANIE SCHAEFER, WASH. U. ATHLETICS

CLARA RICHARDS SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR Scott Altmeyer’s path to Washington University’s men’s tennis team has been undeniably unique.

Covid-19 left him with an extra year of NCAA eligibility after graduating from Colby College, where he used to play tennis, so when he entered the MBA graduate program at Wash.

U., he joined the Bears.

Since then, he has made a huge impact on the lineup, playing in the number two slot behind his roommate, senior Ethan Hillis. Altmeyer is 9-0 in singles so far this season, playing to a third set only in his first match of the season against a Division I competitor. He has also been playing line one in doubles, winning eight out of nine matches.

Student Life sat down with Altmeyer to talk about everything from his first time holding a racket to his current season.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Student Life: What was your introduction to tennis and your first time picking up a racquet that you can remember?

Scott Altmeyer: Okay, so my first time picking up a racquet, I’d just go to a local park with my parents. My parents didn’t really play, but we’d also go with my sisters. We’d just mess around with the racquet until I took a liking to it—then, I started to do lessons, clinics and stuff like that. I took off and kept playing, and the rest of my family is probably at the same level they were when we went to the park.

SL: I every legiate player I was a school kid. you somewho put everything aside for tennis in high school?

STUDENT LIFE 7

On balancing an undefeated singles season and grad school feel like good coltennis know homeWere one

SA: That’s actually a super common route in tennis. You can do the homeschool, online classes, and that type of academics; it’s actually pretty common. But I was not—I actually was overwhelmed a little bit.

When I was 12, I took it really seriously. And then I took some time off because I put too much pressure on myself and I didn’t like it as much. So I played in high school— which isn’t that serious— and I wasn’t a super high recruit for college. I went to Colby College, and I got a lot better. I wouldn’t have been on Wash. U.’s radar if I was trying to play here as a freshman, but once I got to college, I enjoyed it. I worked hard, and that’s how I got better, not through the homeschool system.

SL: And now you’re here!

And you’re a grad student, which is definitely unique. So there are a lot of differences from Colby and Wash. U.—the size, the location, amongst a whole host of others—but in terms of tennis, training and playing, what’s been different from Colby to here?

SA: The competition is really good here—we’ve got a really strong team.

So I think I get challenged more in practice, and I lose more in practice, so that’s making me better.

Other than that though, the teams are pretty similar. They work out in the weight room as well, and there’s an emphasis on fitness here that is also very important.

SL: The transition from Colby to here must have been pretty interesting for

you— you’re older than everyone on the team but you’re also new to Wash. U. So what have the takeaways been from that transition?

SA: I think that experience for me has been pretty different.

At Colby, I was the number one guy for three years, and I built good relationships on the team. I came through that

program, and then I came to Wash. U. and I’m the new guy. But I’ve played a lot of matches, and I have a lot to contribute. So I think I find spots to share what I’ve learned, and the guys are really receptive to that.

But it’s a different dynamic, where there are different leaders on the team as well. And so I play a different type of role, but I have some experience I can bring myself.

SL: And is it weird to compete against, or be teammates with, people you used to compete against? I know that you were in the NESCAC at Colby, but are there any moments when now you’re teammates with someone you saw from across the net?

SA: We never played Wash. U., but I’ve seen some of these guys in the rankings. Now I’m glad I’m on their side, because I knew they were good players.

Now I have them on my team.

SL: And was there any part of you that just wanted to get out of shape after you graduated from Colby? Maybe put down the racquet, especially after you didn’t even know if there was going to be a spring season?

SA: That’s a great question. At the end of my senior year, I thought I was playing the best tennis of my life. I thought I was playing really well, and then I definitely did do that, actually. I did not

come into Wash. U. in the best shape, honestly—we all got hit by it. So I came in the fall, and I had to do some work over winter break; I got in shape, ate a little better. So hopefully it pays off.

SL: It seems like it’s paid off. Over the past 14 sets, you’ve won half of them, I think 6-0, which is absurd.

Is there any fear that you’re just gonna get complacent?

It seems like in the singles, you haven’t really had to play from like a super high pressure spot.

SA: The goal in practice is to not get complacent and to make sure I’m working hard. I think for me, it helps to make it a goal to win by as big of a margin as possible for that reason.

Because if you let a few games slip here or there, then it starts to get tight.

And once you get nervous, then the door opens for them. And if they’re not as good of a player and you get nervous, then it can be more challenging than you want.

SL: Are you someone who just loves to win or hates to lose?

SA: I used to just hate to lose, but now I try to not put so much pressure on it.

So I think I like winning; at least, that’s the mindset I try and tell myself, but we’ll see where that goes later [in] the season, when I start losing.

SL: Based on your current record, it looks like that should be “if I start losing.” So looking at the doubles, it looks like you’ve switched around partners a bit. Who’s your

favorite doubles partner on the team to play with?

SA: Abhi [Ramireddy] has been my partner. He’s another transfer, so we got the transfer squad together. But he pulled his hamstring 10 days ago, so we’ve had Jeremy [Ouyang], a first-year, step up.

Ethan [Hillis] is also a really good singles player, so it’s been fun playing with them. But hopefully we get Abhi back out there and healthy.

SL: Definitely—to reunite the transfer squad. And I’m sure it must have been fun to play with Ethan, who is also undefeated and a powerful singles player.

SA: Yeah, we’re good friends, roommates as well, so we were very excited to play together. And I think we fed off each other a little bit. He does a lot of things really well, and I think we both excel in returning, so when we were not serving, we had a good chance of breaking serve.

SL: So what’s next? Have you looked at your schedule—what does the postseason look like?

SL: That’s a good question, and I don’t know much about it. I’m hoping there’s going to be a national championship, and hopefully an individuals’ nationals to compete in as well. But if we could get a chance to compete as a team for the national championship, that would be awesome. This is—by far— the best team I’ve ever been on, and I think it’s one of Wash. U.’s stronger teams in recent years. It would be great to compete for the national championship.

Track and field comes first and second at largest meet yet GRADY NANCE SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR The Washington University men’s and women’s track and field teams came first and second at the Wheaton College Invitational on Saturday. The men’s team’s performance raised them 14 spots in the national rankings, from No. 25 to No. 11, while the women fell two spots, from No. 10 to No. 12.

In the field of seven colleges—the Bears’ largest meet of the year so

far—athletes from each team recorded 15 and 17 personal best performances, respectively. “It was an exceptional weekend,” head coach Jeff Stiles said.

Senior Andrew Whitaker led the men’s team with three firstplace finishes, including as a part of Wash. U.’s “all-W” 4x400m relay team (sophomores Jack Henry Whetstone and Marcus-Jay Wilkes and seniors John Harry Wagner and Whitaker).

On the women’s side,

senior Julia Dannenbaum, junior Emma Walter, and sophomore Aoife Dunne captured first place finishes, with Dunne also recording a personal best time in her 800m race. “I think we all did so well because there’s a general understanding that we’re so lucky to get to compete and we owe it to ourselves to get out there and do our best,” Dunne said.

A balance between veteran production and young breakouts has proven a winning formula for the Bears. Stiles credits his CURRAN NEENAN | STUDENT LIFE

WU track and field head coach Jeff Stiles looks on during the women’s 800 meters at an early April meet. The Bears came second against Wheaton this weekend.

CURRAN NEENAN | STUDENT LIFE

Sophomore Travis Phulnauth throws the shot at Wash. U.’s dual meet against Greenville University on April 10. The men’s track and field team came first at the Wheaton Invitational this weekend.

senior athletes with setting positive examples for their younger teammates. “They have set a really great tone,” he said. “They’re super competitive and really into it, and it’s just one of those things that has a huge trickle effect.”

Stiles referenced the underclassmen-led women’s 800m team, on which all runners have run performances in the top 15 in the nation, as one of many examples of senior influence paying off on the track. “In one event to have four people [ranked

so highly], that’s very rare, and I think it’s partially because the seniors have done such a good job,” he said. Dunne agreed.

“They’ve stayed so positive and have really helped us stay motivated,” she said.

The team’s concentration of talent in the senior class, including what Stiles believes to be “some of the all-time greats” of Wash. U. track and field history in Dannenbaum, Caira Watson-Haynes and senior jumper Eka Jose, has provided much-needed

consistency—consistency that, in a chaotic year laden with uncertainty, cancellations and restrictions, has become vital. Dannenbaum has remained positive and driven as a veteran voice.

“Our team loves to compete, and we’re so excited just to have that opportunity, so we’re making the most of it,” she said.

The Bears will look to continue their spring season on Friday at the Rose-Hulman Twilight Meet.

8 STUDENT LIFE

GRADY NANCE & CLARA RICHARDS | SENIOR SPORTS EDITORS | SPORTS@STUDLIFE.COM

THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

Baseball retains top ranking with back-to-back doubleheader sweeps CLARA RICHARDS SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR When he stepped to the plate Saturday evening, junior Andrew Huang had never hit a home run in college. Seconds later, that had changed. Huang sent a ball soaring through the lengthening shadows at Kelly Field to give the Washington University baseball team a walk-off win over Spalding University, 3-2 in 11 innings.

“When you’re a little kid playing wiffle ball in your backyard, you try to simulate that movement—two outs, bottom of the ninth, or something like that,” Huang said. “I don’t even know what happened, it happened so quickly, but I’ll probably remember that for the rest of my life.”

That win was just one of four on the weekend, as the Bears continued their Division III dominance with back-to-back doubleheader sweeps over Spalding University to maintain the

No. 1 ranking nationally. The Bears outscored Spalding 18-4 over four games, and the team’s 21-1 start to the year is one of its best ever.

While the Eagles are not a ranked team, Spalding had been able to rack up a few victories against top teams, including a 5-2 win against Webster University earlier in the season, and for much of the weekend they kept things close against the Bears.

In the first of Saturday’s games, the score hovered at one for the Bears from an early run from junior Tim Van Kirk, who scored on a wild pitch after two scoreless games last weekend against Webster. An Eagles error in the fourth allowed senior Caleb Durbin to score, and the Bears had big sixth and eighth innings to push the score to 7-1. Senior pitcher Ryan Loutos gave up an uncharacteristic three walks through six and a third innings—before that, he had walked a total of four players in five games pitched—but

CLARA RICHARDS | STUDENT LIFE

Senior Collin Kahal focuses in on the pitch as he prepares to bunt the ball in the first game on Saturday against Spalding.

his performance still lowered his earned run average to 0.89 on the year. When senior Jared Fong tossed a scoreless two and two thirds innings in relief of Loutos, the Bears showcased a key strength this spring: Even with key players having (by their own, high standards) an off day, the team’s depth has prevented shows of weakness this year. They won the game, 7-1.

The Bears struck first in the second game Saturday as they strung together a collection of hits early, but after the fourth inning, the game stagnated. For six successive innings, the Bears failed to cross home plate, a rarity this season. “Their pitcher was dealing. He wasn’t a top velocity guy, and he didn’t have any crazy off speed,” said junior Bo Anderson, who went 0-3 with a walk in Saturday’s second game. “He was throwing a changeup a lot—he was mixing that in and I think that was throwing us off a little bit. We just weren’t able to string hits together.”

The game stretched out to the bottom of the 11th inning as the teams battled for the sixth hour. But all that changed when Huang stepped up with two outs to hit the walk-off home run.

Huang said despite the extra innings matchup, the mood in the dugout was just as confident as it has been the rest of the season. “There were no doubts,” he said.

“We had the feeling that if

CLARA RICHARDS | STUDENT LIFE

Senior Henry Singer reaches first on a single in the Bears’ first game against Spalding on Sunday, advancing Bo Anderson to third. They won the third game 4-1.

we just kept playing our style of baseball then there was no way we could lose.”

In Sunday’s games, the Bears kept the Eagles’ offense at bay through strong pitching and fielding efforts.

In the first game, senior Mitchell Black pitched six innings, with seniors Tim Tague and Fong finishing out the game. While the teams had an equal amount of hits, at six each, the Bears’ pulled away late to secure a 4-1 victory.

In the second game, junior Austin Sachen, freshman Clayton Miller and sophomore Dominick Dicosimo took the mound. And while the relief pitchers in both of Sunday’s games may have been relatively new faces for the Bears, they were essential to the team’s success. “It was

great to see them all come into those spots and do what they had to do,” Anderson said. “Even if it was only Tim Tague throwing 20 or 30 pitches, that’s what we needed out of him. I mean, he did a hell of a job with that.” The Bears won the last game of the weekend, 4-0, and sent the Eagles back to Kentucky empty-handed.

Head coach Pat Bloom said there was room for improvement for the Bears’ hitting lineup. “Sometimes hitting is about making adjustments; beyond making physical adjustments to your swing, you have to make the necessary mental and approach adjustments within a game,” he said.

“Our hitters know that we can be better and we’re looking to be consistently better

in that area as the season moves forward.”

The Bears had not played back-to-back doubleheaders since 2019, so it was an adjustment. Bloom said playing four games in two days was helpful preparation for a potential busy postseason. “Playing a four game series against the same opponent is an absolute grind,” he said. “It’s physically and mentally exhausting for the players, and you don’t quite know how it’s going to affect your team until you go through it.”

The Bears are scheduled to play three away games against Buena Vista University this Saturday and Sunday, as they set their eyes upon a final stretch of 10 regular season games.

Golf records three top 10 finishes in final regular season competition MAX REMY CONTRIBUTING WRITER The Washington University women’s golf team completed its regular season campaign this weekend with its three golfers all finishing in the top 10 at Millikin University’s Take Back the Night Challenge.

Since the Bears only played with three golfers, they did not finish with a team ranking in the competition. All three players, freshmen Caraline Oakley, Gwynnie Lee and Krystina Wilson, made significant improvements over the two-day tournament, each

improving by at least four strokes from Saturday to Sunday. Coming in third, Oakley shot four strokes lower on the second day combining for a 152 twoday total, a personal best for the freshman whose accolades also include a win at the Dechert Classic earlier this season. In her highest individual finish for the year, Wilson placed fifth overall and had a twoday total of 158. Wilson also took off eight strokes from day one to day two of the tournament. Lee finished in a three-way tie for eighth place and took off an impressive seven

strokes on the second day on her way to a total score of 163. This season also marks the third consecutive year that the Bears have finished in the top 25 of the Women’s Golf Coach’s Poll, according to the Women’s Golf Coaches Association website.

This is Wilson’s third tournament of the season and both her best score and highest finish in her Wash. U. career. Adapting to her new playing environment in St. Louis after growing up in California has been a struggle, but it has helped her to improve

her overall game. “Playing in the wind is pretty rough for me, because I had never experienced that before,” she said. “So I’m just hitting lower shots, and it just goes to the wind more. And when it’s colder outside as well, the ball doesn’t go as far. So I just need to know what my yardage is and my distances.”

For Wilson, her first collegiate golf season has been challenging despite the ample competition opportunities. She has been able to get substantial playing time thanks to the small team size, but the

freezing St. Louis winter put a damper on many of the fun playing opportunities that the team would normally get. “It’s kind of depressing, honestly,” she said. “When it’s cold, you go on the simulator with two players and a coach, and it kind of sucks not having the whole team there.”

Wilson has enjoyed being able to play as a bigger team when the weather and health restrictions permitted it. “Practices outside are nice when all of us can come together,” she said. “We’re a really close team.”

The Millikin tournament wraps up the regular season for the No. 21 team.The team will have about a threeweek break before the championship begins on May 11. Oakley is hoping to be selected for championships as an individual player after adding a strong third place finish to an already impressive resume. “She’s carried this whole team through this season,” Wilson said. The selection show, which could grant Oakley an individual spot in the championships, is on May 3.

‘I think we have a pretty good shot to win the whole thing’: Men’s tennis wins big against Principia JOSH KUTLER AND GRADY NANCE SPORTS WRITER AND SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR The Washington University men’s tennis team came out strong yet again Saturday, sweeping Principia College 9-0 on Senior Day. The win was the team’s eighth in a row, and it boosted their record to 8-1.

The Bears were able to set the tone early, winning all three of the doubles matches. This momentum continued into the singles matches, which the team dominated without dropping a single set.

“I think we’re just really strong this year,” graduate student Scott Altmeyer said.

“We’ve got a lot of depth, all the way through, so it’s not just the top of the lineup, but it’s every position from one to six and in all three of the doubles teams.”

In doubles, the first team of Altmeyer and sophomore Abhi Ramireddy won 8-4, the second team of seniors Daniel Li and Benjamin van der Sman won 8-1 and the third team of senior Ethan Hillis and freshman Gaurav

Singh won 8-1.

In the singles matches, Hillis won as first singles 6-1, 6-1, Altmeyer won as second singles 6-0, 6-4, van der Sman won as third singles 6-1, 6-3, Li won as fourth singles 6-0, 6-3, Singh won as fourth singles 6-0, 6-0 and junior Sam Komis won as fifth singles 6-0, 6-1.

The team’s only loss this year was a tight 4-3 defeat in the Bears’ first match of the year, against Division I Memphis.

Next week the team will face University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, which is also 8-1, at a neutral site in Bettendorf, Iowa.

“We’re expecting a good, tough match, a good regular season match when we haven’t played our normal schedule,” Altmeyer said.

“We’re looking forward to playing some top [Division III] competition and we’ll be definitely preparing and taking them very seriously.”

Despite the challenges of pandemic-era athletics, there will likely be tennis playoffs this spring, and the team has been preparing for the Division III championship. Selection day is May

10. “It comes with staying competitive in practice, as well as the matches,” Altmeyer said. “We’ve been really dialed in for the practice matches because a lot of times our best competition is our own teammates.”

Hillis is optimistic about the team’s chances. “I think we have a pretty good shot to win the whole thing,” he said. “If I was betting on, I would bet we definitely do better than quarters, and should hopefully win the semis.” Hillis acknowledged that exposure to other teams has been limited due to regional concerns. For example, fivetime national champion Emory University has only been able to play two other teams—both regional—so far. But both the Bears’ doubles and individuals are deeper than they have been in Hillis’s time on the team, he said. “Based on that, I think that, we have a good shot to do a lot better than we have in previous years.

But I guess those other teams could be feeling the same way—it’s hard to tell.”

The women’s tennis team picked up two more

wins last Tuesday and Sunday against Lindenwood University and North Central College, extending their winning streak to seven games and bringing their record to 7-1 on the season.

The first match against Lindenwood started strong, with the Bears taking two of three of their doubles matches, courtesy of senior Ally Persky and freshman Karen Gao at No. 1 and senior Laurel Wanger

and freshman Katherine Johnston at No. 2. Wash.

U. continued to cruise in singles matches, dropping only one of their six singles matches en route to a 6-1 victory.

Sunday’s match against North Central marked the seventh straight victory for the Bears, as they swept every match, not dropping a single set, in their 9-0 victory. The day marked a milestone for senior

captain Laurel Wanger, who secured her 50th career victory with her wins at No. 2 doubles with freshman Katherine Johnston and at No. 4 singles.

The women’s tennis team will look to keep their winning streak alive for the final home match of the season this Wednesday against Webster University.

Senior Sports Editor Clara Richards contributed reporting.

CURRAN NEENAN | STUDENT LIFE

Graduate student Scott Altmeyer prepares to serve against a Principia College player.

Altmeyer won 6-0, 6-4 as the Bears swept Principia 9-0 on Senior Day.