Student Life Archives

Scott Bressler

The 2004-2005 school year was one of transformation and change. From events of national importance, including the presidential debate and election, to campus-centric protests with the recent Student Worker Alliance sit-in, St. Louis and Washington University spent the year in the spotlight.

Washington University began the 2004-2005 school year as the host of a 2004 presidential debate between Democratic contender John Kerry and Republican incumbent President George W. Bush. Leading up to the big event, the University transformed the Athletic Complex, installed state-of-the-art communication and put in extra security to prepare for the grand event.

Bush’s advisory team put the debate in jeopardy at the last minute when it became hesitant to participate in the event. Following Bush’s announcement, Chris Heinz, Kerry’s stepson, visited the campus to assure the University that his stepfather might still appear on campus even if Bush rejected the scheduled debate. The Commission on Presidential Debates confirmed that both candidates had committed to participate in three debates, including the Oct. 8 debate at the University.

During the week of Oct. 8, 2004, the campus transformed into a political campground, attracting national media attention from MSNBC prime time show “Hardball with Chris Matthews” and CNN’s prime debate coverage featuring Paula Zahn, Anderson Cooper and Wolf Blitzer. Students witnessed the fervor of the 2004 election year on their very own campus.

Almost one month after the debate, on Nov. 4, 2004, the nation reelected President Bush into office. While Bush took the state of Missouri, St. Louis remained a blue dot in the mostly red sea of Missouri.

Washington University also experienced waves of theft on campus. In Nov. 2004, the Washington University Police Department (WUPD) retrieved a stolen laptop through a sting operation and arrested the perpetrator, a student from another St. Louis university. Later that week, a member of the housekeeping staff was caught stealing a laptop in Rubelmann Hall, while in April several cars were reported stolen from Washington University property.

The fall of 2004 also brought new changes at Frat Row: no alcohol until spring semester. A student initiated a brawl at Sigma Alpha Epsilon that injured a security guard, leading to tighter rules on the presence of alcohol on campus. Despite the alcohol ban, fraternities still experienced an increase in the number of students rushing to join the brothers on the Row. The Greek Life Office lifted the ban for the spring semester.

Greek Life’s affair with alcohol continued to mid-March 2005, when Alpha Phi sorority sisters were kicked out of the City Museum during their formal after administrators discovered intoxicated sisters passing out in the bathroom as well as in front of Girl Scouts. The following Wednesday, when the story was published, hundreds of copies of Student Life were stashed into nearby trash cans.

In that week, Student Life revealed another alcohol mishap when several Lee 3 residents allegedly defecated in and vandalized their RA’s room. The news came as shock to the campus and administrators and came much to the dismay of Lee 3, which was soon declared a substance free area. The week’s incidents brought a tainted image to the University and spread awareness about the effects of alcohol on students’ abilities to make rational judgments.

Because of the appearances of Bush and Kerry, the University invited various speakers to lead the 2004-2005 Assembly Series. From Seth MacFarlane, the creator of Family Guy, to civil rights activist Robert Moses, the University offered various genres of lectures. Speakers included Chris Heinz, Robert Kerry, *Piper,* Sherman Alexie and Anita Diamant, among others.

The school encountered difficulties in bringing two outspoken political activists, Michael Moore and Sean Hannity. Both speakers were scheduled to visit the campus, but Hannity’s demand for a private jet and Moore’s pneumonia caused them to miss their appearances.

Off campus and outside of St. Louis, this year also marked the death of Christopher Reeve, the original portrayer of Superman, Yasser Arafat, the leader of Palestinian Liberation Authority, and Pope John Paul II, the head of the Catholic Church. On our own campus, students read the news that junior Jessica Campbell passed away during spring break from a heart attack.

Student Union (SU) underwent a transformation when Vice President Katie Lekihim resigned, forcing SU to elect a new vice president. Former Speaker of the Senate Pamela Bookbinder was elected as the new vice president after the resignation of Lekihim, who had been on medical leave during first semester. The process of electing the new vice president came under a heat of debate when a question arose regarding whether reporters should be allowed inside the room during the voting process. In the end, the election was held behind the closed doors.

Students also saw changes in financial loans and tuition. Parents were notified of an additional tuition increase to approximately $31,000 per year. Students also received a shock when they heard that Pell Grants and Perkins Loans were facing elimination by the Bush administration. These fears later proved baseless as Congress recently passed a budget approving both programs.

The year culminated with an unexpected twist as students, faculty, and the administration watched the Student Worker Alliance (SWA) occupy the admissions office for 19 days in April 2005. Starting on April 4, approximately 14 University students protested inside the admission office to demand a living wage of third party workers at the University.

During the protest, the administration sent multiple letters asking the protesters to leave the admissions office, stating that their presence was in violation of the judicial code. The letter only fueled the students’ fervor, eventually leading to a hunger strike. Dozens of professors signed a letter in support of SWA’s fight for a living wage, while other students protested against their effort as anti-protesters outside in the Quad.

The sit-in eventually ended on April 22 after 19 days of student occupation. The final agreement reached between the SWA and the University included a commitment of $500,000 during the 2005-2006 fiscal year toward improving the living wages and the benefits of lower-paid service workers. It also included various other concessions to SWA’s demands.

Courtesy of Tammi Cooks

Correction Appended

The 2005-2006 academic year was one of unexpected change for both the Washington University campus and the nation. Hurricane Katrina’s devastation of the Gulf Coast region largely shaped a year of charity and change.

Some students returned to campus in late August greeted by the news that the homes they had left were damaged or destroyed by the hurricane.

Many college students, faculty and workers displaced by Katrina found shelter at Washington University. In the fall semester, the University welcomed students from Tulane and Loyola whose colleges were closed due to extensive damage by the hurricane.

Among the displaced students were freshmen from Tulane who had to evacuate during their move-in day. In response to the disaster, the University offered financial aid and health services to students who were affected by the hurricane. Unlike other schools, the University did not plan to return displaced students’ tuition to their home universities in New Orleans.

From a cappella concerts to the EnCouncil’s Bayou Formal, many student groups initiated campus-wide fund-raising efforts to help rebuild the Gulf Coast region and support its victims. For some students, the relief effort went beyond campus initiatives. Many University students joined other college students from around the country in a weeklong spring break trip to New Orleans, where they volunteered to help rebuild broken homes for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

In other fund-raising events during the year, Dance Marathon raised $58,000, and Relay for Life surpassed its fund-raising goal of $250,000.

The University also announced several significant changes, starting with the decision to set the new wage floor at $8.25. The new minimum wage standard was a reaction to the Student Worker Alliance’s sit-in at the admissions office during April 2005, when students demanded that the University raise the employee minimum wage to meet the city’s living wage standard.

Hoping to increase public transportation for commuting students and workers, the University announced that it would start offering free universal Metro passes for any full-time undergraduate, graduate, faculty or staff member of Washington University. The Metro pass is valid for MetroBus and MetroLink and became fully functional at the beginning of the 2006-2007 school year.

The University also moved forward by revealing a plan for the new Danforth University Center. The University Center will replace the former Prince Hall. Despite protests led by St. Louis preservationists, Prince Hall was demolished in the summer of 2006.

Chancellor Wrighton also wrote a letter to parents detailing the 2006-2007 academic year tuition hike of 5.5 percent, to $32,800-the biggest marginal increase in six years.

In health news, Student Health Services (SHS) relocated from its main campus location in Umrath Hall to Forsyth House, now Dardick House, on the South 40. The relocation cost about $2 million but provided SHS with significantly more space.

Most recently, the University announced that it would rename the Hilltop Campus to Danforth Campus to commemorate William Danforth, former Washington University chancellor, who made significant financial contributions to the University over the years.

Emory University’s “declaration of war” against Washington University shocked this campus in mid-Sept. 2005. Emory students vandalized both Washington University’s campus and their own, attempting to pass off the vandalism on Emory’s campus as retaliation by Washington University students. Spray-painted messages in yellow and blue read: “WU girls are ugly -Emory University”, “Emory owns U”, and “George Washington is dead” on the underpass between the main campus and the South 40.

The act came two days after the Emory student newspaper released an op-ed piece that exhorted Emory students to start a rivalry with Washington University students. The student who authored the letter wrote on behalf of Emory’s Department of War, a newly created branch of the school’s Student Government Association. For a university in which rivalry with other schools is minimal and school spirit low, the war initiated by the Emory briefly ignited school camaraderie.

For the Assembly Series, the University welcomed several prominent speakers, including eminent American scholar and public intellectual Cornel West and Jonathan Kozol, an authority on the American public school system.

In the engineering school, students showcased their new Vertigo dance floor, which was later displayed at the Contemporary Art Museum in St. Louis. It was also announced that Mary Sansalone from Cornell University would join the school in 2006 as the new dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

The spring 2006 semester also brought new changes to the Mallinckrodt Student Center. Students said good-bye to Taco Bell and ushered in Bon Appétit’s new Asian-themed concept with lukewarm reactions.

Washington University students’ affairs with alcohol and drugs continued. In one incident, an intoxicated student fell out of her window in Wheeler dormitory. The University canceled Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity’s housing contract after police found marijuana during their search of the house. More recently, the Magic House, a local St. Louis children’s museum, banned Art Prom after discovering $700 in damages by intoxicated students. Student Union then blocked funding for any future Art Proms.

On a more positive note, Sigma Chi received word that they were allowed move into their house again after a two-year expulsion for hazing. Greek Life also formed the new Council of Community Standards in an effort to better handle judicial matters.

Correction: A photo used on Monday, May 5 with the article “Sophomore year: Katrina, charity and change” was mistakenly attributed to David Song; in fact, the photo was taken by Tammi Cooks. Student Life regrets the error.

Scott Bressler

Junior year kicked off with the theme of “readjustment” as Washington University welcomed an unusually large freshman class.

The University continued to respond to unexpected developments, especially concerning campus security, as the year progressed. An expanded MetroLink, a renamed campus and a political win for stem cell research made this year one of progress and celebration.

For the Class of 2010, the admissions office had been shooting for a class of 1,350 students, so the University was surprised to have 1,470 students accept their offer in the spring of 2006.

Before students arrived on campus for the 2006-2007 academic year, the University began implementing creative solutions in order to accommodate the freshman class and alleviate the housing crunch. More than 100 upperclassmen who had been planning to live on campus were moved to the University’s Loop Lofts apartments, which made their debut that year.

Large freshman classes will not continue as a trend, according to the University. In April 2007 the administration announced its plan to gradually reduce the size of the student body from 6,300 to 5,800 students.

During the first week of classes, students witnessed a remarkable development in St. Louis public transportation: the expansion of the MetroLink. Twelve years of discussion and more than three years of construction culminated in the addition of nine new stops-two of which border the Danforth Campus.

The MetroLink has effectively punctured the infamous “Wash. U. bubble” by linking students to Clayton, the Central West End, Richmond Heights, Brentwood, Shrewsbury and downtown St. Louis. The U-Pass allows full-time students, staff and faculty to access this service for free.

In October, when the Cardinals won the World Series for the first time since 1982, many students hopped on the MetroLink so they could celebrate the victory downtown near the stadium.

One noteworthy change was made in Sept. 2006 when the Hilltop Campus was officially renamed the “Danforth Campus” in order to commemorate former Chancellor William Danforth and the entire Danforth family.

This name change was accompanied by a year-long focus on the theme “Higher sense of purpose.” In accordance with this theme, all incoming freshmen were given Professor of Social Welfare in the George Warren School of Social Work Mark Rank’s book, “One Nation, Underprivileged: Why American Poverty Affects Us All.” Rank delivered a speech on poverty during the Assembly Series.

As always, construction continued on campus, and some projects were completed. The Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum opened a new building designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect, Fumihiko Maki. In this progressively modern building that breaks away from the rest of the campus’ architecture, the University is showcasing its permanent collection entitled “Modernity and Self.”

Other construction projects were still in progress. The new University Center, which will eventually replace the Mallinckrodt Student Center, will remain a construction site until the summer of 2008. An enormous hole in place of Prince Hall and a pothole-ridden temporary parking lot placed near the library were present for students in the 2006-2007 year.

Through the school year, both safety and security continually emerged as key concerns. In the fall, one study by the Morgan Quinto Press named St. Louis the “Most Dangerous City in the United States.” Chancellor Wrighton joined experts and critics who contested the survey, claiming that its methodology was flawed.

Campus security was on high alert after one student was attacked in her dorm room on the South 40 in Feb. 2007. In response to the assault, the Chancellor formed a committee to review the University’s safety and security policies. The University began to implement campus precautions such as peepholes, which were promptly installed on all room doors in residential halls.

In April 2007, a tragedy at Virginia Tech shocked and saddened the world when 32 students were murdered by a gunman who subsequently took his own life. The University community congregated on the quad for an impromptu candlelight vigil in honor of the students who were wounded or killed. In light of the tragedy, the University reassessed its own mechanism in place for preventing the escalation of such an occurrence on campus.

As both Republicans and Democrats struggled for the senate majority in the fall of 2006, the Missouri senatorial election between Claire McCaskill and incumbent Jim Talent was one of the most-watched races nationally, with McCaskill emerging victorious.

The University had a particular political interest in favor of the proposed Amendment 2 that allows for embryonic stem cell research, which could potentially lead to cures for injuries and diseases such as Parkinson’s, diabetes and cancer. The School of Medicine was concerned that if the amendment did not pass, it would lose scientists who incorporate stem cells into their research. The University made a bold political move by sending all students a letter that encouraged them to vote in favor of the amendment, which eventually passed with 51 percent of the votes.

A series of notable speakers visited the University, including renowned autistic professor of animal science Temple Grandin and a 2008 presidential contender, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. Current U.S. Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. presided over the School of Law Moot Court competition and former Associate Justice Sandra Day O’Connor visited first-year law school classes.

The University took the lead nationally in commemorating the 150th anniversary of the infamous Dred Scott decision by hosting a national symposium in March.

In the 2006-2007 year student participation increased in the campus-wide events of Dance Marathon and Relay for Life, both of which broke fundraising records by raising hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Scott Bressler

This school year started with students protesting the Student Technology Fee rate hike. As the year progressed, tensions cooled as Student Technology Services backed off and wireless Internet gradually became accessible around campus.

October brought racism and other forms of discrimination to the forefront of campus as a student’s car was vandalized with a slur. Student groups continued to lobby for a sexual assault coordinator but were unsuccessful even as they succeeded in establishing a coordinator for the LGBTQIA community. As a result of these tensions, Connect 4 was created to address discrimination on campus.

The school hosted several famous and highly controversial speakers throughout the year. Alberto Gonzales spoke at the 560 Building, and his $30,000 speaking fee sparked a peaceful protest led by the College Democrats and other groups. Other notable speakers included Newark Mayor Cory Booker, author Alan Lightman, political pundit Paul Begala, Loveline’s Dr. Drew, actor Peter Sarsgaard and comedian Margaret Cho.

Inflatable couches returned to W.I.L.D. as rapper Lupe Fiasco headlined the fall show and funk star George Clinton headlined the spring show. Other notable performers were Stars, who played at WUStock, and Cascada, who gave a brief performance that disappointed many. A student was tasered by the Washington University Police Department (WUPD) while resisting arrest at the Gargoyle, overshadowing Girl Talk’s concert there.

WUPD had its hands full this school year as multiple robberies occurred over winter break in the Myers and Hurd dorms. Many students became more conscious of their surroundings after a freshman was mugged at gunpoint on the South 40.

Several influential professors changed their roles at the University. Professor Richard Smith, who taught the popular Introduction to Human Evolution course, left the anthropology department to become the dean of Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. Tzachi Zach, popular accounting professor, will now teach at Ohio State after being denied tenure.

November saw upheaval in the engineering school as Dean Mary Sansalone came under fire from faculty and students. Sansalone announced her resignation as dean in Feb. 2008.

Politics played a growing role in student life in conjunction with the University’s selection as the host site for the 2008 vice presidential debate next October. Chelsea Clinton led a question and answer session at Kayak’s Coffee while many students were dismayed to find that the University would not allow Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), a presidential candidate, to speak on campus in the run-up to Super Tuesday. This incident sparked the creation of the Student Civic Initiative, which aims to increase campus involvement in politics.

Online war also came to the University as hundreds of students battled over the Danforth Campus in a massive GoCrossCampus game. Other Web sites such as Facebook were in the spotlight for gathering users’ personal information and selling it to companies.

Several construction projects were completed or neared completion this year. The new 560 Building debuted in a sea of controversy as a cappella groups protested their off-campus relocation. The Danforth University Center will be ready this fall, and several departments from the School of Law and the College of Arts & Sciences will begin moving into Seigle Hall over the summer.

New construction continues as the University announced plans to tear down Umrath House this summer in order to make room for a new Wohl Center.

In the world of sports, the men’s basketball team captured the school’s first-ever national championship title for a men’s team and the women’s volleyball team captured its Division III-record ninth national championship. The athletics program was ranked first in Div. III and seventh in all divisions by Hall of Fame Magazine. For the first time in school history, the University led all schools in the Director’s Cup, as the women’s track and field team took third place at nationals, the highest in program history. The women’s cross country team, which took third, and men’s soccer team, which took sixth, also matched their best finishes at their respective national tournaments. The men’s tennis team defeated UAA rival Emory University for the first time in program history.

Sustainability rose to the forefront of campus debate, as groups like Green Action led the charge for greener facilities. Bear’s Den now has metal silverware, and a sustainable garden created by the Burning Kumquat took root. Green Action’s Sustainabilitree joined the ranks of various artwork done on campus, including the bubble wrapping of Bowles Plaza and the bed outside Olin Library.

Mother Nature continued to fluctuate throughout the year as the University was blanketed in more than six inches of snow in March. A 5.2 magnitude earthquake rocked St. Louis in the middle of April, surprising many members of the community.

Dance Marathon broke records as other successful student-led events such as Relay for Life, Thurtene Carnival, Diwali, Lunar New Year Festival and Carnaval continued to unite the community.

The Student Union (SU) executive board was elected largely unopposed and encountered controversy in the proposal and confirmation of the 2008-2009 general budget upon taking office. Several student groups facing funding cuts mobilized their supporters, as the budget was passed by Treasury only to be rejected by the Senate. The deadlock was broken during an emergency joint session and the budget passed with only three minutes to spare.