Author: Diane Toroian Keaggy

For the latest edition of WashU Spaces, Kellie Mandry, assistant director for facilities, offers a tour of a refreshed Holmes Lounge and shares what has changed and what will, forever, remain the same.

In 2014, only 15.7 percent of students voted in the midterms. The Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement, through its WashU Votes initiative, wants to increase that number to 20 percent through a number of programs and initiatives starting Monday, Sept. 24, with National Voter Registration Week.

Being the Washington University Bear mascot is hard work, especially on a Division III campus where sports take second place to studying. But three new bears will be making their debut this season, including exchange student Priyanka Deodhar. “Being a mascot is the most American thing I can think of,” said Deodhar, who arrived this semester from France. The mascot will perform at the Bears football game at 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 22.

The signs of stress, anxiety or depression in a student may be easy to spot. The hard part is knowing what to do next. Kognito At-Risk for Faculty & Staff, an online simulation tool, will help Washington University in St. Louis faculty and staff lead effective discussions with struggling students.

First-year student Nick Massenburg-Abraham was not familiar with this year’s Common Reading Program selection “Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress” or its author, Dai Sijie. But he does know something about the novel’s central theme: loss. He transformed this personal experiences into the musical composition “Reflections in D Major,”  which won the grand prize for the Common Reading Program contest.

A memorial service in honor of Zishan (Simoner) Zhao will take place at 11 a.m. Sept. 22 in Brown Hall Lounge. A reception will follow at 12:15 p.m. in Brown Hall. Zhao, a rising junior in Arts & Sciences, died June 2 in North Carolina.

Members of the Washington University in St. Louis community are invited to host Washington University students in their homes for casual dinner and conversation through the Home Plate program. Founded in 2002 by Risa Zwerling Wrighton, Home Plate helps new students feel at home in St. Louis and offers faculty, staff and alumni an opportunity to engage with talented students from across the globe.

Kawanna Leggett, executive director of residential life at Washington University in St. Louis, has been elected to the executive board of the Association of College and University Housing Officers – International. 

Washington University’s commitment to expanding opportunities for students from all socio-economic backgrounds has made a difference. Read the stories of a few stellar students.

As classes resume, members of the Washington University in St. Louis community are reminded that they can download the mobile personal safety app Noonlight (formerly known as SafeTrek) for free.