By any metric, last year was not the outcome that the 13 juniors in charge of the ThurtenE carnival had envisioned after months of meticulous and intensive planning.

One year later, a new class of juniors has taken over the parking lot for setup week, spending 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. outside Simon Hall to coordinate the arrival of carnival rides and supervise student groups as they build their booths. 

Simone Biles was announced as the 2025 Commencement speaker by Chancellor Andrew Martin at the annual Class Toast event on March 31. 

Oh, the hot dog. An American staple that conjures up images of backyard barbecues on the Fourth of July, watching your favorite baseball team from the stands, and maybe even a trip to Coney Island.

It’s a tale as old as time: You pack your bag with all your required readings and head to a nearby coffee shop with good reviews online, only to find that the layout of the cafe makes it absolutely impossible to get any work done. You order an expensive latte anyway — you’re already here, might as well — but you end up chatting with a friend or getting distracted by your phone instead of having the productive day you had planned.

Professors, researchers, graduate students, and PhD candidates stood across the street from the Barnes-Jewish Hospital on Friday afternoon holding signs that read “My research saves lives, cutting my funding will not” and “Science not silence.” As cars drove by and honked in support, the group of a few hundred protesters cheered and clapped. 

As a small group of graduate students listened in the audience, MD/PhD student Jamie Moffa explained how to convey the importance of their research to local and state legislators.

The students were gathered — both in McDonnell Hall and at WashU’s medical campus — as part of a nationwide day of action through the organization Labor for Higher Education to phone bank in opposition to recent proposed funding cuts to the National Institute of Health (NIH). 

When Reverend Jonathan Weaver arrived at WashU as a first-year in 1968, there were 27 Black students in his class. Just a few months after he moved in, Weaver helped organize a sit-in to protest an incident of police violence toward a Black student that led to meaningful changes on campus that are still in effect today, including the creation of the African and African American Studies Department. 

At 6 p.m. this evening, WashU alumni Rev. Jonathan Weaver will be addressing an audience at Graham Chapel to talk about his role in organizing a sit-in at Brookings Quadrangle in 1968 where students protested against racism. 

This February, the Association of Black Students (ABS) has a lineup of events centered around education and elevating Black students at WashU. From a Super Bowl watch party to a panel with Black law professionals, sophomore and ABS President Spencer Snipe hopes to engage the whole WashU community this month. 

Junior Jasmine Wright has entered her third track season at WashU with a bang. Wright was recently named University Athletic Association (UAA) Athlete of the Week and just took first at the John Croft Invitational with a time of 7.71 seconds in the 60 meter dash. Wright sat down with Student Life to discuss how her team pushes her to do better, her goals for the future, and what songs she’s bumping before a meet.