Academics discuss free speech and polarization. (News, pg 2)
EMMYS 2025
”The Pitt” and “Severance” battle it out. (Scene, pg 5)
Students hold vigil commemorating the life of Charlie Kirk
Last Thursday evening, Sept. 11, around 30 students gathered in the lamplight outside Graham Chapel to mourn the death, celebrate the life, and discuss the legacy of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
A day prior, Kirk — an outspoken ally of President Donald Trump — was shot and killed on a Utah college campus while debating students in a Q&A-style event. Kirk was widely known for fiery debates as the founder of Turning Point USA (TPUSA), a national organization dedicated to advocating for conservative viewpoints in college and high school settings.
The vigil was organized independently by sophomore Arianna Zeldin, who had previously met Kirk at a TPUSA event and is the daughter of United States Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lee Zeldin.
“[Kirk] was a big inspiration to me. Besides my father, he was somebody in politics I looked up to and will always look up to. I thought it was only right if I did something for him,” Zeldin said.
The vigil took place next to a small memorial, consisting of three dozen small tealights, an American flag, and two signs. One sign remembered Kirk as a husband, father, and patriot, and the other left a message for the WashU community: “For those who disagreed with Charlie, prove to yourself that you still have a heart and let him R.I.P.”
Although the students left the signs following the vigil, they had been removed from the chapel’s vicinity by the following morning.
Several students spoke following Zeldin’s initial speech, including sophomore Thomas McGowan,
reflecting on what he described as Kirk’s willingness to engage with students across the political spectrum.
“His whole schtick was dialogue and reaching out an olive branch to people who did not agree with him,” McGowan said in an interview with Student Life following the event.
“People have been so alienated that they would rather pull the trigger on a rifle than turn on a microphone.”
In a statement shared with Student Life, vigil attendee and Washington University Republicans president
Ella Bruno expressed grief over Kirk’s death and said that she has observed those in her organization unifying in the aftermath of the shooting.
“The College Republicans believe this marks a turning point in American history,” Bruno wrote.
“His death is the almost unthinkable horror of what many conservatives
are most scared of … violence for representing patriotic and conservative ideals. This is a crucial time where College Republicans are coming together, from vocal individuals like myself to those who are too scared to express their ideals for fear.”
Shortly after the news of the killing circulated, WashU College Democrats condemned political violence and reiterated the value of peaceful discussions in a statement shared with their followers on Instagram.
“Now is not the time for political division. More than ever, we need to … find practical solutions and bring our country together,” reads a statement by the College Democrat’s Public Relations Chair, junior Collin Lloyd. “WashU College Democrats stand firmly against any form of political violence and continue to strive for a democracy of peaceful
dialogue regardless of political ideology.”
McGowan echoed the call for dialogue across divisions in an interview with Student Life.
“Talk with people; even if you hate what they have to say, it’s still worth the second,” he said.
In a media interview the day after the vigil, Bruno reflected on Kirk’s legacy and what she described as his normalization of conservative viewpoints among the college-aged generation.
“He made it almost cool to be conservative again. He was very confident, very outspoken, and that’s something that we don’t see nowadays,” Bruno said. “It’s almost not acceptable in this generation to be right-leaning or to have conservative values, but he said, ‘No, it’s okay to love your country. It’s okay to be patriotic.’”
Inside the simmering labor dispute at Kaldi’s Coffee
While the air conditioner is now fixed, the labor dispute is ongoing.
In late August, a group of Kaldi’s employees, along with professional labor organizers, staged a protest inside the Skinker location of Kaldi’s Coffee, a popular study spot for WashU students. This development was the culmination of months of disputes over a lack of air conditioning, sewage leakage in the kitchen, and an employee who union organizers allege was fired for raising these issues with management.
The kitchen in this Kaldi’s location remains closed, as it has been for almost two weeks. Simultaneously, labor organizers and Kaldi’s employees are attempting to unionize multiple Kaldi’s locations across St. Louis.
The protest included organizers from the St. Louis chapter of the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) and organizers from the Missouri Workers Center (MWC).
The MWC is the main force behind
the unionization effort but declined to comment on this article.
Addie Gray, an organizer for PSL who participated in the protest, said the issue began when the air conditioner in the Skinker location went out.
“From my understanding, people have been passing out in the kitchen due to the heat, because obviously it’s been an extremely hot summer, and in the kitchen it’s even hotter,” Gray said. “There have been times when there has been sewage water on the floor with no
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK QB Levi Moore readies for year two as WashU’s starting quarterback. (Sports, pg 8)
Former St. Louis mayor joins WashU as visiting fellow
Former St. Louis mayor Tishaura Jones will join WashU through a newly created fellowship offered by WashU’s Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity & Equity (CRE2), where among other things she will “engage both campus and community audiences in dialogue around critical issues of race & ethnicity,” according to the center’s goals.
The fellowship, which will begin next spring, comes at a time of heated controversy surrounding discussions of race and ethnicity in higher education. WashU has recently rolled back some DEIrelated content on its websites and formed a committee to review some DEI efforts.
Executive Director of CRE2 Dwight McBride emphasized that the center’s work is research-driven rather than pushing for DEI initiatives at the school.
“Whereas DEI refers to organizational strategies for workplace diversity and inclusion, our focus is on generating scholarship, fostering intellectual dialogue, and creating opportunities for academic and community engagement around the study of the functions of race and ethnicity,” McBride said.
A large part of Jones’ role is to host events to foster discussions and research on race and ethnicity. In her role as Visiting Distinguished Fellow, the website says Jones will “help recruit and invite other notable figures to join campus conversations and public programs.”
air conditioning, and management [didn’t] do anything to fix either of these problems.”
When exactly the air conditioning first stopped working is disputed. Gray claims it was in April. A current Kaldi’s employee, who asked to remain anonymous out of fear of professional repercussions and will be referred to as Employee X, seconded that claim.
However, in a statement to Student Life, Cynthia Daniels, the People Director at Kaldi’s Coffee, claimed it was damaged in the May tornado that swept through St. Louis.
“Our records do not reflect any AC issues reported at the Skinker location in April,” Daniels wrote to Student Life in an email. “The May tornado caused a multiday power outage in the building and also caused damage to the AC unit.
In July and August, building-level electrical issues again affected AC service; each time, we promptly engaged a licensed HVAC vendor to restore service as soon as possible.”
She also said Kaldi’s closed the kitchen at the Skinker location to allow for repairs.
“We recently had some greaserelated backup issues in the kitchen, so we closed our kitchen until it can be fully repaired,” Daniels wrote.
SEE KALDI’S, PAGE 2
“She is working with us to curate what are shaping up to be four events that will take place over the spring semester and will engage WashU students, the broader WashU academic community, and broader community publics, respectively,” McBride wrote.
As of now, the exact details of these events and who the speakers will be are still unclear.
McBride said they chose Jones as its inaugural Visiting Distinguished Fellow due to her experience in civil service, especially as a Black woman.
“We see Mayor Jones’s extensive experience as former mayor, former city treasurer, and as a former state representative as especially relevant to the broader study and understanding of how race (and gender) impact civic service and leadership,” McBride wrote.
Reflecting on her time in politics to St. Louis Public Radio, Jones expressed some relief at stepping away from the public eye.
“It’s been interesting not having to have an opinion on everything that happens on either level, the state, local, or national level. Now I can just pay attention if I want to, or tune it all out if I want to,” Jones said.
The former mayor could not be reached for comment on this article.
McBride expressed hope that the fellowship would bring interesting and knowledgeable people to WashU’s campus.
“We look forward to inviting future civic leaders with relevant experience and backgrounds, or scholars who study race and civic leadership, to join us in this role in future.”
Students gathered in candlelight by Graham Chapel to mourn the death of political activist Charlie Kirk late Thursday evening.
TIM MELLMAN | NEWSLETTER EDITOR
The Kaldi’s location on Skinker Boulevard, across the street from WashU’s campus.
RACHEL BENITEZ-BORREGO | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
COBY RINKE NEWS EDITOR
‘When we stop talking is when violence finds its purchase’: WashU hosts panel on educating for democracy
of a faculty and an institution to provide a rigorous curriculum, a required curriculum that ensures that every student gets a liberal education.”
As polarization deepens and skepticism of higher education grows, WashU School of Law hosted a panel last Thursday night to discuss how universities can better educate students for democracy.
There were three panelists: Professor of Liberal Education at Bard College Roosevelt Montás, Professor of Law at George Washington University Law School Mary-Rose Papandrea, and New York Times columnist David French. The event was moderated by WashU Professor of Law and Religion John Inazu. The discussion was the culmination of a two-day conference at the law school convened by Inazu that brought together academics and commentators to discuss the role of the American university in civic life.
The panel began by discussing liberal education and its importance. Montás spoke about how liberal education is losing traction to preprofessional-oriented studies.
“Liberal education has been almost entirely subsumed, entirely devoured by disciplinary studies,” Montás said. “It is the responsibility
In a 2022 interview, Montás described liberal education by saying it “teaches, in the profoundest sense, how to be human or rather it facilitates a process of full human development.”
Montás was asked why liberal education is still important in an age of preprofessionalism in an interview with Student Life following the event.
“We are not just feeders and seekers of status and comfort, there is another dimension to human existence,” he said. “I don’t know anybody who simply and exclusively wants job training. Anybody given the opportunity will want to think deeply about big questions.”
The panelists then discussed the importance of free speech and civil discourse to a liberal education. French described a university’s role in educating for free speech.
“The defense of free speech is incomplete without the exercise of virtue, and I think there’s very few places in American life better equipped, in theory, to educate people about both the tremendous power of the liberty of free speech and the indispensable obligation of personal character and virtue
speak about the role
speech principles.
than a university,” he said.
French referenced the recent assasination of Charlie Kirk as an example of attacks on free speech in the United States right now.
“The fact that it [the assasination] happened on a university campus while he was in the process of a debate meant that the assassin’s bullet wasn’t just aimed at Charlie Kirk, it was aimed at the heart of the American public square,” French said.
When asked what we can do to foster free speech,
French said the most important thing to do is to have civil discourse.
“I disagreed with him on a lot of things, but I agree with him on this: when we stop talking is when violence finds its purchase, and so the answer to the assassin’s bullet has to be to courageously continue the conversation,” French said.
Specifically, at university campuses such as WashU’s, French said that it is important for students to continue to speak up no matter what.
“You cannot give into fear in this moment, you have to continue to speak your mind, to speak it as fearlessly as you can in a dangerous environment, but to do it anyway.”
French also discussed how he believes diversity and free speech go hand in hand on university campuses, although they have been portrayed as in opposition.
“The fact that somehow we allowed free speech and diversity to be put at odds with one another has been catastrophic for our conception of free speech,” French said. “I would say without free speech, we ultimately can’t have real pluralism and real diversity.”
The panelists also commented on some of the
KALDI’S from page 1
While WashU owns the building the Kaldi’s on Skinker is located in, WashU Vice Chancellor for Marketing and Communications Julie Flory said she was not aware of any involvement from the University.
Employee X suggested the eventual repair of the AC was due to the Aug. 22 protest.
“[We] presented a petition signed by 20 union workers, and within a week the air conditioning was fixed. After months of ‘We’re looking into it,’ months of stalling, months of, ‘Well, it’s kind of half working,’ it was fixed,” Employee X said.
Another major issue that led to the protest was Kaldi’s firing of an employee, which, according to Gray, occurred after the worker brought up the air conditioning and sewage issues to Kaldi’s management.
“[The management] basically said nothing, and a few days later, this worker was fired,” Gray said. “It’s pretty obvious the reason was because they were advocating
policies adopted under Chancellor Andrew Martin including WashU’s statement of institutional neutrality in interviews with Student Life before the event.
“The role of the university, as the institution, is to provide the theater of political debate. It is not to be the political debater,” French said, quoting from the University of Chicago’s statement of institutional neutrality.
Papandrea added that administration officials often have no special knowledge on topics outside the university, so when they publicly comment on a political event, such as conflicts in Ukraine or Gaza, it is most likely because of pressure from stakeholders.
“They lack expertise on that topic,” Papandrea said. “It’s then no different from a corporation of any kind issuing a statement, and it often comes in response to a demand by some constituency.”
In response to Martin’s recent announcement of the Ordered Liberty Project — the administration’s initiative to recruit faculty with expertise in classical liberalism — the panelists expressed disagreement with hiring professors because of their
for their basic human rights.”
The employee who was fired declined to comment on the record. On Aug. 29, a lawsuit brought by the law firm Schuchat, Cook & Werner was filed with the National Labor Relations Board against the coffee chain, alleging unfair labor practices, which could include the wrongful discipline or termination of an employee.
Daniels said that out of a respect for privacy, Kaldi’s could not comment on why the worker was let go. However, she expressed willingness to listen to employees.
“Kaldi’s Coffee is committed to openness and respect, and we support open dialogue about wages, scheduling, and working conditions to strengthen our workplace and our team,” Daniels wrote to Student Life.
She added that the chain adheres to health and safety standards.
“Kaldi’s complies with applicable health and safety requirements, cooperates with the responsible
political beliefs, either liberal or conservative.
“I think what we actually need to have is true, equal academic opportunity, a divorce from ideological litmus tests,” French said. Several attendees of the event said that they were impressed and reflective afterwards. WashU Law alumnus John Hull gave his impression of the panel.
“One thing that jumped out at me was the discussion around self-governance and how important that is for our country and how we need to teach people to prepare for that,” Hull said. “The thing that I thought about was, individually, to what extent people are willing, interested, and able to govern their own lives.”
In reflecting on the evening’s discussion, Inazu expressed his optimism in WashU’s potential.
“We have the real privilege of having students who come here, who are very smart, who are from very different backgrounds, who can commit to being in sustained efforts of reading hard texts together and having difficult conversations,” Inazu said. “And I would just love to see more of that, and I would love to see us rise to the occasion.”
authorities, and remains committed to the well-being of our team, our guests, and the community,” Daniels wrote. All of the issues above eventually led to the protest inside the Kaldi’s on Skinker in late August.
“[We] occupied the space … when management said ‘There’s nothing we can do at the moment,’ [we] basically said we’re going to stay here until someone who can do something comes to talk to us,” Gray said. Gray said the August protest eventually ended when the workers on shift staged an impromptu walkout, causing the rest of the employees and union organizers to end their “occupation” of the Skinker location.
However, the labor dispute is not over, and Employee X expressed hope about what future organizing efforts at Kaldi’s would bring.
“I’m a proud worker, and I feel disrespected,” they said. “I’m so excited to be able to take more control over my life through the union.”
After the assassination of Charlie Kirk last week
— and tragic incidents of political violence against public officials throughout the U.S. in recent years
— we’re confronting a challenging reality of a society fraught by frequent political violence. Additionally, on campus, there is uncertainty and tension around a range of issues, including the possible combination of six departments, the increased threat of deportation many face, and significant cuts to research funding.
We live in a time when political headlines bombard our phones at all times of the day, and yet, it is overwhelming to process the information or have conversations about it. Amidst heightened attention to political events, it is crucial that community members are willing and able to engage with each other, including across difference and disagreement, in the pursuit of civil discourse and mutual respect.
Political and systemic violence (including political assassinations, mass shootings, and violence against marginalized people) is never acceptable. We must reflect on the type of community we want to live in — one that makes something productive out of its disagreement or one that resorts to violence over it — and change our habits to reflect that ideal.
Calling for civil discourse makes us feel a little bit like
broken records and, understandably, may frustrate readers who were hoping for a stronger call to action. We cannot entirely fix a culture through respectful political conversations when that culture permits and normalizes political (and other) violence. Still, creating structural change necessitates mutual understanding, compassion, and empathy — that begins with conversations.
Political discourse can be difficult and exhausting, especially when it’s with people who don’t agree with us, but we must push ourselves to engage in these conversations. When we stop discussing topics that challenge our thinking, we risk losing sight of each other’s humanity. This, in turn, leads to the rise in political violence, which has doubled in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024.
At her WashU event, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor spoke at length about her relationship with Justice Clarence Thomas. She acknowledged that they notoriously and consistently disagree about some of the most pertinent issues facing our country, and yet, she put in deliberate effort to understand where his opinions came from. She discussed differences in their upbringings and the lessons they took away.
However, this kind of care and approach to difficult conversations does not only belong in Washington. The
Student Life editorial board is composed of a diverse group of students and opinions who meet weekly to discuss campus and national issues. This experience has taught us both the difficulty and significance of regularly having these conversations. Ultimately, difficult conversations become easier with practice.
College is a place to deconstruct some of our preconceived notions about political issues and the political system — we all grew up in families with different political leanings, education systems with different methods of teaching, and social circles with different levels of diversity of thought. College is a unique opportunity to engage with people and cultures and politics that we haven’t before, and the way we take advantage of this opportunity will determine the kind of citizens we become beyond our political views.
Remember that conversations should be collaborative discussions rather than debates. Conversations should not have an agenda to affirm your point of view or even reach consensus. Instead, we should strive to better understand different perspectives and reflect on how that may expand our own beliefs. As long as each party actively listens and tries to understand the other in a discussion, and bigotry or hate does not enter the conversation, it can sometimes be OK to “agree to disagree.”
That being said, it’s not
VOLUME 147, NO. 4
Riley Herron
Sydney Tran
Editors-in-Chief editor@studlife.com
Elizabeth Stump Managing News Editor
Sylvie
Matt
Astrid
always easy to begin these conversations. Be mindful that not everyone will be willing to have those conversations right then and there, and do not get discouraged if someone declines. The more we attempt to have difficult poltiical conversations, the more normalized they will be.
Everyone — professors and students alike — must encourage respectful and civil discourse both in and out of the classroom. It is time we collectively overcome the fear and anxiety associated with political discussion.
Staff editorials reflect the opinion of the majority of our editorial board members. The editorial board operates independently of our newsroom and includes members of the senior staff.
Eliza Stulman, Junior Sports Editor
Sylvie Richards, Managing Forum Editor
Dion Hines, Senior Forum Editor
David Ciorba, Senior Forum Editor
Amelia Raden, Senior Forum Editor
Lyn Wilkins, Junior Forum Editor
Will Rosenblum, Managing Scene Editor
Astrid Burns, Special Issues Editor
Grayce Cooper, Managing Social Media Editor
Bri Nitsberg, Managing Photo Editor
Sophie Schwartz, Junior Scene Editor
Eran Fann, Photo Editor
Riley Herron, Editor-in-Chief
Syd Tran, Editor-in-Chief
Matt Eisner, Managing Sports Editor
Ian Heft, Senior Sports Editor
Sara Gelrud, Junior Scene Editor
Lewis Rand, Senior Sports Editor
AnaElda Ramos, Managing Illustration Editor
Christian Kim, Junior Sports Editor
Elizabeth Grieve, Senior Scene Editor
Sophia Hellman, Senior Scene Editor
Kate Theerman Rodriguez, Senior Forum Editor
TILLIE SZWARTZ
Expand your definition of ‘political violence’
Bipartisan discourse condemning political violence has resurfaced since the Sept. 10 killing of Charlie Kirk, a right-wing public figure and political commentator. Both sides of the aisle are urging the public to have empathy for Kirk and his family and identifying what seems to be a rising trend in political violence.
Others are highlighting the connection between Kirk’s controversial views and the manner in which he passed, while simultaneously condemning the violence done unto him and other victims of gun violence.
Instances of physical violence perpetrated against public political figures like Kirk often get condemned swiftly, but really only scratch the surface of the network of violence and oppression
that has sustained our country since its inception. If anything, Kirk’s death is simply a high-profile symptom of a much larger problem.
The general public’s narrow view of what it considers to be “political violence” is limiting the type of discussion and action that can be taken to prevent and remediate it in the first place. I argue that we start by looking at the World Health Organization’s (WHO) definition before expanding our own:
The WHO defines violence as “the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community, that either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment, or deprivation.” Already, we see how this definition implicates far more than
assassinations (the more typically recognized form of political violence).
Furthermore, we should begin to think about political violence as a structural issue: In “Violence: a glossary,” published in the National Institute of Health (NIH), the authors define “structural violence” as “the physical and psychological harm that result from exploitative and unjust social, political and economic systems.” By thinking about violence in this way, we are able to better dissect how instances of violence against political figures come to be in the first place.
A complicated issue like this requires us to consider the interconnections between government-perpetrated violence in order to understand citizen-oncitizen violence, like in the case of Kirk.
If we begin to consider political violence as a structural issue, we may consider how a variety
The general public’s narrow view of what it considers to be “political violence” is limiting the type of discussion and action that can be taken to prevent and remediate it in the first place.
of policies, past and present, enacted by federal and state governments are “politically violent”: the internment of Japanese Americans and immigrants during WWII; the razing of low-income and communities of color to build highways; the colonization of U.S. territories, like Puerto Rico and Hawaii; program cuts to SNAP benefits and healthcare (amongst other things) through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act; the overturning of Roe vs. Wade; current ICE crackdowns on immigrants — the list goes on.
These cases of governmental misconduct are inherently political and fit within our definition of violence. This matters because it helps us understand the kind of environment and political structure our government is creating. Violent policies enacted by the government have created living conditions that may lead citizens either to commit violence themselves, become victims of it, or become desensitized by the normalization and routine of witnessing it in the U.S.
The Combatting Terrorism Center at West Point finds that political assassinations are likely to occur when non-governing political figures are targeted either in weak democracies, authoritarian regimes, or periods of domestic unrest. They also find that the presence of marginalized groups and political polarization increase this risk. We can infer how these factors
have produced an environment conducive of normalizing and perpetuating political violence in our country.
This suggests that violence is not random, but rather a consequence of political structure and action. This includes citizen-on-citizen violence, as there are a multitude of policies that enable this type of violence as well: Our weak gun restrictions are strongly associated with higher rates of gun deaths. The lack of access to reproductive care in many states leads to doctors providing subpar care and strips autonomy from many citizens. Cuts to subsidies for low-income Americans leave them with worse-off life chances. Rollbacks on environmental protections expose Americans to harmful pollution produced by domestic and international companies and more.
These examples display the interconnections between violence on personal, local, federal, and global levels. We can better observe these interconnections by understanding that structural violence and harm comes from past and current political processes we have in place. By tracing an issue back to its roots in federal or state policy, we are better equipped to address the issue.
While some may be quick to blame an increasingly partisan government dynamic for the observed rise of political violence, doing so is harmful because it ignores the role the government plays in
perpetuating harm on its people. If anything, this dynamic stems from the harmful government structure described above.
This structure greatly affects the lives of students everywhere, including at WashU: Administrative support for free speech on campus seems low, international students and students of color are fearful of being deported, and cuts to research and Pell Grant funding may stifle the academic and professional success of students who need access the most. These are just a few examples.
Decisions enacted by the current administration influence life outcomes for people across the globe, and its effects are being felt on campus as well. Having a wider working definition of what is considered politically violent allows the average college student to be more attuned to the diversity of fellow classmate experiences, especially those who may be more susceptible to the effects of certain government policies. Current and past administration policies continue to embed violence into our society, which normalizes it — this is politically violent. Expanding your notion of political violence to include actions structurally perpetrated against members of the general public is the first step that may allow you to more readily recognize harm done against members in and outside of your own community.
Charlie Kirk and the fragility of free speech
In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s murder, our country has been tormented, not only by the death itself, but by the disquieting reality that ideas can make you a target in America. However, beyond politics, beyond his assassination in broad daylight, Kirk was foremost a husband and a father. Kirk was not an online caricature designed to prompt sarcastic laughs and eye-rolls. He was a human — an American citizen — murdered in cold blood. Indeed, Kirk was not a moderate in any respect;
many found his ideas offensive. Yet, he built his career on the inextricably American principle of open dialogue. His death prompts Americans to respond to something larger than fractional politics and highly publicized political violence: We must resist the attempts to exterminate the very freedom Kirk was assassinated for exercising.
Free speech has become fragile — we know this. Mainstream news prescribes a steady diet of this existential, yet entirely tangible, script. We are aware that a moderate political climate was jettisoned from the grasp of U.S. politics
long ago. We know that the arc of history is tilting further from freedom: Each time an individual is censored or a book is banned, we are left to swallow this reality. Still, we neglect it, unsure if we can stop it and complacent in our comfort. We parade our thoughts and prayers on Instagram stories, yet cower from sharing our convictions aloud. After all, we don’t want to be made an example. We don’t want to end up like Kirk.
“He subscribed to fascist ideology,” we insist, while erasing his history of championing democratic debate. Crucially, his views may have been divisive, but
that alone can never justify the taking of his life. Let me be clear: Kirk’s assassination was a direct attack on democratic values and open debate, not a stance against fascist ideology.
As a nation, it is crucial that we stop artificially molding our ideological opponents into communists and fascists. Erroneous name tags serve as a cowardly proxy for honest dialogue across the ideological spectrum. Reductive labels turn those who bear them into subhuman opponents, which allows the dismissal of their beliefs and justification of violence against them.
Quickly, Kirk’s assassination amplified partisan extremism and political scorekeeping. Both parties eagerly awaited the headlines that confirmed the killer could be linked to the other side. Critically, we ignore that this degenerate activity only propagates
brutally distort American values. Every citizen is endowed with the rights — like free speech — that we cherish as Americans.
As we continue to stray from this fundamental, we not only move toward social anarchy and a collapse in our humanity, but also corrupt what it means to be a unique American citizen. There will never be a single candidate, election, or debate that delivers unity to the American people. The battle is, as it has always been, in the mind of the individual. As long as we continue to brew this noxious mixture of violence and fear, we will keep yielding anguish and bloodshed.
Ultimately, as Kirk’s death proved, political violence doesn’t stay within the confines of D.C. and presidential rallies; it infects classrooms and college campuses. As students, we have a duty to
replace the violent culture of politics we’ve inherited from previous generations with unapologetic debate. We should not flinch at inviting a political speaker to campus or sharing personal beliefs in class. Speak passionately, debate vehemently, but never resort to silencing with blood what can be discussed with words. WashU students don’t need more echo chambers. We need experience conducting dignified conversations. If any one of us, when adorned in a WashU cap and gown, recalls never debating an ideological opponent, this university has critically failed us — and we have, in turn, sabotaged ourselves. This proficiency in conducting debate is a prerequisite to meaningfully contributing to a pluralistic democracy. We must decide if we will live in a country where children become fatherless because someone decided an idea was too offensive to speak. When a society polices speech and ideas with bullets, it only hastens
PHOTO COURTESY OF GAGE SKIDMORE
Charlie Kirk speaking on his “American Comeback Tour” at the University of Illinois.
What
When Mariska Hargitay opened the envelope for the Outstanding Drama Series award at the Emmy Awards in Los Angeles this past Sunday, everyone in the audience knew that only two shows had a chance at winning the most coveted prize of the night: “The Pitt” or “Severance.” Not only would the winner walk away with a pile of golden trophies, but they would also take with them an endorsement that their model of televisionmaking was superior.
Let’s take a step back. “Severance” is a
SCENE
sci-fi dramaon Apple TV+. It is about a hypothetical company that invents a procedure that allows workers to split themselves into an “innie” and “outie.” The “innie” is solely a worker — they go to work and perform their tasks, while the person themselves, as the “outie,” just wakes up at the end of the workday with no memory of what occurred. It stars Adam Scott (“Parks and Recreation”), Britt Lower (“Man Seeking Woman”) and Patricia Arquette (“Escape at Dannemora”).
“The Pitt,” on HBO Max, is a classic medical drama with a twist. Noah Wyle (“E.R.”) leads an ensemble of doctors and medical students
as the attending physician of an emergency department in Pittsburgh (hence, “The Pitt”). However, the entire 15-episode season takes place over a single shift in real time and reckons with modern-day issues such as transgender rights, substance abuse, and gun violence.
In many ways, “Severance” represents the “cinemafication” of TV. The show is produced as more of a blockbuster movie instead of operating within the traditional bounds of television production. “Severance” has just ten episodes with sprawling multi-season story arcs, one principal character, and multiple filming locations along the Atlantic in
New York, New Jersey, and Newfoundland, Canada. Throughout the series, there are 3,500 visual effects shots, a 540-degree camera spin requiring careful choreography and stunt work in the very first shot of the show, and a hefty price tag of $20 million per episode.
In contrast, “The Pitt” is much more emblematic of traditional TV. Its 15 episodes are shot almost entirely on set in Los Angeles, it mostly contains character stories to one episode, and it hosts a large cast of guest actors. And it only costs a mere $4-5 million per episode.
However, both shows were nominated in the same category — Outstanding Drama Series — at the Emmy Awards this past Sunday, even as they perfectly represent the growing divide in modern television production. Both have done extremely well with critics, with “Severance” sitting at 94% on Rotten Tomatoes and “The Pitt” at 96%. Both have done extremely well viewershipwise. Both shows have lots of adoring fans.
But the Emmys, and we, as viewers, are faced with a dilemma: which show should win the top prize?
While it is easy to say that the “better show” should win, that is subjective, and many agree that both are excellent. Additionally, this year especially, the Outstanding Drama Series is more than
choosing what is “best”; it is an endorsement of a kind of TV production by the industry. Fantasy show “Game of Thrones” received four Drama Series wins in 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019, which led to a revitalized interest in fantasy television, and business drama “Succession,” about the succession crisis at the fictional company Waystar Royco, had three wins in 2019, 2022, and 2024, which resulted in heightened industry interest in business and finance television shows.
A victory for “Severance” could represent a full-fledged acceptance of a new television model. It would say that the lengthy break between seasons, when speed of production is sacrificed in favor of quality, is worth it in exchange for something so grand, and it would legitimize studios moving beyond conventional TV-making styles.
On the other hand,“The Pitt”’s victory would not be regressive, but rather a recognition of excellence in traditional TV. Studios could make nearly three 15-episode seasons of “The Pitt” for the same cost as a single season of “Severance.” “The Pitt” also employs many more actors than “Severance,” with a cast size of about 276 individual actors compared to “Severance”’s 70.
The medical drama is also produced on a traditional TV schedule, and is already filming its second season, while
the cast of “Severance” is held up in a bit of an acting limbo waiting for the writers to finish season three. Ultimately, the Television Academy crowned “The Pitt” Outstanding Drama Series Sunday night. However, “Severance” still took home many awards, including Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for Britt Lower (Helly R.), Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for Tramell Tillman (Mr. Milchick), and six more categories. This demonstrates that even though “Severance” was highly regarded by the Emmys as one of the best acted and designed shows of the year, they still preferred the grounded, traditional show when compared to the interesting and “cinema-fied” new one, at least this year. There is no “right” answer to what show should have walked away with the top prize, and, no matter what won, this debate will still exist within studios. In fact, next year, the second season of “The Pitt” will be released, and it could find itself competing against more cinematic shows such as “Stranger Things”’ long-awaited fifth season and “Alien: Earth”’s first. No matter what the future of television may hold, the best thing a viewer can do is to check out both “The Pitt” and “Severance” because they are both excellent, exciting, and highly entertaining.
“The Pitt” starring Noah Wyle (pictured above) took home five
including Outstanding Drama Series, Lead Actor in a Drama Series, and Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.
Naomika Raveendran
Art, empathy, and the joy of being loud: Adam Weiner’s gospel
SARA GELRUD JUNIOR SCENE EDITOR
“I don’t want to go out there and die, you know, I want to kill,” Low Cut Connie frontman Adam Weiner tells me. You’ve probably never heard of Low Cut Connie. But Weiner delivers a killer performance every time he and his band come out on stage. You’ll probably become a frequent listener shortly after they finish their set.
Low Cut Connie is a rockand-roll band that experiments with soul, blues, and pianoheavy tracks. The name “Low Cut Connie” is the merging of two separate band name ideas: The Connies and The Low Cut. The band started as “an accident” over the course of a sweltering weekend in a garage in Gainesville, Florida. Weiner and three of his friends spent three days in 105-degree heat creating what would become the band’s first album, “Get Out the Lotion,” in 2011. The group was connected by Weiner, yet none of them had ever met before jamming together that weekend. While the band’s lineup has
didn’t really play anything more than once or twice. … So it gave this sort of quality of not overthinking anything,” he says. “Rio,” one of the band’s most popular tracks, is the second song on their debut album. The band was “born out of fun,” and Weiner tries “to keep it fun,” which is obvious to anyone who has ever seen him perform live.
Having started the band in his 30s and steadily growing a fan base since then, Weiner says that he approaches music differently than if he had started 10 years earlier.
“If I can put a song out or do a show and it reaches the people in front of me and the people around me dig it, I’m happy. The moments where my art reaches a lot more people, it’s a nice surprise,” the 40-something-year-old says.
Low Cut Connie has recorded eight studio albums and has gained the support of notable figures like Barack Obama (who featured the band’s track “Boozophilia” in his 2015 summer playlist), Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Zuzana Caputová (the former president of Slovakia), and a
is to have a long career and just do as much as I can, have as much fun as I can, challenge people and myself as much as I can, [not] chase a hit,” he says before taking a bite of his banana.
Noting the band’s dedicated fanbase that includes many icons, I ask him what it is like to have his work recognized by so many iconic people and if he ever thought his music would make such an impact. His response is short: “I just put one foot in front of the other.”
Before Weiner was the frontman of Low Cut Connie, he was in another band with an equally strange name, Lady Fingers. And if odd band names weren’t enough, he also names his pianos (but what musician doesn’t?). I ask him about the names of his pianos, especially since they’re not exactly traditional. As it turns out, this is exactly how he hopes people will react when they find out the piano he performs with every night is named Nellie (the piano before her was Shondra, named after an elderly stripper).
“My piano Nellie is named
changed since then, Weiner remains the group’s frontman.
Weiner is taking our Zoom call from Philadelphia in a room that seems to be his bedroom, evident from the bed he is sitting on. For him, it’s just past noon, and he is getting a head start on his lunch with a banana he eats throughout our conversation.
“Because it was so hot, we
considerable slate of editors at Rolling Stone, just to name a few. Even then, however, the band has never had a “hit” song. I ask him if, or why, he might be scared of having a hit song.
“I’d like to focus on doing things that people will remember, even if it’s a smaller number of people,” he says. Already past 30, his “priority
After a quick glance at Low Cut Connie’s body of work, anyone can see how many of their songs are named after women: Tina, Beverly, Suzanne, Charyse, Annie, (I could go on for a bit longer).
This is because, as Weiner tells me, “Women’s names are more interesting than men, and women in general are more interesting to me than men.”
Names like these, the occasional overheard conversation of some overly loud person, or a title he comes across in day-to-day life give Weiner the inspiration to craft the stories his songs are about. Within the story, Weiner says there is a dialogue between himself, the characters he sings about, and you, the listener. He adds that he tells his stories “through a mask. Through one layer of fantasy. Not everything that I write about in my songs is happening to me, or has happened to me, but there’s a kernel of myself in every song and my experience in every song.”
after a woman named Nellie Lutcher, who was an amazing jazz and blues piano player in the middle of the 20th century,” he says. “Not a lot of people remember her, but she was really an amazing piano player, so I named her that so that people like you could ask me that question, and I could point them in the direction of her music, and people could
Those who see Low Cut Connie live never fail to mention Weiner’s riveting stage presence. Partly innate, partly learned, Weiner used to perform in front of hostile audiences on purpose to learn how to win crowds over. Weiner explains that this includes playing in front of people unfamiliar with his music who “would prefer to not like you.”
“It grew my stage IQ,” he says. “I like the challenge of performing in front of strangers and trying to convert them.”
Weiner’s strong cultural identity as a Jew also influences the way he approaches and interacts with his audience. He tells me that he’s the “Jewiest person” he knows. Recently, Weiner was even photographed in Rolling Stone wrapping tefillin.
“It’s made me who I am. It influences how I move through the world, what my perspective is, and for me, it’s a source of empathy for other people,” he says. To Weiner, celebrating diversity is at the foundation of his empathy. He describes his audience as a “beautiful, sexy salad bowl.”
“Look at all these different people, different ages, backgrounds, skin color, persuasions, orientations, everything, religions. And that’s to me, the beauty of America and our society, and we have to protect diversity,” Weiner says.
A staunch defender of diversity, Weiner is public about his disdain for the Trump administration. Early this year, Low Cut Connie cancelled their show at the Kennedy Center after Trump’s restructuring of the performing arts center’s board, becoming its chair.
He looks at me through the tiny camera on his computer, me on the other end doing the same, as he tells me in a very serious tone: “Your generation and your classmates are being challenged in ways that previous generations haven’t or haven’t for many years. And I just hope that you guys will stay inspired.” To students at WashU, Weiner says, “Make the future that you want to see. And you can do that in big
Previewing PorchFestSTL
This Sunday, a free-for-all music festival returns to the WashU neighborhood. Run by the Skinker-Debaliviere Community Council, PorchFestSTL is a yearly event that brings the community together with live music from a wide array of performers. The neighborhood is transformed into a festival ground as front porches host performances of local bands. The afternoon will culminate in a main event stage at Greg Freeman Park. Originating in Ithaca, New York, Porchfest is an event that has spread to over 200 cities across North America. It was brought to St. Louis by WashU students in 2017 to foster community for the entire neighborhood. Located directly northeast of WashU, between Delmar Boulevard and Forest Park Parkway, PorchFestSTL is bigger than ever this year, with 50 bands performing across 35 stages, and a lineup including acts of many different genres ranging from classic rock to electronic music, and even a women’s chorus.
“It’s really grown,” PorchFestSTL co-chair Jim Fuchs said, attributing the event’s continued growth to its “truly organic nature.” None of the organizers are professional event planners, so the festival draws on the committee’s collective strengths: “neighbors with different skills put together.”
With 50 bands performing, there is something for everyone to enjoy at PorchFestSTL. Musicians of all genres are welcome.
“I don’t think there are typical acts,” Fuchs said, “One of the beauties of PorchFest is that we’re seeking [out] established musicians, new musicians, we’re very interested in original music … ultimately it’s live music.”
There are many different ways to enjoy PorchFestSTL as a first-time or returning attendee. For those with mobility issues or who simply want to relax with a carefree day of music, Fuchs recommends staying at the main stage.
For those who want to see more acts, “Some of the porches … are close enough that you can listen to one, then listen to the next,” Fuchs said,
suggesting that attendees bring a portable chair to stop at each house along their path.
For the truly ambitious, getting across the neighborhood is also possible, perhaps with the help of a bike or a scooter.
“You could really put in the work,” Fuchs said, “Maybe at 1 p.m. you’re going to listen to a band in one corner of the neighborhood, and then go to the complete other corner for that 1:45 act.”
PorchFestSTL is still looking for volunteers to help facilitate the event this weekend. “There’s a lot of volunteer opportunities,” Fuchs said, “We need [help] setting things up at the main stage, breaking things down,” as well as other duties including handing out maps or emceeing for musical acts. Fuchs suggests that students contact Assistant Vice Chancellor for Local Government and Community Relations, JoAnna Schooler, at joanna.schooler@wustl. edu, to see how they can get involved with PorchFest 2025.
Fuchs also stresses that PorchFestSTL is a “rain or shine event,” and urges students to still attend in the case of rain, recounting a previous drizzly weekend as one of his
favorite years of the event.
“We’re out here, and I’m wet anyway, and I’m just gonna dance and make the most of this,” Fuchs said. PorchFestSTL 2025 will
ways or small ways. You can do it through activism. You can do it through art.”
While I didn’t foresee our conversation taking a somewhat philosophical turn, Weiner brings up a great point.
“To me, it’s a noble experiment to try to find out if people from all kinds of diverse backgrounds can live together in a free society. … It’s an experiment that is riddled with tragedy, past and present, but to me, it’s an experiment worth fighting for,” he tells me.
As it quickly became evident to me during our conversation, Weiner is in it for the excitement creating art grants him. Above all, however, it is about sharing his art with people who will enjoy it as much as he did while making it and performing on stage.
“It’s really shocking to me, as much as anyone else, that I’m doing this 15 years later. It’s grown and changed in a million different ways. But I think that you should always make music for fun on some level, you know? You don’t want it to just become an obligation or just do your job,” he says.
With that, he finishes his banana in one last bite and our conversation comes to a close. Low Cut Connie is on tour for the rest of the year and is performing in St. Louis next weekend where you can be a part of the “beautiful, sexy salad bowl” he calls his audience.
Low Cut Connie is set to perform at Evolution Festival in Forest Park on Sept. 28.
be held Sunday, Sept. 21, from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m., with the main stage located at Greg Freeman Park on 6008 Kingsbury Ave. PorchFestSTL has also created a Spotify
playlist that attendants can use to familiarize themselves with the bands that will be playing. The performance lineup, map, and more information can be found at porchfeststl.com.
rediscover Nellie Lutcher.”
Low Cut Connie frontman, Adam Weiner, started the band when he was 30 years old: “At that point, if you haven’t had any success, the world starts to tell you to stop trying,” he said.
PHOTO COURTESY OF CORTNEY ARMITAGE
Adam Weiner, frontman of rock-and-roll band Low Cut Connie, is often commended for his vibrant stage presence. Weiner is playing in Forest Park next weekend at Evolution Festival where you can be a part of the “beautiful, sexy salad bowl” he calls his audience.
PHOTO COURTESY OF BOB SWEENEY
It’s hard to have a better start to a season than the WashU men’s soccer team has had in its first few games. The team has won five out of its first six games, including two crucial victories over Rhodes College and No. 7 North Park University on Sept. 12 and 16.
“The entire team put in a shift, from the starters to the bench players,” junior forward Ethan Wirtschafter said after beating North Park.
“Everyone gave 110% effort, but we kept it simple, and that’s why we’ve had success.”
The Bears started the weekend with a successful trip, beating Rhodes 2-1 in Memphis on Friday afternoon. Quickly, the Lynx got
SPORTS
off to a hot start and jumped ahead, scoring a goal only three minutes into the match. The rest of the first half was a heavily defensive matchup with the Bears holding Rhodes to only three shots while having nine shots of their own.
WashU started the second half strong with a goal during the 52nd minute from sophomore Luca Violone off a pass from first-year Daniel Kochen, tying the game at one. Just four minutes later, the Bears struck again. Firstyear Sebastian Valdes found junior James Whitehurst on a through ball, and Whitehurst easily tapped it in to give WashU the lead. The team was able to hold on to the lead, securing a crucial win on the road early in the season. It was a dominant overall performance from the Bears,
with 17 attempted shots as well as seven on goal. Junior goalie Cal L’Hommedieu had two crucial saves, improving the team’s record to 4-1 on the season, with three straight wins going into Tuesday.
“There have been moments where we’ve had to show a little bit of everything, and resilience at times,” head coach Andrew Bordelon said. “But our performances have continued to grow. I feel like everyone is kind of firing on the same page at the moment.”
In the scorching heat on a Tuesday afternoon, the Bears took on ranked North Park at Francis Field. The first half was mostly defensive, with the ball primarily staying in the middle of the field. Neither offense could find many opportunities until the 43rd minute. Junior defender Quentin Gomez pushed forward and found the back of the net off an excellent cross from senior Zach Susee, putting the Bears up 1-0.
However, quickly into the second half, the Vikings tactically maneuvered around the WashU defense to tie the game. Immediately off the kickoff, Kochen struck the post on an unlucky attempt, and shortly after, Gomez’s bid for his second goal of the game was called back due to offside. In the 64th minute, first-year Wole Adeoye drew a foul resulting in a penalty shot. Wirtschafter buried the penalty into the bottom left corner, putting the Bears
ahead by one. While he kept his composure during the spot kick, Wirtschafter let out a yell after putting WashU on top – mimicking Arsenal and Sweden striker Viktor Gyökeres’ signature celebration, a nod to North Park’s heavily Swedish team.
“If I overcomplicated things, I would have missed it,” Wirtschafter said. “I kept it simple, took a deep breath, picked my spot, and buried it,”
The Bears were able to finish out the game strong, not letting the Vikings have the opportunity to score again.
L’Hommedieu continued his great season and held the fiery North Park offense to only one goal while collecting three saves on the day.
The win marked the first time that WashU defeated North Park since 2021, and just the
second time the Bears won the matchup in program history. Before the win, WashU received votes in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 poll; the Bears are poised to find themselves in the top 25 next week, following their ranked win.
To knock off the 7thranked team in Division III, it takes a whole team effort. Wirtschafter only had positive words of reinforcement to describe his teammates’ performance after the victory.
“The team’s obviously doing amazing, and if we can beat the number one team in our region right now, then we can play against any team in the country and compete,” Wirtschafter said.
With a lot of games still ahead this year, the team hopes to continue their win streak one game at a time
while continuing to improve their already high level of play.
“We’re still figuring out some things about ourselves and always want to try to put away games earlier,” Bordelon said.
On Saturday, Sept. 20 at 1 p.m., WashU looks to get another big win against a challenging opponent in Wheaton College as they look to bounce back from a loss last week. Wheaton is a team firing on offense this year, averaging two goals a game, but the Bears appear prepared for any challenge coming their way. After facing Wheaton, men’s soccer plays three games on the road before their crucial matches against University Athletic Association conference opponents in October.
Whether it be athletic companies, Division I schools, or professional teams, many popular sports institutions have iconic rallying calls, like “Just Do It,” “Roll Tide,” or “Go Pack Go.” These mottos serve as a unifying force among athletic communities and often only change when the organization is no longer consistently successful.
Despite WashU’s three national championship wins in the 2024-2025 school year, the Athletics Department has unveiled a new motto for the 2025-26 school year for the fifth time in as many years:
“Defend the Standard.” The tradition of the Athletics Department’s annual motto was established in 2020 with “United Pursuit” to bring students and coaches together after the pandemic. “United Pursuit” quickly became part of WashU athletics’ branding, and Athletic Director Anthony Azama then began to introduce new rallying calls every year at the Welcome Back Barbecue, an event where Azama brings together the entire Athletics Department, both students and administrators, to spend time together in August before classes start.
“The administration and coaches are working on [creating the motto] before we [student-athletes] get there during the summer or the year prior,” senior football running back Fred Ware said. “They present it to us,
and everyone gets a t-shirt with [the motto] on it so that they can remember [it].”
The motto not only consistently sets WashU athletics apart from other athletic institutions but also serves as a reminder for the Athletics Department’s staff and student-athletes to push each other towards excellence and know they are part of something bigger than themselves. While the initial sentiment behind the motto is to serve as a unifier for the entire department, Azama also hopes that students and teams will “make it into their own.”
“Just this weekend, we used [this year’s motto] before our tournament,” junior golfer Reagan Robinson said. “We all went out and did a little [cheer] breakdown, and we said ‘Defend the Standard!’ right before we went out to play a team. [Because every team is] defending that one standard that the athletic program has set, they’re each doing it individually.”
The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) also contributes to the unifying spirit among WashU athletics. SAAC, which is co-led by Ware, Robinson, and senior football cornerback Caiden Hill, consists of representatives from WashU’s 19 teams. Each year, SAAC designs an additional slogan in December, often reflecting the values of the current motto.
The Athletics Department assesses the student reaction to both slogans at the end of the year and uses this response to aid the idea
generation process for the next motto.
“I think part of the reason [the administration] even did ‘Defend the Standard’ was based on [SAAC’s] ‘Defend the Den’ and how that was being received across our student-athlete population [last year],” Ware said. “...
The Athletic Department sees what we do as a SAAC committee, and they feed off that to make their decisions on behalf of us, because what they’re really doing is trying to provide service for us and improve our studentathlete experience as much as possible.”
WashU’s continuous rebranding could be negatively viewed as mixed messaging; however, the four national championships won in the last five years speak for
themselves. This consistent novelty not only creates a unique identity for WashU, setting it apart from other successful institutions, but also fosters a distinct energy for each year while continuing to build on previously established values. Hill highlighted that slogans of the past are still integrated into the culture of the football team today.
“[The football] coaches usually reference [past] themes throughout the year, … even if [they are from] two years ago or three years ago, into their messages before games or during practices or whatever it may be,” Hill said.
This year’s “Defend the Standard” emphasizes the importance of community both on and off the
field. WashU athletes have explained that the “standard” for them is to show up for their teammates and other teams. But it is also the production of champions who leave WashU prepared for post-graduate opportunities. Defending the “standard” is striving to consistently remain among the top athletic and academic institutions in the nation. Azama reiterated this notion when brainstorming ideas for this year’s motto.
“There are 431 Division III schools, and I kept asking myself, outside of our success, what makes [WashU] not just different, but special?” Azama said. “How do all of us hold ourselves accountable to making sure we keep this place special?” While the same core
values of excellence and unity remain consistent, the “standard” for each year changes as seniors graduate and new students take their place. The consistent reinvention of the mottos allows new students to embrace the unique culture of WashU while also empowering them to interpret these core values for themselves.
“How do we pass [the sentiment of the ‘standard’] on to [incoming students], so that they carry on the standard as well?” Ware asked.
“Just reiterating it and having good leadership within the seniors and upperclassmen helps as well, because we were once those [firstyears] not knowing much about what the standard to be
SAM POWERS | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Junior Ethan Wirtschafter looks for a pass from first-year Jack Hayeems. Wirtschafter scored the game-winning goal against North Park.
HANNAH DORVAL | CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
Junior Nik Avillo dribbles past a defender in the Bears’ victory against North Park.
JONAH GLASS | CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
Athlete of the Week: Football’s starting QB
Junior quarterback Levi Moore excelled in his first week of the season through his leadership and play on the field. So far in his career, Moore has thrived under pressure, leading WashU to an 8-2 record last season with over 1,000 passing yards. The Nashville native sat down with Student Life to discuss the impact he has made on the football team, his time at WashU off the field, and how he hopes to improve and excel over the coming season. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Student Life (SL): Last season, you stepped into a new role. You threw for over 1,000 yards and took over the QB1 role after an injury. What was it like recovering from an injury and stepping into that new role?
Levi Moore (LM): It was honestly difficult, immediately stepping in and getting injured, being out for two weeks, because it was hard to really build chemistry with the
team. But the team was super helpful and uplifting with me, so it definitely helped get back into things, and we were able to finish out the season strong.
SL: From last season, what do you want to change or improve on?
LM: I’d like to improve on really enforcing myself in the run game more, being more of a threat in that aspect. I’d also like to just improve on my leadership, being more of a vocal leader and someone that the team can rely on more and more in the future.
SL: Going off that, what are your specific goals for you or for the team this season?
LM: My specific goals this season would be to make the playoffs. I guess that would be a team goal. And specifically, my goal to be able to do that would be to just be consistent through every game, especially on any reads that I have. I want to make sure that I don’t miss reads, because those could be costly during a game. So consistency, I would say, is key.
SL: So in your first year, you were a goal-line specialist
quarterback here. How did that affect you or prepare you for this starting role?
LM: I think it helped build a lot of confidence being a dual threat and, yeah, being able to go in for those situations. And I think it was a really cool thing as a freshman to be able to step in and be able to do that. And so now,
being able to do it as the quarterback, it helps open up our offense more, but also helps build morale.
SL: About classes and academics here, you said your major is Mechanical Engineering. Does that affect you or make you a better football player in any way?
LM: I think it helps because Mechanical Engineering takes a lot of studying, and it’s a lot of time outside of football. Being able to balance that with football is a challenging task, but if you’re able to deal with both of them, it kind of makes football a bit easier.
SL: Going off of that, out of high school, where did you have offers, and did academics play any role?
LM: Yeah, I had an offer from Army [academy], which is obviously a great school, but it was a big decision because I didn’t necessarily want to go into the military, so it drew me away. My final decision came down between WashU and the University of Indianapolis. And I think the deciding factor was ultimately academics. WashU is very prestigious academically and UIndy had solid options, but nothing compared to WashU.
SL: What is one piece of advice you would give to an incoming WashU recruit, for football or any sport? What drew you specifically to this school?
LM: I would just say the family aspect of it. We’re really focused on making sure that everybody feels welcome and comfortable, especially within the Athletic Department. We make sure that we are getting to know the new players and incoming players, becoming friends with them, and hanging out with them outside of football. And I think that’s one of the biggest things that WashU offers. These are guys that you know you’re not just on the team with, they’re people that you create a family with and a strong bond and connection with.
SL: What is going to have to change or improve for next week’s game?
LM: You know, we’re gonna have to work a ton harder. It was a great game, but we still have some things to clean up on, for sure, and so going into next week’s game, being our first conference game and being away, it’s going to be a big game for
LM: I think for this season, it kind of motivates us a bit more knowing that we’re going to be in a new conference, so this is our last time to face each and every one of these teams. I think that’s a huge motivation factor, giving us the drive to really want to end the conference all strong. And I think for next year, it’ll be interesting. It’ll be exciting, because there’ll be new teams that we’ll face. I know they’ve had some great teams in the conference. So it’ll definitely be exciting. But I think for right now, focus on this year, like, the motivation.
SL: What is one piece of advice you would give yourself as an underclassman here on the football team?
LM: I’d probably say, academically, go to office hours more, which definitely helps a lot. Not only that, but rely on your teammates more. Like a lot of people on the team are in the same degree, so if you have any questions, you can ask them and they’re completely willing to help.
SL: Okay, we ask every Athlete of the Week: would you rather have fish for hands or adopt a child every time you hear the song “Bohemian
