Lori White is leaving Wash. U. next month to become the president of DePauw University. But her impact on athletics here will remain, from a bolstered sense of school spirit to the athletic director’s motivation to better the experience of every student athlete.

Student athletes are our classmates, our friends; and they deserve more support from us as fellow students.

Two weeks ago, the presidential debate lit up the Washington University community into an emblazoned state of spirit—students ran across campus in their Bear apparel, debate water bottles, T-shirts and pins in tow.

Building school culture is not easy, but big universities have found a way: athletics. Nothing galvanizes a student body quite like sports.

About a month ago, I showed up to a Friday-night Washington University men’s basketball game about 30 seconds after tip-off. Despite my tardiness, I wasn’t worried about finding a seat because, after all, it’s Wash. U., so I strolled into the Field House as normal.

If you ask the average Washington University student whether he or she regularly attends athletic events to support the Bears, your odds of getting “yes” as an answer will likely be slim. Being in NCAA Division III, our athletics get much less media or national attention compared to any big university like the University of Alabama and the University of Florida. This doesn’t mean our teams don’t deserve attention.

What began as a Facebook interest group has now evolved into a full-fledged attempt to increase school spirit in the form of tailgating. This past Saturday marked the first pregame tailgate of the Bears’ football season. Around 200 students congregated outside of the DUC before the football game against Wittenberg University.

The battle lines have been drawn and a few hundred Washington University students are locked in combat with University Athletic Association conference rivals. Wash. U. students have been competing against hundreds of students from New York University, Emory University, the University of Chicago, the University of Rochester, Case Western Reserve University, Carnegie Mellon University and […]

I used to think there were more important things in the world than sports. After all, if we say something’s “for sport,” it usually implies at least some level of diversion from everyday life. Sure there’s a competitive element, but ultimately this has to take a back seat to one’s well-being, right?

What would have otherwise been a quiet Saturday on Francis Field became what Student Union hopes will turn into a school tradition of burgers, music and possibly beer.