The independent newspaper of Washington University in St. Louis since 1878 VOLUME 144, NO. 9
THURSDAY, NOV 3, 2022
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Fossil Free WashU rally encourages student action: “Divest, divest, put fossil fuels to rest!”
NINA GIRALDO JUNIOR NEWS EDITOR Green Action, a student group focused on environmental justice and advocacy, held a rally calling on Washington University to divest from fossil fuels as a part of its Fossil Free WashU campaign, Oct. 27. Students congregated in the DUC courtyard with a series of speeches before walking over to Chancellor Andrew Martin’s office window overlooking Brookings Quad. Passing the megaphone in chants and holding signs calling for divestment, the protestors grew in number to about 30 or 40
the 2020-2021 Endowment Annual Report that outlined general impact areas in which the WUIMC invested in June 2021. Of the approximately 31% of the endowment invested into positive impact areas, $155 million is invested under clean tech and renewable energy with the goal of enhancing renewable energy, water management, and zeroemission transportation. “WUIMC follows the highest business ethics standards and expects the same from its external investment managers and the management of companies in which they invest,” the report
students. Junior Aidan Lewis believes the rally was a good “first step” to raising awareness on campus, and was one of several students whoplan to get more involved with Fossil Free WashU’s petitions and protests in the future. “Events like this get people energized about activism in the movement, and it lets the University know that we haven’t forgotten about it and we haven’t gone away,” sophomore George Kingsland said, who has been involved with Green Action since freshman fall. The Washington University Investment Management Company (WUIMC), responsible for the University’s investment in endowment funds, released
states. “WUIMC does not seek to profit from the violation of basic human rights and dignity, abusive or oppressive labor practices, gross pollution or environmental destruction, or any form of bribery and corruption.” Jenny Voelker, Chief Operating Officer of the WUIMC, wrote in an email to StudLife that the 2021-2022 report in early December will contain similar findings to the 2020-2021 report, as “roughly one-third of the total managed endowment pool is invested in positive impact areas, and it continues to have virtually no investments in coal.” “The endowment is established to support the University’s mission in perpetuity and across multiple generations to come, and therefore
maintains a very long-term investment horizon,” Voelker wrote. “WUIMC engages with external partners and companies who are also aligned with the university’s long term objectives, and WUIMC believes all partners and companies must pursue sustainable practices that allow them to also serve their constituencies and communities for generations to come.” In his last official statement on fossil fuel divestment in a blog post from March 2020, Martin confirmed that Washington University’s endowment has “limited exposure to non-renewable resources (which includes energy, materials, and mining) and high carbon emission sub-sectors (which includes auto/air transportation and certain industrials/ capital goods.” Martin further wrote that the WUIMC views “divestment from certain industries or companies as an ineffective way to promote environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives,” and that the University “cannot risk jeopardizing the financial support of the university’s mission” by restricting investments. In an email to StudLife last week, Vice Chancellor for Marketing and Communications, Julie Flory held that there was nothing new to add to Martin’s previous comments. “We don’t provide a full [endowment] breakdown, beyond what’s in the report,” Flory wrote. Green Action Co-President Bela Stampes-Blackburn described divestment from fossil fuels as the “bare minimum,” and stated in an email that funding should be redirected into sustainable investments that “incorporate ESG criteria and encourage socially responsible investing.” “The idea that this investment supports the University’s mission is frightening given the detrimental impacts climate change will have on everyone, particularly the
most vulnerable,” Stamps-Blackburn said. In the last few years, peer institutions such as the University of Michigan, Harvard, Princeton, Boston University, and the California State University system committed to the divestment from fossil fuels. “Our endowment is definitely large enough that [divestment] would not be jeopardizing our institution,” Stampes-Blackburn said. “There have been several other institutions that have been able to divest that have represented the interests of their students. So we know that it’s feasible and they are just choosing not to.” Attending students voiced that the University’s investment in fossil fuels is directly contradictory to the University’s mission statement and the recent “Here and Next” strategic vision. Sophomore Green Action executive member Alex Herzig used one of the University’s goals “to contribute positively to our home community of St. Louis” as an example of this contradiction. “Already we see the inherent contradiction, because how can we be claiming to be aiding the St. Louis community and the community of the world as a whole when we are actively investing into fossil fuels which are destroying it?” he said. Green Action’s top priority is obtaining transparency from the administration on how endowment funds are being spent on fossil fuels and on the University’s climate practices. “They won’t actually tell us how much money they’re investing into fossil fuel industries, they’ll only allude to it,” Herzig said. “We deserve to know where the money that we’re giving the school is going, and they deserve to be held accountable for their financial practices.” Green Action member Senior Jared Moxley spoke of the Consortium for Clean Coal Utilization, the University’s center of research for advancing coal and carbon
sequestration technologies. “The continued extraction of fossil fuels is incompatible with the long-term survival of our planet and can never be made clean,” he said Attending Junior Isabel Huesa felt “energized” by the rally and hopes that voices for fossil fuel divestment will work to further incorporate a diverse set of student voices. “I think a lot of the student support right now is very homogenous, and especially in leadership I think it’s important to have the perspectives of people who are especially disenfranchised and affected by fossil fuels,” Huesa said. “I’d like to see more use of indigenous cultural knowledge and using that allyship. Not that this is a co-option of the movement, but to avoid co-opting something that people of color have been fighting for centuries.” One attending student who chose to remain anonymous described what he feels is a “disconnection” between the student body and administration on the fossil fuel divestment movement. “The students should have the space to have that conversation with actual administration,” he said. “This feels very one-sided at this point.” Alongside more open communication of fund management on the University’s behalf, Green Action encourages inclusivity within its group and hopes to inspire more students to get involved. “Our objective is essentially to keep getting more voices heard, to keep ramping up the degree to which we’re showing that we care about this, and eventually WashU won’t really have a choice but to recognize that their student body really cares about divestment as an issue,” Herzig said. “It’s very easy to feel hopeless and like nothing you do makes a difference, but we need to reevaluate our impact,” StampesBlackburn said. “We can hold our university accountable.”
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Gaggl launches at WashU for students to find a new way to connect ANNIE POWELL CONTRIBUTING WRITER Gaggl, an anonymous social networking app, relaunched at Washington University on October 12th to help students pursue both romantic and platonic “missed connections.” Last spring, Ethan Weilheimer, a sophomore at WashU,
and Thomas Urey, a former WashU student and current sophomore at the University of Pennsylvania, created this app that allows WashU students to post traits of their romantic interests in hopes that they will see themselves referred to and respond. When users download Gaggl from the app store, they input
their WashU email to certify their account, indicate their personal pronouns and the pronouns of users they would like to match with, and upload a profile picture. Users have the option of posting anonymously to the app and indicating “that’s me” to be connected with the anonymous user’s message. If both users approve the connection, their
names and profiles become visible to each other. After Weilheimer submitted a comment to the Instagram account @washumissedconnections and was connected with the wrong person, Weilheimer coded and created Gaggl along with Urey to offer a second chance for missed romantic connections. “Most people don’t have the
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2 STUDENT LIFE
JULIA ROBBINS | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | EDITOR@STUDLIFE.COM
THURSDAY, NOV 3, 2022
Midterm Election University Voting Profiles BELLA DIGENOVA AND IZZY SILVER JUNIOR NEWS EDITOR, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Edmundo Olvera Acosta Alumni
Participant in the “When I’m 64” course SL: How are you affiliated with the University? Edmundo Olvera Acosta: I arrived at Washington University in September 1968 to go to grad school to study economics, and, since then, I’ve spent most of my life in University City. Today, my most direct affiliation is that I am a member of the Eliot Society, and I am one of the older adults that participate in a course called ‘When I’m 64.’ SL: Have you voted yet in the midterm elections? EOA: Not yet; however, you can bet 100 bucks on me that yes I will vote. I haven’t
missed a vote in a long time. I haven’t decided whether I’m going to mail in my vote or go out and vote on voting day because I’ve always enjoyed going out and voting and getting the stickers and being around all of the people. SL: What are the major issues that you’re voting on this term? EOA: I’m voting on a few existential issues — one of them being the climate. Another thing is denial and lies. There’s a denial of climate change and denial of all sorts of voting considerations, so I’m throwing my vote into
COURTESY OF NATHANIEL HOPE
Hope wants Republicans to win back Congress.
Nathaniel Hope Junior
President of the Washington University College Republicans SL: Have you voted, or do you have a plan to vote? Nathaniel Hope: I’m about to vote in South Carolina for the midterm. SL: What are the major issues that you’re voting on
this term? NH: For me, the biggest issues are the economy, crime, the border, and education. SL: Are there any political topics that you have been talking about with your peers?
the Democratic side this term in an effort to restore the idea that our elections are solid. I’m also voting on abortion rights. SL: Do you have any specific hopes for the election on the local or national level? EOA: Nationally, I’m hoping the Senate and House remain in the hands of the
Democrats. Locally, I’m on a task force and library board in University City, and one thing we accomplished was getting the libraries to implement solar panels. My biggest hope for the future is that we have more birds in University City because, if we have more birds, that means a lot of other good things have happened.
IZZY SILVER | STUDENT LIFE
Soni hopes the Democrats will prevail nationally.
Sahil Soni Freshman
Illinois voter hoping for the Democrats to win nationally
IZZY SILVER | STUDENT LIFE
Acosta hopes for a future with more birds.
NH: Yes, during the College Republicans meetings we discuss political issues from immigration to affirmative action that plague our country today. We talk about how we should approach these issues as citizens, and how we can hopefully fix these problems in the future. SL: What outcome do you hope to see on the local and national levels? NH: My hope for the midterm elections is that we have Republicans win in Congress. We need a government that acts on the border and crime, and a Republican legislature will force the Biden administration to do just that for Americans. SL: Have you found it difficult to portray your views on campus? NH: It’s a decision. I decided to be transparent about what I believe, and my
goal is to just be able to support an open atmosphere of dialogue on campus. My dream is for Republicans and liberals and everyone in between to feel comfortable sharing their beliefs with each other. SL: Would you like to respond to any criticism from the left about the state of the Republican party? NH: I’m happy to say that the Republican Party is becoming more diverse. There is a common misconception that the Republican party is homogeneous and mostly composed of white people, but that’s not true. We’re seeing midterm after midterm election where minorities are running. That’s because minorities, like me, are realizing that Republican values are what we need to push America forward.
SL: Have you voted, or do you have a plan to vote? Sahil Soni: Yes, I did. I just sent in my absentee ballot to Illinois. SL: What are the major issues that you’re voting on this term? SS: For this term, I voted Democratic because I believe in those ideals, and I wanted to make sure the person I voted for also followed those ideals. I’m hoping the candidate I voted for brings about prison reform by allowing people out of prison who
were sentenced because of marijuana. SL: What outcome do you hope to see on the local and national levels? SS: For Illinois, I don’t expect much to change because it has always been pretty blue. On the national level, there has been a lot of turmoil and it is really divided, and I have no idea what the outcome will be, but I’m hoping blue.
IZZY SILVER | STUDENT LIFE
Sadler hopes to see more empathetic voting this election.
Carré Sadler Senior
Wants change for unhoused people and reproductive rights
ILLUSTRATION BY TUESDAY HADDEN IZZY SILVER | STUDENT LIFE
Zamil hopes for increased voter turnout and accessibility.
Meena Zamil Junior
Californian voting in Missouri to make a greater impact SL: Have you voted, or do you have a plan to vote? Meena Zamil: I do have a plan to vote. I’m from California, but I registered to vote in Missouri during my freshman year during the 2020 Presidential Election because my voting patterns would be more effective in Missouri rather than in California. SL: What are the major issues that you’re voting on this term? MZ: Abortion is a really big one right now, especially because it is now up to the states. Immigration policies are also important to me, but they aren’t necessarily talked about in Missouri. SL: Are there any political topics that you have been talking about with your
peers? MZ: Definitely abortion. Also, coming from the Bay Area, I have a very liberal viewpoint and I’ve always been surrounded by people with the same viewpoint, so I always try to talk about important political issues with people who aren’t as liberal as I am, so [that] I [can] see the other side. SL: What outcome do you hope to see on the local and national levels? MZ: I am excited to see more voters. In the last election, there were a lot of issues with the votes. I want more people to be able to actually vote and for voting to be accessible.
SL: Have you voted? Carré Sadler: Yes. SL: Have you voted in past elections? CS: Yes. SL: What are the major issues that you’re voting on this term? CS: This term, I’m looking at issues [regarding] unhoused
people and reproductive rights. SL: What outcome do you hope to see on the local and national levels? CS: In general, I hope to see more empathetic voting for people who don’t have as much access, and for access to be increased for those people.
Harry Campbell Junior
Voter who wants to see a candidate who supports the climate SL: Have you voted, or do you have a plan to vote? Harry Campbell: Yes, I do have a plan. My mom is currently mailing my passport to me. SL: Have you voted in past elections? HC: Yes, I voted in the 2020 Presidential Election. SL: What are the major issues
that you’re voting on this term? HC: The issues that I’m focusing on are definitely labor and climate change. SL: What outcome do you hope to see on the local and national levels? HC: I hope the people I vote for win and [that] the people I vote against don’t.
IZZY SILVER | STUDENT LIFE
Campbell, as a voter, focuses on labor and climate change.
Charlie Glock Junior
Wants representation in office for younger people
IZZY SILVER | STUDENT LIFE
Glock is a nonvoter who hopes to see a younger crowd in office.
SL: Have you voted, or do you have a plan to vote? Charlie Glock: I do not have a plan to vote. SL: What are the major issues that you’ve been thinking about? CG: Abortion is a big one. Also, I think there are a lot of zoning laws that are up for debate right now.
SL: What outcome do you hope to see on the local and national levels? CG: I want a lot of younger people in office. I think a lot of people who are currently in office are somewhat obsolete, so I think [that] people who can relate [to] us and understand us are going to be big for the next few years.
THURSDAY, NOV 3, 2022
SCENE
STUDENT LIFE 3
VIA POOLOS & ANNABEL SHEN | SENIOR SCENE EDITORS | SCENE@STUDLIFE.COM
From Honduras to WashU: the origin story of Coffeestamp JENNY RONG CONTRIBUTING WRITER The delectable empanadas and specially brewed coffees at Coffeestamp in Hillman Hall have won the hearts of students on campus — the line is neverending during lunch hours, and the empanada supplies always run short. Coffeestamp at Grounds For Change is a new addition to Washington University’s campus this fall and is one of only a couple of dining options that are not affiliated with WashU Dining. The collaboration was born during Hispanic Heritage Month last year when WashU dining wanted to invite Hispanic-owned food services to campus for a food-tasting event. Coffeestamp’s empanadas were so good that Bon
Appetit invited them back for a permanent spot on campus. Brothers Patrick and Spencer Clapp, the founders of the coffee shop, came to the United States 10 years ago from Honduras and initially worked as carpenters in St. Louis. In 2018, when the Clapps’ childhood friends started producing coffee back in their hometown of Tegucigalpa and wanted to export coffee to the U.S., the Clapps began to formalize the idea of creating a coffee shop. In 2019, the brothers began their journey. They claimed their business license and sold their coffee at farmers markets. Eventually, they quit their carpenter jobs to focus on the business. The Clapps spent time getting financial loans and selecting equipment months before they started working on the
physical space of the shop. In 2020, the Clapps began the first chapter of relocation and renovation. They found out that the tenants downstairs from where they lived (in a 150-year-old building) were leaving. They decided to move their shop to the vacant apartment. On the same day as the official pandemic lockdown in March, they signed the contract. “Even though we were losing money the whole time, we loved it,” Patrick said. Eventually, the brothers were forced to take the next step and start actually selling their product. “We were going broke, and there [was] only one way to keep the business going, which [was to open] our shop,” Patrick said. He explained that the refurbishing and lease exhausted most
of their money, so on Aug. 13, 2020, they officially opened their storefront right under their apartment in Fox Park. “We thought it would be better to take over the whole building and have it to ourselves,” Patrick said. He holds their first customers close to his heart and explains that they immediately gained popularity because they were one of very few shops open that summer, due to pandemic closures. Their cafe on campus is their second location. Coffeestamp had to adapt to the new layout of Grounds for Change. The small space limits the amount of food they can store and sell, and they found themselves with no room for refrigerators and having to maneuver around
SEE COFFEE, PAGE 4
HOLDEN HINDES | STUDENT LIFE Patrick Clapp, along with his brother Spencer, opened Coffeestamp in Hillman Hall this year.
Avoiding World War III: WU National Security Historian Analyzes the War in Ukraine HUSSEIN AMURI JUNIOR SPORTS EDITOR Dr. Krister Knapp, a History professor in the College of Arts & Sciences, specializes in conflict and security elements of crises and wars from a historical perspective. Last spring, in the early days of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Professor Knapp sat down with Student Life to break down the conflict from both a historical and intelligence perspective. Now, eight months later, Knapp returns with an update about what has since unfolded in Ukraine. StudLife: What has changed in Ukraine since our last interaction? Knapp: It's been a seesaw kind of war with the initial Russian invasion that looked like they were going to take over the entire country. Ukrainians fought back which surprised the Russians. They were backed by US and European weapons over time, which helped them to further repel the Russians. Ukrainians have been able to take back territory both due to Russian ineptitude both on the fighting and the logistics level. On the strategic level [and] on the leadership level, it has pretty much been a systemic failure by the Russians. On the other hand, the Ukrainians have the will to win. They are determined to push the Russians out. Zelensky [has] turned out to be a very good wartime president. That said, the Russians made substantial
gains in four major regions in eastern Ukraine. Eastern Ukraine is now occupied by the Russians, and as far as the Kremlin is concerned, it is part of Russia. So they have succeeded in the short run in salami slicing part of Ukraine. On the other hand, that has to be seen as a strategic failure because the goal was to take all of Ukraine and to bring Ukraine back into the Russian fold. The question remains as to what extent fighting will continue… Ukrainians don't have enough to actually win the war outright, even though the United States and the Europeans, [have given] them a ton of weaponry and support. Russia's ultimate strategy is to break the will of the Western Europeans, to break their coalition in Western Europe from supporting Ukraine. If Putin can break the coalition in Europe, then some of the leaders in France, Germany, Spain, Italy or the UK might start calling and pushing harder for negotiations, for the Ukrainians to stop fighting and reach some sort of agreement. One of the primary [tools Russia is using to break the West and NATO] is weaponizing energy sources. Europeans have agreed to stop accepting some natural resources, primarily oil from the Russians, but they need natural gas. Russian [leaders] have promised to cut off that natural gas over the winter, so Europeans have quickly tried to mobilize to fill all their reserve tanks with as much oil and
PHOTO COURTESY OF JOE ANGELES Dr. Krister Knapp returns to StudLife to offer an update on the Ukraine-Russia conflict, 8 months in.
gas from other sources as they can. SL: Going off that, what’re the West and NATO doing to certify their coalition against Russian attacks, such as weaponizing energy sources? Knapp: So there are multiple strategies. One is to send weapons to Ukraine, as much as [needed] to help Ukraine defend itself without getting into a wider war between NATO and Russia. The ultimate concern by the Biden administration [and] the European capitals is to avoid a wider war in Europe — a World War III— but to provide enough weapons for Ukraine to defend itself so that Russia can't succeed in taking Ukraine. So that's the military strategy.
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VOLUME 144, NO. 09 Julia Robbins Editor-in-Chief editor@studlife.com
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4 STUDENT LIFE
VIA POOLOS & ANNABEL SHEN | SENIOR SCENE EDITORS | SCENE@STUDLIFE.COM
THURSDAY, NOV 3, 2022
Earning a degree behind bars: WU Prison Education Project changes lives SANCH POTHURU CONTRIBUTING WRITER Every weekday from 8:00-10:50 a.m. and 1:003:45 p.m., the Missouri Eastern Correctional Center (MECC) Education Annex stirs to life. Anywhere from six to 20 students pour into each of the three classrooms.
Adorned with a study hall, computer lab, and multiple whiteboards, the Education Annex might be indistinguishable from an average American college, if not for the facility’s barren surroundings and the presence of armed security. MECC is one of the two host sites of WashU’s
IZZY SILVER | STUDENT LIFE Soloman Evans is considering pursuing a PhD after his release from MECC.
Solomon Evans As he serves his time at MECC, ex-military veteran Solomon Evans regards his formerly incarcerated brother as a source of optimism for what his life could look like post-release. “He has me in here to keep him balanced, and I have him out there to keep me hopeful,” he ref lected. Evans said his past self “wasn’t prone to making good decisions” and had “trouble dealing with adversity when things [didn’t] go [his] way.” However, PEP has given Evans a chance to rise to
leadership. As an Algebra TA, he spends most of his time in the study hall, wanting to make himself available to fellow students. PEP has kindled his love for math and science. “I’m a STEM student. I think math will be a part of whatever career I fall into when I go home,” Evans said. Having just acquired his Associate degree from the program, Evans is now working towards a Bachelor of Arts degree. He looked back fondly on his PEP graduation for his Associate degree, recalling, “The best part of that was watching
Prison Education Project (PEP), offering a liberal arts education to incarcerated individuals. Choosing from a varied course list, students have the chance to earn a degree — either an Associate in Arts or a Bachelor of Science in Integrated Studies.
my mom’s face light up. She was proud of me.” Though he was “nervous to even say it,” Evans admitted that he’s considering graduate school, even getting his Ph.D. “That’s something I’ve never considered before PEP,” he said. Originally, he planned to become an Observatory Technician after release, but taking biology through PEP has caused him to reconsider his plans and think about becoming a Lab Technician instead. Although he considers Bio Psych with Dr. Norton one of his more challenging courses, he mentioned he had “never gone to a class and said ‘I don’t like this.’” Sympathizing with Wilkinson’s complaints, Evans agreed that “DOC’s going to be DOC. They have their own prerogatives. We’re not always going to get to class on time.” However, he praised PEP for enabling him to rise above his initial expectations for himself that were shaped by DOC’s messaging. “You’ve got DOC telling you [that] you’re never going to amount to anything,” he said. “Then you have WashU staff saying, ‘Look at what you did! You did that yourself.’”
IZZY SILVER | STUDENT LIFE George Putney already has two degrees and is acquiring a third while serving his prison sentence.
George Putney Compared to the other PEP students, George Putney describes himself as “an atypical prisoner.” “I had a good life, a professional career [before prison],” he said. However, he said that while driving intoxicated, he committed involuntary manslaughter, resulting in his sentence at MECC. Putney entered MECC already having earned a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Business Administration degree. He’s maintained a great support system while incarcerated, receiving multiple visitors per weekend from friends and family. However, he reflected
on his time at MECC as “very much a humbling experience.” While mentoring other incarcerated individuals, Putney was recruited by Jennifer Hudson, the past director of PEP, and asked to apply. Putney was surprised since he already possessed two degrees. “Given my background, I didn’t think it was available to me,” he said. However, he’s found that the program allows him to “spend productive time in a prison where, otherwise, you would be spending time in an unproductive way.” Putney said PEP has built his confidence in himself. It’s been a long time since he’s
IZZY SILVER | STUDENT LIFE Ben Wilkinson credits his critical thinking skills to education he’s receiving while incarcerated.
Ben Wilkinson Ben Wilkinson always expected to enter MECC. “Before prison, I was a career criminal. I was planning on coming to the penitentiary. Well — not planning, but [I] knew it was inevitable,” he said. However, since enrolling in PEP, Wilkinson’s views have shifted. Working towards a Bachelor of Arts degree in social sciences, his new focuses are on his education and getting out of prison. “Before getting in, I was irrational and didn’t think about my actions. [PEP] helped me learn critical thinking,” he
said. Wilkinson is scheduled to graduate from the program in one year and five months, the same time he’s expected to get out of MECC. Graduation time differs depending on the individual. Students generally take anywhere from one to six classes per semester, but many want to space out classes to accommodate their time at the center. Wilkinson was incarcerated when he was 20 and has been in prison for nine years. His favorite classes so far have been Shakespeare — where his class performed “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”
PHOTO COURTESY OF JOE ANGELES Terrell Reed was inducted into the Alpha Sigma Lambda Honor Society at PEP spring 2022 graduation.
Terrell Reed Terrell Reed was surprised by his admission into the program. “I was confident I wasn’t gonna get in… and then I got the call for the interview,” he said. Given the high demand for the program, PEP has an intensive application process consisting of a personal statement essay, a handwritten exam, and an interview. Over 70 prospective students applied for the program’s first cohort; however, only 30 applicants could
be accommodated. After his admission, much of Reed’s daily routine centered itself around his pursuit of school and religion. “As of right now, sun up, I spend time with God first — get my daily routine on. I study for a couple of hours if I don’t have class. Religious studies again, then I work out,” he detailed. Through the prison’s chapel, Reed obtains religious books for the upkeep of his religious scholarship. Reed hopes to graduate
COFFEE from page 3
the tiny kitchen. While Spencer takes care of their shop at Fox Park, Patrick is in charge of the place on campus. “We are a solid team, and even though all the workers here on campus are new, they have done great,” Patrick said. Patrick observed differences between the customers back at the storefront and the WashU students. “Students here love the chicken paninis, to my surprise, and it is our bestseller on campus,” he said. The customers at
their off-campus shop prefer breakfast and brunch empanadas more. The drip Finca La Alondra, a Honduras coffee, is another favorite. Clapp joked that they will have to switch the menu up soon, “Or else the students will get tired of the chicken paninis.” The empanadas, crescentshaped pastries with different fillings, are another highlight and a bestseller on campus. The brothers grew up with a single mother who was constantly busy providing for her children. Their family had
been to school, and he was worried that he would have trouble learning as an older man. “I wanted to see at my age if I had intellect, curiosity and drive, and academic ability. Turns out I have all three,” he said. After completing his sentence, Putney wants to pursue a Master of Social Work degree at the Brown School. He plans to put his degree toward re-entry services, helping formerly incarcerated people find jobs, learn financial literacy, and access mental health help. “Anyone coming out of prison re-entering society runs into many roadblocks,” Putney observed. “They walk out with $8 on a credit card and a ‘Good luck.’” Putney described PEP as a lifesaver. “Not only to me, but the majority of people in the program,” he said. However, Putney noted that learning conditions are not ideal. “I wish we had better facilities,” he commented. “Classrooms are cramped and windowless.”
— and Social Psychology. “[Psychology] helped me get a deeper insight into how people think, how to talk to people,” Wilkinson said. In his free time, Wilkinson has been learning to code in JavaScript from a Computer Science TA outside of class. In spite of his enthusiasm for learning, Wilkinson said going to school in prison has unique difficulties. “MECC can make it very difficult to get to class on time. We have to speed through learning,” he said. He explained that the Department of Corrections (DOC) doesn’t always call movement, a period when incarcerated individuals are permitted to move locations within the prison. If movement is delayed, students may be forced to arrive late to class. Wilkinson contended that if he continues to miss hours of courses due to the DOC’s orders, PEP will need to implement some form of hybrid learning so that he can catch up on lectures. sometime between this summer and the fall of next year. However, he has a few years left on his sentence before he can further his mission of representing God through music. Reed developed an affinity for Christian hip-hop music while incarcerated. “I was singing Christian contemporary music and met friends here who were rappers. We started to blend the two together.” Reed sings, plays guitar, and even writes his own music. In the future, he wants to use these talents to provide music therapy in juvenile counseling. Reed is grateful for PEP and the structure it brings to his life, but he said that his incarcerated experience has been far from easy. Reed noted that MECC’s mental health resources are abysmal. “Struggling with anxiety and depression…there’s a lack of counselors, resources, and peer support here,” he said.
empanadas every weekend, and to help their mother, the pair would make the empanada pastelitos. “Empanada culture is at every corner [in South America]. It’s like the hamburger of the United States,” Patrick said. The fillings of empanadas are open to creativity, and Patrick, who has a passion for cooking, has already created more than nine flavors of empanadas, six of which are sold on (and often sold-out) on campus.
FORUM
The NFL and my conscience AVI HOLZMAN STAFF WRITER
throws, incredible runs, and pick-sixes within a football game enthrall me. The physical ability of the players is jaw-dropping. The issue is that football, more than any other sport, ruins the illusion. It makes me think about the world outside of sports for all the wrong reasons. The illusion is frequently shredded by injury when I watch football. Routinely watching players get carted off the field reminds me that they are not names on a fantasy team, but human beings with families and futures. The NFL consistently keeps fans in the dark when it comes to injuries. They prefer to barely acknowledge what happened to keep the season chugging along, preserve the illusion of entertainment, and keep the money rolling in. On Thursday the 29th, they couldn’t hide the impact of this injury in the darkness of a locker room or hospital. And worse, they failed to do so four days earlier. On Sunday, Sept. 25, in a game against the division rival Buffalo Bills, Tagovailoa suffered from a brutal head injury. Sacked, he rose to his feet shakily before almost collapsing like a rag doll once again, helped up by one of his teammates and leaning on him until he fully regained consciousness. The Dolphin’s medical staff determined he was able to play in the second half of
what became a Dolphin victory. The NFL did nothing. Tagovailoa never entered concussion protocol and was deemed clear to play in the Thursday night game four days later. Watching Tagovailoa play felt like watching a cow being unknowingly led to the slaughter. The injury was inevitable, and — now suffering from significant neurological damage — it is unclear if he will play football again. This event forced me to examine my role as a football fan, engaging with and enjoying a sport that has led to countless cases of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) and other brutal on-field injuries (just google “Alex Smith, Joe Theismann hit”). A sport led by an organization that blackballs players who kneel for the National Anthem while turning a blind eye to those who commit sexual assault (sometimes standing by as they sign contracts upwards of $200 million, *cough* Deshaun Watson *cough*); has racist hiring practices; and always convinces fans to look the other way when a player’s future gets blown up by a tackle. Despite all of this, I will likely watch football this Sunday. The entertainment of the game and its presentation will cover up the shadows cast by the NFL. It will, however, be harder for me to slip into
the illusion. It will feel a bit less like a game and more like watching 22 men push themselves beyond physical limits and risk their health — all for my weekend entertainment. Thousands cheered in Ancient Rome every time the gladiators battled to the death. Every Sunday, millions gather to watch football, knowing that a player’s life could be entirely changed by injury. The NFL could say they are sharing all the information they can and taking the necessary steps to preserve player safety above all; however, that message will always fall on deaf ears. What happened to Tagovailoa is emblematic of the NFL — turning a blind eye to the real impacts of football while continuing to promote the glitz and glam of a violent game. All the rule changes and statements about player safety are just a ruse. A ruse to get people like me to keep watching. I know that when I watch football I am making a morally reprehensible decision, but at this point, watching football has become so baked into
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On Thursday, Sept. 29, the Miami Dolphins, playing on just three days’ rest, suited up to take on the Cincinnati Bengals. With five minutes left in the third quarter, Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was sacked. He didn’t get up; he was rendered immobile, fingers bent, forming every possible angle — eyes unblinking, staring at the sky above. He was taken off the field minutes later and strapped into a stretcher. At just 24 years old, this season was supposed to be Tagovailoa’s chance to prove to the Dolphins that he could be “The Franchise Guy” for years to come. Under the bright lights of Paycor Stadium, those aspirations froze. I love sports. I love how they suck me into a fantasy world where I only care about people putting a ball in a net or hitting it into the bleachers of a stadium. Sports are an escape for me. I don’t have to think — I just feel. The adrenaline rush before a buzzer-beater goes in, or joy that comes when my team wins on a walk-off home. I still tear up watching clips of the 2019 Nationals winning the World Series (I am a diehard Nats fan). Football is a little different. Don’t get me wrong — the game is super entertaining. The deep
STUDENT LIFE 5
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6 STUDENT LIFE
SPORTS CLARA RICHARDS | MANAGING SPORTS EDITOR | SPORTS@STUDLIFE.COM
THURSDAY, NOV 3, 2022
Ice hot: How WashU’s men’s ice hockey is skating towards nationals ELIAS KOKINOS STAFF WRITER “Nationals is definitely the end goal right now.” With those words after a flawless start to the season, sophomore Sammy Greco unquestionably summed up the team’s end goal and the sight that his team is chasing after coming frustratingly close last year. WashU men’s ice hockey started the year in an even better fashion than last, remaining undefeated and averaging over 5 goals a game. They’ve only allowed around 2 shots a game, staying aggressive at the net. The secret to their success: returners from last year. That experience has spurred confidence and faith in the team to perform their best every time they lace up. Last season saw the Bears ranked as high as 12th in the American Collegiate Hockey Association D3 rankings. They began the year undefeated in their first four games, and they continued to win 3 of their next 5. The season ended with the Bears ranked 29th nationally with a commendable
PHOTO COURTESY OF SAMMY GRECO
WashU hockey players give each other fist bumps on the ice after a recent victory.
7-2-1 record heading into playoffs. However, playoffs began, and WashU’s dreams of nationals were soon scattered with a 5-0 loss to #3 ranked Arkansas. “They were a little bit better than us because they were older and more experienced, and so when we have young guys out for the first time, it’s hard to match
their intensity and speed,” said sophomore Kenta Kato. But this 5-0 defeat was still a step forward for the program. In 2019, WashU had previously played Arkansas, and throughout that 2-game series, they lost by a combined score of 29-3. So losing by only 5 to the 3rd ranked overall team felt, a little bit, like a
victory. It’s a moment that sophomore Cole Hannan remembered as “a big step for the program—one which felt like everyone was proud of what we accomplished.” Since this loss, WashU has only gotten better by being able to keep most of the team intact, alongside adding a new, highly-talented freshman class. As head coach Chris
Nikonovich noted, “We have some fresh faces on the team this year that are outstanding, and they have come in and gained the trust and confidence with the rest of the team. I feel like this team is cohesive and has an excellent relationship overall.” The relationship between the freshmen and the other players was nurtured within the locker
room, as the returning students instilled values that were cornerstones of the team. With a sign hanging over the door saying “Make It a Great Day,” the newly-revamped team started to focus solely on their upcoming opponent and delivering their best possible performances. This focus has proved incredibly important to the season, as the Bears have kept their momentum going, evident by their current #14 national ranking, 6-0 record, and their confidence at an all-time high. As WashU heads into its final three games of the season, the group will begin preparations for a playoff stint they are confident will be more successful than the last. With much more experience under their belt, this team “knows what to expect,” Hanan said. “We know what we have to be this year and we’re practicing harder. We’re playing harder. We need to play more physically, and we’ve been doing that. We’re ready for them.” The Bears play rival St. Louis University on November 4 at the Webster Groves Ice Arena.
Volleyball’s Sam Buckley remains un- 83.5 miles and 33 hours for Jay Murry fazed during an elite freshman season at Sumers Recreation Center IAN HEFT STAFF WRITER Sam Buckley has wasted no time leaving her impact on WashU volleyball. The UAA Setter of the Week has impressed all season long, contributing to the team’s 27-4 record. As the squad gears up for the playoffs, Student Life talks to Sam Buckley about setting for veteran hitters, how she stays focused, and Coach Walby’s secret talent in the kitchen. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Student Life: When did you first start playing volleyball? Sam Buckley: I started playing in third grade, and I instantly fell in love with the sport. SL: What was your experience like playing in high school? SB: My high school experience was once-in-a-lifetime. I played alongside and behind some amazing players. Our team won [the] state [championship] my sophomore year, and it was one of the best days of my life. It felt like all the work my team put in during practice paid off. SL: Did you always play setter? SB: I [played] right-side [hitter] my junior year, [and our setter was] the Gatorade player of Illinois. Then I set my senior year. SL: How was the switch to setter? SB: I knew that I wanted to be a setter in fifth grade. I really liked that the setter is involved in every play and has a lot of control. I really liked to hit, as well, but I knew that if I wanted to play at a high level, I would not be successful as a hitter at my height. SL: We know that, due to COVID-19, the recruiting process for many sports was disrupted. Tell us a little bit about your experience with that, and how you ended up at WashU. SB: COVID-year was
very difficult for recruit- definitely honored to receive ing. Coaches were basically this [title]. Honestly, though, recruiting through film only. I would not have received this I always knew that WashU recognition if I didn’t have a was an incredible school very good backrow and good and had a very good volley- hitters. Our hitters take care ball team — I reached out to of the ball when I give them a WashU late into my junior good enough set, and the first year club season. I went to pass comes from our defense. camp in the summer [before SL: Tell us a little about my senior year], and I imme- your pregame routine. How diately loved the campus and do you stay focused before the personalities of [Head] and during games? Coach Walby and [Assistant SB: I like to spend five Coach] Selle. I then got [an minutes in silence with my offer] and committed early in eyes closed to visualize my senior year. myself playing well. I go SL: What is it like play- through every rotation and ing for an accomplished and watch myself doing good respected coach like Coach things. It tends to calm me Walby? down, and I get locked in. SB: [Coach] Walby is During games, I am always great. She has a lot of pas- [trying to] forget about what sion and love for the team, happened in the last point. which we all appreciate so If I remembered everything, much. She is always fight- I would beat myself up too ing for us and much. I also love [it] when doing things the game is close and there behind the is pressure. That is the reason scene that why I play volleyball. The make our lives adrenaline is exhilarating. easier. She pushes SL: What has been your me to pay attenfavorite memory from this tion to details and season? stay strong under SB: The freshman dinpressure. ner with [Coaches] SL: The team also Walby and has a lot of important Selle. Coach seniors and fifth-years. Walby made What has their impact us chicken been on you and the parm, and it rest of the squad? was really fun. SB: I respect SL: What music do the upperclassmen you have on repeat immensely. It’s so right now? nice to set Micky SB: Anything [Bach], Abby [Li], Morgan Wallen. and Lane [Bohrer]. SL: And the last I could chuck up any question, which is a ball to them, and they staple of all StudLife would put the ball in a sports interviews: smart spot. The seniors would you rather and super-seniors keep us have fish for all in line and push us to be hands or the best. They are extremely adopt supportive and positive. They a child love [...] volleyball, and I every want this year to end in the time best way possible for them. you hear SL: You were recently Bohemian named UAA Setter of the Rhapsody? Week. What did that mean SB: Adopt a to you, particularly as a child — I wouldn’t freshman? be able to set with fish hands. PHOTO BY ARIEL RICHARDS | STUDENT LIFE SB: I was
CLARA RICHARDS MANAGING EDITOR 74.5 miles into his ultramarathon, WashU play-by-play announcer Jay Murry was still up to date on WashU’s sports. “No, men’s soccer lost,” he said about the game that finished just hours before, back when he was somewhere in the 60-mile range. In the past day, he had taken just one power nap that lasted 22 minutes. Earlier that morning, he may have hallucinated bugs on the glossy green floor, but even after walking for 27 hours, Murry knew the latest WashU news. Murry walked 100 miles in the WashU Sumer’s Recreation Center in support of Rett Syndrome, a rare genetic mutation affecting brain development that presents itself mostly in girls. He started on the outdoor track before transitioning indoors as night set in, beginning at 9:36 a.m. on Saturday and finishing on Sunday afternoon. The experience, he said, melded his love of ultramarathon efforts and his fundraising goal to support a cause that he was so passionate about. Around mile 16, as the midafternoon sun beamed down on the turf field, Ellie McCool and her caregiver spent time on the track with Murry. McCool was the inspiration for the fundraiser; the two met at Fort Zumwalt West High School, and Murry was immediately struck by how impactful Rett Syndrome had been both on McCool and her parents’ lives. He was impacted by how the illness completely altered her life and her physical ability to be independent. In the later miles, when things started to get hard and his drive started to waver, he could remember his personal connection with McCool. “She’s been through so much more than I could ever think of,” he said in a video posted by WashU Bears in
2018. “She’s the inspiration to keep me going until the end.” The analogy Murry used for Rett Syndrome was a Charlie Brown reference: “It’s like Lucy pulling back the football,” he said. Children born with Rett Syndrome don’t initially present symptomatic. But at 12-18 months, the children start to lose skills that they once had. The metaphor of Charlie Brown landing on his back encapsulates the helplessness that the children — and their parents — feel. The non-inherited neurological disorder strips infants of their ability to speak and communicate, forcing them into wheelchairs for the rest of their lives. By mile 40, Murry had reached a familiar state of exhaustion, his plantar fasciitis flaring up a bit despite his bright orange Hokas that he’d hoped would keep him blister-free. It takes 10 laps to walk one mile on the Rec Center’s indoor track — students sometimes stroll one mile, maybe two — but never more than 10. Murry was intimately familiar with long-distance treks, having completed years of races prior to 2022. He still had never reached triple digits, though — in previous years, he imposed a 24-hour limit instead of a mile goal, and in 2020, he reached 86 miles before tapping out. That year, he raised $7,065.07. There were various logistical considerations that he had to prepare for. His meals took the form of Honey Stinger waffles and premade sandwiches. He has to conserve his phone battery, so his music was on a Walkman with headphones — he brought at least 33 CDs, one for each hour. It was a wide range of artists that he could list, no problem: Billy Idol. Rolling Stones. Dua Lipa. Bruce Springsteen. “It’s music that’s from different parts of my life,” he said.“When I go and
run long distances, I can unhitch my fretful mind and kind of drift.” By mile 65, Murry had been visited by a stream of WashU student-athletes. Former baseball player John Howard stopped by, also bringing a coffee. Members of the athletics community kept on stopping by, a rotating set of companions to loop the track with their play-byplay announcer. Murry has narrated WashU games for over a decade, and he was used to seeing the athletes in uniform lining up on a start line or running down the field. Now, they walked beside him. Still, like a parent asked to single out a favorite kid, he refused to pick a favorite sport to commentate. “It would be unfair to single out one team or one sport,” he said. “I always say that my favorite sport is whatever season it is.” Beyond mile 80, the laps started to blend together. He had to keep track of his progress on a clipboard, with sheets that would count the laps in groups of five. One thin line inked across the pages, proof of the thousands of steps that he had taken. “Plantar fasciitis became painfully tiresome, and counting laps took a backseat to wonderful conversations among my many guests,” Murry tweeted. After the walk, there was food on deck. Then, it was time to get horizontal — after his last overnight walk, he slept for 14 hours. After one day off, Murry will be back to work. He has to prepare for the men’s basketball matchup against the University of Missouri, and then he’ll announce the high-stakes men’s football matchup against Wheaton College days later. His voice will stretch over the airwaves, overlooking the site that he circled for hundreds of laps just days before.
THURSDAY, NOV 3, 2022
CLARA RICHARDS | MANAGING SPORTS EDITOR | SPORTS@STUDLIFE.COM
STUDENT LIFE 7
Bears back on the court: Basketball primers
Men’s Basketball
Women’s Basketball
CLARA RICHARDS | STUDENT LIFE
CLARA RICHARDS MANAGING EDITOR The first morning of official basketball practice comes in mid-October. Head men’s basketball coach Pat Juckem doesn’t quite have his loud, commanding coaches’ intonation yet — even ten days after the first practice of the season, he’ll still be a little hoarse, used to the months of summer quiet. But the team will circle up on the court, arms around each other. In that first morning session, they might not touch the basketball. Instead, they will hone in on defensive principles, building their foundation. Last season, the team ranked seventh in Division III in scoring defense. That ability is what this group prides itself on: perfecting its defense to bring consistency to the wins. The glamor is stripped, and all that remains is the foundations of basketball. “[Juckem’s] got like the deepest bag of defensive drills ever,” fifth-year graduate student Charlie Jacob said. “He keeps pulling them out. It’s unbelievable. There’s all kinds of breakdowns you can do, but he finds a way to fill two, two and a half hours with straight defense. It never ceases to amaze me.” “That’s really our identity as a team, and that’s what it takes for us to achieve what we want to achieve,” said junior Jabari Chiphe. “We always start the year off right with a Coach Juckem all-defensive day.” For the freshman, it’s all new. For graduate student Jacob, he knows the goals of the drills — nothing really surprises him anymore. Either way, it’s the very beginning of the season-long journey; on day 1, things are never perfect, but there’s always the potential for greatness. Key Returners Jacob wasn’t always planning on taking a fifth year, with a job in Chicago waiting for him after his graduation last spring. A combination of factors brought him back: at the very top of the list, he loves playing basketball. He was also awarded academic scholarships for his fifth-year graduate school program, which helped him with the decision. Finally, he was cognizant of carrying on Justin Hardy’s legacy, bridging the gap between the older generation of players and the young up-and-coming underclassmen. “We’re really, really fortunate to have him back,” Juckem said. “He’s such an incredible leader, talented player, and just so well respected — the guys revere him.” Jacob has played the most minutes of any returners, but the Bears have a lot of talent in their likely starting five. Sophomore Hayden Doyle, UAA Rookie of the
Year, averaged 10.6 points per game and played 31.3 minutes per game. Kevin Davet and Jake Wolf split minutes as power forwards and will bring a wealth of experience to the court. Sophomore Drake Kindsvater suffered an injury early on in the season but had a .667 field goal percentage — the highest on the team — when he did get minutes. Senior Matt Gonzalo also was a contributor last season and played 14.9 minutes per game. Another player to watch is Nate Bloedorn, a 6’7” forward, who played in 12 games his freshman year. After a knee injury that kept him sidelined for the next two seasons, he could play minutes this winter if he stays healthy. “All of our guys are always in the gym,” Chiphe said. “In the summer, they were hitting the weight room hard — like they’re always competing. So there’s gonna be a lot of competition for those minutes, but regardless of who it is, they’re gonna do a great job.” Freshman Newcomers The team has three freshman members, Juckem describing his recruiting class as smaller but impactful — “This is a class that we went three for three with.” 6’10” center Calvin Kapral, from California, can leverage his size on the court with his athleticism down low. 6’7” guard Will Grudzinski is an athletic wing who was a skilled shooter in high school. 6’2” guard Yogi Oliff rounds out the class — a “real run-theshow point guard,” Jacob said. “Great human beings, all of them,” Jacob added. “I love, love each and every one of them. All three of them are going to be great players, and I will put my stamp on that now. If there was a bet, I would put all my chips on all three of them. I think the world of them as players, but honestly, they’re great additions in the locker room as well. I couldn’t be happier with what Juckem dragged in this year.” Many freshmen stand out on the first day of practice, looking awkward in the middle of the court. But this group, Juckem said, has immediately blended in. “You’re learning a new system, a new language — it might be very different from how you’ve played previously, and you have to retrain your body. They each have very quickly assimilated, almost in an uncanny way that belies their age.” Key Losses After sticking around for one last season of basketball, Jack Nolan departed the WashU men’s basketball having put points on the board his entire career. He averaged 21.3 ppg his last season and concluded his season as an all-time great
of WashU basketball. He left the bar high, and ultimately, no one will be able to replace him. Instead, this team will have to try to make up for his presence by committee. “Nobody fills the shoes of an-all time great player,” said Juckem. “It’s a collective. One of Jack’s legacies here is he was such a competitor, like, and we saw that in this last year when he was playing.” From strictly a basketball perspective, player Justin Hardy’s impact on the court will be missed. He was an integral part of the offensive spark, scoring 28 points in a conference game against Case Western. He averaged 11.1 ppg and was part of a dynamic offense. He and Nolan played off of each other for three seasons on the court together; as a duo, the two were close to unstoppable for the Bears. Matchups to Watch The team starts their season against the University of Missouri, the only Division I game on their schedule. In the first game of the season, in the 15,061 capacity arena Mizzou Arena, WashU will quickly be put under considerable pressure. It’s the most competitive team that WashU will play all year, and Juckem said that he’s looking for the growth that they’ll get in return. They’re searching for the mini-victories — can they battle to a stalemate on the glass? Can they limit turnovers? “There’ll be some things that we get exposed to early on, and I’m okay with that, because that’s how we grow,” Juckem said. “We’re going to know exactly where to put some additional time and energy in our practices coming out of that game.” Other than that, all conference matchups will likely be hard-fought battles, with the UAA having some of the most competitive teams in the division. The first conference game is on Saturday, Jan. 7 against rival University of Chicago, and they play a full conference slate through February. WashU sits sixteenth in preseason polls, the second-ranked UAA team. Despite the full slate of games on their schedule, Pat Juckem is trying to keep his team locked in: one game, one possession at a time. They’re stacking days on top of days, looking at film, and trying to address issues early. “We’re trying to build a solid fundamental foundation,” Juckem said about his one-day-at-a-time mindset. “If we do that and follow that plan, we give ourselves a chance to hopefully have some exciting games in March. But you gotta earn those — you’re not entitled to those. Just because we’ve had a lot of success historically doesn’t guarantee that’s going to happen again.”
CURRAN NEENAN | STUDENT LIFE
VIA POOLOS MANAGING EDITOR One afternoon before the Washington University women’s basketball team stepped on the court for practice, head coach Randi Henderson handed each team member a piece of paper. On it was a collection of statistics — shot quality, turnovers, and defensive deflections from a previous scrimmage. Shots were graded by quality, on a ninepoint scale. “A nine is an uncontested layup,” senior post player Maya Arnott explained. “A five is where I’m off balance, and there’s a 50-50 chance of it going in.” Henderson believes that the statistics can determine the winner of any game — and that turnover percentage, offensive rebounds, free throw percentage, and shot selection can be all honed by grit and practice. “If you win, I think three out of four of those [stats], you have like a 90% chance of winning [the game],” Henderson said. And after finishing second in their conference, the UAA, in a four-waytie last season, the team is determined to come out on top this year, one made free-throw at a time. A team of returners Last year, Samantha Weaver was the only senior on the roster. Though she (and her 9.7 points per game) will be missed, the group of returners she left behind remains largely intact, with a majority of players as upperclassmen. Unlike the 2021 season, however, this fall’s returning players have a key advantage: at least one full season under their belts. Now-junior Christina Walker didn’t see a game court until last season, well into her sophomore year. “My class was the COVID class,” she said. “So last year was like our freshman year, our first real year playing.” Henderson said that restrictions from COVID last season meant her players had either never played a collegiate game before, or had a full-year
break from typical training. An unmasked, unrestricted preseason means that the team will be fired up and stronger than ever. “I’d definitely say that we’re in a much better place this preseason [and] this season than we were at the start of last one,” Walker said. The team has three new players on the roster — freshmen Jordan Rich, Olivia Muse, and Nailah McBeth. The three put their roster count at a 14, with nearly 80% veterans. Joining the list of new faces is Assistant Coach Tyler Amsberry, who was hired in July. “He has good constructive criticism on the court,” Walker said of Amsberry. “And is a big behind-thescenes guy.” Players to watch Two of the team’s top scorers from the 2021-22 season are back for more time with their teammates. Arnott led the team in points from the post position, averaging 13 points for 23 games. “I anticipate her having a good season for us,” Henderson said. “She does work extremely hard.” This year, Arnott is focusing her energy on putting up points when it matters. “Last year we struggled with finishing games,” she said. “There are a lot of games that were pretty close, and we could have won but we didn’t. And I hope that this year can help in leading us to finish those tight [ones].” Sophomore Jessica Brooks was the second-leading scorer her freshman season, but rarely actually scored her ending average of 10.4 points per game. Brooks scored a whopping 32 points in a January game against the University of Chicago, but only put up a singular point against Case Western Reserve University in February. “[Brooks] had some really big games for us,” Henderson said. “She struggled a little bit with consistency, so I see her stepping up into a more consistent role this year.” Alongside Brooks and Arnott, Henderson has confidence in the other 12 members of her team.
She rattled off a handful of key starters last year — seniors Molly Gannon and Karisa Grandison as dependable point guards, senior Naomi Jackson (coming off a knee injury) as a crucial shot, and senior Sammi Matoush as an all-around utility player. And despite having three fewer players than the men’s team, Henderson isn’t worried about scrambling for fresh legs. “I think we have a very deep bench,” she said. “We have very capable players on our team, even though our roster might be small.” Matchups to Watch Though their record last year (14-11) was decently above 500, the team is on the hunt for more wins this season, especially during their conference tournament. Hovering above the UAA three-way tie last year was NYU. Last year, the Bears lost both games against them, and they will face the former champions twice: first on Jan. 15, and again on Feb. 12. Arnott, for one, is optimistic about their chances. “I think yet we’ve grown a lot from last year, just making better game-time decisions and being better about our shot selection,” she said. “Hopefully we can beat them.” Since the UAA last year was so tight, Henderson couldn’t pick out any one matchup that will be particularly challenging — because all of them will be. “Nobody is past being beaten by anyone in our league, and literally every game is critical,” Henderson said. Walker also agreed that since the team is working towards “mini-goals,” each offensive rebound and hard-fought point will be a victory in itself. She’s excited for the season to come, and for what she thinks her team can deliver. “We have a very special team. People are just going to have to come to the games and find out,” she said. “It’s definitely going to be worth it.” For their first game of the season, the Bears will face Dubuque at home in a non-conference matchup on Nov. 13.
CLARA RICHARDS | STUDENT LIFE
The bomb squad gets rowdy during a men’s basketball playoff game in 2022.
8 STUDENT LIFE
THURSDAY, NOV 3, 2022
CLARA RICHARDS | MANAGING SPORTS EDITOR | SPORTS@STUDLIFE.COM
Men’s soccer loses to Brandeis, NYU to fall out of playoff contention HUSSEIN AMURI JUNIOR SPORTS EDITOR
On the cusp of giving his team hope for a playoff spot, sophomore Landon Green found himself unmarked outside the Brandeis University penalty box. With the technique of a professional soccer player, Green volley-shotted the ball straight into the top corner. Everyone stood firm as the shot traveled its way to the net, as if waiting to celebrate the inevitable goal. But an in-form Brandeis goalkeeper was alert to the shot and snagged the ball. This was one of few scoring opportunities that WashU received in the second half of the game, the Bears coming frustratingly close on the scoreline but ultimately coming up short. The Washington University men’s soccer team lost two consecutive UAA road games over the weekend to bring their record to 6-5-2 for the season. The Bears fell to Brandeis University with a scoreline of 1-0 on Friday night, and they were bested by New York University with a scoreline of 3-0 on Sunday afternoon. With the two losses, the Bears lose their 2021 UAA title defense, but more importantly, they fail to qualify for the NCAA post-season games. Going into the three remaining UAA games of the season, WashU needed at least two wins to contend for an atlarge, or Pool C, playoff bid (or automatic qualification if they managed to win UAA again), but the weekend results completely erased any possibilities of this. Road games have been
extremely hard for the Bears to navigate all season, and with the losses, they now stand at a 1-5 away-record for the year. “We have no chance to get in the playoffs,” said Head Coach Joe Clarke. “We don’t have enough quality wins, and we have too many losses to be going into the tournament. [Even] if we had won those two games [that] we tied [against Rochester University and Case Western Reserve University], it would still be a long shot. It would still be a long shot if we went and beat Chicago. So, we just don’t have the resume to get into the playoffs.” WashU at Brandeis The Bears played a contested conference matchup Friday night against Brandeis in Boston, Massachusetts, where they lost 1-0 to the Judges. While WashU looked sharp in the first 10 minutes of the game, Brandeis dominated much of the first half with energy and momentum. The Bears struggled to create quality shots and chances against a Judges side that outshot them 11-3 in the first half alone. “I thought it was a story of two halves,” said Clarke. “I told the guys after the game [that] every soccer team has a dark side and a good side. Our dark side — which isn’t an evil side — is that we just didn’t come out ready to play our best soccer. It was only 1-0 at the half because Matt Martin played well. Yes, we had a couple of chances on our own, as well. But we were just not moving, as a group, with the speed, intensity, determination, and intelligence that we
needed.” The Bears’ best chance of the first half arrived in the 7th minute of the game, when a wonderful strike from junior Carl Vestberg was saved by the Judges’ goalkeeper. But from there, the Bears would play the majority of the first half fending off shots from Brandeis. “We didn’t have the intensity [or] the focus on the field that we needed,” said sophomore Eugene Heger. “I think it was just kind of a lack of mental focus on our [half], especially on set pieces.” As the game continued in Brandeis’s favor, their adventurous first-half performance was rewarded with a goal with just 15 minutes to go until halftime. A corner kick was delivered into the Bears’ penalty box and was headed in past goalkeeper Matt Martin, to record the only goal of the game. The Bears tried to get back into the game in the remaining minutes of the first half, but the Judges were in cruise control. The second half was a different story for the Bears. The team brought intensity and energy into a second half that Clakre described as the best of the season. It was also a second half that the team knew they had to win to stay in contention for an NCAA playoff spot. “In the second half, I think we played one of the best — if not the best — half of soccer this year,” said Clarke. “They responded [well] to being down a goal. [We] created great chances to score. [Brandeis’s] goalkeeper played [phenomenally], [and] we ran out of time.”
In the second half, the Bears shot 8-4 and managed to record six shots on-goal. Unlike the first half, the team also continued to attack more aggressively, trying to break down the opposition. But a dynamic Brandeis defense defended well, and the Bears’ efforts were not rewarded. In the 70th minute, WashU posted three consecutive shots from Heger, senior Gavin Morse, and sophomore Joseph Hipskind. But the shots from Heger and Morse were saved, while the one from Hipskind was blocked. “After halftime, we started picking it up,” said Morse. “We had some chances — we put pressure on them, [but] their goalie made a few really good saves. Ultimately, the ball didn’t bounce our way. We could have scored a few goals, but we didn’t [and] we lost.” WashU at NYU Two days later after their loss to Brandeis, the Bears visited NYU for another contested UAA matchup where they lost the game 3-0. Coming into this game, the Violets were fresh off a historic NCAA men’s soccer game against University of Chicago, where both coaches were female, and a game where they tied against the #1 team in the nation that has yet to lose or draw this season. They were full of confidence, but this was an assessment Clarke didn’t see in the game. “I don’t think their tie against Chicago had anything to do with [the] game,” said Clarke. “I think they took a couple of shots that went in. We could have done better on that corner kick,
or the free kick with their first goal. Though the credit score was the second goal, the corner got the free kick. We could have done a better job against that play.” While the Bears played a much better game than the one against Brandeis, similar flaws such as shotcreation and defending set pieces haunted them. They registered only six shots throughout the game, one of them on-goal. NYU’s shot-creation and efficiency in striking the ball was rewarded as, in the 18th minute, they opened their scoring for a 1-0 lead. In the 28th minute of the game, the Violets would expand on their lead when a free kick was headed in past Martin for a 2-0 scoreline. They would extend that lead in the 58th minute of the game and put another one past WashU for a comfortable 3-0 cushion. The loss was WashU’s 5th away-loss out of six awaygames of the season. WashU was undefeated at home this year. “It’s been tough [playing away games],” said Heger. “I think what really hurt us is, after [conceding] that first goal away from home versus at home, there’s just a completely different reaction to those events. So, I don’t know whether it’s the home support or just kind of the feeling of comfort that we have at home.” Despite the scoreline, several members of the team — including Heger — attest that it didn’t reflect the quality and competitiveness of the game. “I think Owen had that chance in the first half that hit the post,” said Heger. “I think that was when it was
0-0. I think that really would have turned the game on its head. That was a tough moment, and then conceding a goal very shortly after that — it really just kind of hit us hard.” The loss against NYU effectively shut down any hopes of a playoff bid. Not only was the team trying — whether Clarke would agree with it or not — to defend its 2021 UAA conference title, but they were also trying to scoop a Pool C bid to the NCAA tournament. They failed to accomplish both tasks. “[Making the playoff] was definitely in the back of all of our minds,” said Heger. “We knew that this weekend was going to be huge. And if we could get results from both these games now, it really [could] help us in terms of our playoff chances.” The Bears play UChicago this Saturday to close out the season. This was the matchup that won them the conference last year, but things are a little different this season. While they have nothing to gain from it, Saturday being the definite last game of the season, Morse believes this is the exact reason why they will make a formidable opponent for the undefeated Maroons. “What do we have to lose?” said Morse. “We’re all committed to playing well. And, even if it may seem like we’re not going to make the tournament [and] not going to win the UAA, it doesn’t matter. Every single guy is going to give it their all. There’s absolutely no reason why we can’t go out and beat this team. We beat them last year, and they were ranked higher than us. We can do it again this year.”
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