September 12 2024 Student Life newspaper, WashU in St. Louis
An update on faculty suspensions after April 27 pro-Palestine protest
encampment on the Danforth Campus,” Wendland wrote in her letter to Ross.
Six WashU faculty members —- four of whom were also arrested — were notified that they would be suspended with pay two days after their participation in the April 27 pro-Palestine protest on campus. All of the suspensions were lifted in late June, and most of the professors continue to teach at WashU.
Several of the faculty members met with Student Life and detailed their suspension processes, provided updates on their employment status, and expressed their disappointment with how they were treated by the University.
Provost Beverly Wendland sent her letters of suspension to the six faculty members on April 29. Among the recipients was Scott Ross, a lecturer in sociocultural anthropology. He shared a copy of his suspension letter with Student Life.
“We have been informed you were part of a group that participated in setting up an
Wendland said that Ross failed to disperse when instructed to do so by the Washington University Police Department (WUPD) and was subsequently arrested for trespassing. She informed him that he is being put on paid administrative leave pending the University’s investigation into his conduct.
The letter also stated the terms of Ross’ suspension. Wendland wrote that he was “relieved of all job duties” and prohibited from “[engaging] in further work activities.” She also wrote that he should refrain from contacting students or colleagues and that his access to university systems had been revoked.
Like Ross, Michael Allen — who served as a senior lecturer at the Sam Fox School until July and is now a visiting assistant professor of history at West Virginia University — was arrested at the protest and received a suspension letter from Wendland.
Allen noted a difference between the University’s handling of Economics Professor Phillip Dybvig’s accusations of sexual harassment in 2022 and the handling of the pro-Palestine protest suspensions.
“In [Dybvig’s] case, the University’s defense to the students who were really upset and filing grievances was, ‘oh, we have to give him due process. He can’t just be suspended,’” Allen said. “And now in this case, it’s like, ‘oh, we can just suspend you immediately,’ two days after the protest with no due process, without an investigation, without evidence, without a hearing.”
When the initial accusations of his sexual misconduct became public, Dybvig was on an approved, year-long leave and returned to campus the following summer. There is no publicly available information indicating that Dybvig received any major disciplinary action before or after the investigation into his conduct, though the full details of the University’s internal proceedings remain undisclosed.
Allen said that Dybvig’s case demonstrates that the University is inconsistent with its use of disciplinary measures.
“A lot of students are still very upset about [Dybvig’s] case, and they’re watching what’s happening here,” he said. “They’re seeing the hypocrisy of the University acting on what you could argue is a much, much more minor basis, even if professors didn’t disperse when the police said to leave a protest, that pales in comparison to sexually assaulting students.”
When asked to comment on the suspensions generally and on several of the suspended faculty’s allegations, Wendland wrote in an email to Student Life that the administration did not veer away from their standard policies and protocols.
“While, of course, each individual case is different, it would not be out of the ordinary for an employee to be suspended during an investigation,” she wrote. “We always try to complete investigations in as timely a manner as possible. Our priority is always to
be fair and thorough, and sometimes that takes time.”
It is unclear if the provost’s response is in reference to the handling of Dybvig’s case compared to the suspended faculty members’, other allegations made by the faculty members, or the protest suspensions generally. When asked to comment further on allegations made by suspended faculty, Wendland declined to provide additional details. She also referenced the University’s policy of keeping information about individual suspension cases and personnel matters private.
Both Ross and Allen said Wendland had alleged in her suspension letters that they helped set up the encampment, which they denied doing. They noted that Wendland altered the reasoning for their suspensions in a letter she wrote to them in late June, when they were notified that the investigations into their actions had been completed.
associate membership
The College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) has revoked the Washington University football team’s associate membership, a CCIW spokesman confirmed to Student Life Friday, Sep. 6. WashU will remain an associate member of the conference until the 2025 season concludes. The news was first reported by d3sports.com.
“The CCIW Council of Presidents have been closely watching the conference membership shifts throughout D-III. It is in the best interest of our core members to be in a position to act quickly if the opportunity presents itself to add a core member that sponsors football,” CCIW Executive Director Maureen Harty shared in a written statement. “We made the decision to give WashU notice now, so they can begin to pursue other options. WashU and Coach [Aaron] Keen have been a great partner and we look forward to their next two seasons in the CCIW.”
WashU Athletic Director Anthony Azama declined to comment.
Per the CCIW’s constitution, five of the conference’s nine core members can vote to oust an associate member from the conference. It is unclear which CCIW core members
voted to remove WashU. While most WashU teams compete in the University Athletic Association (UAA), the UAA stopped sponsoring football in 2013 after many football members sought other football conference affiliations. WashU then joined the CCIW,
considered to be one of the premier conferences in D-III football.
In five CCIW seasons to date, the Bears have gone 33-12 in conference play. Bears football has not won a CCIW title, but has finished third or fourth in the conference every season of their membership. In addition,
the Bears have twice qualified for the Culver’s Isthmus Bowl, the bowl game for the best team in the conference that doesn’t qualify for the NCAA Division III playoffs. Head football coach Aaron Keen emphasized that his focus is on the season ahead.
“There’s a lot of things that are probably at play, and there are certain things that we can’t control that our administration is going to take care of,” Keen said. “I don’t have a comment on what’s next, but the main thing that I can do is worry about our weekly opponents.”
It is unclear which conference the Bears will join next. Though the UAA doesn’t currently sponsor football, five of its teams have football programs. However, five schools is not enough for the UAA to receive an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. On Mon., Sep. 9, UAA core member Carnegie Mellon University announced that their football program will join the Centennial Conference beginning in the 2025 season, making it less likely that the UAA will sponsor football again. WashU football once competed in the Southern Athletic Association (SAA), but adding WashU now would expand the SAA to an uneven nine member teams. Other conferences with teams in the region include the American Rivers Conference, based in Iowa, the American Southwest Conference in Texas, and the Heartland Conference in Indiana and Ohio.
Riley Herron contributed reporting to this article.
WashU football loses CCIW
ALIZA LUBITZ NEWS EDITOR
WUPD and local law enforcement disperse a crowd of protesters in front of Kemper Art Museum on April 27.
ALAN ZHOU | STUDENT LIFE
MATT EISNER JUNIOR SPORTS EDITOR
Graham Chapel bells ringing again after three years of lightning-related disruptions
JUSTIN OCKUN KATE WESTFALL STAFF WRITER DESIGN EDITOR
WashU students were greeted by the Graham Chapel bells upon their arrival to campus this semester, ending three years of intermittent silence caused by a trifecta of lightning strikes. The bells now chime every quarter-hour between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. daily, with the WashU alma mater playing at noon.
Jeff Allen — manager of the Harvey Media Center, an entity under Event Management that helps oversee the Chapel — told Student Life about the series of lightning strikes that damaged the bells and the challenging process of restoring them to their current state and ringing routine.
“Graham [Chapel] is kind of our problem child and our baby as well,” Allen said.
The bells, which are actually an electronic device, began ringing in 1984. They had gone on largely uninterrupted until late 2021 when the Chapel was struck by lightning, destroying the electronic controller clock and rendering the system non-operational.
Following eight months of repairs, the bells resumed ringing in April 2022. A few months later, the chapel was once again struck by lightning, which weakened the bell system, though the bells continued to ring.
During commencement weekend in May 2023, the chapel sustained its third and most severe lightning strike, which effectively destroyed the entire bell system and damaged the Chapel’s organ and
audio-visual (AV) system.
“Lighting strikes are very, very powerful events, and depending on where and how they hit, they can spray electromagnetic radiation everywhere,” Allen said.
“Electronics don’t typically like to see outside electromagnetism or extraneous electricity all of a sudden getting dumped into them.”
Allen said that after the third and final strike, repairs of the organ and AV system were prioritized over the bells because they are both used frequently for Graham Chapel events. Once this repair work was completed in January of this year, bell repairs began. The project was completed on Aug. 7, and the bells resumed ringing the following day.
Several students that Student Life spoke to, including junior Bella Gomez, said
they were pleasantly surprised by this resumption.
“I’m glad they’re back,” Gomez said.
Gomez’s sentiment was shared by several other juniors and seniors who previously heard the bells in operation. However, multiple first-years and sophomores that Student Life spoke to were less enthused by the ringing.
“They’re alright,” sophomore Nasir Sims said.
Regardless of their thoughts on the ringing, students were astonished to learn that the “bells” in the chapel are not actual bells, but rather an automated, harpsichord-like device. The ringing sound occurs when strings are plucked in response to electronic pulses sent by a central controller device; this plucking emits a faint noise that is amplified through four large speakers.
Co-headlining acts for Night at the Pageant
TANVI GORRE
Students can expect not one, but two headlining acts at this year’s Night at the Pageant (NAP), which will take place on Friday, Nov. 9, according to Vice President of Programming and Head of the Student Programming Board (SPB), Abby Sode. This shift in NAP programming is the result of a $25,000 increase in NAP’s talent budget, which was approved unanimously by Student Union (SU) Treasury on Sept. 3.
EDITOR
NAP took place for the first time last year as a relaunch of Fall WILD, with the headliner being indie-rock band St. Motel. Originally, the budget was $75,000, and with this new bump in funding, the talent budget will total $100,000 this year.
The Palestine Taboo:
September 23, 2024
7:00 - 8:30 PM
Reception following
Bryan Cave Moot Courtroom Anheuser-Busch Hall (Law) Washington University in St. Louis
Please register at rap.wustl.edu
Sahar Aziz
Senior Ella Hyman went to NAP last year and said it was not only fun, but that the concert venue, the Pageant on Delmar Loop, was convenient for some upperclassmen.
“People were really excited about the band and [it] being so close,” Hyman said. “I lived in the lofts, and so it was so nice [that] everybody could walk there.”
Hyman told Student Life she knew one or two songs from last year’s headliners prior to NAP, but sophomore Dakota Bilyeu did not, which dissuaded her from going to the concert.
“I just mainly don’t really know the artists very well, and then I’d have to take the time to go listen to their music to see if I like it to go to [NAP],” Bilyeu said.
Bilyeu also said she did not know what NAP was until after the event.
“Just seeing the title [NAP] in my Outlook, I was like, ‘what?’” said Bilyeu. “[A]s a freshman, I had no idea what it was.”
In the new postpandemic WashU, traditions such as WILD have dwindled, decreasing student engagement in campus-wide events. While campus-wide morale has impacted NAP, funding has as well. In February 2020, Fall WILD had a funding cut to set aside enough money for a bigger annual Spring WILD.
According to Vice President of Finance, Meris Damanjovic, this year’s increase in NAP’s talent budget should not impact Spring WILD, as the additional funds are coming from unspent money from last year’s Student Programming Budget.
Damanjovic hopes this monetary change will increase student engagement in NAP.
“It’s putting us into that new tier of talent, getting people engaged,” Damanjovic said. “If that means a $25,000 increase[...]then that’s what we’ll do.”
None of the students interviewed knew that the bells were actually an electronic device, and they expressed feelings ranging from fascination to dismay.
“I guess you can fake it till you make it,” sophomore Tanisha Paul said. “It’s still nice pretending that we have a nice little bell ringing every 15 minutes.”
FACULTY
from page 1
“When I received my final email from Provost Wendland, she said that I had been found to have disobeyed a lawful order of the [WUPD],” Allen said. “There was no mention of the original allegation of setting up the encampment, if they investigated [the allegation] and found that I had or had not set up the encampment.”
Angela Miller, a professor of art history and archaeology, was not arrested at the protest and was surprised when she received her suspension letter.
“It was unexpected because I hadn’t done anything, and I knew that I hadn’t done anything or had been in any violation,” she said.
In her letter of suspension to Miller, the provost wrote, “we have been informed that…you used your campus card access to allow unauthorized persons into campus buildings against the explicit orders of [WUPD].”
Miller explained her actions on the afternoon and evening of April 27 to Student Life. She said that she left the protest prior to any arrests, but before leaving, she entered Whitaker Hall with several other protestors to look for a bathroom.
“The door was wide open to Whitaker, so I walked in, went to the bathroom, came back out, and I encountered two policemen,” Miller said. “They asked me for my faculty card, which I showed them. We had a very friendly conversation and they said, ‘fine, go ahead.’”
In a letter sent from Wendland to Miller on July 9, the language used to describe the professor’s violation had changed. Wendland wrote that the University’s investigation revealed that Miller made multiple attempts to interrupt officers as they were implementing dispersal orders and that police tape had to be used to keep her away from them.
When asked to comment on Wendland’s July 9 letter, Miller wrote to Student Life that she came to the protest at the invitation of certain students to serve as an intermediary between
Allen says he is hopeful that the bells will continue to chime for the foreseeable future without further interruptions.
“It’s nice to hear them ringing again, because there had been so much bad luck with Graham [Chapel] the last three years,” Allen said. “I’m convinced it’s cursed.”
them and the police, and that she confronted police officers in her attempt to mediate.
“At one point, I went up to [the police] and demanded they state the basis on which they were intending to make arrests, since at that point and after, there was never any violence,” she wrote. “I was doing exactly what the students had instructed me to do. I don’t remember any tape being applied. The police I approached offered no answers, at which point I left the scene.”
Miller asserted that many of the allegations against the faculty members were exaggerated.
“I think, at base, the understanding was that they were violating our rights to protest, and they had to find just cause for that,” she said.
Miller also said she was troubled by the fact that none of the suspended faculty members were given the opportunity to share their own stories, even during a hearing meant for them to present evidence for exoneration.
“We were allowed to write letters to the administration explaining, in our own words, what had happened, but that was the only occasion, and we were never really allowed any exchange with the administration,” she said. “It was just a one-sided thing, and then total silence from them.”
Allen said that his suspension had an influence on his decision to leave WashU.
“I applied for jobs at different institutions all the way back in the fall [of 2023], so who knows what I would have accepted or not, but certainly the arrest and suspension sort of sealed the deal for me,” Allen said. “When the offer came in from West Virginia, I accepted it within one day.”
Miller and Ross both returned to campus this fall to continue teaching at WashU.
“I’m happy to be [back on campus],” she said. “I’m happy to be involved with students. I’m happy to be back doing what I love doing, but [WashU is] not the same place it was.”
ILLUSTRATION BY DAVID WANG
SCENE
Hi Scene,
I walked in on my roommate having sex with his girlfriend. She screamed, I screamed, it was very awkward. I feel like it needs to be addressed, but also don’t really want to talk about their sex life!
Scarred Suitemate
Dear Scarred Suitemate,
I’m picturing it. Walking through the dusty residential college hallway on the way to my room, coffee in one hand and an overflowing backpack draped on my shoulder. Opening the door to my room, excited to crash into my bed and procrastinate my College Writing paper for a couple more hours.
“GET OUT!!!!!” I can just hear my roommate scream. In a flash of white sheets, glistening gold Trojan packets scattered across the floor, and crumpled Calvin Klein boxers (I won’t expose the color), I slam the door shut. Racing down the hall, my footsteps echo as I sprint across the underpass, heading to the only safe place I trust for some peace and quiet. Olin Library. I guess my College Writing paper needs to be written after all!
Welcome to college, Scarred Suitemate! I think you (or maybe us both) have just described the vivid nightmare that almost all college students have been conditioned to accept as a sort of ritual. The high pitched scream, the door slam, and the nonchalant small talk the next morning about your mundane homework assignment are all necessary components.
On real note, I’m sorry that you had to experience that. While eventually amusing to look back on, I trust it was a very uncomfortable experience, and you deserve the right to have boundaries in your own home. It surely is easier to go the traditional way and relinquish the memory into nothingness, as most of us do, but that’s only putting a bandaid over a more serious, and possibly recurring, experience.
I’m sure you know what I’m going to say. Communication is your best friend! But truly, it does go a long way. Telling your roommate that there needs to be a line of transparency between you two is the only way to avoid any further embarrassment, on
ILLUSTRATION BY DAVID WANG
both sides!
I’m not saying your roommate and his girlfriend can’t be alone in your room. But being communicative about how you’re sharing the space will be the most helpful next step. For example, take turns on which nights you’re asking the other person to leave. Ask your roommate to plan ahead on which nights his girlfriend is sleeping over, and whether he could sleep over at his girlfriend’s on the others. That way, you know exactly what evenings your room may be occupied. If he wants her company spontaneously, ask him to shoot you a text beforehand. Sure it may still be annoying, but it’s better than being blindsided by an awkward encounter. You could even have a DND sign (or signal, like the classic sock) on your door if one of you needs a physical reminder of when your room is busy.
Sharing a room with someone, especially someone you might not know well yet, is hard. Many people have been in your shoes and have learned to overcome the waving tides of anxiety and discomfort in having these difficult conversations. As long as you’re communicative each day and set boundaries about situations that absolutely cannot occur, you will probably realize both you and your roommate are willing to make compromises to enjoy your shared space. You can preserve your friendship and live a comfortable life!
It’s easier said than done. But it’s worth a shot and definitely worth starting a conversation. We’re rooting for you.
Your Neighbors, Scene
Changing course: How and why students transfer out of WashU
LORE WANG JUNIOR SCENE EDITOR
With the start of the new semester, new faces abound on campus. For a handful of students, this isn’t just the start of a new school year — it’s also a completely fresh start at a new college.
In addition to the 1,851-student-strong class of 2028, 50 transfer students from 38 colleges count among the new arrivals at WashU. But what isn’t so clear is the opposite side of that equation: the number of students who chose not to return to campus.
Whether they’re looking to transfer to another university, take a break, re-evaluate their plans, or deal with any assortment of personal factors, a significant number of college students unenroll from their schools each year, many of whom never return to complete their degrees.
According to a July 2024 report from the National Student Clearinghouse, the number of these “stopouts,” or students between the ages of 18 and 34 that have completed some credits but not received a degree, rose by 15,100.
The 2024 admissions cycle has been among the first for which the University implemented a “systematic” tracking system for students transferring out of WashU, according to Jen Smith, Vice Provost for Education Initiatives. Although admissions doesn’t yet have an exact figure, estimates sit around 50–60 students who left WashU for other institutions within this cycle. This figure is in line with typical data from the past few
years, post-COVID. While the focus of admissions data has traditionally been on incoming students, Smith hopes to learn more about the reasons students leave in order to help with retention.
“We’re starting to look at who’s applying to transfer so that we could understand something about what’s motivating that. We really only have what people tell us when they withdraw from the University, and some people just ghost us,” explained Smith.
The difficulty in tracking these students stems from the way in which the transfer process operates. While students notify WashU of their intent to transfer with a College Report Form and meet with their academic advisors here, the bulk of their application is processed by the schools they’re applying to. Although WashU has attempted to collect exit data from students, these responses are mostly voluntary. Low response rates may be influenced by the simple fact that reporting grievances back to the very institution students are trying to leave can be awkward and intimidating.
“I remember one instance where I had a faculty member super upset because a student in their lab said they were leaving WashU because their advisor told them they weren’t going to be able to complete their degree on time,” said Smith.
After talking to the advisor, she learned the student had told them they were actually transferring to be closer to a significant other. “I’m always a little bit skeptical about the reasons we get told,” she added.
Outside of individually
reported data about reasons for transferring, there is a gap in information shared between universities about transfer data. Additionally, around two-thirds of students who request a College Report Form don’t end up actually transferring out of WashU, according to Smith, which further muddies the data.
“Other universities don’t tell us if they’ve received a transfer application from our students. We don’t know the difference between ‘they never completed their application,’ ‘they applied and were rejected everywhere,’ or ‘they applied and were accepted, but chose to stay here anyway,’” said Smith. WashU uses National Clearinghouse data to follow outcomes for students who enroll at other institutions, but the process requires tracking individual students after the fact, and offers no clear answers to their decision-making process.
Smith noted that of the students who responded to exit questions, the most commonly cited reasons for transfer included seeking courses of study not offered at WashU, being closer to home, and financial considerations. While some of those issues are grounds for irreconcilable differences (Smith cites a former WashU student who transferred to a school in Europe to pursue equestrian studies or others who objected to the weather), other considerations, such as financial aid, could potentially be addressed by the school.
According to WashU Undergraduate Admissions, 50-60 students transferred to other schools from WashU last year.
SAM POWERS | STUDENT LIFE
ZARA SHARIFF | SENIOR SCENE EDITOR
Sophomore Ben Denker transferred to Cornell University at the end of his first year through Cornell’s Transfer Option, which was presented to him during his first round of college applications during his senior year of high school. Instead of the typical accepted/ waitlisted/denied responses, Denker, a New York native, received an offer to attend any school of his choosing for his first year of college, with the option of transferring to Cornell in his second year, as long as he met certain academic standards.
Although Denker was initially unsure if he wanted to transfer, dozens of conversations consulting friends and family helped shape his decision. Ultimately, Cornell’s advantage in specialty programs (and lack of supplemental essays in the process) became the deciding factor.
“At WashU, I was sort of unsure what I wanted to do. I was intending on majoring in political science and economics, but I wasn’t so sure.
But the Cornell ILR (School of Industrial and Labor Relations) program appealed to me a lot, and there were specific classes I wanted to take,” Denker said.
With only a couple of weeks of school under his belt so far, Denker is still settling into his new campus, but asserts that transferring has been the right choice so far.
“Don’t be afraid to…transfer if the only concern [you have] is social, because if you put yourself out there, it’ll be easy to adjust socially when you get to the new campus,” Denker said.
Due to the complex nature of these decisions, though, it can be difficult to parse what truly drives students to transfer. The choice is a difficult one that often arises from within an entangled litany of factors, and advisors often don’t want to increase the stress of that process by pressing students for answers.
“I think we tend to be pretty sensitive, because I know with some of my advisees, it’s felt like a super awkward conversation. You want somebody to be happy where they are, and you don’t want to seem like you’re pressuring somebody to stay here,” said Smith.
Sophomore Ben Wilkinson, a former political science major at WashU, transferred to The Ohio State University at the start of the spring semester his first year. For Wilkinson, the decision to transfer was based on his strong family and community ties to his home state.
“I was noticing that I didn’t have much time to talk to these people I was really, really close to, and our relationship wasn’t as strong. I value those relationships a lot, and maybe WashU just wasn’t for me. I’d rather be closer to home,” Wilkinson said.
Moving back to Ohio also allowed Wilkinson to take advantage of his existing connections within his community, rather than start over in a completely new place. Since transferring, he’s begun coaching a high school speech and debate team, something he wasn’t able to achieve in St. Louis, where he lacked the local connections to replicate that involvement in St. Louis.
At many institutions, and especially the large state schools favored by outgoing students, transfers aren’t necessarily as prioritized by the administration as incoming first-years. Denker’s sophomore year living situation is “less desirable,” as he has found himself situated on the side of campus mostly populated by first-years. Wilkinson also cited long wait times for academic advising and less personalized teaching from “hit or miss” instructors in large lecture courses.
A more significant issue, though, has been the financial realities of transferring. While many students cite tuition as a factor in their
“Bottom line, we want students to be in the place that they’re set up to thrive. I would love for that to be WashU.”
decision to transfer, many schools also do not offer the same level of financial aid to transfers as they do to firsttime students.
Wilkinson pointed to the 2024-25 tuition increase at WashU as a contributing factor to his decision to transfer.
Although the decision to raise tuition by $2,750, or a 4.5% increase from the previous school year, was announced after Wilkinson had already transferred, the move only reaffirmed his choice of a lower in-state tuition at OSU.
However, the financial reality of this decision became a little less clear once he arrived in Columbus.
“One of the reasons I transferred was for financial reasons, but it [ended up being] very nebulous. When I was transferring, I just assumed it’d be better [financially], because WashU upped their tuition. But overall, I was a transfer student, and OSU is kind of stingy about that. They still kind of are this semester, and I guess that’s one of the things I regret,” Wilkinson said.
Smith points to this financial discrepancy as an important factor for WashU to address with students who express the desire to transfer, suggesting setting up meetings between those students and their financial aid officers to discuss potential options and outcomes.
“Our financial aid people understand that there’s not the same availability for aid for transfer students as there is for first-time students. And we also know that given what we’re able to provide generally, that the cost to students [at WashU] is cheaper than more places you would expect. And so the last thing we would want would be for somebody to find that out after they transfer,” Smith said.
Ultimately, choosing to transfer colleges is a major decision, impacting all aspects of students’ lives from the financial and academic to social and familial. The best choice for each individual evades easy answers, and questions about student outcomes linger. However, Smith wants every student to feel supported and set on their academic journey, no matter where it takes them.
“Bottom line, we want students to be in the place that they’re set up to thrive. I would love for that to be WashU. And if it’s absolutely not the right fit for somebody, I’m not trying to keep them in a place that they’re unhappy with, but I think we want to make the best attempt to make it possible for somebody to continue here.”
A coffee snob’s guide to the best drinks on campus
ELIZABETH GRIEVE JUNIOR SCENE EDITOR
During my time so far at WashU, I can often be spotted trudging to my morning lectures with a cup of coffee. I am the person who walks into class late with an iced latte in hand, whether it’s rain, shine, or 15 degrees and snowing. In previous years when I had a couple extra minutes, I preferred to use my pour-over coffee maker and my roommate’s electric kettle to make a cup of drip coffee. Sometimes, before walking to an exam, I put some instant espresso powder in water to give me an extra bit of energy for the test. Gross? Maybe. Effective? Yep.
As much as I like coming to class with a coffee, I used to struggle to find a drink that I liked on campus — hence my investment in a pour-over. My choice of coffee was more out of convenience than taste. After a lot of hits and misses over the semesters, though, I’ve finally found some favorites across the WashU dining scene.
Of course, most of the dining locations on campus are centered around food. That’s their main purpose, after all. However, if you’ve ever seen the GrubHub pickup shelves, you know that drinks play a key role in cutting down meal points campus-wide. And while my meal points may be stretched thin, this year I find myself grabbing some of my favorites
in between classes, ignoring my apartment kitchen that’s filled with coffee-making equipment. With all of the little cafes scattered across campus and the wealth of options available, it’s hard to resist. So let’s say you need an afternoon pick-me-up before your next class. Maybe you’re like me and are sick of the aftertaste in Kaldi’s espresso, but still need to steep yourself in caffeine to get through the day. Or maybe you’re into sweeter drinks as a little treat to keep you going. Or maybe you’re just wanting to try something new. Where do you start? Well, it’s safe to say that there’s something for everyone. Here’s a list of my favorite finds on campus.
Suggested Pairing: Napolitana Empanada
My personal favorite coffee on campus has to be Coffeestamp. They tend to go light on sweeteners (which I prefer), and their espresso is very good. Out of all of their syrups I’ve tried, the maple syrup is my go-to. The nuttiness of the flavor really complements the coffee flavor, without nauseating sweetness. And of course, a great
pairing is any one of Coffeestamp’s classic empanadas, which are perfect to grab and go in the morning. But, if you’re not in a hurry, you might want to stay and enjoy your drink in Hillman’s beautiful seating area with the stunning wood ceiling and the view of Brookings Hall through the massive windows.
Caramel Macchiato Latte at LaJoy’s Coffee at Parkside Café
Suggested Pairing: Salted caramel cookie from Beast Craft BBQ
My next recommendation comes all the way from the engineering side of campus. LaJoy’s Coffee is definitely for those of you with a sweet tooth, as it specializes in what I call “dessert coffee.” LaJoys caramel macchiato latte, one of their signature items, is quite
decadent and very good. LaJoy’s doesn’t disappoint on the caramel aspect, complete with a caramel drizzle on top of the foamed milk. A bonus, Beast Craft BBQ is right next door, which sells salted caramel cookies that pair perfectly with the macchiato.
Iced Uji Matcha with Oat Milk at Corner 17 Cafe in Olin Library
Suggested Pairing: Corner 17 Cafe Cinnamon Scone
In addition to being a coffee fan, I am also a matcha fan. Corner 17’s is by far the best, as far as campus spots go. Their matcha strikes a good balance between earthiness and sweetness and tastes great both iced and hot. I like mine iced with oat milk for a bit of a richer base. All the
pastries at Corner 17 are also incredible, but the cinnamon scone is a standout, with crunchy cinnamon strudel pieces mixed into the dough. Although the chaos at Whispers’ peak hours is a little much, it’s worth it to grab a table and enjoy a matcha in the seating area.
Maui Mango Smoothie at Cafe Bergson in the DUC
Suggested Pairing: Bagel with Strawberry Cream Cheese
Of the many (and often changing) options at the smoothie station in Cafe Bergson, my go-to is the Maui Mango. Packed with berries that complement the mango, this smoothie is very fruity and not too sweet. Naturally, it also pairs well with other berry flavors. I prefer to get a bagel with strawberry
cream cheese as well for a more “wellrounded” meal. Kind of. And while I miss the dark and cozy aesthetic of Bergson’s past, the new, more contemporary style makes it more of a social space.
Boba Milk Tea with Brown Sugar Boba at Corner 17
Suggested Pairing: Corner 17 Cafe Croissant
Now, what would this list be without a boba shoutout? In terms of both variety and taste, the Corner 17 Boba station is arguably the best drink spot on campus. You can’t really go wrong there — everyone I talk to has a different recommendation. My
Mocha at Kaldi’s Locations
personal favorite is their signature milk tea, the Corner 17 Boba Tea. It’s great with either regular boba or brown sugar boba, as both complement the Earl Grey in the tea. Pair it with one of the flaky, buttery croissants from the cafe side for a bit of extra sustenance.
Suggested pairing: Breakfast Bread
Of the cafes on campus, three of them supply Kaldi’s. If you’re in the mood for something sweeter, an iced mocha at either Cafe Bergson, Village Coffee Connection, or Cherry Tree Cafe is a safe bet, hot or iced. With a healthy serving of chocolate sauce
and the bitterness of the coffee poking through, the mocha is rich and smooth. The double shot of espresso provides plenty of caffeine as well. It pairs well with the molasses flavor in the banana breakfast bread, mirroring the richness of the drink.
To round out my list, here are a few honorable mentions:
• Matcha Latte at Coffeestamp: less sweet and more matcha-y.
• Strawberry Yogurt Lava at Corner 17 Boba: creamy, refreshing, and full of berries.
• Shaken Iced Tea at Cherry Tree, Coffee Connection, or Cafe Bergson: a classic with a bunch of flavor options.
• London Fog at Corner 17 Cafe: light and comforting, perfect for a cold day.
Maple Latte at Coffeestamp in Hillman Hall
Boba in Olin Library
In defense of (some) trad wives
While reading “The rise of ‘trad wives’ reverses strides in women’s autonomy,” I noticed a few gaps in the author’s depiction of these women and their lifestyles that I wanted to point out for Student Life. The most noticeable disconnect, at least for me, is the paradox associated with traditional gender roles and these women’s status as content creators with large followings. The author of the piece argues that ‘trad wives’ are making themselves smaller to fit into traditional gender roles, but, in fact, it is their status as ‘trad wives’ that makes them breadwinners for their families.
Submission to their husbands, at least financially and professionally, is often
purely performative. Nara Smith, perhaps the largest creator associated with this lifestyle and mentioned by the author of the StudLife article, constantly posts paid advertisements and other monetized content. She recently surpassed her longfamous husband, Lucky Blue Smith, by over a million followers on Instagram. Jasmine Dinis, ‘trad wife’ content creator and self-profiled “Wife, Mother, Homemaker & Believer,” sells a pack of what she calls “self-sufficiency courses” (essentially how-to courses on domestic wifehood) for $5,900. This blatant irony suggests that many ‘trad wives’ are performing these gender roles as a matter of choice, not as a result of being repressed or restrained.
PUZZLE PUZZLE Mania
The 1950s housewife is marketed as a classic female archetype, one that many women during the 1950s were told they should portray. In actuality, this ‘traditional woman’ historically consisted of solely white, wealthy, heterosexual women who lived in subservience to their husbands. They couldn’t control their own finances and definitely weren’t bringing in any money.
Contrary to this housewife stereotype, Nara Smith is German-Mosotho and an immigrant to the United States. A profile of her and her husband, Lucky, conducted by GQ, explains the couple as very balanced. They recently hired a nanny to give both parents more time to work on their careers, which for Nara, is her content creation.
During the interview, two of the couple’s children rush into the house with the nanny and interrupt the conversation. It’s Lucky that leaves the interview to help the nanny and make sure the kids are settled down. This content is not anti-feminist, as female creators utilize their agency to depict different lifestyles to their audiences of primarily young women. While there are certainly examples of ‘trad wives’ as anti-feminist, the “traditional” lifestyle these women are portraying does not have to represent an abuse of power by their husbands. By choosing this lifestyle on their own terms, some ‘trad wives’ serve as valuable examples of young women freely selecting a profession that aligns with their chosen way of life.
JACKIE LEVEY WASHU B.A.’97; J.D. ’01, WASHU HILLEL CEO
As the entire Jewish community around the globe continued to grieve the point-blank execution of six hostages by Hamas terrorists in Rafah, including American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Student Life’s ill-timed morning newsletter headline on Tuesday, Sept. 3 announced an opinion submission from suspended faculty against the IsraelHamas war in Gaza. Apparently, “all eyes are not on Rafah” when innocent Jews are murdered.
The previously suspended faculty member letter sought to provide “context” and remind the campus community of the unfortunate events they encouraged and exacerbated on our campus in April 2024. After lambasting the University for its response to the faculty members’ improper conduct, they concluded with an ambiguous, ominous warning: “We look forward to getting back to business, but not business as usual.” Their “shortened version of events” is so inaccurate it’s as though they reside in an alternate universe, imagining another event altogether.
On April 13, 2024, current students and their peers from outside WashU disrupted an admitted student day by taking over the event from the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs during her remarks as part of a protest with the apparent intent to discourage prospective students from enrolling at WashU.
On April 27, many of these same students invited hundreds of individuals with no connection to WashU to come to campus to support a boycott of Israel, “take back WashU’s campus for Palestine,” and protest WashU’s “ties with” Boeing. According to the faculty letter, the students did so with the full support and backing of the previously suspended current and former WashU faculty members. These protesters were not sitting around snacking, playing guitar, and singing folk songs of peace, love, and unity with children playing games in the grass. The protesters marched through campus, convening outside Olin Library where hundreds of students were quietly studying for final exams. According to numerous firsthand accounts from students, as corroborated through extensive photographic and video evidence, hundreds of non-University guests
stood by the library aggressively chanting, “Intifada, Intifada, long live the Intifada.” They climbed on the George Washington statue south of Olin Library raising large Palestinian flags. An unknown man wore fatigues with a Hamasstyle headband along the perimeter; protesters held signs with statements such as “Say No to National Zionists” with “NAZI” in “National Zionists” in bold. Another sign equated Israel’s response to the war, which Hamas started, with the Holocaust, during which six million European Jews were slaughtered.
When most Jews hear a call for “Intifada” or “uprising,” they are triggered. For us, the term refers to periods of extreme protest against Israel, primarily in the form of violent terrorism — bus and other similar suicide bombings. As a long-tenured Hillel CEO in my late 40s, when I hear “Intifada” yelled out in this way, I hear “death to Jews” and “the end of Israel” on our beloved WashU campus. I hear antisemitic hate speech that violates WashU’s Conduct Code. I hear a call for an incitement to violence that is neither peaceful nor protected speech. Put simply, the protesters’ chants
outside Olin Library normalized terrorism against Jews.
I can only imagine the fear young Jewish college students felt when they were abruptly shaken from their studies to such violent chanting by unknown strangers who had descended upon their campus. Indeed, I went to Hillel the night of April 27 to support students and heard from many who were evacuated from OIin and ran to Hillel as a safe space; some shared their fear publicly.
To the extent the previously suspended faculty wish to discount or minimize the fear and danger that many students felt during the April 27 protest is to ignore the very context with which they allege to enlighten us, ignoring the hate speech, assaults, property damage, and other violence that ensued at similar campus protests and encampments around the country.
After the protesters began pitching tents in violation of WashU policy and were asked to leave and disperse repeatedly by University officials and WUPD, they ultimately moved to Tisch Park and began attempting to set up their encampment again despite numerous calls to leave. After many hours
STAFF EDITORIAL
and repeated warnings, WUPD and other police departments arrested the protesters, the majority of whom were not affiliated with Washington University.
WashU Hillel condemns all violence. Many of the protesters not only ignored repeated calls to leave and disperse, but some apparently resisted arrest. The University had no choice but to respond as it did as WUPD and the administration sought to protect our campus community.
The previously suspended faculty warn us that the coming academic
WashU Admin: We are listening,
After Oct. 7 and the oncampus demonstrations that followed, WashU’s policies have been subject to careful examination by students and faculty. WashU community members have looked to the University’s Demonstrations and Disruption policy to understand, affirm, or critique the administration’s response to student protests.
As has been the case throughout the history of WashU and all U.S. universities, there is a tension between regulating demonstrations and upholding the right to free speech. At a private university like WashU, this relationship grows more complicated as they are not legally required to abide by the First Amendment. Last week, Chancellor Andrew Martin discussed his thoughts on university free speech during a sitdown discussion with WashU Law Professor Lee Epstein.
At the event, Chancellor Martin framed the creation of policies as a communal process and responsibility. He argued that the regulation of free speech, among other policies, is an important discussion to have as a community. We aren’t only interested in hearing a call for dialogue between students and administration. We want to understand how and when this type of dialogue will take place.
The chancellor claimed that policies are often made in conversations with the community and that administrators hold regular meetings with Student Union (SU) about important policies. He gave the example of how
students had given “time, place, and manner” input into policies last year, such as prohibiting protests from residential areas on campus. We appreciate how the chancellor gave a material example of policy made in dialogue with students, but the problem is that most students do not know where, when, and how to speak with administrators.
Ideally, a free-speech event would be a place for students to have this direct discussion. But at the event, attendees asked questions through a QR code and certain questions were skipped over. If administrators only answer certain criticisms, are students really being listened to?
On Tuesday, Chancellor Martin attended a joint session of SU Senate and Treasury for the first time, at which senators and treasurers directly asked him questions. We hope that this meeting sets a precedent for future ones. Additionally, if the administration regularly speaks with SU about policy, they should provide more opportunities for other student groups to do the same. Although they are elected by students, SU is not a representation of the entire student body. In the fall 2023 SU election, only 26.7% of students voted, and in the spring, it was 30.1%.
The University should keep hosting events like the Longest Table, where students can speak openly and unfiltered, but have administrators attend. They could even host a town hall where students and other community members can express their views.
year will not be “business as usual.” I hope instead of organizing or participating in threatening protests, encouraging antisemitic chants, and/or teaching biased narratives formally or informally, they will instead: call for the use of responsible speech; no longer embrace the use and normalization of terrorist rhetoric; no longer intimidate students for simply believing Israel has a right to exist; take a moment to listen to students threatened by their conduct; and encourage students to engage in dialogue with one another.
will you?
When WashU’s policies are framed by the chancellor as being created in communal dialogue and with student input, students will expect to hear about those opportunities. We’re listening.
Staff editorials reflect the opinion of the majority of our editorial board members. The editorial board operates independently of our newsroom and includes members of the senior staff.
Sylvie Richards, Managing Forum Editor
Amelia Raden, Senior Forum Editor
Jordan Spector, Senior Forum Editor
Jasmine Stone, Senior Forum Editor
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David Ciorba, Junior Forum Editor
Nina Giraldo, Editor-in-Chief
Sydney Tran, Head of Design
Alice Gottesman, Managing Scene Editor
Elias Kokinos, Senior Sports Editor
Lewis Rand, Junior Sports Editor
Bri Nitsberg, Managing Photo Editor
BY
Will Rosenblum, Senior Scene Editor
Olivia Lee, Junior Scene Editor
Sophia Hellman, Junior Scene Editor
Zach Cohn, Senior Web Editor
Tim Mellman, Managing Newsletter Editor
ILLUSTRATION
JAIME HEBEL
Protesters gather around the George Washington statue outside Olin Library.
ALAN ZHOU | STUDENT LIFE
Volleyball sweeps East-West Battle on Alumni Weekend
JACOB
RITHOLZ STAFF WRITER
Coming off of a shaky 1-2 start, the No. 16 Washington University women’s volleyball team entered the weekend searching for stability. The Bears would have their chance in the annual East-West Battle, hosted at home this year, with a grueling schedule consisting of three matches in two days. The Bears responded to the challenge, sweeping the weekend with wins against California Lutheran University, No. 5 Trinity University (Texas), and Tufts University to improve to 4-2 before divisional play begins in the coming weeks.
This was not just any weekend for the Bears, as the East-West Battle pitted WashU against some of the nation’s best. The Bears proved they were more than worthy, all the more impressive considering it was also Alumnae Weekend, with many former WashU players in attendance.
“I thought we did a good job following our game plan and working together as one unit,” Head Coach Vanessa Walby wrote in a statement to Student Life. “We adapted and made great adjustments.”
The weekend started on a high note, with the Bears cruising to a comfortable 3-0 win against California Lutheran on Friday night, Sept. 6. WashU took the lead early and never relented, winning each set by at least seven points. The Bears led in nearly all phases, with 47 kills to California Lutheran’s 28, leading assists 43 to 25, and a commanding 12 aces compared to the Regals’ two.
Game two against Trinity was more of the same, with the Bears winning comfortably 3-1 against the No. 5 Tigers. Though they dropped the third set, the Bears were never in serious danger of losing the match. They won the first two sets handily and closed out the fourth set 25-21 to seal the match victory.
Junior setter Sam Buckley played a key role for the Bears, notching 45 assists in the match. Those 45 assists would be enough to lap all of the players on Trinity combined.
“I thought our attackers did a great job of taking care of the ball on offense. Sam worked hard to distribute the ball evenly and find the hot hand in that moment,” Walby wrote.
Buckley would continue to set up her teammates well, again leading the team with 35 assists against Tufts and once more lapping the opposing team in assists all together.
Against Tufts, WashU weathered a close first set, closing in the clutch 25-23, before solidly winning the next two games for a 3-0 win to finish the weekend.
On defense, senior middle blocker Zoe Foster led the way with six blocks, anchoring a defense that proved strong the entire event.
“We were tough and aggressive,” Foster said. “We went after them instead of letting them come after us.”
This aggressiveness was evident as the Bears lost just one out of ten sets in what was ultimately a successful weekend. The team survived in the clutch, pulling out multiple close wins, including the decisive fourth set against Trinity which was 22-21 late, a narrow WashU lead that they were able to hold on to. But for the most part, the Bears were able to establish leads early, with their consistent play that allowed the sweep.
“The more games and practices we have, the more consistent we are getting with our touch,” Foster said. “We had a more competitive mindset.”
The Bears look to continue their three-game win streak Wednesday at Fontbonne on Sept. 11 before heading out to Iowa for a fourgame weekend at the Loras Invitational.
OWNED & OPERATED BY WASHU ALUMS
Zoe Foster, Leah Oyewole and Sam Buckley celebrate after winning a point.
Ellie Laird serves the ball.
ALEXA MARCUS | STUDENT LIFE
JEFFREY YOU | STUDENT LIFE
Jasmine Sells goes up for a spike against Tufts.
Ellie Laird preps for a point.
JENNY SUN | STUDENT LIFE
ALEXANDRA ACEVEDO | STUDENT LIFE
Lily Steinbach and Lucy Davis challenge a shot at the net.
ROZIE HAZIM | STUDENT LIFE
Football opens season with 44-20 routing of Rhodes
Aaron Keen said. “They may have even handled the situation better than their head coach.”
Just two quarters into their 2024 season, the Washington University football team faced their first test. After driving down the field, the Bears’ drive abruptly ended after a WashU pass was intercepted in the end zone. The Bears ended the first half down 13-10, outplayed by a rival that they were expected to handily defeat.
The Bears came back to win their season opener in convincing fashion on Sept. 7. Under the lights in Memphis, WashU defeated the Rhodes College Lynx 44-20, exploding for 34 points in the second half.
“I thought our players did a great job of remaining calm, understanding the situation, and understanding what changes they had to make,” head coach
The Bears were on the board first with an early field goal, but two drives later, the Lynx responded with a 66-yard passing touchdown. Sophomore wide receiver Makael Carter returned the ensuing kickoff for 55 yards, setting the Bears up in an excellent field position for the beginning of the second quarter. Three plays into the second frame, senior running back Kenvorris Campbell found the end zone for WashU’s first touchdown of the 2024 season.
However, Rhodes responded on the very next drive. After two plays for more than 20 yards, the Lynx re-took the lead halfway through the quarter. WashU drove downfield on the next drive, but Rhodes
intercepted sophomore quarterback Levi Moore’s pass in the end zone. WashU’s defense prevented Rhodes from scoring off the turnover, but the Bears found themselves trailing after the first half.
“We have an expectation that we’re going to go and execute our game plan,” senior quarterback Clark Stephens said. “When we came out for the second half, I felt like there was confidence from everyone that we were going to execute.”
Carter returned the third quarter kickoff for 49 yards, putting the Bears in Rhodes’ territory off of the kick. On the next play, Stephens unleashed a deep ball to senior receiver Collin Goldberg, into the red zone. Moore, who the Bears have almost exclusively used as a goal-line specialist, ran for a one-yard touchdown,
putting WashU back on top.
Rhodes immediately responded with a sizable kickoff return of their own, followed by a 49-yard completion that put the Lynx in the red zone. The Bears forced two incomplete passes and a short run, setting up a fourth down where Rhodes would have a chip-shot field goal — or so they thought.
Junior Caiden Hill got a hand on Rhodes’ 26-yard attempt and blocked the field goal. Sophomore defensive lineman Henry Murr scooped the loose ball and ran it 79 yards to the house.
“Every day in practice, a coach throws me a ball acting as if a field goal got blocked, and I scoop and score,” Murr said. “So when Caiden made that play, I just did my job.”
While Murr is no
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stranger to practicing his offense at the collegiate level, the defensive lineman had not applied those skills in a game for quite some time.
“That was my first touchdown since middle school,” Murr said. “So it’s pretty cool.”
From that moment on, WashU dominated play. At the beginning of the fourth quarter and after a long completion from Stephens, Moore ran in for his second touchdown of the evening. Rhodes answered with a touchdown on their next drive, only to be answered by Carter’s first touchdown reception of the season.
Campbell ran through the Lynx’s defense for a 61-yard score later in the quarter to make it 44-20. The Bears ended the game on an exclamation point with sophomore Spencer Snipe’s first collegiate interception.
Stephens, who threw for nearly 300 yards in his first start since his sophomore year, is embracing the starting quarterback role and the responsibilities that come with it.
“It’s a lot on my plate, but it just felt awesome,” Stephens said. “[Saturday] was one of the best games I’ve had in quite a few years.”
After a bye week, the Bears will open their 2024 home play on Sept. 21 against Carroll University. As WashU prepares for their conference schedule, the recent realignment news has lit a fire under Bears football.
“We’re ready to get to work and get ready for CCIW play,” said Murr. “We definitely have something to prove to this conference.”
MATT EISNER JUNIOR SPORTS EDITOR
Senior running back Kenvorris Campbell runs the ball during last year’s season.
