Author: Diane Toroian Keaggy

Veteran and Brown School student James Petersen is organizing the biggest Veterans Day event in recent university history featuring panel of combat veterans and an address by U.S. Sen. Claire. McCaskill. After serving in Iraq’s infamous Abu Ghraib prison, Petersen suffered from PTSD. The therapy he received inspired him to earn his master in social work so he can help other veterans.

Urban Cusp founder and former Washington Post columnist Rahiel Tesfamariam will kick off Africa Week at 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 30, in Hillman Hall. Sponsored by the African Students Association, Africa Week explores African education, activism, cuisine and commerce.

The eyes of the world will be on this very stage beginning at 8 p.m. (CDT) tonight. Here’s a behind-the-scenes look.

Political journalist Ezra Klein explains that it’s imperative for American voters to focus less on the candidates and more on the structure of our democracy.

The KIPP College Partnership will connect Washington University to bright, young minds across the country, create a more diverse student body and deepen ties with KIPP St. Louis, which educates 1,200 students at its two elementary and two middle schools. Washington University is KIPP St. Louis’ public charter school sponsor.

For years, Washington University in St. Louis faculty and staff have supported the United Way through their generous financial support. Now, they may also give their time. Washington University Human Resources and WashU Engage have joined together to help employees find volunteer opportunities in the St. Louis community. As an incentive, the university will provide up to a half day for employees to volunteer.

Some 2,065 Washington University in St. Louis students have registered using TurboVote. And thousands more have registered online or in their home state. The Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement is working to boost the campus registration rate to 80 percent and the registered voter participation rate to 65 percent.

Thousands of photographers, videographers and writers will descend on Washington University in St. Louis Oct. 9 to cover the presidential debate. But in mid-20th-century America, another sort of journalist was part of the media mix — the illustrator. The Douglas B. Dowd Modern Graphic History Library features hundreds of images of politicians, the electoral process and American voters.

Cassie Klosterman, a voter engagement fellow at Washington University’s Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement and a 2016 graduate in Arts & Sciences, talks about her recent experiences as a delegate at College Debate 16. The national gathering of college students was sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates.

The Olin Library Transformation project, a renovation of John M. Olin Library, has been delayed due to the discovery of a rock shelf beneath the building. The renovated library now is expected to open in spring 2018.