October 7, 2021 Student Life newspaper at Washington University in St. Louis

The independent newspaper of Washington University in St. Louis since 1878 THURSDAY, OCT 7, 2021

VOLUME 143, NO. 6

Need-blind effective immediately

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WASHU GOES NEED-BLIND Growth of Pell-eligible students over the last decade

GRACE KENNARD AND TED MOSKAL SENIOR NEWS EDITOR AND MANAGING EDITOR Washington University will adopt a need-blind admissions policy effective immediately, the University announced in the Record Monday morning.

Through a $1 billion investment in financial aid, the University will become the final top-20 college in the country to adopt the policy, in which admissions officers make decisions without explicit awareness or consideration of applicants’ ability to afford college.

This investment, titled Gateway to Success, follows last month’s announcement that the University’s endowment pool grew 65% during the last fiscal year, bringing its total value from $9.6 billion to $15.3 billion.

An endowed fund of $800 million will go directly towards need-blind undergraduate admissions, with an annual yield of around 4% of the fund spent in each annual admissions cycle, while $200 million will be used to support financial aid for graduate and professional students.

Under the new policy, the University will not consider an applicant’s financial situation in admissions decisions and will still meet 100% of the demonstrated financial need of admitted undergraduates. In an interview with Student Life, Chancellor Andrew Martin said need-blind admissions would increase the student body’s socioeconomic diversity.

“I don’t think it’s inconceivable that we could end up at 20%, 21% 22% Pell-eligible,” Martin said.

“I think we’ll also see a pretty marked increase in students that are more [middle income] as well.” The University has already significantly increased its percentage of Pell Grant-eligible students over the last decade, as 17% of this year’s freshmen, the class of 2025, are Pell Grant-eligible, compared to just 5% of fall 2012’s freshman class.

Undergraduate admissions will be need-blind for domestic applicants only, though the University also plans to invest in financial aid for international students, which Martin said is typical for many major Universities that have adopted need blind admissions.

Only five colleges and universities

In 2012, 5% of freshmen were Pell-eligible. By 2021, that number was 17%. Martin projected need-blind admissions could bring the percentage to 22% next fall.

Students have long advocated for the University to increase its socioeconomic diversity and adopt need-blind admissions. In addition to the student advocacy around socioeconomic diversity at the University, Martin said faculty have been pushing for this change and they are ready to support students in the classroom.

“Our faculty are really prepared at this moment in time to step up

SEE NEED-BLIND, PAGE 3

SEE HISTORY, PAGE 3

Need-based endowed scholarships, annual gifts and tuition-funded grants awarded by the college excluding athletic aid and tuition waivers

DATA FROM THE SOURCE, STUDENT LIFE ARCHIVES, UNIVERSITY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, COMMON DATA SET

bolstering existing programs like DENEB Stars and Chancellor’s Career Fellows will support this initiative.

“We need to make sure [that] we are ramping up the programs and services… that students need,” Gonzalez said. “How do you eat at a place like WashU? How do you get a sense of belonging at WashU when you are in such different socioeconomic status and [have different] experiences than your other peers?”

EM MCPHIE MANAGING EDITOR

Washington University’s shift to need-blind admissions, announced Monday morning, follows a relatively recent push to increase socioeconomic diversity after years of prioritizing academic prestige and turning away hundreds of qualified applicants who would have been admitted if not for a lack of dedicated funding.

For years, University administrators — particularly under former Chancellor Mark Wrighton’s administration — defended their decision to remain need-aware, citing other focuses and insufficient finances to adequately support students under a need-blind admissions policy.

Many of the University’s peer institutions went need-blind prior to 2000, including Duke, Amherst, Columbia and Cornell. In 2003, Brown University became the last Ivy League school to implement need-blind admissions. Others have made the switch more recently, including Vanderbilt in 2010 and Johns Hopkins in 2018. Need-blind admissions have not been historically limited to the schools with the largest endowments; Rice University, which has an endowment of $6 billion (as compared to schools like Harvard with an endowment of $42 billion or Princeton with $26 billion), stopped considering financial need in 1912.

However, despite calls from students and others to make a similar change, Washington University administrators refused. “It’s not our highest priority,” Wrighton said at an annual tuition forum in 2012, when the University’s endowment was just over $5 billion. “We’re committed to quality and diversity, but we also have to be able to afford [this diversity].”

In 2014, as the endowment approached $7 billion, then-Vice Chancellor for Admissions John Berg explained that under the needaware admissions policy, the Office of Admissions would send Student Financial Services a list of proposed incoming freshmen each year. If the total demonstrated financial need was greater than the funds set aside by the University for financial aid, SFS would send the list back to the Office of Admissions for reevaluation.

“It’s certainly on the order of hundreds of students who we know would have been great Washington University students and that we

Total need-based amount awarded

by WU

in the United States — Harvard, Yale, Princeton, MIT and Amherst — offer need blind admissions to international students.

With need-blind admissions allowing more students of different backgrounds to attend Washington University, the next step is providing adequate support for students once they have arrived on campus, Martin said.

According to Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Anna Gonzalez, additional funding aimed at

The path to need-blind admissions

Community reflects on Danforth’s life and legacy at memorial service MEHEER COMMURI STAFF REPORTER The Washington University community honored the late Chancellor Emeritus William Danforth at a memorial service in Graham Chapel Saturday.

Danforth, who passed away on Sept. 16, 2020, at the age of 94, was remembered as one of the most influential administrators in the University’s history and, nationally, as one of the longest-serving university chancellors. His impact on the University and the University community endures to this day.

“Under his wise administration, WashU grew from a well-regarded commuter campus to a worldrenowned leader in education [and]

research,” Chancellor Andrew Martin said at the service.

Under Danforth’s leadership as chancellor, Washington University first achieved its status as a nationally recognized and renowned institution: it broke into the top 25 universities in the U.S. News & World Report’s “Best National Universities” ranking, beginning an upward trajectory towards its current position of 14th. Putting Washington University on the map also helped attract higher numbers of bright students to the University.

The “number of applications doubled in [the] last decade of his chancellorship, numbering 9,300 in 1995. In 1994, 88% of freshmen ranked in the top 20% of their high school classes,” according

to a statement published by the University.

One of Danforth’s most influential actions was his work on the University’s endowment. From 1971 to 1995, the “endowment increased from $147.4 million to $1.72 billion, to become the nation’s seventh largest” institutional endowment. Today, the endowment pool stands at $15.3 billion.

Danforth is particularly remembered as being a proud and devoted St. Louisan. As the University grew in its prestige, Danforth made an effort to maintain its commitment to the region.

“Dr. Danforth astutely recognized that St. Louis needs WashU and that WashU needs St. Louis,” Martin said. “For one to be healthy, the other

ELLE SU | STUDENT LIFE

Reverend Gary Braun leads the memorial service for Chancellor Emeritus William Danforth Saturday at Graham Chapel.

must also thrive. [Danforth] served this city by serving this institution.”

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SEE DANFORTH, PAGE 2

2 STUDENT LIFE

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theFLIPSIDE THU 15

THUNDERSTORMS 74/58

SAT 17

FRI 16

MOSTLY CLOUDY 85/65

PARTLY CLOUDY 82/61

MON 19

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS 77/62

TUES 20

PARTLY CLOUDY 81/66

SUN 18

MOSTLY SUNNY 87/67

WED 21

PARTLY CLOUDY 82/61

EVENT CALENDAR MONDAY 3 Fake News, Propaganda and Misinformation John M. Olin Library, Instruction Rm. 2, 12 p.m.

From the Fyre Festival to Fukushima daisies to “fake news,” mis- and disinformation has made its impact on both the personal and political. It’s getting harder and harder to tell fact from fiction, and most of us are fooled at one time or another. One study by Stanford University found students and history professors were almost equally as likely to evaluate information on the Internet incorrectly. This workshop will help you spot fake news, and you’ll learn the tips and tricks needed to evaluate information more effectively.

THURSDAY 7 Pari in Perpetuity: Peeling Back the Layers of Agricultural Policy in a Prayerful Way Virtual Event, 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Electa Clare-Redhorn (Pawnee) will be discussing how Native women are changing land-care policies by engaging in equitable agricultural development transitions.

FRIDAY 8 Using Science Fiction to Teach Computer Ethics: Model Class Henry A. and Elvira H. Jubel Hall, Jubel 121, 11 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Dr. Judy Goldsmith, Professor of Computer Science at the University of Kentucky will be presenting an argument in favor of using science fiction to teach computer ethics using the story “Today I am Paul” by Martin Shoemaker. After the presentation, attendees will discuss the ethics of the characters in the stories before taking part in a larger discussion led by Goldsmith.

SATURDAY 9 Public Tour: “The Outwin: American Portraiture Today” Virtual Event, 11 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Graduate student in the Department of Art History and Archaeology Jay Buchanan will lead a virtual tour of “The Outwin: American Portraiture Today.” The exhibition features the finalists of the National Portrait Gallery’s fifth triennial Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition. The portraits are in response to current political and social climates, and offer perspectives on a variety of issues.

MONDAY 11 Sisters of Carceral Liberation: Building a Movement of Social Justice for Black Women in Higher Education in Prison Virtual Event, 2 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

WashU’s Prison Education Project has created a new lecture series featuring grassroots organizers, scholars, practitioners and students. Titled the Maggie Garb Lecture Series, the series will focus on the theme “The Power of Higher Education in Prison.” Dr. Breea Willingham, co-founder of the Jamii Sisterhood, LLC and managing editor of the new “Journal for Higher Education in Prison” will speak.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2021

How COVID-19 class policies and accommodations have shifted with the return to in-person learning LYDIA SIDRYS CONTRIBUTING REPORTER With COVID-19 still circulating on a largely inperson campus, Washington University has updated its accommodations from the past school year to largely resemble pre-pandemic policies while simultaneously integrating practices and techniques learned throughout the past virtual year.

While the University characterized last year’s accommodations system as a “high-flex” model in which students could take classes in a variety of modalities, this fall has featured a return to predominantly in-person classes where remote learning accommodations are sometimes still a necessity.

Vice Provost for Educational Initiatives Jennifer Smith explained that the University is still providing accommodations for students who are quarantining or isolating due to COVID-19, adding that the accommodations depend on the style of the class and the individual instructor’s preference.

“There is an expectation that in-person lecture based classes are being recorded to support absences,” Smith said. “In more interactive classes, because recordings may not be particularly useful, we simply told instructors that they would need to provide a mechanism for students to stay on track with the class and make up for any in-class activities or participation — similar to what would have happened if a student needed to miss class for illness pre-COVID.” This system is different from last year’s, in which the University required

faculty members to provide accommodations to every student using Zoom, meaning missing a class due to COVID-19 was relatively simple for students, Smith said. She explained that this year instructors are not required to provide options for synchronous virtual participation for students missing class due to COVID-19, but many still choose to do so.

“If instructors of interactive classes feel either recording or synchronous zoom participation is the best way to accommodate quarantined students, they certainly can do either, or both,” Smith said.

However, some instructors did not think last year’s policies worked well, which is another reason why the administration decided to allow more flexibility for instructors to choose how they wish to provide accommodations this year.

“Since some instructors found last year that remote participation in in-person discussions or activities didn’t work particularly well in the context of their classes, we did not insist that everyone provide that option this semester,” Smith said.

Sophomore Hannah Hummel had to quarantine last year and was isolated with COVID-19 this year, requiring her to miss classes both times. Hummel felt that taking classes from quarantine was different this year and found it more difficult to participate.

“This year was a lot more watching recordings of classes, while last year was calling into class on Zoom,” Hummel said. “It was definitely more of a possibility to participate in class

last year, where this year I would email my professors and they would give me a recording or the takeaways from the class.”

Hummel felt that it was not particularly challenging to keep up with all of her classes from quarantine housing but that it required a lot of commitment.

“I think it requires some personal initiative [to keep up with classes while in quarantine] because it is very easy to not contact any of your professors, but as long as you are doing the basic things it is not too bad,” Hummel said.

Even with the additional challenges, Smith explained that it was a priority to return to in-person classes this year to reinforce the learning community at the University. She emphasized the importance of physically coming together to learn which helps with focus and engagement for both students and faculty.

While Smith underlined that returning to an in-person class structure was a priority this year, there are also many aspects of virtual learning that remain relevant to continue in the years ahead.

“We’ve recommended that faculty continue providing virtual office hour options, and that having experts from other institutions join classes virtually was particularly valuable,” Smith said. “We also felt that having multiple different ways for students to participate — anonymous polling, written discussion board comments, etc — was important in supporting engagement from students who might not always be comfortable raising their hand in class.”

TUESDAY 12 Pause at Graham Chapel Graham Chapel, 3 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

The Office for Religious, Spiritual, and Ethical Life is providing students with space for moments of quiet and reflection throughout the semester. These weekly sessions are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

QUESTION OF THE WEEK DO YOU SLEEP WITH A STUFFED ANIMAL? Here are the results from this week’s poll. Check out our Instagram for next week’s question.

NO: 51.6% YES: 48.4% 62 total respondents

HOLDEN HINDES | STUDENT LIFE

Masked students walk between classes in the basement of Simon Hall earlier this fall.

DANFORTH, FROM PAGE 1 Danforth worked hard to improve the academics at the University, revamping facilities, hiring faculty and increasing research output and funding under his tenure. While he was chancellor, University faculty members won 11 Nobel Prizes and two Pulitzer Prizes.

A statement published by the University detailed that under Danforth’s tenure, the University built, expanded or acquired 34 new facilities including buildings for the psychology department and the law school. It also established over 80 chaired or endowed professorships.

The service, which was held at Graham Chapel and also live streamed and broadcasted in Brookings Quadrangle and Edison Theatre, was led by Reverend Gary Braun, director of the Catholic Student Center, and Chancellor Martin.

Many alumni, former professors and former deans were called upon to offer

their reflections on the life and impact of Danforth.

Notably, Danforth’s brother, John Danforth, a former U.S. Senator for Missouri, was present at the memorial.

The service also featured three musical performances.

A “musical interlude” was performed by flutist Emily Angstreich and pianist Hudson Lin, both seniors.

Next, soprano Kelly DanielDecker and pianist Sandra Geary, both professors of applied music, performed “On Eagle’s Wings.” Finally, Daniel-Decker and organist Andrew Peters performed the service’s closing hymn, “The Prayer of St. Francis.” Senior Dakotah Jennifer recited an original poem, “At my very best.”

“Everyone can be nice, but not everyone can be kind,” Jennifer read from her poem. “It is kindness I have found among the Danforth Scholars.”

Both Angstreich and Jennifer are members of

the University’s Danforth Scholars Program. The scholarship program is named in honor of William Danforth and his late wife Elizabeth Danforth and is “funded by friends of the Danforths.”

“The Danforth community has made me feel loved every day of my college career, and I see that not only as a privilege but a gift from Dr. Danforth himself,” Jennifer read.

Danforth’s colleagues also reflected these sentiments.

“Bill was by far the very best boss I ever had,” Richard Walter, professor emeritus in the history department, said in a statement. “While we didn’t always agree, he never failed to treat me with the utmost respect.”

“He leaves a legacy that will be hard to match and will be sorely missed by all the many whose lives he touched,” Walter said.

A recording of the service is available to watch on the William H. Danforth Tribute website.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2021

NEWS

GRACE KENNARD & ORLI SHEFFEY | SENIOR NEWS EDITORS | NEWS@STUDLIFE.COM

STUDENT LIFE 3

HISTORY, FROM PAGE 1

BRIAN BENTON | STUDENT LIFE

Former Chancellor Mark Wrighton speaks at the annual tuition forum in 2014.

weren’t able to admit because we’d exhausted our financial aid budget,” current Chancellor Andrew Martin told Student Life this week.

Over the years, many individual students and student groups voiced concerns over the policy.

“Admissions literally has to pick out students they were going to accept and not accept them because of them being low-income,” thenPresident of Washington University for Undergraduate Socioeconomic Diversity Lauren Chase said in 2014.

“That is discrimination by a different name.”

At a panel discussing tuition in October 2014, former Provost Holden Thorp said that administrators did not regret having prioritized the University’s academic status and recognition over increased socioeconomic diversity.

“If they hadn’t done that, nobody in this room would be sitting here right now,” he said.

“We’re not going to apologize

for that.”

In 2015, a New York Times article revealed Washington University to be “the least economically diverse top college,” with only six percent of current students Pell-eligible. The designation led to increased scrutiny of the University’s recruitment and admission policies alongside widespread calls for improvement.

During the following year, the University founded the Deneb STARS program to support low income and first generation students, and the share of Pell-eligible students started to increase, making up 13% of the class of 2021, 15% of the classes of 2022 and 2023, 16% of the class of 2024 and 17% of the class of 2025.

Despite this increase, wealthy students remain significantly overrepresented at the University. The New York Times reported in 2017 that 22% of Washington University students were from the top 1% of median family incomes, more than half

were from the top 5% and less than 1% were from the bottom 20%.

In 2018, Wrighton said that becoming need-blind would require an additional $1 billion of endowment funding focused toward financial aid.

“I don’t see it to be fiscally responsible or possible for us to move to what people call ‘need-blind,’” he said. “I think that’s an ideal that we can work towards.” A significant majority of the billion dollars would be invested to provide for future financial aid funding, while just 4.5% would go directly toward financial aid, Thorp said.

While maintaining their need-aware position, University administrators increased efforts to recruit students from underrepresented economic classes.

“We’ve expanded our outreach to students who are from under-resourced backgrounds or schools…by visiting more schools with free and reduced lunch and partnering with several great community

organizations,” Vice Provost of Admissions & Financial Aid Ronné Patrick Turner said in 2018.

But without dedicating enough funding to ensure that students would be accepted regardless of need, recruitment efforts could only go so far; the University continued to turn away a certain number of students each year for solely financial reasons.

Administrators justified this decision by pointing out that they wanted to ensure students who were accepted were given the full support they needed, as opposed to a small number of peer institutions that practiced need-blind admissions but did not commit to meeting 100% of demonstrated need.

In 2019, newly-appointed Chancellor Andrew Martin said that it was the University’s “moral responsibility to become a need-blind institution as quickly as possible.”

However, he added that if the University were to switch to need-blind admissions too soon, they would not be able to offer adequate aid to all admitted students. “[That] would put us in a situation [where] we would have to offer some students financial aid packages which I don’t think are acceptable,” he said. “Those [students] would incur very significant loans and family burdens which couldn’t be met and those students ultimately wouldn’t matriculate.”

The financial backing Martin was waiting for finally arrived in 2021, with the endowment pool’s unprecedented $5.7 billion growth.

This time, student calls for a move to need-blind admissions were finally answered, supported by a billion dollar investment in financial aid under the new “Gateway to Success” program. Beginning

with the class of 2026, the Office of Admissions will not explicitly take into account the financial status of applicants from the United States. (Only five universities nationwide offer need-blind admissions to international students — and the number has decreased over the past decade, with both Dartmouth and Cornell announcing moves from need-blind to need-aware for international students in late 2015 and early 2016 respectively.)

In The Source, Martin celebrated the announcement while acknowledging it was not a panacea for the University’s lack of socioeconomic diversity. “Admitting the best students from all socioeconomic backgrounds is obviously the first step,” he said. “Making sure they have the support and resources to succeed once they’re here is also critical.”

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GRACE BRUTON | STUDENT LIFE

Students protest for increased socioeconomic diversity at an event in spring 2019.

NEED-BLIND, FROM PAGE 1 to do the work, particularly in parts of our curriculum that I would call not as inclusive as they could be,” Martin said. “That work [of] taking students from wherever they are, including students who haven’t had the best opportunities and to get them through the curriculum is super important work.”

Martin called the implementation of need-blind admissions “a really important moment in our university’s history,” detailing how his predecessor, Chancellor Mark Wrighton, helped start the long journey towards finally becoming need-blind during his tenure.

“We’ve been working on

this for five months, this particular project, once we knew what the endowment return was looking like in the middle of the spring,” Martin said. “This is one of those situations where the students, the faculty, the staff, and even the chancellor, we’re all in agreement, and we got it over the finish line.”

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2021

Reflections on campus locations after a month A week of eating exploration: Reviewing five campus dining options ELLA URTON CONTRIBUTING WRITER Monday: Bauer Café I started my week by eating at the grill in Bauer Hall. With a growling stomach after a long dance class, the grill’s 20-minute wait time was almost too much to bear. My frustration was exacerbated hearing the kitchen calling out order numbers that were far behind mine. On top of this, I couldn’t use my meal points, contributing to my dwindling supply of Bear Bucks.

Despite the challenges, however, the Mediterranean grain bowl I ordered was the best food that I have gotten on campus so far.

While Bauer seating is hard to come by, that can be largely attributed to the backpacks laying claim to abandoned tables. The natural lighting from the walls is beautiful, and the entire space is breathtaking due to the high ceilings. There are many components to be distracted by –– the hanging WashU signs, the greenery, the flashing screens of accomplishments –– but the chattering crowd also serves as great white noise.

Because of the lack of seating in the main area, I ate in the adjoining graduate lounge. It had a

completely different vibe: eerily quiet — I could hear every crunch of lettuce or rustle of packaging, and I had to speak with a hushed voice within the warm brightness of the space.

While Bauer Cafe is an absolutely beautiful place to study and eat, I don’t know if I would necessarily recommend going during the lunch rush.

Tuesday: The Danforth University Center It’s a classic. We all know and love it. When I think of eating at WashU between classes, the DUC is the first place that comes to mind. Its centralized location makes it a great spot to meet up with friends.

Because it is so popular, however, the DUC often feels a bit overwhelming during lunch. I felt like my backpack was hitting a new person every five seconds as I maneuvered through the salad bar line.

The sheer amount of people present during the rush makes it feel like the heart of campus; you are bound to run into multiple people to say hi to. The people in the DUC are either in large groups of laughing friends at pushed-together tables or solitary eaters doing work on the outskirts of the hall.

It can be tough to find seating, so I ventured

upstairs to sit in the “fun room” directly above the main dining area. If the first floor is like that quint-

of law students in business casual attire looking at each other’s laptops and laughing over coffee. The

BRIAN CUI | STUDENT LIFE

Dining Services staff prepare meals in the kitchen at Parkside.

essential college dining hall that resembles Hogwarts, the fun room is like its more relaxed, Silicon Valley cousin. I sat on big floor pillows next to several students wearing AirPods while doing their work. It was a nice break from the hectic scene below, and I would definitely eat there again.

Wednesday: The Law Café With a convenient location right next to Seigle Hall, I got a slightly disappointing salad from the minimal lunch menu offered by the Law Café.

However, the atmosphere made up for the lack of food. The Law Café is significantly less bustling than the other dining halls on campus and is instead full

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skylight makes the room bright and airy, so I never felt claustrophobic.

Because of the subdued environment and general culture of work, I probably would not come here with a large group of people.

Instead, this location serves the purpose of being a great place to get a bite to eat and study in between classes when you find yourself with an extra hour.

Thursday: Parkside Café After a pretty traumatizing computer science studio, I ordered a salmon burger with avocado and cheese from Parkside Café via Grubhub. I would recommend ordering before making the long walk through Brookings because there is often a longer wait around the lunch rush. And I would not recommend ordering any extra cheese or avocado since the alteration didn’t add enough to warrant the extra charges.

Parkside is the perfect place to go on a sunny day, with a greenhouse vibe and coffee shop culture. It feels like you are eating in a spaceship, but it can be a hassle to find a seat in the shade. Most people are in larger groups, talking and enjoying the views. There are a couple stragglers on their computers, but it is a generally low-stress, happy environment. If you do come, however, you also have to reckon with the fact that you will be making conversation with an architecture major at some point during your meal. It is unavoidable.

Friday: Bytes Café Since it’s the newest dining option on campus, I had to check out Bytes in McKelvey Hall. I ordered a caramel pastry bar and a vanilla latte. Bytes is a café in one of the new engineering buildings on campus, so it doesn’t have a traditional dining hall feel.

There is limited seating and everyone is studying. The upstairs area, where eating is not allowed, is eerily quiet and populated only by solitary studiers. The downstairs is a bit busier but still subdued.

The food felt more graband-go style, so I would not come here expecting a meal. In fact, I wouldn’t expect anything other than what you would expect from a Starbucks. However, it is a beautiful, well-lit space that has a great view of Brookings.

It is also a good peoplewatching spot because of the plethora of prospective students and families anxiously waiting in line to get a latte before their campus tour. All in all, I would say that the motivation to study was worth the long walk.

Four days, four libraries: Here’s what it was like DANIELLA COYLE CONTRIBUTING WRITER A month into college, my classes have picked up their pace, bringing with them a sharply increased workload, and – since my dorm room has gotten old fast — the need for a good place to complete it. I spent an hour studying in four different spaces on campus in the hopes of comparing study environments to find what works best for me (and maybe for you, too).

John M. Olin Library I start with the tried and true (and easy to find): Olin Library. From the outside, it’s not fully clear that it’s a five-floor labyrinth of study spaces. If I spent an hour on each separate floor, I’d likely get wildly varying results, and the time it would take to traverse all its pockets and corridors exceeds the time I have.

I’m not sure how to get to the area that will be the most quintessentially Olin, but I find my way to the spiral staircase and just start climbing. All the college tours were right: a library really does get quieter as you go up! At 11:02 a.m. I stumble into a seat separated from three others by an orange wooden divider. Set against the faded teal geometric carpet, it presents a somewhat jarring color scheme. Behind me are what must be thousands of books on narrow shelves, while in front of me is the door leading to the cool but empty Sky Room.

In glass panels I see the reflection of someone’s laptop playing a movie. Resisting the temptation to squint and see what they’re watching, I pull out the reading I have to do: can I finish two books of the “Iliad” before the hour is up?

As wood obscures my view of the room, I reach a scene with talking horses and start feeling like I’m having a fever dream. Various noises litter the passing time. It’s 11:46 a.m. when suddenly, the head across from me pops up from behind the divider. A jump scare, to say the least.

When the hour is up, I leave Olin still awash in its quiet chaos, its eclectic rooms and fellow studiers. Reliable and layered, it’s a good place to drop into if you’ve got time between classes. Plus, its many sections and floors allow for variation if you need a change of scenery.

The Law Library When I pass through the doors into Anheuser-Busch, I feel young. Does it take asking a law student to find the entrance to the library? Maybe.

Is it worth it? Certainly.

The Janite Lee Reading Room is aesthetically pleasing: it’s filled with dark wood and tall lamps atop wide tables, and bookshelves line the perimeter housing red, black and gold legal volumes. Large, arched windows bring light into what might be an otherwise heavy room, and outside, the trees surrounding Mudd Field conspire to create a picturesque view.

It’s pin-drop silent. You can certainly hear the full water bottle that accidentally slips from my hands, making a few heads turn. From that point, I find myself completing small tasks in slow motion.

At 11:04 a.m., I sit in a slightly uncomfortable but posture-improving wooden chair at a long table, right next to one of the windows, and

notice the a plaque beneath it commemorating a “Mr. and Mrs. Donald W. Paule, JD ‘66.” To be featured beneath a window of all things strikes me as a very niche type of clout. Have I found a new goal in life?

When the hour ends, I leave feeling… tranquil? Motivated?

It’s a pleasant feeling, and I plan to come back here to study again soon.

East Asian Studies Library The only thing I’ve heard about this library is fellow freshmen wondering where it is. I’ve heard that it’s in January Hall, so after figuring out where January Hall is, I head there. Helpful signs lead me to the library on the second floor.

Upon entering, it’s even quieter than Anheuser-Busch.

I tiptoe in; it’s only after I sit (lifting, not dragging the chair) that I can focus on my surroundings. Similarly to the law library, the room is adorned with dark wood and lined with volumes of books. There are ornate chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, and again, beautiful windows.

It’s easy in this space to simply reach for a pen and begin taking macroeconomics notes.

Throughout this process, I’ve become accustomed to the stray noises that accompany studying (a bag unzipping, a page flipping over), and they’re no different here except that they feel less noticeable, somehow, than the other places I’ve visited so far.

The hour seems to go by pretty quickly, and I leave feeling like I’ve found yet another great study space at WashU. It might require some planning to come on a normal day since it’s a bit of a hike from the South 40, but if you can make the trip, it’s rewarding.

Danforth University Center Okay, I know this one is not a library, but from passing through it, I’ve noticed it’s a commonly used study spot, and I thought I’d see what I’ve been missing. I go a little later in the day to avoid the breakfast and lunch rush and have the best chance at a productive study experience, but this proves futile.

It’s 3:00 p.m. on the dot when I enter. It is bustling with people, and all the chairs are filled. Eventually I find an open spot on the second floor.

During this walking around, I make a new observation about the DUC: the ceiling is multicolored. How did I not notice this prior to now?

Suddenly, music begins to blast and I realize there’s some sort of event going on in Tisch Commons. I look down to see a projector screen flashing slides with facts about Greek Life. I can either tough it out through the distraction or move, and after some brief consideration I choose the latter.

It’s a nice day, so outside seems like the place to be. I sit down in a black chair with a view of the DUC’s entrance and a barren parking lot. The greenery behind me makes it a pleasant place to sit. Still, I find it hard to focus. The hour comes to a close and I’ve gotten very little done.

Unsurprisingly, if you study at the DUC, you may find yourself distracted by loud events and a significant fraction of the student body. Still, if you’re in a pinch and desperate enough to actually get something done (or maybe if you’re hungry), the DUC will do.

CADENZA

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2021

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

STUDENT LIFE 5

Fall break in St. Louis: Local entertainment venues to visit JORDAN COLEY SENIOR CADENZA EDITOR We’re 5 weeks into the school year, which means everyone on campus is being inundated with midterm exams and papers right before we experience the sweet, sweet relief of fall break. If you’re staying in St. Louis, there are a ton of entertaining ways to have fun and stay occupied during the long weekend.

From concert venues to alpaca farms, read more to find out!

The Unplug Acoustic Sessions at Utopia Studios

October 10, 1:30 p.m.

Hosted by STL Open Mic Nights, this is part of a monthly series of open mic nights around St. Louis. It’s free for everyone, and singers, comedians, musicians and more are all welcome to perform. Show off your talents to other local artists, or if you’re not up for performing you can always just watch.

St. Louis Art Museum (SLAM) If you’ve ever looked into things to do in St. Louis, SLAM has most definitely come up, making it somewhat of a basic

option. But it’s basic because it’s fun, and now that there are a few days off from school, you have time to visit! SLAM is home to artworks from the Renaissance until now, so you’re sure to find something that suits your artistic interests. Currently the museum features a thought-provoking exhibit

by Oliver Lee Jackson, a painter involved in the Black Artists Group, which was actually founded in St. Louis in 1968.

Alpacas of Troy Picture this: you’ve just finished your first round of midterms, and you want

nothing more than to play with cool animals. You want something cooler than the zoo, but where do you go? As an answer I raise you: Alpacas of Troy.

Located about 45 minutes from St. Louis in Troy, Missouri — a journey the long weekend will allow time for — Alpacas of Troy is home to more than 40 alpacas in addition to pigs, goats, chickens and more! Many people say money can’t buy happiness, but since a tour of the farm is only $5, I think it’s safe to say that in this case it can.

Brew in the Lou October 9, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The Lutheran Elementary School Association’s (LESA) ninth annual “Brew in the Lou” festival is happening this weekend. The event includes over 100 tasting stations and drinks from more than 40 local and national breweries. Admission includes unlimited food and drinks, making this event the perfect way to turn your fall break into a fall feast.

Concerts at the Duck Room, Blueberry Hill One of the highlights

of being so close to the Delmar Loop is that we have numerous concert venues in walking distance.

The Duck Room is a hidden gem in the basement of Blueberry Hill with frequent local concerts.

During fall break, Jackson Stokes will be performing October 9 at 8 p.m. and Chickpee, Becca Mancari, and Ron Gallow will be performing at 8:00 p.m, 8:45 p.m. and 10:00 p.m, respectively. The Duck Room requires proof of COVID-19 vaccination upon entry, and the venue is a great and accessible way to see underground artists concert.

Lil Nas X finds his sound in an impressive way in ‘MONTERO’ JORDAN COLEY SENIOR CADENZA EDITOR On Sept. 17, burgeoning pop star Lil Nas X released his debut album, “MONTERO.” The title track is the opening number, setting the tone for the album: Lil Nas X is here with deeper, more hardhitting material, but he still wants fans to be able to dance it out to his songs.

Lil Nas X is known for making controversial artistic choices and then cheekily twisting them to his advantage on social media. He has continued this trend with “MONTERO,” pulling

stunts like sliding down a stripper pole into hell during the music video for the title track and doing a pregnancy photoshoot, turning the saying that an album is an artist’s “baby” into a cleverly realistic marketing scheme.

Despite the comedic marketing, “MONTERO” has some notably darker themes than Lil Nas X’s prior work. The second track, “DEAD RIGHT NOW,” talks about the rapper’s struggles before fame and how certain people have switched up on him since his ascension. Lil Nas X addresses tensions with both of

his parents, and later raps “If I didn’t blow up, I woulda died tryna be here/ If it didn’t go suicide wouldn’t be here.”

It’s rare for artists to make more than vague social media statements about mental health issues, so it’s powerful to witness Lil Nas X open up about his own struggles. While the lyrics are somber, he juxtaposes them with a trumpet-heavy, bass-laden beat. The forward-moving beat reflects the trajectory of Lil Nas X’s career.

Though it’s the blooming rapper’s first album, “MONTERO” is stacked with an incredible list of

features including Elton John, Megan Thee Stallion and Miley Cyrus. While these stars have established careers, Lil Nas X is still able to keep pace with them, and they all make for great additions to the album. “SCOOP” is probably my favorite feature track on the album, because Lil Nas X and Doja Cat’s tongue-in-cheek bravado works together perfectly. On top of the danceable instrumentals, Lil Nas X raps about getting in shape — wittily saying, “You ever seen a n***a hit Pilates?” — working hard and hooking up with whomever. In

the same vein, Doja Cat comedically and confidently shows her prowess on the track with lines like, “Can’t call me stupid with this big ol’ f*****g forehead motherf****r.”

“MONTERO” is an all-around stellar album, and it becomes even better when audiences think about how unapologetically queer it is. Lil Nas X is a dark-skined Black artist rapping openly about being gay, which is incredibly inspiring to see. As far as visual aesthetics, Lil Nas X gives Satan a lap dance in the “MONTERO” music video, and the video

for “THATS WHAT I WANT,” a song about the rapper wanting a happy, fulfilling relationship, includes a love scene with another Black man, Lil Nas X in a wedding dress and a cameo from openly gay star Billy Porter.

Ever since “Old Town Road” was released, it was clear Lil Nas X was primed to blow up on social media, and he now boasts 7.2 million Twitter followers and 24.7 million TikTok followers.

“MONTERO” is a wonderful debut album which shows that Lil Nas X is just as artistically talented as he is social media savvy.

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PUZZLE Mania

A talk on venture capital and transforming traditional industries LEADERSHIP PERSPECTIVES SERIES

October 26 at 12:00 PM CT • VIRTUAL EVENT Register: Olin.wustl.edu/leadershipperspectives

Solution to last week’s puzzle:

10/7/21

6 STUDENT LIFE

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

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2021

STAFF EDITORIAL

Need-blind is a cause for celebration; here’s what should come next The last square anyone expected to blot out on their 2021 fall semester bingo board was the introduction of a need-blind admission process at Washington University.

As of the Oct. 4 announcement (funded by a particularly shocking endowment growth of $5.7 billion), the University’s willingness to cast aside archaic admissions processes that factored in the financial situations of potential students is cause for celebration. While this change has been long-desired — almost an unachievable fantasy — this turn of longhalted gears on a highly supported admissions modification is commendable. It also shows that plenty of other “fantastical” financial changes are equally possible.

Chancellor Andrew Martin acknowledged this point in his announcement speech; the Student Life Editorial Board commends both the change itself and Martin’s concession that this change won’t magically fix all of the socioeconomic problems on campus. Need-blind admissions are an important and necessary step, but the student financial situations after admission can often trend so negatively that they become blinding in their own right.

For example, only students with family incomes of $75,000 or less are currently offered no-loan awards. While WashU has now pledged to

both admit applicants without considering financial status and meet 100% of demonstrated financial need, setting up any chunk of those admitted students with loans rather than unrequited aid produces no net good, a fact peer institutions have long realized.

Loan-free financial aid is a necessary step forward.

In the past, WashU has required a submission of an ACT or SAT score for student applicants. Due to the pandemic, the University temporarily became test-optional, a policy that has been extended into the upcoming admissions cycle. However, this must become a permanent change. The requirement of such testing results in an unfair admissions advantage for students with the socioeconomic ability to afford testing resources, pay to take the test more than once and spend their time studying rather than using after school hours on a part-time job. Standardized testing with a financial bias has no place in an equitable admissions process.

And of students in the middle — those not yet burdened with university-prompted loans following graduation nor facing the stress of submitting a need-aware application — we must push for an equitable financial experience. Undergraduates that are financially independent from parents and/or family are continuously held

GRAPHIC BY REILLY BRADY

to a higher standard of fiscal responsibility than those who have their education (and lifestyle) funded generationally. Consider the case of a student who wishes to seek out post-pandemic therapy: While a student covered by their parents’ insurance can depend on said insurance to cover the costs of therapy services, Student Union’s Mental Health Fund (albeit a fantastic program) for financially disprivileged students relies on continual application processes that add additional

labor to a socioeconomic subsection that is already more likely to be working a job atop classes.

This is not to mention the loss of the Student Union Opportunity Fund, which provided eligible students with $35 of Bear Bucks on a card and offered each student up to $250 in additional funding through an application process. While those $35 cards largely became laundry funds or a ticket to lunch on the Loop with friends who didn’t have to worry about expenses,

the additional applicationbased funding offered to cover the cost of social events, tickets to shows and even individual club expenses. Programs like both of these Student Union funds are in the best interest of the University itself. While it is encouraging that our student governance is willing to continuously enact them, the University should take some weight off their shoulders and establish this type of mid-education financial aid through the University itself.

It’s an obvious but

necessary statement that WashU must continue to strive for total socioeconomic liberty and equity for all students before and after the admissions process. The need-blind change is exciting and incredibly important, and the University must continue to make necessary financial changes in order to better support its students. Further changes will foster actual trust from socioeconomically disadvantaged students toward the University. Don’t let us begin another waiting game.

The Senate Parliamentarian vs. humanity’s future CECILIA O’GORMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

E

lizabeth

MacDonough, the current U.S. Senate parliamentarian, doesn’t think we should have nice things. That is her right. It is also within our power to ignore her.

The Senate parliamentarian serves as the foremost advisor to the Senate on matters of parliamentary procedure. Most people have no idea that there is such an office. The role is not set forth in the Constitution, and we certainly don’t hold

elections for who fills it. If you are like most, it would likely shock you to hear that this unaccountable position is one of the most powerful in the entire country. Or, to be more precise, it is as long as we allow it to be.

The Senate is currently debating President Biden’s Build Back Better Act, a $3.5 trillion spending bill which seeks to deliver on countless Democratic flagship programs. In order to avoid death-by-filibuster, it will have to be passed through a process known as budget reconciliation, which only requires a simple Senate

majority.

Unfortunately, there is a litany of arcane and ill-defined rules on what can and can’t be included in such a bill. Who gets the final say? One Elizabeth MacDonough.

On Sept. 19, MacDonough sent shockwaves by ruling that immigration reform cannot be included in the reconciliation bill. Since there is little chance that any meaningful immigration reform could muster enough votes to pass in a non-reconciliation setting, this decision effectively kills any hope for a reasonable path to citizenship during the current

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Gordian knot. Take our very own Congresswoman Cori Bush, who has called for the Parliamentarian to be overruled: “The Senate Parliamentarian’s advice is just that — advice. While we live in unprecedented times, disregarding the advisory opinion of the Senate Parliamentarian would not be an unprecedented step.” She is absolutely right. The people of America have voted for a Democratic Senate, House and Presidency. It is now incumbent upon the Democrats to deliver.

Twenty years ago, when the Republicans had a narrow opportunity to advance their agenda, they steamrolled the Parliamentarian without hesitation. If President Biden and the Democratic leadership truly believe in change, they have an unambiguous responsibility to do the same.

Joe Biden wants to claim the legacy of the New Deal.

But the passing of FDR’s economic agenda was characterized by brazen rule-breaking, not mindless institution-worship. When the Supreme Court threatened to strike down the New Deal, FDR shamelessly coerced them into submission. That type of grit, ugly as it may be, is what it takes

to fundamentally change a country in gridlock. In contrast, Joe Biden chooses to be thwarted by the utterly non-binding opinions of a single Senate rules expert.

This fact does not bode well for our collective future. The Democrats don’t want you to believe that they have the power to pass a $15 minimum wage or a humans-first immigration policy. But they do. They are letting the parliamentarian tell them no, and you should never forget that.

Understandably, Joe Biden and his party want to show that they believe in institutions and play by established rules. But how much can be reasonably sacrificed in service of that ultimately superficial goal? In the year 2021, we face more crises than ever before. Our response to the colossal challenges of this era will not be determined by who is most elegant in their methods, but by who is willing to be most ruthless. As both literal and figurative sea levels continue to rise, the Democrats must decide once and for all between proceduralism and progress. In the former case, I advise them to find a dry and elevated place for their cherished pieces of paper.

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administration. This tragedy is unfortunately not the first of its kind. In February, MacDonough similarly ruled that a $15 minimum wage could not be included in the COVID-19 stimulus package.

Just like that, it was off the bill.

This begs the question: Why should one unelected official have so much power?

Why should a single bureaucrat have the authority to deny millions a chance at citizenship or a living wage with the casual stroke of a pen?

The answer is, they don’t!

The office of Senate parliamentarian is an advisory role.

As in, her judgements are not enforceable in any capacity.

What’s more, MacDonough ultimately serves at the pleasure of Kamala Harris, the president of the Senate. Thus, she can easily be dismissed and replaced with someone more amenable. This would not be an unprecedented move: The same Senate Republicans now handwringing over parliamentary procedure themselves fired the parliamentarian in 2001.

A simple solution to a painfully simple problem.

In the wake of MacDonough’s catastrophic rulings, some Democrats are eager to cut the proverbial

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We welcome letters to the editor and opinion submissions from our readers. Submissions may be sent to forum@studlife.com and must include the writer’s name, class and email or phone number for verification. We reserve the

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WashU, please pay your taxes LUKE EHRENSTROM CLASS OF 2021 Right now, if you live in off-campus housing with a landlord who is not Washington University, you pay more in property taxes than WashU does for any of its residential properties.

You shop at the same businesses and contribute to the economy in the same way as other students, but you almost certainly provide more in direct taxes for the municipality than if you lived in University-owned housing.

And unlike the University, you probably did not have a 65% return on your invested savings in the FY20-21. And, even if you did, you paid taxes on those earnings — the University did not. For beneficiaries of public services not associated with the University, and especially those residents of University City, Clayton and St. Louis City who are not college students (like me, as of May 2021), this is a rough deal.

In late 2015, University City estimated that the University-owned property just within U City would generate somewhere between $1.61 to $1.86 million per year in property taxes, with the lion’s share going to the U City School District. That was in 2015 — since then, the University’s property empire around St. Louis has only expanded, and a 2021 reassessment of property values would drastically increase this estimate.

The University has countered that it provides a huge amount of in-kind value to University City and that these benefits exceed the value of taxes. For instance, the University points to the economic benefits of having its students and faculty live and spend money in U City. However, most of those benefits would be identical if the University were for-profit, and as U City rightfully notes, these are private market transactions, not University policy. Right now, University City provides fire,

police, street cleaning and snow removal services to the University relatively free of charge other than what WashU pays for additional police patrolling around the Loop.

The end result is higher property taxes and reduced government services for the non-University residents who live in U City. For the residents of U City, especially the working-class and often Black folks who live north of the Delmar Divide, the higher taxes and reduced public services are crushing. Those in-kind benefits are concentrated near the University — they do not trickle up to the places in the most need, here in University City or in St. Louis City.

Ultimately, a lot of the University property in U City is residential. When you consider substance over form, these non-profit residences are identical to the for-profit ones next door: University students, faculty and employees live in both.

If these non-profit properties

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Rosedale Apartments is among the buildings that the University does not pay taxes on.

returned to for-profit or municipal ownership, it would likely be the same people living there — except the municipality and their residents would not get screwed over when it came time to collect.

This is a problem that exists in Clayton, St. Louis City and municipalities surrounding college campuses around the country.

The solution is easy: the

University makes a payment. That’s what Boston University, Harvard, Yale and the other prestigious universities (that WashU considers itself among) have done. They “make payments in lieu of taxes,” or PILOTs, to the government entities who otherwise lose out. These voluntary tax payments help fill gaps in municipal and school district budgets around the

country, and these payments would be greatly beneficial to the communities that the University inhabits.

There’s only one real way to get a university to pay PILOTs, though, and that is by shaming them into paying. So please, write a letter, sign a petition, contact Chancellor Martin and the University and tell them this: WashU, please pay your taxes.

It’s time for students to get a real break SERIN KOH CONTRIBUTING WRITER The first month of college can be brutal: a new room, sweltering heat, a stack of syllabi, midnight rendezvous with assignments and the first set of exams all

crash into students’ lives in September. The work, time and effort, however, are reimbursed with Fall Break — a time for recuperation, reunion and rest.

During long dinner conversations with my friends, it became evident that the

anticipation about Fall Break was shared all throughout: We were all eager to meet family and friends and to pamper ourselves with our favorite television shows, foods and sleep after we had spent six weeks away from home. Yet it was not

GRAPHIC BY REILLY BRADY

long until some of my friends frowned in dismay at their schedule when they noticed an exam, project or assignment due the day immediately following fall break. Oral or written exams for language classes were scheduled to take place during the week of return. The few days that were planned for late movie nights, dinners at favorite restaurants, hours of extra sleep, visiting friends and freedom crumbled into days primarily dedicated to textbooks, studying, frustration and stress. Their Fall Breaks, along with those of other students facing a similar situation, would not offer the rest and recuperation they had been promised.

Yet such dilemmas do not lie with just Fall Break; I have spoken to multiple classmates who, in disappointed phone calls, told their families not to come to visit them during this fall’s Parents Weekend because of an

exam scheduled for the following Monday. Others have quizzes, homework or presentations due right after Thanksgiving Break as well.

A break is a time dedicated to recuperation and rest. In college, it is a time for students, faculty and staff to recover mentally and physically from the tests and toils of school. Why is it, then, that so many students must sacrifice the time specifically allocated to self-recovery for their studies.

As a community of intellectual rigor and growth, it would be ironic if the students’ mental health and well-being were not the University’s priority. It is a student’s right to a proper break to recharge themselves, and the University should establish a policy upholding that right by discouraging classes to schedule assignments or exams immediately following breaks.

I understand — a college

education is meant to be challenging and intellectually stimulating. Yet there is a difference between challenging students and overwhelming them. While students may truly enjoy thinking, reading or intellectually challenging themselves in other ways for their classes, it is easy to feel stressed and powerless over the sheer difficulty or amount of work placed upon their shoulders and for their mental health to decline. How are students expected to dedicate hours to studying and assignments — while also managing extracurriculars, jobs and other commitments — for all 103 days (including the days for final exams) of the first semester, let alone for the rest of the year? How are students supposed to pursue “academic, intellectual and individual passions,” as the mission statement declares, if not provided an adequate break?

Certified Lover Boys and their invalidation of queer women JASMINE STONE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

O

n Sept. 3, 2021, rapper and actor Drake released his much anticipated album “Certified Lover Boy.” While the album certainly had highlights and was a hit amongst fans and casual listeners alike, there was one song in particular that has been the subject of much controversy. “Girls Want Girls” by Drake ft. Lil Baby suggests that lesbian women aren’t really lesbians, they are just straight women who have either been hurt by the men they have dated, or women who are interested in other women sexually but only as a performative, frivolous counterpart to their heterosexual relationships.

“Starin’ at your dress ‘cause it’s see through/Say that you a lesbian, girl, me too.” For one, Drake is not a lesbian, and he never elaborates on the assertion that he is. However, by responding to a woman’s assertion that she is a lesbian with “me too,” he

confirms he does not see this label as a deal breaker. While this could just be Drake saying anything to get this girl to be interested in him (“Oh, you’re a feminist? Me too!”), it testifies to his perception of the existence of queer women and his feelings of entitlement toward women he’s attracted to, regardless of their availability. This is detectable as early as the first line, but if it weren’t enough, he enhances his point with lyrics such as, “You just got to Miami need hotel rooms/ Ni***s told you that they love you but they fell through.” Lil Baby then follows with a colorful description of how he perceives himself as the audience for lesbian relationships.

Both Drake and Lil Baby imply — and rather explicitly say, ending the song with, “Girls want girls where I’m from/But I know you wanna roll with the gang” –– that women wanting monogamous romantic relationships with other women is unlikely, and that “lesbians’’ are instead just women with relationship issues who are still

reliant on men to support them. Said lesbians would apparently prefer a “serious” male counterpart upon finding one who’s reliable, and at most they would only want meaningless, occasional sex with another woman and a male partner. Even if one were to excuse these lyrics by claiming that he just got the words mixed up and what he meant was “bisexual,” the assertion that these relationships can’t exist without men at the core of them is not any more uplifting of bisexual women than it is of lesbians.

Rather, it contributes to the bi erasure that already permeates both queer and straight communities.

This, unfortunately, is not an uncommon trope, especially in hip-hop, pop and rap cultures. On the 2007 track, “They D*kin,” rapper Lil Boosie –– who has repeatedly broken out in fits of homophobic rage when referring to queer men, especially Lil Nas X –– dedicated an entire song to encouraging the women he’s involved with to have sex with each other as well,

finishing with, “If Boosie was a preacher I’d marry ya’ll/Then sneak up on a 100 more so I can have it all.”

Trey Songz’s “Lil Freak” suggests that if the women he’s with are really interested in him, they’ll have sex with each other for his viewing pleasure, further implying –– as the title would suggest –– that participating in such an act would make her a “little freak.” This has recently become a trope that even women artists have bought into, with rappers like Megan Thee Stallion consistently including lines like “I be texting with a bi-chick, we both freaky just trying shit” in her song “Captain Hook” and “I been a freak I’ll go after a bitch or a n***a” in her song, “Thot Sh*t.” In these songs and several others, she implies that, unlike her sexual endeavors with men, sleeping with women is just an aspect of her freakiness.

Given pop culture artists aren’t equally known for making songs that fetishize queer men, these lyrics are a testament to how living in

a patriarchal society, one in which everything a woman does must be to appeal to the male gaze, has contributed to invalidating the existence of both bisexual women in monogamous relationships and lesbian women in general. Even if a woman literally identifies as someone who only likes women, there is still the assumption that it must still benefit, include or be tied to men in some way.

While consensual participation in non-monogamous

relationships and sex positivity are great, fetishizing queer people is not. Narratives like this imply that queerness in women only exists in terms of sex and only when it is inclusive of men and/ or merely a performance for their benefit. The constant use of queer culture –– especially queer sexuality –– by straight people in the media isn’t uplifting so much as it is a constant hypersexualized invalidation of a marginalized group.

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8 STUDENT LIFE

SPORTS GRADY NANCE | SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR | SPORTS@STUDLIFE.COM

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2021

Cross country: Quietly leading the WashU pack GRADY NANCE SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR It takes a special kind of crazy to run cross country. The “my sport is your sport’s punishment” line has been beaten to death over the years, but it still holds true that few would willingly subject themselves to such cruelty as a single 6 a.m. run. Quite simply, it’s hard to imagine committing to such a grueling sport.

Now consider what it takes to compete in cross country at the collegiate level: waking up early most mornings for runs, spending weekends traveling for meets and undertaking the immense task of caring for one’s body both physically and mentally. And not just to do this, but to excel at it year in and year out, takes a certain grit few possess. That is exactly what the Washington University cross country teams are doing.

Despite often flying under the radar, WashU’s men’s and women’s cross country teams have been the school’s most consistent teams in recent years. Since the senior class started college in 2018, neither team has been ranked outside the top 10 nationally. Aside from, ironically, a dip to No. 6 last week, the women have remained in the top five since 2014 (they returned to No. 3 in the most recent round of rankings). The women’s team captured the school’s most recent national championship

in the fall of 2018 — before that was in 2017 from, unsurprisingly, the women’s indoor and outdoor track and field team, many of whom also compete in cross country.

Head coach Jeff Stiles enters his 13th season as head coach of the Bears as one of the winningest coaches currently at WashU. Still, the teams often go unnoticed.

When asked if he thought the team was underrated, senior Jacob Riderhoff chuckled. “I know it’s not the most flashy sport,” he said, “but it’s kind of something that we’ve kind of learned to accept over the years.”

Riderhoff and senior Emma Walter have a great deal to do with the team’s success in recent years; the pair consistently post top times and have emerged as leaders for their respective teams.

The runners acknowledge that they might have a screw loose somewhere, but you’ll never hear them complain about the grind. Instead, entering their final cross country season, they’re looking to savor the moments with the team. “I’m excited to see what we can do and really savor the last time it’s going to be a team event,” Walter said.

That’s something that both runners emphasized: team.

The concept might not be as clear-cut as in other sports, but runners see it differently.

The ability to race as a group, to run courses as a team,

completely changes how runners approach their race.

Running alone is far different — and far harder — than running beside a teammate who can push you. “That’s what’s so fun about [cross country] is you can kind of run in a pack,” said Walter.

“It definitely helps during the race to have your teammates with you whenever it starts to get tough.” In such a grueling environment, the support that teammates offer one another, even if not technically required to succeed, can make all the difference down the stretch. Coach Stiles calls this synergy. “I think both of these groups have a really special synergy, and that’s what’s gonna make us great, if we’re gonna be truly great,” he said.

“When we get to November and we’re like ‘Wow, we are so much better as a team than individually.’”

And that’s what makes it worth it. For all the excruciating runs, tough races and total exhaustion, team is what keeps these runners moving. It’s the team breakfasts after the grueling practices in Forest Park; it’s the taps on the shoulder during races to let a teammate know that they’re not alone. And through it all, they get to compete in one of the premier programs in the country.

But unlike most of the other sports on campus, the cross country team doesn’t fixate on winning every meet they

compete in. Interestingly, wins and losses during the regular season aren’t so much a necessity as a gauge for where the team stands. “It’s not like football, where an early season loss crushes your season early or you beat a team and it does something magical,” Stiles said. “It really has almost no bearing on the outcome of the National Championships because you get to redo it all there.”

As long as the team qualifies for regionals, which is likely, they can use their races as opportunities to work on strategy or focus on specific goals. “Fitness, feedback and fun,” Stiles said.

“You have to work into being able to push yourself,” Walter said. Coming out of the gate hot is not as important as saving your best for the last race.

That last race — the National Championships, held in Louisville on Nov. 20 — is the one they all have circled on their calendar. And while the competitive urge still drives runners during the regular season, Walter says not having to pour everything out for each meet allows her to keep her mental and physical edge. “It’s kind of nice to not have that pressure and just be able to race and not worry about [winning] during the first few meets,” she said.

“Running takes such a toll on your body, so it’s nice to be able to have a more gradual

build up to Nationals.”

The regular season becomes a slow crescendo towards that date, and while rankings and wins feel good in the moment, their mindset remains set in the long term. Everything between now and then, as Stiles puts it, is a work in progress. “We talked about it before and after our first [race], we’re writing this master thesis, and this is a good first draft, but we want it to be sparkling and great,” he said. “And I think we have the capacity to do that.”

Nationals are over a month away, but the team is starting to think about those races. It’s been nearly two years since the last time they raced for a championship, and after coming in fourth and second, respectively, the men’s and women’s teams want more.

“We know what we’re capable of, so it’s fun to go out and prove [it] at the end of the season,” Riderhoff said. If history is any indication, these runners will put their heads down, keep a steady pace and quietly lead WashU down the stretch.

Men's soccer vaults to No. 9 in rankings after win over Rochester Scan to read at studlife.com

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