Author: Deb Parker

Nominations now are being accepted for the annual Gerry & Bob Virgil Ethic of Service Award, which honors members of the WUSTL community who exemplify a character of service and giving to the St. Louis region. The deadline for submissions is 5 p.m. Feb. 3.

Washington University in St. Louis has joined 600-plus universities in more than 100 countries as a member of United Nations Academic Impact. Academic Impact seeks to create a better world by engaging academia and fostering a culture of shared intellectual social responsibility.

Many websites and magazine articles offer ideas about how to lose weight over the holidays, but Connie Diekman, director of university nutrition at Washington University in St. Louis, says that people need to realize that weight loss during this time generally isn’t realistic. A little advance planning can ensure that, while people may not actually lose weight, they can keep weight gain in check.

These days, there’s a lot of buzz about high school students needing to prepare for a global environment. An Nov. 29 panel discussion seeks to offer students some concrete guidelines as they make the transition to college. The event primarily targets all area high school students, but it also is geared toward parents and teachers.

WUSTL Dining Services is providing a traditional Thanksgiving meal for students who will be staying in St. Louis for the holiday. The buffet with turkey and all the trimmings will be offered from 11:45 a.m.-2 p.m. Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 24, at College Hall in the South 40 House.

This winter break, the Career Center is providing all WUSTL students with several opportunities to network with industry professionals and interview for jobs and internships in cities across the country. To take advantage of these opportunities, students need to sign up or apply by Monday, Nov. 28.

WUSTL international students recently learned the intracacies of Amercian football in a workshop organized by the Office of International Students and put on by Bears football player Jonathan Paramore. The main goal was to give students enough basic knowledge so they could enjoy games with their American peers.

The Campus Y at Washington University is celebrating its 100th year on campus in 2011 and kicking off its “Strong Community Campaign” from 4:30-6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 17, at Whittemore House. The celebration is open to the public. The annual campaign helps support 28 community service programs. More than 900 students and 92 student leaders are involved with these programs.

The WashU Bhangra team performs at Edison Theatre this past weekend as part of the Diwali “Festival of Lights” celebration. Ashoka, the university’s South Asian student association, presents the annual event, one of the largest student-run productions on campus.

Graduate and professional students within the McDonnell International Scholars Academy are sharing their respective cultures with the general public in an interactive fair at the Saint Louis Science Center. The program, “Planet Passport: Your Journey to Our Multicultural World,” will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19, in the center’s May Hall on the ground floor. Free and open to the public, the hands-on learning fair is suitable for children, teens and families.