A law professor at the University of Michigan filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court asking it to review the legal standard applied in her racial and gender discrimination case against the University of Michigan and Mark D. West, WashU’s provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs, on Oct. 27.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor spoke to a packed crowd of over 3,000 community members, students, teachers, and alumni in the Athletic Complex last Wednesday, Sept. 9. She entered and left to a standing ovation and frequently had to pause for thunderous applause. The first words from moderator Chancellor Martin were that the event had “sold out in 52 minutes.”

When Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor walked onstage Wednesday evening at the Athletic Center, she received a standing ovation from 3,000 undergraduate students, law students, professors, St. Louis residents, and local elementary school classes. The justice, dressed in a bright red blouse and matching Nike Jordans, was there to talk about her new children’s book with Chancellor Martin, but the conversation soon turned to her work on the Supreme Court. 

The Connection Points project is a walkable route opening in the next couple of weeks connecting 15 mental health locations with native plant life spread across campus. Each stop includes photos from each season, a description of the plant life, their Indigenous names, a meditation exercise, and a podcast episode expanding on the stories of the plants and WashU’s relationship to indigeneity.

On June 24, 2022, Missouri became the first state to return to having a near-total abortion ban, which was triggered by the Supreme Court striking down Roe v. Wade. The law bans abortion, with highly limited exceptions in cases of medical emergencies, and with no exceptions for victims of rape or incest. It is widely considered one of the most restrictive in the United States.

In a joint session on Tuesday, Sept. 10, Chancellor Andrew Martin addressed Student Union Senate and Treasury in a rare Q&A, expressing gratitude to the student leaders and fielding questions regarding campus protests, encampments, and concerns with Title IX policies from various Senators.