Manuel Lopez | Staff Illustrator

This semester is rapidly approaching its end, and students will soon enjoy a well-earned break for Thanksgiving. Students and faculty alike have faced many challenges this semester, including mass faculty layoffs, threats of condensing major programs, and general insecurity in the midst of the attack on academia. It’s times like these that we especially need to support and foster community. The Student Life editorial staff wants to shine a light on the members of our community who have made this semester possible yet go mostly unseen, and suggest ways that we can collectively show our gratitude. 

We want to start by thanking those who maintain and work to support the campus spaces we use daily. We are grateful for the dining workers who feed us day in and day out. We are grateful for the workers who look after our beautiful campus — the custodians who maintain the hallways, bathrooms, and the rest of campus where we live, study, and make memories. We’re grateful for the landscapers who care for the spaces that offer peace between classes. We are grateful for IT personnel who silently ensure our Wi-Fi and technology work for us around the clock. 

We are grateful for the staff who provide us with crucial resources. We appreciate the librarians, who recently faced layoffs, in our world-class library who serve as amazing resources and strive for excellence in accessing knowledge. Academic and four-year advisors guide us to graduation and give us the confidence to navigate the often challenging academic life at WashU. Finally, WashU faculty serve as the backbone of our college experiences and push us to see the world with sharper eyes and prepare us for our futures. 

We are grateful for the students who serve as crucial resources through student support groups on campus. Groups like EST, Uncle Joe’s, and SARAH volunteer many hours to help us through personal challenges. They remind us that our peers are not only skilled but committed to supporting each other.

Fostering community requires going beyond the expression of gratitude — it means shifting the way you navigate and interact with the people around you.

Far too often, students ignore and even disrespect University staff. We urge you to treat workers with the dignity and respect they deserve. Learn the names of staff members you see frequently and take a moment to ask about their day. Students should consider writing individual or collective thank-you cards to workers across campus, whether it be the custodian in your dorm or your favorite Qdoba employee. When labor conditions are not suitable for staff, consider advocating for change.

Students can also show their gratitude for faculty inside and outside of the classroom by attending office hours, participating in class discussions, and actually doing the readings. It is especially important to support untenured professors by filling out course evaluations or by sharing your appreciation for a professor in an email to the head of their department.

Finally, the editorial staff at Student Life wants to thank our readers for trusting in our journalism by continuing to read, share, and sustain our organization. We strive to keep our community informed and in productive discussion during these times. 

Keeping a newspaper afloat is ultimately a community effort, and we’re grateful to recognize all the moving parts that make us whole. 

Staff editorials reflect the opinion of the majority of our editorial board members. The editorial board operates independently of our newsroom and includes members of the senior staff.

Will Rosenblum | Managing Scene Editor

Sylvie Richards | Managing Forum Editor

Amelia Raden | Senior Forum Editor

Dion Hines | Senior Forum Editor

David Ciorba | Senior Forum Editor

Kate Theerman Rodriguez | Senior Forum Editor

Lyn Wilkins | Junior Forum Editor

Riley Herron | Editor-in-Chief

Sydney Tran | Editor-in-Chief

Kate Westfall | Managing Design Editor 

Elizabeth Grieve | Senior Scene Editor

Sophie Schwartz | Junior Scene Editor

Lewis Rand | Senior Sports Editor

Hannah Much | Junior Sports Editor

Bri Nitsberg | Managing Photo Editor

Grayce Cooper | Managing Social Media Editor

AnaElda Ramos | Managing Illustration Editor

Eran Fann | Photo Editor