SOPHOMORE YEAR

Ted Moskal and Matthew Friedman Former Managing News Editor and Former Editor-in-Chief

The fall semester began in the wake of a historic summer with students organizing and participating in Black country, as well as a new push to abolish Greek Life at Washington community to adapt to a partially after many students anonymously with Greek organizations through the instagram accounts @metoo_ washu, @blackatwashu and @ their organizations during the summer, committed to abolishing Greek Life and those committed to reforming it. but were faced with resistance from their national organizations. Only Pi Beta Phi actually managed to follow through relinquish its charter in October. Campus resignation of 13 pro-abolition members

While COVID-19 cases at Washington during the early stages of the semester, prompted criticism from both students and parents as cases continued to rise suspended indoor dining and limited Habif Health and Wellness Center in an attempt to curb further spread of the plan, the endowment and updates on his inaugural “In St. Louis, For St. Louis” promise.

WashU senior Zachary Wurtenberger as part of the cast. Friends of Wurtenberger watched the season premiere with him at a local bar, where they got to see their friend grace the big screen before of its long-awaited strategic plan for student feedback, in which they set forth the next decade.

Three thousand community members came together to listen to Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor speak about her experience as a Justice, woman and Latina to the large crowd. admitted to the Class of 2026 after last year’s rate of 13%. The incoming class also has a higher percentage of Black, students than last year’s class, though a smaller percentage of Pell-eligible students.

DJ Zedd took the stage in Brookings since the pandemic began. This was the highest-funded WILD in the Programming Board used some of the semester’s WILD for the spring semester. In May, the Class of 2022 will celebrate their Commencement in-person, with racial justice was a major focus for all aid fund aimed at supporting Black students on campus, which raised to respond to pressing issues by establishing committees and councils instead of taking direct action. Students as well as the abolition of WUPD. During one protest, senior Sabrina Sayed spraypainted the word “colonizer” on the statue of George Washington outside

Life.

Chancellor Emeritus William Danforth passed away at the age of 94. Danforth is considered to be one of Washington has been credited with transforming the into an internationally-renowned research institution.

Martin had announced a commitment to accelerate the launch of the Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity & Equity, establish an Equity and Inclusion Council and strengthen ties to the St. Louis community. In September, the of a public safety committee to examine Police Department plays on campus.

During the fall, the student body also reckoned with the role that Greek Life should play on campus, group aimed at determining the future of Greek Life on campus. decision to cancel spring break and replace it with two “wellness days” ways. WashU Votes partnered with the Gephardt Institute to help students turnout on campus. More partisan groups such as the College Democrats and the College Republicans focused their efforts on local elections including the close house race between Jill hoped that high turnout would translate Republicans managed to capitalize on Missouri’s status as an increasingly red state and held onto many seats that break that might expose them to the restructured the semester to include a third wellness day, mandated that each department schedule two “study days” took steps to ensure that these days off would actually be enforced.

Missouri.

Political discourse was also abundant during the fall semester, as the Danforth newest student publication, aimed at “critiqu[ing] the radical ideologies dominating campus culture,” turned headlines. the state experienced high turnout.

The Jan. 6 insurrection at the United their fall exams and attempted to enjoy science professors signed an open letter calling for President Donald Trump’s and Sam Fox, announced they would stop supporting Sen. Josh Hawley following his role in the riot. But other silent, and a group of alumni launched a political action committee later in the month to oppose Hawley’s re-election in 2024. staying inside the sheltered “WashU municipal issues such as police reform, while others attempted to build lasting relationships between students and St. Louis neighborhoods. spring mostly resembled the fall, as many classes remained remote and COVID-19 guidelines such as masking and distancing stayed in place on campus. COVID-19 cases on campus stayed high for much of rates declined across the St. Louis region. Interim Vice Chancellor for situation “dire” in a March email, and allowing for the continuation of plans for commencement in-person. The calls for abolition of Greek Life as hundreds of students joined Greek Phi as the only chapters to do so. The held dueling panels in early February, aimed at increasing equity while the second panel featured former members of Greek Life describing their reasons for a protest from the East End to Fraternity Row weeks later, calling for fraternities to be dehoused with chants like “Don’t take my tuition, without Greek Life abolition” and “Hey hey, ho ho, WashU Greek Life has to go.”

Policing and public safety remained at committee, which met eight times between Oct. and Jan., released its calling for changes to the WUPD’s handling of mental health emergencies and suggesting reforms aimed at the department’s transparency and

Hank Webber told Student Life that the committee’s recommendations by some students who were on the committee, said the recommendations did not go far enough. They expressed dissatisfaction that some recommendations proposed increasing funding for WUPD and were frustrated issues surrounding institutions of policing. Following the police killings

Olin Library, where students draped a Washington statue and called again for the abolition of WUPD.

But those calls for change were not the Problem” across campus in February assault against group members. in February to include all drugs instead elections in March, Ranen Miao won a second term as SU president after running unopposed. Student Union has supported efforts from numerous identity-based groups, such as the

Student Union continued its other setting up a Mentorship Match program to connect freshmen and sophomores to upperclassmen and passing an amendment to disband class councils and incorporate them into the Social Programming Board.

Demanding Justice, to “Disaggregate the Diaspora” which aims to collect more nuanced demographic data at the

Mental health remained a key issue on campus, as pandemic restrictions and cold, dark winter weather often left students feeling isolated and stillwaiting_washu, formed to highlight

Center’s mental healthcare offerings, and students struggled with burnout as they had just the three wellness days for the entire semester.

Throughout the spring, the School of Medicine partnered with the BarnesJewish system to administer COVID-19 and graduate students, as well as other community members, but most early on, whether through their work in medical labs, their status as healthcare workers or other reasons, sometimes struggled to rationalize their

In off-campus happenings, students participated in St. Louis city’s spring elections, which included both a March Voters elected city treasurer Tishaura woman for the role in the city’s history to closing the Workhouse jail, an issue around in the past. Despite the challenges of yet another leadership has remained optimistic. momentum, and I am extremely proud of this community and the many ways details of the fall semester are still up in the air, Martin announced in March “predominantly in-person learning” by the fall.