The anticipating audience hushed, then broke into applause as actress Marissa Bode entered Graham Chapel and took the stage to speak about an issue very close to her heart. Bode, who was paralyzed at age 11 in a car accident, has recently found the spotlight through her role as Nessarose in the films “Wicked” and “Wicked: For Good.” Her visit to WashU on Oct. 17 through the Congress of the South 40 Speaker Series gave her a chance to speak on issues such as authentic casting, harmful stereotypes, and disability inclusion in Hollywood. 

Dec. 9 was a great yet terrible day for me. I saw 12 kids apparently improvise an amazing song-and-dance number to a classic Rolling Stones track, complete with harmony! I saw the humiliation of a manipulative cheerleading coach, and I saw one of the best kisses ever. This, of course, was the “Glee” episode titled “Sectionals,” and it made me very happy inside.