Humanities & Society

On the occasion of the City of Clayton’s centennial year, Washington University’s Assembly Series will present a panel discussion exploring the region’s future prospects and opportunities for growth featuring leading international authorities from our institution: William Powderly, Peter Raven and Holden Thorp. The “Innovation and Infinite Possibilities in the 21st Century” program will begin at 7 p.m Wednesday, November 6 in Simon Hall May Auditorium on the Danforth Campus.

The newly renovated Whittemore House has a new look, a new menu and its old chef. Jim Huber is back in the Whittemore House kitchen serving local food with an international flair. The historic club also is serving weekday breakfast, Wednesday bistro dinners and monthly wine dinners.

Washington University School of Law will celebrate 40 years of clinical education and community collaborations at the 13th annual Access to Equal Justice Conference from noon-4 p.m. Friday, Nov. 1, in Anheuser-Busch Hall’s Bryan Cave Moot Courtroom. The conference is free and open to students, faculty, staff and the public.

Nirupama Rao, Indian ambassador to the United States, spoke about U.S. and India relations during a visit to Washington University in St. Louis Oct. 19. Rao’s lecture served as the capstone to the Washington University in St. Louis-Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB) Corporate Conclave. Leadership from WUSTL, IITB and several major international corporations gathered in St. Louis for the conclave, aimed at strengthening the U.S.-India connection related to innovation and education, particularly in addressing pressing global issues.

Remember the thrill of trick-or-treating as a child? The excitement of going door-to-door on Oct. 31? Well, here’s your chance to relive that treasured childhood tradition — 2013 style! It’s called Trick or Tweet, and the treat at the end could be an iPad Mini for an Arts & Sciences undergrad.

National child welfare experts Jack Tweedie (left) and L. Carol Scott visited the Brown School Oct. 18 to headline a Policy Forum discussion on the legislative landscape at the state level regarding child well-being. The Policy Forum is the Brown School’s signature effort to actively explore issues in social and health policy, and this particular panel is part of an ongoing series throughout the year that will focus on children.

Veteran physician Cheri LeBlanc, MD, has been treating patients during one of life’s most critical periods — the college years. As the new director of student health and wellness, LeBlanc hopes to educate students in ways that will last a lifetime.

A new exhibit, “In Character: The Life and Legacy of Mary Wickes,” celebrates the legacy of character actress and Washington University in St. Louis alumna Mary Wickes. Events include a screening of Sister Act, one of Wickes’ later films, and a lecture with biographer Steve Taravella.

Evolutionary biologist W.D. Hamilton predicted that organisms ought to evolve the ability to discriminate degrees of kinship so as to refine their ability to direct help to individuals with whom they shared the most genes. But two WUSTL biologists point out that there seem to be many cases where “a veil of ignorance” prevents organisms from gaining this kind of information, forcing them to consider a situation from the perspective of all members of their group instead of solely from their own perspective or that of their close kin.

In Michelle Alexander’s book, The New Jim Crow, the civil rights lawyer and professor offers surprising revelations about how our current prison system and drug policies are condeming a large population of African Americans to a life of second-class statush. Alexander will deliver a lecture on the subject at noon on Friday, November 1 for the Assembly Series and the Law School’s Public Interest Law and Policy Speakers Series.