November 11, 2021 Student Life Newspaper at Washington University in St. Louis

The independent newspaper of Washington University in St. Louis since 1878 THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2021

VOLUME 143, NO. 10

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COPING WITH COLD

Our review of The Addams Family, a post-Halloween comedy spooktacular (Cadenza pg 4)

Staffers describe their methods for dealing with winter weather (Scene pg 6)

SOCCER SISTERS

What it’s like for the Flynns to be playing for the same team again (Sports pg 8)

WUPD continues mental Ashoka apologizes for ‘hurtful, resentful and unacceptable’ Diwali skit health crisis response after outside provider deal fails

SYDNEY CRUMP NEWS EDITOR

MORAD SULIMAN | STUDENT LIFE

Members of WU Garba dance during a Thursday dress rehearsal of Diwali: Illuminate. This year’s showcase, which ran on Nov. 5 and 6, featured a fashion show and performances from several student singing and dance groups.

JAYLA BUTLER MANAGING EDITOR After students called out this year’s Diwali skit for heavy use of African American Vernacular English (AAVE), ableist and transphobic remarks and making light of mental illness and predatory sexual behavior, Ashoka’s executive board released a statement on Monday night outlining their plans for accountability.

For future Diwali shows, each segment must be unanimously approved by the executive board and the organization’s advisor, with the potential for future skits to require approval by the Center for Diversity and Inclusion (CDI) and for the skit to be removed from the show entirely if any future incidents occur.

Students who participated in the skit may also lose their eligibility to participate in future events hosted by this year’s Ashoka executive board.

In the statement, posted on Ashoka’s Instagram, the organization wrote that they discussed these measures with an administrator and listened to concerns that were raised

by students.

The skit, entitled “Masla,” which translates to “problem,” was a part of the annual Diwali show hosted by Ashoka, meant to celebrate a multitude of South Asian cultures. The skit was made up of eight scenes dispersed between a fashion show and performances by campus dance teams and singing groups such as Sur Taal Laya, WashU Bhangra and WU Chaahat.

The characters in the skit used AAVE and language pointed toward the Black community throughout all eight scenes. These lines were both ad-libbed and planned in advance, with phrases like “#melaningang4lyfe’’ in the copy of the script posted online. One character mentioned that her father was writing a seven-volume series about “how gangster rap is destroying our children.” During the Saturday night show, one of the actors ad-libbed a joke about “ACAB” in response to a character’s complaint that a WUPD officer turned dining hall worker forced her to watch their TikToks.

“We are sorry that what should have been a joyous celebration of

culture and diversity evolved into a hurtful, resentful and unacceptable demonstration of toxicity as a result of an unacceptable skit,” Ashoka’s statement read. “We are sorry that members of the Ashoka community were defamed, that marginalized groups were put down at the expense of cheap laughs, that our wonderful acts were overshadowed and that our audience endured disrespectful and vulgar content far beyond the realm of a cultural celebration.”

Hours before Ashoka’s official statement, members of the Skit Committee also posted an apology statement on Instagram.

“We as a cast came together to create a culturally diverse and sensitive show, and despite this genuine effort, we deeply offended members of the WashU community,” the Skit Committee’s statement read. “Showing our script through reviews internally by cast members,

by Ashoka’s executive board and by others that heard our script at Diwali’s rehearsals did not create an

SEE DIWALI, PAGE 4

The Washington University Police Department will continue to respond to students’ mental health crises despite the University’s announcement last May that it would shift mental health response away from the police.

The University has not publicly announced that its deal with an outside provider fell through nor has it announced any plans for an alternative.

The University’s Public Safety Committee released a report in February that called for mental health professionals to respond to student mental health crises instead of WUPD. The University announced the implementation of that recommendation in May with plans to partner with a community organization to provide a 24/7 on-call mental health crisis program staffed with mental health professionals.

According to Executive Vice Chancellor for Administration and Chief Administrative Officer Shantay Bolton, the University had plans to partner with Behavioral Health Response (BHR), a local nonprofit providing mental health crisis support, but the deal fell through after the University and BHR could not come to an agreement. “[BHR and the University] did sit down and engage in conversation,” said Bolton, who started at the University July 1 and did not oversee the BHR deal negotiations.

“However, the business model was not able to be mutually beneficial to both of us, and when we thought about the unique needs of our students in this campus community, we felt that working internally we will be able to provide niche services at a higher level in a better way than going with a partner.”

BHR has its own 24/7 mental health crisis hotline for anyone located in Eastern Missouri that Uncle Joe’s Peer Counseling and Resource Center recommends that

students use instead of WUPD for mental health crises.

“I don’t want people to think there was something wrong with BHR or something wrong with WashU,” Bolton said. “It’s simply sometimes, when you are looking at a community partner engagement, it’s just not the right fit. We still knew that we could move forward and make sure that the services that we offer were the right level of service in alignment with the specific and distinctive needs of our campus com The recommendations from the Public Safety Committee also included establishing a way for the Danforth Campus community to provide feedback on public safety and emphasizing the need for transparency and accountability surrounding public safety on campus.

“Where we’ve been working together and continue to do so is to bring WUPD into our different spaces — in terms of affinity groups and other spaces — for students to see them as support, for students to see them as members of the community in all honesty and to provide more informational sessions about what they do and who they are,” Vice Chancellor for Students Affairs Anna Gonzalez said.

WUPD has also added traffic and pedestrian stop data to their website in an effort at transparency.

“I’m still working with [WUPD] to think about what other ways and creative ways that we can put data out for the students and our community members to consume it in a way that’s meaningful and easy for folks to understand,” Bolton said.

Bolton now has plans to create an advisory task force made up of mostly students and some faculty members to help lead her implementation of the Public Safety Committee’s recommendations.

“The truth is there is no one solution to address all of the challenges as you think about mental health and what that looks like in our society right now,” Bolton said. “But I

SEE POLICE, PAGE 2

SU Treasury reallocates fall WILD funding, increasing spring WILD budget to unprecedented $340,000 ORLI SHEFFEY SENIOR NEWS EDITOR Student Union Treasury voted unanimously Tuesday evening to increase the spring WILD budget by $145,000, bringing the concert’s total budget to $340,000.

Social Programming Board (SPB) had appealed Treasury to double the spring WILD talent budget — bringing it from $110,000 to $220,000 — and to increase the production budget from $85,000 to $120,000 by transferring funding originally designated for fall WILD. Spring WILD is scheduled for April 29 and will be Washington University’s first WILD after four consecutive semesters without the concert due to COVID-19. “​​Washington University students have been deprived of what is considered the most iconic experience of attending this university for two and a half years,” SPB director of concerts senior Ben Higgins told Treasury representatives Tuesday evening. “This is something that was promised to you, this is something that we deserve and I think

that it would be a great gesture to the WashU community to bring us all together and just provide the best experience that we have ever given.”

The University had decided not to host fall WILD earlier this semester, citing COVID-19 precautions.

“During the early summer of 2021, it was unclear whether we would have the final fall COVID19 campus guidelines in time to plan a successful event, so the joint decision was made between students and the University to cancel fall 2021 WILD,” Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Rob Wild wrote in a statement to Student Life. “We are planning for a spring WILD that will take place in April as long as we are able to host a safe event under the University’s COVID event guidelines.”

Higgins said in his presentation to Treasury that doubling the talent budget will allow for a much higher caliber of artists, and increasing the production budget will allow $7,000 for a longer stage, $20,000 for lighting and $8,000

for fireworks. He added that the doubled talent budget will allow for not only a more exciting main performance but a better opening act as well.

“A lot of these artists that could potentially win might only be asking for $150K, which should give us $70K for an opener, which is a lot, a lot, a lot more money than we typically get for an opening act,” Higgins told Student Life after the budget appeal passed.

“The actual event of WILD itself usually kind of struggles to get this full attendance until the actual performance. So it will be a longer event that people want to spend more time at... It’s really going to feel more like a festival than any other WILD ever has.”

In addition to more exciting artists, Higgins said that the $35,000 added to SPB’s production budget will allow for a more enhanced performance — from a longer stage that extends out into the crowd to more “visually appealing” lighting and video walls to using “the roof of the stage to create a synchronized firework display.”

Higgins emphasized to Treasury

representatives that fireworks would be safe and pointed to recent examples of the University putting on fireworks over Brookings, from Chancellor Andrew Martin’s inauguration to the Physics Awards last May. Treasury representatives also discussed safety concerns about the concert itself, but Higgins assured

them that security would be taken seriously.

“We have a previous budget for security, and generally the security and WUPD is very, very strict on what’s allowed,” Higgins said.

“The A$AP Ferg concert was almost shut down many times

SEE WILD, PAGE 3

BRIAN CUI | STUDENT LIFE

A$AP Ferg performs at WILD in October 2019, the last WILD on campus.

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EVENT CALENDAR THURSDAY 11 Beyond My Experience: Christian Weber, Centene Corporation Virtual Event, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Beyond My Experience is an interview series featuring WashU BME Ph. D. alumni who have navigated the transition from their degree to the next phase of their career.

They will discuss their Ph. D. journey, their passions and the resources they used to secure an industry position following graduation. This session will spotlight Christian Weber, a Data Analyst III at Centene Corporation in St. Louis. He graduated with his Ph. D. in summer 2019 and was mentored by Dr. Simon Tang. His dissertation was titled “Structural and Tissue-level Adaptations of Lumbar Intervertebral Discs in Humans with Inducible Low Back Pain Symptoms.

MONDAY 15 Black Life in the Archive: Three Provocations for Thinking About Black British History in the Present Virtual Event, 4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

A lecture with Professor Kennetta Hammond Perry, director, Stephen Lawrence Research Centre and Reader in History at De Monfort University, Leicester. She has published widely, including a book-length study on Afro-Caribbean migration to Britain following World War II titled London Is The Place For Me: Black Britons, Citizenship and the Politics of Race (Oxford Press, 2016). Currently, she is researching histories of state-sanctioned racial violence and the relationship between the decline of the welfare state and the expansion of the carceral state in Britain during the second half of the twentieth century. This event is sponsored by the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program at Washington University.

Conversations on Carcerality: The Effects of Incarceration on the St. Louis Community Umrath Hall, 140, 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Jae Shepherd, Kareem Martin, Jerome Taylor and Jameel Spann from STL Reentry Collective and Action STL will serve as panelists for a discussion about mass incarceration and its impacts on the St. Louis community. It will be moderated by Kennedy Young. This panel will center grassroots organizing within the St. Louis community, and there will also be the opportunity to support our philanthropy partner, Center for Women in Transition, through a donation drive. This event is sponsored by Black Anthology.

WEDNESDAY 17 Faculty Book Talk: Heather Berg Virtual Event, 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Assistant professor Heather Berg (Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies) will discuss her latest book, Porn Work: Sex, Labor, and Late Capitalism (The University of North Carolina Press, 2021). Every porn scene is a record of people at work. But on-camera labor is only the beginning of the story. Porn Work takes readers behind the scenes to explore what porn performers think of their work and how they intervene to hack it.

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2021

Mayor Jones critiques Democratic messaging and calls on WU to do more for St. Louis at campus visit MEHEER COMMURI STAFF REPORTER St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones defended progressive Democrats, called on Washington University to improve its relationship with the region and discussed her plans to reimagine public safety at a conversation with around 50 students in Simon Hall Monday night.

The event, Jones’ first on campus since becoming mayor in April, was organized by the College Democrats, the Roosevelt Network and the Pre-Law Society. Jones began by giving a brief overview of what her first six months as mayor have looked like, but she quickly shifted to a more open discussion as she took questions from students.

A number of students asked Jones about how the Democratic party can improve its messaging in the wake of disappointing results in the New Jersey and Virginia governors’ races last week. Jones said that Democrats have been losing ground recently because they focus on policy while Republicans talk about values.

“In my recent election, we talked about values — the value that you should be able to succeed regardless of your skin color, your zip code or any identity because those are things that speak right to the heart,” Jones said. “In Virginia… we just said ‘vote for us and we’re not Trump.’”

One student asked Jones what she thought of progressives being blamed for the electoral losses of more moderate Democrats.

“I think it’s b******t,” she replied. “When establishment Democrats come and suck all the air out of the room, it hurts progressives,” she said. “When you stay in the middle and try to appease everyone, it never works.”

Jones also touched on some of the progressive policies that she has been working to implement during the last six months. Public safety has been a major priority for Jones, who is currently seeking a new chief for the city’s historically racist and dysfunctional police department, in addition to rethinking what type of professionals respond to which calls.

“We’ll be expanding our program that pairs an officer with a licensed social worker or behavioral health professional… I’d like to see that as an all-civilian response, maybe an EMT and a behavioral health professional,” Jones said. “We can also civilianize other things, so therefore we can take some of that burden off our officers’ shoulders.”

A partnership with Washington University’s Brown School of Social Work aimed at hiring and training 28 new social workers for the city is a key component of Jones’ plan to “civilianize” public safety. However, Jones said that the University still has work to do in order to be a better neighbor.

“WashU and SLU [St. Louis University] own a lot of property and don’t pay taxes on it,” Jones said.

“Even [the University’s] property outside of their campus isn’t taxed. It would be nice if they paid PILOTs [Payment In Lieu Of Taxes] or used their influence for better.”

Jones’ argument resonated with senior Kirk Linam, who attended the event.

“I agree with Mayor Jones that WashU really needs to be more of a leader in our community, and there aren’t enough programs that really address these issues,” Linam said.

Vice Chancellor for Marketing and Communications Julie Flory did not specifically comment on the possibility of the

University adopting a PILOT program, but highlighted the University’s economic impact on the region in a statement to Student Life Wednesday evening.

“In 2020a, the university employed more than 16,900 people, supported more than 47,000 jobs in the St. Louis region, directly contributed $2.9 billion to the local economy, and attracted over $865 million in research funding, mostly coming from outside the region,” she wrote. “We continue to work closely with our regional partners to identify investments and initiatives that are beneficial to the region.”

Jones also shared details of her experience as the first Black woman to serve as mayor of St. Louis, describing how she faces “extra scrutiny” in her role relative to her white male counterparts.

For sophomore Kamila Redd, Jones’ discussion of her identity was a major highlight of the event. “[I] was really interested in seeing the way in which I could see myself in her as a Black woman,” she said. “I think representation is very important, so I definitely wanted to come out and hear her speak and support her in any way I could.”

President of the College Democrats junior Emma Singh said that she was satisfied with how the event got students to engage more with the St. Louis community, adding that her organization is currently working to bring representative Cori Bush to campus this year.

“I think it’s really important that WashU students get to know the greater community that they live and work in,” she said. “We had a great opportunity to bring [Mayor Jones] here, so we didn’t hesitate at that chance.”

Additional Reporting by Ted Moskal

The second midterm season is upon us! How many times have you cried this semester over school? We know we can’t be the only ones...

34.4%: None (We know you’re lying.)

15.6%: Once 18.8%: Twice 6.2%: Three times 25%: More than 4 times Check our Instagram this week for next week’s question! Responses will be published here every Thursday.

POLICE from page 1

do think if we put our heads together and we come to the table willing to offer up ideas and also willing to listen to one another, we can find ourselves in a great space going forward.”

Undergraduate and graduate students on the advisory task force will have the opportunity to voice their opinions to the administration. Bolton hopes to have the advisory task force, led by herself and Gonzalez, formed by the end of the fall semester.

“We want to actively work on ways in which we can bring those recommendations to life, but in an inclusive, thoughtful, structured process,” Bolton said. “By having an advisory task force, it allows me to have insight, hear the voice of students and for them to be a partner in shaping our way forward.”

The Public Safety Committee’s recommendations had included survey data that showed that students of color and queer, transgender and nonbinary students have felt far less comfortable than other students in interactions with WUPD.

Bolton remained focused on gathering further information on the discomfort of students.

“So when they say discomfort, what does that mean to you? What does that look like and what can we do differently with how we train our officers, how our officers show up, how visible they are and in what ways?” Bolton said. “I want us to have open and candid dialogue. I really want to listen and I want us to think of ways that we can meet at the table. WUPD is a part of our community, like our students, like the faculty and staff. How do we all come together to gain better understanding of each other, but also to have some accountabilities in place so we know what to expect of each other.”

Bolton said that the current implementation of the Public Safety Committee’s recommendations will involve reviewing WUPD’s training on mental health as officers continue to respond to mental health crisis calls. She said that on average WUPD receives two mental health crisis calls per month.

“We’re looking at and reviewing the training that our law enforcement officers undergo,” Bolton said. “We do not want them to become mental health counselors.

That is not their role.

We do want them to be aware of watching for certain behaviors and to have skills to help meet students where they are, should they find them in the midst of a crisis, to facilitate de-escalation in a way that’s supportive to the overall wellness of the student.”

Senior Emily Angstreich, co-director of Uncle Joe’s, told Student Life in September that Uncle Joe’s was “very much behind that and in favor” of mobile crisis units, such as BHR. “So I think if [the deal] could be revived, that’d be great. But I got the impression that it could not be.”

With the deal having fallen through, Angstreich said that “our goal is to make sure that [the administration] does not forget that this is important and that we continue to impress the importance of it on to them.”

HOLDEN HINDES | STUDENT LIFE

St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones leans on a desk in Simon Hall during her conversation with students Monday night. The event was her first on campus since becoming mayor in April.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2021

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

STUDENT LIFE 3

Eight Sam Fox student sustainable architecture projects selected by the Green New Deal Superstudio Masters in Architecture student, developed a project that was selected. Titled “The Just 15 Minute City,” it “proposes to combine the goals of the Green New Deal with calls for social justice and equity by replacing portions of Interstate 45 in Houston with greenspace, restored wetlands and public transit.” “[The project] was a really idealistic project, essentially proposing the removal of an interstate in Houston, and that space is transformed into an elevated rail,” Newsome said. “And it’s essentially recognizing that in that current neighborhood, the interstate divided two neighborhoods. One side was majority Hispanic, and the other side was really white. It was the Hispanic side that had a much lower life expectancy and income level.”

Newsome added that the project strongly focused on how building considerations can create spaces that are democratic and foster

CURRAN NEENAN | STUDENT LIFE

Weil Hall on the East End of campus, where many Sam Fox students do most of their work.

LYDIA SIDRYS STAFF REPORTER Eight projects by students at the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts were selected in a national open call to illustrate the principal themes of how the federal Green New Deal could be enacted.

In August of 2020, a group of architecture organizations launched the Green New Deal Superstudio to investigate ways that the federal Green New Deal (H.R. 109) could be enacted with local and regional specificity. More than 3,000 participants from hundreds of private practices and 90 universities created 670 design projects, of which 55 were selected by the Green New Deal Superstudio.

The eight students recognized by the Green New Deal Superstudio are Meredith Busch, Tyler DeMassa, Andy Entis, Dillon Pinholster, Mengying Li, Weicong

Huang, Shuya Shang and Nakesha Newsome.

Entis, a senior in the College of Architecture, had a project focused on the political aspect of energy use in the SkinkerDebaliviere neighborhood of St. Louis.

“I was digging through campaign donations, which doesn’t sound like it’s related to architecture,” he said. “But I was digging into the donations from Ameren, the electricity company here, to all sorts of legislators in the Missouri State Senate.”

Entis focused his project on generating energy at the neighborhood level. “Most of the energy would be generated on people’s rooftop panels, and there would be a neighborhood level authority that would be part of the federal government,” Entis said. “They could give grants to local neighborhoods which establish their own local authority.”

Huang’s “The Death and Life of the Barge Industry

in the Mississippi River Basin” was also selected by the Superstudio. Huang is a graduate student pursuing a Masters in Landscape Architecture and a Masters in Urban Design, and his project “explores how a vast network of levies, locks and dams has impacted the ecology of the Mississippi River Basin and how the existing system of barge traffic might be utilized for restorative projects,” according to the website.

Huang explained that his project is connected to ecology and the economy.

“Economic development is not just about plants, not just about wetlands, but it also concerns how locals find their job and how to respect indigenous cultures,” Huang said. “It is not just about spatial design— it’s about a lot of things.”

He described the process as more research-focused than past projects.

“Firstly, we do research on those watersheds around the world… to see what kind

of major environmental risks the local people face,” Huang said. “So then we go back to the Mississippi River Basin in the U.S. to see if they have common issues.”

Newsome, a graduate

protest.

Patty Heyda, an Associate Professor of Architecture and Urban Design at Washington University and the faculty advisor for a number of the projects that were recognized by the Superstudio, said that one of the coolest things about the Green New Deal Superstudio Project was the ability to collaborate with other institutions. Students from around the world working on this project collaborated on Zoom for a “super-critique,” which was a unique opportunity for students to learn about what people across the country were working on and to receive advice for their projects, Heyda said.

“I had an undergraduate studio, they were juniors and seniors, and most of the other ones around the country, including our other ones at WashU were graduate studios,” Heyda said. “So I’m very proud of my undergraduate group that got four projects recognized.”

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WILD from page 1 because of moshing, and that’s something that I’m greatly taking into account when looking at artists — I do not want an artist that is going to start a riot.”

Treasury representatives also discussed whether the proposed $145,000 for the spring WILD budget might be better spent elsewhere, noting that the Treasury sometimes runs out of money for other initiatives such as the student emergency mental health fund.

Senior Emma Storer, the finance director for SPB, told Student Life that “​​that money was originally budgeted to [SPB], so it’s not like we are taking money out of anything.”

Storer added that some money from fall WILD — including $50,000 leftover from the production budget and $15,000 from the talent budget — will not go towards spring WILD and will instead go towards other important initiatives.

Although fall WILD was not feasible this semester, SU did take steps to ensure that some students would still have access to a concert experience. On Monday, SPB released tickets to a Nov. 14 Surfaces concert at the Pageant to 150 students. SPB had originally requested 300 tickets using their $7,500 concerts budget — which is separate from the WILD budget — but the SU executive council only approved half of the funding.

SU VP of Programming and president of SPB junior Miri Goodman said that within about 15 minutes of releasing the form, more than 800 students had signed up. “I think we would have loved to be able to provide this experience for more students — at least another 150 students would be able to be off the waitlist rather than having to sit there in limbo wondering if people are going to show up to take

their tickets,” Goodman said. “And we just hope that this is a signal for future programming events that we’re not going to be wasting money or wasting time.”

“I think it goes to show that people want concerts,” Higgins said. “It’s been so long since we’ve been able to have live shows — it’s literally been since 2020 that [attending concerts] has been a thing that people can do while feeling safe. That’s something that’s really exciting and it’s something that I think students are craving.”

After the Treasury unanimously approved SPB’s budget appeal, Goodman said that she was excited for the concert.

“We’ve been getting a lot of questions like, ‘Are we getting four WILD’s worth of a WILD?’ and we’re at least getting two,” Goodman said. “I’m so excited for [SPB] to be able to plan something that everyone is excited for.”

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RESPONSE TO DIWALI SKIT from page 1 inclusive feedback loop. We are incredibly sorry for this shortsighted and exclusive process.”

They also posted a draft of the script, saying that many of the offensive lines were adlibbed during the show.

Ashoka’s apology statement painted a different picture of the script review process. They claimed that members of the executive board had reviewed the script and brought concerns about the offensive content to their attention multiple times, writing that the Skit Committee referred to their concerns as “poor arguments,” “f*****g stupid” and “unnecessary.”

Ashoka’s executive board also said that they condemn any ad-libbed lines in the three shows.

After the show’s opening night on Friday, several students called out the problematic nature of the skit on Twitter. Following the show, Ashoka’s executive team again requested that the Skit Committee remove the offensive lines from the show. In

their statement, they claimed that the team complied for the Saturday afternoon show only for the Skit Committee to put many of them back in and add even more offensive ad-libs during the final performance on Saturday night.

The Ashoka executive team’s statement also asked that the members of the Skit Committee issue another apology to the WashU community, acknowledging that the committee was already aware that the skit was offensive and that they had deliberately ignored “several attempts at constructive criticism.” They also requested that the committee issue an apology to Diwali’s 2021 philanthropy partner, The Sikh Coalition, and attend diversity and inclusion training.

Members of Ashoka’s executive board either declined or did not respond to requests for comment.

“The reason why it was so alarming was because the intention of the show was to display [South Asian] culture, from traditional to modern...”

said freshman Maame Darkwah, who attended the show. “However, the references were very pandering towards Black people, even with certain accents that they would put on to be funny.

And the intention was to be funny, but it wasn’t.”

The skit also featured several lines poking fun at poor mental health, including one of the characters wanting to be a part of a dance team because it was a better use of his time than trying to befriend an Uncle Joe’s operator.

Sophomore Bella Stull attended the show and said that the way that mental health was addressed in the skit was insensitive but also reminiscent of how many students discuss it on campus.

“They were making light of a lot of pretty serious issues that I think are really prevalent on campus right now and are not necessarily being addressed by the University in general,” Stull said. “We have a lot of mental health resources, but there’s not a

whole lot of discussion about the prevalence of depression and anxiety on campus. And I felt like it was kind of making light of the fact that it is so prevalent on campus and that everyone’s kind of struggling with it, which I found a little bit concerning.”

Senior Aisha Odusanya, who danced in the show as a member of Raas but was not affiliated with the production of the skit, said that it was disappointing that more campus attention was placed on the skit’s content over the performances, but that these types of conversations are important.

“It does sadden me a lot that a lot of the performances and a lot of the hard work are not getting the same chance to be showcased as they would have been in a different situation,” Odusanya said. “But I would not say that we should just push aside this discussion to focus on dances or anything like that.

I think this is a discussion that needs to be had. I know that I am extremely proud

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2021

of my team. I am extremely proud of other teams, other people who put a lot of hard work and dedication to this show. And no matter everything that was going on, in my mind, I’m just proud of what we put out there. And I’m glad we got to have those experiences.”

At the time of publication, Skit Committee had not publicly addressed the accountability measures written in Ashoka’s statement.

“One thing I really want to see is an explanation for is why… even though people from [other] marginalized

communities expressed that they were hurt by certain lines and actions in the script, why Skit Committee felt okay keeping those things in the script and adding more to it on Saturday night’s show,” Odusanya said. “Because at that point, the first night, that was the chance to take accountability, to make changes and to reflect. The fact that it was brought back and added on to, another night, at that point makes it feel more malicious. And I really would like them to address that. I really need that to be addressed.”

MORAD SULIMAN | STUDENT LIFE

The cast of Diwali performs a scene from the skit.

Cast n’ Crew’s return to the stage: ‘The Addams Family’ NINA GIRALDO CONTRIBUTING WRITER “The Addams Family’’ performed by Washington University’s Cast n’ Crew is a play that enraptured the audience with its witty dark humor and

memorable characters. The show explores the seemingly infinite boundaries of love and the everlasting importance of positive family relations. Wednesday Addams (Emma Lembke) falls in love with Lucas Beineke (Stephanie

ZOE OPPENHEIMER | STUDENT LIFE

At dinner, Gomez Addams (Max Juhas) attempts to speak a hidden truth to his expectant family.

Berger), a “normal” boy that faces mixed scrutiny from the Addams family-with Uncle Fester and the Addams’ ancestors that work to solidify the unexpected relationship, while Morticia (Maddie Plunk) and Pugsley Addams (Leah Fruchtman) stand repulsed at Wednesday’s profound infatuation.

Despite varying motivations and objectives, all characters possessed likeability and thus were enjoyable to watch throughout the production. Even Mal Beineke (Jefferson Koonce), an initially rigid and unforgiving character who ridiculed the Addams and stood as a barrier between the two families becomes an open-minded and benevolent individual that manages to revitalize

his fragmented relationship with his wife. Each character demonstrates character development in one way or another: Pugsley comes to terms with her matured older sister, Gomez observes the importance of honesty, and Alice Beineke (Kristine Allen) establishes a newfound sense of independence.

Despite the flagrant difference between characters, each remain collaborative to some extent in the way they support each other: Morticia helps Pugsley to accept change in the family dynamics, Fester encourages Mal to shift to who he once was, and Lucas sacrifices himself to instill Wednesday with trust in their relationship.

With its pale and bloody makeup, ragged costumes, spooky stage setup, and dark

complexion, the show is perfectly fitting for the postHalloween season. At its commencement, the audience is familiarized with the mysterious nature of the Addams family. Eventually, the clearly depicted comparison between the sanguinity of the Beinekes and the creepiness of the Addams pull the audience from their original acceptance and highlight the strange nature of the latter.

The dichotomy between the two families proves comical as the audience watches the gradual unraveling of a disastrous dinner.

Perhaps what I most enjoyed about “The Addams Family” was its hilarious nature. While the scripted jokes were original, unexpected, and funny with often promiscuous undertones,

the cast’s interpretations and execution of such jokes were also crucial in invoking outbursts of laughter from the audience. Lurch’s (Jacob Marks) grunts and sudden burst into song, Uncle Fester’s wig and unanticipated prancing around stage with a football, Gomez Addams’s (Maxwell Juhas) sheepish monolaogues, and Grandma Addams’s (Arsema Belai) ambiguous presence were components that produced undoubted amusement and hilarity among audience members.

Ultimately, with its interactive execution and funny characters, “The Addams Family” had an engaging storyline that was steadfast in its comedic narrative as well as its twisting and turning progression.

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How a diverse culture fosters inspiration and innovation LEADERSHIP PERSPECTIVES SERIES

November 17 at 4:00 PM CT • VIRTUAL EVENT Register: Olin.wustl.edu/leadershipperspectives

6 STUDENT LIFE

SCENE

OLIVIA POOLOS & JULIA ROBBINS | SENIOR SCENE EDITORS | SCENE@STUDLIFE.COM

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2021

Our suggestions for combating the winter slump The end of daylight savings time ushers in some dark and cold months. Scene writers put together a list of things that improve their mood when the weather is getting them down.

Staying active in the cold It seems as if once the temperature outside begins to drop, students begin to trade in their running shoes and frisbees for snow boots and hot chocolates. With the increasingly early sunsets and bone chilling weather, the motivation and drive to stay active seems almost impossible to maintain alongside schoolwork and a social life.

However, there are some

simple and easy cardio and fitness routines that you can fit into your schedule even amidst the winter storms.

Last year, during a very blizzardy St. Louis week, I discovered that the parking garage next to Hitzeman is a great open area with a covering to get a workout in.

With a jump rope in hand, an empty garage is marvelous to get in some quick sets of intense cardio. In addition, if incline is your go to in the gym, the windy loops up and down the floors are a great alternative!

Alternatively, staying indoors and doing a fun high intensity interval training (HIIT) workout with your suitemates in the common

GRAPHIC BY HN HOFFMANN

room is another way to take a break from studying and get some stress out of your body. HIIT workouts can be found on YouTube or other websites, ranging from beginner to intense, thirty minutes to two hours — whatever works for your schedule! In the end, the seasonal changes in St. Louis as we transition from fall to winter can’t stop us from being active and treating our bodies right!

Annabel Shen, Contributing Writer Being kind to ourselves It’s really easy to hit winter, look back on the year and feel a little bit underwhelmed. In the face of shorter days, the incredible things you did over the year become a dull background to the fleeting realization of time and how far you are from perfection. It sucks, but it’s okay. Trying to ‘fix’ what you did by voluntarily dwelling in what you didn’t is the kind of thing you’ll end up criticizing yourself for next year. You deserve to give

yourself a break no matter how it seems the year has gone.

When you feel like you can hardly bring yourself to shower, just put on some new clothes. If leaving your room to get food is ostensibly the least appealing activity you could possibly imagine, that’s okay too.

Have a granola bar ready in your room instead. Granola bars are awesome! Granola bars are the middle ground.

Perfection is exhausting, but doing nothing at all is just as discouraging. Find your granola bar for the day, your acceptable middle ground that gives you the break you deserve.

Lawrence Hapeman, Contributing Writer Skating in a winter wonderland As the days become shorter and the weather gets cooler, many start to feel a decline in their mental health and wellbeing.

Whether you are trying to positively influence your mental health or just want

to find ways to meaningfully spend your time, ice skating is a great activity and something that anyone can participate in, regardless of skill level.

Though it may seem mundane, going around a rink in circles with your friends (or alone, if you just want to clear your head) and occasionally tripping and falling is an incredibly entertaining activity (and may make you daydream about becoming a figure skater — don’t worry, though, no one at the rink will expect you to start jumping triple Salchows right off the bat). Many people at the rink are beginners, so there is no shame in occasionally face-planting in the rigid ice, and the skaters around you will no doubt lend you a hand if your derriere hits the ice just a little too hard and you need help getting up.

There are many ice rinks around St. Louis, and if you’re looking for a place near campus, the outdoor Steinberg Skating Rink in Forest Park is a great option.

It opens on Nov. 19. During the holidays, trees around the rink will be strung with lights so that you can enjoy a nice, glittering view while gliding across the ice. If you prefer indoor rinks or want to try a different location, St. Louis has several other places to skate, including the Brentwood Ice Arena and the Kennedy Recreation Complex.

Among the many options, you’re sure to find a place where you can have fun with your friends or decompress after a long week of classes. Whether you’re feeling down, want to try something new (especially if you’re from an area that gets little to no snow or doesn’t have ice rinks) or you just want to have some fun, skating is a great option. And I encourage you to watch some videos of Yuna Kim’s performances to inspire yourself before heading into the rink.

Cathay Poulsen, Contributing Writer Read more at studlife.com.

What to expect when you’re electing ALICE GOTTESMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER The past couple years have seen a rise in youth involvement in politics. Many of us became well acquainted with our hometown politicians and political issues. But moving away for college brings many challenges, one of which is relearning local politics. St. Louis is a blue city in a red state, which lends itself to a variety of views on the political spectrum. From mayors to senators, here’s your basic guide to the politicians near the Washington University bubble.

Starting in the Senate: Senators Roy Blunt (Republican) and Josh Hawley (Republican): Roy Blunt will not be running in the next Senate election (2022), leaving his seat up for grabs. Josh Hawley, however, was just recently elected. Before being elected, Hawley served as Missouri’s Attorney General from 2017-2019 and before that worked in various areas of law. The far-right conservative and youngest member of the Senate has made headlines by being the first senator to object to the 2020 election results and saluting Capital rioters on Jan. 6th, 2020.

Hawley is fiercely against Roe v. Wade and reproductive rights, sees China and the tech industry as the biggest threats to the U.S. and supports Trump-era immigration policies. He has criticized the Supreme Court’s decision to expand protections to LGBTQ+ workers, stating that it “represents the end of the conservative legal movement,” and he was one of 6 Senators to vote against the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act that would address the rise in hate crimes during and after the pandemic.

Honing in on the House: Representative Cori Bush (Democrat): There are 8 Missouri representatives in the house.

Most WashU students live in the first district, represented

by Cori Bush. Before entering politics, Bush worked as a registered nurse, a pastor and a Black Lives Matter activist. Her name became well-known as she joined “the Squad” (Reps.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley

and Rashida Tlaib), amplifying her work as an advocate for Black Lives Matter. She ran on a platform that championed LGBTQ+ and gender equality and called for immigration reform (including the abolition of ICE) as well as reforms to the criminal justice and prison systems.

She is a firm supporter of Medicare for All, the Green New Deal and housing for all. On public safety, Bush centers community safety, investing in mental health resources and police accountability. She sponsored or co-sponsored almost 40 pieces of legislation in her first month on the job, “ranging from raising the federal minimum wage to improving voting access and paying reparations to Black Americans.” The first piece of legislation she brought to Congress was a resolution after the insurrection on Jan 6. for the “‘removal of the members who attempted to overturn the results of the election and incited a white supremacist attempted coup.’”

Looking Local: Governor Mike Parson (Republican): Governor Parson assumed office in June of 2018 and his term will end in 2025. Previously he served as Lieutenant Governor (the Lt. Gov is now Mike Kehoe), and a member of both the Missouri House of Representatives and Senate.

Currently, his website states he is focusing on building up infrastructure, bringing health care to rural areas and investing in law enforcement and public safety. He fought for 2nd amendment rights and the Missouri Farming Rights amendment while serving in the Missouri General Assembly.

On COVID-19, Parson has promoted vaccinations but is staunchly against federal mandates.

Secretary of State John (Jay) Ashcroft (Republican): The Secretary of State is responsible for elections, administrative rules, record services and more.

Additionally, Jay Ashcroft is in charge of authenticating the Governor’s acts. As the Elections Official, Ashcroft places a huge emphasis on stricter voter identification laws. In the past, he has

argued that there is evidence of election fraud and has fought to implement photoID laws.

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt (Republican): Eric Schmitt was appointed to this office in January of 2019, replacing Josh Hawley. The Attorney General is the top legal officer in the state, offering legal advice to most state agencies.

This office also oversees all challenges to state laws and defends the state in lawsuits.

Eric Schmitt has announced he is running in the upcoming Senate election. He was recently endorsed by Matthew Whitaker, Trump’s former acting attorney general. He is running on a conservative platform to protect religious freedom and fight against the “radical left,” big tech and more.

Auditor Nicole Galloway (Democrat): Nicole Galloway is the only woman and only democrat to hold an elected state office in Missouri. As Auditor, her office’s job is to oversee the proper use of public funding, improve government efficiency and audit for potential fraud.

During her time in office, Galloway has emphasized the importance of investigating fraud in government and then “holding those responsible accountable.” She has announced that she will not be running for any office in 2022.

St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones (Democrat): Last but not least, St. Louis has a new mayor. Tishaura Jones was inaugurated on April 21, making history as the first African-American woman to be mayor of St. Louis. She has always been a fierce advocate for the Black Lives Matter movement, and ran a progressive campaign.

She hopes to create immigration resources to help new Americans get on their feet. On criminal justice and police reform, Jones hopes to fully close the Workhouse and invest those funds in mental health resources and community safety plans.

She also wants to “partner with LGBT+ advocacy groups and local pro-choice organizations to increase accessibility to abortion, reproductive services and other healthcare for everyone

who needs them.” She states that she wants to focus on supporting and equalizing early childhood resources for “Black Women, women of color and poor women.”

While new to office, Jones has big, progressive plans.

What Can I Do From WU?: WashU votes has some

fantastic resources if you’d like to get more involved with get out the vote efforts, or even just get registered yourself! The Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement stores helpful information about WashU Votes and general voter engagement. Beyond just voting, if you are passionate

about any of the other issues or platforms mentioned, WashU has numerous clubs that engage in such work.

From College Democrats to College Republicans to the WashU Chapter of Planned Parenthood Generation Action, there are plenty of ways to be politically involved on and off campus.

Autumn at the Art Museum What to See in November: Oliver Lee Jackson, Galleries 249 and 257 Currents 120: Jess T. Dugan, Gallery 250 Damon Davis, Gallery 212S Art Along the Rivers, Main Exhibition Galleries Connect with us! @STLArtMuseum | #SLAMAutumnArt

One Fine Arts Drive, Forest Park Museum open Tuesday–Sunday, late on Fridays.

General admission is free every day.

Visit slam.org for exhibition information and safety protocols.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2021

FORUM

STUDENT LIFE 7

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

STAFF EDITORIAL

I

t’s not a foreign sight for anyone who has spent significant time on the South 40: clusters of freshmen and sophomores huddled close together by the Clocktower as Ubers and Lyfts sidle up Shepley Drive to whisk students away to bars and clubs downtown or restaurants in Clayton or the Central West End. Three hours and many Venmo requests later, the same students stumble back onto campus.

What often results is a resentment toward Washington University’s “nonexistent” social scene.

This resentment, especially for people who have not been here too long, makes lots of sense! Seemingly, you have to either subject yourself to racking up bar cover charges, $10 drinks, tips and $80 surge-priced rides home, or stay home.

These forms of going out create financial barriers to entry into WashU social life, serving to limit anyone without a rather frivolous entertainment budget. The conditions of many bar- or club-centric nights out in turn frequently exacerbate frustrations: Entry lines can be incredibly long, venues can be overly packed and expectations can be left unmet.

But it does not have to be this way. There is much, much more to WashU social life than the sweaty dance floors of Big Daddy’s and Club Europe. We should

Reflecting on WashU social life all reflect on those other aspects of what it means to be social here and should consider ways we can build on those elements of social life to generate a social experience that is more affordable, accessible and fun for all.

Particularly given how for most WashU students this is the first full year of an in-person campus, it is easy to grow bitter toward what might seem to be the pre-established standard of campus social life. The thing is that what appears to be a “new social normal” was by no means the convention for many pre-pandemic students. Rather, WashU spirit has existed more in social spaces for students, by students. In many cases, student groups and other clubs provide scaffolding upon which more accessible social experiences can grow.

Student group membership requirements sometimes shield social oases from public view, but many of these requirements are not strict and do not have any financial components: Friendliness toward the members of an oncampus group will typically result in invitations to hangouts, house parties, mixers and other events. The longer a club has existed, the more likely they are to have recurring shindigs that are just as (if not more) fun than a bar night with a hefty price tag.

If you think you’ve missed the boat — perhaps

GRAPHIC BY HN HOFFMANN

nothing at the activities fair spoke to you at first glance, or you spent more time than anticipated trying to adjust to in-person academics — know that many clubs are always recruiting and would love to have you.

To upperclassmen: While you might have to sift through the void of the pandemic to recall preCOVID social memories, it’s worth it to mimic the practices of those that so willingly hosted you in years past. WashU’s social sphere is rather self-dependent and self-teaching;

upperclassmen open their doors to freshmen and sophomores, in turn teaching those underclassmen how to host their own events when the time comes. If you’re a current junior or senior dissatisfied with current social happenings, try hosting! While you could go all-out and host the next big function for your social circle, even welcoming a small handful of peers over for a friendly dinner assists in reestablishing a healthy social environment.

And for those of you who do still find the call

of a night out in greater St. Louis more endearing than any club-hosted fete, you’re no less entitled to your social experience than the most overinvolved student in the extracurricular sphere. However, it’s important to be conscious of the price tag associated with your outings — understand that not everyone you befriend will be able to commit to pricey dinners, expensive ride shares and the like.

On a campus that never bursts with school spirit to begin with, and especially

during yet another semester without key traditions like WILD, it can sometimes feel quite hard to be connected to others or to feel fulfilled in social interactions. These feelings often become especially magnified around this time of year as days shorten, temperatures quickly sink and we grind through the final weeks of the semester. And that is okay! All it means is that we have to, every once in a while, take a step back to think about how we can contribute to the community’s social experience.

Facebook and the prioritization of profit over people SERIN KOH STAFF WRITER

E

ighteen years ago, a young college student built a revolutionary platform that would define social media and everyday interactions from then on: Facebook.

On Oct. 28, Facebook company CEO and co-founder Zuckerberg announced a new corporate name: Meta, which is meant to embody the company’s ambitions of evolving social connection to the metaverse –– 3-dimensional realms for socializing, connection and entertainment.

This announcement, however, is a feeble stab at attempting to distract the public from the latest in a long line of scandals.

And now, our generation –– which has grown up with social media influences –– must address such issues and contend with the negative impact Facebook, along with other platforms, has had on society.

In late September, whistleblower and former Facebook employee

Frances Haugen began to leak documents about Facebook’s harmful actions and flaws that ripple into society and everyday lives.

Those documents state that Facebook has done little to tackle the spread of hate, misinformation and political polarization on the platform; any regulation at all has been temporary.

This deliberate inaction was Facebook’s choice to prioritize profit over people. Facebook’s algorithm, along with those of other social media platforms, decides what content one sees on their page based on the posts they have engaged with. There is one catch, however: Posts of misinformation, hate or polarization tend to evoke strong emotions from people, which elicits more engagement from Facebook’s users, who therefore use the social platform more. This loop of seeing and engaging with misinformation is endless and holds the ability to accumulate into a large catastrophe. An example is the infamous

January 6th riot, which prosecutors and Haugen argue was planned and fueled by hateful and frightening Facebook posts about “restoring” the government “by bullet or ballot.”

The documents also present data that 13% of teenage girls feel more suicidal and another 17% feel more depressed when scrolling through Instagram, another social media app Meta owns. On a daily basis, teenage girls see content on the app that showcases fashion models, perfect bodies and makeup, vacations and luxuries.

Similar to the patterns seen on Facebook, such content evokes more response from Instagram’s audience; the same toxic loop impacts not only older adults on Facebook, but younger teens and children on other social platforms. Yet even with such data, Meta had chosen little to fight the issue to make more profit.

This profit-over-people philosophy is nothing new; it has been rampaging through businesses

Editor-in-Chief: Matthew Friedman Managing Editors: Jayla Butler, Isabella

VIA CREATIVE COMMONS | JD LASICA

of people throughout history valuing money over human lives.

Along with climate change, social justice issues, polarization –– this list goes on –– our generation has been left with yet another issue to fix: reforming social media and large corporations that consistently decide to prioritize profit over the well-being of people. So what can we do to fight this dilemma? One solution is to enforce stricter government regulation over large corporations like Meta. A federal agency dedicated to oversight can keep corporations in check and ensure that they do not

deliberately harm the public for profit.

Around 20 years ago, when social media and the Internet were rising superstars in the world, they were a place to escape from reality. Yet today, social media is ingrained into most people’s lives, as well as the negativity and dangers that come with it.

These issues with profit over people also stem from the toxicity of social culture itself. Perhaps this recent scandal with Facebook will force us to ask the question: How and when will social media reform to benefit, rather than harm and exploit, the public?

YOUR VOICE: SUBMISSIONS

OUR VOICE: EDITORIAL BOARD Staff editorials reflect the opinion of a majority of editorial board members. The editorial board operates independently of our newsroom and includes members of the senior staff.

and corporations for some time. During the height of the pandemic in 2020, Tesla defied California’s spring lockdown order by calling in employees for work. When this action was greeted with government intervention, CEO and founder Elon Musk responded bitterly and called in workers a second time despite the many health concerns expressed by the employees themselves. As a result, more than 400 coronavirus cases were reported at a Tesla plant. And even when the company finally gave workers permission to stay home, some employees found termination letters sitting in their inboxes.

Weight-loss companies fraudulently advertise miraculous results in order to make more profit, while lying to and sometimes even harming the public.

Yet for centuries, people have been prioritizing profit over people; colonizers, slave-owners and employers who have subjected workers to unsafe conditions are all examples

Senior Scene Editor: Julia Robbins Senior Copy Editors: Jordan Coley, Grady Nance

Senior Cadenza Editors: Gracie Hime, Jordan Coley

Senior Sports Editor: Grady Nance Senior Social Media Editor: Sabrina

Neubauer

Spence

Senior Forum Editors: Reilly Brady, Jamila

Senior Multimedia Editors: HN Hoffmann,

Dawkins

Jaden Satenstein

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

letter or opinion submission. Any submission chosen for publication does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Student Life, nor does publication mean Student Life supports said submission.

8 STUDENT LIFE

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

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2021

Holding down the left side: The Flynn sisters’ soccer journey

CURRAN NEENAN | STUDENT LIFE

Senior Erin Flynn dribbles past a Wheaton College defender in September. Flynn has scored five goals and leads the Bears with 13 points on the year.

GRADY NANCE SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR If you look at the box score of a Washington University women's soccer game, you might think that there's a typo. Running down the list of starters, you're almost certain to come across the name "Flynn" more than once. But it's no mistake — in fact, in their first season playing together, senior Erin and sophomore Kate Flynn are proving that a sisterly bond goes a long way to success.

It wasn't necessarily a plan but rather a happy coincidence that the pair both ended up at WashU. Growing up outside Chicago, the two got into soccer at around the same time when their parents signed them up for local teams. From there, each one found their love for the game

with the other right alongside them. "We did a lot of sports through middle school; basketball, cross-country, track," Erin said, "but soccer was always the front-runner."

After years of age-separated travel teams, the pair finally shared the pitch for two years in high school at Benet Academy, where they developed the chemistry that they've since brought to WashU. Unfortunately, Erin graduated the season before Kate and Benet Academy won the state championship, a fact that Kate still holds over her sister. "That's gotta be my favorite memory from high school," she joked.

As their involvement in soccer became more serious and playing in college became a goal for both sisters, offseasons turned into shared training opportunities; the two even ran through the

first WashU summer training packet sent to Erin before her freshman year, an early precursor for Kate who, unknown to her at that time, would be sent one of her own two years later. Given the pair's natural inclination for competing, the two pushed each other. "I think it's always been a little bit of both: healthy competition, and then definitely a lot of support," Erin said. "I think because we never really play on the same team, we weren't ever that individually competitive with each other."

Kate agreed that while they were more supportive than competitive growing up, "now that we are on the same team, especially at practices if we're on different teams, it's definitely really competitive."

When Kate started looking at colleges for both academics and soccer, WashU

naturally jumped to the top of her list. "It was definitely a draw… The school itself was a good fit for me individually regardless of whether or not my sister was here, and then when it came down to deciding between my top few schools, [Erin] was obviously a big factor in why I chose to come here," she said.

While playing together appealed to Kate during recruitment, Erin, sensing the opportunity to reunite with her sister, was not shy about trying to draw her to St. Louis.

"Never in a million years did I think that we'd end up at the same place," she said. "I saw a window of opportunity for us to play two more years and, yeah, it worked out great."

A ride the Flynns thought would end in high school suddenly reemerged, giving them the chance to enjoy two more years on the field together.

While COVID took away the 2020 season, since lacing up and stepping on the field together, the Flynns have been flat-out dominant this season.

Erin, a left midfielder, leads the team in points (a measure of offensive production — goals count for two, assists for one) with 13, and she is tied for the most goals (five) on the team on 38 total shots, 13 more than the next-closest player. On the other side of the ball, Kate has started all 16 games at left back for the dominant Bears defense that has recorded shutouts in half of their contests this season.

And if you watch one of their games, it's no coincidence that the two line up on the same side of the field. "We're already on that

same wavelength because we've played with each other for so long, we've known how each other played our entire lives, so that's been fun," Erin said. "Just being one step ahead of other people and knowing what each other is going to do."

"It's been fun to kind of fall back into that role of having the dynamic on the sideline together," Kate agreed.

"There's definitely an advantage to having watched her play my whole life and knowing the way she plays; I can kind of predict what she's gonna do and her habits."

Given how the sisters complement one another on the field, it's not uncommon this year for a WashU attack to be bookended by Flynns.

This phenomenon was wellelucidated early in the season when the pair recorded an "all-Flynn" scoring play: Erin rocketed a corner kick into the box, which Kate promptly put in the back of the net — her first career goal at WashU, assisted by none other than her sister.

The Flynn household has loved every second, trekking to nearly every game this year

to watch their dynamic duo play. "They're very big fans," the sisters agreed with a laugh.

As exciting as their time on the field together has been this season, this time will almost certainly be their last; Erin graduates in the spring, meaning the sisters will have to put their on-field relationship to rest for the final time.

"It's a weird feeling, but like [Erin] said, we're just grateful that we had this last season together," Kate said.

WashU begins their playoff push this Saturday as they face Beloit College in the round of 64, and the team will need both Flynns at the top of their game if they hope to make a deep run. But while Erin and Kate hope to finally win a championship as sisters in their last season together, they're just going to cherish every minute until the whistle blows for the final time.

"I think it just makes everything mean that much more," Kate said. "Just that I'm sharing it with someone who's been there for me my whole life and who will continue to be there for me. My best friend."

THE WEEK AHEAD 11/12 @5pm: Women's basketball @ UW-La Crosse 11/13 @11am: Cross Country NCAA Regionals 11/13 @11am: Women's soccer vs.

Beloit College (HOME) 11/14 @1 (if they win): vs. winner of Hanover/Dominican (HOME) 11/13 @11am: Men's soccer v. UW-Superior 11/14 @1 (if they win): vs. winner of North Park/Carthage 11/13 @12pm: Football @ Carthage 11/13 @3pm: Women's basketball @ UW-Lutheran

BLUES STUDENT RUSH Save on tickets to select Blues games at Enterprise Center when you sign up for the Student Rush program.

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