First of all, we want to congratulate you on wrapping up high school and deciding to come to WashU. We cannot wait for you to experience everything that college has to offer — we’re talking new people, stinky dorms, late-night libraries. All of it. The staff at Student Life, the University’s student-run newspaper, put this issue together with the hopes that our stories will act as a guide to your own. While experience is the best teacher, we hope that our advice and anecdotes give you a leg up as you start college, whether that be from knowing the best dining spots or knowing how to be comfortable making casual friendships.
As college connoisseurs, it is only right that we help you learn and grow from our own experiences. We know what Bear Beginnings can feel like to an introvert, how managing your time can feel like juggling fire, and what the pressure to make new friends feels like. Regardless of the topic, college is an adventure to cherish in all of its highs and lows.
We would like to thank the Student Life staff for making this issue come together — the people who set aside time over the summer to share and help distribute their stories with incoming students in the fall. Thank you to our designers, photographers, illustrators, editors, writers, and everyone in between. There is no one else we’d rather be trapped in a windowless office with.
It would be wrong if we didn’t plug Student Life in this fabulous introduction of our paper and the staff that makes it tick. One of the best ways to find a sense of community is joining clubs that interest you, and if you are interested in designing, creating photo and video content, writing, reporting, editing, making crosswords, chatting, or you just like to snack on occasional free food (the list goes on and on), come find us on the third floor of the DUC. No experience is necessary, and we are open to any and all that want to join. We cannot wait to see you.
Wishing you the best,
Avi Holzman and Nina Giraldo
2024-25 Student Life
Editors-in-Chief
Avi Holzman
Nina Giraldo
Don’t stress Bear Beginnings
Lewis Rand Junior Sports Editor
Bear Beginnings can be an overwhelming experience. I remember last year struggling to find Simon Hall in the 110-degree weather and hearing people say that orientation is when you will make your best friends. While I made some of my close friends in my WUSA group, do not listen to the people who say your next four years in St. Louis are determined by your first 10 days on campus. Here are a few things you can do to get involved and meet people, both during and after Bear Beginnings.
Get involved with clubs
WashU has hundreds of clubs, and there is no better way to get to know them and their members than by attending the activity fair during the first week of classes. While it can be daunting to see the hundreds of tables with unfamiliar faces sprawled across Mudd Field, choose a couple clubs that interest you and go check them out. I have made some of my closest friends through being involved in clubs, including Student Life. Student organizations give you a great opportunity to find like-minded individuals that share similar interests but that come from diverse backgrounds. You get to
participate in activities you are passionate about and create friendships along the way. Groups also host events, which can be a great way to meet people across WashU’s campus and find other organizations to become involved in with people who get excited about the same things you do. Many students are involved in professionallyand academically-oriented organizations that host prominent leaders in a variety of fields, host skillbuilding workshops, host social events, and offer a way for older students to mentor younger ones on topics they are passionate about. Many students also choose to get involved with athletic clubs, which host practices, games, and social events. And many students are involved in both types of organizations, or even more.
Talk to people in your classes
While most of your time in college will be spent outside of the classroom, lots of it will be spent doing work in class. Talking to the people you sit next to in classes is a great way to make friends and have people to work with on homework, projects, and studying for exams. Classwork can be tedious, and while sometimes you need to go find a quiet spot to lock in, studying with
BRI NITSBERG | STUDENT LIFE
The famous “Swamp Creature Friends” statue is iconic to the first-year campus, the South 40.
friends can be a great way to break up the mo notony of schoolwork.
Don’t be afraid of new opportunities
College offers many new opportunities, from taking new classes to exploring St. Louis to trying out a new sport. Unlike high school, which typically draws from one small geographical area, WashU draws students with a diverse set of skills and interests from all over the country and the world. Take interest in what other people are fascinated by, and don’t be afraid to try a
new activity. Bear Beginnings may help to get you out of your comfort zone, but don’t settle back into it after classes begin. While you cannot say yes to all of the choices college presents you with, don’t miss out on all of the unique opportunities that living in St. Louis and attending WashU affords students. Classes and work can be overwhelming, but learn to know when it is okay to momentarily put your work to the side and try a new experience. The WashU community extends far beyond the classroom.
Advice for incoming transfer students
Justin Ockun
Isaac Seiler Staff Writers
Justin’s advice:
Hi! My name is Justin Ockun, and I am a sophomore studying Political Science. I transferred to WashU for the Spring 2024 semester, meaning I’ve only spent one semester here. Frankly, transferring here after my first semester of college was the easiest decision I’ve ever made, and it has already paid tremendous dividends.
That is not to say, however, that there wasn’t a major adjustment period. Here are some tips I have based on my experience.
Have an open mind!
There were certainly clubs and activities I knew I wanted to participate in before ever stepping foot on campus — however, don’t be closed-minded! This boils down to a balancing act between being proactive in chasing your long-standing passions and allowing new experiences to guide you
where they may. I promise, this isn’t as hard as it might sound! I say this as someone who initially had little interest in student journalism, yet, after being introduced to StudLife via a “right place, right time” experience, felt all-in. Take advantage of living on a campus too dynamic for anyone to be prescient of such chance encounters. In a sense, this is a call for spontaneity — don’t discount the potential for unplanned experiences to catalyze new endeavors.
Don’t rest on your laurels
An acceptance letter is not a degree. You may feel as if the hard part (getting into WashU) is over, and now you can relax. However, the fact of the matter is that you are just as much a college student now as you were at your previous school. Don’t squander this opportunity! Set the tone for the rest of your time at WashU by doing as well as you can academically during your first semester (and, hopefully, beyond). Being on top of your grades makes
for less stress and anxiety when working out all the other aspects of the transfer process.
Sports fans: Don’t assume the worst of D3
If you’re transferring from a major D1 school (as I did), you might’ve loved the “rahrah” atmosphere of athletic events. Our school doesn’t emulate that experience, nor should it. As an avid sports fan, I would argue in earnest that games and viewing experiences here are distilled down to their purest forms, which is for the best. The athletes are still remarkably talented, and a lack of pomp and circumstance means most attendees, and thus the people you’ll be surrounded by, are going out of a true passion for the game. D3 sports get a bad rap, but they can be just as fun to attend as other-level events. Go to a game and see for
yourself!
My time at WashU, while short, has been amazing thus far. I hope all you incoming transfers learn to love this school as much as I already have.
Isaac’s advice:
I’m not going to beat around the bush: transferring schools midway through your undergraduate experience is super difficult, something you likely already know. Making the decision to leave a community that you hoped would be yours is hard enough, and working to invest in a new university community is tough, too.
But transferring is worth it, I promise. You have already overcome so much: WashU is exceptionally competitive, and you got in! This summer, try to give yourself a little bit of credit for getting admitted to one of the most competitive schools in the country.
For your first year in St.
WELCOME CLASS OF 2028
WashU Libraries are here to support your academic success. We offer:
• Vast collections of books—including textbooks—and journals found onsite and online
• Expert, helpful subject librarians ready to assist with your research needs
• Numerous remote resources including off-campus database access, research guides, and 24/7 chat help
• Book talks, workshops, film screenings, speakers, and other events
Scan the QR code to find out more
Louis, I have three specific pieces of advice.
Don’t sleep on STL
No matter what you do, do not assume the worst of St. Louis. Don’t buy the narratives about crime, as they are often untrue, and keep yourself from believing the worst about it before you even get here. St. Louis is a remarkable city, and if you decide you hate it before you get here, you give up a lot. Be open to exploring the city, and challenge yourself to get out in the broader community often.
Take the chance to start over
Many of you probably left your school because you had a bad experience there. In my 2023 transfer cohort, there were students with a wide array of experiences. One thing we all had in common was unpleasant experiences at our former
undergraduate institutions. Remember that you are in a different place, and you really do have the chance to start again. Dream big, and do not project your old experiences on your new college community.
Try new things
Take every opportunity available. As a college firstyear, you were probably told to not overcommit. As a transfer student, you should do the opposite. Try new things, seek out people different from yourself, and take risks. WashU has an abundance of resources available to you: scholarships, travel opportunities, grants, clubs, and jobs. I joined the WashU rowing team and I applied for jobs and opportunities outside of my skill set, and it paid off. I grew more in the one year I spent at WashU than most other years of my life.
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Want friends? Want friends?
Here are some good conversation starters to help …
Abbie Sapira Tanvi Gorre Staff Writer News Editor
Bear Beginnings is a time for many things: late nights with your floormates, exploring St. Louis, trying to figure out how not to be lost on campus, and, most importantly, awkward small talk. Awkward small talk is the key to orientation week. The conversation typically
• What’s your favorite sauce with fries?
• Favorite style of pizza?
• What are your thoughts on Chancellor Martin’s glasses? (bonus points if you ask a fashion major)
• What St. Louis food are you most excited to try?
• How horrible was your registration time?
• What activities/ locations are on your St. Louis bucket list?
• Is your last name Olin or Busch or Danforth? Please elaborate.
• What’s the most exciting class you signed up for?
• Favorite book series as a kid?
• Favorite spot on campus?
• What animal is most likely to survive a worldwide volcano eruption?
reverts to the basic get-toknow-you questions, and you may find yourself having the same interactions over and over again. “What dorm do you live in? Isn’t the weather so nice right now? What state are you from?” No offense, but these are terrible questions. Is any of this information really that interesting? You can’t expect to get to know anyone with questions like that. If you’re looking to break the basic conversation mold, give the questions on this list a try!
• S unrise or sunset?
• What concert are you most excited to go to this year?
• What do you think WashU is going to do with Fontbonne University?
• WashU or WUSTL?
• What opinion would you die on a hill defending?
• What is your go-to study music?
• S hould WashU go D1?
• What’s the last song you listened to on Spotify?
• Cheez-Its or goldfish?
• A re you a half-andhalf person or a chicken tenders and fries person? (there is only one right answer)
• S ocks with sandals in the dorms?
• What is the craziest Rate My Professor review you have read?
• Have you been to Burro yet?
Have a great time at Bear Beginnings, and we hope these questions will help spice up your conversations!
Day at the museum: Escaping the WashU Bubble via art museums
Zach Trabitz Investigative Editor
So, you’ve definitely heard about the “WashU Bubble,” or the idea that it’s so easy to get caught up in campus life and forget to explore St. Louis. But what are some ways to escape it? Take it from an art history lover: the museum scene in St. Louis is amazing and free. Here are four of the best museums to attend in St. Louis (which are reasonably reachable from WashU).
Pulitzer Arts Foundation
The Pulitzer Arts Foundation, or the Pulitzer as it’s usually called, features changing exhibitions with a robust tour system. You can attend tours led by a Pulitzer staff member or students at surrounding universities who offer tours through an educator program at the museum. The Pulitzer features works by famous artists such as Ellsworth Kelly and Richard Serra, and the space itself was designed by world-renowned architect Tadao Ando.
The Pulitzer is harder to access than the museums in Forest Park, but it is absolutely worth your time. The bus can get you pretty close, and the Metro will drop you off at the Grand Arts Center (where it’s located). That said, it may be best to Uber here or have an upperclassman friend drive you. However, the positive of making the journey is that The Pulitzer is connected to the Contemporary Art Museum, the next museum on this list.
Contemporary Art Museum
The Contemporary Art Museum, or CAM, is right next door to the Pulitzer. You can fully enjoy both in around three to four hours, and both are free entry. CAM does not have a permanent collection and instead displays rotating exhibitions of artists. The exhibition from fall 2024 to spring 2025 will feature renowned artists such as Saj Issa, Basil Kincaid, and Ronald Young (all of whom are all St. Louis natives). CAM is as much an educational institution as an arts-based one, so it provides arts-based education for surrounding K-12 students and adults.
CAM’s work may be challenging for people who aren’t used to contemporary art, but that’s what makes it all the more rewarding for attendees. It makes you sit with and think about the art rather than solely appreciating its aesthetics.
Missouri Historical Museum
The Missouri Historical Museum is located within Forest Park and is accessible through both the MetroBus from WashU and the light rail (get off at the DeBaliviere stop). The museum is operated by the Missouri Historical Society, an excellent archival organization that is dedicated to preserving Missouri history. Admission is free, and the museum features a collection of artifacts relevant to both St. Louis and national history. It’s
a great way to learn more about the city you’re living in while exploring the fun-filled building. Though it’s certainly close to WashU and not the best example of “escaping the bubble,” you will learn a great deal about the city in which you attend college.
The Historical Museum also does a lot of fun programming throughout the school year and summer season. For example, I went to a sound yoga class at the Historical Museum during my summer in St. Louis, and it was a blast.
St. Louis Art Museum
This would be an incomplete list without mentioning the St. Louis Art Museum, or SLAM. SLAM is one of the principal art museums in the U.S. with an impressive collection spanning millennia. It features
diverse and impressive art ranging from all continents (well, except for Antarctica, probably), as well as many cultures. SLAM can take you either half a day or a whole week to get through depending on how carefully you look at all the collections. My personal favorite is the early modern European selection, with works from artists like Frans Hals and Pieter Claesz.
Regardless of your favorite type of art, you’ll definitely find some of it at SLAM. It also features fun and engaging exhibitions that range from hip-hop in St. Louis to textile culture in China. The nice thing about SLAM is that it is a 20-minute walk from campus and free, so if you have a random hour, you can go check out one or two exhibitions and call it a day!
The St. Louis Art Museum perches at the top of Art Hill and features a diverse collection of art from around the world.
BRI NITSBERG | STUDENT LIFE
Lunch: weekdays, 11-2
Happy Hour: weekdays, 2-6
Brunch: weekends, 10-2
Exploring the STL cuisine scene
Welcome to WashU, Class of 2028! Last year, when I was in your shoes, I was curious about the best food spots around town. Here I am, one year later, to give you some amazing restaurant recommendations and my personal favorites from each spot. Though I cannot guarantee that you and I share the same taste in cuisine, I would like to think that I have a well-rounded palate when it comes to food. The first four restaurants are the ones I frequented the most, and the last one is a special suggestion from a fellow StudLifer. I hope you try out these restaurants — and, most importantly, bon appetit!
Majeed Mediterranean Restaurant
| 4601 Gravois Ave, St. Louis, MO 63116
I cannot even tell you how many times I ordered Majeed’s chicken shawarma using Uber Eats. I can assure you that the delivery fee is quite low, and the food is excellent for a decent price. My friends can also attest to the high caliber of the food. The restaurant mainly offers Syrian food, including many Mediterranean dishes. In addition to the chicken shawarma, other favorites of mine from Majeed’s are their stuffed grape leaves, cheese fatayer, and baklava. The restaurant offers many vegan,
vegetarian, and halal options if you do have these food restrictions.
Thai Country Cafe
| 6223 Delmar Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63130
Just a short walk or shuttle drive from campus, Thai Country Cafe is a WashU student body favorite. I was introduced to the restaurant by one of my suitemates last year, and since then, I have frequented on multiple different occasions to have some of their amazing pad thai. The restaurant also has tasteful vegetable, vegan, and meat options, perfect for all individuals and their food preferences. Pro tip: I would highly suggest you try some of their sweet iced Thai tea and delicious egg rolls.
Afghan Kabob House
| 3500 Watson Rd, St. Louis, MO 63139
As an Afghan American, this restaurant was a taste of home. Whenever I missed my parents’ food dearly, I got some food from Afghan Kabob House. In addition to the restaurant’s hospitality, their food is delicious and ethnically approved by me. If you have never tried Afghan cuisine before, I highly recommend you give the Afghan Kabob House a try. They have juicy kabobs in addition to vegetarian options if you cannot consume meat. They offer many staple Afghan foods, including Kabuli Palau, a rice dish that contains
caramelized carrots and raisins with almond bits and hints of saffron. The restaurant’s Aushak — Afghan dumplings stuffed with leeks and topped with lentils, yogurt, and mint — is also one of my favorites. Though Afghan Kabob House is a little further from campus, it is worth the trip!
Ehsani’s Hot Kabob | 4561 Gravois Ave, St. Louis, MO 63116
If you love Persian food or kabobs, this is the place to go! Though a little more expensive than the other places on this list, I can guarantee that you have never had better kabobs in the US. I personally have only had better kabobs in the Middle East. I highly suggest you try their Koobideh Kabob dish, which consists of two beef and lamb skewers with rice, or the Ghormeh Sabzi, a lamb
and herb stew dish with rice. Happy eating!
Balkan Treat Box | 8103 Big Bend Blvd, Webster Groves, MO 63119
Close to campus on Big Bend, the Balkan Treat Box is another WashU student body favorite. As suggested to me by a fellow StudLifer, this restaurant offers a variety of foods from the Balkan region, including pide, lahmacun, döner, and more. Though I have yet to try their food, I have heard that their lahmacun, a flatbread with minced meat and veggies, is superb. Balkan cuisine is spectacular — especially their döners, which I have enjoyed during my visits to Europe. I cannot wait to try this restaurant out, and I hope you can as well!
Elaheh Khazi Junior Sports Editor
Balkan Treat Box is one of many popular restaurants near campus.
SYDNEY TRAN | STUDENT LIFE
ILLUSTRATION BY ANAELDA RAMOS
A newcomer’s guide to last year’s campus protests A newcomer’s guide to last year’s campus protests
Jordan Spector Senior Forum Editor
In the past year, college campuses have spent time in the center of national (and international) news, and Washington University in St. Louis has been no exception. No matter where you’re coming from, this article is a guide to the recent protests that have taken place at WashU.
As new faces come and old ones go (in that wave-like flow of a college campus student body), discourse will inevitably evolve. Being a part of the WashU community comes with the responsibility of continuing that discourse, of understanding our shared history, politics, and place in the world.
Campus politics are nuanced and expansive, not limited to any topic or issue. But the
most notable events that have defined our current moment are related to the conflict between Israel and Hamas: a war which has, for many, brought foreign conflict close to home.
Tensions everywhere are heightened, and first-years are stepping foot into a campus as highly divided as the rest of the world. It may seem strange, walking around with political undercurrents seeping their way through many interactions. To ease your confusion and help explain how we’ve gotten to this point, I have tried my best to create an outline — not from a news angle, but as an editor who has read nearly every opinion article StudLife received last academic year.
In learning about the various perspectives that shaped the timeline of last year, it is my hope that you will be able to develop a perspective of your
own. Campus politics may seem surreal, unbearable even. (Perhaps they’re the absolute last thing you’re looking forward to approaching in the fall.) Even so, do not be afraid to voice your own opinion, to join the conversations around you, to advocate for what you believe is right.
Before I continue: I am an opinion writer. You can find my opinions online, published by StudLife, if you are so inclined. This piece, focused on a relaying of events, is not the place for my own political slant. That said, I acknowledge that the idea of objective reporting on this particular issue is nothing short of a facade. I am not only reporting on a largely semitic struggle, I am also dealing with a semantic one. What I choose to include and exclude, what details I provide, what language I use, are all informed by my
own thoughts and experiences, no matter how objective I attempt to be.
It turns out that the beginning is a very difficult and disputed place to start. Nevertheless, let’s go to October of 2023. Following Chancellor Martin’s statement regarding October 7th, Student Union (a representative body of students elected by students, colloquially referred to as SU), released a statement of their own, condemning both Hamas and the Israeli government and alerting students about mental health resources on campus. Many students were upset by SU’s implied equation of the Israeli government to Hamas, and outrage sparked online. Comments on SU’s post were later disabled, and the quote people found troubling was removed.
RIDE ON to what’s not on campus
Transit for Students
A pro-Israel rally took place on Mudd Field, followed by a pro-Palestine protest a few days later. (Originally, these were planned to take place on the same day.) These two protests created the illusion of two sides; not everyone fell cleanly into a “pro-Israel” or “pro-Palestine” category, however. Some students participated in both protests. Some (perhaps most) weren’t sure where to place themselves at all.
In response to the rhetoric heard in protest, Chancellor Martin issued a statement on free speech. He condemned the phrase “from the river to the sea”: an expression some have interpreted as a call for violence against Jews and/or Israelis. Others have seen it as a cry for Palestinian liberation, a demand for the freedom of living peacefully in the entire shared ancestral land from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea.
Later, Professor Seth Crosby claimed he was fired over an anti-Palestine tweet. In his tweet, which he afterward apologized for, he referred to the killing of
Palestinians as a “much needed cleansing.” He later clarified that he had meant Hamas, not Palestinians. In November, Professor Bret Gustafson received backlash, also for a tweet on X. In his tweet, he expressed support for a protest against officials involved in the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). His support for the protestors’ tactics, expressed in the quote “It’s an escrache tactic.… Let those who enable mass murder not live in peace” and “protesting the head of AIPAC’s house [is] cool” (combined with rumors spread of gas canisters at these protests), led to accusations of antisemitism.
Resist WashU (a pro-Palestine student group) protested a Boeing recruitment event, demanding the University cut ties with the organization since it helps fund Israeli weaponry. Students also held a “die-in” in front of the Danforth University Center (DUC).
Chabad and Hillel (two organizations dedicated to Jewish community at WashU)
held an event to raise awareness for the Israeli hostages in Gaza, placing chairs with captives’ pictures on them throughout Mudd field.
In December, art students in the WashU Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts installed a large Palestinian liberation banner on East Campus. Some people were offended by this installation, and the Washington University Police Department (WUPD) was called. Faculty removed the art before police arrived.
MeToo WashU, an advocacy group for survivors of sexual violence, was put in the spotlight after posts related to IsraelPalestine. After a history of being vocal on political topics, the account explicitly wrote that they “unequivocally condemn the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people by the Israeli government.” Unsurprisingly, the post received a mix of reactions.
Other student groups, including the Muslim Student Association (MSA) and Jewish Students for Palestine (JSP,
newly formed as of March), have also organized events and posted statements expressing open support for Palestine. And two October 7th survivors came to campus to talk about their experiences.
A resolution was passed by the SU Senate demanding that the University divest from Boeing. The hours of deliberation leading up to this vote, in a session that nearly 200 students attended, showcased how central and divisive this topic was becoming. Nearly 50 students and professors spoke to urge Senators to vote either for or against the resolution.
Despite this resolution passing, the University administration did not entertain it. In an interview with StudLife’s then-Editor-inChief, Olivia Poolos, Chancellor Martin said he would not divest from Boeing. Feeling unheard, a group of students (and people unaffiliated with WashU) turned to more disruptive tactics, shutting down an admitted-students event in Graham Chapel. They draped a banner that read “Boeing arms
genocide,” and they chanted loudly in the packed building. Some students involved were arrested and received court summons; three were later suspended from WashU. Shortly after, a protest was held in support of those who were suspended.
In April, 250 protesters (a combination of students, faculty, and St. Louis locals) set up an encampment on the East End of WashU’s campus. This event was big, receiving the widest coverage and strongest responses. Over 100 people were arrested. Some community members were relieved that the University suppressed an event that they felt had escalated excessively. Many were deeply frustrated by the display of police brutality unleashed by the University against students and faculty, with one professor (from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville) facing hospitalization. More students were suspended, and the Chancellor released a statement condemning the encampments. Frustrated by the Chancellor,
many cited the 2019 Martinville encampment protest as evidence of the administration’s hypocrisy; despite trespassing restrictions, the school had historically made exceptions to preserve the right to freely protest at WashU. Campus discourse exploded. By this point, everyone had an opinion.
In May, WashU installed a guarded gate around East Campus. Chancellor Martin cited commencement and pedestrian safety as the impetus for its construction. Protests continued, though on a smaller scale. Students and community participants closed off Skinker Boulevard (an intersection near WashU), and more demonstrations occurred outside the gates of the Class of 2024 graduation ceremony.
To apply further pressure on the administration, a petition for a referendum was created and signed calling again for a divestment from Boeing. SU sent the referendum on May 9 to the entire student body. A referendum would differ from the resolution that was passed in
that it would exemplify a larger consensus among students. While 61.59% of the student body (out of the 2,661 who voted) supported the resolution, it was just shy of the required two-thirds majority vote. The referendum was also sent to most students’ spam folders, an issue which was not resolved until late into the one-day voting period. Not meeting the supermajority threshold, the referendum failed.
In the fall, political activity is sure to continue. Everything outlined above — the events of last year — will be referenced in conversation. They will influence the decisions, gatherings, and administration-student relationships that you will see transpire at WashU.
New students: now that you are familiar with our recent past, it is up to you to decide our future. I cannot overstate how extraordinary that power is.
Engage in respectful dialogue with your peers. Remember that none of us students are experts. For that very reason, approach conversations with wonder. Both
criticism and curiosity are vitally important, but often (I have found), we enjoy the satisfaction of criticizing a lot more than the hard work of staying curious. Try beginning a tough discussion searching for something to learn rather than something to challenge. Admit to holes in your own logic if they arise. Ask lots and lots of questions. If you’re up for it, join clubs, submit opinion articles, attend a protest or gathering. Make yourself heard.
If you feel as if you have experienced antisemitism or islamophobia recently, know that you are not alone and that your pain is valid. You of all people may already know how lifechanging and important words can be.
My rant of a WashU history lesson is over. It’s time for us to listen to you.
I am excited to collaborate and hear your new ideas — to build together a campus that mends our divisions and organizes for a stronger community and brighter world.
SO WHERE DO YOU GO FROM HERE? SO WHERE DO YOU GO FROM HERE?
Cheshire Hotel is a great stay for those that want to get going!
Only minutes from Forest Park fun where you can visit The St. Louis Zoo, the Muny at Forest Park, St. Louis Art Museum, History Museum and more.
Venture to the city and see it all 200 feet from the top of The St. Louis Wheel then take a journey to the ocean at The St. Louis Aquarium.
Catch a Baseball Game, Soccer Game, city nightlife and great food and drinks.
Upon your return, refresh and curl up with a classic novel and enjoy the luxurious amenities the Cheshire Hotel has to offer and a fine culinary experience at one of our onsite restaurants.
And then there’s tomorrow, go west my friend, there’s more fun and excitement waiting.
Save me, Scene! Save me, Scene!
I just graduated high school, and even though I’m so glad to be done, it kind of hit me during my graduation ceremony that this was the last time I was going to be surrounded by these people I grew up with. Next fall, I’ll be heading to WashU
Dear Friendless:
If you’re looking for company, you’ve come to the right place. Just a few years ago, I was also a totally panicked soon-to-be first-year, about to be tossed into the foreboding world of higher education. On top of being surrounded by complete strangers, how would I manage to keep myself fed, watered, and productive enough to crank out 12-page APA papers? If you think about it too hard, the whole concept of college starts to seem a little crazy. That summer, I read Starting Line from cover to cover (just like you’re hopefully doing now!) in hopes I could scrounge up any tidbit of information that would guarantee my college success. I spent hours binging move-in vlogs and took the five-hour drive to campus to sift through the recesses of my brain to find any semiinteresting fun fact I could wield as my shield against icebreakers. If high school had prepared me for anything, it was that through last-minute cramming, all things were possible.
On the first day of move-in, I actually physically did that thing where I walked down the hall and stuck my head into people’s propped-open rooms to introduce myself. In line to pick up our IDs, I struck up a bewildering conversation with the girls next to me about just how short everyone was. And throughout the course of the first week, I found myself the proprietor of a 30-person group chat of basically every single person fortunate enough
to make eye contact with me. Yeah, I don’t know what that was about either.
My point is, I’ve put in the work to find friends. And through my rigorous, peerreviewed scientific testing during the past year, I’m happy to report that the best technique you can put to use is…none of them. Just chill out.
Now I know that “relax bro” probably isn’t really what you want to hear. Like, ever. But as hard as first-year me tried, there’s just no secret trick to making friends. Really, this is your time to just hang out. I didn’t say it earlier, but congratulations! You’ve already put in all the hard work of getting here, alongside the rest of Class of ‘28, which is made up of interesting, ambitious, and friendly people. And guess what? They’re all technically also “friendless freshmen” — because they haven’t gotten the chance to meet you yet!
Of course, I’m not explicitly advocating for you to sink into your Tempur-Pedic mattress cocoon and wait for friends to just magically manifest in your room (that would be a pretty creepy start to your relationship, anyway). But you are going to find friends everywhere, because everyone else is in the exact same situation as you. Believe me, WashU is well aware of that fact: Bear Beginnings is literally professionally designed to be a big ole’ Festival of Friendship where you get mushed together with the rest of your class in as many combinations and situations as possible. Take advantage of it!
completely alone — and I’m terrified. I love my friends back home, and I don’t know how I’ll start from scratch in college. It seems kind of basic, but how do I make friends??
—
Friendless Freshman
Throughout your first week, you’ll have so many structured opportunities to meet people in all sorts of settings. For the athletically-inclined, check out morning runs through Forest Park. Or maybe you’ll be too tapped out from leaving it all on the Silent Disco floor the night before. Some of my best friends turned out to be the turn-and-talk partners from WUSA small groups, pointedglance compatriots in academic integrity lectures, or even just random people who crashed a game of late-night common room Uno. I even knew a happy couple who met at an academic advising session (talk about a first date!). There are just so many places to find friends, no matter where you go or what you do.
So relax. You’ll have more than enough opportunities to get to know everyone. The heavy lifting of finding a bunch of people to mingle with and places to meet them has been done for you.
Now it’s your turn to take advantage of this time. Make it known that you’re on the market for friends! Woah. Stay calm. Sure, it’s a little daunting (what does “putting yourself out there” even mean?), but luckily, we’ve got some tips to break it down.
Firstly, unless you want to take the bold move of wearing a bedazzled cape that says “BEFRIEND ME PLZZ” everywhere, you’ll need to express your friend-seeking status in other ways: body language, being receptive to the conversation, and just emitting good vibes.
That looks different for everyone, but in general, that means staying in the moment and making a good effort to participate — whether it’s divulging that slightly embarrassing fun fact about your favorite so-bad-it’s-good vampire movie or setting up camp at bingo night. This is not the time to be too cool for school, especially when you picked said school yourself!
In particular, resist the urge to report every new dining hall foray or a capella riff-off to your hometown group chat in real time. The best way to scope out potential friend signals is to stay in the moment and focus on connecting with the people sharing the experience with you, right where you are. While maintaining those old, trustworthy friendships is important, how will you have crazy stories for winter break reunions if you don’t live them first?
Second: Don’t be afraid to make the first move.
If your potential pal doesn’t reciprocate, it’s their loss! And don’t worry, you don’t have to just sit down across from a stranger and ask point-blank if they’d like to be friends.
There is no better conversation starter than a genuine compliment. People love to talk about the vintage cowboy boots they thrifted, at which point you can share the story about the time you went to the Goodwill bins and touched something suspiciously wet. Of course, keep it real and sincere. But that isn’t hard, since people here are always doing something cool.
Start your weekends at SLAM!
Museum admission is free every day, but Fridays at SLAM are taken up a notch! Enjoy free live music, gallery activations, performances, ticketed exhibitions, and more.
Scan the QR code for a list of upcoming events. slam.org/Fridays | @stlartmuseum
Third, say yes to any and every invite, even if you have no idea what’s going on or anyone there. College is the time to push your boundaries and experiment (while staying safe!), and you never know: that trip down to the Arch could turn into the most memorable IHOP midnight snack pitstop. Or maybe making a appearance at a WashU Racing club meeting will unlock a need for speed and devolve into a conversation that lasts for hours.
While Bear Beginnings can be a fantastic way to meet people, it is also a pretty exhausting, feverish week designed to keep you occupied every waking moment. When you finally pack up the neverending summer camp, you might still find yourself a little off-balance and disoriented, and that’s normal. It’s called dehydration.
Fortunately, you’ll soon collect a whole hoard of free water bottles, courtesy of basically every single organization on campus. But even drowning your sorrows in H2O might not fix that topsyturvy feeling that you haven’t quite found your footing yet.
But keep in mind: the opportunities to meet new people don’t just end after the first week, or ever, really. With everyone on campus all the time, there’s no such thing as just a “school friend.” An invitation to lunch or plans to go explore the St. Louis Art Museum can quickly transform someone you know only through that 9 a.m. Gen Chem lecture into your latenight confessional companion, brunch buddy, study partner, and gym bro. Like the center of any good flash mob, keep these moves fresh in your pocket and always be ready to bust one out.
And while there’s no one perfect path to make friends, joining clubs and activities comes pretty close. I mean, it’s literally a gathering of people that already have the same interests as you. Bam, connection! We’ve namedropped a few already in this article, but go see for yourself
at the activity fair! Collect flyers and freebies from every booth you even have the slightest interest in, then show up to meetings consistently, even if it’s in the middle of the semester or later on in your college career! Plus, it’s a great way to get out of your firstyear bubble and meet wise upperclassmen who have faced down with this whole rodeo before.
Sure, it might be challenging to enter an unfamiliar space as a complete newcomer, but think sunk cost fallacy, folks! The time and tuition will be spent anyways, why not put it toward getting to do what you actually want?
It’s okay if you don’t know anyone yet — they also don’t know you and are eagerly anticipating the incoming class. Any people worth your while are always going to be welcoming, because they already recognize the value you bring. The important thing is that you stay receptive and open, and keep trying.
You may have met your childhood bestie and decided you were playground soulmates in one day, but what really gave meaning to your BFFs 4 Lyfe friendship bracelets from Claire’s was the fact that you kept hanging out together, day after day. Consistency will be the foundation of your college friendships.
One last thing. Throughout the first few weeks of school, you’ll likely feel some sort of friend-related anxiety. Maybe it’s triggered by the inevitable flood of group photos featuring somehow already-established friend groups or realizing your Sam Fox friends won’t be joining you in MGT 100. No matter what, settling in to college is challenging, and you may feel like everyone else is thriving while leaving you behind.
But think about it; it’s not like anybody else knows each other better than you do. You’ve all had the same amount of time here, and early on are mostly limited to interacting with people you were randomly assigned proximity
to. Speaking as a survivor of one, those massive early friend groups are sometimes just a bunch of people who may very well be united just because of a sheer need to have companionship.
Of course, there are genuine connections to be found early on. I count some people I met during the first week among my closest friends, and I consider myself incredibly lucky to have met such a wide variety of people I can still wave to, even if our inseparability turned out to just be temporary. But it’s absolutely normal to realize you just might not be perfectly aligned with the very first people you met in college, and it’s really no big deal.
Once the semester begins in earnest, joining clubs, meeting classmates, and generally branching out a little more will give everyone the opportunity to find their crowd. We might have just used the word “friend” 29 times throughout this column, but that doesn’t mean we can define it. Ultimately, being friends with someone is
a relationship you get to define for yourself, and what that means for you will change from person to person throughout time and space.
With all this talk about making friends, it’s also important to remember to nurture the most important relationship you have as well: the one with yourself. That means giving yourself grace in the first few weeks/months/ semesters/forever to figure out what you’re doing. At the end of the day, there’s no set formula for finding friends. It’s an imprecise art, but that’s what makes it so fun!
Class of ‘28, you’ve already proven yourselves to be unique, fascinating individuals with exceptional zeal and so many important things to share with this school, starting with your shining personality. We can’t wait to meet you.
Your friends, Scene
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The College Learning Curve
Tanvi Gorre
Abbie Sapira News Editor Staff Writer
The beginning of college can feel like chaos. And it should, because it is chaos. Here you are, in a class of 2,000 students, in a city that is likely unfamiliar to you, trying to make a life for yourself at WashU. Figuring out this whole “college thing” can be daunting, so we wanted to share some things we wish we’d known while getting used to college.
It’s okay to not be the best
Although most of you have been at the top of your class most of your life, not all of us can be in the top 10% here. You are not necessarily going to be the best, and that is alright. In high school, there was an inherent pressure to be “the best.” But college is the time to ask “the best at what?” Best at school? Best at your job? Best daughter? Best partner? Best philanthropist? The beautiful thing about college is that all of our goals are different, so what is the “best” for each of our desired futures is different. To make this abundantly clear, the future we are referring to is not your career but the life that you are going to live five, 10, or 20 years from now.
Your college experience should be fully your own, so don’t worry about being the best. Worry about making the most of these opportunities and making the experience as meaningful as possible.
Imposter syndrome is real
When you are surrounded by people who are the best in the world at what they do or have accomplished incredible things, sometimes you might wonder “What am I doing here?” I remember when my roommate got on the Forbes 30 under 30 list last year, and even though I was immensely proud of her, it made me wonder “How do we go to the same school?”
Self-doubt is a condition that we are all plagued by in some shape or form; people don’t always talk about it, so you never realize that you aren’t alone. It depends on how you frame your thinking: you can choose to worry about what everyone else is accomplishing or restructure your expectations to understand that success looks different for each person.
You are so much more than a singular exam, one interaction, or your packed schedule. It
is tempting to fill your schedule to the brim with activities to feel like you are doing or achieving “enough.” But when is “enough” enough because you can always do more. There is no such thing as “enough” because the benchmark for “enough” is arbitrary and impossible.
Don’t leave your thoughts of whether you are doing “enough” in your head; talk about them. There are a lot of people around you who feel the same way.
Navigating friendships at WashU
Making friends takes time. People don’t talk about how long it can take to feel secure in your friendships, so don’t be surprised if it takes a couple of months to get comfortable. It’s not going to be a done deal right out of the
gate, especially since your friendships will change based on new classes and clubs. Schedules shift by semester, so your weekly Monday lunch date with a friend may not be possible anymore. It’s important to still make time for the people you want to get closer to. Spontaneously texting people to grab lunch is totally acceptable and so is stopping for random conversations in the DUC with people you only kind of know. That being said, when you find yourself eating a meal alone or taking a break from socializing, don’t be too hard on yourself. Know that taking a break is just as important as making the effort to make friends. Your lunch date with a friend is not negated by taking one by yourself. You do not always need to be surrounded by people to know you have friends.
Students walk through the underpass, which connects the South 40 and Danforth Campus.
ELLE SU | STUDENT LIFE
Say
no, we promise you’ll feel better
We’re going to illustrate a fairly common scene at WashU for you. It’s a Friday night, and finally, one of the frats is throwing a party. Conversations linger in the air far beyond their welcome as your friends get ready to hit frat row. But there you are, in your pajamas, too comfortable and too exhausted to bring yourself to get off your mattress (the Tempurpedic mattresses are as good as everyone says they are). The promises of the night ahead feel more like a duty than a choice. And as you drag yourself off your bed, remember that it is okay to say no to the plans. It’s okay to take the night. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have fun. Make memories. Do things that you might regret (within limits!). Now’s the time to experience unforgettable nights that you will look back on, but make sure that you are taking care of yourself at the same time.
Reflections on freshman year
Abbie:
Sometimes college looks shockingly like the movies, and other times, you’re sitting in the library until 1 a.m. with your eyes blurring, unable to focus on your essay due the next morning. It’s all about balance, something that can be really difficult to learn with how overwhelming college can be. Sometimes I had to prioritize doing work even when all I wanted to do was go out that night; sometimes my brain was so fried that I knew I needed to take a night to blow off some steam, even if it meant that I was losing time to study. Especially as an overachieving high schooler coming in (I’m looking at you!!), know that it’s ok not to get straight A’s if it means you can have a social life, especially if you’re pre-med. Make time for clubs and friends and for trying random things around St. Louis. The days
are long but the weeks go by quickly. I’m already done with my first year, and it was literally the fastest year of my life. A motto I try to live by in college is “What am I going to remember?” Yes, of course I need good grades and to get an internship at some point and network, but what experiences am I really going to remember? Studying for a test or taking an evening off to go sledding on Art Hill at midnight after it snows? College is all about balance, and even if it’s not always perfect, you can make it something really special if you make it a priority.
Tanvi:
College, as the title states, is a learning curve, and a steep one at that. My first semester at college was one of the most isolating experiences of my life. I felt like I had no clue what I was doing. I have learned a lot during my first year at WashU, but that doesn’t mean that I have
cracked the code to college. I think there is a notion that your freshman year is a time to “figure things out,” but the truth is that we are all perpetually figuring things out irrespective of what grade we are in. You are going to have to “figure it out,” not just when you first get to campus, but for the rest of your time here. You are going to question who you are. You are going to question what you want. You are going to question, for lack of a more specific term, everything. You are likely not going to find complete answers to your questions, and that is kind of the point. If we knew everything by our first year of college, what would be the point of all four years? These next four years, whether you like it or not, are going to feel uncertain and ambiguous at times. There are very few things that I can promise you about your college experience, but I can promise you this: it’s going to be one hell of a ride.
Feeding your first 30 days
Will Rosenblum Senior Scene Editor
When Franklin Delano Roosevelt took office in 1933 in the midst of a watershed moment in American history, he aimed to make as much change as possible in his first 100 days, as the first 100 days would set the tone and standard for the four years to follow (though it ended up being much longer). Starting college is a watershed moment of its own, and your first month can set the tone for your next four years. While others may give advice on how to study efficiently or make friends, I can help with something equally (if not more) important in your first 30 days: finding the best food on campus.
With 16 dining locations and hundreds of choices presented to you each day, there’s no shortage of options for eating on campus. Yet, most students end up finding something they like the first week and sticking with it the entire year. Your first 30 days will be key in establishing useful habits, so here are some new things to try you might otherwise have missed.
Apple Fritter from LaJoy’s Coffee
Easily flying under the radar of ArtSci first-years reluctant to adventure to the East End of campus, Parkside Café houses LaJoy’s Café, known for beautiful outdoor seating during the warmer months, coffee drinks, and breakfast pastries. More obscure, however, is the monstrous apple fritter served in a large to-go box due to its size. Filled with delicious apples and cinnamon, the doughnut is an
absolute standout and worth trying. Just be prepared to eat it in three sittings or risk falling asleep during your afternoon class.
Buffalo Chicken Wrap from the DUC
The DUC truly offers a glut of options, with food from multiple continents and customization options at almost every station. The humble buffalo chicken wrap, however, remains a testament to the adage that simple is best. A flour tortilla, tomatoes, lettuce, onion, and pickle, paired with pieces of fried chicken complemented with buffalo sauce and ranch. With the buffalo chicken wrap, you know exactly what you are getting. And sometimes that consistency is all you need to make it through a long day.
Bread Pudding Muffin from Corner 17
It is unsurprising that Corner 17’s arrival on campus heavily spotlighted the staples which keep it a fixture on the Loop. But the recent addition of the bread pudding muffin to the lesser-known pastry selection is a must-have for those craving something sweet before an early class or a reward for making it through a threehour lab. The dessert consists of syrup-soaked, cinnamoncoated bread in the shape of a muffin. The key is to heat it up using the microwave nearby, which caramelizes the sugar and elevates the dish to one of the best desserts on campus.
Brisket Plate from Beast Craft BBQ
On a campus filled with
BRI NITSBERG | STUDENT LIFE
historic monuments and beautiful architecture, I am personally most impressed each time I walk by Beast Craft BBQ on the East End. There is something surreal about having a fully functioning barbecue restaurant on a college campus, aided by the fact that the food is just really good. The brisket plate, specifically, is your ticket to classic barbecue fare. Several strips of sliced brisket, two additional sides (the macaroni and cheese is a must try) and a spread of sauces to douse the meat in. In other words, if you thought that an on-campus barbecue restaurant was too good to be true, you would be wrong.
Despite the overwhelming number of options for each meal, the normal menu will inevitably feel tired over the course of a year. Here are a few wildcards to spice things up.
The Whole Pizza from the Bears’ Den
The pizza slices at the South 40 dining hall, while not bad by any means, have a glaring
issue: they often aren’t fresh. However, there exists a cursed technique to get around this obstacle if you are eating with a few friends or want leftovers: directly order a whole pizza. This request will not always be granted, but if it is, you can get a full, freshly fired pie with (occasionally) customizable toppings. It’s like a cheat code for a normally-mundane dining staple.
Food Trucks On the South 40
You can depend on a few things in college; classes will always start at the same time, and if the sun is shining, there will be a selection of food trucks on the 40 each Thursday evening. These provide not only an option that is consistently delicious, but adds some much needed variety to your rotation (not to mention they still accept meal points). And, while there are a few regulars that pop around once a month, there is a steady supply of new food trucks to keep things fresh.
Student grabs food at the DUC, one of the many places to eat around campus.
Why you should attend campus events & which to go to to
Lauren Smith Special Issues Editor
One of the most wonderful things about going to WashU is the endless amount of events and learning experiences available to students outside of a typical classroom setting. In a given week, you can find a line-up of visiting guest lecturers, campus-sponsored activities like silent discos, succulent plantings, and tote-bag paintings, as well as phenomenal performances by the countless student organizations we have.
While the thought of frequenting campus events on top of grinding out your schoolwork, getting involved in clubs, and having a social life might seem overwhelming at first, I promise you, you’ll have way more free time in college than you’ll expect.
Once you arrive and get set in a routine, it becomes easy for your weeks to feel repetitive if you don’t make a conscious effort to add variety. Attending campus events is a great way to mix up your routine, feed your curiosity, and broaden the scope of your learning – a wonderful way to exploit your WashU education for all it’s worth and chow down on a TON of free food while you’re at it.
Academic events:
Starting with the academic side of campus events, WashU hosts readings and Q&As with many fantastic authors, including the likes of Naomi Klein, Heather
Cox Richardson, and winner of the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, Hernan Diaz. For those less interested in poetry and more interested in subjects like public health, art, or economics, do not fret! WashU brings in field experts from every discipline.
Last year, visiting lecturers included Federal Reserve Governor Adriana Kugler, CNN Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta, luxury shoe designer Stuart Weitzman, and my personal favorite, Dr. Melissa Wilcox, the foremost scholar on queer nuns, to name a few.
Pro tip: these bigger, academic-departmenthosted events also tend to be where the free food resides (take notes if you’re not on
Sex educator Emily Nagoski discusses how to have meaningful relationship.
the Platinum meal plan). I particularly love going to academic lectures because it allows you to learn something
without the pressure of a grade, and it’s a great way to explore potential majors/ minors outside of your classes,
ALAN ZHOU | STUDENT LIFE
Reverend Billy from the Church of Earthallujah talks about his religious beliefs.
JAMIE NICHOLSON | STUDENT LIFE
especially if you’re undecided.
Events by student groups:
For student group events, I would highly recommend any fine arts performance! A concert from any of WashU’s 13 a cappella groups will leave you in a sonic wonderland, and recitals from the WU Dance Collective will steal your breath and never return it. If you love to giggle — or perhaps cackle — in a public space, I implore you to attend an improv performance or a production by sketch comedy group Kids On Campus. Especially if you’re bored on the weekend, drag your friends to a campus comedy show and soak in the funny! In addition, WashU’s Social Programming Board brings in a stand-up comic every semester. Last year, Melissa Villaseñor of Saturday Night Live came and graced the student body with her jokes and impressions of Yoda, Pokémon characters, and
men she matched with on Hinge. For movie lovers, WU Cinema screens a movie every other Thursday night, and entry is free with your WashU student ID. The movies are usually things I’ve never heard of, but every time I’ve gone I’ve added them to my list of favorites.
Where to find events:
A great way to stay updated on campus happenings is by checking out the murals along the walls of the Underpass, which South 40 residents pass every day walking to main campus. Lots of student clubs paint the walls to advertise their performances, events, and meetings. Following clubs and academic departments on Instagram is also helpful to know what’s going on and where. Additionally, subscribing to the events calendar on the WashU Happenings website is a great tool to stay in the loop on the more academic side of things.
This one-credit, seven-week course is designed to help new students make a successful transition to WashU, both academically and personally.
Students will engage in collaborative real-time learning with academic readings and data-driven strategies grounded in the five core anchors of WashU Student Affairs: Healthy Excellence; Leadership; Career Development; Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion; and Student Engagement & Belonging. The course also introduces students to valuable learning resources for academic success and campus staff who will support their growth at the university.
I was like you once: freshly graduated — the smile lines still ripe on my face from celebrating my recent emancipation — terribly excited, and innocent enough. Along with an insufferable level of anticipation, I felt anxious. Sure, I was feeling the typical anxiety that comes with starting college in another state, but there were layers to my worry. Missouri was yet another state that had passed legislation that would make my life as a trans person harder, and I was stepping foot into a predominately white institution after growing up in a city whose population is 82.8% Black. I knew that finding Black community on campus was one of the most important things for me as an incoming Black student, so I’m here to help you with that. Here are some tips to find and maintain that community if it is important to you like it was for me.
Attend the Black Affinity Night during Bear Beginnings
Starting off simple, there is going to be an evening — or, more appropriately, one-anda-half to two hours — where leaders of Black organizations at WashU will explain Black life on campus and available programs and organizations to incoming Black freshmen. This discussion was helpful for me to understand the support
system on campus made by Black students for Black students and to familiarize myself with other Black freshmen, some of whom became part of my inner circle going into sophomore year. There will most likely be other events scheduled during the affinity night — so if you don’t attend, don’t worry. You haven’t disgraced yourself from the Black WashU community or anything. But I would try to find some time to pop into the talk since it’s a great opportunity to find some sort of footing before classes start.
Join a Black organization on campus
There is no such thing as a Black Poker Club or Black D&D at WashU. Luckily, we haven’t needed to be that segregated — I hope. But there are other organizations that represent Black students and their identities and culture. For example, the Association of Black Students (ABS), founded in 1968, focuses on the upliftment of Black students and community, and the African Student Association (ASA) and Caribbean-American Student Association (CASA) focus on specific cultures under the umbrella of Blackness and are driven to represent students from those cultures. There are also Black organizations that appeal to specific gender identities (cough, cough, Black Men’s Coalition and Black Women and Femmes Collective, cough, cough). We’ve got
Students, faculty, and administration gather for the Black History Month Kickoff event.
Black organizations based on your school! We’ve got Black organizations for the arts! We’ve got Black organizations for STEM! There have also been attempts to start a Black LGBTQ+ organization, and there is space to start your own organization. You can learn more about these organizations at the club fair at the beginning of the fall semester, or you can go on WUGO (WashU Group Organizer). We have something for everyone, so I encourage you to simply get in where you fit in.
Take classes in the African and African-American Studies (AFAS) Program
Believe or not, there is actually an entire educational department and major program dedicated
to Black history and culture. What’s this? This department offers classes about Black history and culture that are covered under your tuition? Goodness! How could this get any better? Oh? Through these classes, you can meet Black faculty, some of which you can study with or even work under? You can also meet more Black students and build community or, at least, some sort of familiarity with them? By golly, who would ever give this up?
But, seriously, AFAS classes are a wonderful way to expose yourself not only to a rich history but also a passionate department. Dr. Raven Lloyd’s course on digital Black studies, “Mediated Blackness: A Black Studies Approach,” had very little to do with my original majors. But it has ended up being my favorite class that I have taken thus
Dion Hines Junior Forum Editor
ALAN KNIGHT | STUDENT LIFE
far because of its interesting content and generative learning environment paired with its Black space. Of course, this is not to say that you should force yourself into classes that do not interest you or that you will automatically enjoy classes or teachers just because they are a part of the AFAS program. But AFAS courses come prepackaged with the representation that a Black student might want and the community that one might need.
Other Black students go here.
Acknowledge them!
At some point, you’re going to find your people — on or off campus — and finally feel some sort of comfort. When that happens, it will be easy to never seek companionship with anyone outside of your central friend group.
I experienced that stagnance myself — but remember that there are still people outside of that group. There is an entire community that requires as much individual support as possible, so we should support it by interacting with and building rapport with each other. This can come in the form of getting something to eat between classes or building study groups. You won’t and shouldn’t be friends with everyone, but — as cliche as it sounds — small gestures really do make people feel some sort of belonging, and in order to build a strong community amongst each other, we have to make sure that a sense of belonging is present.
For the love of God, go off campus
Go to a coffee shop. Go to a Saint Louis University
basketball game. Go to a Cardinals’ game. Go to a probate. Go to a party. I don’t know! Just do something to get out of Clayton and into the city. If you happen to make a friend from St. Louis, ask them where to go in the city. Heck, just scroll through Instagram and find places to go with a friend or, if safely, by yourself. Not only will you see more people that look like you, but you will also start to genuinely live in St. Louis rather than simply being a WashU student.
Stand up for yourself
Experiencing microaggressions in a predominantly white space is, sadly, inevitable. Experiencing a more harmful act of racism in that same environment is not inevitable, but still quite probable. In any situation, remember that you can fight
back, that you can resist. There would not be a Black Studies program at WashU if it were not for a sit-in held by Black student activists and other student allies. ABS, like Black identity in America, was founded on resistance. Even though that isn’t the most peaceful foundation, it is a necessary part of our history that we should honor and continue. Resistance comes in many forms — like supporting mutual aid efforts of a community, documenting events or creating an archive of information, or just raising hell — so I encourage you to simply get in where you fit in.
The list of tips above is not comprehensive or mandatory for incoming Black students. Everyone’s needs are different (duh), so how we maneuver through campus and interact with the environment will, consequently, differ. But there is some truth in the tips I gave, so try them out,
Aliana Mediratta Managing News Editor
“Are
you going out tonight?”
A beginner’s guide to college social life
For many incoming firstyears, the biggest adjustment to make in college is navigating a completely new social scene without any parental supervision — a prospect that can be both exciting and nerve-wracking. As you settle in at WashU and begin to come into your own as an independent person, you will likely also be trying to gauge what you want your social life to look like. That comes with a lot of questions. What parties are cool? Where should I find people to go out with on the weekends? Do I have to go out to have a full social life? Will frat parties actually require me to name five brothers at the door?
This guide, while nonexhaustive, aims to provide some answers to those questions and more. But if you find yourself left with more uncertainty than you had at the start of this article, don’t stress out too much. As with any big change, finding the perfect social-life balance is different for everyone and takes some trial and error. Explore new things, push yourself out of your comfort zone within reason, and trust your gut. You will find your place and your people, even if it takes a while.
Pyramid events
While the name may
conjure up images of pyramid schemes, Pyramid events are actually coordinated nights when WashU students all go out to the same bars in St. Louis. Pyramid Promotions (@pyramid.presents on Instagram) is an organization run by a WashU student that schedules days when certain local student-frequented venues will be hosting events for students. Most notably, each semester, Pyramid puts on a “Welcome Week” where tickets are available for a different bar each night. Students can expect to see tons of familiar faces during these events as, typically, they are mostly attended by their peers. These events are held in 21+ plus establishments and require an ID to enter, as well as pre-purchased tickets.
Tip: Going to any of these
venues requires either getting a ride or calling an Uber — make sure you are always keeping track of your friends and leaving with everyone you came with.
Frat parties
This is a college classic — the party in the frat basement. These parties happen on upper and lower Greek Row, near the Law building and Village dining hall, on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, depending on the schedule of the fraternity throwing the party. Unlike fraternities, sororities do not have housing on campus and therefore do not throw parties. Frat parties are almost always themed — anything from Heaven and Hell to Caveman — and a
good amount of people dress up for them.
Some parties have lists that you need to be on to attend, and others are more open — it can be pretty easy to find out through word of mouth which are which. Typically, it’s a bit more difficult for firstyears to attend frat parties immediately at the start of the year because they don’t know as many people, but it depends on the party.
Tip: Decide for yourself what you want your relationship with Greek Life to be. Use your judgment and come to your own conclusions.
House parties
House parties are basically the classier older cousin of dorm parties, and are almost always hosted by upperclassmen off campus. As opposed to cramming into a Mudd double to drink straight vodka, at a house party people have more space and freedom to have fun with their friends. As a first-year, you might have a tough time finding your way to any of these because none of the people in your year have apartments yet, but it depends on who you end up meeting.
Tip: Don’t break anything at someone’s house (not speaking from personal experience or anything).
Packed with eclectic decorations, Blueberry Hill is a student favorite and offers delicious food, live music, and darts.
BRI NITSBERG | STUDENT LIFE
Student-club events
Call me biased by my love of Student Life newspaper parties, but I think clubhosted parties are an underrated and awesome way to socialize in college. Typically a subcategory of house parties, these events are usually open to everyone in a given club, and sometimes groups will have inter-club mixers where people meet each other and hang out.
There are hundreds of clubs at WashU, and I don’t think I have a single friend who isn’t in at least one of them — for good reason. Clubs are a great way to meet people who have shared interests but who might be totally different than the friends you usually find yourself drawn to. Most clubs have social events in some form or another, from a capella groups having cute picnics at Art Hill to pre-professional fraternities hosting formals. I highly recommend club parties not only because they help you form strong social bonds with people you do an extracurricular with, but also because they help underclassmen get to know older students who have lots of advice to share. Also, if loud frat parties or bars out in St. Louis aren’t your thing, this could be a calmer alternative for you.
Tip: Get out of your comfort zone at club social events and talk to some new people! Unlike a huge crowded party, these are usually smaller and calmer, so it’s a great opportunity to talk to people you usually don’t.
Pregames
Depending on who you ask, the best part of going out is actually the pregame. Listening to good music, figuring out your outfit, chatting with friends, planning out your night — if you’re with the right people,
a pregame is a party in and of itself. As a first-year, this is also a great way to make friends since you’ll be able to talk to and connect with new people before you go out together. It’s also always fun to introduce people to each other or mix friend groups during pregames!
Tip: Just because you pregame, that doesn’t mean you have to actually go anywhere. If you’re feeling tired but still want to hang out with some friends for an hour before an early bedtime, there’s nothing wrong with pulling up to a friend’s dorm in pajamas to hang out while they finish their makeup.
Bars
Another popular weekend activity is going to local bars and restaurants in St. Louis with friends. It’s common to find WashU students at Blueberry Hill on the Delmar Loop or hanging out at Wednesday-night trivia at Duffy’s Pub & Grill, and firstyear hotspots often include El Burro Loco and Narwhal’s.
Tip: Ask older friends for recommendations about their favorite spots in St. Louis!
Alternatives to going out
You absolutely do not need to go to parties regularly — or even ever — to have a fun college experience. For some people, that’s a core component of their life in St. Louis, and for others, it’s just not their scene. I would recommend checking out cool campus events like improv shows, student cultural events, sports games, and more to find activities that take up your nights. There are also tons of fun things to do if you venture outside of the WashU bubble — I recommend bowling at Tropicana Lanes or Pin-Up Bowl, or playing some games at Pieces Board Game Bar & Cafe.
Parting words of advice
• FOMO, or fear of missing out, can be allconsuming in college at times. Listen to yourself and your body when you decide what you want your plans for the night to be. You’re balancing a lot in college — your relationships, academics, mental health — and going to parties is just one part of that.
• Switch it up! Just because you’ve developed a routine socializing one way does not mean you’re limited to that. Trying something new can help you revitalize your social life and keep you excited with the plans you’re making.
• Familiarize yourself with the University’s alcohol and drug policies. Coming to college means taking responsibility for yourself, including your health and safety. It’s important to know what can and cannot result in you getting in trouble in order to make informed decisions. One policy of note: WashU has something called medical amnesty, which means that if you or a friend are engaging in underaged drinking or drug use and you have a medical concern, you cannot face disciplinary action if you call for medical help.
• Ask students in grades above you for a rundown on what their social life looks like. This advice column, though beautifully written if I may say so myself, can only take you so far. If you ask an upperclassman to get lunch and pick their brain about their social life, my guess is that they would say yes. We don’t bite, I promise!
• Wherever you choose to go out, make sure you are staying safe and aware of your surroundings. Statistics show that in the weeks between college orientation and Thanksgiving Break, sexual assault and harassment spike compared to the rest of the year, as there is a rise in parties and new students gain their bearings. This period is called the Red Zone. Trust your instincts, prioritize your safety, and look out for your friends!
A “surface-level friend” is still a friend
Alice Gottesman Managing Scene Editor
I spent this past semester abroad, and it was the first time since coming to college that I was confronted with the urgent need to make brand-new friends. I was alone in a foreign country, an ocean away from my friends and the familiarity of my environment. I felt like the new kid again: excited to meet people but nervous. And while some people go abroad and make life-long friends, ultimately, that wasn’t my experience.
Spoiler alert: I was totally fine and had the time of my life. But that’s because I, finally, learned the value of surface-level friendships — something I wish I had been more comfortable with during my first semester of college.
I remember being dropped off on the South 40 for Bear Beginnings, already wary of the St. Louis heat and nervous about what I was about to embark on. Throughout the week, I introduced myself and explained where I was from and what I thought would be my major (as if I had a clue) about a million
ILLUSTRATION BY ERICA SHI
“Surface-level friendships will ultimately contribute an invaluable amount to your sense of belonging on campus.”
times. By the end of those initial five days, I was worn out and a little panicked because I hadn’t met people that I felt I really “clicked” with. I knew the names of the people living on my floor and would stop and chat with them when we ran into each other in BD, and some faces around the 40 were becoming vaguely familiar, but that was it.
My first week of classes went somewhat similarly, just with a new pool of people. By week two or three, after attending a few club meetings and solidifying my schedule, the faces began to connect. One girl, who I liked talking to at one club meeting, was roommates with a girl I sat across from in class. That girl had been hanging out with a guy I had chatted with while waiting in line at Subway. He knew a guy living on my floor. And thus, the web of surface-level relationships revealed itself to me.
Not all of these interactions became regular hellos or waves, but many did. My first-year seminar grew closer over the course of the semester, getting lunch and talking about spring schedules. People I ran into at the activities fair became friends to walk to the gym with. And while I was still constantly meeting new people, establishing
close friendships, and situating myself within the WashU community, I didn’t realize how connected I already was.
I didn’t know it then, but one of those people in my seminar that I grabbed lunch with on a random Wednesday would become one of my closest friends during my sophomore year. And though the majority of those initial friendships remained surface-level, they became faces to look for in a lecture hall, group project partners, someone to grab a quick meal with, or even just someone to acknowledge around campus.
Now, going into my senior year, I’ve found my people, my clubs, my communities. But there are still people from my residential-college floor that I stop and say “hi” to when I pass them on Mudd Field or on the Loop. They’ve made me feel just as at-home here.
Surface-level friends are what make WashU feel like a community. They’re the familiar face when you walk into a new class, a conversation in line at Delicioso during the lunch rush, a two-minute catchup before finding a study spot in Olin. Surface-level friendships will ultimately contribute an invaluable amount to your sense of belonging on campus.
So if you are stressed at the end of week one because you haven’t found your best friends for life, give yourself some grace, and recognize that all the small talk and repetitive conversations are setting a foundation for meeting everyone else. If surfacelevel friends were able to normalize an experience as wild as me living in Italy, don’t discount the impact they’ll have on your everyday experience on campus. Hang in there, and you’ll find your people.
MASS TIMES
• Sunday - 11 a.m.
•
• Sunday Mass & Supper - 4:30 p.m.
& Thursday - 12:15 p.m.
COMMUNITY
• Get to know like-minded students, study, hang out, and enjoy complimentary snacks while visiting the CSC.
• Develop your spiritual life—those of any or no faith are welcome!
• Participate in our programs and opportunities, including:
• Core Communities - weekly faith-oriented small groups
• Service and social justice events - volunteering with local non-profits and organizing various service trips
• CSC Cares program - mental health/professional counseling services, student-assistance fund, and a food pantry
• Social events such as movie nights, barn dances, and more!
6 tips to make college move-in day more manageable
Bri Nitsberg Managing Photo Editor
Whether you have a perfectly planned dorm room in mind or are showing up with only your clothes and figuring the rest out later, move-in is a crazy day for everyone involved. While the school makes it as easy as possible to get into your dorms and get started, the unpacking process can be overwhelming. Here are some tips and advice to make move-in day as easy as possible for first-years!
Use a packing list when shopping
There is so much you can do to make your life easier before move-in day even comes. The more prepared and organized you are while shopping and packing, the easier moving in will be. Make sure to use some sort of dorm-room packing list when you are shopping for college. This is going to save you from forgetting random items or bringing a bunch of things you don’t need. You can find dozens of different lists online and on social media.
Have the most important items easily accessible
The worst way to start move-in day is realizing you don’t have scissors to open any of your boxes, because the scissors are, in fact, in one of the many boxes. When you have your entire life packed up, it can be hard to know where
anything is or where to start. Before you move in, make sure you have an “openfirst” bag for right when you get into the dorm. Include a pair of scissors, some basic cleaning supplies, and a tool kit, in addition to whatever else you think will be most important for you. This way, you are able to get started right away. You’ll also thank yourself later if you include a fan in this bag.
Clean the room before you start
Once you’ve unpacked the “open-first” bag, use those cleaning supplies to clean the empty room. For this, all you really need are some wipes to wipe down the desk, dresser, drawers, bathroom surfaces, and whatever other shelves are in the room. You don’t know who was in the room last or how clean it is, so it’s always a good idea to do a quick clean before you unpack anything. While cleaning, look at the walls and furniture for any damages. Take pictures of anything you see so you don’t get charged at the end of the year.
Deal with your bed as early as possible
Trying to unpack, especially when two people are moving into one tiny room at once, can be cramped and overwhelming. If you are struggling to start, the best thing to work on is the bedding. Unpack your sheets, pillows, blankets, mattress pad, and anything else going on your bed, and get all of that settled.
Bedding usually includes many of your largest items, so making the bed will free up a lot of space in the room to move on to the rest of your things.
Remember that it won’t be perfect right away
No matter what you do, you aren’t going to have a perfect dorm after one day of moving in. It’s going to take the next few weeks of actually living in your dorm room to realize where you want things to be organized and how everything should be decorated. You don’t need to have everything done that first day. The first week during Bear Beginnings will give you a good chance to do some last-minute shopping and reorganizing before classes start.
Take breaks and eat snacks
Move-in day is usually an extremely exhausting, stressful day for everyone involved. Take all the breaks you need (trust me, everyone needs breaks on move-in day); everything will get done eventually. My biggest piece of advice is to remember to eat some snacks and drink water. The last thing you want on movein day is a small room full of hangry people. Have some snacks easily accessible for yourself and your family to have throughout the day.
Through all the chaos of move-in day, remember: this is your first day at college! Take some time to get to know your new roommate and/or suitemates, and go explore campus. The stress and exhaustion will go away, so do your best to enjoy the day.
ILLUSTRATION BY JAIME HEBEL
Joel Swirnoff News Editor
How to survive large lecture classes
We’ve all been there. You walk into class for the first lecture and there are, literally, 300 students already sitting down. You find a seat towards the top of the lecture hall, and frantically attempt to write down every word your professor says as they jump right into the class material. Large lecture classes can be scary, but with the right strategies, you can make them feel small and be successful.
Pay attention to where you’re sitting
Something that can subconsciously affect your experience in large classes is where you sit. My general recommendation is to sit closer to the front. It doesn’t have to be the front row, but sitting towards the front can help make a large class feel a lot smaller, because you’ll only be able to see the few people in front of you. I’ve also found that it can minimize distractions. When sitting closer to the front, there are fewer things in your field of vision, which can help you focus on the board or your own notes. Audibly, too, those who sit at the front tend to talk
less, which can help keep your mind on what the professor is saying.
If you don’t want to sit up closer, make sure that you can see the board and be conscious of the people who tend to sit around you. If you’ve got yappers around you, it’s probably in your best interest to move somewhere else. One exception to my recommendation of sitting towards the front is if your professor uses the projector screen a lot and you have to crane your neck to see it.
Go to office hours
This one may sound a bit obvious, but it really,
really is helpful. If there’s something you don’t understand or something you want to discuss more in depth, there is no better opportunity than office hours. The lectures have to move on and stay on pace, but that shouldn’t stop you from getting a full understanding of the previous lecture’s material. The syllabus will often contain information on office hours scheduling. If you can’t make any of the sessions, ask your professor if you can set up appointments with them to go over your questions or thoughts.
Oftentimes, multiple office hour sessions will be held, sometimes with different people leading them (there may be multiple professors or teaching assistants for your class). Do some experimenting and find what works for you, and stick with it! If you think you get the most out of a particular office hours session, make it a habit to go to it. Add it to your calendar and treat it almost like a class session.
Get to know your professors
This just makes class more fun, especially when getting to know the professor isn’t built into the course as much as it might be in smaller classes. I think that this can help students pay more attention to what is being taught. Good professors will show to students why they love the subject they teach, and that interest can be transmitted to the students willing to listen. The more you get to know your professors, the more that this can be the case for you, and the
ILLUSTRATION BY SOPHIE LEONG
more interesting each lecture becomes. Professors also often want to learn more about you! Even though they have many students, especially considering they may teach the class year after year, they often love to hear from students. Professors have a lot of cool stories to tell and some great tips/information that they might not have time to get through in lecture. So, show up to office hours or talk with them before/after class!
Show up, or at least keep up
Simply showing up to class can help a lot in ensuring you get the most out of the course. Being in the atmosphere of the lecture hall tends to help me get into the mindset to focus on the lecture. Consistently attending my lectures has also helped me build a routine and feel more in control of my schedule. It is also good to show up simply out of respect for your professors! They have to be there, and for the most part like teaching
NOW LEASING
what they teach. It is a lot more fulfilling when they’re looking at real people instead of empty chairs.
If for any reason you can’t make it to class, see if lectures get recorded (larger courses often do this!) and watch the ones you miss. If you can, make sure to do so before the next lecture. This will keep you on track with the class and help you avoid cramming closer to exams. Be careful not to rely too heavily on these recordings if you can avoid it. You might be more susceptible to distractions when watching online, and you won’t get the chance to ask any questions. Lectures might also begin to pile up if you get into a habit of only watching recordings.
Get to know your professors’ teaching style
Some professors write a lot on the chalkboard. Others tend to read from their slides more. Some zip through their lectures,
others slow down and cover a little less material. You might naturally grasp their styles, but try to consciously get a feel for how your professor teaches. Knowing this can help you with how you learn. For example, if your professor tends to go quickly through their lectures, it could be a good idea to take more detailed notes before the lecture (if they publish their material beforehand), and then pay closer attention to what they say in lecture as they say it.
Reading the syllabus (before the first lecture!) can be a great way to get a feel for teaching style. In addition to providing important information for you to know about the course (how grading is broken down, when your exams are, course policies, etc.), professors will sometimes discuss their teaching philosophy in the syllabus. This can be a great way to get an understanding of what you’re getting yourself into.
Review each lecture
One strategy that has
helped me a lot in contentheavy lecture courses has been reviewing each lecture on the day of or day after the lecture occurred. For me, this looks like rewriting notes — not writing down exact copies, but transcribing them with all additional understandings gained during lecture or thereafter. This can be immensely helpful in retaining the information. Literally write down every single thing you remember about the material taught! It provides an opportunity for you to recall the information, as well as to simply think through the information again. If you don’t feel up for doing this after each lecture, though I think that that is the best strategy, consider reviewing each week’s lectures over the weekend (or do both!). This tactic helps avoid cramming before exams, and helps get all of the things you’re learning into your long-term memory, making studying down the line easier.
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Richard Greenberg
Kerri Greene
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Kaiden Horizon
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Xiangrui Huang
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Ashlynn Huebner
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Mia Hurtado
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Jimin Kang
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Myungjun Kim
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Major-less and Confused: Courses to take while undecided
Zach Trabitz Investigative Editor
So, you’ve arrived at college and have absolutely no idea what to major in or pursue for a career. Don’t worry — I’ve got you covered. As someone who hopped around four or five
majors during my freshman and sophomore year, I’m well-acquainted with the stress picking a major can bring. I’ve found that the best way to decide your course of study is to take a wide range of classes from different subjects (though you may gather I prefer humanities).
Calculus 2 (or any calculus)
This is crazy for me to suggest. I have never taken a math class at this school before, but I have heard from many that some form of calculus is a good class to have under your belt. Calculus is the gateway to a ton of math, science, and business courses. It also double counts as an Applied Numeracy (AN) and Natural Science and Mathematics (NSM) credit, both of which you need to graduate.
There are tons of resources like Residential Peer Mentor (RPM) hours, Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL), and math tutors that can make the course more accessible to people who struggle with math (like me). Now, I’m not saying to take Calc
for an easy course, but if you see yourself wanting to go into math, science, or business, it is better to get it out of the way early. When I was looking at business minors to pursue, a majority of them were unavailable to me since I hadn’t taken calculus before.
If you’re taking calc with Dr. Schaefer, lucky you. He is universally acclaimed as an excellent professor who makes math accessible and easy to grapple with. Additionally, even if you didn’t like math in high school, college level math operates differently. Who knows — you may end up loving it!
A First-Year Seminar
Regardless of what degree you want to pursue or what field you think you want to go into, a first-year seminar is a great way to get introduced to a wide range of topics — and people! Personally, I took two first year seminars: Beijing and the Forbidden City and Literature of Addiction: From Opium to Adderall. I ended up majoring in Art History due to the first-year seminar I took!
These first-year seminars are often taught around a niche central subject, but the professors teaching them are aware that you might not be familiar with the field. I didn’t know what Art History was before I
took my Forbidden City course, but I left with a strong understanding of the subject and also a depth of knowledge about the Forbidden City and Chinese art from the 1400s to the present day. These courses also are commonly counted as an intro course for their respective major departments. In the Art History major, you have to take two introductory courses to progress through the major, and any first-year seminar counts as an intro course.
Secret tip: you’re allowed to take more than one first-year seminar. They’re super interesting and a great place to meet other first-years!
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Introduction to Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Intro to WGSS, as you’ll commonly hear this class called, is a must-take course at WashU. I’ve never heard of anyone disliking their time in it. It’s a manageable class where you learn about the history of women’s studies, gender studies, and sexuality studies (duh), which many mistakenly believe are “wasteful” fields of study.. However, contrary to what many think, WGSS is a great field for pre-law, pre-health, or if you want to go into human-centered work at all. I’ve heard of pre-meds double majoring in WGSS due to its robust health concentration at WashU.
Introduction to WGSS courses vary a lot by professor. In my class we read a wide range of literature about women’s studies and queer studies with a decolonial focus, which I thought was incredibly fascinating. At multiple points throughout the semester, I worked with a group to prepare presentations about women’s issues globally, which was a good way to adjust to college-level collaboration. I ended up becoming a WGSS double major after taking Intro to WGSS due to how interesting and applicable it is to so many fields.
Creative Nonfiction Writing 1
Creative Nonfiction Writing, colloquially known as CNF, is taught by graduate students in the writing MFA program. It’s also one of the best classes at WashU, in my opinion! In this course, you learn how to write both memoir and literary journalism. In my class, we started every period with a 15 minute quickwrite where we could write about anything. This was really helpful for me in jumpstarting the writing process.
In the CNF class I took, there are two major writing assignments (7–10 pages each) with smaller 1–2 page assignments due throughout the semester. These were all extremely manageable, and we were given a lot of grace by our professor if we ever had to go over deadlines. I learned a ton about writing, and also, as cheesy as this sounds, about myself (especially with the memoir writing).
You’re now at the intersection of it all! Where breakthroughs — whether scientific or creative, academic or personal — happen as new ideas collide. Your future is full of opportunities and we’re here to support you every step of the way.
Stop by the College of Arts & Sciences in Cupples II and connect with us at @washuartsci .
Introduction to Modern Art, Architecture, and Design
IMAAD, as this class is commonly referred to, is not a walk in the park. Don’t let the idea of it being an introductory Art History course fool you: you have to attend lectures and apply yourself to do well in this class. That said, IMAAD is a great course for a number of reasons. It fulfills a humanities (HUM) or a Linguistic and Cultural Diversity (LCD) requirement. It is also part of many integrations, or class combinations that you can use to fulfill your IQ requirements. Additionally, IMAAD provides a strong foundation for all of modern art from the mid-19th century to the present.
In subsection, you reckon with questions
of art accessibility using queer theory, feminist theory, decolonial theory, and more. You delve into the business of art and look at the art market, why people buy art, and the whole money-laundering-bybuying-art concept.
IMAAD provides an excellent jumping-off point because, if any of these concepts are interesting to you, you can explore them further in other classes. If not, you have a flexible class credit that can count for so much, and your museum-going experiences will be forever enhanced.The cherry on top is that you learn about a ton of fascinating art (great conversation pieces) and Dr. Sheren, who usually teaches it, is hilarious!
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Burnout sucks —
here’s how to make it suck a little less
Cathay Pan Poulsen Managing Chief of Copy
It’s Thursday. You have two assignments due tomorrow at 11:59 p.m. and an essay due tonight at the same time. You had two weeks to do it, but you’re staring at a blank Google Doc. It’s almost 5 p.m. If you start the essay now, you could finish it by eight or nine. Dinner first. You eat, and afterwards, you slump down in your bed and scroll on TikTok. In a fleeting blur, it’s already 9 p.m., and that empty Google Doc is still waiting impatiently at your laptop. You feel a sense of defeat — this isn’t regular old procrastination. In high school, you crunched essays and assignments on the daily like it was nothing. You ate AP Calc for lunch and AP Lang for dinner, and extracurriculars as a midnight snack. But now, the mere thought of any small assignment almost sends you into a flurry of panic and exhaustion.
You may be familiar with this feeling of deep, defeated exhaustion. Or you may be on the cusp of it. As incoming freshmen, you’ve undoubtedly worked your (beeps) off to get into college, grinding your way through high school, crunching grueling classes, and managing other obligations on the side. Maybe it’s second nature to you now. It was like that for me, too. I worked like a welloiled machine day in and day out, and it never occurred to me that that sort of lifestyle couldn’t last forever, much less for a few more years. I really thought that I could keep
pushing at that same speed, that I could keep my foot on the pedal without stopping for gas or a tire change. I was wrong.
WebMD says that “Burnout is a form of exhaustion caused by constantly feeling swamped. It happens when we experience too much emotional, physical, and mental fatigue for too long.” It can make us feel “depleted and used up.” Constantly feeling swamped may be unavoidable in college, but I’m writing this in hopes that I will be able to help you avoid
or stave off the effects of burnout. As a fellow burnouter myself, I’ve spent three years trying to figure out what the heck to do about it in college. In truth, I don’t have anywhere close to all the answers — I’m still burnt out. But I do know a few ways to lessen the effects (at least temporarily), and these methods may help you as you begin college.
First and foremost, free time — time in which you are free to do whatever you want, without having to do homework and without
having any obligations — is important. Very important. And I don’t necessarily mean that you should go out and party (though it’s fine if that’s your thing) — I mean that if you want to stare at a wall for two hours and then rot in bed the rest of the day, do it. Going at max speed every day of the week may be efficient for completing assignments, but it’s not a sustainable model (I promise). Have at least one day every week where you literally do nothing, or where you do whatever you want. That’s usually Friday
BRI NITSBERG | STUDENT LIFE
for me. Granted, I normally have meetings and classes on Fridays, so it’s not a completely perfect free-day, but after my classes end I treat myself to food that I like from the Loop (Thai Country Cafe, my beloved), and I spend the rest of the evening enjoying said food and playing games (Baldur’s Gate 3 saved me last semester) or watching a show. Since I technically only get half of Friday off due to classes, I sometimes give myself the first half of Saturday or all of Saturday off, depending on the week and how much work has piled up. In line with the idea of weekly free time, you should also try to give yourself daily free time. I usually aim for at least one to two hours. Some days, everything still gets to me, and I spend those few hours feeling tired and anxious, but on the whole, it does help. It’s a quick pit-stop refresher to get you through the day and, eventually, the week.
Another very important thing that you’ve probably
been bashed over the head about already is sleep. Mmm, sleep. Such a nice thing. Undoubtedly a rare and precious resource in college. But no matter how hard it is to get, you must try your best to get it. Take it from me: freshman year, I was getting around four or five hours of sleep a night as I tried to keep up with the unruly workload and new environment. The world became a different place — a hazy, blurry, sluggish reality where I had a hard time remembering anything or even really just thinking Every waking moment was sad, slow, tired. Burnout increased exponentially. After several weeks, I started having auditory hallucinations. I also got extremely sick, and since my body was in such a poor state, the cough lingered for several months. I know that’s extreme, but that’s what you risk when you deprive yourself of one of the most important sources of health and wellbeing (we literally need sleep
to survive). I cannot overstate this: get your sleep. It may be hard sometimes, but try to shoot for at least seven hours a night, preferably eight or more. It helps in the burnout game. The long-standing exhaustion of burnout certainly doesn’t get better when you are incurring daily exhaustion. Please, go to bed. Lastly (but certainly — and I mean certainly — not least), try to be not-mean to yourself. Easier said than done, I know. I myself tend to fall into certain patterns of thinking — specifically, ones where I mentally berate myself and question why I am no longer the workhorse that I was in the past. “This assignment is so small, so easy compared to what you’ve done before — why are you struggling? Why can’t you just do it?” It’s incredibly easy to think this way (I still do quite often), but you have to remember that you are dealing with an exhaustion that has accumulated over many years. Old-you didn’t bear the same
weight that now-you does. Questioning why the current you cannot function the same as your old weightless self is, ultimately, not productive. Now is now. It’s too late to turn your head backwards — that time is gone. Painfully so, I know. But that’s how it is — you’re in the now. You’re literally burnt out. That’s no small thing. Take it one step, one day, at a time. Try not to compare. Breathe. This isn’t going to be easy, but it’s where you’re at right now, and you can only move forward. You are a living human being with struggles and aspirations. You are alive. The crushingly busy world that you live in — your classes, your jobs, your extracurriculars, the weight of the future — was not designed to be mentally healthy for you. This will be hard. But I believe in you — you, not just as a student, but as a person — and hope some of this will be of use to you as you begin your college journey.
Stephen Harrison’s debut novel says Wikipedia matters
(regardless of what your middle school teachers might say)
Avi Holzman Editor-in-Chief
Growing up, every single teacher told me to never use Wikipedia for research.
They said that it wasn’t a reliable source for projects and papers. In a way, they were right — the free online encyclopedia can be edited by anyone at any time, and even though it has a set of guidelines and system of moderators, it is not always the most reliable. On the other hand, some have described the site as “The Last Bastion of Shared Reality.” Today, it informs search results and has become the backbone of AI language models like ChatGPT.
As students, we are constantly searching for knowledge and truth in the world around us. We ask professors and classmates questions and make ideological compromises with peers to better connect to and understand a new point of view. We are exploring to see what is possible. One place we often turn to for easy, detailed answers is Wikipedia.
But what happens when Wikipedia becomes weaponized and used to advance an agenda rather than the truth? This is the question that author and WashU alum Stephen Harrison tackles in his debut novel “The Editors,” which comes out in August.
In the novel, Infopedium — the fictionalized version of Wikipedia — becomes a battleground for truth in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. The site’s content becomes weaponized in a way that creates a moral crisis for the characters, some of whom are editors of the site.
Consider the way we feel about and react to events in the current social-media landscape. Most of us have posted infographics and snippets of articles that present a small portion of an event’s truth, failing to accurately platform the entirety of an issue. That is an easy example of when objectivity fails and gives way to an agenda. In the novel this mini moral crisis is ratcheted up until the stakes are life and death. This is the problem that Harrison’s main character, freelance journalist Morgan Wentworth, stumbles into when she discovers Infopendium pages are being purposefully doctored.
Initially, she thinks, “Real journalism was too important to be grouped together with the slew of social media,” a statement continually disproven as she learns more about the website. Eventually, she, too, decides to doctor the truth, editing her late father’s Infopendium page to protect his reputation. In this story, Morgan is at the center of the moral spectrum. The novel’s two
“The Editors,” author Stephen Harrison’s debut novel, comes out in August.
other key characters, Sasha and Nevin, represent its extremes.
Sasha, who goes by Alex718 on Infopendium, is a senior in high school who believes in the website’s three core tenets: “We Need Better Sources,” “Anonymity Is Fundamental,” and “Aim for Neutrality.” He obsesses
over these principles, and only edits articles when he has the sources to back them up. In contrast, Nevin is a “sock-puppeteer,” someone who uses multiple fake accounts to create artificial consensus and works for companies to doctor articles on Infopendium. The ideals mean nothing to him.
COURTESY OF STEPHEN HARRISON
STUDENT LIFE | THE STARTING LINE
Nevin, more than any other character, takes advantage of the anonymity afforded by Infopendium, hiding behind usernames like “Hildegard” and “Telos” to argue anything that might benefit his employer. On top of this obviously unethical behavior, Harrison interrogates the personal cost to Nevin through his use of usernames to separate himself from the content he writes, making it easier for him to stomach what his employers ask of him. This introduces a deeply personal aspect to the novel, emphasizing the need to find our own truth and the values that we believe in. Ultimately, Nevin must confront the reality of his lifestyle when he is asked by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to doctor pages in a way that will downplay a SARS-like virus spreading within the country.
The book’s only major problem is its setting of a virus that originates in China and has the same symptoms as COVID-19. The story is just too recent and familiar — the memory is still fresh in our minds, taking the reader out of the novel at times and making it more difficult to connect to the central themes of the book.
However, this deeply researched novel offers a fascinating plot and retelling of the beginning of the pandemic through a rarely considered perspective. It illuminates the challenges to the ideal of truth that we all strive to believe in and practice. Harrison shows the hardships of maintaining a website like Wikipedia, and how it has become central to our public understanding of reality and especially central to events as they unfold.
Four years in college
“Shared truth matters. It is one of the few things holding us together as a community and country. ”
can be a crucial time when one is pushing the boundaries, exploring the vast knowledge of the world around them and trying to understand it. Shared truth matters. It is one of the few things holding us together as a community and country. Standing behind our words matters — with our real names, not online aliases. These things are especially important at a university, particularly at a time when we are all still discovering our stories and asserting the
half-formed ideas we care about most to the world. We need some way to come to a consensus about the truth. No matter how much professors tell you not to use it, Wikipedia will be a part of that journey, mostly working unseen in the code of search results and ChatGPT questions. Harrison shows us the risks of corrupting that shared truth that is guiding us all.
Ctrl+Alt+Delete:
Q&A with author Stephen Harrison about his upcoming novel “The Editors” and the digital landscape
Holzman Editor-in-Chief
“The Editors” by Stephen Harrison follows a collection of characters through the early days of the pandemic as they face the challenges of neutrally describing the changes happening to the world around them online. The novel takes place on Infopendium, a fictional version of Wikipedia, where some users edit pages for neutrality while others edit with an agenda in mind, trying to slant the truth. Throughout the story, Harrison asks the reader to consider what it means to come to a consensus on the facts in an age of increasingly siloed information.
Student Life spoke with Harrison ahead of the novel’s August release. In the discussion, Harrison talked about the writing process, how the characters interact with Infopendium, and whether writing this novel has changed his view of Wikipedia. This Q&A has been edited for length and clarity.
Student Life: Did your time at WashU impact you writing this novel?
Stephen Harrison: One thing that was really rewarding was the Howard Nemerov writing scholarship. My college dream was writing a novel, and now I’m still pursuing that, and it’s kind of funny how 15 years later, it seems to be gaining a little traction, which I’m excited about. To the undergraduates: the harder dreams take time.
SL: Wikipedia describes you as a “Wikipedia beat reporter” on their website. How did you discover that beat?
SH: I had been trying to place op-eds in the The Outline, which was a short-lived publication, and one of the ideas an editor had was to take a Wikipedia article, but treat it like a piece of literary criticism. I became really interested in the site while on a business trip in New York. I was reading about the subway — because I grew up in Texas, I did not have a ton of knowledge about public transportation — and I realized how detailed each page was, and not just about the subway generally, but each train, and each station, too.
After seeing that only two people were editing the entire Wikipedia page, I reached out for an interview. One of the guys was like, “Yeah, that’s good, but I need to ask my mom.”
In my head, I thought that everyone [editing Wikipedia] was a middle-aged man, but one of the editors was a high-school senior, [and] the other was a first-year in college. They both lived in Queens, they never met each other, and that was my first article for The New York Times. After that, I started pitching stories about Wikipedia more regularly.
SL: At what point did you start thinking “I should write a novel about this.” Why make that jump?
SH: If I were to write a true nonfiction book about Wikipedia, it would have so many characters — there are around 10 thousand primary editors on the site. I had this voice in my head
from 2018-20 telling me to write a novel, and that it needed to be a novel. When the pandemic happened in March 2020, I found my central conflict.
SL: You open the book with the line, ‘This is a reported work of fiction,” and I’m wondering: why choose to open the book with that line? And also, what does that line mean to you?
SH: In my view, creative nonfiction is very popular right now, but I almost think we’ve hit a different era where we almost need the flip of that, which is “deeply reported fiction.” A story based on themes that we’re finding in our lives. Some of the fiction that I’ve always admired the most would be Tom Wolfe. “The Bonfire of the
Vanities” is deeply reported. One element of writing this novel was talking to real-life Wikipedia editors around the world who live in oppressive regimes, and if I outed them, that would compromise their safety, so there is an element of trying to protect people in making it fiction.
Avi
Stephen Harrison, author of “The Editors,” talked with Student Life ahead of the novel’s August release.
COURTESY OF STEPHEN HARRISON
FALL SPORTS PREVIEW
Women’s soccer
Riley Herron Managing Sports Editor
In fall of 2023, women’s soccer was WashU’s team to watch. The Bears held opponents scoreless through the first 15 games of the season, earned their 16th University Athletic Association (UAA) title, and won two penalty shootouts during a run to the National Championship game, where they fell 1-0 to California Lutheran University.
With a fresh slate of games ahead of them, the Bears’ returning squad and new players have the potential to be just as exciting this fall. Their attack, which averaged 2.76 goals per game last season, is led by a trio of All-UAA forwards — juniors Grace Ehlert and Ella Koleno and senior Gaelen Clayton. Behind them, a balanced midfield includes senior Meryl McKenna, junior Kaci Karl, and sophomore Sophie Viscovich. On the other side of the pitch, graduate student Ally Hackett, a Second-Team All-American last season, and senior Emma Riley McGahan, a First-Team All-UAA player, will likely lead a stalwart back three that allowed just two goals in the 2023 regular season.
In addition, the Bears bring in a recruiting class that includes new players ready to make an impact.
“We like our class coming in...we really brought in a nice, balanced class,” head coach Jim Conlon said. “I think every one of them is college-ready.”
One of the biggest questions for the Bears will be how to replace goalkeeper Sidney Conner, who graduated in the spring after being named a FirstTeam All-American and setting the program shutout record. Sophomore Charlotte Shapiro, who missed the entire 2023 season due to injury, should play a prominent role, alongside two incoming first-year goalies. Conner was part of a class of seven seniors whose play was crucial to the team’s success, particularly in the midfield and defense, and will be difficult to replace.
“Those seniors will definitely be missed. I think our women learned a lot from them, and I think we’re in a position to continue to move forward,” Conlon said. “I think we’ve got a lot of really bright things ahead of us because of what the seniors have left us.”
Last season, the Bears went 10-0 in regular-season nonconference play, outscoring opponents 38-0. They will face some tougher opposition outside of the UAA this year, including Trine University, Centre College, North Central College, and Calvin University, all of whom Conlon described as NCAA-tournament-caliber teams.
Conlon’s side will hope that those non-conference matchups will prepare them well for the highly competitive UAA conference slate.
Last season, seven of the conference’s eight members not only made the NCAA tournament, but also won their first-round matchups. The Bears will need to be ready to fend off nationally ranked opponents to win another conference title, but the intensity of conference play should make the Bears
battle-tested ahead of the tournament.
“The easiest way to do well in the tournament is to win the conference. So we have to be ready to do that — we have to be ready to take on anyone in the UAA — and ultimately, if we can accomplish that goal of winning the UAA, we know we’ll be ready for a good run, because the conference is very good,” Conlon said.
Entering the 2024 season, the squad can look to their history for inspiration. After 2015, when the Bears lost in the National Championship game, the squad rebounded to win the program’s only national title the subsequent season. With a strong core of returning players, a trip back to the postseason appears to once again be within reach for the WashU women’s soccer team.
The women’s soccer team celebrates after winning their NCAA quarterfinal on penalty kicks.
BRI NITSBERG | STUDENT LIFE
Football
Matt Eisner Junior Sports Editor
The 2023 Washington University football season was one of ups and downs. On one hand, WashU football set records. Their 66-0 thumping of Elmhurst University was the program’s largest victory in 85 years, and then-junior Collin Goldberg broke the record for the longest-scoring play in program history — only to break his own record the next week.
On the other hand, the Bears finished fourth in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW), their worst showing since joining the league in 2018. WashU missed the Culver’s Isthmus Bowl — the CCIW’s postseason bowl game — for the first time since the game’s inception in 2021. A midseason loss to upstart Augustana College rocked their momentum, and their heartbreaking Hail Mary loss to Wheaton College, one of Division III’s finest programs, left the Bears hungrier.
This autumn, the squad hopes to rebound from a successful, but nevertheless disappointing, 2023 season. They will do it without quarterback Matt Rush, whose eligibility expired in 2024 after leading WashU for three straight seasons. Replacing Rush’s production at QB will be no small task, but the Bears will most likely turn to senior Clark Stephens, though head coach Aaron Keen said he will not officially name a starter until fall training camp. Stephens, Rush’s backup for the previous two seasons, was successful in 2022 when Rush missed time due to injury.
“[Stephens] has some experience on his side. He started two games for us as a sophomore,” Keen said. “We’re looking forward to
some great things from him this season.”
In addition to Stephens, the quarterback room includes goal line specialist and sophomore Levi Moore, who recorded seven rushing touchdowns as the thirdstring QB in 2023. While Stephens and Moore will play a majority of snaps, junior Luke Johnston, who excelled in junior varsity games for the Bears, could also be part of the Bears’ plans this season.
“I think we’ve got good depth with good talent,” Keen said after the 2023 season’s final game. “It’ll be a heck of a competition, and that’s what you want.”
Goldberg, now a senior, will be the primary wide receiver, with WashU needing him to replicate his production with Stephens at the helm. Collin Hoyhtya, the Bears’ second-leading receiver from 2023, will be returning for his fifth year of NCAA eligibility, a huge boost to the WashU offense. Seniors Zach Ginsburg and Taidhgin Trost and sophomore Makael Carter showed flashes of talent in
early-season games last year, and should play a bigger role this season.
WashU got lots of its offensive production from the rush last year, and all four of the Bears’ premier running backs — seniors Kenneth Hamilton and Kenvorris Campbell and juniors Fred Ware and Artrell Miller — will return in 2024.
Defensively, WashU will look to junior defensive back Ryan Schmadtke, who led the team with four interceptions last season. Sophomore defensive lineman Henry Murr impressed in his first season, and senior defensive lineman Nate Light will provide consistency for the Bears.
According to Keen, in order to succeed, WashU will have to set the tone with a positive mindset at the beginning of the season.
“It’s time for our guys to decide to be great. Then, we’ll follow that up with the right actions to get us in the right place,” Keen said. “If we have that mentality, we’ll play some great football, knock off some of the better
teams, and get back to the postseason.”
The Bears will first travel to Memphis to face Rhodes College, their only nonconference opponent of the season in September. The Bears will reignite a storied rivalry against Rhodes, having played them the most out of any other team in school history. The CCIW conference schedule is familiar and difficult. After an early-season bye week, WashU will face No. 2 North Central College away for a second-straight year on Sept. 28. A home tilt with Wheaton College on Oct. 26 will be crucial for the Bears’ playoff hopes, as will the final game of the season: a home matchup with Augustana College on Nov. 16.
WashU will likely need to win one or two of these three critical CCIW games for a shot at the NCAA tournament or a bid back to the Isthmus Bowl. While they will need to overcome some adversity to get there, Bears football has every reason to be optimistic about the upcoming season.
Cornerback Joseph Norris breaks up a pass against conference rivals Augustana College.
BRI NITSBERG | STUDENT LIFE
Cross Country
Lewis Rand Junior Sports Editor
At last year’s National Championship, the Washington University men’s and women’s cross country team finished 17th and 13th respectively, each led by an All-American: then-seniors Cullen Capuano on the men’s side and Alexandra Blake for the women. For Capuano, who is returning for a graduate year, the finish line in Pennsylvania was not the end of the road for his running career in St. Louis.
Capuano, who has what head coach Jeff Stiles describes as “experiential leadership” and a “blue-collar lunch-pail work ethic,” will be joined by senior Matthew Hornung as key
figures on the team. Hornung is fresh off of a 10K victory at the UAA Championships last spring and ran a time of 25:46.2 in the 8K at last year’s cross country nationals. Junior Conor Daly, who ran a time of 25:54.3 in the 8K last season, could also make a big impact for the Bears’ program this fall.
“I think those three guys bring back a great amount of success,” Stiles said.
For the women’s program, seniors Abby Patterson, who placed 20th at the UAA Championships and competed at nationals, and Julia Patterson, who finished 12th at the UAA Championships and 61st at the NCAA Championships, will offer experience for the Bears’ squad.
Sophomore Vivienne Larson, who finished 79th as the only first-year to compete
for the Bears at cross country nationals last season, will look to contribute, as will junior Katie Rector, who placed 17th at the UAA Championship, and sophomore Jillian Heth, who placed 19th in the UAA last season. Transfer student Laura Behr, who previously ran at Otterbein University, will look to make an impact for the Bears in St. Louis.
Stiles is confident in this year’s recruiting class, which will join the team, alongside Behr, in St. Louis this fall.
“The first-year classes on both sides bring great talent, attitude, and motivation,” he said. “We’re never looking to lean on first-years for immediate contribution. But I am confident this group of first-years will contribute to the culture as a whole.”
Going into the fall, the WashU squad has used the summer to build their fitness to get ready to handle the strenuous training and races of the cross country season.
For Stiles, the goal of summer training is for runners to “[execute] becoming the best runner they can [be]” so that they can “com[e] in healthy [and] fit.”
Stiles added that one of the goals for the season is a return to the podium on the national scene The women’s team last won the championship in 2018, the same year the men finished as national runners-up, their highest finish in program history.
“I am really excited for this team, and I truly believe we are prepared to have our best cross country season on both sides in a couple years,” the coach said.
Men’s cross country finished 17th at national championships last season.
JAMIE NICHOLSON | STUDENT LIFE
Men’s soccer
Elaheh Khazi Junior Sports Editor
Despite a rough and challenging 2023 season that ended with an overall 7-8-1 standing, the WashU men’s soccer team is ready to seize the upcoming season in their fall 2024 campaign.
This upcoming season will serve as a testament to the new program coach’s determination. After longtime head coach Joe Clarke announced his retirement last November, Andrew Bordelon stepped into the role. Clarke had served as the program’s lead for nearly three decades, leading the squad to 275 wins, 11 NCAA tournament appearances, and four UAA titles — most recently in 2021. Though Clarke’s last season with the squad was not as successful as previous ones, he was a pillar of the soccer community at WashU and the larger area of St. Louis.
Bordelon comes to WashU’s program with high expectations from the soccer community. His experiences in a variety of NCAA teams and divisions, most recently as an assistant coach at the Division I University of Wisconsin-Madison, bring hope and new energy to the team.
“My plan is to continue to build on what [Clarke] has built here, and hopefully then take it to new heights as well. It will be tough replacing a legend and a gentleman who I have so much respect for, but at the same time, you know, I have to be myself and introduce philosophies and expectations that I believe in,” Bordelon said in March after his hire.
An important task for Bordelon will be replacing the seven seniors who have graduated since last season. Most notably, midfielder Owen Culver led the team with 16 goals, 23 shots
on goal, and three gamewinning goals, and he was also named to the All-Region team.
For the upcoming season, the team needs to fill the shoes of Culver and other key players who graduated and have since left the program. Junior forward Zach Susee, who was a critical part of the team last season with four goals, will be an important piece this fall.
Senior Joseph Hipskind, who was tied in second place with Susee for most goals last season, will also be returning to the team, as will seniors Landon Green and Eugene Heger, two important midfielders. Sophomore defender Quentin Gomez, who was the UAA Rookie of the Year in 2023, is another player who will play a lot of minutes once more on the squad. It will also be interesting to keep an eye on what Bordelon will do with the team’s three goalies — junior Adam Mallalieu and sophomores Cal L’Hommedieu and Owen Ross — all of whom split time last season.
The team’s season will start in early September and continue until November.
Some of the most exciting upcoming games are part of the UAA, including matchups against national powerhouses like Emory University and the University of Chicago. WashU ended last season third from the bottom in the eight-team UAA. The Bears hope to improve and climb the rankings this upcoming season.
As Bordelon noted in March, he is enthusiastic about the opportunity to coach his new squad in the fall 2024 season. “I’m excited, very excited. It’s something I’m very fired up for, and it’s something I’m very grateful for.”
Owen Ross was one of three goalkeepers logging prominent minutes for the Bears last fall.
LYDIA NICHOLSON | STUDENT LIFE
Women’s volleyball
Ian Heft Senior Sports Editor
2023 was a season of ups and downs for the Washington University volleyball team. Despite recording six winning streaks of three or more games and finishing 2410 (5-2 in conference play), a disappointing performance in the UAA tournament resulted in a school-worst sixth-place UAA finish. However, after snagging an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament, the Bears secured a dominant first-round win vs. St. Olaf College. A loss to the No. 4 University of WisconsinWhitewater in the second
round ended WashU’s hope for a Cinderella run. Still, the Bears were able to turn their season around in 2023 and will look to compete in the postseason again in 2024.
Despite the loss of several key contributors, the Bears’ core remains intact entering the 2024 season. The team’s success starts with their senior tandem of outside hitters: Jasmine Sells and Lucy Davis. Sells, an All-American Honorable Mention recipient and All-Region and All-UAA First-Team member, led the team with an impressive 440 kills, adding 388 digs (second-most on the team) and 44 blocks (third). Davis finished fifth with 200 kills in
increased playing time. The senior class also includes key defensive specialist Elise Gilroy and dominant middle blocker Zoe Foster, who led the team with 75 blocks.
The junior class is led by setter Sam Buckley, who has taken home All-UAA honors the last two seasons and was an Honorable Mention All-American in 2023. Buckley provides a steadying presence for the offense while being a positive contributor on the defensive end (fifth on the team in blocks).
The Bears also have several key underclassmen, including two sophomo res: All-UAA Honorable Mention right-side hitter Leah
Oyewole and libero Ellie Laird. Look for contributions from the first-year class and other sophomores, as well, over the course of the season.
Head coach Vanessa Walby, now in her 11th season, will attempt to lead the Bears to their third UAA title under her tenure. Walby continues to employ her tactical prowess to enhance the Bears’ robust offense and defensive success. Playing in one of Division III’s most competitive divisions, the Bears will once again have several tough conference matchups, many of them at home in the WashU Fieldhouse.
The volleyball team celebrates during a non-conference win over Illinois Wesleyan University.
YIWEN ZHA | STUDENT LIFE
Club, intramural, and pickup: A first-year’s guide to recreational sports at WashU
Riley Herron
Ian Heft Managing Sports Editor Senior Sports Editor
For many students, it is assumed that the end of high school marks the end of their competitive athletic careers. After all, just 6% of high school athletes continue to play their sport at the Varsity level in college.
Luckily, WashU has several options for students who want to continue their athletic pursuits or develop skills in a new sport, without the pressure and commitments of NCAA competition. First-year students have numerous options in continuing to play their sports, whether that be trying out for a club team, joining an intramural league, or playing pickup games on Mudd Field or the South 40 Courts.
Club Sports
Club sports can be a perfect choice for students who love to play with a competitive edge. Club teams represent WashU in competition against other colleges, with many traveling nationwide to compete in national tournaments and play against a wide range of opponents. WashU has over 40 club teams, ranging from baseball, softball, ultimate frisbee, and lacrosse to rock
climbing, squash, and table tennis.
While some of the more popular sports, such as basketball and soccer, may require tryouts for a spot on the team, many of the squads are open to anyone who wants to join. These teams often include players from a wide range of skill levels, including athletes talented enough to compete at the varsity level and others who have never even tried the sport before. Many club teams play at South Campus or other spots in the St. Louis area, but campus shuttles and carpooling are available.
Club sports can also be a great way to meet people, with a regular practice schedule and games providing opportunities to make friends while playing a sport you love. Many club sports teams also have their own social events, such as mixers with other club teams or student groups.
Intramural Sports
For students who don’t want the commitment or intensity that some club teams bring but still love athletic competition and structured play, intramural sports are a great option. In intramural sports, you can play in either the “just for fun” or “competitive” division — both of which are usually available in either
co-ed or open leagues — as you and friends compete for the ultimate prize: an intramural champions t-shirt.
You can put a team together alongside your friends, floormates, other club members, or whoever, or join a pre-existing one as a free agent. No matter who you play with, intramural sports can be a great way to try out a new sport — whether it’s pickleball, futsal, flag football, or anything else — or play an old favorite at whatever level of competition you desire. Registering for intramural sports is easy and can be done online. Just make sure to keep track of the sign-up deadlines for each sport!
Pick-up Sports
For those seeking a lessstructured atmosphere, pickup sports provide a great opportunity to stay active and meet other students on the field or court.
On most afternoons and evenings, hoopers flock to the Sumers Recreation Center and South 40 basketball courts for great pickup basketball runs on full and half courts. When it’s nice out, you can catch students congregating on Mudd Field or the South 40 Swamp, playing soccer or tossing a frisbee.
ILLUSTRATION BY MANUEL LOPEZ
Jacob Ritholz
Will San Jose Staff Writers
From Busch Stadium to CITYPARK: A comprehensive guide to St. Louis pro sports
St. Louis’ sports culture contains some of the most passionate fans, storied teams and exciting action in all of pro sports. You may already know the Cardinals and the Blues, but St. Louis has also added two new teams within recent years: St. Louis City SC in Major League Soccer (MLS) and the Battlehawks in the United Football League (UFL). These newcomers to the sports scene, along with the alreadypopular Cardinals and Blues, have made St. Louis into one of the country’s premier sports cities. Whether you’re already a fan or are completely new to pro sports, we’ve compiled a guide below so you can get to know each of St. Louis’ teams.
St. Louis Cardinals
Those of you who are big MLB fans likely already have every intention to see a Cardinals game. But even if you have never touched a baseball in your entire life, your time in St. Louis would not be complete without attending at least one game. Located at Busch Stadium, the Cardinals are the heart and soul of the city, drawing in big crowds year after year no matter how good (or bad) the team gets. Led by All-Star Nolan Arenado and 2022 National League MVP Paul Goldschmidt, the Cardinals have turned around their season after a rough start,
and by the time the school year starts, they could be playing in vital games with playoff implications.
The Cardinals also have a special WashU connection: pitcher Ryan Loutos, who graduated from the University in 2021 and has been up and down between the major and minor leagues since making his pro debut in June.
Additionally, Busch Stadium offers a gorgeous view of the St. Louis skyline, providing a great experience for those of you new to the area. Getting to the ballpark is easy for WashU students, as the nearby Metro takes you right to Busch Stadium! Tickets are usually not too expensive in higher-up seats, and WashU even offers free tickets for select games, but you’ll have to act quick to grab them. Even if you don’t think baseball is for you, make sure you get to a game before the season wraps up in October.
St. Louis Battlehawks
A lot of you probably have never even heard of the Battlehawks, but St. Louis’ UFL representative has become really popular in the city, reaching attendance numbers that match those of the Cardinals! If you’re unfamiliar, the UFL is an alternative American-football league that takes place during the NFL’s offseason and was formed this year after a merger between the XFL and USFL leagues.
Since the Rams left for Los Angeles in 2016, St. Louis has been starved for football,
and that’s what the Battlehawks give them. Additionally, their stadium — called “The Dome” — is easy to get to for WashU students, being just a stop on the Metro away. Next season (this June), the Battlehawks will look to get over the hump after losing in the XFL Conference Championship (UFL semifinals) to the San Antonio Brahmas. If you like football and crave it during the long NFL offseason, this is just the right place for you. But even if you don’t, this is a great environment to try out football with some friends at a more accessible price than an NFL game.
St. Louis Blues
Whether you are new to St. Louis, the sport of hockey, or even pro sports
in general, now is a great time to start following the St. Louis Blues. If you’ve never caught a live hockey game before, one short Metro ride downtown to the Enterprise Center will have you instantly hooked on the fast-paced sport.
The Blues are anchored by center Robert Thomas, goaltender Jordan Binnington, and defenseman Colton Parayko, three players who are coming off of arguably their best individual seasons as professionals so far. While the Blues did not make the playoffs last season, they had the best record out of all the teams that missed out. This upcoming season, St. Louis is hoping to take one more step forward and return to contending for a Stanley Cup.
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STUDENT LIFE | THE STARTING LINE
If the Blues are to move up in the standings, they will need help from their young talent. Along with 24-year-old Thomas, the Blues’ young core includes forward Jordan Kyrou, who led the team in goals in 2022-23, as well as winger Jake Neighbours, who will look to build on a breakout sophomore season. The final new face important to the Blues this year is head coach Drew Bannister, who joined the team midway through last season after the team fired longtime coach Craig Berube. After two straight years in which the Blues have missed the playoffs, fans are hoping that
Bannister’s first full season as head coach can usher in a new era of success and the Blues’ first championship since their Stanley Cup victory in 2019.
St. Louis City SC
St. Louis City SC, Major League Soccer’s newest club, had a historic inaugural season in 2023, finishing with the best regular-season record in the Western Conference. However, despite a sluggish start in 2024, the team is looking to improve
on their playoff result after a first-round loss last season.
City SC is led by captain and reigning MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Roman Burki, vice captain Tim Parker, and top scorer Joao Klauss. After a season where City SC broke the record for the league’s most-successful expansion team, the new club is looking to keep their momentum going. Despite the franchise’s young age, it has already established rivalries with nearby Sporting Kansas City as well as Chicago Fire FC. City SC’s cross-state rivalry with Sporting Kansas City was amplified when the two faced
off in the MLS Cup Playoffs last season, with Kansas City pulling off the upset and sweeping the best-of-three series.
CITYPARK, City SC’s newlybuilt stadium, is located next to Union Station and is easily accessible by Metro. The venue is intimate, though still full of energy, and the rowdy supporters’ section makes going to a match captivating for all 90 minutes. Even if you’re already familiar with other pro sports, attending a match at CITYPARK is a unique experience and a great way to get out into St. Louis.
Give WashU’s Division III sports a shot
Riley Herron Lewis Rand Managing Sports Editor Juniot Sports Editor
For many incoming college students across the country, the image of the quintessential college experience includes some element of a sports game-day culture. If you ended up at WashU, that element most likely wasn’t a key component in your college decision.
Tens of thousands of people will not be packing Francis Field every Saturday to watch a football game, and college basketball fans probably won’t be watching the WashU basketball teams on ESPN anytime soon. Washington University competes in NCAA Division III, which for many students, serves as an easy excuse to ignore the WashU athletic teams. We’re here to tell you why that’s wrong.
While some students view competing in Division III as a weakness, it creates unique
opportunities for studentathletes and Bears fans alike. Where else can you stand courtside as junior guard Yogi Oliff sinks a last-second free-throw to kick off a courtstorming celebration and send Bears basketball to the Sweet 16, or stand next to the field as graduate-student Ally Hackett’s penalty kick sends the women’s soccer team to the Final Four?
Or on almost any ordinary spring Saturday, where else can you walk to the track to watch runners shatter national records while competing for WashU’s National Champion women’s track and field team?
Read the rest online:
STAFF BIOS
About the team
Student Life is fueled by a large, hardworking group of people (they are also really fun to be around, but that might just be us.) We would not be able to produce the content that we do if it weren’t for the writers, editors, reporters, photographers, designers, videographers,
and illustrators that make this newsroom tick. Here is a quick roundup of some of the people who frequent the StudLife office – many are not mentioned, simply because if they were, this entire magazine would be packed with StudLife faces.
Meet the Managing Team! Meet the Managing Team!
Portrait Illustrations by Jaime Hebel
Avi Holzman | Editor-in-Chief
Avi Holzman is one of Student Life’s editors-in-chief. He is a senior majoring in English with minors in Management and Religion and Politics. He first got involved in Student Life the fall of sophomore year and can now say with certainty he met some of his closest college friends
Nina Giraldo | Editor-in-Chief
Nina Giraldo is one of Student Life’s editors-in-chief. She is a senior majoring in Global Studies on the International Affairs track, with a minor in Anthropology. She joined Student Life her first week of freshman year, and
has been involved ever since. She grew up in Sarasota, Florida, alongside her two siblings and very cute dog. Outside of class, she likes to dance and hang out with friends.
on the third floor of the DUC at 11pm on Wednesday nights. He is from Northern Virginia and is a fan of basketball and genre fiction TV shows/movies. Outside of class he can be found relaxing on random fields while yossing a frisbee.
Aliana Mediratta | Managing News Editor
Aliana Mediratta is a senior from San Francisco studying Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies with a minor in Writing. When she’s not editing articles or running meetings in the office (aka coming up with ridiculous icebreaker questions) you can usually find her playing the
Alice Gottesman | Managing Scene Editor
Alice is a senior from Evanston, Illinois majoring in American Culture Studies and Art History. She’s been part of the StudLife team since her first semester when she started as a Scene writer. When not in the StudLlife office,
you can find Alice exploring the St. Louis art world, playing water polo in the Millstone pool, or at brunch. She adores StudLife (especially Scene) and can’t wait to be back in the office with everyone, old and new!
guitar, lying on Mudd Field, or getting absolutely zero work done in Whispers Café. She absolutely adores all things Student Life, especially the amazing people on staff, and is looking forward to welcoming new people to the wonderful chaos of the newsroom this year.
Sylvie Richards | Managing Forum Editor
Sylvie Richards is a rising junior from Berkeley, California, majoring in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and Political Science. She joined Forum because of her passion for journalism as an outlet to represent diverse voices and ideas and to spark open and respectful dialogue. While Sylvie loves writing
Riley Herron | Managing Sports Editor
Riley Herron is a junior from Bethesda, Maryland who is studying Political Science and Data Science. He joined StudLife in his freshman year and has loved every moment since, especially the many opportunities to build close friendships with the rest
of the Sports section and newspaper staff. When he’s not covering a WashU sporting event, Riley can be found playing pickup basketball or soccer, venturing into the depths of Forest Park, or exploring the great St. Louis food scene.
her own opinions, she is even more passionate about giving people a place to write their own and supporting them in best representing their ideas. You can often find her in the DUC editing articles for hours on end, eating food with friends, walking in Forest Park, reading, or seeing live music.
Jaime Hebel | Head of Illustration
Jaime Hebel is a senior from Connecticut studying Communication Design with a minor in American Culture Studies. She got involved with the Illustration team in the fall of junior year and is incredibly excited to welcome new illustrators to the StudLife team. When
Sydney Tran | Head of Design
Sydney is a junior who says she is from St. Louis, but is really
resident DJ of the office (Wednesday nights @ 7 p.m., pop out for 2000s club
not in the StudLife office during the late hours of production nights, Jaime can be found listening to 2010s boy bands, rewatching her favorite rom-coms, and playing Noah Kahan on the guitar.
Madison Yue | DEI Editor
Madison is a sophomore from Palo Alto, California majoring in Marketing and Sociology. She is looking forward to welcoming new writers, creating an inclusive newsroom environment and highlighting various voices on campus.
Camden Maggard | Head of Social Media
Camden is the Head of Social Media for Student Life. A rising junior, she is studying Architecture and Architectural History. Outside of classes, Camden
works at the Center for Diversity and Inclusion as a graphic design assistant and is involved with WashU Bridge Club.
Outside of StudLife, you can find Madison at basketball and football games dancing with the WashU dance team or filming a TikTok video with a mini microphone for WashU undergraduate admissions.
Cathay Pan Poulsen | Managing Chief of Copy
Cathay is a senior from Springville, Utah and Chiayi, Taiwan who is studying Linguistics with a minor in Writing. She has spent her past three years at WashU copy editing for StudLife, and she joined the paper spring semester of her freshman year. When she isn’t drowning
Tim Mellman | Managing Newsletter Editor
Tim Mellman is a junior from the western suburbs of Chicago studying Political Science and Data Science with a minor in Geospatial Science. He is a copy editor and infrequent News and Forum contributor, but has spent most of his time on StudLife since he joined in his second week at WashU crafting
an engaging and informative email newsletter, which is sent to over 13,500 members of the WashU community every weekday. When he isn’t researching obscure WashU trivia for the newsletter, the one thing he is almost certainly not doing is sleeping.
in homework (and sometimes when she is), you can find her cozily tucked away in her room playing games (her current obsession is Baldur’s Gate 3), watching shows, writing stories, eating Thai Country Cafe takeout, or FaceTiming her cat.
Hadia Khatri | DEI Editor
Hadia is a sophomore studying Environmental Science and Chemical Engineering. Outside of classes, she is involved in Encouncil, the Muslim Student Association (MSA), Green Action, and the
American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChe). In her free time, she enjoys doing things outdoors, exploring St. Louis, thrifting, cooking, and hanging out with friends.
Sanchali Pothuru | Managing Multimedia Editor
Sanchali Pothuru is a junior from Indiana, double-majoring in Economics and Anthropology: Global Health and Environment with a minor in Film and Media Studies. She joined StudLife
in fall 2022 out of a love for making videos with the Multimedia team! When not making videos, you can find Sanchali trying to bring fro-yo back and pretending it’s 2016.
Bri Nitsberg | Managing Photo Editor
Bri Nitsberg is a junior from New Jersey studying Marketing with minors in Writing and Business of the Arts. After trying to find photography opportunities her freshman year, Bri joined the Photo team and has been running around campus with a camera ever since. She’s been
Lauren Smith | Special Issues Editor
Lauren is a sophomore from San Antonio, Texas majoring in English and Creative Writing and Economics, with a minor in Religion and Politics. Her time at StudLife began with an impulsive and very fortunate venture into a News meeting fall of her freshman year, which blessed her with some of her
closest friends, as well as bountiful opportunities to cover quirky campus events. Outside of StudLife, Lauren enjoys staring at tall buildings and frolicking around Forest Park or any available woodland area, preferably with an audiobook blasting in her ears
able to meet some of the coolest people in the StudLife office and can’t wait to welcome even more photographers. Outside of StudLife, you can usually find her reading a book, listening to Taylor Swift, or color-coding her Google Calendar.
Meet the rest of the Studlife staff! Meet the rest of the Studlife staff!
Joel Swirnoff
News Editor
Joel is a junior from Massachusetts majoring in Biology with a minor in History. He originally joined Student Life in his freshman year to escape only ever doing STEM work, but stuck around for the lovely people on StudLife (especially the News section) and the experiences that being on the paper offers. When he’s not on Olin 3, you can find Joel taking just-for-fun intramural soccer too seriously or editing
articles in the wonderful windowless StudLife office!
Alan is a sophomore from Naperville, Illinois currently majoring in Political Science with a minor in Legal Studies. Alan joined StudLife in his first semester to explore his hobbies of photography and videography and found a passion for making engaging and creative content for the multimedia (and photo) section. When he’s not complaining about carrying stacks of tripods, Alan is usually civically engaging with WashU Votes or yossing
Alan Knight Multimedia Editor Zach Trabitz Investigative Editor
Zach is a junior from Columbus, Ohio, majoring in Art History and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies with a minor in Business of the Arts. A frisbee hobbyist, he loves to lay on Mudd or run around on the East End. When he is not writing for Student Life, you can find him in the Kemper library, writing something else for school or another club, or spending
with Contraband. Above all, Alan is excited to bring new and exciting content to StudLife’s vibrant Multimedia section in the coming year.
time with his beloved friends (that he probably met through StudLife).
Ian Heft
Senior Sports Editor
Ian Heft is a junior from New York City studying Political Science with minors in Data Science for the Humanities and Strategy. He has spent the past two years as a writer and editor for the Sports section for Student Life and has also contributed to News, Scene, and Forum. When he isn’t in the StudLife office or covering a WashU sports game, you can find him at a St. Louis Museum,
studying/napping in Olin, or watching the 2025 NBA Champion New York Knicks.
Tanvi Gorre
News Editor
Tanvi is a sophomore originally from Connecticut majoring in Computational Biology and minoring in Philosophy (even though her philosophy knowledge is limited to the one philosophy class she took first semester of her freshman year and four seasons of “The Good Place”). She joined the News team at StudLife last year and is excited to be back. Outside of StudLife and doing typical pre-med stuff, she spends her
time playing music, reading, visiting museums in Forest Park, hanging out with her friends, and walking all the way to east campus to get lunch even though it is fully 15 minutes out of her way (she promises it’s worth it).
Mireya Coffman Multimedia Editor
Mireya is a junior from Colorado Springs majoring in Anthropology: Global Health and Environment with a double minor in Film and Media Studies and Business of the Arts. She joined StudLife her sophomore year to gain experience in journalistic writing but ultimately succumbed to her passion for making videos and joined the Multimedia team. In her free time, if she’s not hanging out with friends, Mireya disappears off the face of the earth since she loves traveling and is frequently abroad. But if you look closely you can spy her on her TikTok page (@c.mireya) in her adventures.
Jordan Spector | Senior Forum Editor
Jordan Spector is a senior from New Jersey double-majoring in English and Communication Design. When not editing Student Life opinion articles, he serves as the layout designer for the Spires Literary Magazine and the president of the
Creative Writing Cafe. He is a writer and an artist of many different mediums, currently working on a variety of stories. He loves books, dogs, boba, and coffee.
Mia Burkholder Chief of Copy
Mia Burkholder is a junior from Wisconsin majoring in Middle School Education and English. Her passion for commas (when used correctly) landed her a spot on the copy team as a freshman, and this is her second year as Copy Chief. Mia splits her time between the Catholic Student Center, StudLife office, and 560 Music Center, where she can be found singing with
her a cappella group, the Ghost Lights.
Jasmine Stone Senior Forum Editor
Jasmine Stone is a senior from Starkville, Mississippi majoring in English Literature and Educational Studies. She joined Student Life in the fall of her sophomore year because of her passion for journalism and opinion writing. When she isn’t editing articles for Forum, you can find her reading in the park, playing piano, or trying out a new baking recipe.
Aliza Lubitz
News Editor
Aliza is a rising junior from Washington, D.C. She joined the StudLife team at the end of her freshman year and enjoys joking around in the news office and collaborating with other writers on longer investigative pieces. When not studying or writing articles, she loves to nap, munch on yummy cupcakes, watch adorable koala videos, and admire art that is way beyond her skillset.
Nina Laser News Editor Amelia Raden
Nina Laser is a sophomore from San Francisco, California planning to major in Philosophy-NeurosciencePsychology and minor in Arabic. She joined the paper last year and absolutely loves it! Outside of StudLife, she can almost always be found on Mudd tossing a frisbee or failing to hacky sack. If not there, you’ll find her in the Rec Center dominating against the
StudLife IM basketball squad, playing for the rival team.
Lily Taylor News Editor
Lily is a senior from Indianapolis studying English (on the Creative Writing track) with minors in Poli-Sci and French. Her favorite part of StudLife — besides the dungeon-like office — is the wonderful friends it has given her. When she isn’t playing journalism, you can find her playing frisbee! She also loves to read, run, draw, and be in any body of water. She can’t
wait for another year of antics.
Samantha Elegant
Copy Editor
Samantha is a junior from San Francisco majoring in English and minoring in Dance and Business of the Arts. She joined Student Life’s copy team in the spring of her freshman year and has been involved ever since. When not in class, you can probably find Samantha dancing in Mallinckrodt, editing last-minute articles, reading a book somewhere
outside, or exploring new St. Louis coffee shops.
Senior Forum Editor
Amelia Raden is a junior from Orlando, Florida, majoring in English Literature. She joined Forum hoping to meet other people interested in journalism and to write some of her own pieces. As an editor, she is passionate about fostering a respectful and creative environment for others to do the same. If she’s not in the StudLife office, she’s probably reading, running, or
trying to find a ride to Trader Joe’s.
Elizabeth Stump News Editor
Elizabeth is a News editor and rising sophomore from Cheyenne, Wyoming. She is studying International Affairs with minors in the Business of Social Impact and French. When she’s not talking about anything and everything French, she enjoys taking lots of unnecessary pictures, traveling, and anything outdoorsy like hiking and paddleboarding (she is from Wyoming, after all).
Anaelda Ramos
Junior Illustration Editor
Anaelda Ramos is a junior from south Texas majoring in Communication Design with minors in Art History and Writing. Anaelda began contributing illustrations to Student Life in the fall of her sophomore year and has only grown closer to the StudLife team ever since. When she’s not cooped up in the studio working an art project, she’s either taking pictures of the sky, looking for new music to
listen to on Spotify, or talking your ear off about a movie she hasn’t seen yet.
Lewis Rand Junior Sports Editor
Lewis is a sophomore from Birmingham, Alabama. He is undecided but considering studying either Political Science or Economics. Lewis joined Student Life in the fall of his freshman year and was drawn to the close-knit community of the sports section. When he is not in the Student Life office, Lewis can be found running in Forest Park or studying in Olin.
Will Rosenblum
Senior Scene Editor
Will Rosenblum is a rising junior from Minneapolis, Minnesota majoring in Economics and Computer Science. He joined StudLife in the spring of his freshman year on the Scene team and has stayed there ever since. When not working on StudLife, you can find him playing the piano, watching a Christopher Nolan movie, or finding new routes to save seconds off of his walk to class. He is eager to jump back
into StudLife, write articles, edit interesting stories, and grind out some production nights.
Olivia Lee
Junior Scene Editor
Olivia is a sophomore from Oak Park, Illinois. She is majoring in English and minoring in Legal Studies and Music. She has been a part of StudLife since her first semester and began by writing music reviews. In her free time, she enjoys playing flute, listening to (and writing about) music, and reading.
Zara Shariff Senior Scene Editor
Zara Shariff is a rising junior from New York City studying Genomics and Computational Biology on the pre-med track, with a minor in History. She joined StudLife in the first semester of her freshman year with the keen desire to meet new friends and pursue her passion for journalism, which she believes is critical to uplifting marginalized voices and connecting with people. When she isn’t in the StudLife office, you can find Zara
cramming for her next exam, volunteering in low-income communities, or hammocking on Mudd with her friends!
Matt Eisner
Junior Sports Editor
Matt Eisner is a junior from Bethesda, Maryland studying Political Science and Spanish. He joined the Sports section in his sophomore year, and he has enjoyed building a strong community with the Sports section and other StudLife staff. When he is not covering a game from the Francis Field bleachers, Matt can often be found exploring the St. Louis area or watching D.C. sports.
Sophia Hellman
Junior Scene Editor
Sophia is a junior majoring in Biology and minoring in Psychology. Originally from Houston, Texas, she joined StudLife her sophomore year, writing and editing for Scene. In between the STEM lifestyle, she loves covering campus events, and she’s also a fan of sappy movies, IM volleyball, and creative writing. She’s happy to be part of this incredible team and is
