Emily KuhnWashington University started off its 150th year with the announcement that the University had risen in rank to be the ninth best undergraduate program in the country, according to U.S. News & World Report. This was the University’s first appearance in the top ten. The School of Engineering & Applied Science rose to 38th best in the nation, and the Olin School of Business held its spot at 14th in the rankings.
The Sesquicentennial Celebration, commemorating the University’s 150th anniversary, brought approximately 20,000 students, faculty and community members to campus for over 200 festive events. Chancellor “Magic Mark” Wrighton wowed students and younger children alike with his Magic Show, and University alumnus Ted Drewes created a special “Ses-Quete” flavor of frozen custard to celebrate the event.
To many students’ dismay, they attended the University’s first keg-free WILD in the fall, watching Busta Rhymes perform. Live was the headliner at the spring WILD.
An October strike at local grocery stores, including Schnucks, had some students protesting outside and others crossing the picket lines to get to their groceries. Student Union provided new shuttle routes during the 25-day strike that took students to Straub’s for their shopping needs.
The Student Worker Alliance (SWA) formed in October in response to the deportation of 36 Nicaraguan grounds workers. While the return of the workers still remains uncertain, the SWA has widened its mission to pursue the implementation of a living wage on campus through events such as the “Boot the Bell” campaign against Taco Bell and a rally on the steps of Brookings Hall that brought in activists from throughout the St. Louis community.
Student Health and Counseling Services (SHCS) welcomed new Director Alan Glass after former Director Laurie Reitman decided to retire. SHCS is also considering plans for a new home on the South 40 in the future. James McLeod, vice chancellor for students and dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, announced the possible move to a yet-to-be-decided location closer to student housing.
In November, Chancellor Wrighton announced that the University would host one of the Presidential Debates in the fall of 2004. Preparations for the debate on Oct. 8, 2004, have already begun within the administration, including the recruitment of student volunteers and planning for the debate’s logistics on the basis of the University’s experience hosting debates in 1992 and 2000. The Oct. 8th Coalition, a student group formed to shed light on issues not being discussed in the debate, formed in reaction to the University’s selection as a debate host.
In local politics, two University faculty members announced they would be vying for the seat of former Missouri Congressman Dick Gephardt. Jeff Smith, adjunct professor in University College, and Mark Smith, associate dean of students at the School of Law, are competing for the Democratic nomination to run for the 3rd District seat.
Thomas Friedman drew a crowd that filled the University’s Athletic Complex for his speech about the war against Iraq as part of the Assembly Series. Friedman, a columnist for the New York Times, will return to campus this month to give the commencement address to the graduating class of 2004.
Students also had a chance to hear a voice from the political right when the Conservative Leadership Association (CLA) brought author Ann Coulter to campus for the Assembly Series. This year the CLA also sponsored a lecture about the hypocrisy of society and pitfalls of liberalism given by the WWF wrestler Ultimate Warrior.
Construction on and off campus has been an inconvenience to many students but yielded many developments. The renovated Olin Library, which has been three years in the making, will open its doors on May 7. Along with the obvious changes to the building’s outer surfaces, the changes inside include a new 24-hour caf‚ and the Arc technology center.
As library construction drew to a close, the building of the $56.8 million-dollar Sam Fox Arts Center commenced. The Arts Center, located in the parking lot east of Brookings Hall, will open in the spring of 2006 to serve as a center for fine arts at the University.
Residents of the Village and those living on Washington Avenue woke up daily to morning construction on the MetroLink expansion. The project, with an expected completion date in 2006, will add MetroLink stops at Forsyth Avenue and Skinker Boulevard.
The University’s women’s volleyball team captured their eighth national championship this year. The women clinched the title in a 3-0 win over New York University, finishing out their season with a 28-game winning streak.
Tuition increases announced at the beginning of the spring semester will bring the total cost of attending the University to over $40,000 next year. Undergraduate tuition will rise $1,400 (4.9 percent) to $29,700 for the 2004-2005 school year. The cost of living in a double room in a new residence hall with a full meal plan will rise to $10,292, bringing the total cost of attending the University to $40,838.
The Direct Connect file-sharing hub was shut down this semester after the administration became aware of the program, whose existence was largely publicized by an article in the Riverfront Times. Students reacted to the hub’s shutdown by forming an impromptu 4 a.m rally outside of Umrath Residence Hall. The Hatch, a student band, performed until University police stopped its set. Administrative letters about student file-sharing activity on Direct Connect and possible consequences have yet to be distributed.
Revisions to the Ervin Scholar Program, which opened the traditionally African-American scholarship to students of all races, brought controversy to the University’s campus. Many current Ervin Scholars saw this change as an end to the community and support system that the program had traditionally provided. While the University decided to revise the program because of pressure from the U.S. Department of Education, revisions have yet to be made to the Annika Rodriguez Scholarship program for Latin American students or the Chancellor’s Graduate Fellowship program for African-American graduate students.
The year also ended with controversy, with the surfacing of videotapes and photographs displaying questionable behavior at the Sigma Chi fraternity. The materials showed fraternity brothers and pledges dunking their heads in freezing water and throwing beer cans at each other during sexually-charged skits. The national Sigma Chi organization has suspended the University chapter for 45 days, although the University itself is still deciding what action it will take. University administrators have said they will consider Sigma Chi’s past misconduct in their final decision.