A GO WUSTL pilot program has been underway since mid-January. Student Technology Services (STS) representatives said it has been a success.

“The feedback has been generally good,” Director of Student Technology Services Barbara Braun said. “There have been a few hiccups along the way that were Microsoft-related.”

According to Marcia Mannen, associate director of client support for Arts & Sciences Computing, most of the questions that students participating in the pilot have raised were not technical. There have not been many questions regarding the actual program, but rather addressing issues such as mail forwarding.

The Student Technology Advisory Committee (STAC) has been happy with the pilot.

“It’s going to be a good transition,” said sophomore Brandon Lucius, a member of STAC. “There are a lot of tools and applications that are going to make students’ lives more organized and efficient.”

Tools available with the new GO WUSTL program include video and text chat, an application similar to Google Documents, and a global address book.

According to Braun, the global address book is among one of the favorite applications of the pilot program participants.

Issues that have plagued the new e-mail service since the pilot started include backlogged e-mail and issues with the spam filters.

Sophomore Betel Ezaz, who is participating in the pilot program, has found some of its drawbacks.

“It seems inefficient right now, even compared to what we already have,” she said. “My main issue is that it loses e-mails and that the spam folder always has legitimate e-mails. I think they can figure it out. They’ve been really good about feedback.”

To remedy the issue with regular mail ending up in spam folders, all e-mails from Wash. U. addresses have been whitelisted.

“Overall I think it will be better because of the options that are available through GO WUSTL,” Ezaz said. “It’s just a matter of working out the small issues before we go live with it. I think it’s good.”

Arts & Sciences and engineering students are making the transition from Squirrelmail.

“From our perspective we know it’s something to be excited about,” said Kristen Hornberger, communications specialist for the Engineering Public Relations & Communications department.

The business school is transitioning from a less advanced version of Microsoft Outlook.

“It’s a very smooth transition,” said Sharon Yoon, associate director of MBA student affairs. “It’s very nice I think. Students are very savvy, and this is very intuitive.”

The old e-mail accounts will not be phased out immediately; their end dates have not yet been decided.

STS will be offering a series of hour-long workshops in early March to help acquaint students with GO WUSTL. In the meetings STS will discuss how to use specific applications and how to forward mail. STS is also encouraging students to look to the GO WUSTL Web site to find answers to simple questions.

Expectations for the program’s success are running high.

“If the pilot program was any indication, it was pretty smooth,” Braun said. “I don’t think it will be too difficult.”

Students will be able to ride a horse and buggy throughout campus, like last year’s Washington Week. (Evan Wiskup | Student Life)

Happy birthday to you, Mr. President.

That’s what the members of the Washington University community will be saying all of next week, when the University celebrates its namesake’s birthday during the annual George Washington Week.

Next Monday through Friday, events around campus will commemorate the birthday of George Washington. Washington, born on Feb. 22, 1732, would be 278.

The George Washington-themed events on campus will include horse-and-buggy rides, a crowning of this year’s George and Martha, and some themed culinary treats, including cherry pie and Sam Adams beer.

In addition, on Monday there will be a culinary competition among the residential colleges.

On Tuesday there will be a Mardi Gras celebration in the DUC, followed by a dance competition.

Wednesday will be marked by EnCouncil’s Cheap Lunch. Later that day, the Career Center will hold an etiquette dinner.

On Thursday there will be a homecoming party and outings to the Delmar Loop and to Morgan Street.

The celebratory week will culminate with the wigging of George and Martha at the Bears’ basketball game on Friday.

The week’s festivities will be sponsored by student organizations, including Student Union, Lock & Chain, Career Center, CS40, Interfraternity Council, Panhellenic Council, KWUR, EnCouncil, Bear Discounts, Joint Class Council, Campus Programing Council, DUC Programming Board, WU Cheerleaders and Red Alert.

“I think this really just brings us back to our namesake,” SU Vice President of Administration Nate Ferguson said. Ferguson, a junior, was one of the primary planners of the week and has been eagerly anticipating it for months. “I think that it brings the student body closer together. This is one of the few events we have on campus that connects us to him.”

Ferguson also said that he is happy to see so many groups put on the events.

“I’m excited for all of it. There are so many groups who put so much work into their events,” he said. “I’m just excited for next week and I hope it will be a success.”

Students are reacting positively to the week’s programming. On the event’s Facebook page, 1,208 have already responded that they will be attending, and another 357 have replied that they may attend.

“Personally I think that the buggy rides sound so cool, I would love to go for one,” sophomore Jessie Frank said. “It could pick me up at the DUC and then drop me off at my class at Brown Hall.”

Junior Nate Gardiner did not agree.

“Buggy rides, lame,” he said. “It just seems not fun, I don’t really see the point,.”

Some students think that the events will unify the student body.

“It creates a sense of belonging,” freshman Neel Desai said.

Other students think that the week will have a positive effect on the student body’s interest in the University’s basketball program.

“It’ll bring more people to athletics, and that’s cool,” sophomore Gina Maliekal said about the wigging ceremony for George and Martha at Friday’s basketball game.

“The crowning of George and Martha is going to be so much fun. It is just really quaint,” Frank said.

Not all students are so excited about the events. Sophomore Joel Lowery said that it is unlikely that he will attend any of the week’s festivities.

“I am really busy,” said Lowery, who said that Washington Week is not one of his top priorities.

Many students still said that this annual event will provide a multitude of ways to stay busy on campus.

“It seems like on of those things where there is so much going on. I’ll go,” Desai said.

Correction: The original version of this article stated that Wednesday would be the first Engineering Council lunch. The lunch, referred to as Cheap Lunch, will not be EnCouncil’s first of the semester.

St. Louis city used to have the largest number of infections of chlamydia and gonorrhea, but the number of reported cases has declined, making room for St. Louis to lose its claim to the title of STI capital.

The chlamydia and gonorrhea rates in the city decreased in the 2007-2008 year by 3 percent and 27 percent, respectively.

According to a St. Louis Department of Health report, there were 4,321 cases of Chlamydia reported in St. Louis in 2007 and 4,263 in 2008. In 2007 there were 2,526 reported cases of gonorrhea; the number dropped to 1,864 in 2008.

Several students did not have strong reactions to these rates.

“I can’t say I’m surprised or not, but it was a vacuum in my knowledge,” senior Neehar Garg said.

Many students were glad to find that the STI incidence rate had gone down.

“I think I did know that it was number one,” freshman Andrea Rodgers said. “I’m glad that it has moved down, since it is probably prevalent on college campuses.”

Bradley Stoner, associate professor of anthropology and medicine, expects some rates to continue decreasing.

“I think the gonorrhea rate may continue to fall, but I am still concerned about chlamydia and syphilis,” he said. “These diseases’ rates may go up because we still have work to do in implementing effective screening mechanisms that reach the highest-risk members of the community.”

This decrease of STIs is a result of the city better helping its citizens receive treatment for STIs. According to Dale Wrigley, bureau chief for communicable diseases at the Department of Health, there was an 8 percent increase in the amount of STI testing done in the city last year. This increase in testing likely led to the prevention of the further spread of the disease.

According to Pamela Walker, the city health director, St. Louis spends $1 million of tax money each year in order to combat STIs. The city also opened a new teen health center last year.

In an effort to prevent the spread of these diseases, the St. Louis Department of Health, in conjunction with organizations including Planned Parenthood, went to every middle school and high school in St. Louis last year to educate students.

“I really want to believe we’re getting the message out there,” Wrigley said.

According to Walker, teens still do not know sufficient information about the STIs.

Stoner believes that “condoms and communication are important keys to risk reduction” for young people.

“Ask your partners whether they have any symptoms, but because STDs are often asymptomatic, get screened for STDs together before embarking on a sexual relationship,” he said. “Also, get informed.”

Stoner suggested organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control, Planned Parenthood and the American Social Health Association.

Some students at the University felt as though they have an appropriate amount of knowledge about STIs.

“I am thoroughly acquainted with prevention [of STIs] and how they spread,” junior Sam Sullivan said.

But Sullivan felt that he still did not know as much as he could about the treatment of STIs.

“Maybe I’m not as thoroughly studied on treatment,” Sullivan said.

Although the decrease in the number of STIs has caused St. Louisans to be optimistic, experts warn that the city is not in the clear.

According to Wrigley, “True prevention happens every day, and you really have to keep it going.”

The Apple iPad, a tablet computer announced on Jan. 27, 2010, will have versions released later this year in March and April. (Courtesy of Apple)

Apple recently went public with its new tablet computer, the iPad.

Features of the new device include Web browsing, picture viewing, gaming and support for e-books. Almost all of the current iPhone applications will work on the device. It weighs 1.5 pounds and is half an inch thick. Prices for the device are set to start at $499 and will increase based on memory size and optional 3G service.

“iPad is our most advanced technology in a magical and revolutionary device at an unbelievable price,” Apple chairman and CEO Steve Jobs said when he unveiled the product.

On the Wash. U. campus, student reactions to the iPad are varied. Many students think that the iPad is redundant technology, given its similarities to Apple’s iPod Touch and traditional laptops.

“I already have an iTouch, and I don’t feel like I need any of stuff that it [the iPad] has,” freshman Christine Lang said.

Freshman Tiffany Kang agrees: “I think it [is] kind of pointless because there are already too many gadgets out there. It has the same functions as a laptop, which I would rather buy. There’s no extra benefit over having an iPod. I would find it extraneous to have one.”

Price is also a factor that plays a role in whether or not students would consider buying the device. Most students are not willing to splurge on the iPad when it is so comparable to devices that they already own.

“I am perfectly happy with my iPod Nano,” sophomore Brendan Cook said. “Five hundred dollars is way too much for something that is so similar to what I already have. If they added a bunch of new features I would probably consider getting it.”

Laura Yu, a sophomore, said, “They look interesting, but I would never buy one because I feel like I could do the same stuff on a MacBook and don’t need to buy one.”

Junior Nick May said the iPad “seems like a giant iTouch, but I haven’t really looked at it. I’m sure it has more stuff, and on the other hand I don’t think it could do everything a laptop could do. It’s the first generation. The next generation will have more capabilities.”

This sentiment is common on campus. Some students claim that they would be more likely to buy the iPad if it had greater capability.

“I would want to wait until they came out with a new edition to buy it,” senior Becky Bell said.

Some students feel more positive about the new Apple gadget.

“I want it because it’s new technology and it is interesting,” Bell said. “I feel like its function is to be hip and trendy.”

People have also found humor in the similarities the iPad shares with previous products.

“I already have a laptop and an iTouch, so I’ll just tape them together,” May said.

Apple also released a new kit for developing apps to run on the iPad. The Software Development Kit (SDK) allows developers to test apps on a Mac and program them to run on the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. There are currently more than 140,000 apps that run on Apple products.

The tablet computer will be sold starting in March. Storage capacities range from 16GB to 64GB.

Many students use these emerging technologies to communicate with their families every day.

Freshman Derek Sun uses his cell phone and e-mail to stay in touch with his parents. “When people had to write letters, it must have been much harder. It’s nice to know that I can call my family. It’s comforting to have no waiting period,” he said.

Wash. U. is home to many international students. First-year graduate student Firuz Mohamad’s parents live in Malaysia. She has siblings who live in Egypt and Korea.

Mohamad uses Yahoo Messenger, Facebook, e-mail, her cell phone and calling cards to keep in touch with her family.

“The technology here is excellent and it means a lot to me,” Mohamad said. “If you don’t have this technology it is impossible to keep in touch.’

Karen Coburn, senior consultant in residence at the University, is an expert on student’s college experiences.

“Students and parents certainly are able to keep in touch more easily than ever before,” Coburn wrote in an e-mail to Student Life. She lists cell phones, texting and Skype, among other technologies, as ways that students can now communicate with their parents.

Coburn recognizes the extra support that these new means of communication can afford students, but questions the effect that this increased communication has on the college experience.

“While this support is valuable and much appreciated, the ubiquitous availability of communication with parents can inhibit students’ ability to take ownership of their education,” Coburn wrote. “The challenge for today’s students is to immerse themselves in university life—to learn to use the resources on campus as they make decisions and solve problems instead of simply turning to mom or dad.”

Students on campus disagree with Coburn’s point. Sophomore Lauren Evers talks with her parents every day. She also uses e-mail to communicate with her family.

“We just left home, and it’s nice to have your parents close,” Evers said. “[Communication] is not a crutch. It is just a form of support. It’s good to have a support system and to be able to reach your parents if you need to.”

Second-year MBA student Mustali Shah said that his communication with his family has increased as new technologies have emerged. He uses video chat and his cell phone to communicate with his family two to three days each week.

“It’s good to keep in touch regularly,” he said. “Around exams it is nice to have someone you can talk to.”

New technologies, such as Skype, have also provided a means of communication for students who are studying abroad. Senior Sofia Balters, who has family in Chile, used the program when she spent a semester abroad. She says that Skype has enabled her to develop a closer relationship with her family abroad. Balters speaks with her parents several times each week.

“Skype is great,” she said. “I think our communication has been just great.”

Above all, students are grateful for the new technology.

Every 10 years, the U.S. government conducts a census to determine which areas of the country need federal funding the most, to reapportion congressional representation and to learn more about the current U.S. population. The survey asks for information, including the number of people living in a household and the race of the members of the household.

Question nine on the 2010 census has sparked a national debate. The question, which refers to the survey taker, reads: “What is Person 1’s race?” One of the responses is: “Black, African Am., or Negro.”

Many Washington University students were shocked to learn that the government printed the term “Negro” in the census. Reactions on campus to the use of this term, which many people consider to be culturally insensitive, have been mixed.

Professor Garrett Duncan, director of the Program in African and African American Studies, says that many African Americans still refer to themselves as being “Negro.”

He argues that by not including the term “negro,” the government would limit the number of African-Americans who responded.

“My father, had he been alive today, would be one such person and I don’t think that he and others should be excluded from being counted,” Duncan wrote in an e-mail to Student Life.

According to Duncan, this term was still popular among the African-American population at the time of the 1990 census.

“Terms of identification have a human face and, again, people and context matter,” Duncan said.

Student opinions on this matter vary. Many students recognize that the term is used often by a certain generation of African Americans, but do not think it should be included in the census.

“I feel that it is just a generational thing,” junior Vanetia Cannon said. “I would not refer to myself as ‘negro,’ but my parents and grandparents would…I feel personally that it should not be on a personal government form.”

Junior Gail Burks was surprised that the government decided to use the word on the census form. “I feel it is more of an outdated term. Some people think ‘Negro’ sounds like the n-word. I do not think it should be on a government form,” Burks said.

Freshman Allison Brenner shared Burks’ sentiment. “I think it is difficult for non-African-Americans to judge because how you want to be identified is such a personal thing, but I think there are better words that could have been chosen,” she said.

More than anything, members of the Wash. U. community were taken aback by the very inclusion of the term.

“It is surprising that they would go forward with that because there are such strong opinions associated with that word,” junior Rohit Ray said.

According to the census Web site, ask.census2010.gov, the census for all college students living in dormitories or Greek housing will be completed in conjunction with the dorm. The U.S. Census Bureau will be able to request school records in the event that students do not provide the necessary information. The census count for college students will start in early April.

GO WUSTL e-mail will be available for use by all undergraduate students and students in six of the University’s graduate schools.

The GO WUSTL system, created using Microsoft’s Live@edu, will offer students tools that are not available on SquirrelMail. These tools include live chat and video chat.

The system also includes a calendar and online storage space. The students will also have access to a full University e-mail directory. In the past, each school has had its own address book.

The new program will be implemented in two stages. A pilot program, which started on Tuesday, gives almost 500 Wash. U. students a chance to test out the new e-mail program. The pilot program will provide administrators the opportunity to iron out any problems with the system. In early March the program is slated to be expanded to all students.

“We do anticipate it will be smooth,” Barbara Braun, director of Student Technology Services, wrote of the transition in an e-mail to Student Life.

All e-mail from the obsolete SquirrelMail accounts will be forwarded to the new GO WUSTL accounts.

Some students are looking forward to this change. Freshman Kevin Liang, who finds SquirrelMail difficult to use, has had his Wash. U. e-mail forwarded to his independent e-mail account during his first year at Wash. U.

“I may switch back if the e-mail system is good,” Liang said.

The practice of e-mail forwarding is common among students. Junior Erica Cole also has her Wash. U. e-mail forwarded to her Gmail account. Cole said the new GO WUSTL program will have no effect on her.

“I don’t really care,” Cole said. “Either way I will get my e-mail forwarded to Gmail.”

Many students remain unaware of the imminent transition.

“This is the first that I’m hearing of it,” freshman Johanna Rudnik said. “It would be nice to be told that the program was going to happen.”

Liang suggests that the new program should be advertised better to the student body so that students have an opportunity to learn about it before March.

Many students are optimistic about the changes.

“I have no problem with it as long as my e-mails are forwarded,”  Rudnik said.

Liang said, “I think it is good. SquirrelMail was hard to use.”

To activate their GO WUSTL accounts, students need to have a WUSTL KEY and a password, as well as an alternate, non-University e-mail address.

The password for the GO WUSTL e-mail will be the same as the WUSTL KEY password.

Further information on the program, as well as instructions on how to set up and use the new e-mail accounts, is available online at http://go.wustl.edu.

This year, BusinessWeek Magazine ranked the MBA program at Olin as second in the country for career placement within three months of graduation, behind only Yale University’s School of Management.

Joe Fox, associate dean and director of MBA programs at Washington University, said MBA students are pursuing alternate career paths as a result of the economy.

“It is probably suitable under the current circumstances to say that students are being put in the position to explore alternate routes,” Fox said. “The financial services industry has a chill on it. Clearly the students need to think about a plan B.”

Joon Park, a second-year MBA finance student, agreed. He had a difficult time finding a finance internship last year and considered some marketing ones instead. He said that it is necessary to change strategies but, at the same time, to find a balance.

“I was thinking about changing my concentration,” Park said. “But I realized that if I do that, I am throwing away something that I like.”

But while the rankings reflect well on career placement, other students think that rankings do not tell the full story. Bhavik Asher is a first-year MBA student. He said that while the rankings were a morale booster, he was also curious to know about details such as job satisfaction and job placement.

“I would want to see how these placements have fared,” Asher said. “For the people that have been placed, how satisfied are they with the placement they got? Yeah, they got placed. But was it more about, ‘No choice—let’s take what we have’? It could also be that better schools—the top schools—either prefer very good companies or would prefer waiting. But the 92 percent and rank of second is a very positive trend, even if there might be some ‘ifs’ and ‘buts.’”

Students in the business school have the option of using the Weston Career Center (WCC), a separate career center designated for the Olin Business School. Park said he has noticed the WCC bringing in many more companies this year.

Josh Stumacher, a first-year students in the Olin MBA program, said that the WCC has been very helpful in his search for internships and a job.

“They have been unbelievably helpful,” said Stumacher, who speaks with a career counselor almost every day. “They’ll help you as much as you want them to help you.”

The WCC has been supportive of Stumacher’s career goals and has also made alternative options clear to him and his peers. Asher agreed with Stumacher, saying that the WCC was “very committed” to getting Olin students placed.

Despite the grim state of the economy, Stumacher is pleased with his decision to continue his business education.

“It is going to give me the flexibility to go where I want,” Stumacher said.

Meanwhile, University undergraduates agree that the state of the economy makes it more likely for them to enroll in an MBA program.

Martin Pawlik, a sophomore in the business school, is considering the five-year joint undergrad and MBA program.

“You want to make sure that you’re as prepared as possible, so now is a good time to settle down and be as educated as possible,” Pawlik said.

Pawlik hopes to work in finance eventually, but he recognizes that it is not realistic to hope to get his ideal job immediately. If he can’t get a job in finance, Pawlik would be open to considering a job in accounting or with a political campaign.

“I would be flexible. I realize that in my early years I am not going to find my dream job,” Pawlik said. “If the economy is tough, it might be difficult, but eventually I will get to the place I want to get.”

Asher agreed with Pawlik’s sentiment.

“I believe I have to diversify. I have to keep backup plans,” Asher said. He added, “We’re getting skill sets which we can take to any industry.”

Student Union passed two resolutions Wednesday, one in support of student activism at Monday’s student protest of the University’s energy conference and another recommending that the Village extend its dining hours. Left, SU Senator Greg Schweizer urges Senate to pass the dining resolution and stir-fry, pending the approval of Bon Appétit management, right. (Matt Langer (center) and Matt Mitgang | Student Life)

Student Union Senate voted unanimously on Wednesday to pass a resolution to pilot extended dining hours in the Village. One of the main issues under discussion in the resolution is whether SU will compensate Bon Appétit for any monetary losses incurred as a result of the pilot.

Although most eateries on the South 40 are open until 3 a.m. on weekends, all food stations in the Village close at 8 p.m. except the grill station, which closes at midnight. One of the popular food services in the Village that closes at 8 p.m. is the stir-fry station.

In a recent SU survey, more than 55 percent of students and an average of 85 percent of North Side residents said they would likely purchase food from the Village between midnight and 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. The survey also found that a majority of students supported extending dining hours for both the grill and stir-fry stations.

The SU resolution called for an extension of hours at the grill, which the resolution recommended stay open until 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays for a seven-week trial period. The resolution also recommended that the stir-fry station be open until 9 p.m. on Sunday through Thursday for the trial period.

If Bon Appétit agrees with the recommendations, the pilot will run from the beginning of spring semester until spring break.

According to junior Greg Schweizer, outgoing chair of the Senate Campus Services committee and the SU Senator who has led the effort to extend Village dining hours, the main concern with the pilot is that Bon Appétit will lose money.

Several plans have been proposed to offset any monetary losses, including having SU subsidize the program. In the event that SU does this, the money would come from the student activities fee. This subsidization would last only for the extent of the trial period.

“The subsidy would be a last resort, but we are confident that they will recoup the money,” Schweizer said.

Nadeem Siddiqui, Bon Appétit’s resident district manager, said a Student Union subsidy is undesirable.

“The goal is that we don’t have to or shouldn’t have to do that,” Siddiqui said.

Bon Appétit also has the option of pulling out of the pilot at any point.

If at the end of the seven-week trial, Bon Appétit loses money but still wants to make the extended hours permanent, another option is for the organization to cut hours at other dining facilities on campus. Low-volume hours could be cut from campus eateries such as Whispers to fund an increase in hours at the Village.

Schweizer is optimistic about the extended hours at the Village.

“My expectation is that the pilot will be a success,” Schweizer said. “I think that come next year, there will be later hours in the Village.”

Sophomore Michael Laks said he would like extended hours. Laks often treks to the Village from the South 40 for stir-fry. Last week he waited a half hour for it.

“The hours should go longer because it’s so delicious,” Laks said. “Stir-fry should be available to students at all times of the day. It’s not the rare occasion that I need my fix of sesame and soy and the stir-fry station is closed.”

Freshman Tyler Trussell would also like extended hours.

“[The time the Village eateries close] seems kind of early. I usually don’t eat dinner until 8:30 or 9,” Trussell said.

Senior Class Treasurer Regis Murayi speaks at a news conference Wednesday held in the DUC. Murayi, along with Senior Class President Fernando Cutz and the five other students alleging racial descrimation, announced an agreement with the Original Mothers bar. (Matt Mitgang | Student Life)

Senior Class President Fernando Cutz, along with the six black students who allege they were racially discriminated against by the Original Mothers bar in Chicago, said on Wednesday that they will not be pressing charges against Mothers, as part of a legal agreement between the two sides.

Cutz announced that Mothers will issue a public apology to the students, and managers at the bar will undergo diversity sensitivity and awareness training led by members of the Anti-Defamation League.

The students’ comments came in a news conference Wednesday afternoon in the Danforth University Center.

Mothers will also hold four charity fundraisers, three at the bar in Chicago and one in St. Louis. The students will determine what charity will receive funds from these events. Senior Class Treasurer Regis Murayi, one of the six students rejected from the bar, said the money will likely go toward a charity that works to promote awareness of race-related issues.

Cutz also announced at the conference that the Senior Class Council will be leading a “massive demonstration” against racial discrimination. The demonstration will occur in Chicago in late November and will include both University students and representatives from Mothers. Mothers managers will speak at the event.

Cutz told Student Life that he has met with representatives from Student Union about funding transportation for the event and that SU has agreed to pay for buses for all students interested in attending.

The students at the conference stressed that they are not seeking financial compensation from the bar.

“Nothing in the plans had anything to do with us getting financial compensation,” said senior Chuka Chike-Obi, one of the six black students.

Murayi emphasized that the students’ primary goal in the agreement was to raise awareness about race-related issues.

“This isn’t about power, this isn’t about leverage, this isn’t about fighting, kicking and screaming,” Murayi said. “This is about really raising the issue about racial discrimination in America and really opening this issue moving forward.”

The students also announced at the conference that they are receiving free legal counsel from Covington and Burling LLP in their negotiations with Mothers.

According to Seth Tucker, the students’ attorney, the students and Mothers reached a settlement quickly. Negotiations lasted under 24 hours.

“I think it is a great result for both sides,” Tucker said. “It was a creative resolution. They have created a win-win settlement.”

If Mothers does not comply with the agreement, the students could still press charges. According to Tucker, this is an unlikely situation.

“I don’t expect them to break the agreement,” Tucker said. “They seem genuine and sincere.”
Mothers’ attorney, Brad Grayson of Strauss & Malk LLP said the bar is devoted to the agreement.

“My clients are very committed to going forward with the things we agreed upon with the students,” Grayson said.
Representatives from Mothers said in a statement that they are pleased with the agreement.

“We’re happy that it appears we have resolved differences with the students amicably and in a manner that promotes unity rather than division,” the statement said.

Cutz also said he is pleased with the agreement.

“Personally I’m satisfied with the way that things turned out,” Cutz said.

Although the six students are no longer pursuing litigation, city, state and federal investigations into the incident are still underway. According to Cutz, the agreement reached between the students and Mothers stipulated that the investigations would continue.

On Wednesday morning, U.S. Rep. William Lacy Clay Jr., D-St. Louis, sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and to the Washington office and Chicago field office of the FBI requesting further investigation into the incident.

With additional reporting by Dan Woznica