Videos

The Mississippi River defines St. Louis, shaping its life and culture. But today, for many St. Louisans, that connection has been broken, says Derek Hoeferlin, chair of landscape architecture in the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis.

Every year, the multimedia team at Washington University chronicles the beauty of campus, the impact of faculty research and the spirit of students. The Record looks back at some of 2023’s highlights.

Bayard Rustin was the little-known architect behind the 1963 March on Washington, a key moment in the Civil Rights Movement. A new movie, “Rustin,” tells his story. In a video digitized by University Libraries, Rustin explained why the march mattered.

“Things are always happening at once,” Adam Pendleton said. “I want the paintings to be like that.” In this video, Pendleton, one of the most celebrated visual artists of his generation, talks about his artistic process and how painting echoes the movement of the body.

For the first time, WashU sponsored a hot air balloon in the Great Forest Park Balloon Race, an annual hot air balloon festival held in Forest Park. “Time Traveler” was among the dozens of entrants that delighted the STL community Sept. 15-16, 2023.

The Class of 2027 celebrated Convocation Aug. 26 in Brookings Quadrangle, heard from WashU leaders and then enjoyed Party at the Park, to kick off the academic year.

For decades, Forest Park has enticed generations of WashU community members to step outside the university’s campuses and explore. Today, students and faculty are venturing deeper into the woods to learn about the biodiversity that teems there.

For the Class of 1973, the 162nd Commencement was a day filled with emotion, especially for a mother and son who were both clad in WashU’s iconic green academic regalia: William with the Class of 2023; Barbara with the 50th Reunion Class of 1973.

In her final video, WashU graduating senior Amanda Sherman asks Chancellor Andrew D. Martin what advice he has for the Class of 2023 and why we wear funny hats at graduation.

Since 1973, WILD has been an annual tradition at Washington University in St. Louis, bringing together students for a night of unforgettable performances. To celebrate 2023’s golden WILD, the 50th anniversary of the event’s inception, look back at the history and impact of WILD over the years.