The independent newspaper of Washington University in St. Louis since 1878 THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2020
VOLUME 142, NO. 1
WWW.STUDLIFE.COM
1000 STUDENTS
VISIT ST. LOUIS
Behind the scenes of the three-week long coronavirus class (Scene, pg 3)
Some ways to break out of the WU bubble this semester (Scene, pg 4)
‘We have to be vigilant’: WU medical experts weigh in on fall testing strategy
KWUR CONTINUES
KWUR staff to continue being on WU airwaves from home (Cadenza, pg 8)
Chancellor Emeritus William H. Danforth dies at 94 JADEN SATENSTEIN SENIOR EDITOR
CHRISTINE WATRIDGE | STUDENT LIFE
Junior William Satloff tests himself for coronavirus at Washington University’s West Campus testing site. The saliva test, which was developed by the Medical School, is required of all returning students. Most undergraduates in the St. Louis area will be tested every two weeks.
TED MOSKAL SENIOR NEWS EDITOR Washington University’s COVID-19 testing strategy for the fall semester will combine mass asymptomatic testing with more targeted diagnostic testing for members of the University community. Upon arrival to campus, all undergraduate, graduate and professional students will be required to complete a COVID test. Students living in Residential Life housing will receive tests at a facility on West Campus as part of the check-in process before proceeding to their housing. Students living off campus in the St. Louis area will be required to complete a test during the first week of class. Over the course of the semester, only undergraduate students will receive mass asymptomatic testing every two weeks, due to their status as a high risk population. Diagnostic testing will follow CDC guidelines, meaning that those showing symptoms of COVID-19, as well as those who have been potentially exposed to the virus, will be tested and potentially moved to isolation housing. The University’s executive planning committee, which includes over 200 faculty and staff, has been working all summer to develop this plan. Dr. Kevin Hsueh, the medical director of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program at BarnesJewish Hospital and member of the infectious disease unit, described how the nature of COVID-19 presents a particularly difficult challenge for testing programs. “COVID-19 is not a disease that is super amenable to easy identification,” Hsueh said. “I think the thing that people need to really wrap their head around is that people who actually are shedding the live virus can range in symptoms from no symptoms at all to people who are deathly ill...The
second problem is that from the time when you were exposed to COVID until the time when you may or may not present signs of the active virus can range between two and fourteen days, so this is just an extremely challenging position.” Despite these challenges, the Food and Drug Administration’s emergency authorization of a new PCR saliva test developed by Washington University’s department of genetics in collaboration with biotech company Fluidigm has the potential to strengthen the University’s testing capacity. The new test is less invasive than a nasal swab, which can often be uncomfortable for those being tested. It also requires less effort to process, meaning that more tests can be processed more quickly. “As with most universities, when we were planning in April, May and June, there were not widely available tests,” Interim Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Rob Wild said. “Part of [the reasoning for] our delay of the fall semester was to prepare and to make sure that we would have adequate testing capabilities.” The approval of the saliva PCR test allowed the University to introduce regular asymptomatic testing of undergraduates every two weeks into its testing strategy as announced in an email, Aug. 31. Dr. Steve Lawrence, one of the University’s top experts in viral infectious diseases, said that the overall effectiveness of asymptomatic testing is still unclear, but it does have a few unique advantages. “There is certainly a lot more interest in testing asymptomatic people than there are data on its effectiveness, and so we have been waiting [for] data as it becomes available,” Lawrence said. “But I think that any sort of asymptomatic testing program does one thing. It will identify some
additional people with infection who you wouldn’t catch through other mechanisms, and so that is a recognized advantage.” Still, according to both Hsueh and Lawrence, even the most comprehensive testing plan is bound to fail without the cooperation of the University community when it comes to wearing masks and social distancing. “Because of all those problems with detecting the virus and identifying people with the virus, you have to assume that at any point in time you could be shedding the virus, because you can’t tell based on how you feel, you can’t tell necessarily unless you just got a viral test,” Hsueh said. “You can’t tell based on your previous viral test, so people have to take responsibility and act like they themselves could have the virus at all times.” According to Lawrence, testing is important, but it is far from the most essential piece of the University’s COVID prevention plan. “Let’s make sure we all look at testing as what it is, and that it’s one piece of a bigger mitigation strategy,” Lawrence said. “And it’s not even the most important piece. The most important thing is just the masking and the distancing, because quite honestly if there was a way to ensure 95% perfect use of masking and distancing, we wouldn’t even need any testing. But we have it, and so it is something that is one more tool in our toolbox to try to keep this place as safe as possible.” In fact, Lawrence expressed concern that increased testing could possibly encourage students to behave recklessly after receiving a negative test result. “Being tested regularly [could] lead to a sense of feeling less vigilant and saying, ‘Hey, I’m good and I don’t have to take as many precautions,’” Lawrence said. “I think we have to guard against that because it’s possible that a
widespread interpretation of negative test results could undermine the positive impact it would have. We have to be vigilant. We can’t let our guard down even with a negative test result.” In order to crack down on this type of reckless behavior, Wild warned that those violating social distancing guidelines will face serious consequences. “We’ve been proactive and clear that we are going to take violations very seriously,” Wild said. “If we find out about egregious violation of the public health principles, that could lead to suspension or expulsion.” However, Wild acknowledged the inevitability that some students would test positive for COVID, stating that the Habif Health and Wellness Center is up to the job of handling any potential outbreaks. “What’s also important is the preparation for when we have cases, that we’re able to identify them quickly, that we have adequate staffing on the contact tracing side as well as on the medical side,” Wild said. “We’ve really ramped up our operations out of Habif Health and Wellness Center so that when students either need to be quarantined or that they do test positive, that we have as a safe, comfortable place where they can recover in isolation housing.” Although testing is important, Wild maintained that the cooperation of the student body when it comes to masking and social distancing will make or break the semester. “We know that when these two things [masking and social distancing] happen, the likelihood of spread reduces to nearly zero,” Wild said. “We can see other universities that have opened that have had challenges with this, and when we have cases at Washington University this fall, which we will, I predict the cases will be also the result of people not following those two key principles.”
CONTACT BY POST
CONTACT BY EMAIL
CONTACT BY PHONE
ONE BROOKINGS DRIVE #1039 #320 DANFORTH UNIVERSITY CENTER ST. LOUIS, MO 63130-4899
EDITOR@STUDLIFE.COM NEWS@STUDLIFE.COM CALENDAR@STUDLIFE.COM
NEWSROOM 314.935.5995 ADVERTISING 314.935.4240 FAX 314.935.5938
William H. Danforth II, the thirteenth chancellor of Washington University, died Wednesday, Sept. 16 at his home in Ladue at the age of 94, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. The grandson of Ralston Purina Company founder William H. Danforth I, Danforth was born in St. Louis in 1926. After graduating from Princeton University in 1947, Danforth attended Harvard Medical School and served as a Navy physician during the Korean War. He then joined the Washington University School of Medicine faculty as a cardiologist. Danforth later became Vice Chancellor for Medical Affairs and then, in 1971, Chancellor of Washington University, succeeding Thomas H. Eliot. During his 24-year tenure, Danforth oversaw a significant increase in the University’s endowment, campus construction and scholarship funding. He also established 70 additional faculty chairs. Danforth retired in 1995 and was succeeded by Mark S. Wrighton. Often referred to as “Chan Dan,” Danforth was married to Elizabeth “Ibby” Gray Danforth, who died in 2005. The then-named Hilltop Campus was renamed to the Danforth Campus in 2006 in honor of Danforth and his family. “I think it’s an extremely kind thing for people to do,” Danforth said to Student Life in a February 2006 interview. “I’ve had the privilege of working with some exceptional people over the years. And I think I got a lot of credit for things other people did. I feel extremely lucky to have been a part of Washington University.” Current Chancellor Andrew Martin said that Danforth leaves behind a legacy of leadership and service that has had a lasting impact on the University community. “Most notably, we will remember Bill for taking the University from what was once known as a commuter campus to the world-renowned institution it is today, including raising the prominence of the School of Medicine—Bill’s academic ‘home’ and the place where his leadership and service at Washington University began,” Martin wrote in a statement to Student Life. “... Indeed, anyone who has ever been in the presence of Bill Danforth knows how special he was and how much he cared for this place and the people who have resided, studied and worked here.” Student Life will continue to update this story with more details as they become available.
2 STUDENT LIFE
EM MCPHIE & TED MOSKAL | SENIOR NEWS EDITORS | NEWS@STUDLIFE.COM
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2020
New Gender Equity Grievance Uncertainties for overseas students include TA payment, Process fills gaps left by access to online course materials federal Title IX regulations EM MCPHIE SENIOR NEWS EDITOR In response to new regulations from the U.S. Department of Education narrowing the scope of Title IX, Washington University has implemented new Title IX grievance processes and added a new procedure to cover instances of sexual misconduct that fall outside of the revised federal policy. The new federal rule requires schools to hold live hearings with direct cross-examination by a representative of each party’s choosing, which experts warn could be traumatizing for survivors of assault. Each party will be required to have an advisor. “Our goal is to have a pool of several advisors available, and some of them will be attorneys, so those folks will be available if a student does not have their own advisor,” Director and Title IX Coordinator Jessica Kennedy said. The Student Gender Equity Grievance Process will be used to investigate misconduct that now falls outside of Title IX. Unlike the Title IX process, the Gender Equity procedure will not involve direct cross-examination, nor will students be appointed an advisor. The University’s Discrimination and Harassment Policy has been updated to incorporate the narrowed scope of Title IX, which it describes as “a specific subset of the conduct addressed...in this Policy.” Under the updated federal regulations, Title IX only covers behavior that occurs on University property or during official University programs and activities. The Gender Equity process will play an important role in protecting the unusually high number of students forced to move into non-University housing due to the pandemic. “We really believe that whatever process an incident falls under, whether it’s the Title IX process or the Gender Equity process, that the investigation will be conducted in the same thorough and fair manner that it always has been,” Kennedy said. U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos formally issued the new Title IX regulations in early May, prompting widespread criticism for protecting alleged abusers and prioritizing university liability. Seventeen states and the District of Columbia challenged the rules in a lawsuit arguing that “fewer sexual harassment complaints will be filed, and schools will be less well equipped to protect their students’ safety and rid their programs and activities of the pernicious effects of sex discrimination.” However, the suit was dismissed and the new regulations officially went into effect on August 14. “Although we may not agree with each element of the final regulations, we are required to implement these changes in order to be in compliance with the law,” Provost Beverly Wendland and Interim Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Rob Wild wrote in an August 14 email to students. “It was a pretty complex piece of legislation that was very much rooted in sexual assault myths, so some changes were unavoidable, and then there was obviously some leeway for Wash. U.,” Title Mine Vice President of Administration junior Sarah Slutsker said. “We kept the
standard of evidence where it was, and didn’t create a disparate evidentiary burden for Title IX cases compared to other student conduct cases. That was a good thing.” Leading up to the implementation of the federal rule, several survivors’ rights organizations spoke out against the proposed changes, including Title Mine. “While it’s clear that the new regulations will create catastrophic policy barriers to reporting, we want to name their more insidious impact,” Title Mine wrote in an open letter to University administrators. “The anti-survivor rhetoric embedded in the new rule has the capacity to do real harm to beliefs about sexual violence, which have only begun to shift incrementally in a more just direction.” The letter went on to express concern over a perceived lack of transparency in the University’s decisionmaking process and detailed several recommendations for the new policies. One such recommendation called on administrators to release a detailed plan for how they would center the needs of Black survivors and survivors of color, such as by reallocating WUPD funding to mental health and sexual violence prevention services. The letter similarly highlighted the need for a plan centering LGBTQIA* survivors, particularly in light of the 2019 Campus Climate Survey showing that sexual violence is vastly underreported by trans and gender-nonconforming students in the University community. “We have not received any update about the status of those plans,” Title Mine President senior Maia Bender-Long said. “It doesn’t seem like it’s a priority right now, which is concerning, especially given how inaccessible these processes can sometimes be.” Slutsker said that while the University’s response to the Title Mine letter had been limited over the summer, she hoped that administrators would continue to elicit and respond to student feedback. One of the widely criticized federal changes was the removal of the 60-day guideline for completing investigations. However, Kennedy confirmed that the University’s Title IX investigations have historically failed to meet this timeline. Shortening investigations would require removing important parts of the process, Kennedy said, adding that she anticipated both Title IX and Gender Equity investigations would take close to 120 days. Title Mine argued that allowing investigations to last 120 days—essentially a full semester—was not adequately efficient for student well-being, noting that the burden of lengthy processes contributes to 34% of survivors dropping out of college. “I understand why the Title IX office has failed to meet these recommended guidelines, but that doesn’t excuse the impact that has had on survivors and also how that’s deterred survivors from even reporting, because lengthy investigations are emotionally taxing for survivors,” BenderLong said. “So it’s crucial that the Title IX office should continue to focus on reducing their timeline and publish steps that they are planning to take to reduce it.” Bender-Long also called on the Title IX office to reactivate the Title IX Advisory Committee, which is meant
to be a body of students, faculty and staff that provides feedback about Title IX policies. “We want to see the advisory committee active as soon as possible, because the advisory committee is a third party where students can have input and representation,” Bender-Long said. “And unfortunately, it’s been inactive, even during this time with the new regulations being put in place.” Kennedy said that she anticipated being able to share more information about the advisory committee within the coming week. “We’ve struggled a little bit over the summer to all get on the same page about how we’re going to operate the committee this semester, but my conversations with Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Rob Wild and the chair of the committee Nicole Hudson are clear that the committee will continue and will be active this semester,” she said. “It’s just a matter of sorting out which members will remain part of the committee and which new members we will be taking on.” Another part of the Title IX and Gender Equity processes involving student input is the University Sexual Harassment Investigation Board (formerly called the University Sexual Assault Investigation Board). The board relies on recommendations from various administrators, faculty members and student groups. “This year, under the new Title IX regulations, there is some increased scrutiny related to perceived bias of members...so all of us will be answering a questionnaire related to whatever concerns we may have about our own bias, but also questions about whether it might appear to someone else that we were biased in such a way that we would not be able to be a fair decision-maker,” Kennedy said. While the University’s policies do not currently include an amnesty clause for students who are harassed or assaulted while breaking COVID-19 guidelines, Kennedy said that students should still feel comfortable reporting such occurrences. “My office is not in the business of investigating COVID-19 violations, and so that is not something that we would be concerning ourselves with if someone came in to let us know that they had been assaulted, even if it happened in a place where they weren’t following those protocols,” she said. Given the complicated nature of the new changes, both Slutsker and BenderLong emphasized the importance of educating members of the University community about the processes and options available to them. “My biggest concern is how this information is going to be conveyed to students and community members, and how we as a community can work to make this process less daunting and support people who choose to go through it,” Bender-Long said. “We need to reduce the barriers to access and give people the literacy to understand what changes have occurred.” “It’s not just the new regulations—there have been a lot of concerns about Title IX at Wash. U. for a very long time,” Slutsker added. “It’s important to not lose sight of that as we hold leaders accountable.”
EM MCPHIE SENIOR NEWS EDITOR
As a unique semester begins to take shape, many questions remain unanswered for the unprecedented contingent of students taking classes from outside of the United States. On Sept. 9, students enrolled in popular introductory computer science course CSE 131 received an email saying that Washington University was “experiencing problems delivering content to China and some other countries.” The next day, TA’s for multiple other computer science courses received an email flagging potential problems with paying students located outside of the country. Of the roughly 100 students who were planning to work as TA’s for CSE 131, several are currently
located outside the U.S., computer science professor Ron Cytron told Student Life’s Reopening podcast. “My original plan— which I vetted through the University back in April and May—was to hire students in China...because they’re in the Chinese time zone and they could serve as TA’s for students who are in those time zones,” he said. “Those plans may all now be coming to a big halt. It’s up in the air.” Vice Chancellor for International Affairs Kurt Dirks said that the University had done extensive research into various payment possibilities for overseas TA’s before presenting each school with the available options. “We gave them the possibilities of what’s at least within the realm of feasibility,” Dirks said. “And then at that point the department…would have
to decide, ‘Is this something that we are able to do, is this a regulation that we can work with, is this something that’s affordable and feasible for us to manage?’ And so that's where the ultimate decision would end up being made.” The primary solution involves the use of a professional employer organization (PEO), which adds an additional expense of 30 to 40%, Arts & Sciences Dean Jennifer Smith said. Smith said that overseas students who had previously planned to work as TA’s in the College of Arts & Sciences would be able to maintain their jobs. “I have told the individuals who asked me that if it was just a concern about the money, I would find the money,” Smith said. “... We can make that happen, because we want qualified people in these roles.”
Student Union announces new 2020-21 platform focused on health, equity and connection GRACE KENNARD CONTRIBUTING REPORTER Student Body President sophomore Ranen Miao welcomed students back to campus in a Sept. 8 email detailing Student Union’s 2020-21 term goals for the upcoming academic year. The plan centered around three goals: health, equity and connection, tenets that acknowledge the unusual and persistent challenges of the year. “This year, we will be advocating for policies that will keep students safe, working with administrators to implement protections for students at-risk and creating a blueprint for a healthier Wash. U. community in the years to come,” the plan read. SU is coming off of a productive summer with hopes to continue that momentum into the fall semester. The SU-organized Month of Action, which centered around partnering with other student groups to engage in anti-racist work, raised $85,000 and continued efforts to push the administration toward more investment in the community. Included in the health portion of the platform are methods to expand medical access and coverage for students as well as mental health resources to ensure every student can maintain mental as well as physical health during this unique semester. “[Health] means access to healthcare and access to mental health coverage... We’re in conversations about how we can expand our coverage to virtual mental health care and telehealth, we’re talking about how we can work [with] Habif to market all the resources they currently have and we’re trying to make sure that students know that they have access to the Mental Health Fund,” Miao said. Executive Vice President of Student Union Anne He said that she strongly believed the mental health aspect of SU’s platform would be especially crucial this year. “One [goal] that I want to really help emphasize is the mental health aspect,
especially for students who are virtual this semester,” He said. “I know our Senate within SU is doing a bunch of really awesome stuff. For example, this past summer they were able to work on a database for therapists and providers that were recommended by universities in each area of the country and create sort of a national therapist database.” In many ways, the health and equity tenets overlap when realizing the impact students and faculty can have off campus. Miao noted the importance of physical distancing and following all university public health guidelines not only for the health of the University community but for the health of the greater St. Louis community. “We also need to talk about [COVID-19] through an anti-racist lens, because having a lot of wealthy white students from Wash. U. who go into the [Delmar] Loop, who don’t wear masks, who don’t physical distance and who spread COVID-19 will disproportionately harm the people of color in the nearby community,” Miao said. Some of the new equity initiatives include advocating for structural changes to the Washington University Police Department, creating more gender-neutral bathrooms on campus, supporting campus groups that are fostering leadership for female students, incorporating more diverse voices and backgrounds into discussions within SU and working towards solutions to food and housing insecurity for low-income students. He particularly focused on how SU could help the University live up to its commitment of meaningfully engaging with the St Louis community. “We have all the time heard [that] Wash. U. has this commitment to St. Louis and we are Wash. U. in St. Louis and for St. Louis, but a lot of the time, as an average student who isn’t necessarily involved in a community service group, we don’t actually get a lot of direct interactions with the St. Louis
community at all,” He said. In light of this disconnect, He said that SU hopes to find a way for students to connect with the St. Louis community even if they weren’t part of a traditional community service club. In addition to improving SU’s local impact, Miao also hopes to focus on advocacy on a national level. “Nationally, connection means reaching outwards,” Miao said. “So during the summer I have spoken with the student body presidents of over 70 institutions and we’ve been able to begin building a framework for a national organization of student governments that tries to advocate on national issues…so that we connect student voices with national decision-making in business, in higher education and in government.” The new reality of virtual meetings and interactions as well as sudden shifts in advocacy are not concerns to Miao as SU navigates the remote semester. “I think this student government is so strong and we have some people who are so passionate about student government, so I really believe that we can have a really successful year and a really successful term.” For students who are interested in getting involved with Student Union, Miao invited all students to feel comfortable with reaching out to him personally. “I genuinely think that the most important part of student government is being someone who can be here to listen, because at its core, we are students who care about the other students on our campus,” he said. Both Miao and He expressed gratitude for their involvement with SU. “Wash. U. is a space where you will definitely find a home and a community of people who you will be able to grow with, live life with and really become a whole new person by the end of the experience,” Miao said. “And I hope that kids aren’t disillusioned by the fact that things are so chaotic right now and so many things seem inaccessible to us.”
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17 , 2020
SCENE
BENJAMIN SIMON | SENIOR SCENE EDITOR | SCENE@STUDLIFE.COM
STUDENT LIFE 3
Teaching COVID-19: The making of a 1000-person class BENJAMIN SIMON SENIOR SCENE EDITOR As Krista Milich prepared for her class on the coronavirus, she didn’t know how many students would enroll. She heard that 10 students might join, maybe even 100. But shortly after registration opened, enrollment numbers soared by almost 100 per day. Without any seating restrictions, the Anthropology department had generously capped the class at 999 seats. Still, by the time registration closed, the class had even exceeded that number, with 1,251 students enrolled in the two-credit, three-week virtual class about all things coronavirus—the most in Washington University history, according to Milich. Milich, who is an assistant professor of Biological Anthropology, agreed to teach “The Pandemic: Science and Society ” just one month before the course began. That same day, she started sending out emails to biologists, counselors, visual artists and psychologists across the country, asking them if they would virtually stop by the class. When the class finally
began on Aug. 17, she had nearly 30 speakers lined up––about two for every two-hour class period. She secured people like Phoenix (Kerrie) Linter, a COVID-19 counselor at St. Louis nonprofit organization Safe Connections, Joshua Sharfstein, a professor in Public Health at Johns Hopkins and Ed Yong, a science journalist at The Atlantic. “Being able to bring in people as often as you want is something that you can't do in person, but you can do virtually,” Milich says. “So you should be, in my opinion, optimizing what you can do virtually, rather than trying to recreate what you do in person.” Nurzhan Kanatzhanov, a senior majoring in Computer Science, said he had never taken a class with so many speakers, especially ones from such “diverse backgrounds,” he said, “with Ph.D.s in immunology, Ph.D.s in public health and medical professionals who work for the government in Maryland.” Milich designed the class so that students could see all of the different sides of the coronavirus. “I'm not an expert in all
of these things,” Milich said. “So I had lawyers talk and economists talk, and I don't know anything about those areas. It's best for the people who know it well to be the ones that are talking about it and available to answer questions about it.” Milich used the speakers to weave the class through a number of topics. They discussed the science behind the virus—its structure, infectivity and how it relates to other viruses. But they also discussed its social impact, like how disabled people and incarcerated persons have been affected by the virus. “We needed to equip our students with public health knowledge about COVID-19 to help keep our campus community healthy and safe during the fall semester,” said Feng Sheng Hu, the dean of faculty of Arts & Sciences, who first thought of the course. “There is an enormous amount of information in the news media on COVID-19, and I thought it’s important to help our undergrads digest this information with the guidance of leading experts.” In this time of isolation, creating a sense
of community was also important for Milich— even after the class’ enrollment had ballooned. She made it interactive, with a communications component, where students created four infographics to share publicly on their social media pages or with their local communities. They participated in discussion boards and submitted a question for each guest lecturer. From Monday to Friday, Milich worked all day long on the class—outside of morning walks with her dog, Anvil Head. She would answer student emails, coordinate with the speakers, meet with her staff and design quiz questions. That didn’t even
include the classroom portion, where Milich had to manage Zoom webinar calls with over 1,200 students asking hundreds of questions by the hour. “It's a crazy situation to be on a call where you have 1,000 people,” Milich says. “...You're trying to maintain eye contact with the speaker, listen and follow along, nod your head, give positive feedback, all of those things, while also keeping track of those hundreds of questions and pulling them together into themes so that you can ask the speaker [questions] whenever they get done talking.” As hundreds of students joined each day during registration, Milich had to increase her own support
as well. She created a staff of 16 graduate students, four anthropology faculty assistants, two Arts & Sciences instructional specialists and a communications team to help run the class. Even answering emails, she learned, constituted a “full-time job.” Although the class ended on Sept. 4, Milich’s work is not finished. The goal of the course was to educate—and that doesn’t stop with University students. Each lecture was recorded and posted publicly on the Arts & Sciences website. “I think that given that we put all this effort into making this information accessible,” Milich says, “we should share it as widely as we can.”
Sabrina Spence Social Media Director
Adrienne Levin Coleman General Manager a.coleman@studlife.com
Copyright © 2020 Washington University Student Media, Inc. (WUSMI). Student Life is a financially and editorially independent, student-run newspaper serving the Washington University community. Our newspaper is a publication of WUSMI and does not necessarily represent the views of the Washington University administration.
COURTESY OF KRISTA MILICH Krista Milich works on the COVID-19 course from home with her dog, Anvil Head. Despite being sequestered inside, Milich, along with the help of a near 20-person staff, created the largest class in Wash. U. history.
VOLUME 142, NO. 1 Emma Baker Editor-in-Chief editor@studlife.com
Kya Vaughn Senior Forum Editor forum@studlife.com
Curran Neenan Senior Photo Editor photo@studlife.com
Matthew Friedman Associate Editor
Dorian DeBose Josh Shapiro Senior Sports Editors sports@studlife.com
Jordan Coley Isabella Neubauer Copy Chiefs copy@studlife.com
Isabella Neubauer Sabrina Spence Senior Cadenza Editors cadenza@studlife.com
Vivienne Chang Kathleen White Engagement Directors
Jayla Butler Kya Vaughn Managing Editors Em McPhie Ted Moskal Senior News Editors news@studlife.com Benjamin Simon Senior Scene Editor scene@studlife.com
Mia Goldberg Design Chief design@studlife.com
HN Hoffmann Jaden Satenstein Christine Watridge Multimedia Editors
Nathan Springman Website Editor Jamila Dawkins Forum Editor Christine Watridge Design Editor
Tammy Dunsford Advertising Sales Supervisor dunsfordt@wustl.edu
4 STUDENT LIFE
BENJAMIN SIMON | SENIOR SCENE EDITOR | SCENE@STUDLIFE.COM
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2020
Five places to see within walking distance of campus ISABELLE GILLMAN STAFF WRITER You’ve heard it before: We’re in “unprecedented times.” It seems like every possible on-campus activity is either virtual or postponed until times are once again normal. When you don’t have a car, finding a way to occupy yourself is even more difficult. Here’s a list of five (not overrated) places to see within walking distance from campus. It’s important to remember that there is still an incredible and vibrant city outside of campus to explore. But remember: We impact the surrounding community whether we’re aware of it or not. Make sure to safely socially distance yourself and wear a mask when visiting any attractions!
The Saint Louis Oak Knoll Park Need a little pit stop Art Museum You’ve probably heard of the Saint Louis Art Museum, but seriously, it’s impressive. Also known as “SLAM,” it is completely free and home to artists like van Gogh, Matisse, Gauguin and more. Current exhibitions include The Shape of Abstraction, Javanese Batik Textiles and The Monochrome Mode in East Asian Art. A quick walk through Forest Park will take you straight to the museum’s entrance. After your visit, you can sit on Art Hill overlooking the park––one of the most serene (and best sledding) locations in all of St. Louis. Walking time from Brookings: 20 minutes
on your grocery runs to Schnucks? Consider taking a break at Oak Knoll Park. It’s not nearly as big as Forest Park, but Oak Knoll––named after its 150-year-old post oak trees––still boasts 14.5 acres of greenery to enjoy. There’s a pond with a fountain, magnolia trees, multiple gardens and a half-mile walking path. If you take a seat near the pond, you may even see some turtles waddle out. Despite being bookended by a pair of busy intersections (namely that of Big Bend Boulevard and Clayton Road), the park still manages to feel peaceful––a nice place to do work outside and take a break from campus. Walking time from Brookings: 25 minutes
CURRAN NEENAN | STUDENT LIFE A ten minute walk from the South 40, Oak Knoll Park features a leafy walking loop and a charming pond with picnic tables, perfect for a lunch by the water. If you stay long enough, you’ll see some turtles wander out of the pond.
Jewel Box in Forest Park Located near the further end of Forest Park, Jewel Box is an art deco-style greenhouse complete with hundreds of flowers and a large reflecting pool. Not only is the space and surrounding land beautiful, but the walk there will allow you to explore some of the less familiar parts of Forest Park. Walking time from Brookings: 40 minutes
Third Degree Glass Factory Third Degree Glass Factory is a local glass blowing gallery and studio. Normally, you can schedule
an appointment to create your own glass art, but unfortunately with COVID19, that’s not a possibility at the moment. For now, you can stop by the gallery on your stroll through the Loop and see what their artistsin-residence have created. Expect a psychedelic range of colors and glass shapes you didn’t even know were possible. Stay up-to-date on their calendar, too––this weekend they are hosting Pumpkin Patch Saturday, an outdoor event where they will showcase an array of glass pumpkins. Walking time from Brookings: 45 minutes
Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis
The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis, also known as the Saint Louis Cathedral, is located about two miles from campus. The over 100-year-old cathedral is popular for its burial crypts, “Angel of Harmony” sculpture in the church’s garden and the largest mosaic in the Western Hemisphere. The Roman Catholic cathedral is nearly impossible to miss, taking up an entire city block in the Central West End. It’s a bit of a walk, but it’s worth taking a fall Saturday afternoon to visit the cathedral, along with one of the city’s vibrant neighborhoods––home to nearly 25 restaurants, countless scenic streets and the World Chess Hall of Fame. Walking time from Brookings: 1 hour
CURRAN NEENAN | STUDENT LIFE
The St. Louis Art Museum sits atop Art Hill, across the street from a lush, newly planted bed of flowers.
CURRAN NEENAN | STUDENT LIFE
CURRAN NEENAN | STUDENT LIFE
COLLEGE GRAD REBATE!
$500 toward any new Toyota
ACKERMANTOYOTA.COM
2020 HAMPTON AVE. ST. LOUIS, MO 63139 AT THE INTERSECTION OF HIGHWAY 44 314-351-3000 Toyota Care is a no cost maintenance program that covers the first 2 years or 25k miles, whichever comes first. The Ackerman For Life is valid only at Ackerman Toyota and is non-transferable. Offer contains 1 oil change maximum, per calendar year, when Toyota Care expires. Offer good to primary owner only.
CURRAN NEENAN | STUDENT LIFE
TOP: A couple rests their feet on a bench in the Jewel Box, a sun-filled greenhouse in Forest Park. MIDDLE: The gallery at Third Degree Glass Works is filled with the work of local artisan glassblowers. BOTTOM: The iconic emerald dome of the Cathedral Basilica keeps watch over the Central West End.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2020
SPORTS
DORIAN DEBOSE & JOSH SHAPIRO | SENIOR SPORTS EDITORS | SPORTS@STUDLIFE.COM
STUDENT LIFE 5
What does Student Life Sports look like during a pandemic? The Student Life sports section typically focuses on Washington University sports, so the cancellation of the fall season presents us with a challenge. Still, Student Life remains devoted to providing fresh sports content week in and week out. Yet, we should acknowledge that our coverage is going to look different this semester than it has in the history of this publication. We asked our sports editors about how they plan to continue covering sports, even as sports are placed on the backburner.
How do you intend to continue engaging with athletes during the fall? DORIAN DEBOSE: At the end of last semester, we published a series of profiles with seniors in sports that were canceled. In those profiles, they reflected about what it meant to lose their final season, but they also basked in some of the triumphs from their careers. I think my instinct is to ruminate on the cancellation of the season, but I want to find less dour ways to engage with student-athletes around campus. For example, if senior Tim Tague of the Wash. U. football team wants to play catch with me while we do an interview, I’d think that’s pretty sick! We also focused quite a
bit on seniors in March and April. I’d like to write more pieces featuring underclassmen athletes this semester.
JOSH SHAPIRO: In spite of the obvious challenges of covering collegiate athletics in midst of a sports-less fall season, I am incredibly excited to reshape the way we engage with our student athletes. Without recaps, we’ll be able to focus more of our coverage on longform profiles, giving readers a more personal look into the lives of Bears players. I am hoping that this break will also give us the chance to explore larger-scale projects, including but not limited to the college recruiting process and the logistics behind competing as a Division III institution.
Why do you think it’s important to keep covering sports during a pandemic? DD: I think sports are a wonderful avenue to talk about what makes people tick. Competitiveness and connection can create a great team, but those characteristics exist outside of the field as well. Talking about sports is a way to address topics we don’t normally think about. In some ways, I see cancelled seasons as a stand-in for the impact of [the] coronavirus. When we talk to athletes about what it means to lose a full season of doing something
they love, their perspective provides a tangible way to discuss the general sense of loss that everyone is feeling right now. For them, it’s a lost season. But for others, it’s lost internships, lost jobs, families in flux and the looming specter of mass death. In the same light, it’s refreshing to hear their optimism about sports returning in the future. Even if it’s a new “normal,” I hope there is some kind of normal after [the] coronavirus ends.
campus. This year, I think they would have had a serious chance at a tournament run. They were returning all but one starter from last year’s elite-eight finishing team. On top of being a great team, I learned how to cover sports by watching the women’s soccer team. As a freshman, I covered almost every women’s soccer game for StudLife. I wouldn’t be the reporter I am now without that experience, so Wash. U. women’s soccer
will always have a place in my heart.
winter sports will still happen in some capacity.
JS: As someone who just
What do you make of the connections between sports, social justice and racial equity?
started following Wash. U. sports last winter, I was excited to watch our fall teams and athletes compete for my first time. I’ll miss getting to see our fall teams on the field, though I hope I will still have the opportunity to get to know many of our student athletes. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that
JS: Coronavirus has condensed all of our lives. In the name of health, family and security, even the luckiest of us have given up our favorite hobbies and pastimes. I’d like to think that our sports section can provide little snippets of such long lost entertainment—even in the midst of a pandemic. Whether we’re arguing over the value of baseball or debating why Tigers are the world’s worst mascot (and we’ve done it before), us sports editors know how to create our fair share of shenanigans. I don’t think anyone would disagree that we all deserve some fun and distraction these days.
What will you miss the most about not having fall sports this semester? DD: Honestly, I’m going to miss women’s soccer the most. I’ve been a huge fan of the Wash. U. women’s soccer team since I arrived on
DD: I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the role that sports teams are playing in social movements right now.
SEE SPORTS, PAGE 6
Come check out our CBD selection
Brands we carry:
BeLeaf Life Oils - Missouri Grown! • Eclipse • Green Roads Select CBD • Homegrown Hemp • JustCBD Koi • Organabus • Pinnacle Hemp • Rescue Follow us on
@sunshinedaydreamstl
and on
@sunshinedaydream420
for updates.
Open Monday through Saturday, 10am to 9pm • Sunday 11am to 8pm
6303 DELMAR BLVD IN THE LOOP www.sunshinedaydream.com
SPONSORED BY:
2019
FE
mania
ENT•
LI
puzzle
D
STU
DORIAN DEBOSE AND JOSH SHAPIRO SENIOR SPORTS EDITORS
your AD here
6 STUDENT LIFE
DORIAN DEBOSE & JOSH SHAPIRO | SENIOR SPORTS EDITORS | SPORTS@STUDLIFE.COM
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2020
Sports from page 5 On the professional level, they’re helping to keep attention on the racial injustices that permeate this country. At Wash. U., Black athletes have been vocal about the difficulties they’ve faced as scholar-champions. What athletes are doing right now is genuinely brave and we would fail both the athletes and the student body if we failed to cover their efforts.
JS: In the past few months, we’ve seen professional athletes harness their spotlight to create platforms that highlight the racism and racial inequality Black Americans face in modern America. From the NBA players’ walkout during this year’s playoffs to the Chiefs’ and Texans’ decision to lock arms before the start of their NFL season-opener,
players from all walks of life are finding their voices and telling their stories. StudLife Sports is the media platform for athletics at Wash. U., and as a section, it’s our job to chronicle Bears’ student athletes and bring light to the many struggles our own Black student athletes (and other student athletes of color) have faced.
What’s your favorite non-traditional sport that took hold over during quarantine? DD: I don’t know if this counts, but I’ve been watching a lot of street fighting compilations. They’re pretty sick! I determined that, in the event of a street fight, my optimal strategy would be to make strong friends. That probably
isn’t the answer you’re looking for. The NBA 2K tournament featuring NBA players back in April was cool. Los Angeles Clippers guard Patrick Beverley brings an energy to everything he does that makes him must-watch TV.
JS: I was pretty into Korean baseball. I love watching the Mets, so without an MLB season, any baseball was better than no baseball. One of my friends even started a Korean Fantasy Baseball league!
March Madness-style tournament of the greatest words in the English language, complete with a tournament preview and post-match commentary. I miss the pageantry of sports. Going through the grandiose motions of the NCAA tournament gets me jazzed up. And doing it for something as trivial as words is a deeply funny idea to me.
JS: I envision hosting a
DD: This probably isn’t the
Student Life cooking competition, with each of our sections competing against each other for the grand prize of Wash. U. newspaper MasterChef. Though Gordon Ramsay would be a formidable judge, my guess is he probably wouldn’t be interested in the job. Can’t hurt to ask though.
strangest thing I’ll try to publish, but I really want to do a
What’s
What is the strangest sports-adjacent thing you see yourself trying to publish in the sports section this semester?
a
professional
sports hot take that you hope to see StudLife publish this fall? Philadelphia 76ers point forward Ben Simmons sucks. Much to my colleague [senior scene editor] Benjamin Simon’s chagrin, Ben Simmons is never going to get Philly over the hump. I don’t necessarily believe this take, but my favorite pastime is pissing off Philadelphia fans online. I spend a lot of time on Twitter during professional sports games. My dream scenario is publishing an article called “Ben Simmons is trash, so he’s perfect for the 76ers” then waking up to 17 emails from guys who go by “Junior” about how I won’t say what I wrote in that article to their face.
DD:
JS: It is my hot take and professional recommendation as sports editor that we replace golf with spelling in the next Olympic games. I spent a good chunk of a past Sunday watching a replay of the 2015 Scripps National Spelling Bee. A few hours later, I played golf for the first, and probably only, time in my life. In golf, after one round of practice swings, I could drive the ball 100 yards. But even though I’ve been spelling words all my life, I could never correctly sound out “scherenschnitte” (the championship winning word)—it takes immense talent to make it to the top tier of spelling whizzes. Plus, who doesn’t want a little more primetime competitive spelling coverage on ESPN.
After Stahlhuth resigns, women’s tennis looks for someone to continue her legacy MATTHEW FRIEDMAN ASSOCIATE EDITOR When her car was stolen earlier this year, the first phone call senior Ally Persky made was not home to her parents. It was to the Washington University women’s tennis head coach, Kelly Stahlhuth. Persky and Stahlhuth had become close over their three years together on the team, with Persky viewing her coach as a sort of mother figure. Stahlhuth walked her through the steps she would need to take to retrieve the stolen car and, weeks later, was the person who drove Persky to check out the car when it showed up at a tow garage. The coach was there throughout the process: even when the garage let only Persky in to inspect the car, Stahlhuth remained on the phone with her, guiding her through the process. “I just had this feeling that Kelly was a member of my family,” Persky said of that interaction, observing that the moments during and after the stolen car situation encapsulated Stahlhuth’s selflessness. In interviews this summer, players said that same caring quality and a desire to go above and beyond in terms of off-the-court support were what helped enable Stahlhuth to bring the Bears to 11 straight playoff berths between 20082018 and 12 overall since she joined Wash. U. in 2005. Now, the players are part of a search to find a new head coach with similar qualities, as the University seeks a replacement following Stahlhuth’s July resignation to take a position as an assistant athletic director at a St. Louis high school. Senior Laurel Wanger, who
along with Persky and senior Emma Sass serves as a team captain, said that the search for a head coach revolves around finding someone who can build upon Stahlhuth’s successes. Stahlhuth led the team to a 215-115 record in her 15 seasons with the Bears, including four Elite Eight appearances. Yet so many of Stahlhuth’s successes came off the court as well. “We’re looking for someone who wants to get to know every player on a personal level, because that was something that Kelly did really well,” Wanger said. “She took the time to get to know us and made us feel comfortable coming to her with any issue, tennis-related or not.” Athletic Director Anthony Azama echoed that sentiment. “To say that [Stahlhuth] is a good coach really doesn’t describe the person that she is and how her approach to life has rubbed off on everybody in the athletic department. She’s just upbeat, goes into things without preconceived notions,” he told Student Life. “A great source of wisdom for an athletic director as well as for administrators and student athletes, she will be missed.” At one point in the fall of 2018, senior Emma Sass found herself feeling stressed and overextended, with numerous extracurriculars and responsibilities weighing her down. She reached out to Stahlhuth and the pair took a walk around the track at the Athletic Complex to talk out Sass’ thoughts. “It was great for me. I just talked it out, figured out what I needed to do and then I could move on, and I felt a lot better,” Sass said. “I think a lot of the team has stories like that.” That off-the-court support
was part of what made learning of the resignation so emotional for the team. Players found out about Stahlhuth’s resignation days before the University announced the decision on July 9. There were few indications that Stahlhuth was planning on leaving the Bears before this summer, so most players were surprised when they got the news. Sophomore Sophia Huynh was walking her dog when Stahlhuth called her with the news. “I just blanked out,” Huynh said. She had to ask Stahlhuth again where her new job would be, because she had not been able to process it the first time. “We were all just so shocked that we didn’t hear anything after what she said,” Huynh said. When Stahlhuth called Persky, she had emphasized how she would still be a resource for the team after the resignation, but Persky was still in disbelief. “It felt like losing someone really close to you,” she said. The resignation weighed on Stahlhuth as well. “I told my players that Monday evening that that day of conversations ranked in the top 10 hardest, saddest days of my life,” she told Student Life in an email. The departure left the Bears without any direct adult leadership. Assistant coach Erin Swaller had moved to Washington D.C. earlier in the summer, and Stahlhuth’s resignation meant that her husband Bruce, who often helped out with the team, would no longer be involved. It took a few days for the shock to wear off, but Persky soon found herself more able to talk openly about the resignation. As she talked it over with past and present
teammates and her family, her sadness slowly dissipated, morphing into optimism. “Especially as captains, we felt like we had a responsibility to address it amongst the team, and then it kind of grew into [a mindset of] ‘This can be good. We don’t know who the coach is going to be. It could be awesome. It could be great,” Persky said. The players’ combination of sadness and optimism allowed the captains to lead the team through a tough few days. “It was really good to have the captains just there, because none of us saw it coming,” junior Divya Sharma said. “It was just completely out of the blue. I just kind of leaned on other teammates.” In a meeting of the three captains soon after the resignation, Wanger suggested scheduling a meeting with the Athletic Department to determine next steps for finding a new head coach. The trio met with three department administrators, who told them players could be involved in the second round of interviews. Wanger felt pleasantly surprised by the University’s willingness to include players in the search process. “We didn’t know to what extent we would be included, so we feel like our voices will be heard,” she said in July. Wash. U. was in the midst of a pandemic-induced hiring freeze at the time of Stahlhuth’s resignation, but the Athletic Department reassured the players that they would still be able to hire a coach in the near future. Head coaching positions are considered essential positions, so the department was able to move forward with the search before the school year began. “They
COURTESY OF KELLY STAHLHUTH
Kelly Stahlhuth smiles with the women’s tennis team last fall at a practice. Stahlhuth accumulated a 215115 record in 15 seasons as the Bears’ head coach. told us that they understand the necessity for us to have somebody to ask our questions to and [for] stability,” Wanger said. The search process has continued to impress players since those initial conversations between the captains and the Athletic Department. The team got to lead its own 45-minute interview session for each of four candidates who made it to the second round. “I don’t know how much my opinion was taken into account, I guess I just appreciated that my voice was heard at the table,” Persky said. “That was cool for me, just feeling like I have an impact on the future program after I graduate.” Throughout the search, the players’ time with Stahlhuth has informed the questions the Bears consider. Huynh said she was on the lookout for a coach who could mirror Stahlhuth’s ability as a motivator, someone who could make practices fun while
pushing them to improve. Wanger emphasized the need for someone who could emulate Stahluth’s understanding of the unique position Wash. U. student athletes find themselves in. A focus on tennis was crucial, Wanger said, but she noted that it was also important to her that the new coach understands the need for balance between athletics and academics. Sass focused on how a new coach should, like Stahlhuth, go beyond the traditional duties associated with leading a team. “One of the big things was that kind of above and beyond support, where somebody who is applying to a job as a tennis coach might not know that that’s part of the job application,” she said. “But I think that’s really what made the experience for me, so I think that’s definitely an aspect of what we’re looking for in the next coach.” Additional reporting by Dorian DeBose
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2020
FORUM KYA VAUGHN | SENIOR FORUM EDITOR | FORUM@STUDLIFE.COM
STUDENT LIFE 7
STAFF EDITORIAL
This fall will only work if we work together, so let’s rise to the occasion
T
he damage of the COVID-19 pandemic is no secret. We have witnessed events canceled, schools closed and hospitals filled beyond capacity. More than 190,000 people have died from COVID-19 in the U.S. and millions more have lost their jobs, leaving them insecure in an already confusing time. We have seen firsthand both the physical and mental impacts that this pandemic has caused. It has cost us the ability to socialize in any normal fashion and forced us to alter our plans for the future with little certainty of what even the next week will look like. Few aspects of our lives remain unscathed. Despite these circumstances, the Washington University community has been given the privilege to return to campus this semester. If the University community wishes to partake
in that privilege, however, we cannot ignore the responsibility that accompanies the realities of an in-person semester. Students and the University must work together to ensure the safety of ourselves and others: We must meet this challenge with empathy, transparency and diligence. As you start to settle into your new life on campus, it is imperative that we empathize with our peers and recognize the variety in all of our situations. This pandemic has uprooted people from their homes and thrust many into a state of financial instability. In so many ways, COVID-19 has presented individuals with unexpected challenges and circumstances. The severity of these issues varies from person to person, so now more than ever is it important to try and understand one another, as anyone at any given time can be
struggling with the impacts of the pandemic. Some of these impacts may be directly attributed to someone contracting the virus, in which case shaming someone for contracting the virus is fully unacceptable, regardless of how it was contracted. The fear, isolation and uncertainty that may accompany a coronavirus diagnosis are enough weight on their own. People do not need to be met with scrutiny or condemnation. Instead, they should be met with support and understanding. Regardless of what students do, there is still a risk of illness, and we must recognize that even if we follow all rules and guidelines, there will still likely be cases, as that is simply the nature of viruses. Thus, it is essential that we treat each other equally with kindness, as we have no way of knowing what our peers who are
struggling with the virus are going through. This is not to say, however, that knowing that cases may arise regardless of our actions gives us any excuse to disregard COVID-19 rules and guidelines. Yes, there will likely be some positive cases no matter what. But a blatant disregard of rules regarding social distancing, mask usage and large gatherings will only serve to actively and aggressively endanger the health of so many in our community. COVID-19 has proven to disproportionately affect ethnic minorities and those from a low socioeconomic background. Many members of the Wash. U. community share these identities, and thus it is unfair to yourself, other members of the Wash.U. community and members of the St. Louis region to enter into this semester with the false notion that because we are young
adults, we will be unaffected. You are not an exception to the rules of the coronavirus. Your actions have repercussions far beyond any perception of the Wash. U. bubble. In St. Louis County, there is a 94% chance of at least one individual being COVID-19 positive in a group of 100 people. But what about something smaller? What about a small get together or an indoor dinner with a friend group? For a group of 10 people in St. Louis County, there is a 24% chance that at least one of the individuals has the coronavirus. These probabilities are far too high and too real for us to ignore. Any and all of us are susceptible to contracting the virus, and we are just as susceptible to spreading it. Your get together or party is not worth another person’s health and stability. Many Missouri universities have already reopened
to frightening results. Since the reopening of universities, the state has seen more than 7,000 college-age students test positive for the coronavirus. Cases will rise, but as students, it is not our duty to knowingly increase this number. To do so is simply to demonstrate a complete lack of care and understanding of our peers. At best, this semester will simply be difficult. At worst, it could be disastrous. In order for us to continue to be on campus, we all need to do our part.The Student Life Editorial Board implores students to remember that your actions do not impact you alone and urges the University to maintain transparent communication with the Wash. U. community. Only through the action and commitment of both students and the University can we ensure the safety of our community.
The education gap is growing, do your part to close it KYA VAUGHN MANAGING EDITOR
E
ducational disparities have been a part of the American education system for years. We love to boast about the equality of American education, but this is a falsity that in a lot of ways is ignored. Although public school is free to all, there are so many aspects that go into making an equitable system—aspects that have turned the educational system into a constant war between those who can afford to succeed and those who cannot, with students from a lower socioeconomic background persistently having to vie for fair and equal education. A 2013 study discovered that 51% of students in American K-12 public schools were from a low-income
background (measured by their ability to be enrolled in the free and reduced lunch program). A different study performed in 2016 found that only 20% of undergraduate students were from low-income backgrounds. Although these are two different studies from two different years, there is still something to be said about this discrepancy: A majority of American children come from low-income households, while a vast majority of college students do not. Coincidence? Unlikely. Standardized testing such as the ACT and SAT play a large role in determining the acceptance of a student into a collegiate university. There are some schools that no longer require these tests, but there are far too few colleges on this bandwagon, leaving the majority of high school students still
trying to receive top scores in order to make themselves competitive applicants. Striving for academic excellence is great; however, not every student— regardless of aptitude and ability—has the same access to resources. A study found that the average student who partakes in test prep courses can expect a 25 to 32 point increase one the SAT, with a similar scaled increase on the ACT. However, this increase comes at a steep cost. The average cost for an SAT test prep course ranges between $800 and $1800. This prep course alone costs nearly the same amount as the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment. Based on the aforementioned 2013 study, a test prep bill is one that many families cannot afford to pay. Fast-forward to 2020, the year that seems to exist solely
to highlight the inequities in America. The COVID19 pandemic came quickly and unexpectedly, leaving many unemployed and uncertain about tomorrow. Consequently, the pandemic caused the unemployment rate to reach a record high, with 14.7% of Americans being unemployed. People don’t know whether or not they’ll be able to afford groceries or rent, let alone be able to shell out $1800 for an SAT prep course for their children. Perhaps people could opt for a personal tutor instead of a full course, but that costs an average of $30 to $40 an hour, which is still far too expensive for many struggling families. The education gap between the rich and the poor has only grown wider, leaving parents and teachers concerned about the educational well-being of children
and students. In the middle of my public school education, I was categorized as a low-income student. Seeing the scores of my peers on standardized tests made me question my own capabilities: Was I incapable of success, or could I simply not afford it? It is a painful realization that many students across the nation are asking themselves the same question, and the COVID-19 pandemic has only worsened the issue. It’s an unfair truth that students who cannot afford comparable education to their wealthier peers are subject to falling behind in their academics for reasons far beyond their control. Their educational potential may never fully be known, not because they are unable, but simply because they do not have the means. America was founded on being the land of
opportunity, but the disparities that exist in this nation illustrate a society less than that. Students can and have already committed themselves to helping parents and students during this tough time. Many Washington University students have dedicated themselves to tutoring, allowing parents the opportunity to be matched with a tutor based on financial needs. Several tutoring programs have sprung up and been revamped as a result of the pandemic, and if you have the ability to help out, you should. If you are fortunate enough to have the privilege of receiving a quality education, consider using that same privilege to prevent a student from falling through the cracks. America has enough education disparities; let’s not let the COVID-19 pandemic add any more.
BLM activism extends to on-campus behavior JAMILA DAWKINS FORUM EDITOR
L
et me see if I can guess your social media presence from late May to June. George Floyd’s murder rocks your feed—seemingly overnight, everyone you know is posting about it. Protests spark in dozens of cities nationwide—then, in even more cities worldwide. Statues are toppling. Suddenly, more names: Breonna Taylor, Rayshard Brooks, Oluwatoyin Salau—and more every day. Everyone is shouting at once. Even the people who are silent are speaking volumes—and they’re being called out, too. You don’t want to be one of
those people. So you decide to do something. There’s a spectrum of activism. I don't know exactly where you were on it. Maybe you were out there protesting. Maybe you couldn’t protest but you donated or shared information about bail funds. Maybe you watched one of those YouTube videos where the AdSense gets donated, or supported Black-owned businesses. Maybe you added lots of aesthetic black-andwhite graphics to your story, but skipped through all of the GoFundMe’s and petitions on your feed. Maybe your activism started and ended with a black square and a hashtag. Even if you did the
OUR VOICE: EDITORIAL BOARD
most bare minimum, your behavior signaled an ideology. The phrase “Black lives matter” shouldn’t be controversial , but it is—and it carries weight. Declaring that “Black lives matter” means that you care about Black life. That you are allied with Black life and Black communities. That you think they are worthy. It is a grave mistake to compartmentalize this sentiment. It is easy (or easier) to say that Black lives matter when confronted with the nationally televised brutalization of Black protesters. It is less easy to recognize that you are advocating for Black lives by wearing a mask and limiting the spread of COVID-19 to vulnerable
Senior Scene Editor: Benjamin Simon Senior Sports Editors: Dorian DeBose, Josh Shapiro
Staff editorials reflect the consensus of our editorial board. The editorial board operates independently of our newsroom and includes members of the senior staff and forum section editors.
Senior Cadenza Editors: Isabella Neubauer, Sabrina Spence
Copy Chiefs: Jordan Coley, Isabella Neubauer
Engagement Directors: Vivienne Chang, Associate Editor: Matthew Friedman Managing Editors: Jayla Butler, Kya
Kathleen White
Vaughn
Forum Editor: Jamila Dawkins Multimedia Editors: HN Hoffmann,
Senior Forum Editor: Kya Vaughn
Christine Watridge
Black communities—communities that are dying of COVID-19 at twice the rate of whites both nationwide and in St. Louis. It is less easy to recognize that when you tweet about BLM and then turn around and have a kickback with your friends, you are being a hypocrite. Risk-taking during a pandemic is a spectrum, too. Many of us would be quick to shame people for partying—and rightfully so. That is a large risk. But there are smaller risks, too. Maybe you notice a friend’s mask has slipped off their nose, but you decide not to tell them because it’s awkward; maybe someone is standing a little too close and you don’t know how to tell them
to maintain the six feet. These concerns can seem important in the moment they crop up. Allyship and anti-racism, too, are uncomfortable. They are often not polite to bring up in light conversation. But maintaining politeness is not worth endangering life. Black lives are worth the discomfort. Advocating for Black lives means acknowledging that systemic racism touches everything. Nothing has made that more evident than the fact that a global pandemic—by definition affecting every person—still disproportionately hurts Black people. Allyship doesn’t end with a hashtag— it’s a full-time job. Social media activism
YOUR VOICE: SUBMISSIONS We welcome letters to the editor and op-ed submissions from our readers. Submissions may be sent to letters@studlife. com and must include the writer’s name, class and phone number for verification. Letters should be no longer than 350 words in length, and readers may
has value. It’s convenient. It gives more people access to the fight. It can spread awareness and support like wildfire, as #BlackLivesMatter has proven. But it has also bolstered a sense of allyship among many people who are not doing nearly enough. Since more tangible means of activism are so much more accessible now, this is doubly lazy. Black lives don’t stop existing—or mattering—when your phone dies or you log out of Twitter. Now is the time to put up or shut up. Online activism can only take you so far. You care about Black lives? Then stop endangering them. Here’s a good place to start: Wear your goddamn mask.
OUR WEB POLICY also submit longer op-eds of up to 750 words. We reserve the right to print any submission as a letter or op-ed. Any submission chosen for publication does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Student Life, nor does publication mean Student Life supports said submission.
Once an article is published on studlife. com, it will remain there permanently. We do not remove articles or authors’ names from the site unless an agreement was reached prior to July 1, 2005.
8 STUDENT LIFE
CADENZA ISABELLA NEUBAUER & SABRINA SPENCE | SENIOR CADENZA EDITORS | CADENZA@STUDLIFE.COM
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2020
With plans to stream remotely, KWUR isn’t pausing the music ISABELLE GILLMAN STAFF WRITER When so much of college life is based on connecting with each other through shared, communal experiences, it’s hard to imagine campus life without normal extracurriculars. As students, it seems like there are no clear answers to any of our questions. What are hybrid classes going to look like? Where will I be able to study? Is Ibby’s doing pickup orders? KWUR 90.3FM Clayton—or KWUR for short—is one of the largest clubs on campus, with over 200 members and counting. Its members are passionate about underground indie music, bringing in guest artists for events and house shows and designing unique merchandise. In past years, KWUR
operated out of a studio on the third floor of the Danforth University Center complete with professionalgrade microphones, streaming software built into the computers and a soundboard that DJs controlled during their shows. But, of course, this year will be different for KWUR and its members. “We’re going to be doing remote broadcasting from each of our laptops,” said senior Avery Johnson, the general manager of KWUR. “It’s going to be kind of messy and we’ll be running limited operations, but it’s going to work.” While KWUR is a radio station at its core, a large part of the club's culture is house shows and live music events. Johnson explained that it is unclear whether there will be events and that the club’s executive board is
“trying to figure out ways to live stream.” Sophomore and executive board member Jasen Vest assured that KWUR will “fulfill its duties of promoting and spreading music to its listeners.” “The community still exists and is in communication,” Vest said. “We plan on making online communication more accessible this semester, especially to freshman trainees.” Like many clubs, KWUR still plans on recruiting and training new members despite operating remotely. Traditionally, anyone who wishes to join KWUR must be a trainee for a semester, learning KWUR’s rules and history throughout. After trainees complete their training requirements, they are promoted to DJs the following semester. “Training will function
a lot like it has in the past, but this year the introductory meetings and all of the requirements for DJ-ship will be entirely virtual,” explained Training Directors senior Tara Kilkenny and sophomore Camden Dyer in a joint statement. “We've had to rethink some of the traditional steps of the process, but some solutions include a virtual tour of the studio, a one-on-one with a current DJ and remote CD-reviews.” Overall, KWUR intends to continue operating as close to normal as possible. “There are still a few logistical issues we need to resolve,” Dyer said, “but we're hoping to make training engaging and personal, especially given the relative isolation that festers in the dark recesses of a 50-person Zoom conference call."
GRACE FUNG | STUDENT LIFE
The old KWUR office in the basement of the Women’s Building. KWUR has worked out of the Danforth University Center since the early 2010s, but will be broadcasting remotely this fall.
Live-action ‘Mulan’ provides drama where original provided humor SABRINA SPENCE SENIOR CADENZA EDITOR Learning that a childhood
favorite is getting a remake can be both exciting and upsetting. On one hand, something you’ve loved is
getting new life breathed into it, but on the other hand, there’s the possibility that it won’t live up to your
expectations. The liveaction remake of Disney’s “Mulan” not only lives up to, but exceeds expectations. “Mulan” (2020) was scheduled for release in March, but was postponed due to COVID-19. Instead, the film was released with premier access Friday, Sept. 4 on Disney+. While the new adaptation follows the same plotline as the 1998 original animated film, the live-action remake tells a much more dramatic and empowering story. There are a few differences between the original and the 2020 remake—this new adaptation more closely follows the original folk song “Ballad of Mulan” more closely, the film isn’t a musical and some of our favorite characters are missing—Mushu, General Li Shang and the lucky cricket. However, the introduction of two new characters makes up for the absence of Shang and our favorite animated cricket. Being a big fan of musicals, I thought that the absence of music would curb my enthusiasm for the movie, but I was wrong. While I missed the songs that I knew and loved, I didn’t mind that they weren’t there once I became invested in the movie. The remake is actionpacked from start to finish. We are introduced to a world where girls are told to limit themselves because
they can’t be warriors, and from the moment we first see her, Mulan doesn’t let that stop her. From the time she’s a little girl, we see her engaging in daring feats around her home village to the chagrin and chastisement of her community and her family, which includes a younger sister—another nod to the original poem. Although there’s no music, an instrumental version of the iconic song “Reflection” plays in the background throughout the movie, bringing a sense of familiarity and nostalgia to the film. Another key difference between the original and the remake is the replacement of the Huns with the Rourans—another nod to the original poem. The Rourans work with a “witch” of sorts by the name of Xianniang who, like Mulan, has been told all her life to act like a proper lady and behave herself. Ostracized by her community, Xianniang is fighting to be accepted for the strong woman that she is, using her power to force herself into the narrative. These ideas of acceptance, femininity and finding your inner strength are so much more defined in the live-action film than the animated counterpart, and I find that refreshing. Most Disney movies in the princess franchise barely scratch the surface on darker themes as a way to make the film more
palatable for children, but this film thankfully steers slightly away from that pattern. Now, when a new film is released, there is bound to be some controversy, and “Mulan” (2020) does not escape that. The film has been met with poor reception by Chinese audiences because of lead actress Yifei Liu's support of the Hong Kong police during a time where countries worldwide are re-evaluating their policing tactics. Critics have also objected to the closing credits' thanks to government groups in the Xinjiang region, where Uyghur Muslims are being held in internment camps, as well as the film’s handling of Chinese cultural elements, specially the treatment of qi, the traditional idea in Chinese martial arts and medicine that concerns a person’s energy flow. The film uses qi as a magical element rather than a convention that requires dedication and practice. Disney makes magic happen, but not without some controversy. This film follows that pattern, as do a majority of films that base their content on cultural and historical references that differ from Western culture. “Mulan” is a film with its merits and its flaws, but it’s a spirit-lifting experience nonetheless for fans of the franchise and the original film.
drink. dine. play.
WEEKLY BAR, RESTAURANT AND FUN GUIDE
V LARGE SPECIALTY OR UNLIMITED TOPPING PIZZA
13
$
WE ARE THE DELIVERY EXPERTS!
7018 PERSHING AVE 314-726-3030 CLAYTON/WASH U
99
EACH CODE: 9025
OPEN LATE! SUN-THURS 10:30AM-12AM FRI & SAT 10:30AM-1AM