THE FINISH LINE Celebrating the Class of 2021, by Student Life at Washington University in St. Louis

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STUDENT LIFE | THE FINISH LINE

When we think of how far you’ve come, we can’t wait to see how far you’ll go. Congratulations and best wishes to the Class of 2021 from the Office of Public Affairs.

STUDENT LIFE | THE FINISH LINE

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Contents

Four Years in Review

A recap of the last four years on campus

A Year of COVID

Stats from two semesters of pandemic learning

A Tribute to What We Have Lost A senior shares her memories

The Past Four Years of Sports On the ups and downs of WU athletics

Pride in the Class of 2021

What this year’s seniors have accomplished

Perpetual Uncertainty Making the most of this year

A Last Goodbye

Coaches write letters to their seniors

A Letter from Our Editor-in-Chief

Dear readers, I could try to count how many times the word "unprecedented" has shown up in communications from Washington University administrators over the past year, but I have a feeling such a count might take many hours. And I am not convinced that is the end of the world. From our delayed start in September to the ups and downs of COVID-19 cases on campus, this has been a year like no other. Frankly, it has been a set of four years like no other. The Class of 2021 has seen plenty of changes across cam-

pus, from the physical transformation of the East End to the inauguration of a new chancellor. These seniors will be the last set of students to remember brunch at the Bear's Den and the last who witnessed the old Whispers. They will recall taking classes in LabSci where today's freshmen only know Wrighton Hall, and will have no idea where to go when you tell them to go to Risa's Commons. There are so many stories to be told about this past year and about the Class of 2021, and no one is able to tell them all. Yet this special edition of Student Life begins to embark upon that task. In one article, Senior Scene Editor Olivia Poolos shares three seniors' memories of what they have lost. In another,

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One Last Column

Student Life seniors write one last column

Images of a Full Four Years Seniors send in their favorite photos

College in a Pandemic A year in photos of campus

The Shows Went On Arts and entertainment photos

Books, Bunnies and Buildings A personal collage of material moments

From a First-Year

One writer’s take on the years to come

Behind the East End

Exploring the University’s newest expansion

Senior Forum Editor Jamila Dawkins explores what this year's seniors should make of these days' near-constant uncertainty about the future. As they do every year, Bears head coaches write goodbye letters to their graduates, and Student Life's seniors reflect on their time at the University. Our articles are just a start, but my hope is that they enable reflection on the Class of 2021 and inform readers about what campus has been like over the last year. I hope that you enjoy reading and celebrating the Class of 2021. Thank you, and stay well! Matthew Friedman Student Life 2021-2022 Editor-in-Chief

STUDENT LIFE | THE FINISH LINE

CENTRAL WEST END: at the heart of it all

Congratulations Graduates! It’s time to celebrate. Safely shop, dine, and explore St. Louis’ Central West End — located just minutes away from WashU. For a full neighborhood directory, visit www.cwescene.com

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Our 2021-2022 Staff Matthew Friedman Editor-in-Chief editor@studlife.com Jayla Butler Em McPhie Ted Moskal Isabella Neubauer Managing Editors Julia Robbins Orli Sheffey Senior News Editors news@studlife.com Olivia Poolos Senior Scene Editor scene@studlife.com Reilly Brady Jamila Dawkins Senior Forum Editors forum@studlife.com Vivienne Chang Senior Engagement Editor

Grady Nance Clara Richards Senior Sports Editors sports@studlife.com

Ani Kesanapally Senior Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Editor

Tammy Dunsford Advertising Sales Manager dunsfordt@wustl.edu

JJ Coley Gracie Hime Senior Cadenza Editors cadenza@studlife. com

HN Hoffmann Kamala Madireddi Jaden Satenstein Senior Multimedia Editors

Copyright © 2021 Washington University Student Media, Inc. (WUSMI). Student Life is a financially and editorially independent, student-run newspaper serving the Washington University community. Our newspaper is a publication of WUSMI and does not necessarily represent the views of the Washington University administration.

Jade Leslie Sarah Wang Senior Design Editors design@studlife.com Brian Cui Curran Neenan Senior Photo Editors photo@studlife.com JJ Coley Grady Nance Senior Copy Editors copy@studlife.com

Cover Design Sarah Wang

ERE SHOP WH LARS L YOUR DO RT SUPPO S! SCHOLAR

Sabrina Spence Senior Social Media Editor Nathan Springman Senior Web Editor Grace Kennard News Editor Adrienne Levin Coleman General Manager a.coleman@studlife. com

Layout Design Jade Leslie, Sarah Wang

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Four Years in Review 2017-2021 Senior Year

Ted Moskal and Matthew Friedman Managing Editor and Editor-in-Chief The fall semester began in the wake of a historic summer with students organizing and participating in Black Lives Matter protests around the country, as well as a new push to abolish Greek Life at Washington University. On top of that, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the University community to adapt to a partially virtual semester, causing a number of difficulties including a housing scramble, complications for overseas students and clashes between RAs and Residential Life. During the first week of classes, Chancellor Emeritus William Danforth passed away at the age of 94. Danforth is considered to be one of Washington University’s most influential leaders, and has been credited with transforming the University from a “streetcar college” into an internationally renowned research institution. As the semester continued, promoting racial justice was a major focus for all members of the University community. A group of students started a mutual aid fund aimed at supporting Black students on campus, which raised over $5000 within its first few weeks. Over the summer, Chancellor Andrew Martin had announced a commitment to accelerate the launch of the Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity & Equity, establish an Equity and Inclusion Council and strengthen ties to the St. Louis community. In September, the University also announced the creation of a public safety committee to examine the role that the Washington University Police Department plays on campus. However, student activists were often critical of the University’s tendency to respond to pressing issues by establishing committees and councils instead of taking direct action. Students held a number of protests and vigils over the course of the fall, calling for more direct action from the University, as well as the abolition of WUPD. During one protest, senior Sabrina Sayed spray painted the word “colonizer” on the statue of George Washington outside of Olin Library, prompting a $1500 fine from the University. During the fall, the student body also reckoned with the role that Greek Life should play on campus, after many students anonymously shared their negative experiences with Greek organizations through the instagram accounts @metoo_washu, @blackatwashu and @abolishwashuwpaandifc. As a result, over 50% of fraternity and sorority members

chose to deactivate from their organizations during the summer, creating a divide between students committed to abolishing Greek Life and those committed to reforming it. A few different sororities attempted to disband over the course of the semester, but were faced with resistance from their national organizations. Only Pi Beta Phi actually managed to follow through with this process in the fall, voting to relinquish its charter in October. Campus Life generally remained unsupportive of the abolition movement, prompting the resignation of 13 pro-abolition members of the co-curricular advisory board, a group aimed at determining the future of Greek Life on campus. As the 2020 election cycle entered its final stages, a number of student organizations got involved in different ways. WashU Votes partnered with the Gephardt Institute to help students register to vote and get their ballots notarized in an effort to improve voter turnout on campus. More partisan groups such as the college democrats and the college republicans focused their efforts on local elections including the close house race between Jill Schupp (D) and Ann Wagner (R), given that Trump was heavily favored to win Missouri. Political discourse was also abundant during the fall semester, as the Danforth Dispatch, Washington University’s newest student publication, aimed at “critiqu[ing] the radical ideologies dominating campus culture,” turned some heads with its controversial headlines. On Nov. 3, polling places both at Washington University and around the state experienced high turnout. However, although Democrats had hoped that high turnout would translate into victories for Democratic candidates, Republicans managed to capitalize on Missouri’s status as an increasingly red state and held onto many seats that Democrats had hoped to flip. Although Washington University students have often been criticized for staying inside the sheltered “Wash. U. bubble,” some student activists made efforts to advocate for important municipal issues such as police reform, while others attempted to build lasting relationships between students and St. Louis neighborhoods. While COVID-19 cases at Washington University had remained consistently low during the early stages of the semester, campus experienced its first major spike in November. Confusion over changes to the Thanksgiving break travel policy prompted criticism from both students and parents as cases continued to rise over the course of the month. As the semester came to an end, the University suspended indoor dining and limited non COVID-19 related services at Habif Health and Wellness Center in an attempt to

STUDENT LIFE | THE FINISH LINE curb further spread of the virus. The final controversy of the semester revolved around Washington University’s decision to cancel spring break and replace it with two “wellness days” in an effort to prevent students from engaging in risky behavior during spring break that might expose them to the virus. While students agreed with the end goal of preventing the spread of COVID-19, the reduction of a five day break to two individual days off prompted significant backlash. In order to address these concerns, the University restructured the semester to include a third wellness day, mandated that each department schedule two “study days” over the course of the semester, and took steps to ensure that these days off would actually be enforced. The Jan. 6 insurrection at the United States capitol cast a shadow over the start to the year as students finished their fall exams and attempted to enjoy a few weeks of rest over a shortened winter break. Eight University political science professors signed an open letter calling for President Donald Trump's removal from office, Jan. 8, and some University donors, such as John Danforth and Sam Fox, announced they would stop supporting Sen. Josh Hawley following his role in the riot. But other donors, including two vice chairs of the University's Board of Trustees, remained silent, and a group of alumni launched a political action committee later in the month to oppose Hawley's re-election in 2024. From an academic perspective, the spring mostly resembled the fall, as many classes remained remote and COVID guidelines such as masking and distancing stayed in place on campus. COVID-19 cases on campus stayed high for much of the spring semester, even as infection rates declined across the St. Louis region. Interim Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Rob Wild called the situation "dire" in a March email, and the University expanded surveillance testing to include walk-ins. Cases have fallen dramatically in April and May, allowing for the continuation of plans for commencement in-person. The calls for abolition of Greek Life continued into the new semester even as hundreds of students joined Greek organizations through virtual recruitment processes. Sorority Alpha Omicron Pi officially disbanded its chapter at the University in Jan., joining Pi Beta Phi as the only chapters to do so. The Women's Panhellenic Association (WPA) and students advocating for abolition held dueling panels in early February, as the WPA panel highlighted changes aimed at increasing equity while the second panel featured former members of Greek Life describing their reasons for leaving the organizations. Students led a protest from the East End to Fraternity Row weeks later, calling for fraternities to be dehoused with chants like "Don’t take my tuition, without Greek Life abolition” and “Hey hey, ho ho, Wash. U. Greek Life has to go." Policing and public safety remained at the forefront of campus conversations as well. The University's public safety committee, which met eight times between Oct. and Jan., released its final report at the end of February, calling for changes to the WUPD’s handling of mental health emergencies and suggesting reforms aimed at the department's transparency and accountability. Executive

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Vice Chancellor for Civic Affairs and Strategic Planning Hank Webber told Student Life that the University planned to implement the committee's recommendations by the fall. Yet many activists, including some students who were on the committee, said the recommendations did not go far enough. They expressed dissatisfaction that some recommendations proposed increasing funding for WUPD and were frustrated over the University's resistance to deeper conversations about systemic issues surrounding institutions of policing. Following the police killings of Daunte Wright and Adam Toledo in April, advocacy group Wash. U. Students for Abolition held a protest outside Olin Library, where students draped a "Justice for Daunte" banner over the Washington statue and called again for the abolition of WUPD. But those calls for change were not the only advocacy on campus. Students posted flyers saying "Wash. U. Has a Problem" across campus in February. to demand action on sexual violence prevention and support for people who have experienced sexual assault, while Student Union and Title Mine held a town hall with University administrators that month to unpack Trump Secretary of Education Betsy Devos' new Title IX guidelines, which limited how student groups handle allegations of sexual assault against group members. Student Union continued its other fall advocacy efforts into the spring, setting up a Mentorship Match program to connect freshmen and sophomores to upperclassmen and passing an amendment to disband class councils and incorporate them into the Social Programming Board. The University expanded its medical amnesty and active bystander policies in February to include all drugs instead of just alcohol, and at executive board elections in March, Ranen Miao won a second term as SU president after running unopposed. Student Union has supported efforts from numerous identity-based groups, such as the Association of Latin American Students and Asian and Pacific Islanders Demanding Justice, to "Disaggregate the Diaspora" which aims to collect more nuanced demographic data at the University. Mental health remained a key issue on campus, as pandemic restrictions and cold, dark winter weather often left students feeling isolated and depressed. A new Instagram account, @stillwaiting_washu, formed to highlight students' negative experiences trying to navigate the Habif Health and Wellness Center's mental healthcare offerings, and students struggled with burnout as they had just the three wellness days for the entire semester. Throughout the spring, the School of Medicine partnered with the Barnes-Jewish system to administer COVID-19 vaccines to qualified undergraduate and graduate students, as well as other community members, but most University students did not receive the vaccine until later in the semester. Students who received the vaccine early on, whether through their work in medical labs, their status as healthcare workers or other reasons, sometimes struggled to rationalize their early access, but gratitude pervaded their emotions as well. As the region struggled with issues of vaccine distribution equity—

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STUDENT LIFE | THE FINISH LINE

too many doses shipped to Missouri's rural areas, for example, and a lack of availability in Black neighborhoods of St. Louis—some students took matters into their own hands, driving hours beyond the city to receive leftover doses. The School of Medicine opened vaccination to students on April 9, when all adults became eligible for the vaccine in Missouri, but had to pause distribution of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine because of the emergence of blood clots in six out of seven million vaccine recipients nationwide. Vaccine distribution resumed three days later with a new supply of Pfizer vaccines and as of April 23, 1299 students and 1451 faculty and staff had been vaccinated through the University. In off-campus happenings, students participated in St. Louis city's spring elections, which included both a March primary and an early April general. Voters elected city treasurer Tishaura Jones for mayor, choosing the first Black woman for the role in the city's history and indicating a progressive shift from Lyda Krewson's administration. Early in her time in office, Jones has committed to closing the Workhouse jail, an issue some University students have rallied around in the past. Despite the challenges of yet another semester in a pandemic, University leadership has remained optimistic. Martin held his first annual State of the University address in February, saying that "I believe we are keeping our momentum, and I am extremely proud of this community and the many ways all of you have stepped up to help us continue to build

on the firm foundation we have in place." Although the exact details of the fall semester are still up in the air, Martin announced in March that Washington University will return to “predominantly in-person learning” by the fall.

Junior Year Jayla Butler, Em McPhie and Ted Moskal Managing Editors Although students were hit with the news that Provost Holden Thorp would be stepping down from his position over the summer, this wasn’t the last of summer news. In June, the WashU Undergraduate and Graduate Workers’ Union (WUGWU) also began to see some of their advocacy work pay off when Washington University announced its plan to raise the minimum wage to $15 by 2021. After construction that lasted nearly the entirety of the seniors’ college experience, students finally got to see the finished product of the East End Transformation, which brought changes in the form of a newly-restored Brookings Hall, Sumers Welcome Center, Weil Hall and Schnuck Pavillion, to name a few. While students were trying out the new kiosk ordering system in Parkside Cafe (and saying farewell to Holmes Lounge and Etta’s), the Kemper Art Museum reopened after a year of being closed for renovations and welcomed renowned artist Ai Weiwei to campus. In September, many students were dis-

heartened by a new policy that banned the use of motorized scooters on campus, with some students ignoring the rule altogether for most of the semester. That month, students also received news that a new fraternity, Delta Chi, would be arriving on campus and representatives began to recruit potential members for its first pledge class in the Danforth University Center. This fall, instances of crime began rising once again and didn’t seem to slow down for the rest of the year, which was not much of a surprise to students, who continued to mourn the loss of the subsidized Uber program. The University prepared to address these incidents by adding a North campus shuttle and introduced the Washington University Police Department bike patrols you grew accustomed to seeing around campus throughout the year. October kicked off with the inauguration ceremony of Washington University’s fifteenth Chancellor, Andrew Martin. Students, faculty, staff and friends of the University packed Brookings quadrangle to welcome Martin into his new role. During the ceremony, Martin announced the Wash. U Pledge, a commitment to provide free tuition for low-income students in Missouri and Southern Illinois. Another important announcement at Martin’s inauguration was the news that rapper A$AP Ferg would headline Fall WILD. Kiiara, Mindchatter and student rapper Gosha Guppy also performed at WILD, drawing crowds of students out to Brookings quadrangle. Later in the month, the Social Programming Board invited comedian Eric Andre to headline the fall comedy show. At the comedy show,

Andre’s performance was a bit more toned down, but nonetheless managed to entertain the hundreds of students who attended. October ended with the alarming results of the Association of American Universities (AAU) Campus Climate Survey on Sexual Assault and Sexual Misconduct. According to the survey, 42.5% of undergraduate women will experience nonconsensual sexual contact by their fourth year at Washington University, up from 33% in 2015. Organizations such as LIVE and Title Mine expressed distress over these new statistics, but administrators and student activists pledged to work towards decreasing sexual misconduct on campus in the future. Student Union Senate also passed the Green Energy Resolution, which called for the University to achieve carbon neutrality by 2035, among other goals. Additionally, student groups such as Fossil Free Wash. U., WUGWU, WU/FUSED and others continued to pressure the administration to take action on a number of issues such as divestment from fossil fuels, a living wage for all University employees and need-blind admissions over the course of the fall. The very first day of the spring semester opened with an email from Martin to the student body announcing plans to increase WUPD presence in neighborhoods surrounding the University as well as increasing the number of shuttles. The new initiatives were in response to a string of crimes from fall semester, including an incident where a City Faces volunteer had their car stolen during scheduled programming, resulting in the temporary cancellation of all further programming. But in January, the group

We’ve known you by name and by story, and we’ll be cheering you on as you cross the finish line. We can’t wait to see you again, and to watch your story continue.

CONGRATULATIONS & BEST WISHES TO THE

Class of 2021!

The Faculty of Arts & Sciences The College of Arts & Sciences The Graduate School

STUDENT LIFE | THE FINISH LINE relaunched with a new framework and more targeted programs. Later that month, students received an email from Executive Director of Habif Health and Wellness Center Cheri LeBlanc reassuring them that they had little cause to be concerned about the novel coronavirus; there were currently just five known cases in the United States. Meanwhile, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit from a former Wash. U. student who had been expelled in 2018 after being found guilty of sexual misconduct. Title Mine representatives applauded the progress the University had made since then, but pointed out how much still needed to be done. Just a couple weeks later, the Greek community was rocked by new allegations. The $52 million Loop Trolley was shut downat the end of 2019 after generating less than 10 percent of its projected revenue from the first year of operation, but in February, the leaders of the project attempted to resurrect it, with the chairman saying that in his mind, the project had not yet really started. At the end of February, five separate advocacy groups—SU, WUGWU, Title Mine, Green Action and WU/FUSED—joined together in a coalition to present 10 demands to the administration, such as increased mental health services and the demilitarization of WUPD. The coalition, named WUnited, held a rally outside the DUC with around 50 students in attendance. Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Lori White announced at the beginning of March that she would be leaving Wash. U. to serve as the first Black and first female president of DePauw University in Indiana, telling students in an email that she hoped to be an inspiration to a new generation of leaders. By March, the University community had aleady begun to see the impacts of the impending pandemic with the cancellation of the Shanghai study abroad program, the return of students studying in Italy and an increase in xenophobic dialogue. On the first day of spring break, students were informed of new travel and event policies following the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in St. Louis. Just two days later on March 11, administrators instructed all students not to return to campus and announced the extension of spring break by one week. Professors faced challenges in switching their classes to a virtual format, and students panicked as they struggled with financial worries and a lack of personal belongings. wSeniors were heartbroken over the Chancellor’s decision to cancel the commencement ceremony, but a new committee promised a unique celebration at some unknown point in the future.

Sophomore Year Jayla Butler, Kathleen White and Curran Neenan | Managing Editor, Staff Reporter and Senior Photo Editor The year didn’t exactly start off on the right foot -- during the University’s First Year Summer Academic Program, 10 black incoming freshmen returning to campus from IHOP were stopped by Clayton police, July 7, who assumed they were part of a group that left without paying. The police escorted the group back to IHOP, where the manager confirmed

their innocence. The University responded publicly to the incident July 16 by emphasizing their disappointment in the city’s handling of the situation. Several of the students met with the Clayton city manager and police chief July 19, and a statement on the city’s behalf issued an apology and took full responsibility for the events. However, on Sept. 29, Clayton Mayor Harold Sanger released a letter claiming that based on an investigation into the incident, “initiating contact with this group was in keeping with policies and procedures.” Also in mid July, Washington University announced Andrew Martin as the next Chancellor, July 14. At the time, Martin was serving as the dean of the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts at the University of Michigan. Martin officially arrived on campus at the start of the spring semester and will officially assume the role on June 1. Since arriving, Martin has shared his thoughts on free speech, as well as his ideals about need blind admissions being the University’s moral responsibility, which came shortly after Student Union passed the Opportunity Fund, which will provide low-income students with stipends to help offset the costs of extracurricular activities. As students moved back to campus, somemoved into the Hamsini Living Learning Community in House 5, after the University had awarded the vacant house to black students. The Hamsini Living Learning Community allows its upperclassmen residents to explore issues and themes related to the African diaspora. The Hamsini Living Learning Community will remain in House 5 for the upcoming academic year. Soon after freshmen finished Bear Beginnings, he University revealed that the 2019 Bear Beginnings program is transitioning to a nine day schedule with three parts. The new schedule means the retirement of Student Orientation Advising Registration (SOAR) over the summer and the University’s pre-orientation programs in the fall, a change that made some students sadder than the changes to the soda fountains. An armed robbery on the 6600 block of Washington Ave occurring Sept. 6 launched a spate of crime activity in the fall semester with carjackings occurring between Rosedale and Pershing Aves Sept. 9 and on Waterman Ave. Sept. 17 and a shooting at the Delmar Loop metro station Sept. 12. In response, the University strengthened the presence of WUPD off campus and partnered with Uber to subsidize trips for students living off-campus. The free Ubers ended with the start of the second semester. The Washington University Graduate Workers’ Union (WUGWU) wasted no time in making their demands heard this year. In September, the group partnered with the Student Workers Alliance to rally for the University’s minimum wage to be raised to $15 during the Alumni Day football game. The same month, the University released their Title IX report addressing demands made by Title Mine at their rally last April. Title Mine continued their actions with two comment writing campaigns in December and January in response to Betsy Devos’ proposed Title IX regulations. On April 11, Title Mine commemorated their year of progress with a panel and, you guessed it, a rally. September ended with racially insensitive messages about Asian students sent in an Umrath freshman floor GroupMe leading

to a campus-wide reaction, with many Asian students sharing their own stories of marginalization and microaggressions. The incident led Asians and Pacific Islanders Demanding Justice (APIDJ) to “Occupy Umrath,” where they staged a letter writing campaign to the University in the building’s lobby. For WUGWU, October brought more rallies, in the form of a march through the Danforth University Center, a disruption of Chancellor Wrighton’s Parent and Family Weekend Address and trick-or-treating at Wrighton’s house Halloween night to demand a livable wage. The results of a sorority-wide survey made waves in the Greek community when it revealed that instances of sexual violence or harassment were reported at every campus fraternity, with at least 16 incidents at each fraternity. A majority of survey respondents reported some form of unwanted sexual contact at the University, with 73% experiencing unwelcome grinding and 40% reporting unwelcome touching below the waist. November brought students to the polls en masse --some waiting hours in line to do their civic duty and vote in the midterm elections. Republican Josh Hawley won the seat for Senator over the Democratic Incumbent Claire McCaskill. Millions of dollars and seemingly as many years later, the Loop Trolley was officially up and running on Nov. 16. The trolley has already been involved in several traffic collisions and was barred from its first four stops until it provided a $300,000 insurance bond to University City. Wrighton already has big plans for his post-Chancellor life. In January, he was named the campaign chairman of the Better Together movement, which proposes merging St. Louis city and St. Louis county. The campaign would make St. Louis the country’s ninth largest city. Despite Wrighton’s involvement, the University has not taken an official stance on the manner. Instead, Martin formed a faculty group, overseen by Thorp, to start conversation on the campaign. The University caused quite a stir among student groups the week before spring break, when they announced the Gargoyle and Mallinckrodt 100a would be converted into office space. The groups affected by the announcement included Lunar New Year Festival, ASHOKA and Carnaval. Students were upset with the University for not prioritizing cultural groups and for not communicating with students. Despite the strong opposition, the University remained firm in their decision, but will work with student groups to provide alternative spaces. As Chancellor-elect Martin adjusted to life on campus, he brought a couple changes along with him. In March, he announced that the University would not be applying to host a presidential debate in 2020 -- after five debates previously held at the University -- citing his leadership transition as a key reason to sit the upcoming election cycle out. WUGWU managed to keep their momentum going second semester with events such as a candlelight vigil. In April, eight members occupied Chancellor-elect Martin’s office and were arrested later that day. In turn, WUGWU members began camping out in Brookings Quadrangle, referred to by the protesters as “Martinville,” to demand immediate action. WUGWU wasn’t the only group to raise their voice. Protests were everywhere this year. From protests for fossil fuel divestment and standing against climate change denial, to a rally

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for socioeconomic diversity during Wrightonpalooza in April and the #ResistWhiteU campaign in February, students campus-wide stood up for their beliefs and got the attention of both administration and the student body many times over.

Freshman Year Emma Baker | Staff Reporter Campus changed dramatically as soon as students left for their junior summers, as excavation began on the East End Expansion following the 2017 commencement ceremony. The excavation was largely completed over the summer and by the time students arrived back on campus, initial construction was underway. News on Washington University’s campus arrived before students did when former Dean of Students Justin X. Carroll pled guilty to charges of child pornography July 31. Carroll, who was sentenced to 54 months in federal prison later that fall, was replaced by Rob Wild at the start of the year. A few weeks later, it was confirmed that David Stetter, former assistant director of fraternity and sorority life, used a social media app to send sexually explicit content to multiple students. Near the beginning of the fall semester, the University’s graduate students announced their interest in forming a union. The Washington University Graduate Workers Union (WUGWU) continued their protests and meetings with the administration into the fall semester and filed for an election with the National Labor Relations Board in September. Before the results of the election could be determined, WUGWU withdrew the petition, but members of WUGWU continue to put pressure on the administration in hopes of forming a union in the future. The same semester, the selection of the WILD artist drew criticism from the student body. Following Student Programming Board’s selection of rapper Lil Dicky as the fall WILD headliner, many students pointed out the artist’s history of controversial comments. A group of student activists released a letter condemning SPB’s choice, and seven undergraduates organized an “Alternative WILD” and a walkout that took place right before Lil Dicky’s performance. Another source of contention on campus was the acquittal of Jason Stockley, a former St. Louis police officer, who was found notguilty in the killing of 24-year-old Anthony Lamar Smith. Students joined members of the St. Louis community on the Delmar Loop to protest the decision, reigniting the conversation of racially-charged police shootings in the United States on campus. In early October, Chancellor Mark Wrighton announced that he would retire no later than July 1, 2019. Wrighton oversaw a dramatic increase in applications to the school and an unprecedented growth in the University’s endowment, though his

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A Year in COVID-19 Students infected, quarantined and vaccinated

Orli Sheffey | Senior News Editor After the pandemic upended Washington University students’ lives in March 2020, the return to campus in the fall was filled with uncertainty. Here’s a look at the 2020-2021 school year by the numbers: Students test positive

As of May 2, 499 undergraduates, or nearly 10% of the 5200 undergraduate students living on or near campus tested positive for COVID-19 over the course of the school year. After 11 students tested positive upon arrival in September, cases remained low throughout the month, with zero cases detected on several days. In October, the University transitioned from the high orange alert level to the moderate yellow level, indicating stabilizing conditions on campus. But cases began to rise in mid-October. At the end of the month, the University’s alert level increased to orange, and cases began to exponentially grow throughout November. On Nov. 6, Chancellor Martin warned the community about “worsening conditions in the St. Louis region,” and on Nov. 14, the University detected 14 new positive cases—the highest number of new positive cases recorded in a single day. The University reached its highest number of active cases Nov. 25, with 60 students infected. While the number of positive cases started to decrease after the November surge, the spring semester brought new challenges: COVID-19 clusters. The first cluster recorded involved a group of graduate students gathering for dinner Jan. 28, resulting in 12 positive cases. Four more clusters were reported, involving multiple unmasked gatherings with many of the same students. From Feb. 4-6, a cluster led to 19 positive cases, from Feb. 12-19, a cluster led to 44 positive cases and two separate clusters from March 6 resulted in 12 positive cases. On March 12, Interim Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Rob Wild emailed students with the subject line “A Plea For Your Help,” calling the COVID-19 situation “dire,” and imploring students to comply with contact tracers.

Continued from Four Years in Review tenure was not without controversy. Shortly after his announcement, a committee was formed to begin the search for Wrighton’s replacement and evaluate potential successors. In January, Olin Library’s Whispers Cafe reopened after having been under 18 months of construction. The $20 million renovation included adding booths and more seating space. Along with the architectural changes made to Whispers, the cafe brought in coldbrewed coffee, a Firepot tea collection and other exclusive menu items. Near the beginning of the spring semester, the University announced a new

Although parents had sent numerous petitions to the administration throughout the school year calling for more frequent surveillance testing, asymptomatic students only had access to testing every two weeks. Yet, after five clusters were reported amid decreasing transmission rates in the St. Louis region, the University expanded surveillance testing March 19, allowing students the opportunity to get tested on campus more frequently. Cheri LeBlanc, executive director of Habif Health and Wellness Center, wrote in a statement to Student Life that biweekly surveillance testing for undergraduate students was sufficient, and it allowed the University to save testing resources for vulnerable populations. “We have confidence that the cadence of testing was adequate—our internal preliminary analyses suggested that more frequent testing would have prevented very few additional cases— this validated our efforts to conserve limited testing capacity so we could make it available to support vulnerable populations in the St. Louis community such as nursing home residents and those who are incarcerated,” LeBlanc wrote. “Recall that testing was a scarce resource early in the pandemic.” As of April 23, 232 students—out of the 497 undergraduate students who had tested positive by that point—stayed in University isolation housing for 10 days, while the remaining students who tested positive isolated off campus. Students quarantine for exposure

While a tenth of the undergraduate population had to isolate after contracting COVID-19, students who were unmasked or less than six feet apart for more than 15 minutes from students testidentified positiveas close who testedStudents positive were contacts and were then required to quarantine. Although freshman and sophomores living on campus were assigned single rooms, if one of their suitemates tested positive, they were required to quarantine because of the shared bathroom. For the majority of the school year, students

partnership with QuestBridge, a non-profit scholarship program that connects low-income, high-achieving college applicants with its partner schools. This new partnership aims to increase socioeconomic diversity on campus and make the University more visible to low-income students. Later in the semester, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions announced that the school will add a supplemental essay to its application to give prospective students an opportunity to share their background and interest in the University. After being placed on a temporary suspension in the fall semester on Sept. 14 due to reports of alleged hazing incidents, Washington University’s Phi Delta Theta chapter was permanently suspended Feb. 21, 2018 when the Washington University Police

identified as close contacts were required to quarantine for 14 days. Despite the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s release of revised guidance in December 2020 stating that quarantine periods could be shortened to seven to ten days, quarantine remained 14 days long throughout the fall and part of spring semester. On March 15, the University notified students in quarantine housing that they would be released after ten days, instead of 14 days, after an update in St. Louis County guidance. In line with the November surge, the number of quarantined students reached its high on Nov. 15, with 162 students in quarantine. As of April 23, a total of 600 students had been accommodated in quarantine housing on campus. Students break COVID-19 guidelines Students break COVID-19 guidelines

Despite restrictions on gatherings and mask requirements to limit the spread of COVID-19, many undergraduate students were caught violating public health guidelines. The Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards processed 723 conduct cases related to COVID-19 this year with 531 cases occurring in the fall semester and 192 cases occurring in the spring semester. The penalties for COVID-19 violations ranged from a warning to consideration for suspension or expulsion. Of the 723 conduct cases related to COVID-19, 292 students were placed on deferred penalty housing probation, a figure equal to 40% of the conduct cases adjudicated. Four students were removed from Residential Life housing for COVID-19 violations, and six students were referred to the Student Conduct Board for suspension or expulsion, though none of those students were suspended or expelled. Students get vaccinated Amid rising COVID-19 cases, required quarantines and student conduct violations, the spring semester came with what many saw as a sign of hope: vaccinations. Healthcare workers at the

Department discovered an AR-15 semi-automatic weapon in their on-campus house. Even before their permanent suspension, the fraternity had been violating the terms of their temporary suspension by hosting unsanctioned social events, including party buses and a party on Mardi Gras. Due to their permanent suspension, House 5 was evacuated, and administration announced its reassignment on March 20 to the black student community for the fall semester. This coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Black Manifesto. Following Phi Delt’s firearm-based suspension, Washington University students joined the country-wide protest for gun reform by participating in the the March for Our Lives protest in downtown St. Louis on Saturday, March 24. The march was preceded

Washington University School of Medicine and Barnes-Jewish Hospital began receiving vaccines at the end of December, and by April 9, all adults were eligible to get vaccinated in Missouri. Prior to April, many students found ways to get vaccinated. While some qualified for having pre-existing conditions or working frontline jobs, others took road trips to pharmacies with extra doses in rural Missouri. On April 7, students were notified that they could register to get the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine on the medical campus. After 2050 community members had received the J&J vaccine, federal health agencies called for a pause on the distribution of J&J April 13, following the development of rare blood clots in six out of seven million recipients. In response, the University was able to secure a supply of Pfizer vaccines in partnership with Barnes-Jewish Hospital, and three days later, students began getting vaccinated with the two-dose vaccine at WUSM. As federal health agencies have since lifted the pause J&J, the University is expected to offer both the Pfizer and J&J vaccines to the community. Although the vaccination clinic at the medical campus is not expected to be the primary COVID-19 clinic for Danforth Campus faculty, staff and students, as of April 23, 1299 students and 1451 faculty and staff had received the vaccine through the University. With the vaccine now readily available in all states, the Washington University community remains hopeful that the fall semester will more closely resemble a normal college experience with in-person classes, gatherings and more.

The data for this article was provided by Executive Director of Habif Health and Wellness Dr. Cheri LeBlanc, Interim Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Rob Wild, Dr. Steven Lawrence, Executive Director of Residential Life Kawanna Leggett, Associate Dean of Student Conduct Sheryl Mauricio, Interim Senior Administrator at the School of Medicine Eva Aagaard and the Danforth Campus COVID-19 Dashboard.

by a poster-making event and on-campus rally led by Washington University’s March for our Lives Club on Friday. The University later announced that it would not rescind acceptances of high school students who were suspended or were facing other disciplinary actions for peacefully participating in protests. Alpha Epsilon Pi was placed on social probation after the closing of a Washington University Police Department-led investigation of alcohol-related violations in April. The fraternity was found to have violated Campus Life policies on at least two separate occasions and will be on social probation for one year, in addition to completing chapter-wide alcohol awareness and bystander intervention modules.

STUDENT LIFE | THE FINISH LINE

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A Tribute to What We Have Lost

Olivia Poolos | Senior Scene Editor

Graduating this year comes with many obstacles—entering an employment field of uncertain modality, missing out on making memories with large groups of friends and saying goodbye to a campus that seniors have hardly inhabited for their last three semesters at Washington University. Each person of the class of 2021 has lost something unique, something that deserves space and time to remember. Student Life sat down with three seniors who had a story to share about loss and closure.

Lost Connections Senior Aja Drain never meant to spend her final year of college at home, nor did she expect to graduate a semester early. Yet speaking from her bedroom in Arizona, Drain reflected on a year where nothing went quite as planned. After a stressful few months of the pandemic, she decided that staying virtual would be the safest option

for her first semester. Soon after, she realized that she only needed one more class in order to graduate, and so planned to finish her degree in December. “[It] was a good decision, I think, in the long term, and I'm pretty happy with it, but it was kind of bittersweet,” Drain said. Though she doesn’t regret the choice to finish college early, Drain acknowledges that she lost a long list of things—including a literal bucket list. Drain wanted to visit the St. Louis Zoo, the art museum, work as an RA and take a final spring trip with friends—all things that were never checked off. Bigger than activities and sights to see, however, were the human connections that Drain felt faded during her time spent away from campus. Though she knows that friends come and go, she feels like she missed out on precious time with people she loved. “Even without a pandemic, you might not be talking to your bestie from freshman year, and that's okay,” Drain said. “But

I think something that is really important is that, within those moments, to have those full four years with those people.” During spring break of her junior year, right before Wash. U.’s campus closed due to COVID, Drain took a trip to New Orleans with a group of close friends. She recalled the highs of exploring the city, watching street performers and witnessing a public proposal. “We finally [felt] like the atmosphere was kind of matching our own energy,” she said. Almost immediately after, Wash. U. announced they were not bringing students back to campus after break. Drain didn’t return for the next year. While at home, Drain was grateful to spend time with her family, especially her younger brother, but she admitted that the past year was unique in a variety of mostly negative ways. “It’s very isolating. I definitely feel more alone than I ever have,” she said. Feelings of isolation were exacerbated as her family moved from her childhood house in Maryland to a new one in Arizo-

na, a place where Drain has no childhood friends and doesn’t know any familiar places. In May, Drain is planning to travel to St. Louis for Wash. U’s commencement ceremony. She’s worried that the connections that she’s formed during her time at school will feel strained. “I'm kind of nervous because like, a lot of those relationships have changed, because you can only do long distance for so long,” Drain said. Yet overpowering those feelings of uncertainty is Drain’s desire for closure to what ended up as a tumultuous senior year. “We’ll be in big old robes, just having that moment, [and] I think that will definitely help to take that step forward and kind of move on from the year, move on for the pandemic and just be able to say goodbye to Wash. U properly,” she said.

To read the other seniors reflect on what they have lost, visit studlife.com

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STUDENT LIFE | THE FINISH LINE

Once Olin,

Here’s to the BSBA Class of 2021! You’ve worked hard, you’ve challenged yourself, you’ve made connections, and you’ve learned a lot. And now, exciting career paths are ahead of you. Wherever you go, whatever you do, always remember to stay engaged with WashU Olin. Because you may have been students for four years, but you’ll always be part of the Olin family.

STUDENT LIFE | THE FINISH LINE

Congratulations to Olin’s Newest Alumni! Phoebe Elizabeth Abrams David Chukwuemeka Anaeme Mikey Andrews Elizabeth Oluwadamilola Ayorinde Jonah Alan Babitz Alexis Nicole Bainnson Caroline Wynne Baizer Matthew John Baldwin Jr. Jonathan David Bangser Benjamin Steven Barnett Shanthini Baskar Allison Hannah Bass Sabrina T. Baxamusa Noor Adel Bekhiet Michael Evan Blau Ethan Philip Block Fiona Jenna Blumin Wendy Mae Bornhoeft Max Edward Botwinick Carlos Antwonne Boyd Jr. Shelby Bradley Samantha Nicole Brotman Andrew John Brunetti Dean Alan Buelter Mason Romare Bussey Junzhe Cai Jennifer Lauren Chadick Jordan Tyler Chambers Elise Nicole Chao Michael Chen Ocean Jonathan Cheung Kelton Jospeh Clarke Melissa Alicen Claver Alexandra Isabella Cohen Sean Michael Conners Brandon Perry Cowen Sarah Hannah Czuker Ty Joseph Dalinghaus Ethan Jordan Dan Elizabeth Stange Davidson Angelina Camille de Leon Aaron Ross Dembsky Dominick John DiCosimo Sophia Angelina DiNicola Lucas Paul Dionisopoulos

Sophia Maria Dossin Jarrett Wayne Dykema Samuel Jem Ehrlich Sebastian Esparza Digmel Espinoza Lainie Jordan Esralew Isabella Maria Faife Jared Richard Fong Harrison Francis Gambelli Georgette Marie Garcia María José García Pozo Rachel Rebecca Gassler Samantha Haley Gerber Leela Anjuli Ghaemmaghami Noah Samuel Ginsberg Adam Reid Glotzer Geordana Morgan Gonzales Romare Savion Gonzalez Savannah Katherine Groos Matthew Michael Grottkau Aman Grover Elizabeth Claire Grundy Ruoyang Guo Daniel Jose Gutierrez Jeffrey Marc Guttentag Bryant Wilson Hales Jonah Tyler Halper Simone Mary Hanna Leah Wren Hardgrove Angelica Joy-Stacey Harris Katie Grace Hasley Spencer Patrick Hawke Elena He Zachary Hechtman Grace Elizabeth Hederick Joshua Aaron Hershkowitz Ethan Noah Hochberg Angela Huang Caroline Lee Hundley Benjamin Alan Ingbar Adam Joseph Isaacs Andrew Connor Jacobs Rebecca Emily Jacobs Kevin Jia Kevin Robert Jordan Sarah Andrea Juang Anastasia Claudia Kadiyala

Hyun Jun Kang Macey Alexandra Kaplan Alyssa Karchmer Hassan Ali Kazmi Madhuri Kesani Hamza Khan Aaron Nathaniel Kitay Joshua David Klein Kate Sarah Koch Nickolas Konstantinou Noah Gabriel Korn Jacob Judah Kramer Robert Kramer Nicholas Terris Krantz Charles Cameron Krause Corbin Kevin Kucera Kiri Helena Kungl John Sam LaMantia III Luke Benjamin Lamb Shane Richard Larimer Matthew William LaVersa Randy Jerome Lawrence Alexander Vu Le Mawyuan Lee Jennifer Lil Leighton Justin Lempert Lucas James Leon Ashley Abigail Lessen Eric Daniel Levey Lennon Jackson Lewis Siying Li Chengtian Lian Mackenzie Marie Liening Joanne Feng Ling Lin Matthew Jake Luntz Loebel Martin Jasper Lu Elaine Yining Ma Isaac Goodfriend Madigan Imani Adebola Magare Tani Ariel Makovsky Cole Makuch Grant David Marcketta Lincoln Taylor Marino Noah Ostern Markman Chudi Charles Mbanefo Eitana Lillian McClerklin Lucy O’Connor Meehan

Visit olin.wustl.edu/alumni for alumni resources. Log into learn.WashU.online for lifelong learning content.

Meghan Nash Meijer Junseo Moon Bella Marlen Moreno Mishtii Rajmohan Murari Christopher Grant Mutascio Matthew Evan Myers Ella B. Needler Katherine Grace Neill Dante Nasser Newton Jack Michael Nolan Evan John O’Connor Charlotte Ohana Michael Ostrovskiy Zachary Ray Otero Ilkin Deniz Ozen Noah Benjamin Paige Valentina Pariente Monalli Philip Woo Jin Park Yash Patel Aman Patil Max Spencer Paull Alyssa N. Pauly Lucas Lambert Perese Kara Nicole Peterson Kathryn Hannah Plotkin Charlotte Louisa Pohl Jacob Bernard Ramer Jim Z. Rao Alana Marie Raper Bryan Samuel Rentzer Alexa Faith Resnick Jaliece Tronae Rivers Natalia Ines Rodriguez Joseph Xavier Rogan Sarah Lynne Isola Rogge Jonathan Everette Rosenblum Marisa Ruttgeizer Agampreet Singh Saluja Danielle Samitt Alexander Murray Sann Samantha Allison Sansone Charles Scheuer Cole Hunter Schmitz Isabel Paige Schuckman Arthi Sai Sekharan David Michael Shea Ivanna Sheinberg

Yi Si Humza Ameer Siddiqui Ryan Simon Henry Tredwell Singer Jiya Singh Elizabeth Rebecca Smith Min Su Son Katherine Spencer Michael Ethan Spiro Lukas Riegel Steinbock Noa Rochelle Steiner Joseph David Stover Abigail Joseph Suppan Joshua Thomas Teel Christopher Scott Theuerkauf Sydney Trevenen Marcus Tse Ethan James Tuby Patrick Thanapun Tulaphorn Nikolas Vedder Derek Alexander Vismantas Daniel Gerard Vozza Carolyn Joan Wager Bill Wang Lucas Wang Jerry Wang Harrison Jordan Warren Marina Renee Weidmann Natalia Raelynn Wright Justin Dow Xiong Christina Xue Shuo Yang Sheng Po Yang Kristine Yim Chenxin Yin Jordan Cameron Yung Victoria Huang Zhang Kevin Zhang Annie Zhou Cindy Zhuang Jared Moses Zirkes

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STUDENT LIFE | THE FINISH LINE

The Past Four Years of Sports

On the ups and downs of WU athletics

Ethan Hillis

Tennis Team Captain Looking back on his favoriteWash. U. memory “Sophomore year, I had only been here a couple weeks [after transferring from Amherst]. I think our biggest tournament of the fall season was regionals. I was only on the team maybe three weeks, and I managed to win it. But it wasn’t that win [that stands out]— it was just the fact that my teammates, not knowing me for very long at all, were all still out there. They skipped classes and came to support me in winning. They’re really supportive, and just the team chemistry is pretty incredible, nothing like I had experienced at Amherst. So just right off the bat, I just knew that I was in a good situation. So that’s probably something I’m never gonna forget.”

BY GRACE BRUTON | STUDENT LIFE

Outfielder Auggie Mense celebrates after a home run in a 2018 game versus Case Western Reserve University.

BY CURRAN NEENAN | STUDENT LIFE

Coach Larry Kindbom gets a kiss from his wife Kate after his last home game as the Bears football coach, a post he held for 31 seasons before stepping down in 2019.

Ally Persky

Tennis Team Captain On what she’ll remember looking back at her time on the team “We talk about this all the time— when we went on our Spring Break trip last year at the beginning of COVID. I remember, so vividly, we were like, 'If we don't get on this plane in the next minute, we're not going to get to go.' And the last match that we played was against CMS. Right before the day of that match, Wash. U. just sent out the email saying we're extending Spring Break by a week and that we were

doing the rest of the semester from home. But I remember the Athletic Department being like, ‘You guys are essential travel—you guys are gonna get to play your season.’ Nobody had any idea what was going on. Afterwards, we heard that the NBA had been shut down. The NBA just got shut down, and we're still playing our little DIII tennis season. We had so much fun on that trip— because we saw that maybe it was going to end after that. We just had the best time hanging out with each other. Like we're staying in a city called Rancho Cucamonga—the whole trip just feels like the biggest meme. It was so much fun.”

COURTESY OF CHRIS MITCHELL

Devaughn Rucker (shirtless) and Justin Hardy embrace after finding out their season was over following the cancellation of the 2020 NCAA championship.

STUDENT LIFE | THE FINISH LINE

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Alana Bojar

Track and Field Athlete Reflecting on her legacy

BY GRACE BRUTON | STUDENT LIFE

Women’s soccer goalkeeper Emma Greenfield watches the decisive penalty sail by in the Bears’ 2019 NCAA tournament quarterfinal loss against Pomona-Pitzer.

“Our coach on the track team, Coach Stiles, always asks, ‘what’s your legacy going to be?’ And it’s not always just in terms of like, how fast you ran, or how you jumped or anything. It’s about how did you affect your teammates? And I know that if this is my legacy, then I’ll take it. I’m thinking back to when I was 14 on the track team at my high school, unsure of myself. So I know that I’ve come this far—I’m a senior on this collegiate track team. For example, we held a facilitation about queer issues on the team, and I led with Aliya [Schenck]. I knew that people listened to me and people cared about what I had to say with respect to this issue, and that meant a lot to me. So if I leave, and I’ve helped at least one person feel more comfortable at this school? I think that’d be a success.”

COURTESY OF KEVIN STINER

Senior Lisa Gorham reacts to the news that the Washington University women’s cross-country team won the NCAA Division III 20018 national championship.

BY CURRAN NEENAN | STUDENT LIFE

Zoe Baxter (2) and the Wash. U. bench watch a Bear dig a ball in a 2019 match against Centre College.

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STUDENT LIFE | THE FINISH LINE

Times have always been uncertain Try to enjoy it

Jamila Dawins | Senior Forum Editor For all the varied and uniquely awful ways that the pandemic has changed the way that we all see ourselves, one another and the world at large, perhaps the most widely lamented is the new and frequent declaration that the world is uncertain. If you’re graduating, you’ve probably heard it more than anyone, and likely with in several iterations, with several synonyms. An aunt waxes poetic to you about how far from normal everything is. A family friend asks you how you’re coping with graduating given that there are so many unknowns these days. The truth is, that family friend—despite perhaps being irritating—has never been more correct. In 2002, Donald Rumsfeld said (and was subsequently made fun of for) the follow-

ing quote at a Department of Defense briefing: “There are known knowns. There are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we now know we don't know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we do not know we don't know.” These days, the number of unknowns (at least those we are aware of) is larger than ever. In fact, in relation to the number of new questions we have, our answers are comparatively quite sparse. And despite the dramatic increase in global scientific output (which seems to be doubling every nine years), we are the most ignorant we have ever been. Compared to the time of Galileo, the number of unanswerable questions that we have learned to ask about our universe has risen exponentially. For example, the Standard Model of particle physics indicates that matter should have been destroyed long ago, leaving only photons behind. Obviously, it hasn’t been.

Why not? Even more pressing is the discovery that more than a quarter of the matter in our universe isn’t even visible. On the other hand, all of the matter which we have painstakingly observed across centuries of discovery and innovation comprises an estimated 5% of the matter in the universe. In fact, we continue to discover new particles that exist. That means that everything we consider “normal” matter isn’t normal at all, but a small fraction of an increasingly large, sprawling universe. Beneath the larger class of cosmological unknowns, planet Earth has its own mysteries. We continue to be unsure about where the water on Earth came from, and even now that it’s here, much remains to be learned about the depths of Earth’s oceans. We’ve mapped about 5% of the ocean floor, leaving about 65% of the surface of the entire Earth unexplored and unknown. The coelacanth, a fish that was thought to have gone extinct 65 million years ago, was caught by a museum employee off the coast of South Africa in 1938. Clearly, much of our Earth remains unknown to us. On an even smaller scale, we still don’t know much about how or why we act the way we do. What is consciousness, and are we really the only ones who have it? Why do we

sleep—why do we dream? Why do remember the things we remember, and forget the things we forget? Why do we check behind the shower curtain to make sure nothing is there despite knowing that we are home alone? The nature of human beings is nothing if not confusing and uncertain. All of this isn’t to say that we should stop rolling our eyes when the Chancellor references uncertain times for the thirteenth time in a row, but rather that we should give ourselves grace in navigating a constantly updating world. In our lifetimes, humankind will likely make some of the largest advances in history, and even those will only unlock a fraction of the unknowns out there. The world has always been uncertain—in fact, we regularly throw away the things we think we’ve figured out in favor of better theories. I think we should all revel in the great confusion of it all as much as we can—and treat ourselves kindly when things feel overwhelming and unfamiliar. The greatest minds the human race has to offer remain unsure of where we are or how we got here. In the context of this universal scale of uncertainty, I think it’s okay to graduate without all the details of your post-graduation world figured out.

Things we are proud of the Class of 2021 for accomplishing As the Class of 2021’s time at Wash. U. draws to a close, many of us can’t help but contemplate the could-have-beens of a pandemic-marred graduating year. It’s hard not to get lost in all the things we wish we had been able to do, places we wish we could have visited and people we wish we could have hugged goodbye. However, rather than dwell on what could have been accomplished, the Forum Staff would like to applaud the Class of 2021 for the things you did accomplish in your time at the University.

Jamila Dawkins

Senior Forum Editor For continuing to refer to Risa Commons as College Hall As graduates of a campus that undergoes renovations and re-namings biannually, I think it’s worth celebrating that you graduate with a version of campus that is totally unique to you. You are a member of one of the few remaining classes that will remember that spacious, wooden-floored common area in BD not as Risa Commons but as College Hall. If you still refer to Wrighton Hall as Lab Sci, you, too, fall under this category. Consider yourself lucky that you graduate with the ability to lecture

sophomores, freshmen and incoming students alike about the good old days of eating at Holmes Lounge. The rest of us can only imagine the carved turkey sandwiches.

Reilly Brady

Senior Forum Editor For surviving countless Zoom calls Whether it be that dreaded 9 a.m. Zoom class or a meeting for a club that is still figuring out how to operate online, you should be proud of yourselves for making it through more Zoom calls than you can probably remember. While you may have suffered from eye strain and fatigue, you made it through the year–– Zoom calls and all. My wish for the Class of 2021 is that you never have to sit in a completely silent and awkward breakout room ever again. Who knows what the future holds for online meetings, but for now, you can say goodbye to pretending your connection is bad so you don’t have to answer a question! Try to avoid Zoom calls as much as possible this summer––you’ve earned it.

Dakotah Jennifer Staff Writer

For finishing… in general Finishing strong may be an overstatement, but the fact that you’re just...done is worth celebration. Spending your entire last year in a pandemic cannot be easy, but you made it! Graduating during the 2020-2021 year will be a big flex in five years. Put it on your resume! I know there’s a lot of melancholy right now, but take a minute to breathe and remember you freakin’ graduated college! You’re a real adult now! Good news is, now you will never have to have small talk in a one-on-one with that professor who gave you a B in participation because you're an introvert. You did it. Be so proud.

Via Poolos

Senior Scene Editor For making even the freshmen sad that you’re graduating As a freshman this year, I truly wasn’t expecting to really interact with the senior class. Many of you are remote or living off campus, and at first glance, it didn’t seem possible for seniors to connect to us class of 2024s, given your

removal from many in-person activities. But I’m impressed to say you did–– through clubs, mixed-year classes or simply making the effort to hang around campus, you succeeded in enriching the Wash. U. community to the extent that even us lowly freshmen on the South 40 will feel the impact of you leaving. I’m proud of y’all for showing up as leaders and friends for the younger classes. Congrats! Now I’m going to grab a box of tissues and cry.

Kya Vaughn Staff Writer

For not losing sight of the goal We did it! We lived through what felt like a million and one "unprecedented and uncertain times," all of which were by no means miniscule. This year was arguably the most challenging year of my academic career, and as a senior, I know I'm not alone in that. But here we are, prepping for graduation in a month. We kept working and striving to reach the finish line, and now it's here. Shoutout to you for reaching your goals; that cap and gown was well earned.

STUDENT LIFE | THE FINISH LINE

The Division of Student Affairs Congratulates the Class of 2021! Isabelle Ciaverelli Kirk Brown Ismene Vedder Kourtney Benion Jack Besser Kristina Drollinger Jack Frischer Kyle Schulte Jack Killeen Laura Yang Jackson Rideout Leah Parr Jacob Finke Leila King Jacob Gray Lelandra Randle Jacob Scheinman Lerroy Mwaghore Jadyn Park Lexi Jackson Jake Bjork Liam Osler James Jin Libby Evan Jamie Hendler Lindsay Gassman Jan Mazur Lindsey Siegel Janae Heaney Liza Sivriver Jasmine Trotter LizAnn Sung Jason Tang Lizzi Kehoe Jeffrey Marek Lizzie Franclemont Jelani McGhee-Anderson Lluvia Garcia Jennifer Mata Lola Ojeniyi Jenny Bobo Lorenzo Lampietti Jerry Chen Louisa Judge Jessica Osaghae-Nosa Lucas Malhotra Jinru Guo Lucy Liu Jiyoon Kang Luis Cuevas Joanna Chen Luke Kwong Joanna Chen Lydia Straka Jodie Goodman Mackenzie Cappelle Joel Anderson Maddy Baker John Almeida Madison Siguenza Johnny Davidson Maggie Brown Johnny Strek Maggie Fleita Jonathan Schneider Maggie Kroeger Julia Feldman Marco Quaroni Kaelene DeCoster Mariah Byrne Karina Carcamo Mary Gay Karina Garza Mary Reid Kate Tanner Matt Ashbaugh Kate Wasden Matt Goff Katherine Berger Matthew Auda Katherine Burkett Max Abrams Katherine Tooley Max Shteiman Kayla Smith Max Xu Kayla Zoschg Maxwell Xu Keaira Clancy Meenakkshy Manoharan Kendall Biard Megan Arden Kendra Lewis Megan Craig Kendrick Rogers Megan Davis Kentrell Jamison Megan Lemaire Kimberly King Megan Stansbury

Megha Uberoi Reshma Gouravajhala Melanie Liu Rithvik Kondai Melissa Hamrick Rohan Mishra Michael Rembold Ronald Hayes Michael Williamson Ruth Kingsbury Michelle Pacheco Ryan Chiou Mikaela Arredondo Ryan Pomerantz Miles Charles Ryota Nishishiba Miles Johnson Sam Nacht Mireille Gerdes Samir Lopez Chahin Mitchel Groen Sandra Suarez Molly Davis Sanjna Tripathy Monica Lynde Sara Braun Mónica Unzueta Sara Lerner Morgan Solender Sarah Chang Morris Daelen Sarah Perlin Mya Harris Sarah Thornton Nadav Harper Saransh Gothi Naomi Gluck Sasha Uchitel Natalia Mata Sean Dunnsue Natalia Oledzka Sennett Yang Natalie Thurman Seth Adler Nathan Marak Shadi Davari Nathan Soper Shannon Boyer Neel Patibandla Shelby Davis Néhèmie Ètienne Sherece Laine Nicholas Kinberg Shohan Shetty Nicholas Lin Shruthi Ramalingam Nick Matteucci Shuhan Shuhan Noah Saldaña Sienna Sewell Nona De la cruz Sim Panwar NyaNya Hardaway Solana Chertow Nydia Monroy Sophie Allison Okechukwu Obidike Sophie Attie Okey Obidike Sophie Bishopp Olivia Kay Murray Sophie Tegenu Olivia Martin Sophie Watterson Oluwatomisin Akinyemi Soraya Moss Paige Grittner Spencer Eo Peter Bang Stella Sterman Pranav Nandan Steph Strek Pranjal Agrawal Qian Huang Rachel Ingraham Rachel Lopez Rayvanth Chappidi Rebecca Bowman Redoan Salam Rehan Choudhury Rekha Karuparthy

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Stephanie Li Sumil Nair Tanvi Kohli Tara Suresh Tara Wang Tatianna Murphy Taylor Chen Taylor Cohen Taylor Emerson Taylor Smith Tenille Tubbs Thomas Alamin Tiaya Clark Tiffany Balcarcel Tiffany Chiang Tinu Afolabi Tomisin Akinyemi Tracy Xu Trevor Julius Tyler Jackson Tyler McGraw Tyori Wyche Veda Bhadharla Veda Veda Vidushri Mehrotra Vincent Harris Vinith Ilavarasan Vivian Ouyang Whynter Morgan-Neal Will Hallmark William Goo Yi-Ling Lin Zach Trunsky Zach Vincent Zahra Lambe Zhou Anna Zoe Baxter Zoë Finkelstein Zoe Park

A goodbye from the coaches 18

STUDENT LIFE | THE FINISH LINE

Women’s Soccer Coach Conlon

Thank you to our seniors. Four years ago, we had a great vision of promise for our newest group of Bears. We are so very proud of each and every one of you—Ellie D, Emma, Ellie M, Katy, Caitlin and Kristen. Thank you for your dedication over the years. Additionally, we were thrilled to add a valuable member to our family along the journey. While she never wore the jersey, she has helped in so many ways with our championship culture. Amanda, thank you for all you do for our family. The combination of these 7 women has proven to be an incredible group of women on and off the field. Your class career has been a storied one: 564-4 career record, 3 UAA Championships, a trip to the NCAA Final 4, multiple Academic All-Americans and the #1 Goalkeeper in school history. Your decisions to attend Washington University provided you a quality education as well as a chance to play the sport you love. Every morning, we have a decision whether to get out of bed and make it the best day possible or to let that day pass us by. Two similar phrases come to mind thinking about this amazing group of women: “rise and shine” & “rise and grind.” Being great is not easy, each of your choices and sacrifices are truly astounding and inspiring. In the spring of 2020, the world took a turn none

of us have experienced before. You incredible women were spread all over the world when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. We were blessed with your leadership that continued to offer insight and value as our program moved forward. In the coming months, your dedication to the program and insight on how to progress was extremely valuable. With the soccer season being canceled for the 2020-21 year, you seniors did not deserve this ending to your amazing careers. In the present and moving forward, our women’s soccer program will thrive because of you and your leadership. The test of a good leader is to know that when they leave, others will be able to carry on successfully because of their impact. Ellie D, Emma, Ellie M, Katy, Caitlin and Kristen, we have no doubt your impact will be felt for some time to come. While journeys have twists and turns, we can remember so many great moments throughout your career. You women are champions, leaders, scholars and mentors. In Chicago, back in 2017, your faces beamed with joy as you won your first UAA championship. The hugs and excitement when you were reunited with teammates in August. The studying in airport terminals and hotel lobbies. The selfies, videos and pictures when you stepped onto that field in Greensboro, NC. October home games, when you enter the Family Room to find a welcomed surprise from your Bear Buddy. The look the little Christ the King girls gave you as you trained with them.

Washington University Police Department

CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2021!

WUPD wishes you safe travels as you embark on your next Journey!

Thank you for not only striving for individual excellence, but striving to make our program, Athletic Department, Wash. U. community and St Louis community better. Your selflessness has touched so many hearts and altered so many lives. You will be a Bear for life! Thank you for everything. We love you Bears! Coach and Roller

Women’s Tennis Coach Madara

Dear Ally, Emma, and Laurel, Thank you for all of your many contributions to Wash. U. and the Bear tennis family throughout your four years. You have left a huge impact on this program through your dedication, fierce competitiveness, love for your teammates and ability to lead through adversity. While we only had a year together, you have left a permanent impact on my life and I am so grateful to have had the chance to coach you. I only wish we could have 3 more years together! I will remember your love for this team, consistent dedication to putting your teammate’s needs above your own and thoughtful introspection. You three are the glue to this team—you developed the trust of your teammates and are always the first to know when someone needs extra support or celebration and then are always the first to give support or recognition. That speaks volumes to your efforts throughout your four years that you care about each individual teammate and have worked to gain their respect and trust. Emma—You have such a massive heart/love for your teammates and your actions always speak so loudly. I will miss your great practice/ warm-up playlists, the silly faces you make after a point, your aggressive doubles play, your smile and your dedication to sunscreen. You have such a bright future ahead and I am excited to follow all your future impactful work! Ally—I have never met a fiercer competitor, and your desire to continue to put the work in to grow your game in your final months of collegiate tennis has inspired your teammates. I will miss your never-give-up attitude, your backhand slice, aggressive doubles play, our coaching changeovers chats, COVID-era racquet/shoe kicks (envious I never experienced your infamous high fives), all the times you argue for the tweener, the many memes/videos of tweeners sent to me daily and your love for your Bears. Laurel—It feels very full circle from your first visit as a recruit to graduation, and I feel lucky to have known you on both sides of your Wash. U. story. I will miss your seemingly random questions that lead to great chats, your stories of former teammates and Ferd, your determination on court, your flying poach volleys, your lefty angles, your feisty competitive spirit during oneon-ones and your ice cream sweet tooth. Thank you senior Bears! Remember, once a Bear, always a Bear—welcome to the Wash. U. Bears Alumna group and see you soon! Rawr forever, Coach Madara

Men’s Tennis Coach Follmer

This year has taken its toll on virtually all inhabitants on this planet. We have been faced with a silent and invisible adversary who in such a short time changed our academic life, complicated our social interactions, challenged our emotional resources and required adjustments to how we conduct our future plans. But what we have learned in this brief time is that ingenuity, creativity, PMA (positive mental attitude) and above all, the scientific process is what will help us to understand and engineer solutions that could not have otherwise been achieved. Athletics at Wash. U., and in particular the men’s varsity tennis team, has confronted this reality in which the usual intercollegiate tennis program has had to adjust to isolation, social distancing, masks on & off the court, Zoom academics and Zoom alumni engagement. Yet, here we are, practicing, competing, hoping to make the post-season yet again. All the while hoping that the vaccination process will manage the many variants of the virus that might complicate our immune systems. The team spirit has prevailed, the team members have supported each other and our seniors have created an atmosphere of competitive vigor. This year the seniors are Ricardo del Olmo, completing a Master’s in Engineering Management, Ethan Hillis, entering a Master’s in Statistics in the Wash. U. medical school, Gabe Owens headed to graduate school at USC, Koki headed to a Master’s program in Public Health at Boston University, Ben van der Sman majoring in Systems Science and Engineering entering a job with Capital One and finally Mark Wu majoring in Finance and Computer Science accepting a position with Amazon after graduation. What a special group. The coaching staff has delighted in their athletic competitive skills, their work ethic, their commitment to university scholarship and above all to their mature emotional leadership. Being with them for the past few years and being part of their growth as unique persons has been a splendid joy. We will miss you guys no doubt. But what we do say is GO FOR IT, keep in shape and keep playing the game of life and tennis! Go BEARS!!! Dr. Mike Merbaum, Coach Follmer and Coach Bob Haugen

Track & Field, Cross Country Coach Stiles

2021 Seniors, It is hard to believe that four years is almost over. Thank you for being an integral part of the WUXCTF family and making it something very special. This past year has been one to want to forget, but I hope that each of you has grown in ways that you never thought possible.

STUDENT LIFE | THE FINISH LINE Through trials come opportunities to serve and grow. While each one of you has a very different story, I hope each of you experienced what it means to be a part of something bigger than yourself through two teams, one family. Thank you for pouring your heart into our program which allowed for the trials and the triumphs. It is through the peaks and the valleys that we grow as people and become prepared for life. This class more than any other class has experienced the extreme highs and lows, especially over the past year. I believe that over time you will come to realize that these challenges have helped mold you as a person and have equipped you to become leaders in your communities and families. Know that you are loved and have a special purpose ahead of you. I am excited to see how each one of you will impact the world. You will always be a Bear! Go Bears, Gordon, Jill, Kyle, Lane, Molly, Nick, Raven, Stiles & Tommy

Swim and Dive Coach Shively

To the Men’s and Women’s Swimming & Diving Seniors Thank you seniors! Since arriving on campus in the fall of 2017 you have helped our program grow and have provided tremendous leadership along the way. You have dealt with adversity and grown stronger as young men and women. I would like to thank you for your guidance, dedication and commitment to Washington University and the swimming & diving team over the past four years. Your decision to attend Washington University has provided you a quality academic degree and memories of a competitive NCAA swimming & diving experience. You cheered for and supported each other because that is what good friends and teammates do. As you progressed from freshmen to seniors, you touched the lives of everyone you came in contact with including coaches, faculty, teammates and classmates. As you leave Washington University, you should take with you the knowledge that you are prepared to meet life’s challenges head-on. You set high goals for yourselves and for our team and didn’t stop until you achieved them. You will always be a Wash. U. Bear! Set your expectations high and expect the best in everything you do. We are proud of what you have accomplished and look forward to seeing where you will go after leaving Wash. U. We are excited about your continued involvement now that we can proudly call you alumni. We wish you all the best in your future endeavors. BATTLE ON! Brad Shively Head Swimming & Diving Coach

Softball

Coach Venturella Natasha & Kendall, It doesn’t seem possible that we are at this time with both of you. When I look back and think

about the women you were when you entered Wash. U. and the women you are now, I am amazed. The things that you have gone through both on and off the field have been some of the most challenging things you will face in life, but look at who you have become. Tash, I can’t tell you enough how proud I am of you for continually challenging yourself to get outside of your comfort zone and be willing to grow as a person. As a captain, you have invested heavily in the success of not only the program, but in each person on the team. This is who you are even without that title. I look forward to following you and know that success is sure to follow. Kendall, you have had to manage different injuries throughout your time here but always found a way to help the team. Your caring personality and ability to listen intently helped unite our team during challenging times. You have also helped be a voice for many student-athletes by being our co-president of SAAC, which has continued to keep communication open between our administration and student-athletes. One of the things I hope you think about as you finish out this year and reflect upon your time is that you will always be a part of a team. It will continue to change as your journey changes. Your new team may be your co-workers or new classmates, and eventually your partner and family of your own. Remember what you have learned about leading, collaboration, the value of listening, being vulnerable, competing and of course communication. Always do your part so your team is as strong as possible. I will leave you with a quote from Brene Brown’s book “Dare to Lead.” It reads, “When we have the courage to walk into our story and own it, we get to write the ending.” Here’s to writing your own ending… Always, Coach V

Men’s Basketball Coach Juckem

Jack and Payden (aka the “snipers”), It has been an incredible privilege to have you as foundational pillars in our program. Your impact goes beyond what you accomplished on the court. While your talent is undeniable, what sets you apart is your character. You embody what it means to be a Bears basketball player. With a determined spirit and fierce competitiveness, you have built upon the high standards of our program. The beautiful thing is you are just getting started on your journey. I am excited to see what lies ahead for both of you as you continue chasing your passions! Men…thank you for taking your coaches along for a great ride! #OneFist Coach Juckem Kirby and Tricia-

Volleyball

Coach Walby This time of the year always surprises me…It never feels like you have been here long enough to graduate! Time just flies! What a wonderful 4

years it has been. I know your career didn’t end up like you would have liked, and I wish there was a way I could make it up to you…because you guys deserve it! Thank you for choosing Wash. U. for your college experience and career. I couldn’t be more proud of you two! You really have battled through a lot and have been wonderful examples to the people around you. Thank you for coming in and working hard every day, adapting to our system and buying into our culture. The impact and stamp you have left will be remembered. Good luck to you both at Brown and Boeing! They are both lucky to have you. Have fun and enjoy your next journey! So proud of you and thank youCoach Walby

Men’s Soccer Coach Clarke

Gratitude, respect and kudos from me to the men’s soccer seniors: Sean Connors, Will Sproule, Andrew Brunetti and Bryant Hales. Winners are uncovered in hardship. These men poured themselves into inching the team’s processes and standards higher. They owned it and led it. Then came COVID. They continued to lead and grind into the uncertainty. When the time came for them to pivot, they did, painfully and productively. That is what winners do. I love you guys and look forward to our next chapters together. Joe Clarke

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Football

Coach Keen What an incredibly challenging and difficult year for all of us, but in particular, our seniors. For some of you, the announcement of the cancellation of fall competitions meant the end of your football career. Those of you with eligibility chose to work out with your teammates in hopes of some sort of spring season. You poured your hearts into this team and your efforts to prepare for an uncertain future. When it became clear that Wash. U. would not be participating in a spring season, most of you were forced to make the difficult decision that it was time to move on. COVID robbed you of your senior football season. COVID also robbed a first-year head coach of the opportunity to coach you. I want you to know how much I appreciate your passion for this sport and this program. The work you put in to prepare for a season you had no assurances would come was inspiring. Your leadership during this last year will not be soon forgotten. Please know that your commitment to the football program at Washington University has pushed this program to new levels and made all of us better. Thank you seniors for your belief, commitment and efforts over the last four years. I look forward to your continued connection with the program and university in the coming years. Most of all, I look forward to seeing the exciting places your journey takes all of you in the future. You will always be a Bear! Coach Keen

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STUDENT LIFE | THE FINISH LINE

One Last Column: Student Life seniors reflect on their time on the paper Benjamin Simon

I was riding the old recumbent bike in my living room when my phone buzzed. It was a text message from an unknown phone number: “Hi Ben, I hope you’re doing well and staying safe!…I’m reaching out because we are currently looking for an editor of StudLife’s Scene section.”I put my phone back down, semi-confused. I hadn’t thought about StudLife in four months. I had just been sent home from study abroad and it was May 2020, smack-dab in the middle of quarantine. Being an editor at StudLife? I was just trying to grind through this workout and watch an episode of Top Boy (underrated TV show, by the way). I sat on the text for a few hours and decided to learn more about the position. When I hopped on the phone with Jaden Satenstein, the former scene editor who texted me, and Emma Baker, the editor-in-chief, they told me about what it was like to be an editor in the StudLife community. They told me about nights in the production room and something called wall quotes. My previous three years, I hadn’t been super involved in StudLife. I wrote here and there for the sports section—a recap one weekend, maybe a feature article a few weeks later—but I wasn’t a regular in the office by any means. To be quite honest, I hadn’t met anyone outside of the sports staff in person. I spent a few days mulling it over before deciding I would apply for the position. It felt like it was a good journalistic opportunity and a chance to meet new people. I was right, but, at the time, none of us knew what would happen during the school year. It was less than two months into the pandemic. At the time, I thought the first semester would be virtual and, maybe, just maybe, by the second semester, we could go into the offices and I could get the full StudLife experience. That never happened. But I have no regrets. New to staff, there were many points I had no clue what was going on. I had no clue where to file stories, how to run a meeting or how to organize weeks worth of stories. A few days before classes started, I remember driving the 14 hours from Philadelphia to St. Louis, frantically texting writers I had never met to see if they could fill content. Even when I had a schedule of writers, I spent hours talking on the phone with Emma Baker or Matthew Friedman as I paced my room. Whenever an idea needed to be fleshed out or whenever I needed story advice, they answered my call and helped me for as long as I needed. Even though I probably talked longer than they wanted to talk, they never made me feel like I was on my own. I’ll admit, though, it was challenging trying to integrate myself into a community that was already formed, especially over Zoom. I never did get to experience those production nights in the office, but there was never one moment where I felt unwanted, unwelcome or out of place. In a semester full of unpredictability, StudLife gave me a sense of consistency. It gave me a sense of structure. Sure, sometimes I didn’t feel like waking up on my Saturday and editing stories. But I enjoyed having a routine. A

big part of that was the weekly staff meetings. One of my biggest nightmares was that people would never show up to these meetings, that I wouldn’t have a staff and I would have to create all of the Scene content myself. I mean, I understood why, too. Who wants to spend extra time on Zoom? That was far from the case. Every single Monday at 6:30, people came to the meeting. They brought ideas. They listened to me talk about why the Village stir fry is over the BD stir fry. They wrote thoughtful and creative stories. They were receptive to constructive feedback. They literally made this semester’s Scene section possible. It wasn’t ideal, but we built a little community in those Zoom boxes—and I’m thankful I responded to that initial text.

Emma Baker I was ten minutes early to my first news meeting of Student Life my first week of classes because I didn’t want to be late. My newness to campus and the Wash. U. community was synonymous with my newness to the newspaper. By the start of the news meeting, sitting in the newsroom with a variety of editors and reporters that first day was a shock to the system as people would talk about systemic issues on campus, the figures who made decisions for the University and how that informed the state of campus. As editors rattled off stories and reporting topics, I didn’t think I would be allowed to sign up for an assignment. I only knew as far as how to travel from my dorm in the basement of Eliot to the main campus to get to class, how would I be able to report on a campus I didn’t know? Parsing past all of this uncertainty, I managed to surprise even myself when I signed up for a story. It would be a report on how a subset of graduate candidates were forming a union. Hours of research, interviews and wholly unnecessary linked references later (my deepest apologies to the editors who had to sort through those), I had finished my first story. Before it was filed, I knew I was hooked. I found the act of reporting a very satiating process for my curiosity and the framework of reporting gave me the posture and a structure to understand the school I was attending and emphasize with the student body. As a mechanism on campus, I have been a witness to how Student Life’s reporting and writing impacts this campus in real, tangible ways. There are somethings I don’t think I will miss—staying up until two in the morning to send the paper to the printer, never having an empty email inbox for more than a few minutes and surviving on tea and fruit cups from Cafe Bergson most weekends to name a few, but there are more things I know I will. Student Life has come to define my college careers in ways I could have never anticipated after attending the first news meeting my freshman fall semester. In my Student Life career, I have had the privilege of serving as a news editor, senior news editor, managing editor and editor-in-chief. I have had editors and peers who were unfailingly generous with their time, empathetic to the newsmaking process and never

sacrificed the integrity of their work. I suppose if I get to treat this as my final words and condense all of those experiences into this letter, I only want to say thank you. Thank you to the editors who taught me how to report and find my news voice, to the reporters who trusted me to edit their work, to the sources who took time out of their day to talk to us and to the readers who put their trust in what we can do. Take care.

Kathleen White StudLife has meant a lot of different things to me over the past four years. Before I even arrived on campus, StudLife was synonymous with Freshman Press, my third ranked pre-orientation program. Once on campus, StudLife was my introduction to life at Wash. U. I spent three days exploring St. Louis, hanging out on the third floor of the DUC and interviewing sources for my first story. At the end of the program, once I saw my name in print on the first page, I was hooked. I kept going back every week, taking on new stories. What kept me tethered to StudLife wasn’t an overwhelming desire to be a journalist. Instead, it was the thrill of exploring a new aspect of the Washington University community each week and stepping outside of my comfort zone. It was also the support that I received while doing that. Every time I was worried that my reporting or my writing wasn’t good enough, one of my senior editors would call me a gem and those anxieties subsided. That’s what makes StudLife so special. None of us are Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists. We’re just a group of college kids with varying levels of experience trying to report on issues that matter, that make us cry or that make us laugh. It can be a stressful job, but we have each other to lean on, to learn from and to call each other stars when we need it. When I think about my best memories of StudLife, I think about the people I worked with. I think about spending late nights in the newsroom, going slightly insane with the rest of the news team. Once I became an upperclassman, StudLife meant something entirely different to me. The fall of my junior year, I had to make the hard decision to take a step back from my role as senior news editor and from StudLife entirely. I rejoined as director of engagement my senior year, but it was strange going a whole year without StudLife. I felt like I had failed in some way. But that’s the other thing I love about my time on (and apart from) StudLife; it taught me some really important lessons. I learned how to skillfully write articles on a wide range of issues, but I also learned how to prioritize myself. After a panic attack culminating from weeks of late nights, hard assignments and a lack of writers taking stories, I realized that something needed to change. As hard as it was to leave the office and production nights behind, I had to put my mental health first. I’m grateful to StudLife for this lesson and for so many other things. The StudLife office was a supportive space to grow as a writer, a spot to eat lunch when there wasn’t any available seating in the DUC, a quiet refuge to study and most im-

portantly a way to meet incredible people. I would like to end my final column by thanking my early arrival program coordinators for losing my pre-orientation preference sheet and placing me in Freshman Press. I can’t imagine my time at Wash. U. without having been a part of StudLife.

Kya Vaughn I’ve been reading Finish Line letters for years now, but it never really occurred to me that I myself would be writing one. But nonetheless, here I am, replaying in my mind the last 4 years of my life, and what brought me to this point. Not to give into the cliche, but these past four years really have flown by, especially given that 1.25 of those years were spent at home. But the one thing that has been so wonderfully consistent and fulfilling throughout this time has been this paper, Student Life. I came to Student Life my first semester of college. I remember toiling over the idea, debating whether or not my schedule would allow for me to continue writing, the hobby I’d maintained throughout basically the entirety of my existence. I was scared to commit to something that I didn’t fully know. But to this day, joining Student Life was the best decision I made. I remember my first few Forum meetings, and needless to say, I had a bit of a rocky start. I’d show up to the meetings and would be so excited to write, but every time I came to a meeting, it seemed as though every thought I’d ever had had escaped my mind. When I did have a thought, I titled my articles things like “Seeing Anderson Cooper was the greatest moment of my life” (I am forever scarred knowing that this headline is permanently on the website). All of this is to say that my Student Life career took off very interestingly to say the least. Naturally, I’ve evolved, but knowing where I started and seeing where I am speaks to a lot of growth, something that would not have been achievable had it not been for this paper and the people who create it. I have found so much comfort in learning and growing with my friends at Student Life, people who have helped me and will continue to help others reach their full potential. These individuals have challenged me and pushed me, allowing me to learn more than I likely would have in any other setting. And to me, this same push goes beyond just within the organization. The members of Student Life put so much work into making sure that voices are being heard and the truth is being shared, and I’m so grateful to say that I was once a part of this great work. So many of my best college memories were spent in that office on the third floor of the DUC. I’ve made so many friendships and connections, and have had so many amazing experiences that I am so grateful for. Although I am saddened to have to say my goodbyes to this great institution, I am thrilled to know that those who remain a part of the Student Life team will continue to make this paper the best student-run paper.

STUDENT LIFE | THE FINISH LINE

Congratulations, Class of 2021! And thank you to the graduating student workers of the Washington University Libraries. We wish you happiness and success. Yuki Ao

Amy Frankel Circulation

DB Dowd Modern Graphic History Library

Zhuoxian Deng

Kranzberg Art & Architecture Library

String Guo

Assessment & Analytics

Sheilly Moreno

Melanie De Lisa

Simone Hanna

Olivia Quinn

Christina Dia

Grace Hass-Hill

Kranzberg Art & Architecture Library

Circulation

Special Collections

Aja Drain

Circulation

Circulation

Circulation

Takura Suzuki

Circulation

Newman Numismatic Portal

Austin Ickes

Monique Vieira

Circulation

DB Dowd Modern Graphic History Library

Ryan Erickson

Lauren Kisling

Kranzberg Art & Architecture Library

Erin Lewis

Preservation & Digitization

Circulation

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STUDENT LIFE | THE FINISH LINE

Images of a Full Four Years Seniors send in their favorite photos

Sometimes when you picture a person you know, you see them as if frozen in a moment in time–– saying that one joke they use all the time, gesturing in a specific way or making a face entirely unique to them. So we asked the class of 2021: ‘What memory comes to mind when you think of your time at Washington University? What moments will stick with you years after graduation?’ Captured in photos, here’s what they told us about some of their favorite college memories.

COURTESY OF JESSE STROD

Jesse Strod (left): “Walking around campus just before the start of senior year with my closest friends. Good people, good conversations, great memories.”

COURTESY OF LUCAS DIONISOPOULOS

Lucas Dionisopoulos (right, with Ankit Gupta): “I went random for my freshman year roommate and I had absolutely no expectations. Little did I know we’d live together again junior year, or that he’d talk me into going skydiving with him. . .”

COURTESY OF CARMEN VESCIA

COURTESY OF LOGAN PRESS

Logan Press: “Ultimate Frisbee has been a constant respite over the past four years. Through highs and lows, the team has been the great community one would expect at Wash. U.: passionate, supportive and dedicated.”

Carmen Vescia (right, pictured with senior Katherine Wallace): “My roommate and best friend, Katherine, and I threw a murder mystery party the fall of junior year. We were both going abroad in the spring, and it was our last hurrah before we left. Our friends all came in costume, and we had a rowdy, ridiculous time ‘solving the murder’ and dancing wildly in our tiny living room. Katherine and I were so tired after planning and hosting the party that we fell asleep on the couch watching cartoons after—the perfect end to a perfect night.”

STUDENT LIFE | THE FINISH LINE

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COURTESY OF YARDEN HAHN

Yarden Hahn (left, with Daniel Li, Benjamin van der Sman, Ankit Gupta, Michael Lee): “During reading week, freshmen can turn even a ping pong table into a study room.”

COURTESY OF ANDREW GUERTIN

Andrew Guertin (center, with Ben Simon, left and Tom Tenhula, right): “One of my most fun weeks of college–– a trip to the Atlantic City beach with my friends.”

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CLASS OF 2021! COURTESY OF MITCHELL FRAUENHEIM

Mitchell Frauenheim (Top left, with The Stereotypes): “After our fall concert ‘Mr. Stereotype’ my junior year, one of my favorite shows we did throughout all of college. The Stereotypes gave me a home at Wash. U. my freshman year and helped me make some incredible memories and helped me make some incredible friends, music and memories over the last four years.”

The Campus Y recognizes the following student leaders as honor cord recipients for their leadership and service with the Campus Y. Thank you for your contribution to Washington University and the greater St. Louis community and beyond! We wish you continued success as cause-driven leaders positively impacting the communities you’re a part of. “The horizon leans forward, offering you space to place new steps of change.”– Maya Angelou

       

COURTESY OF CHLOE WHITE

Chloe White (bottom center): “Mama’s Pot Roast Improv’s first show of Fall 2018. It was the day before WILD, entitled ‘MILD.’”

Ally Persky Amy An Anneliese Ciesel Ashley Hu Camryn Kenkel Cendi Ling Dan Rosenberg Elisa Xu

Erin Noh Fatima Wahidi Hamza Jalal Jacob Blum Jessa Nauman Jessika Baral Kalpana Gopalkrishnan  Katherine Spencer

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        

Katie Martinez Keshav Kailash Malika Johnson Naman Baraya Nel Fernandez Owen Ouyang Salil Uttarwar Sam Shonfeld Stephanie Sutton

WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU!

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STUDENT LIFE | THE FINISH LINE

What College in a Pandemic Looks Like A year in photos of campus

COURTESY OF CHLOE WHITE

Chloe White (bottom center): “Mama’s Pot Roast Improv’s first show of Fall 2018. It The ginkgo trees standentitled bare on‘MILD.’” a rainy January day. was Olin the day before WILD,

COURTESY OF CHLOE WHITE

Chloe White (bottom center): “Mama’s Pot Roast Improv’s first show of Fall 2018. It Burning shed. was the Kumquat’s day before tool WILD, entitled ‘MILD.’”

COURTESY OF CHLOE WHITE

Chloe White (bottom center): “Mama’s Pot Roast Improv’s first show of Fall 2018. It A chair a bush onentitled one of the first sunny days of Spring. was thesits dayunder before WILD, ‘MILD.’”

COURTESY OF CHLOE WHITE

Chloe White (bottom center): “Mama’s Pot Roast Improv’s first show of Fall 2018. It Students walkbefore in front of Olin before the start of the 2020-2021 school year. was the day WILD, entitled ‘MILD.’”

COURTESY OF CHLOE WHITE

Chloe White (bottom center): “Mama’s Pot Roast Improv’s first show of Fall 2018. It A hybrid classbefore tent stands to Eads Hall. was the day WILD,next entitled ‘MILD.’”

COURTESY OF CHLOE WHITE

Chloe White (bottom center): “Mama’s Pot Roast Improv’s first show of Fall 2018. It Walker a sunny Aprilentitled day. ‘MILD.’” was theHall dayon before WILD,

STUDENT LIFE | THE FINISH LINE

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PHOTOS BY CURRAN NEENAN AND BRIAN CUI | STUDENT LIFE

COURTESY OF CHLOE WHITE

Chloe White (bottom center): “Mama’s Pot Roast Improv’s first show of Fall 2018. It A student bikes through theentitled underpass, past a mural commissioned by Wash. U. celebrating racial diversity and social justice. was the day before WILD, ‘MILD.’”

Congratulations Class of 2021. Thank you for the contributions you’ve made to the WashU community, and we know you will light the way to a brighter future. – Y O U R T E A M I N A D M I S S I O N S & A I D

STUDENT LIFE | THE FINISH LINE

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The Shows Went On STUDENT LIFE | THE FINISH LINE

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Arts and entertainment photos from a year of virtual productions

BRIAN CUI | STUDENT LIFE

A socially distanced crowd watches Covid Mysteries, the first live theater of the school year, on Mudd Field.

ALICE NGUYEN | STUDENT LIFE

Dancers learn the choreography to “Thriller” by Michael Jackson at free City Dance classes

HOLDEN HINDES | STUDENT LIFE

DUC exhibit Hostile Terrain 94 remembered every life lost crossing the southern border with a toe tag.

COURTESY OF ALL STUDENT THEATRE

Dom Bottom (Brian) and Leah Coleman (Beth) stand outside of their childhood homes in “Jerry Finnegan’s Sister.”

STUDENT LIFE | THE FINISH LINE

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Books, bunnies and buildings

A personal collage of material moments

BY CHRISTINE WATRIDGE | STAFF WRITER

Writing a reflection on my past three years at Wash. U. is a particularly daunting task. I honestly don’t know how I can really capture what this school, and much more importantly what the people I’ve met here, really mean to me. It’s been an absolute whirlwind of time, and knowing that I only have one more year to soak it all up is crazy and scary and exciting and nerve-wracking and amazing all at once. To be perfectly honest, when it comes to personal experiences, words can feel shallow. But here I am, putting words down on paper (well, actually, on a screen). I thought I’d try to ground this reflection in the physical materiality of my last three years, so without further ado, I present: WU in objects. In no particular order.

Key Card Swipe Machines It’s a universally-employed technology, but I can’t say that I noticed entering buildings all that much for, well, the entirety of my being—until college. You might be thinking, Christine, are you seriously starting this off with a literal key card swipe? I know, it’s not the most exciting thing in the world. But it has thoroughly defined my years at college, not to mention this past year in particular when swipe access on campus became even more important. It’s one of those ubiquitous objects that most people hardly notice, and yet is used on a daily basis. How many times have I swiped my student ID through the small black box? Too many to count. I wanted to start off with this object because not every moment in college is precious, and in the mundane acts of day-to-day life, I find that maybe there’s a little more than meets the eye. Routines like this are comforting, even if subconsciously, and when I left school last March to spend the next six months at home, I couldn’t help but think of those little guys every time I pulled out my ID.

Bunnies Maybe I’m the only one that’s been bunny-deprived my whole life, but the amount of bunnies I see on campus fills me with such pure, unadulterated joy each and every time I spot one. The most recent encounter happened as I was walking through the South 40 and spotted a baby (!) rabbit in the plant box on the side of the walkway. That little guy could not have been cuter, and I swear the

amount of endorphins I received from that two-second interaction sustained me for the rest of the day. I’ve seen hordes of bunnies hopping around my dorm in the spring; I’ve watched, bleary-eyed and sad to have had to get up at 5:30 a.m. for work, a couple bunnies running around in the grass near the frat houses, and felt a little less grumpy that (early) morning. I think that these small, joyous interactions can be extended to include all my feelings about all of our plant and animal life on campus, and for that I am so grateful.

ly next year, please please please!). Who doesn’t want to look at a book from centuries ago? If you haven’t had the chance to visit, this is your push to do it! It’s not every day that you have a chance to access material like this. I could really have picked any number of different objects that have carried me through my three years of school, but I think much of the feelings expressed here

would remain the same. At Wash. U. I have learned how to look more closely, to interrogate the space and ideas around me, and to appreciate the smaller moments. I couldn’t find the words to describe how much the people I’ve met mean to me, so I’ve written about objects instead. But to all the wonderful friends, coworkers, classmates, mentors, professors, staff and more, thank you.

The Bauer Hall Staircase Now I’m not sure why the Business school gets the most fun architecture, but boy oh boy do I love this building. Its enormous, tall ceilings and wide spiral staircase somehow give me the same feeling as if I were walking into a spa. It’s a place where I feel like I can take a breath. It’s also the place where I feel like I really started to understand the value of looking closely. Freshman year, I spent hours in this building with my Drawing I class, sketching, staring, sketching again, staring again. It was a daunting task, because let me tell you, drawing architecture is hard as hell. But the more we practiced, the more confident we became in our abilities, and the more loose I became with wide gestures, large pieces of paper and my compositions. This intense, slow and patient looking has served me well throughout the rest of my time at Wash. U., and I fully intend to keep that skill close for the rest of my life. Thank you, Drawing I, for pushing me out of my comfort zone, and thank you, beautiful Bauer Hall.

Olin Special Collections Sadly, this last one has been sorely missed for the past year, as the pandemic has greatly restricted students’ access to libraries. Learning that the school’s special collection books and other works are available to all students to look at, flip through, handle, use for research and more has been amazing! As a person who falls in love with books, the way pages feel to flip through, and the worlds you can be transported to, spending time in Special Collections has been an absolute dream, and I thoroughly look forward to being able to do that once again (hopeful-

The Bauer Hall staircase.

CURRAN NEENAN | STUDENT LIFE

A First-Year Perspective BY NOAH VERMES | STAFF WRITER

As I sit here writing this piece, I think of how lucky I am to have lived, at least as close to as I can possibly get, the standard college experience during my first year here at Washington University. I’ve pulled all-nighters, gone to a Cardinals game and enjoyed a picnic in Forest Park, all in the last week alone. I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to come to St. Louis, and it’s surreal to think that my second semester here is coming to an end. I don’t think I’m alone when I say that I was anxious about coming to college. My anxieties mostly related to the social aspects of school, as I feared that my own introverted tendencies, along

with the ongoing COVID-19 restrictions, would prevent me from fostering new friendships. These fears would not come true, fortunately, as I became very close with my roommates, and made friends through Hillel shabbat dinners, pickup ultimate Frisbee games and simple conversations with random people I met while on campus. I learned more about myself through my interactions with others, too. I grew more comfortable with my own interests as I binged “Avatar: The Last Airbender” with my roommates. I became less hesitant to step out of my comfort zone as I ventured with friends to a local climbing gym. Most importantly, I developed a new perspective on getting involved in clubs and student groups through the

STUDENT LIFE | THE FINISH LINE activities I engaged in during the past two semesters. Honestly, back in high school, I saw extracurriculars as a means to an end; I either felt inclined to participate in certain activities because others were doing it, or I wanted something to fill in the gaps on a resume or college application. The March 2020 closure of my school, however, allowed me to easily disengage from these activities, as I was not passionate about being involved in them. As move-in day approached, though, I quickly realized that I had no idea what to expect from my college experience and had little to draw upon regarding what I wanted to do both during and after my four years here at school. Move-in day came and went, and I had no idea how to start getting involved. Luckily, the friends that I met helped to connect me to on-campus extracurriculars that I could get a taste for. I involved myself in as much as I could, and worked hard to find my own interests. I served on the First-Year

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Class Council as their Vice President of Finance, I rushed two different business fraternities, I continued to attend events and Shabbat dinners for Hillel, I volunteered for admissions panels, I joined the Student Life Cadenza team and I spearheaded a Student Union election campaign. As I reflect on the past year, I recognize that these seemingly-disjointed campus opportunities have taught me one key detail about myself: I love meeting new people, learning about them and sharing my own experiences. Currently, I’m training as a Washington University Student Associate (WUSA) for the 20212022 school year, and I’m so excited to use what I’ve learned from my first year involving myself on campus. This year has challenged me academically, mentally, physically, and emotionally - yet I would not have wanted it any other way.

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Dear Class of 2021, We know that the closing of this important chapter of your life also represents the opening of the next. To us, commencement is both a wonderful salute to your time here and an acknowledgment of new beginnings. You are hard workers, go-getters, dreamers and innovators. You are problem solvers who persist through ambiguity. Coronavirus added an unexpected plot twist to your college experience, but you proved your resilience and adaptability. You responded to setbacks with “yes, and…” then you masked-up and continued your research, wrote your thesis, interned remotely, performed over Zoom and kept going. We are grateful that you will be part of helping us all navigate our ever-changing world. You will effect incredible change with your Washington University education. We are here, this summer and beyond, to help you explore, connect, determine next steps, search for opportunities and celebrate your successes. Stay in touch and let us know how we can support you now and going forward. We are committed to your story and we are so excited to see what happens next. Congratulations on your incredible accomplishments at Washington University. The Washington University Career Center Team

STUDENT LIFE | THE FINISH LINE

Landings include: Arizona State University Brown University Carnegie Mellon University Case Western Reserve University Columbia University Duke Law School Duke University Georgia Institute of Technology Harvard University Johns Hopkins University Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) New York University Northwestern University Ohio State University Princeton University Rutgers University Saint Louis University Stanford University University of Chicago University of Michigan University of Missouri - St. Louis University of Pennsylvania University of Southern California - Los Angeles University of Texas - Austin University of Wisconsin - Madison Vanderbilt University Washington University in St. Louis Yale University Abercrombie & Fitch Accenture Alphasights Amazon Americorps American Express AB InBev Anheuser-Busch Attentive Bain & Company Bloomingdale’s Boeing CapitalOne Chewy Crowe LLP City Year Deloitte Facebook Epic Healthcare Systems ExxonMobil Ernst & Young

Goldman Sachs Google Guggenheim Partners J.P. Morgan Kaiser Associates Kraft Heinz Company Maryville Consulting Group McKinsey & Company Microsoft Mastercard Morgan Stanley National Institute of Health Neilsen Nestle Purina PricewaterhouseCoopers Saatchi & Saatchi Total Access Urgent Care Teach for America Tesla Washington University in St. Louis ZS Associates

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Behind the scenes with the architects of the East End REILLY BRADY | SENIOR FORUM EDITOR From selecting glass as both a sustainable and symbolic material to considering the interdisciplinary implications of each building, designing the East End involved thorough attention to detail. Students can now observe these impressive details in design while walking to a lecture in McKelvey Hall, stopping at Parkside for lunch or throwing around a frisbee at Tisch Park. The East End was dedicated in October 2019, but arriving at the completed 570,000-square-foot landscape took years of planning, design and construction, about $360 million dollars and multiple teams of architects. A team of architects from KieranTimberlake, led by project manager Marilia Rodrigues, first got involved with the East End project in early 2015. After half a year of programming, the design process took about a year, and construction began right after 2017 commencement. KieranTimberlake was in charge of Weil Hall, Sumers Welcome Center, Schnuck Pavilion, the Kemper

Art Museum expansion, Tisch Park and the parking garage, among other infrastructure and utilities. As part of creating a vision for the East End, Rodrigues and her team looked to existing Wash. U. infrastructure for inspiration. “We start every project by asking questions about the site, about the history of the place, the program, trying to really understand what the building is going to be used for in the climate, [in the] environment,” Rodrigues said. “And it’s really those questions that… will serve as inspiration for the project.” Rodrigues emphasized the importance of tying all elements of campus––the old and the new–– together. “It’s not a direct relationship, but it’s a more contemporary take on some of the things that you can observe in the rest of campus,” Rodrigues said. One such example is what Rodrigues calls the “portals” at Weil Hall. The entry to Weil

Hall is made up of these “portals,” stainless steel bars that frame the wooden door, and was created with inspiration from the rest of campus. “It’s things like that where we observe and make those contemporary translations from the existing campus,” Rodrigues said. “It’s critical that a project of this scale needed to be woven into the existing context and become something that seamlessly integrates into what already exists.” Another team of architects from Perkins Eastman took the lead on McKelvey Hall, the new East End building for computer science and engineering. Design for McKelvey began in 2017, and construction finished in November 2020. Principal in Charge and Principal of Lab Design Steven Gifford shared that having to “catch up” to the rest of the East End projects, which had already started construction, proved to be a challenge for the McKelvey architects. Because of this, the team had to consider both blending McKelvey with the rest of campus and incorporating it into parts of the East End that had already started construction. On top of those factors, the

architects included the visions of the deans of the engineering school, with a focus on designing a contemporary facility “for the future.” “One of the most fascinating things about this building is the juxtaposition of the historical, academic Gothic facades and the completely modern facades of the building,” Gifford said. The goal of creating an integrated campus extends beyond visual appeal. Project Designer Jennifer Romeo explained that one of their visions for McKelvey Hall was to create a space that encourages collaboration among students. “[This is] an opportunity to collaborate across the campus, not just within the computer science engineering department, which is what this building is intended to support, but across disciplines,” Romeo said. Project Manager Shefali Raichaudhuri introduced another goal for McKelvey Hall: sustainability. “Sustainability was another key factor in sort of driving the design, both exterior as well as interior components,” Raichaudhuri said. “We had glass on the north and the

STUDENT LIFE | THE FINISH LINE west facades, really designing for managing heat gain.” Glass was a common theme throughout the design process. Washington University architect Jamie Kolker’s favorite feature of the East End is what he describes as the “shoulders of Brookings”––the two glass pavilions that frame either side of Brookings Hall. To Kolker, these transparent buildings are more than just interesting to look at; they symbolize both looking back upon history and looking forward to the University’s future. Glass accomplishes this, Kolker said, by using a contrasting material to complement the other buildings and create a cohesive look for the East End. The theme of incorporating glass into the East End is evidence of collaboration between different teams of architects, who regularly communicated throughout the process to create an interconnected design for the East End. As the University architect, Kolker worked with all of the teams of architects in order to create this cohesive vision. “[We showed] them some of the spaces like Holmes Lounge or Brookings Quad, the quad at McMillan Hall, Umrath, Olin Library [and] how it glows at night,” Kolker said. “It’s one of our most transparent buildings, and clearly, we made transparent buildings at the East End that we don’t really

have on the Hilltop other than Olin library, so we would look at that together and talk about that.” While the glass pavilions are Kolker’s favorite feature due to their sustainability and their symbolic nature, other architects had a harder time choosing just one favorite building. “It’s like picking children,” Rodrigues said with a laugh. While maintaining a cohesive vision was essential to the vision of the East End, giving each building its own “unique character” was especially important for Rodrigues. The architects’ close attention to detail allowed each building to be designed with individual personality and purpose. The architects envision students using the East End space for both outdoor and indoor activity as well as interdisciplinary cooperation. Communications Director for the East End Jane Kojima has already seen this in action. “As the construction workers took the fence panels away, people who were walking east from the Hilltop towards Skinker who were on the paths, who, if they had shown up an hour before, would have been redirected to a detour, just kept going straight like it had just always been there,” Kojima said. “It was amazing.”

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PHOTOS BY BRIAN CUI | STUDENT LIFE

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STUDENT LIFE | THE FINISH LINE

Congratulations to the Class of 2021! We wish all of you the best as you celebrate this great achievement.

ucollege.wustl.edu

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STUDENT LIFE | THE FINISH LINE

! s n o i t a l u t a r Cong We are so very proud of you! –Mom and Dad

“Thank goodness at least one of the five kids was smart.” –Madeline

“I guess all that reading was worth it.” –Henry “Good job getting a B+ in statistics.” –Samuel

“Voted best middle child of the family.” –Eleanor “Please come home.” –Lincoln

Donavaughn Baucom

Love, prayers and blessings on your well deserved success. You have sacrificed a lot for this achievement your focus and efforts have helped you succeed in your endeavors. Congratulations!

Lainie Jordan Esralew

We are so PROUD of what you have accomplished so far! Congratulations on this amazing milestone! We know your future is bright! We love you so much! Love Always, Mom, Dad, Max and Jeter

Mackenzie Cunningham

We love you! Congratulations!! You did it. We are so proud of everything you have achieved. May all of your dreams come true. Love, Mema, Papa, Mom, Rob, and Mallie

Michael Roberts

Amelia Ruth

SCHMITZ

Dear Michael, I am so proud of your outstanding accomplishments, as well as the amazing young man that you are! Much love, Grandma

STUDENT LIFE | THE FINISH LINE

marina

Weidmann alisha Nicole

Duvall

Congratulations Alisha! You set and achieved goals for yourself academically and artistically with hard work, determination, talent and creativity. We celebrate you and all of your accomplishments. We are so proud of you!

Love, Mom, Dad and Alana

Marina We are so proud of you and your accomplishments!! We love the little girl that you were and the amazing woman you’ve become! And, we’re looking forward to all that you will experience and accomplish throughout your life!!! Love you so much!! Dad, Mom, Colin, Ali and Tiberius

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alyssa Lorico

To our ever dearest Ally! We are very proud of you and we love you dearly! Congratulations on your achievement! We wish you happiness and many more blessings! Mom, Dad, Ate, Bon, and Peanut

STUDENT LIFE | THE FINISH LINE

: S W E N G N I K A BRE

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! ! S E T A U D A R G A M EM emma Special Report:

Her family is unbelievably proud.

Baker NEWS F Society is LASH: s

lightly nerv ous.

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STUDENT LIFE | THE FINISH LINE

Malika Johnson

dearest Blake, Dearest Blake,

May the road rise to meet you May the wind be always at your back

May the road rise to meet you May thethe sunwind shine May bewarmly always upon your face and at your back

Malika, Congratulations! Your grit will lead you far in your endeavors. We are very proud of you! Love, Dad and Mom

The rains fall softly yourshine fieldswar mly Mayupon the sun

upon your face and

And until we meet again, T he rains fall softly May God hold you upon your fields in the palm of His hands

And until we meet again, We Mayare Godbeyond hold you proud of in the palm of you, His hands

Blake We are beyond proud Love andBlake Irish of you, blessings, Love and Irish Mom, Dad, blessings, Tierney, Patrick Mom, andDad,Tierney Sarah Patrick and Sarah

Mallory Kallish

Jeffrey

blake LANTER

Congratulations Mal!! We are so proud of everything you have done these past four years. We love you SO much and we are looking forward to the great things you do in the future. Love Mom, Dad, Ian, Ethan, Frankie and Fiona

Jo rd an K as sa b

Jo rd an - Th is is just th e be gi nn ing fo r yo u! Yo u are th e mos t fo cuse d an d ha rd wor ki ng pe rs on we kn ow an d yo u ne ve r st op am az ing us . We ar e prou d be yo nd wor ds an d lo ve yo u w it h al l ou r he art! Mom & Dad

STUDENT LIFE | THE FINISH LINE

Kamsi Achigbu

Congratulations, Kamsi! As you look to the future, remember the Lord has plans to prosper you and has engraved you on the palms of His hands. Love, Mom, Dad & Kemdi

Ingrid Isabela Hartzell Gallegos

Your eyes have always been lit with the fiery determination to accomplish exactly what you want, the way you want. Anyone looking can and will see it. Go get ’em! I love you. Mom

The baby of the house is graduating and starting a new journey! May all your dreams come true, beta. Remain grounded and humble. Be empathetic and kind to all. We love you so much and we are so proud of you.

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In fifth grade, my teacher affectionately dubbed me “Corkitude.” When asked to define it, He said “the crazy, quirky, Corky way of life.” I am unique, like no other Corkitude, that’s me! They say that they hear me coming from a mile away, I’m loud and I’m proud! I love others with all I’ve got and protect them like a mama bear would her cubs. I dedicate myself wholeheartedly, Whether it be finishing a television show in a day Or staying up through the night to comfort a friend. I fall in love with people and places, With laughs and smiles and memories. I share everything, from clothes, to playlists, to advice, to a study guide. I pride myself on being a friend, first and foremost. When you roll this all together, you get Corkitude, that’s me!

corky RibakofF We are so proud of the person you have always been, and the evolution of who you are becoming!

Congratulations on your graduation, Sweetheart! Mom & Dad We could not love you more!

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Danealle Parchment

Jonathon Douglas

We love you and are incredibly proud of you. Congratulations! Well done! These are exciting times for you! Love Mum, Dad and Ella.

I hope your dreams take you to the corners of your smiles, to the highest of your hopes, to the windows of your opportunities. Congrats! Mom, Kevin, Dervon, Archen

Roshan Sivakumar

Irene Rose Hamlin

Congratulations Roshan! We are so proud of you!! Looking forward to celebrating many more accomplishments as you pursue your dreams!!! Love, Mom, Dad and Ryan

“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams” We are so very proud of you Irene. Medical School awaits! All our love, Mom and Justin

Brittany Kaitlin Patrick

Congrats on your graduation and biomedical engineering degree! We are so proud of you and all you have accomplished. You are amazing! #WashU2021 We love you ~ Mom, Dad, and Bailey

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Hamza Jalal

Darling Hamza, We are all so grateful for you in our lives. May Rabbi protect you and make you a light and source of happiness for all around you. DMSS

Jake Hoffman

Congratulations! We are so proud of you and to celebrate your graduation! We know your future will be as bright as you are! All our love, Mom-mom and Pop-pop

Kendall “Rob” Hall

From the moment you started walking at 9 1/2 months, we knew that nothing would stop you! We are all so proud of you and wish you nothing but the best that life has to offer! With love, Your WHOLE Family

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Mai-Han Nguyen-Thanh

A force since day 1. So proud of you and can’t wait to watch you take on the world. Your biggest fans: Mom, Dad, MK, Amanda, Chuong, Laura and Issa

Ryan Langley

You are wonderfully talented. From “Hollywood” to “Living a Bug’s Life” to Wash-U Graduate. Your successes are not just in your DNA but in the great effort you put forth.

Ally Persky

The 3 “D”s have served you well. You are a beautiful person & an inspiration to all. KGA! Love Mom, Dad, Zach, Paige, Rachael, Maverick & Nelly

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JOSH HERSHKOWITZ

Top 10 Reasons We Love Josh

10. 9. 8. 7. 6. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1.

Best Son Ever! Best Brother Ever! He calls 10 times a Day We’re Never Bored No Wasted Food It’s Like Having a Personal IT Department Disney Serenades, at all Hours Buys, Reviews and Shares all the Latest Gadgets Does all the Talking, so we don’t have to Wash U Olin School 2021 Graduate!

Love, Ben, Ronit, Becky & Chloe

STUDENT LIFE | THE FINISH LINE

Hamish McGregor

Dear Hamish, ievements, your commitment We are very proud of all your ach s. We love the strong, to family, friends, life and studie today and wish you all the independent young man you are re. success and happiness in the futu Love Mum and Dad

Keishi, Sarah, and Michael––– Winners of best senior roommates in a pandemic!! You had each others’ backs and lifted each other up (sometimes literally!). Proud of you guys! Linda, Vince, Mariko, Snicker, and Dee.

michael SARAH hoffstadter JUANG Foecke

KEISHI

Andrew Celli

Congratulations Andrew and Lauren! You accomplished so much and we are so glad that you did it together! Love, Mom, Dad, Rebecca, Hannah and Indigo

Nirakar Pandey

Nirakar, congratulations on your graduation! We are all so proud of your accomplishments! Wishing you the very best in Chicago! With tons of love, Snowy, Nichi, Danny, Mommy, and Daddy

Jonathan Aaron Yufit Cher

Congratulations, Jonathan! We are enormously proud of all you have accomplished and the person you have become. Love, Mom, Dad, Benjamin, Grampa Mark

Sari Bircoll

Congratulations Sari B! We are so proud of you, and the next chapter will be amazing-we promise!! We love youMom, Dad, Jamie & Josh

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Jens Tulio Damgaard

¡Felicidades, Jens Tulio!

Wendy Mae Bornhoeft

Congratulations Wendy! You have accomplished so much since that winter day in 2016. We are so proud of your resiliency and dedication! Love Always, Mom and Dad

Aja Drain

“Don’t underestimate me! I don’t quit and I don’t run.” - Naruto We are so proud of the woman you have become. Love, Dad, Mom, Dylan & Family

STUDENT LIFE | THE FINISH LINE

“

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For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you,

the sky is the limit! All our love, Mom, Dad & Emma

Shane Murphy

Congratulations Shane, May you blast off to greater things, The best is yet to come! Your Proud Parents

Jake Hoffman

”

plans to give you hope and a future.

JOSHUA McCullough

So proud of all the awesome choices We’re so excited and proud of all you’ve done and accomplished as we celebrate your graduation! We’re thrilled for all the paths ahead of you!

you’ve made along your life’s journey.

Love, Mom, Dad, Aaron, Rebecca

Always remember

Danielle Gilfoyle

that you have our love and support every step of the way. Love,

Congratulations Danielle! We are so proud of you and all of your accomplishments. Lots of love, Mom, Dad & Maria

Mom, Dad, Justin, Victoria and Kai

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BRYCE Gordon ROBERTS

STUDENT LIFE | THE FINISH LINE

Tian Geng

Congratulations, Tian! We are so proud of you. You are a smart, kind, beautiful, resilient young woman. Wishing you many more adventures ahead! From your loving family

Stephanie Lushniak

A toast to our Stephanie! So proud of all your accomplishments! You are the master of your fate! Love you! -- Mom, Dad, Larissa and the whole family

We are proud of you. You committed long hours to football, while maintaining high academic marks. You were a focused student who made time to help friends. You remained committed to the CS Org – becoming President – when you were already busy. We are grateful for the wonderful man you are. You got out of WashU what you put into it. Congratulations.

Noah Kontur

Another graduation Noah! You have grown in so many areas the past 4 years, and we are so proud. We love you! Mom and Papa

- Love, Mom and Dad

Shutaro Hayashihara

Congratulations on graduating! We are very proud of you and looking forward to seeing you achieve your goal at work as well.

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Stella Stephanopoulos

Live your dreams, our Peaceful Warrior Princess. You have a kind heart, an open mind and childlike spirit. Oh, the Places You’ll Go! Much love, Mom & Dad

Camryn Jewel Cogshell

Congratulations Camryn, We are so proud of you! You have always been a hard worker, and your hard work has paid off. We know you will have continued success in whatever you pursue. Love you so much, Mommy, Grandmommy, and PaPa

Rohit Hoskote

You have accomplished so much while maintaining compassion in your heart and laughter in your soul. Wishing love and happiness as you continue your journey to achieve your dreams and goals. Love Mom & Varun

Griffin Orser

Congratulations Griffin! It has been so fun to watch you grow, learn, explore and discover what brings you joy. Continue enjoying every moment of your journey! Much love, Mom, Dad, Keaton & Jacob

Patrick Tulaphorn

Congratulations Patrick! You’ve grown so much as a person over the years and we’re incredibly proud of you. Today is a massive milestone for you and we know there will be more in the future. Congrats again and we’re looking forward to your next major accomplishment! Love, Dad, Mom, Matthew, Paulina, and Mango

Angelina Camille de Leon

Congratulations Angelina! For sure, you cannot change the past. Only in the present can you alter the future. Wanting is your source of power. What do you want? You are given the power to create. So create...don’t wait. We are extremely proud of you! All our love, Dad, Mom, Ariana, Grandma Bronx

Grace O’Shaughnessy Lyman

Congratulations Grace! We are so proud of you. You always dream big and go for it! Now it’s time to celebrate this accomplishment. We love you, Mom and Dad

Chase Hartquist

Congratulations, Chase! What an amazing 4 years this has been! We are so proud of all that you have accomplished! We love you so much! The Fam

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COLLIN WHITE

Grace BUSCH Collin, We are so proud of your ability to adapt & persevere amidst hardship. Your commitment to make a difference inspires us all! Know that we are cheering you on, every step of the way, & that your sister is beside you, loving you & protecting you always. Congratulations! Mom, Dad, & Brad

Congratulations for taking on the challenge of college and coming out on top. A life worth living will always have its fences, but your grit and determination will get you over them. We are incredibly proud of you for completing this chapter of your life. We love you with all our heart!

Mom & Dad

SAM SHONFELD Lindsey Nicole Blacher

CONGRATULATIONS SAM!!!

We are so proud of you and all of your accomplishments at Wash U! You have continued to grow into an incredible person and we are excited to see the bright future you have ahead. Keep making the world a better place! Love, Mom, Dad, Zach, Jordan and Ben

We couldn’t be more proud of you! We can’t wait to see where life leads you as you pursue your drea ms. Believe in yourself, st ay strong, and follow your heart. Love forever, Mom, Dad, Jason, an d JJ

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Justin Robert Yoshio Hurley

“You teach me and I’ll teach you .” Since birth, you have been on a quest for knowledge about the world aro und you. It has been an honor and a lot of laughs to join you on your journey. Thank s. We LOVE You, MODSMLJ

Olivia Fair

On to the next adventure, baby! Continue on this path with your wisdom, will and wit and....watch out world!! And of course...everything is copy! xoxooxoxooxo

Alyssa Lynne Ashford

Alyssa, We are incredibly proud of you. What an accomplishment to be graduating from Wash-U! Looking forward to the next chapter of your journey. Love, Mom and Dad

Benjamin van der Sman

We are enormously proud of you and your accomplishments in the classroom and on the tennis court! Most importantly we are proud of the person you have become. We love you! Moeder, Vader, Eli, and Lily

Kevin Lobdell

Congratulations Kevin! We are so proud of you and what you have accomplished. You are destined for great things. We Love You! Mom and Dad

STUDENT LIFE | THE FINISH LINE

Julia Greensfelder

You’ve always reached for the stars and are well on your way. Congratulations on a successful journey. You will always shine in our eyes! Love, Mom, Dad, Aaron and Tucker

Shayna L. R. B. Finkelstein

Dear Shayna, We are very proud of your accomplishments!! Keep shining and sharing your light with others. Love, Mom & Dad

Alex James Nelson

Congratulations, Alex! Savor your many accomplishments & friendships made throughout these wonderful 4 years. We are thrilled for you & eagerly await your next chapter. Love, Mom, Dad, Ali & Adam

Charlie Nosal

We are very proud of you! Rock on and keep striving to be a champion as you go for your PHD! Love, Mom & Dad

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Emily Hanson

No more classes no more books.... Meet you in Chicago! We love you so much.

Natalia Raelynn Wright

“Behind you, all your Memories. Before you, all your Dreams. Around you, all the Love. Within you, all that you need.” I’m so proud of you! Congratulations! Love, Mom

Catherine Stevinson

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” - Winston Churchill Cheers to the girl who gave so much! We can’t wait to see what our little lawyer does!! With much love and admiration, Mom, Dad, Liz, Alex & Nana

Shayna Dori Rosenbloom

We are so proud of you! These four years have flown by and we are looking forward to watching you soar! Love always, Mom, Dad, Adena and Micah

Amy

STUDENT LIFE | THE FINISH LINE

Emily Lawrence

To our dear Emme..... you are the bEst juMbo bunny and we can’t waIt to ceLebrate Your graduation. whether you’re LAughing, WateRskiing, rEadiNg, danCing or tEaching, everything you do has us smiling for you. Love and kisses from your Fam Bam

Kenneth McNelly

Rebecca

Frankel

Congratulations Kenneth! We are so proud of you! We can’t wait to see where your dreams and passion lead you in the next chapter of your life. Be brave and resilient. We will always love you and be there for you. With love, Mom & Dad, John & Caitlin

Vinay Dominic Chandrasekaran

Dear sweet little girl, Congratulations Vinay! We are so proud of you! Love, Mom, Dad, Keli and everyone who loves you

Summer Anastasia McKenna

Congratulations to #OurSummerGirl Class of WASHU ‘21 Fulbright Scholar - way maker - woman of the world May God continue to bless you We Love You, The #McCrazyMcKennas

Mazel tov on making your WashU dream a wonderful reality! From day one, your joy, energy and kindness have made us so incredibly proud, and we eagerly await your remarkable future. Go and make the world a better place; and ALWAYS know that wherever life leads you, WE LOVE YOU! Mom, Grandma, Ariana, Annie and Dad

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Cienna Townson

Charles Andrew Christensen III

Cienna, we are EXTREMELY proud of you. Continue to be GREAT. Love, Dad & Mom

Julia Medoff

Congratulations Julia! We are so proud of you and all of your hard work. The future is bright! Love, Mom, Dad, Alex, Moose and Vinny

Rama Balasubramaniam

Congratulations Rama! We are very proud of you and may all your dreams come true. Never ever give up! You are always our Responsible, Awesome, Mature Angel. Love, Dad, Mom and Lakshmi

Jason Dresner

Congratulations Jason! We are so proud of you and love you so much! Love, Mom, Dad and Lauren

Drew, Your success doesn’t come as a surprise to us. What an impressive achievement filled with incredible memories and lifelong friendships. With love and pride always, Dad, Mom and Dane

STUDENT LIFE | THE FINISH LINE

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Christopher St. Aubin

Congratulations, Christopher St. Aubin! We are very proud of you. Ever since you were young, you have wanted to travel the world and make a difference. Reach for your dreams! We will always be here for you.

Congratulations Jennifer! We’re very proud of you and how hard you’ve worked

Love, All of Us

to graduate from WashU! The way you’re able to overcome all obstacles and adapt to any environment or economy is one of your most impressive characteristics and will continue to drive you towards more future success. Congratulations to our daughter and sister and to the class of 2021!

Jennifer

METU

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Benjamin moore esome young Congratulations to our aw of all that you man! We’re very proud your success have accomplished and ng your dreams at Wash U. Keep followi wherever they lead!

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GWEN KLEIN We love you! Mom, Dad, Caroline and, of course, Reginald

Adam Hunter Stein CONGRATULATIONS GWEN! You challenged yourself, found amazing friends for life, travelled the world and made a difference in your community! We are so proud of you and look forward to your many exciting adventures ahead. Love, Mom, Dad, and Matthew

If you ain’t first you’re last. Adam, you certainly are not last!!! Couldn’t be prouder of you. We love you!!! Love, Mom, Dad, Spencer & Kaylee xoxo

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Kimberly Iman Clark

Congratulations! You have GRIT (passion, perseverance, stamina). Stick with it, work hard, and your future will be great! Don’t ever quit! Run your race! Love Mom, Dad, Aaron & Endia

Becca Jacobs

Congratulations Becca on your accomplishments at WashU. You are a shining light with a bright future. We are so proud of you. With much love, Mom, Dad, & Zak

Gautam Ramanathan

Congratulations Gautam You worked hard and got it done! OH THE PLACES YOU WILL GO ! With love and pride today and always, Amma, Appa, Guhan

Justin T Li

Dear Justin, Congratulations! We are so incredibly proud of what you have accomplished. Your passion, dedication and hard work will take you wherever you want to go! Love, Mom and Dad

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Anna Louise Day

Jake Hoffman

Anna, you’ve worked so hard and excelled in 4 years. We are excited to see you continue your journey. Know we are so proud of you!

It is with pride and excitement that we congratulate you on your graduation from college. We wish you continued success in everything that you do - today and always!

Love Mom, Dad, Bubs

With much love, Grandmom and Grandpop

Mitry Anderson

Congratulations, Mitry! Follow the Road, we know you can, Pursuing it with eager feet, Until it joins some longer way Where many paths and errands meet. Love, Dad, Mom, and Elias

Alana Marie Raper

Congratulations Alana, on your graduation! You are an amazing young woman with a heart for caring and giving. We are so proud of you! Love, Mom, Dad, Paul and PJ

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Aiden Pierce Blinn

Max Mazursky

Max, Congratulations on your Graduation. We are very proud of your accomplishments. Keep smiling and enjoy the ride! Love Mom, Dad, Jason, Caroline, Alex & especially Roxy

Christopher Hodges

Congratulations Christopher! We are so proud of you! Love, Mom, Dad and Georgeanne

Dear Aiden, It has been a joy to watch you thrive at Washington University. We saw you make many friends and enjoy various activities, all while excelling in your curriculum. As you take the next step in your life, we are excited to see where you will go.

We are so proud of you and love you! Your family

STUDENT LIFE | THE FINISH LINE

Jordan T. Chambers

Congratulations Jordan! We are so proud of you and all you’ve achieved at WashU. Looking forward to your next chapter. God Speed and may P.M.A. continue to be your mindset and mantra all day, every day! Love, love, love.. Mom, Dad, Grandma, Titi, Val, Marvin & Jay

Grace Hass-Hill

Congrats Grace! Go and keep exploring the world...have fun! Be happy and be yourself. Proud of you! Lots of love, Mom and Dad, Colin and Adam and Murphy

Pratyay Bishnupuri

Congratulations Pratyay!!! You set high goals and you push yourself very hard to achieve them We are very proud of you and all your accomplishments. Wishing you a very bright future ahead. Mom, Dad, and Salma

Isabel Carleton

Congratulations Isabel! Stride boldly into your future! We love you and are very proud, Mom and Dad

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Gillian Laming

WHIT URDAN

We are so proud of who you are and all that you’ve accomplished. Wishing you joy and happiness as you embark on the next chapter of your life. Love you so much, Mom, Dad, Stephen

Kayla Murphy CONGRATULATIONS, WHIT!

The World Awaits! Your brilliance, your kind heart and your wisdom-filled soul will always be your true north! You AMAZE us! Love, Mom, Dad, Erin, Ryan, Megan, Bella, Ollie

Ryan T. Langley

Congratulations on your accomplishments my amazing goddaughter, Ryan. Love your passion and know you will make a big impact in the future!!! So proud of you!!! Love, T-Terri and Earnest

Noor Bekhiet

Today you are stronger and smarter than you ever were. You believed and achieved.We are very proud of the person you have become. Dalia & Adel

We’re awash with joy and pride over your character and accomplishments, your perseverance through pandemic curveballs, and your sky’s-the-limit future. So much love, Mom, Dad, Katie, Colly & Huxley (Chip & Cocoa too)

STUDENT LIFE | THE FINISH LINE

Janelli Rodriguez

Congratulations Janelli!!! We are so proud and blessed to have gotten the opportunity to watch you grow into the wonderful and professional woman you are today! Love, Dad, Mom, & Sis

Mirai Patel

Dear Mirai, Mirai means Future. Celebrate your accomplishments today but as Eleanor Roosevelt said “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams” so now is your chance to create your future. Be happy. THANK YOU for your hard work and enabling us to experience this proud moment today. We love you, Mum and Dad

Daniel Dela Cruz

We could not be any prouder. Looking forward to seeing where your future adventures lead. Love, Mom, Dad & Joshua

Nathan Soria

Congratulations Nathan! We are so proud of you and excited to send you off to medical school. Love, Mom, Dad, Hannah, Megan, and the cats!

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Emily Katz Fox

Congratulations Emily! We are beyond proud of all you’ve accomplished these past 4 years and are so excited for your next chapter at WashU Law! Love Always, Mom & Dad

David Kibbe

Congratulations, David, on your graduation from WashU! We are so proud of you and can’t wait to see what your future brings. Love, Mom, Dad and Will

Emma Kate Goldberg

Congratulations Emma!! Caps off to you! Go now with pride and the support of your family and let your dreams take flight. We are so proud of you and love you very much! Mom and Dad

Paul Rice

Congratulations! We are so proud of what you have accomplished in this chapter. Your inquisitiveness, good heart and sense of adventure will take you far. Love, Mom and Dad

Satvik Gavva Reddy

Congratulations on your graduation and Best Wishes for the next phase of your life. With love and pride today and always. Love Mom, Dad, Rindha, Cosmo and family

Hayley Sanchez

Hayley, Congratulations! I am so very proud of you and everything you have accomplished! I love you very much! Love, Mom

Andrew Yu

Congratulations Andrew! We are extremely proud of you and can’t wait to see what life has in store for you next. We love you! Mom, Dad and April

Ashley Simon Thompson

Congratulations Ashley! You have reached another milestone; We are so proud of you, your hard work and perseverance. May God continue to bless you on your future endeavors! With Love, All your family & friends

STUDENT LIFE | THE FINISH LINE

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Achievement, a word you embody so well. You are a stellar human being and a true Renaissance man. Olin business grad, football (#78) and e-sports leader, you achieve at a universal level and are the masterful unexpected! We are blessed!!! Mom and Dad

Sydney Szabo

Congratulations, Sydney! We couldn’t be more proud of your amazing accomplishments at WashU. You’ve learned how to navigate the world and life--we can’t wait to see what you’ll do next! Love, Mom, Dad, and Zach

Daniel Sosebee

Congratulations on your graduation! We love you bunches -Mom, Dad, Hannah & Isaac

STUDENT LIFE | THE FINISH LINE

Summer! Congratulations Sydney! Congratulations

We are so proud of both of you! You each have found your path, made friends, and engaged in opportunities that provided enjoyment and growth. We know you are well prepared for what lies ahead. Dad, Mom, Raven

Sydney & Summer

REYES Ethan Weil

Congratulations! We’re so proud of your academic achievements and happy for the lasting friendships, memories and personal growth you’ve made this past four years. Love, Mom & Dad

Abigail Smyth

Abby, You did college right! You followed your heart, had fun, made lifelong friends, and kept that GPA high. We are so proud of you, and love you to the Moon and back! Brava! Mom and Dad

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Liz Keller

Congratulations Liz! We are so proud of you and all of your accomplishments. We look forward to seeing what your future holds at U Chicago! Love, Mom, Dad and Tori

Amanda Yu

Congratulations Amanda Whatever the future may bring, we know you will rise to the challenge and grow from it. You make us proud. Dad, Mom, Ryan, and Caroline

STUDENT LIFE | THE FINISH LINE

Evynn BraeLynn Steele

Evynn, prayers & blessings on your graduation & for your future. We know there are awesome endeavors ahead. With love & pride today & always, the Hopkins-Steele families

Sydni Weisberg

We love you and are so proud of you and your accomplishments. You never cease to amaze us. Keep reaching for the sky and following your dreams. We love you! Love, Mom and Dad

Katie

MacPherson

Congratulations Katie! What an amazing journey it has been so far... As the adventure continues, always remember to enjoy the ride! We are enormously proud of you! With all our love, Papa, Mamàaa, Jay and Grandmama

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Dominic, we are immensely proud of your accomplishments. You are loving, moral, and humble. Our Respectful Rocket, Respect Life winner, and Ervin Scholar brings so much happiness into the world. Continue to perform the wonderful things you do, and you will go far. You are an inspiration to family and friends! We love you! Love, Mom, Dad, Grandma and Papa, Lola, Siblings Dominic, you’re one of the most hardworking and compassionate people I’ve ever met. I’m so proud of you and everything you’re doing! I can’t wait to see where life takes us next, I love you so much! -Natalie

dominic

enriquez

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Hailey Spaeth

It seems like yesterday you were in first grade, and now you are a WashU grad! So excited to see where life takes you next. We’re proud of you. Love, The Spaeth Family

Blake Siegel

“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing you will be successful.” - Albert Schweitzer Congratulations! We couldn’t be any prouder of you and the young man you have become. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for you. All our love Mom, Dad, Taylor and Parker

Ara Nazmiyal

Congratulations on your graduation Ara! We are so very proud of you, your incredible accomplishments and wonderful years at Wash U ! Your hard work and determination is admirable. We look forward to your happiness and successes in the future.

Alec Christopher O’Brien

Alec, we are so proud of you. Your compassion, intelligence and artistic vision brightens a world that is so in need of joy. We cannot wait to see what new adventures and challenges you will undertake on your journey. We Love you, Mom, Dad, Evan and Amanda

Caroline Josephine Phillips

Here’s to who you discovered yourself to be in college and all of the discoveries to come! Congratulations my first born girl trust your good instincts! Love forever - Mom

John Martin Craig

Congratulations John! Magnum est futurae! Love, Dad

With all our love, Mom, Dad, Noah and Ian

Christopher Grant Mutascio

You are our bright and brilliant boy! We are so proud of you! Congratulations!

Isabella Zisman

Dear Isa, This is just the beginning of a wonderful professional career. We are very proud! God Bless you with a beautiful life. Love you, Papi, Mami y Clari

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Tara Kilkenny

Marshall Karchunas

“Your imagination is your preview of life’s coming attractions” - Albert Einstein From the first “First Day” until today we can’t wait to see where your dreams take you. Mom, Dad, Sarah & Millie

Nicole Clark Tara, you have been a joy every step of the way. We are so proud of you. Congratulations! Love, Mom, Dad, Katie, and Patrick

Congratulations Nikki! We know this milestone is just one of many achievements yet to come. We couldn’t be more proud and wish you all the happiness and fulfillment you’ve strived for. Love, Mom, Dad & Cassie

MITCH FRAUENHEIM MICHAEL LEE Congratulations, Mitch!

We are proud of your success and even more of you as a son, brother, and human being. As you journey through life, keep taking the scenic route, stopping to smell the flowers along the way. You’ll be richer for it. Love, Mom, Dad & Katie

Michael We are very proud of you and what you have become. Follow the beat of your heart, believe in yourself and the journey will take you there! We love you very much! Mom, Dad, Grandpa and Grandma

STUDENT LIFE | THE FINISH LINE

Grace Liberman

We are so proud of you and all your accomplishments at WashU! You make our lives and the world around you better. With love, Mom, Dad, Joe, and Amanda

Matthew Schwartz

Congratulations, Matthew! We are so incredibly proud of you and all you’ve accomplished and can’t wait for the next part of your journey! You are a wonderful son and you will always have our endless love and support. We love you! Mom, Dad, Julia & Gracie

Kayla Bleich

Oh the places you’ll go! Kayla we are so proud of you and the person you’ve become: a scholar, a good friend, a good listener, a caring girlfriend, resourceful, funny, a world traveler, a savvy strategist, an animal lover. College is just a stepping stone, and we look forward to seeing where life takes you! Love, Mom and Dad

Eliot Stein

As you move to the next stage of life we wish you Good Skill; you don’t need luck! Love, Mom and Dad

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Nathan Shreve

CAMDEN SABATHNE CONGRATULATIONS CAM! We are so proud of you and all that you have accomplished. With lots of love, Mom, Dad, and Payton

Samantha O’Reilly

Congratulations Nathan!

Proverbs 3:5

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart...”

Go forth and embrace your future, always letting your light shine! We are so proud of you, Mom, Dad and Raymond (Betty and Georgia too)

CONGRATULATIONS ROHAN!

The lives of your family, friends and more are better because you have been a part of them. We feel lucky to have had front row seats, and cannot wait for the innings to come!

Love, Papa, Mama, and Shonali

So very proud of you and all your hard work over the last four years. We cannot wait to see what you accomplish next. Today, we celebrate you and the entire WashU Class of 2021

Congratulations! Mom and Dad

Rohan Palacios

STUDENT LIFE | THE FINISH LINE

Congratulations Allie It is hard to believe this day is here. It seems like yesterday that we were visiting WashU for the first time. We are so proud of you and excited to see what God has planned for your future. Dad, Mom, and Sarah Beth

Allie

SHEETS

MAX PAULL

u Max, We are so proud of yo ents for your accomplishm on you and the amazing pers you sh have become. We wi success much happiness and what and can’t wait to see r to be em you do next! Rem enjoy the journey!

We Love you! !! and the class of 2021 ax M ns tio la tu ra ng Co lis Love, Mom, Dad & El

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Meghna Padmanabhan

Congratulations Meghna!!

You make us SO proud! May this be the beginning of many new We love you!

adventures…

- Mom, Dad, Ro, Bella

LEXI LAMPKIN

Dear Lexi, Congratulations, graduate! I am so proud of you and your accomplishments throughout the past four years. You have become a fantastic fund raiser, event planner, world traveler and beautiful young woman. You have the courage to follow your dreams and I know that you are unstoppable! You are amazing and special. Love you and wish you good health, happiness and success in whatever you choose to do! Love, Mima

STUDENT LIFE | THE FINISH LINE

JamesCongratulations to you and the entire Class of 2021! We are incredibly proud of you and everything you have accomplished. You worked hard, played hard and made lots of wonderful lifelong friends. WashU was definitely the right choice! “How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” -Winnie the Pooh Remember to always be true to yourself, seek out the Express Train and never forget how much you are loved. We love you to the moon and back! Mom, Dad, Gracie and Moose xoxo

james patrick bradley

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Kiri Kungl

Kiri, we are SO VERY PROUD of you! You are a beautiful, intelligent, kind, and simply amazing woman who is destined for great things. We love you!!

Laura Glanz

Congratulations Laura on seizing every moment, every opportunity to make your four years as meaningful, purposeful and fun as possible. You are INCREDIBLE! Love, Mom, Dad, Kalli, Adam, Irene, Elliot

STUDENT LIFE | THE FINISH LINE

Mackenzie Hines-Wilson

For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. - Jeremiah 29:11 Congratulations MO!! We are so proud of you and the beautiful adult that you have become. Love Gran, PaPa, Kim, Nancy, and Mom

#BLACKGIRLMAGIC

Jacob Ramer

CONGRATULATIONS! We are so proud of you and all your accomplishments. You have an incredible thirst for knowledge and a big, kind heart. We love you so much, Mom, Dad & Jonathan

Laura Bryn Judd

Congratulations on all of your amazing accomplishments and may all your dreams come true! We love you to the moon and back, Mom, Dad, Erica, Perrin, Eric, Bella and Ollie (and Bailey)

Alexander Kattan

Congratulations ALEX! We love you and are so proud of you! May all of your dreams become realities, and may you always find happiness. Love always, Mom, Dad & Andrew

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Declan Saviano

So many accomplishments! We are so proud of you. Another new beginning and more adventures await. The future is yours for the taking! All our love, Mom, Dad & Elena

Nicci Mowszowski

Dear Nicci, Congratulations on your graduation. We are so proud of you and all your incredible achievements at Wash U. We love you so much! Love mom and dad

Cole Fitzsimmons

Cole! We love you and are so incredibly proud of you. Here’s to finishing an amazing chapter in your life and beginning yet another wonderful and exciting one. Let the journey continue!! Love Mom, Dad, Charlotte and Rupert

Julia Evancho

We cherish the path we have shared with you and look forward to supporting your future steps. We celebrate the remarkable talents you share with others. Love, Mom and Dad

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Lexi Bainnson

Josh Peck

Congratulations Josh!!!

Lexi, We’re so proud of all you’ve accomplished. The best is yet to come! Wishing you a future filled with love, happiness and success! Love you, Mom, Dad and Josh

Annie Johnston

Congratulations Annie!!! We’re SO proud of you and your accomplishments! Wherever you go, go with all your heart! We’ll be cheering for you every step! Love Always, Mum, Dad, Maggie

Congratulations, Matt Loebel Today is your day! You're off t0 great places A world to conquer and adventures to discover Continue to reach for the stars... We will be there besides you With love and pride, Mom, Dad, Bryce, Emma, and Hannah

What a joy it has been to watch you grow up into such a thoughtful, intelligent, and enjoyable young man! You will always have our love and support! Love, Mom, Dad, and Brandon

Clarke Carden Russell

Congratulations on a job well done! Graduation is an amazing milestone in your life, completion of two degrees during a pandemic is a truly remarkable task. We can not wait to see what the future holds for you. Let the celebrations begin! With love, Mom, Dad, Blake & Wills and Chance

STUDENT LIFE | THE FINISH LINE

Grace Hederick

John Shuster

Congratulations John! We are so proud of you and everything you’ve achieved at WashU! We love you so much and can’t wait to watch your future unfold! Love, Mom & Dad

Ethan Ross Kantor

We are already so proud of you and all your accomplishments and can’t wait for the adventures to come. Congratulations Ethan! All Our Love, Mom, Dad, Rachel, Nikki, & Mimi

Lindsay Ragsdale

mined Congratulations to our brilliant, giving and deter dedication Lindsay! We are so proud of your hard work and go, to your school and your community. Wherever you

compassionate and positive change will follow! Love, Mom, Dad, Lanie, Johnny & Julia

You’re amazing Grace! Continue to reach for your dreams. We couldn’t be prouder, or more excited, for who you are and where you will go. Love Mom, Dad, Lucy & Ellen

Sarah Olsen

These last 22 years have been the most meaningful of our lives. You have become a confident woman, and we will always be there for you. Love, Mom & Dad

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ss a S e s o R a Emm

021! 2 f o ss a cl e th d n a a m m E to s Congratulation uch! m so u o y e v lo d n a u o y f o d u We are very pro s Love, Dad, Mom, and Marcu

STUDENT LIFE | THE FINISH LINE

Rachael Olovyannikov

Mason Edward Simmons

You continue to make me proud! UNC here he comes!! From there to here and here to there, faith, hard work, integrity, and a sense of adventure will continue to take you everywhere. Choose wisely! Love you most--always, Mom

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Emily Spector

Dearest Emily, We are so proud of who you are and all you have accomplished. Love, Mom & Dad

“I believe that the most important single thing, beyond discipline and creativity, is daring to dare.” — Maya Angelou

Allison Hollender

From kindergarten to college - the years have gone by so quickly! We are so proud of the beautiful, smart, and caring young woman you have become. You bring a smile to our faces and happiness to our lives. Congratulations on your many accomplishments. We wish you all good things today and always! Love, Mom, Dad, and Matt

STUDENT LIFE | THE FINISH LINE

MICHAEL ROBERTS

Dear Michael, From the time you were born, we envisioned this milestone for you. But you traveled this path yourself, with amazing motivation, dedication and hard work. Wishing you a continued lifetime of happiness and success. We could not be prouder to be your parents! Congratulations on your achievement!

Marcus Toshihiro Kosins

Up to now you have said “Yes” to what is important, keep it up! (Dad) おめでとう! 私達の分も稼いでね (Yoko) Congratulations! You’re the smarter twin, I’m the handsome one (Taka) としちゃん、卒業おめでとう！本当に頑張っ たね！（Proud Mom)

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s le a or M n o r g e N . I e ill Cam

Dear Camille, Congratulations! We are proud of you and all your accomplishments! Your bright future awaits you. Follow your dreams with confidence and passion, run the extra mile and enjoy the journey. We’ll always be there celebrating with you! May God bless you always! With all our love, Mom, Dad and Jese

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AMANDA KARL

Connor Monahan

CONGRATULATIONS CONNOR! We are so proud of you and all your accomplishments! We look forward to your future successes as you pursue your dreams in California. Love, Mom and Dad

Congratulations Amanda! You have accomplished so much in your four years at WashU and we couldn’t be more proud. You have so much to look forward to and we can’t wait to see what your future holds. We love you! Mom, Dad and Tyler

Lydia Grace Nickels

Congratulations to you, our articulate, bold, and beloved daughter. With all our love and joy from Kilimanjaro to St. Louis from Mom, Dad, and Audrey

Sean Connors

HERE'S TO YOU SEAN!

We're so proud of ever ything you've accompl ished. Your dedication to excellence is our pride and joy. Keep Kicking the ball forward into the world. We love you and will always be your biggest fans.

MOM, DAD AND STEVEN

STUDENT LIFE | THE FINISH LINE

Dana Ward

Dana, Your WashU journey has been full of fun, energy, focus and accomplishment! We are so proud of you! Congratulations to you & your classmates! With huge love, Mom, Jesse, Auggie

Ryan Andrew Betancourt

We are extremely proud of you and excited to see what the future will bring! Love, Dad, Mom, and Grace

Catherine Charlotte Herlihy

Happy Graduation Day to our beautiful Catherine! May you step into your future today knowing you are surrounded with love and best wishes for every happiness! BRAVO on your great accomplishment! Mom, Dad, Bill, Lisa, Patrick, Nick, Luca, Isabella and all who love you.

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Carmen Vescia Our Rio runs wild Gleaning dandelion greens Along her camino Spirited, wonder Full ~ here is to a future That is yours to fill With love, Mom, Dad, and Sis

William Muir

We are so proud of you, and wish you all the best with your journey! Never stop learning! Enjoy the ride! Love, Amelia, Mom, Dad, Nalu and Bear

Amy Rebecca Frankel

We love you Amy, oh yes, we do and we are so proud of you! Dear Amy it’s true…. Congratulations on yet another great accomplishment! We love you always, Mom, Dad, and Ariana

STUDENT LIFE | THE FINISH LINE

L E H C U E K M O R Y CONNOR A

nor! Congratulations Con y, Handsome, and now yes,

, Hard Working, Funn lm Ca nt, ige ell Int , nd Ki t, ien sil Re grow in your independence u yo ing tch wa ed joy en ve ha e a WashU Graduate! W of foundation for your s lar pil the sh bli ta es u yo as u and will be cheering for yo make great friends to u yo led ve ha s as mp co l ra career. Your personality and mo u for giving us joy and pride. yo k an Th le. op pe ny ma on n sio and a lasting impres t, continue making the ar he re pu ur yo th wi d an ts, en Enjoy your accomplishm re than grapes! mo en ev u yo e lov we s, ye d An . world a more beautiful place nn Mom, Dad, Brennen, and Desty

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Tommy G Park

Tommy, Congratulations! We are very proud of you and so much appreciate your achievements. Life is not a matter of time but direction as you proved and will do. Always be kept in your mind, we are your big fans and supporters! Your next steps would be bright and lovely one. Don’t be afraid, enjoy every moment! We love you always, Tommy Mom & Dad

MATT SHEARER

Congratulations!! We are so proud of you today and always! So excited for the next chapter in your life! We love you, Dad, Mom, Tatum, Jason, Abuela, Tio and Ziggy!!!

STUDENT LIFE | THE FINISH LINE

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Niamh Argyle ADIN EHRLICH Congratulations Niamh on your Graduation, and all you have accomplished in the last 4 years at Wash U! We are so proud of the young woman you are today and incredibly excited about where the road will take you from here. Much love always, Mom, Dad, Cian & Alannah

Congratulations Adin! Your four years of hard work and determination at Wash U have lead you on an exciting path. We know you have a bright future and look forward to the next chapter in your life as you pursue your dream of becoming a doctor. Live everyday to the fullest, bringing purpose and joy to your life and a smile to those around you. You are an inspiration to your family and we are so very proud of you, Adin, and all that you have accomplished!

We love you! Mom, Dad and Elise

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nicklas

STUDENT LIFE | THE FINISH LINE

LOUIE Congratulations Nicklas! Wow 4 years at WashU have flown by. You definitely chose the less traveled road during 2020 and succeeded. We are so proud of your hard work, dedication and achievements. We wish you the best of luck in pursuing your passions after graduation. May your future be bright and make a difference. Love, Mom, Dad and Bamster

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CONGRATS 2021 GRADS We are thrilled to celebrate this outstanding Washington University Class of 2021 both in person and online. We invite families and friends to join us as we recognize this tremendous accomplishment by sharing your experiences and celebrations via social media using the hashtag #WashU21. VISIT COMMENCEMENT.WUSTL.EDU FOR UPDATES AND TO LEARN MORE ABOUT VIRTUAL CELEBRATIONS FOR SCHOOL AND AFFINITY GROUPS.

#WashU21