I feel like everyone rushed this year. I decided to rush but I got dropped from the only two sororities I felt like I connected with. Now I feel like everyone is in Greek Life and I missed my opportunities to make friends and be part of a social organization. What should I do? This feels suffocating and lonely…help!

In the fall of 2023, junior Sophie Lin, along with juniors Chethan Chandra and Aspen Schisler, curated a collection of student artwork reflecting experiences of queer students at WashU. “I did this art show last year and people seemed really into it and I would really love to bring it back,” Lin recalled telling staff at the Center for Diversity and Inclusion (CDI). The opening reception is Thursday, Jan. 16 at 5 p.m., and is open to all WashU students as well as other community members. The exhibit will remain open in the Steinberg Gallery until Monday, Jan. 20, and is free to all.

I’m so excited to have a break from classes, but I’m kind of dreading going home for such a long time. I’ve grown apart from most of my high school friends, and I don’t feel as connected to my hometown. During the break, I’m going to miss all of my WashU friends. How do I get through this when I feel like a stranger in my own town?

Some fun recipes you can make in your dorm!

Finally feeling settled into your sophomore-year housing? Too bad. It’s time to start thinking about housing for next year! You’ll want to get a head start because, unfortunately, junior year housing is probably the most chaotic. For one, you’ll most likely be transitioning into apartment living for the first time, which is a big change. This comes with an avalanche of options, from locations, to layouts, to buildings.

This past weekend, Ashoka, WashU’s South Asian Student Association, put on its annual Diwali show in Edison Theater. This year’s theme was Rang & Rhythm. The performance is the result of the practice and hard work of a variety of student groups, as well as the coordination efforts of Ashoka executives.

“Diwali 2024: Rang and Rhythm” is the first show of the school year in the annual circuit of student-run cultural showcases taking place in Edison Theater. It is a massive production put on by Ashoka, WashU’s South Asian student association, in collaboration with many other student groups who perform in the show. The production is a collection of acts from a variety of different cultures in South Asia, which all fit together to make a lively and vibrant show that features over 200 students and staff members. 

“These are amazing!” a customer called out to senior Christina Oates as they browsed her booth. A couple booths away, junior Macy Iyer was selling her ceramics so fast that she only had one piece left by the end of the event. Further down, a customer eagerly waited to buy a crochet top from junior Peyton Moore’s booth. “It’s kind of empowering to see how other people respond to what you’ve created,” Oates said. 

Dear Scene,  I have a class with an ex-girlfriend, and she sits super close to me but doesn’t say hi, and it’s a small class…help!

“I’ve been in St. Louis for three years now, and I’ve never spent a summer here,” said senior Caroline Fong. She and many other St. Louis Fellows echoed the same sentiment: while WashU is in St. Louis, students find it hard to actually engage with the community. In the business of changing that, the Gephardt Institute runs their St. Louis Fellows Program each summer.