The independent newspaper of Washington University in St. Louis since 1878 THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023
VOLUME 145, NO. 10
HAIL MARY HEARTBREAK
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WashU senior releases new lo-fi album. (Scene, pg 4)
Late touchdown spoils Bears upset bid. (Sports, pg 5)
Submit to this week’s caption contest! (Forum, pg 8)
Women’s soccer wins conference title, setting up home playoff matchup IAN HEFT SPORTS EDITOR
It may have taken 90 tense minutes and a little bit of help from division rivals, but after a stalemate in the regular season finale, the No. 2 Washington University women’s soccer team clinched the 2023 University Athletic Association (UAA) women’s soccer conference title with a 0-0 draw against conference rival University of Chicago. The Bears have now won eight of the last nine UAA titles. As the final horn blew, the team stayed on the field, eagerly awaiting the result of the Carnegie Mellon University vs. Case Western Reserve University game that was wrapping up in Pittsburgh. When that match ended in a scoreless tie just two minutes later, Coach Jim Conlon approached the team members to let them know that they had clinched sole ownership of the UAA title. The Bears will now shift their focus to their pursuit of the national title, beginning at home Saturday, Nov. 11 vs. Maryville College, a liberal arts college in Tennessee. The two schools met for the first time in 2019, when the Bears won their firstround matchup 4-0. This season, Maryville went an impressive 15-3-3, but it plays in the Collegiate Conference of the South, one of the less competitive divisions in NCAA women’s soccer. WashU is also no stranger to postseason play. Over the last decade and a half, the team has found success in national-tournament play, making it to or past the quarterfinals nine times and winning the National Championship in 2016. Saturday’s game may have given UChicago the opportunity to play spoiler to the Bears’ division hopes, but the Bears held strong against a tough opponent, drawing UChicago for the fourth consecutive time. While the Maroons finished sixth
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Senior Kate Flynn drives down the field against Rochester on Oct. 29. in the UAA after the draw, their placement was more of a testament to the strength of the conference — Chicago finished the season at 9-2-7 overall but went an even better 8-1-2 in non-conference matchups. Chicago was able to earn an at-large bid to the tournament, where it will play North Central College. Five other UAA teams received at-large bids: Case Western Reserve University, Rochester University, Carnegie Mellon University, New York University, and Emory University. In the Saturday morning matchup, WashU dominated the ball, leading in time of possession,
shots, and shots on goal. Freshman Sophie Viscovich led the team with four shots, two coming early in the first half, while sophomore midfielder Grace Ehlert nearly connected on two shots on goal. Though the Bears outshot the Maroons 12-4 in the contest, they were unable to find the back of the net and held scoreless for just the second time all season. In the 19th minute, WashU goalkeeper Sidney Conner, a senior, made a save on a well-placed ball from UChicago midfielder Kaitlyn Gomez. It was one of just two saves Conner would have to make all game, in what wound up being her
14th shutout of the season. After giving up just two goals all season, Conner finishes the regular season with a goals-against average of just 0.13, far and away the best single-season mark in school history. Conner finishes her regular-season career as one of the most decorated goalies in school history and should get an All-American nod. UChicago threatened a few times late, but the Bears were ultimately able to hold off their rivals, and the game ended in a scoreless draw. In a season where the No. 2 Bears have established themselves as one of the strongest teams in the country, they have faced some challenges
recently. Last week, they conceded their first loss of the season against No. 6 Rochester, and this week, they were held to their second draw of the season. Though they have proven their strength throughout the season, the Bears will hope to reinvigorate their potent attack and return to winning ways in the NCAA Division III playoffs. The Bears’ quest for a national title will continue with their firstround matchup on Saturday evening as they face off under the lights at Francis Olympic Field. If they win, they will face off against the winner of Sewanee and Hanover on Sunday, Nov. 12.
Student Union Treasury debates additional funding for Swing Theory dance lessons LEWIS RAND STAFF WRITER
Student Union (SU) Treasury heard appeals from student groups totalling $17,745.49, deciding to allocate $9,123.41 and tabling an appeal from Washington University’s swing dance club continued discussion next week, on Nov. 7. To date, the total amount allocated by Treasury this semester is $198,073.96. In addition, Treasury approved 16 new student groups as well as the recategorization of 26 student groups for the spring 2024 semester. This recategorization allows student groups to access more funding and resources from SU, including access to rolling Treasury appeals for Category I groups and access to f lat funding for Category II groups.
Treasury Appeals Swing Theory, WashU’s swing dance club, requested $4,300 for off-campus dance lessons and transportation. The
group has already been budgeted $5,000 for dance lessons for the year but has used $4,500 on lessons this semester. Initial discussion focused on comparing the club to athletic groups, which are allocated funds for coaches and spaces, with representatives questioning whether or not the group would be treated differently if it were considered a club sport. Treasury representative junior Leila Asadi said that, looking at decisions from past Treasuries, the group was potentially being treated differently from sports groups. Discussion centered around the implications of funding the group, which has 16 current members, for double the initial budgeted amount. Treasury representative and Budget Committee Chair junior Leena Rai said that she felt like it was not the most equitable use of money. “I’m especially uncomfortable funding this because they are already budgeted $5,000 [for the semester] which I already feel like is a lot of dance lessons and to re-fund almost double feels excessive,” Rai said.
The group’s small size also gave representatives, including Treasury representative junior Andy Mun, cause for concern. “I feel [funding] $9,000 for 16 people is a high sum of money,” Mun said. Rai also said that there are dance studios on campus that SU already pays for that the group could use instead of using an off-campus facility. Treasury representative senior Justin Kouch f loated the idea of subsidizing the group for part of their request. Representatives, however, quickly decided to table the discussion which Speaker of the Treasury junior Sadie Karp said would entail that Treasury would reach out to the group and the appeal would be presented the following week, after she or Asadi speaks to the group. Club Gymnastics appealed for $5,932.08 to compete in the Nationals tournament from April 11-14. The group had been funded previously for $23,890 for travel-related expenses, leaving only $1,610 left for Treasury to allocate in funds, due to the
group’s $25,500 travel cap. The current SU travel cap allows the allocation of up to $850 per traveling member of the group per school year for travel related expenses. “The travel cap is $850 per traveling member of a group; $850 is already over your student activities fee so you are really making your money back if you are making that travel cap,” Karp said. “It is also to stop us from going bankrupt.” While the group had already received some funds for this competition, they were requesting more money due to changes in travel-related costs. Rai said that Treasury should fund up to the travel cap, noting that the group’s requests were reasonable and that prices can change when planning travel. “This is a situation in which it does, in my opinion, it makes sense to fund up to their travel cap and give them as many resources as they can to accomplish their mission,” Rai said. The request was funded up to the group’s travel cap for $1,610. The Chinese Students Association (CSA) requested $3,696 for their annual winter formal
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in addition to the $8,700 they had previously been budgeted. The “Kung Fu Panda”-themed event will be held at Jefferson Underground on Dec. 1. The event is slated to have 200 ticketed guests and will have performances from four student groups. CSA cited an increase in transportation costs due to inf lation, an increase in student groups that require transportation, and a need for more food based on last year’s event. CSA was funded in full for their request, receiving $3,696. The Washington University chapter of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) requested funds to improve the dance f loor used at the annual Vertigo dance hosted by the Engineering Council and open to all undergraduates. The dance f loor will consist of 40 to 50 reusable tiles which are assembled in Lopata Hall for the annual event. The group requested $3,817.41 for these improvements and was funded in full for their request.
SEE TREASURY, PAGE 3
NEWS
2 STUDENT LIFE
NINA GIRALDO, JAMES ELLINGHAUS, AVI HOLZMAN | SENIOR NEWS EDITORS | NEWS@STUDLIFE.COM
THURSDAY, NOV 9, 2023
Student Life Q&A with Constantin Carrigan, Student Union Election Commissioner members chosen and what qualities do they bring to the team?
LEWIS RAND STAFF WRITER
Constantin Carrigan, Student Union (SU) Election Commissioner, sat down with Lewis Rand, a Staff Writer at Student Life, to discuss the Fall 2023 SU Election, his role as election commissioner, and the Election Commission’s goals for increasing voter turnout among undergraduate students. The Q&A has been edited for length and clarity. Student Life: What role does the Election Commissioner play in the election? Constantin Carrigan: My goal is setting the procedures by which we conduct SU elections. We set the rules outlined in the election packet, and then it’s just making sure the ballot is set and administering the actual back-end technological aspect. Outside of that we’re also working on a few other things in terms of increasing voter turnout through events that we’re gonna be having on campus, as well as providing voters information through a voter guide. SL: How were this year’s Election Commission
CC: They were chosen through a rigorous application and interview process. We sent out an application specifically for the Election Commission based on cases that we’ve had and issues that we’ve had to deal with. From there we chose about half of them to conduct an interview with, during which we asked questions regarding the actual procedures of elections and specific issues to SU elections. Then we made a determination within the Election Commission based on the responses to not only who necessarily fits with our ideas best but moreso whose analytical answers provided the most backing for the solutions they provided. SL: There are three first-years on the Election Commission this year; what role will they play with helping increase voter turnout? CC: They played the same role that we all do. I mean, the Commission outside of me is all on equal footing. When it comes to turnout, having a larger commission is allowing
us to take on some new initiatives. For example, we’re bringing back something called SUp All Night where we have bands in Tisch Commons, food, and just have people meet their SU representatives, hang out on a late night in the DUC. We’re taking that idea and pivoting it towards the elections since we haven’t had [SUp All Night] in four years now. This year it is going to be during the last two hours of the last night of the election and end an hour after the election to ensure that people are not only having a good time but get a chance to meet their new SU representatives and vote if they have not done so yet. SL: What role do you think social media, especially for undergraduates, plays in getting the word out about the election? CC: It plays a massive role. We use social media relentlessly during the elections, especially when we’re trying to let people know what’s going on. Rachel [Gwon], who is one of our Commission members, is our social media person. Most of our communications come through social media outside the actual
COURTESY OF CONSTANTIN CARRIGAN election. Then it just goes to push emails to the entire student body that has not voted yet. We see spikes, traditionally after social media posts and after those emails, so it’s entirely technology-based in terms of when we’re seeing voter turnout at its highest. SL: Why is it important that undergraduates vote in SU elections, specifically in the fall election where the Executive Board is not on the ballot? CC: I think the executive elections have an air around
them being like, this is going to set the precedent for SU for the next year. And well, exec certainly does do that. They set our initiatives and keep us moving forward as a collective. The legislative bodies make up a large portion of the direct hand-to-hand interactions between the students and the student government. Treasury and Senate are the ones working on advocacy and allocation projects that directly impact students. Those are the ones who are going to decide whether your clubs are getting funded or not, whether your clubs are
getting recognition, and for Senate, their advocacy projects are what then go to [the] exec [board] presenting an issue. So if you want your issues to be elevated, those Senate voices are important as well.
Read the rest online:
SU Senate holds first town hall this year TANVI GORRE STAFF WRITER
Student Union (SU) Senate hosted its first town hall this year to showcase its role on campus to Washington University students and to allow students to voice concerns they think the Senate should address, Nov. 7. There were approximately five students unaffiliated with SU Senate at the town hall, three of whom plan on running for Senate next semester. This was the first town hall since Feb. 27, 2023. SU Senate’s purpose is to advocate for students’ and create programs that support student needs. The Senate is composed of four committees, each of which presented their ongoing projects to improve students’ experiences at
WashU: Academic Affairs, Health and Wellness, Diversity and Inclusion, and Campus and Residential Experience (CRE). The Academic Affairs committee is focusing on supporting the Mental Health Coalition, a group of student organizations and students hoping to improve mental health on campus, and its goals, such as extending the add/drop deadline, which was also a focus of the Academic Affairs committee last semester. One student asked about pushing back the add/drop deadline. Speaker of the Senate, junior Erin Ritter, explained that SU Senate wants to push it back; it has been difficult to get it approved by the University. “It’s a little bit difficult because it requires working with all of the deans from
different schools and they are not very good at agreeing on things,” Ritter said. The Health and Wellness Committee has been working with health-centered organizations such as Uncle Joe’s, S.A.R.A.H., and EST to get more students certified in CPR without charge and give access to emergency contraceptives 24/7. The Diversity and Inclusion Committee is trying to increase access to financial aid and FAFSA information not only for incoming students, but also for students on campus throughout their four years here. The CRE committee hopes to compensate low-income students who dedicate more than 10 hours of their time per week to a leadership position in a club.
SU Senate then opened the floor to questions from students. Freshman Sydney Kim asked the Senate how clubs can obtain funding since she felt that information is not accessible to students. “There is a board that has all of the financing information that [club] members need,” Ritter said. “It is kind of a new thing, but we are trying to raise awareness about that.” Kim and other students also asked about the difference between Treasury, Senate, and Council of the South 40 (CS40). Freshman Bralin Duckett stated in an interview with Student Life that he came to the town hall to understand why SU Senate has so much power on campus. “What’s the reason that you guys get so much money and so much
power?” said Duckett. In an interview with Student Life, Ritter stated town hall is important because students don’t know much about SU Senate. “If you ask first-years and second-years now, half of them don’t even know what Student Union is,” Ritter said According to Ritter, there needs to be more student engagement with Student Union. “The missing link to creating real and lasting change is student involvement in the Student Union,” Ritter said. “That’s a failing and not only on the students’ part but on the Senate’s part.” In an interview with Student Life, sophomore Sonal Churiwal, the chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee, explained students also need to be
more involved with SU Senate in an interview with Student Life. “I think this also goes to show how reactionary this campus tends to be because in the aftermath of a certain campus-wide or nationwide crisis, there’s a lot more interest taken in SU,” Churiwal said. “I think that it’s on all of us as student leaders and students on this campus to create a culture where we’re supporting each other all the time.” Sophomore Ashton Lee, a senator and the organizer of the town hall, views this event as a test run and says there will be more to come. “First and foremost, we represent the students, not the University. We want to hear from you. You represent the University and that’s our job: to represent you,” Lee said.
THURSDAY, NOV 9, 2023
ALICE GOTTESMAN, ANNABEL SHEN, VIA POOLOS | SENIOR SCENE EDITORS | SCENE@STUDLIFE.COM
WashU Law reviews racial redlining
NEEL KULKARNI HADIA KHATRI STAFF WRITER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Colin Gordon, professor of history at the University of Iowa, delivered a talk on his new book, “Patchwork Apartheid: Private Restriction, Racial Segregation, and Urban Inequality,” in the Bryan Cave Law School Moot Courtroom on Monday, Nov. 6. Gordon has authored several books previously concerning segregation in St. Louis including “Mapping Decline: St. Louis and the Fate of the American City”, and “Citizen Brown: Race, Democracy, and Inequality in the St. Louis Suburbs.” His new book focuses on systematic housing racism from the 19th century until now. Gordon began his presentation by discussing the data gathering for his book. He digitized many records from midwestern cities, though there were some difficulties in doing this given the time range and extent of records. “It was a real challenge doing this work, because the private restrictions are only indexed by the [property] grantor and grantee. The city of St. Louis, for example, [records] over 5 million pages of grants that need to go through” said Gordon. From St. Louis, Missouri to St. Paul, Minnesota, Gordon had picked out five different counties to analyze and index. He looked at the zoning laws and property restrictions to understand how cities became geographically racially segregated. Gordon discussed how prior to the 1920s, cities were racially segregated on a micro scale. Homesellers would decide on their own who to sell to. Personal beliefs in favor of segregation led many to not sell to African Americans or minorities, which solidified the already segregated cities. “Prior to 1920, [it] was very common to do this sale by sale…one buyer and one seller would agree that in the future, there would be a restriction with the land [that] the property can never be sold to someone of color or African descent,” Gordon said. He said this practice of racial segregation became institutionalized through development and petition restrictions. “Developers established restrictions that could decisively restrict everything in a large swath of property,” Gordon said. “As we see in
Danforth staff voice concerns in council forum NEEL KULKARNI QUINN MOORE STAFF WRITER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
St. Louis County, this was done on [an] incorporated plan. The developer had full rein as to restrictions on race.” Black Americans faced widespread restrictions on purchasing property. Many cities with small and large Black populations, like Johnson, Iowa, and St. Louis, respectively, had these policies. Gordon displayed redlined maps of differently sized counties that he looked into when writing his book. The maps illustrated large sections of American cities that used to be completely cut off from Black Americans. Different sections of cities were also intentionally not connected by roads to segregate races. “The effect of these restrictions is to create a sort of a suburban barrier that sorts African American migrants on arrival rather than reactive to their prices,” Gordon said. “This contributed to and cemented segregation” . As a local example, Gordon showed zoning regulation records for University City and the Delmar Loop. Formerly a residential space, Delmar Blvd was zoned to be a commercial district. Houses north of Delmar were intended to be for African Americans, while houses south were intended for Caucasians. “Even though the housing stock north of Delmar is virtually identical to the housing stock south, it’s zoned differently and ended up with very different views,” Gordon said. Gordon started his research on St. Louis’s redlining issue after his colleagues in Minnesota completed the Mapping Prejudice Project, focusing on Minneapolis. “I came back to St. Louis with some housing advocate friends and said ‘Can we do this here?’” Gordon said. “I finally found that catalog that we kept from our title company, and that allowed us to dive into the records and documents.” When asked if he thinks the situation will change, Gordon discussed how the Mapping Prejudice project in Minneapolis prompted the city to outlaw singlefamily zoning, but change is slow to take effect since many of the laws are cemented into the housing system and privately controlled. “You know, it’s like steering a battleship,” Gordon said. “It’s like you can’t turn it [fast] because it’s all been built [moving in a direction].”
The Danforth Staff Council Fall Forum, held last Thursday, Nov. 2, in Knight Hall, announced the creation of a pathway for the potential renaming of buildings, changes to staff healthcare, and news from the recently created Office of Institutional Equity. The meeting featured several high-profile speakers, such as the Associate Vice Chancellor of Institutional Equity, Chalana Scales-Ferguson; Director of Housing Operations and former Danforth Staff Council Chair, William Andrews; and the Senior Manager of Retirement and Tuition Plans, Justin Brasel. Jessica Martsolf, the current Danforth Staff Council Chair, began the forum by reminding the university’s staff to maintain their own health, even during trying times. “We’re all experiencing what’s happening in the world around us: large flawed systems, white supremacy, colonialism, capitalism, and ableism to name a few, are still very much at play and underserving many populations,” Martsolf said, “We need to take the time to take care of ourselves and our loved ones. We aren’t robots.” Chalana Scales-Ferguson took the stage next to describe the purpose of the Office of Institutional Equity. “[The Office of Institutional Equity] aims to promote an equitable and inclusive working, learning, and living environment for the Washington University campus community, and the robust educational and employment engagement opportunities and services designed to bolster policies, processes, and practices having an impact on the employee experiences,” Scales-Ferguson said. Scales-Ferguson further specified that the Office of Institutional Equity centers around three pillars: education and engagement, compliance, and investigation and conflict. The investigation and conflict division works closely with Human Relations and deals with the discrimination and harassment policy. Next to speak were Russell Osgood, Dean of Washington University School of Law, and William Andrews, past Danforth Staff Council Chair, both of the Committee to Examine Remembrance and Commemoration. This committee was charged with creating a procedure for potentially renaming Washington University buildings. “The issue that arises is what do you do when you find out or focus on the fact that this person [the building is named after] engaged in noxious activities during their life?” Osgood said. This committee was formed to create the
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procedures for a new committee that will actually handle building renaming and contextualization. The complete procedures can be found on the Committee to Examine Remembrance and Commemoration website, however, there is one notable feature. “Anyone could make a report, but you have to have some kind of evidence to support,” Osgood said, “It isn’t just the chancellor.” WashU is not the first to implement this strategy. Other higher education facilities, such as John Hopkins University, Stanford University, Yale University, and the California Institute of Technology, have undergone similar proceedings. “We had a research subcommittee examine about 17 peer institutions on how they handle the renaming spaces on their campus,” Andrews said. Senior Manager of Retirement and Tuition Plans, Justin Brasel, took to the stage to discuss changes to staff benefits and costs for 2023 and beyond. Brasel immediately addressed the misconception that staff and faculty get vastly different benefits. “One thing that we thought was really important to point out is that WashU faculty and staff, generally speaking, have the same benefits,” Brasel said, “That’s one misnomer that we often hear…There are a few minor differences…and that’s, generally speaking, due to the time that the faculty is working, the length of their employments.” Brasel stated that, in addition to Human Resources and university leadership reviewing benefits each year, WashU engages in an industry comparison of their benefits every three years. “Our peer group has about 25 peers, and they’re made up of like institutions, like Yale, Harvard, Columbia, Duke, but we also pull in some local companies as well,” Brasel stated, “We try to maintain an
average score across our peer group, and the last time that we benchmarked our plans, we ranked between 11th and 12th within our peer group.” There were many new enhancements to WashU’s staff benefits, all of which can be seen on the Human Resources website, but notable ones include a new Gender Dysphoria Advocacy Resource and the elimination of the six months new hires must wait before gaining access to sick time. Brasel was sure to note how proud Human Resources was of the university’s healthcare expenses and benefits. WashU’s cost share for healthcare is 83% paid for by the university and 17% paid for by the employee. “We’re really proud of our health care expenses and our plans,” Brasel said, “The coverages are really really great, really really competitive, and our premiums are traditionally lower than our peer group as well.” However, added benefits come with added costs, especially as healthcare costs have risen across the board in recent times. To combat this, the university is introducing an additional healthcare payment plan. “Health care expenses have really skyrocketed over the past year across the industry; to help offset that we’ve added a third tier where highly compensated employees are gonna pay a little bit more for their premiums, ” Brasel said. Scot Bemis, Vice Chancellor for Human Resources & Institutional Equity, joined Brasel for the Q&A of the presentation. Bemis described how WashU balances employee rewards and costs. “The cost to the university for total rewards, both benefits and compensation, is the largest cost to the university, it’s huge,” Bemis said, “And then if things get costly enough, we look to say: ‘Well, yep, this is important to have, what are we going to get rid of?”
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STUDENT LIFE 3
TREASURY from page 1
Activities Committee Treasury representatives voted to approve all of the recommendations proposed by the Activities Committee (AC) for the Spring 2024 semester, which were presented by AC Chair Meris Damjanovic. The committee, which is responsible for approving new student groups and recategorizing student groups, recommended approving 16 new student groups and reclassifying 26 groups. Student groups are placed into one of three categories (Category I, II, III) which impact student groups abilities to access funding and other SU resources. “Recategorization is really important because if we just left groups at Category III, they would not really be able to continue to function after a certain point.” Damjanovic said. Category III groups have basic access to SU resources but receive no funding from SU, Category II groups have access to f lat funding, and Category I groups have access to f lat funding, annual budgeting, and access to rolling appeal funds from Treasury. Every new student group is approved as a Category III group and is able to move up one category each subsequent semester. 26 students groups were recategorized and 16 new student groups were approved for the spring 2024 Semester. 15 groups will be recategorized from Category III to Category II groups and 11 from Category II to Category I groups.
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THURSDAY, NOV 9, 2023
WU students relaunch survivor-centric relationship and sexual violence prevention movement AMANDA YOUNG STAFF WRITER
If you take a walk around campus, you’ll likely see a series of dark-blue flyers proclaiming: “WashU has a consent problem.” “WashU has a harassment problem.” “End rape culture at WashU.” “WashU should believe and support survivors.” The posters also contain statistics from the 2019 AAU Campus Climate Survey on Sexual Assault and Misconduct. The survey found that more than one in four undergraduate women and one in 10 undergraduate men experience nonconsensual sexual behavior. The flyers were posted by Title Mine, a survivorcentric movement that aims to improve the University’s responses and prevention efforts regarding relationship and sexual violence (RSV). Title Mine relaunched this year after a three-year hiatus. First established in 2018, Title Mine comprises a group of students who began organizing in response to several relationship and sexual violence survivors’ op-eds, including “Not a Threat,” “My heart sank… because I understand,” “Consider this a warning,” “On staying quiet,” “Survivors are students, too,” “Three weeks later,” “Victim of the ‘gray area,’” and “A system where you can’t win.” That April, Title Mine organized an on-campus rally, attended by over 1,000 students, staff members, faculty members, administrators, and local news organizations. There, it listed its demands, which broadly spanned five categories: training, survivor support, transparency, staffing, and accountability. The group worked closely
with administrators, including former Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Lori White. Its efforts culminated in the University’s Call to Action plan and the creation of the Title IX Strategic Working Group. With the formation of the group, six additional full-time staff members were added to the Title IX Office, the Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention (RSVP) Center, and the Habif Health and Wellness Center. The hires were intended to provide additional counseling services and resources for survivors, enhance traumainformed training for staff and students, and increase transparency to improve the Title IX reporting process. Title Mine fizzled out in 2020, presumably due to challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. This fall, sophomore Sonal Churiwal and senior Emma Platt initiated the revival of Title Mine. The group aims to cultivate a campus community in which survivors are supported in their healing journeys, students can access trauma-informed reporting mechanisms, and the broader community is educated to prevent future acts of relationship and sexual violence This semester, the group is primarily working to raise awareness of the prevalence of relationship and sexual violence on campus. “Sometimes, talking about this in and of itself is seen as a rebellion because it reflects poorly on the University to have such high rates of relationship and sexual violence,” Churiwal explained. “While it sounds simple to just say, ‘We want to talk about it; we want to create a space to have a dialogue on it,’ [the conversation is] something that isn’t consistently present and welcomed.” In addition to distributing flyers and spreading awareness on social media, Title
Mine is hosting speaker and activist Emma Sulkowicz to discuss her experiences with art, activism, and the movement to end sexual assault on college campuses. Sulkowicz is a Columbia University graduate who was sexually assaulted and met with a lack of institutional support. In an effort to raise awareness, she carried around her mattress in public to represent the burden that survivors often carry. The event “Carry Your Weight: Sexual Violence on College Campuses” is co-hosted by the Asian Multicultural Council, the Pride Alliance, the Gender Expansive Multicultural Society, and College Democrats and will take place in Graham Chapel on Nov. 9. “Her performance ‘Carry That Weight’ was wildly successful, speaking to how students who are already involved in RSV work may be able to use more creative approaches — as well as hopefully inspire students who are not as involved to join the cause,” Churiwal said. In addition to harm and accountability processes, Title Mine wants to promote the empowerment of survivors. “We are looking forward to having spaces where survivors can share their stories,” Churiwal said, “and hope to offer students creative spaces to talk about RSV, healing, and support — and frame their experiences in ways they want to so they aren’t represented only by their trauma.” Churiwal and Platt felt that an intersectional group with both graduate and undergraduate student participation that focuses on public advocacy around relationship and sexual violence is missing from campus. Churiwal is currently the SU Senate Diversity & Inclusion Committee Chair, and Platt previously served as SU’s Vice President of
Engagement and as the Senate Diversity and Inclusion Committee Chair. Their leadership experiences and their frustrations with bureaucracy, both within SU and the University, inspired them to relaunch Title Mine. Churiwal started doing relationship and sexual violence response and prevention work last semester in SU to reinstate the Title IX Advisory Committee. “In my conversations with [Dr. Tonya Edmond, Chair of the Title IX Advisory Committee], we talked about what the committee would push for. I started talking to different student groups, survivors, etc. and just realized that there is such a large need for so much advocacy work,” she explained. “It is exhausting and frustrating for me to continuously have to convince and explain to other students in Student Union why we [should demand that] basic student needs and wants be met. They’re supposed to be on our side,” Churiwal said. “It’s just so much more empowering and comfortable to work with people in Title Mine… we have disagreements, but I know that everyone involved in the team has the same overarching vision.” In addition to bureaucracy challenges, there is a continuous cycle of responses to demands regarding relationship and sexual violence. The University has created task forces or committees to address this issue, including the Task Force on Sexual Assault and Relationship Violence (2014-2015), the Title IX Strategic Working Group (2018-2019), the WashU Medicine Executive Faculty Task Force on Climate & Culture (2023), and the Danforth Task Force on Climate and Culture (2023). “The fact that they’ve needed to create task force after task force on this shows that they’re not sufficiently
solving the problem,” Platt said. “Just because you have the structure, [that] doesn’t mean you’re utilizing it or utilizing it appropriately,” Platt added. She explained that the immense number of structures and systems can be confusing to students. Beyond relationship and sexual violence awareness, Platt hopes to educate the community about resources available to them. “[We want to tell students that] this is the process, and this is what you should expect from it — if you’re not getting that, then the University is failing you. It’s not your fault. You’re not doing anything wrong,” she said. Churiwal and Platt serve as Core Team Chairs of Title Mine, which is structured as a non-hierarchical organization. The Core Team includes 15 to 20 undergraduate and graduate students in committees focused on public relations, programming, community collaborations, and policy development. Isabella Gomes, a thirdyear medical student who is part of the public relations team, explained the importance of undergraduate-graduate student partnerships. “Graduate students are often separated from the undergraduate campus that has so many interesting conversations about things that really affect any sort of student. Because we’re often left out of that conversation but still deal with those things, I’ve been very appreciative of this inclusion [in Title Mine],” Gomes said. “It really behooves everyone to…acknowledge the importance of talking about things like campus assaults or power dynamics in work situations and educational circumstances.” Title Mine is a movement that centers survivors, but Platt and Churiwal added that they want to promote
solidarity more broadly. In order to continue centering survivors without burdening them, Platt and Churiwal hope that allies can take on support efforts, especially regarding administrative conversations. “If a student, as a survivor, has gone to the Title IX Office to talk about their case, then it can be very uncomfortable to then talk to those exact same staff in more of an administrative relationship. We really hope to see — through Title Mine — survivors and allies coming together,” Churiwal explained. Title Mine hopes to have a productive relationship with other students, organizations, and administrators to create safe spaces for survivors, offer culturally diverse and queer therapists, and ensure that staff and faculty can support survivors with appropriate accommodations. While the act of students advocating for themselves often leads to tension with administrators, “the goal is to have a working relationship with them,” Platt said. “We’re also not just willing to give up half of our policy demands if they say no the first time.” “I always say, ‘I want to be proud of my institution. I want to proclaim that I’m a WashU student.’ In order to do that, I have to believe in what the institution does,” Gomes added. “I want to believe that I’m a part of an institution that cares about its students — not just their education, but their well-being and their safety. In order to do that, [WashU has] to support and act on policies that protect students.” “Title IX is a focus, but it’s bigger than Title IX,” Platt said. “It should matter to you — regardless of whether you know someone who has been impacted, regardless of whether you have any personal experience.”
From jazz to ‘bedroom pop’: WU senior to release new album ‘Drift Away’ WILL ROSENBLUM CONTRIBUTING WRITER
PHOTO COURTESY OF CARSEN CODEL
“It’s a bittersweet moment,” says senior Carsen Codel, who’s new album “Drift Away,” released under the pseudonym c.rsn, releases Friday, Nov. 10 on all music streaming platforms, including Apple Music, Tidal, YouTube, Amazon Music, and SoundCloud. It’s his first album since his 2020 project “Transitions,” and according to Codel “Drift Away” serves as “an anthology of all the songs I’ve made during college.” Throughout the project Codel attempts to capture an authentic and honest picture of human emotion, with several different sounds, instruments, and genres. Codel’s first encounter with music was in church choir, but he quickly turned to piano, which he started learning in third grade. In high school, Codel committed to jazz piano, which was the spark to start writing music himself on an
electronic keyboard. It started simply: “[I] just play a little jazz song on the piano, then put boom bap drums over it, and it’s a song.” At the time his inspiration came from the lo-fi hiphop scene. He described it as “inspirational to see these people on Reddit or Instagram, just like here’s a beat I cooked up in my bedroom. I’m like, wait, that could be me.” His lo-fi roots serve as the inspiration for his name as well, as he explains that many lo-fi artists of the time used dots and underscores to stylize their names. Although Codel didn’t end up a lo-fi artist, the roots remain clear in his new album. In fact, “Drift Away” features 10 songs that take from a variety of inspirations including jazz, lo-fi, and indie. Codel himself describes his music as “bedroom pop,” meaning “music that sounds like it was made in your bedroom.” Codel says it provides “rawness and imperfections in the quality. It feels more authentic.”
The album also features Washington University in a unique way. Two of the songs, “All Over Again” and “Drift Away,” were made for a composition class. The class is a small seminar that culminates in two complete demos. Codel’s demos turned into complete songs eventually put on the album. “All Over Again,” uniquely, was recorded live in the 560 Music Center and features instrumentals from WashU students and teachers. “Drift Away” has vocals, guitar and bass all recorded in the Harvey Media Center in the DUC. To Codel, however, the album represents something more. With a music journey so undoubtedly linked with the University, graduation means the end of a period of growth and risk. This album is a celebration of that time. “It’s like bringing them all in one place. Which is really cool. I can have like this project and this is what I did in college and be proud of it.”
SPORTS
THURSDAY, NOV 9, 2023
STUDENT LIFE 5
HUSSEIN AMURI | MANAGING SPORTS EDITOR | SPORTS@STUDLIFE.COM
Hail Mary kills football’s comeback bid, #12 Wheaton stuns WashU 36–35 MATT EISNER STAFF WRITER In all of sport, there are few plays more exhilarating than a game-winning Hail Mary. It’s a play of ultimate desperation. If you go by the numbers, there’s a miniscule chance that a Hail Mary will be successful — it’s eight times more likely that the pass will be intercepted than caught for a touchdown. The Hail Mary is a last-ditch effort, a shot in the dark — it’s quite literally a prayer, hence the Christian invocation that serves as the play’s namesake. Those lucky enough to be on the right side of a game-winning Hail Mary remember the moment as one of their core sports memories. What happens when you’re on the wrong side of a game-winning Hail Mary? Heartbreak. WashU football experienced that unparalleled feeling in their game at Wheaton College this Saturday. The #12 Thunder narrowly defeated the Bears, ending WashU’s bid to upset a Wheaton team that is perennially ranked as one of Division 3’s elite. Bears football moves to 6-3 on the season. Since they are fourth in their conference and the CCIW only receives one automatic bid, their chances of postseason qualification are highly unlikely. Wheaton, on the other hand, escapes with a crucial victory for their NCAA tournament
resume. Wheaton were seen as the heavy favorite entering play, but WashU was committed to changing the narrative from the opening kickoff. Late in the first quarter, graduate quarterback Matt Rush found senior receiver Collin Hoyhtya for the opening score of the game to make it a 7-0 contest. Wheaton began to hit their stride in the second quarter, finding the end zone twice. Yet for every Wheaton touchdown, graduate kicker Chris Vartanian added a field goal for the Bears, ensuring that the Wheaton lead never grew too large to come back from. The rivals traded touchdowns in the third quarter, and Wheaton entered the fourth quarter leading 21-20. Six minutes into the final period, the Thunder extended their lead to 28-20 with a 23 yard touchdown pass, putting pressure on the Bears. As the clock wound down, however, WashU appeared to find their breakthrough in the tightly contested game. With 4:55 to go in the fourth, sophomore running back Fred Ware ran into the endzone for a touchdown. The Bears elected to go for a two-point conversion, which was ultimately successful, and tied the game at 28. On Wheaton’s ensuing drive, the Bears defense stood tall. A crucial tackle by junior defensive lineman Nate Light on a fourth-and-one play forced
a turnover on downs, giving WashU the ball in promising field position with just three minutes remaining. WashU ran down the field, a drive highlighted by a 26-yard reception from junior receiver Collin Goldberg. On the next play, and with just over a minute left to play, Kenneth Hamilton found the end zone on a short run, giving WashU their first lead since the first quarter. With just 67 seconds on the clock, it looked like the Bears had secured their first win against Wheaton since 2018 with an impressive fourth quarter comeback. On the next drive however, the Thunder struck right back.The Bears defense struggled to contain Wheaton receiver Ben Bonga, who linked with Thunder quarterback Ben Thorson for three passing plays to drive down to the WashU 29 yard line. In a break for the Bears, Thorson was penalized for an illegal forward pass with just five seconds left, pushing the Wheaton offense back five yards for the final play. Thorson and the Thunder needed a miracle, and boy, did they get one. Receiver Seth Kortenhoeven somehow caught a touchdown pass while being surrounded by six WashU defenders. With Wheaton still losing by a score of 35-34, they put all their cards on the table and elected to go for two – and the win – instead of settling for an
CLARA RICHARDS | STUDENT LIFE
Junior Parker Monnig makes a tackle in the Bears’ historic win against Elmhurst on Oct. 28.
overtime period. On the game’s deciding play, Wheaton ran a pitch to running back Giovanni Weeks. As a WashU defender attempted to force Weeks out of bounds, the Wheaton tailback barely stretched the ball over the goal line, winning the game by a margin of inches. With the clock at zeroes, the Thunder added their final two points to the scoreboard, enough for a narrow 36-35 victory over the Bears. To put a silver lining on the loss, the game was far closer than any pundit predicted. WashU was coming off a tough month in which they suffered major losses to Augustana and North
Central, two other rivals in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW), the conference WashU competes in for football. The Bears built off of their incredibly strong performance against Elmhurst last week to put up a real fight against Wheaton, which in and of itself is a victory. Rush was brilliant at quarterback, and the engines of the WashU offense—Goldberg, Hoyhtya, Hamilton, and Ware—had excellent games of their own. The Bears outgained the Thunder offensively, logging 468 yards to Wheaton’s 443. Almost everything went right for WashU. The cruel nature of football, though, is that wacky
flukes happen far more often than one could statistically expect. The last five minutes of the game between WashU and Wheaton were wacky— the football gods were on Wheaton’s side on Saturday, and WashU will have to settle for a moral victory. This week, WashU will have one final chance to respond, hoping to end their season on a positive note. The Bears will return to St. Louis to face Carroll University on Saturday in their final game of the season. As part of Senior Day festivities, the Bears plan to honor their 14 seniors and graduate students, including Rush, Hoyhtya, and Vartanian.
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HUSSEIN AMURI | MANAGING SPORTS EDITOR | SPORTS@STUDLIFE.COM
THURSDAY, NOV 9, 2023
New faces, same aspirations: Men’s basketball’s young core is ready to compete for UAA and national glory IAN HEFT RILEY HERRON SPORTS EDITORS When junior Hayden Doyle’s game-tying threepointer rimmed out at the buzzer in the second round of last year’s NCAA playoffs, it kicked off a summer of reflection and change for the Washington University men’s basketball team. This season, the team will be without fifth-year Charlie Jacob, the back-to-back University Athletic Association (UAA) Defensive Player of the Year who started all 27 games for the Bears last season. It will also be without three members of a senior class that brought vital leadership to the squad, including key rotation big men Kevin Davet and Nate Bloedorn. While the sting of last year’s playoff loss — a 72-69 heartbreaker to North Park University — may be fresh on the minds of some players, the focus has long ago shifted to the lessons the team can take away from the loss. “Obviously we can’t go back and change how that game went,” said junior Drake Kindsvater. “Something Coach Juckem has instilled within us is the nextplay mentality. Whenever you make a mistake or you lose a game, move on and learn from it and make sure it doesn’t happen again.” As the Bears prepare for the start of a new men’s basketball season, there’s been a heightened focus on correcting the mistakes from last season, one where they finished second in the UAA for the second time in as many years. As has been the case since head coach Pat Juckem — whose .736 winning percentage is the best in Bears history — took over in 2018, much of the focus has been on the defensive end of the floor. Throughout Juckem’s five years leading this program, his teams have proven that defense can be a winning formula. Last season, the Bears
allowed just 62.1 points per game, good for fifteenth in Division III (for perspective, no other team in the UAA allowed less than 68). When they held their opponents to under 70 points, they were an almost perfect 19-1, compared to a paltry 1-6 when they allowed 70 or more. To replicate last season’s defensive success, the Bears will need to replace the omnipresent Jacob, a player who the team could always rely on to lock down an opponent’s offensive star. When asked about his departure, Juckem noted that they will look to fill Jacob’s shoes as a unit. “We have a system of play that [doesn’t] rely on one-onone defenders…At the peak, it’s five operating as one, kind of like a symphony. They move in concert with each other,” he shared. “When we’re at our best, it feels like there’s not five of you guys out there, there’s six of you. Because you’re doing it with such zest, such energy, and such passion.” Despite the loss of Jacob, Kindsvater is confident that the defense can once again perform up to Juckem’s standards. “I’d say our biggest strength has always been our defense,” he said. “I feel like if we have focus, if we’ve really focused on locking in on defense, we can turn that around and use that energy to push us through on offense. Our defensive game has always been our best and we’re looking very similar to how we were defensively last year.” Kindsvater, a rangy 6-foot-6 forward, was recruited for his defensive presence and scrappy play. He blossomed on the offensive end of the floor last season, leading the team with 14.0 points per game on a superb .596 field goal percentage. The junior from Frisco, Texas has continued to grow as a rebounder and on-ball defender as well, grabbing a team-high 6.5 boards a game, and tying for the UAA lead with 44 steals.
CLARA RICHARDS | STUDENT LIFE
Senior Jabari Chiphe drives through traffic; Chiphe played 25 games for the Bears during the 2022–2023 season.
Kindsvater is joined in the junior class by Doyle, a 6’1 combo guard who has a knack for creating open looks for both himself and his teammates. Doyle averaged 11.1 points last year, but made huge strides as a playmaker, averaging 3.9 assists a game. “My freshman year, I was never a true point guard,” said Doyle. “It was definitely a big adjustment for me understanding when to attack for myself and when to dish [the ball] and get other people involved.” After being named UAA Rookie of the Year two seasons ago, he earned a nod on the AllUAA Second Team last season alongside Kindsvater and Jacob. Doyle and Kindsvater are joined as upperclassmen by two seniors, Jabari Chiphe and Chidera Nwokolo, and three other juniors, Tyler Van Eekeren, Jonathan Coffy, and Kyle Beedon. Chiphe and Van Eekeren will likely log important rotation minutes off of the bench, but don’t be surprised if the others find ways to contribute as well. Key growth from the three members of the sophomore class will also be crucial to the team’s performance. Alongside Doyle, the starting
New Horizons: WashU women’s basketball gets ready for the 2023–24 season ELIAS KOKINOS ELAHEH KHAZI SPORTS EDITOR STAFF WRITER The Washington University women’s basketball team is gearing up for an exciting 2023–24 season, set to tip off with its inaugural game against Johns Hopkins University at the Scholar Classic competition in New York this upcoming weekend. Building on a successful 2022–23 season that saw it achieve a 17–9 record, the team is now looking forward to new
challenges with a blend of returning talent and promising newcomers. Last year, the women’s team had an impressive 10-4 record in the University Athletic Association (UAA), one of the top conferences in the nation. Its performance earned it a joint-second-place ranking in the highly competitive conference, tied with the University of Chicago. Despite the Bears’ wellearned qualification for the NCAA Division 3 March Madness, their postseason journey took an unfortunate turn. In
the opening round, the Bears were eliminated by Trine University, ending their season earlier than the WashU squad would have hoped. In the offseason, the Bears bid farewell to a group of standout seniors who made significant impacts on the court. Among them, forward Maya Arnott and guards Sammi Matoush and Naomi Jackson were instrumental in the team’s performance. Arnott, an imposing force in the paint, averaged a teamhigh 16.7 points per game and 8.3 rebounds, earning her a spot on the All-UAA First Team. Her ability to dominate both ends of the f loor was a linchpin for the Bears. The backcourt duo of Matoush and Jackson added significant value, with Matoush averaging 10.2 points and 4.5 assists per game and Jackson providing 7.3 points and 2.6 rebounds. The departure of these seniors undoubtedly leaves notable voids in the Bears’ lineup.
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FRANK JIANG | STUDENT LIFE
Senior Jessica Brooks goes for a lay-up against Case Western during the 2022–2023 Season.
backcourt will feature sophomore Yogi Oliff, a shifty guard who wreaked havoc on the defensive end last season. “We have a really good relationship,” said Doyle. “We really trust each other.” Will Grudzinski, a 6-foot-5 sniper who led the team with 55 three-point field goals last season, including a record-setting performance at the Lopata Classic, is also primed to take another step forward, and should see an increase from the 19.5 minutes per game he played as a freshman. Rounding out the sophomore class is Calvin Kapral, a big man who was effective in limited minutes but will almost certainly play an expanded role this season. Following the departure of three of WashU’s four traditional ‘bigs’ from last season, the development of Kapral will be a crucial element to the team’s success. When asked about Kapral, Doyle was confident that the center is ready to take a leap. “Big Calvin got so much better over the summer,” raved Doyle. “He literally didn’t even look like the same dude. He got so strong, I was like ‘Dude, are you on steroids or something?’” The sophomore trio is joined by six freshmen.
Though they have only been at WashU for a few months, the freshmen class has already earned the respect and praise of their peers. “All of them are very, very good. Definitely better than I was when I was a freshman,” said Kindsvater. “I’m really excited to see them grow this year.” Though the team has a young core, a number of key players return, including three of its starters and its sixth man, meaning that expectations remain high. When asked about his personal goals for the season, Doyle was quick to point out his desires for conference success. “One thing is I really want to win the UAA this year. Both years that I’ve been here we finished second,” he said. “The conference has been really, really good [and] is gonna be really good again this year. So, if we win the conference, we’ll be in a really good spot nationally.” The Bears may have a strong squad, but many of their UAA rivals do as well. In a preseason poll of the conference’s coaches, the Bears were deemed the fourth-best team in the league behind New York University, Emory University, and Case Western Reserve University. Though
taking on other teams in the UAA, one of the most prominent conferences in the country, will not be easy for the Bears, Juckem said the team is looking forward to the battles conference play will bring. “When we get to that point, we know that we need to be ready for the challenges. Every game is gonna probably feel like an NCAA Tournament game,” he said. “As a coach, I hope to have hair left in my head when it’s all said and done, but I think that’s what draws us to a place like WashU or any of these schools. This is what we signed up for.” If the Bears can pass the tests the UAA throws at them, they will set themselves up for relevance on a national scale, a level where the team have set themselves lofty expectations. “As a team I really want to get to at least the Final Four, get to a later playoff exit [than] last year. Last year, we ended up winning the first round and lost in the second round. I’d really like to get further as a team,” said Kindsvater. Entering the season, WashU is ranked No. 22 in the D3Hoops.com national poll, showing that the team will need to continue to develop as a unit in order to turn those ambitions into reality. From the start, the Bears will have an opportunity to prove their worth. Though UAA conference play doesn’t start until January, WashU will face tests early in its non-conference slate. This upcoming weekend, they start their season competing in the Scholars Classic, a tournament based in New York that will pit the Bears against No. 11 Swarthmore and No. 12 Johns Hopkins, teams that made it all the way to the NCAA Final Four and Sweet 16 respectively last year. “There’s no tip-toeing into the schedule,” said Juckem. “We have to be ready to play at a high level from the jump on Saturday night.”
No. 9 volleyball ends regular season with a bang ARYAN KUMAR STAFF WRITER Wrapping up an impressive season that saw the Washington University volleyball team beat a number of nationally ranked opponents, including No. 2 ClaremontMudd-Scripps and No. 7 Johns Hopkins University, WashU was looking to end its season on a high note. In its final matchups before the postseason, it faced three opponents that the team historically handled with ease: Westminster College, Hendrix College, and Millikin University. Once again, the Bears took care of business, winning all three games and only dropping a total of two sets between these three games. The Bears kicked things off by sweeping Westminster College. They dominated the box score as a whole, as the team held advantages in all of the major statistical categories: kills, aces, assists, and digs. The Bears started quickly in their first set as they raced out to an early 13-4 lead. Their lead was never in danger, and they ended the first set victorious 25-12. The second set was much of the same, as the Bears jumped out to a 10-5 lead and rode it to a 25-15 win. Junior Jasmine Sells continued her phenomenal season by leading the dominant Bears in this set, but it was not only familiar faces who made a
SAM POWERS | STUDENT LIFE
Sophomore Sam Buckley sets the ball for junior Zoe Foster.
difference, as sophomore Tori Taylor made her first kill of the season in this second set. The third set did not follow the trend of the first two sets, as the Griffins of Westminster would not go down without a fight. The Griffins got out to an early 8-3 lead and pushed to a 16-11 — but Westminster went on to commit a staggering five errors. A potent attack by the Bears took advantage of the Westminster mistakes, allowing
WashU to creep back into the game and eventually allowing it to claim the final set and the match with a score of 25-23.
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STUDENT LIFE 7
THURSDAY, NOV 9, 2023
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THANK YOU CONGRESS FOR STANDING WITH JEWISH STUDENTS ON CAMPUS The U.S. Senate (unanimously) and House of Representatives (396 - 23) passed Resolutions condemning Hamas and those on American university campuses who stand with Hamas, fail to repudiate antisemitism and call for all universities to stand with their Jewish students.
Where do you stand in this moment of truth?
H. Res. 798
In the House of Representatives, U. S., November 2, 2023.
Whereas both Hamas and Hezbollah are recognized by the United States Department of State as Foreign Terrorist Organizations; Whereas, on October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a surprise attack to deliberately target Israeli civilians, including the killing and abduction of men, women, children, and the elderly; Whereas Hamas’ stated goal is the entire destruction of the State of Israel and the murder of its Jewish citizens; Whereas a disturbing number of student organizations at institutions of higher education placed blame solely upon the State of Israel for the attack and expressed support for the terrorist actions of Hamas through the glorification of violence and the usage of antisemitic rhetoric; Whereas on October 9, 2023, the national leadership of Students for Justice in Palestine declared a “day of resistance” calling on student chapters across the United States to demonstrate by “not just slogans and rallies, but armed confrontation with oppressors” and following this announcement many chapters issued pro-Hamas statements; Whereas on October 10, 2023, a Stanford University lecturer targeted Jewish students during a class on colonialism, justifying the actions of Hamas terrorists by calling them “freedom fighters” and asking Jewish students to identify themselves and stand in the corner to illustrate what “Jews were doing to Palestinians”; Whereas on October 15, 2023, in a complete disregard for humanity, a Cornell University professor grabbed the microphone at a campus rally and pronounced that, “Hamas has challenged the monopoly of violence” and “it was exhilarating. It was energizing…I was exhilarated,” in reference to Hamas’ terror attack on Israel; Whereas on October 22, 2023, the Brandeis University student government voted down a simple resolution condemning Hamas and calling on the immediate release of all hostages back to their families unharmed; Whereas on October 24, 2023, George Washington University students at a vigil to support Hamas’ surprise attack prominently projected signs on the walls of the university’s library including, “Glory to our Martyrs”; Whereas many administrations of institutions of higher education do not follow the practice of institutional neutrality and frequently speak out on public issues, but have failed to speak out clearly after the October 7 attack by Hamas, and have exposed their lack of regard for their Jewish and pro-Israel students; and Whereas the glorification of violence and usage of antisemitic rhetoric creates a hostile learning and working environment for Jewish students, faculty, and staff: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives— (1) condemns the support of Hamas, Hezbollah, and other terrorist organizations at institutions of higher education, which may lead to the creation of a hostile environment for Jewish students, faculty, and staff; (2) calls on campus administrators— (A) to condemn all forms of antisemitism on college campuses; and (B) to ensure Jewish faculty, students, and guests can exercise the same Free Speech rights as are guaranteed to all other faculty, students, and guests without intimidation; and (3) urges enforcement of Federal civil rights laws to protect Jewish students from antisemitism.
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FORUM REILLY BRADY | MANAGING FORUM EDITOR | FORUM@STUDLIFE.COM
Signs You Are In a TOXIC Relationship NATALIA JAMULA AYELA HITE CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Editor’s note: This article contains discussion of physical and emotional abuse. Resources and helplines can be found online. Did this header catch your eye? If you’re reading this — there’s probably a reason, and speaking from experience, it’s best to come to terms with a toxic relationship before it drains more years of your life. Being in an unhealthy relationship strips you of your confidence and selfworth and leaves you with attachment and jealousy issues. In the words of Olivia Rodrigo in her song “The Grudge,” “Hurt people hurt people,” and you need to heal after being
manipulated and abused, or you’ll displace your feelings onto another person. So, it’s best to end the cycle of arguing and forgiving. At the end of the day, while it’s incredibly difficult, relationships are two-way streets, and you have the power to end a toxic relationship. While this article is written about a toxic boyfriend, these signs can apply to all genders and relationships.
He Only Has Time For You at Night
Falling victim to the 1 a.m. “are you up?” text is a common mistake. If he can go all day without texting you back, then you are not a priority. I promise, even if he had a busy day, he still checked his phone and either forgot about you or decided you’d be there to answer his text later. Don’t prove
him right by staying up waiting for a text back and allowing him to put you off. The world does not spin around his schedule, so know your worth and do not ruin your skincare routine to do makeup for a man with one outfit. It’s late and you’re both alone, but that does not make you lonely! It’s bedtime, so get your rest and put your phone down!
He Watches Andrew Tate Religiously
If your boyfriend is a Tate fan, you need to leave immediately. Anyone familiar with the misogynist knows all he does is try to convince insecure little boys that in order to be an “alpha male,” they must have full control over their girlfriend and exercise their “right” to explore other options (aka cheating). If you often catch
your boyfriend streaming Tate videos on YouTube or TikTok, it’s likely because he believes what’s coming out of Tate’s mouth — you know how the “for you” page works, right? This goes for any other misogynistic inf luencers — Joe Rogan, Ben Shapiro, etc. If your boyfriend is watching that content, it is slowly brainwashing him into adopting their outdated and controlling beliefs. Especially WashU ladies, you are intelligent and do not need a man who believes or watches this internet garbage.
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CAPTION CONTEST
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11/09 WINNERS
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Scan the QR code to enter your submission by 11:59 pm on Monday.
First place Don’t think the hat, scarf and coffee are going to help much. Darren Jacobs, WashU Parent Second place My bf saying “that’s so me” to every artwork of a naked man. Evangeline Joyce, Current WashU Student
THURSDAY, NOV 9, 2023
OPINION SUBMISSION
Know where you stand STEVEN G. SEGAL CLASS OF 1982 The Chancellor’s condemnation of antisemitism and Islamophobia on Oct. 26 and a student opinion piece about Israeli “genocide” exacerbate my concern for the welfare of Washington University students. As an engaged alumnus (Parent ’13, ’16, ’19; former chair of the Alumni Board of Governors, Boston Regional Cabinet and Annual Fund; and Distinguished Olin Alumni 2013 and Distinguish Alumni 2021), I offer a voice to those who feel fearful and advocate for intellectual curiosity, all in support of our shared experience with WashU’s compassionate culture. WashU is dedicated to intellectual rigor; it’s our duty to offer informed opinions. Understand with whom you stand and use truthful language. My condolences to all who are heartbroken by the Oct. 7 atrocities, especially as Hamas body camera footage and hostage backstories are revealed, and by the loss of innocent lives in Gaza. Be clear, however, what you mean if you advocate for Free Palestine. For Hamas, “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” means there is no room for Israel or Jews. Read the Hamas charter, translated by Yale here (see online), before you march with those who make that chant. In summary, Hamas’s goals are the destruction of the Jewish state, establishment of an Islamic state governed by Sharia law, killing of all Jews, and rejection of negotiation for a two-state solution. These words and the slaughter on Oct. 7 are irrefutable evidence of Hamas’s Jewish genocidal goal.
Think I’m being dramatic? Then you haven’t done the research. WUSTL Students for Palestine’s call for Israel to stop a genocide is ironic, as Israel doesn’t have that reciprocal objective for Palestinians. In contrast, Israel warns civilians to leave the battlefield. Sadly, Hamas restricts Palestinians’ movement and places military assets and activity near schools, hospitals, and mosques because civilian casualties serve its narrative, not Israel’s. Listen to a Hamas founder’s son describe Hamas’s tactics and Israel’s predicament — In Israel, there are no community rallies that celebrate the loss of Palestinian civilian life. Or Gina Ligon, Director of the National Counterterrorism, Innovation, Technology & Education Center: “I don’t think Hamas wanted us to see” the videos of attacks on civilians, she said. “That is not congruent with their narrative that they’re defenders of Palestine — that was terrorism.” If you fail to digest and condemn the scale and depravity of the massacre, you might be as comfortable joining a Nazi march as you are a Free Palestine rally that calls for the elimination of Israel. The false claim about Israeli genocide is at best naïve, but more probable is antisemitic, as it’s not supported by looking at easily accessible statements from the US and Israeli governments or trusted news sources.
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