‘Stay Enchanted’ at annual Thurtene Carnival

The nation’s oldest and largest student-run carnival gets under way soon. The community event brings together students, faculty and staff from WUSTL with surrounding neighbors and the greater St. Louis community for a weekend filled with rides, carnival fare and family-friendly plays. More than 80,000 people are expected to attend the Thurtene Carnival April 19-21.

Annual OT Scholarship Day is April 19

The Washington University Program in Occupational Therapy will hold its annual Scholarship Day from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, April 19, at the Eric P. Newman Education Center on the Medical Campus.

Art and Tweed bike ride Saturday​​

Experience art and history dressed in your finest knickers and caps for a St. Louis Art and Tweed Ride. Bike enthusiasts will begin their journey at the Kemper Art Museum to enjoy croissants and view the exhibit Georges Braque and the Cubist Still Life, 1928-1945, then continue on to the Saint Louis Art Museum and other sites, before returning to the Kemper.

Land Lab winners advancing sustainability in St. Louis

The City of St. Louis is poised to lead the way in innovative solutions to the national urban issue of vacant land, thanks to a unique partnership between the city and Washington University. Four of the city’s vacant lots will be the new home for five demonstration projects that test new ways to think of vacant space, thanks to the winning teams in the inaugural Sustainable Land Lab Competition.

Are human genes patentable?

On April 15, the Supreme Court will hear oral argument in Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics, a case that could answer the question, “Under what conditions, if any, are isolated human genes patentable?” Kevin Emerson Collins, JD, patent law expert and professor of law at Washington University in St. Louis, believes that layered uncertainties make this case an unusually difficult case in which to predict the outcome.

Filibuster abuse destabilizes government and is unconstitutional

Filibuster has become a popular tool for legislators. “Republicans have held the U.S. Senate hostage despite their minority status and losses in the last election,” says Merton Bernstein, emeritus professor of law at Washington University in St. Louis. “Indeed, the threat of a filibuster enables the minority to exact concessions that the electorate had already rejected in several elections. This sabotage of the democratic process not only shuts down the legislative process, short circuits the confirmation of presidential nominees, but also threatens large foreign purchases of U.S. bonds that lower interest rates for federal, state and business borrowing.”

Thirty-four ‘Green Offices’ earn certification

Two WUSTL offices earned gold-level certified in the first year of the Green Offices Program: the Institute for Public Health and Environmental Health & Safety. The program uses a points-based, self-assessment checklist so offices across the university can become sustainability champions. The plaques, made out of reclaimed lumber, embody the values of sustainability.