Newsroom Stories

Applicants to Washington University in St. Louis now have an alternative to the trouble-plagued Common Application, which has been a source of frustration for prospective students, high school counselors, colleges and universities nationwide.

Shrinivas Kulkarni, McArthur Professor of Astronomy & Planetary Science at Caltech, will deliver the sixth annual Robert M. Walker Distinguished Lecture at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7, in Room 100, Whitaker Hall, on the Danforth Campus of Washington University in St. Louis. The talk, titled “Booms, Burps & Bumps: the Dynamic Universe,” describes transient astronomical objects, violent, deep sky events typically visible only for a few days. It is free and open to the public.

In the age of e-readers, is the printed book obsolete? On Thursday, Nov. 7, cultural historian Robert Darnton—author of The Case for Books: Past, Present, and Future—will present the keynote address for “Celebrating Our Books, Recognizing Our Authors,” Washington University in St. Louis’ 12th annual faculty book colloquium.

The Congressional Medal of Honor is the United States’ highest award for valor in combat. It is very hard to get. Since being signed into law by Abraham Lincoln, only 3,468 medals have been awarded — 70 percent of them posthumously. In Beyond Glory, actor and playwright Stephen Lang — perhaps best known as Colonel Quaritch in Avatar — presents eight of these stories in the words of the men who lived them.

Rich Luenemann, Washington University in St. Llouis’ head women’s volleyball coach since 1999, will not be returning to the Danforth Campus following his leave of absence, director of athletics John Schael has announced.

For just the second time in school history, the Washington University in St. Louis women’s soccer team is ranked No. 1 in the National Soccer Coaches Association Top-25 Poll, the association announced last week.

Tiny ghosts, goblins and witches enjoyed face painting and candy at Safe Trick or Treat, a Campus Y tradition.

“Over the last decade, J. Robert Lennon’s literary imagination has grown increasingly morbid, convoluted and peculiar,” writes The New York Times Book Review, “just as his books have grown commensurately more surprising, rigorous and fun.” Lennon, the Visiting Hurst Professor of Creative Writing at Washington University in St. Louis, will host a pair of events Nov. 5 and 7.

Office for International Students and Scholars and the Career Center offered international students a crash course in putting and driving at Forest Park.

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.