WashU’s Danforth Campus and surrounding areas were in the direct path of a tornado which touched down early in the afternoon of May 16. Radar from The Weather Channel confirmed the tornado struck the suburb of Clayton, where the Danforth Campus is located. 

WashU announced plans to rename the Robert J. Terry endowed Professorship in the School of Medicine and the annual Robert J. Terry Lecture Series in the Neuroscience Department, following a recommendation made by the University’s Naming Review Board (NRB). The removal request was submitted to the NRB in fall of 2024 by then-senior Paul Scott, with support from 11 student co-signers and a letter from the WashU Native American Students Association.

The Trump administration has revoked visas for over 25 international students at universities in the St. Louis area, including St. Louis University and Webster University, as well as terminated the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) records of select international students at WashU as reported by local news outlets on Tuesday, April 15. The government-run SEVIS database tracks information about non-immigrant students in the US, including their visa status.  

After weather-related cancellations on both Friday and Saturday this weekend, on its final day, the 90th annual ThurtenE carnival was open all day on Sunday April 6. That afternoon, two juveniles—one of whom was armed—were arrested near the carnival’s entrance; however, the event continued until its scheduled close at 8 p.m.

Last August, The Princeton Review named WashU #2 in the nation for “2025 Best Campus Food,” up from #5 in 2024. The other five schools listed are the University of Massachusetts, Amherst (No. 1), University of Richmond (No. 3), Bowdoin College (No. 4), and Cornell University (No. 5).

For the past few years, WashU students have advocated for the repatriation of the Robert J. Terry Anatomical Skeletal Collection and the renouncement of its primary collector, former head of WashU’s Anatomy Department and self-proclaimed eugenicist, Robert J. Terry. 

Last September, after April protests that resulted in over 100 arrests, the WashU board of trustees established an ad hoc committee to review the administration’s response to the protests. The committee’s findings and recommendations for how the administration should proceed were published in a final report early this morning.

Chancellor Andrew Martin was a featured speaker at the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) “Never is Now” two-day summit in New York City, Mar. 3 and 4. 

Five WashU Law professors participated in a panel that explored the implications and potential constitutional violations of the Trump administration’s recent plethora of executive orders. The event, hosted by the law school, was titled “Beyond the Headlines: Executive Orders and Presidential Power” and was held on Feb. 19.

First-year Ardan Carlisle died Dec. 19, 2024, from an undiagnosed medical condition at 18 years old. He is survived by his parents, Mike and Lada Carlisle, along with his older brother Evan.