Message from the Chancellor

Welcome to the Spring 2008 issue of WU Neighbor News. This has been an eventful year for Washington University. Three important construction projects on the Danforth Campus are all nearing completion — the Danforth University Center, Siegle Hall, and the Village East Apartments. All of these buildings will be open when students return in the fall. As you will also see in this issue, several important sustainability initiatives are under way at Washington University. We continue to find new avenues to educate our community about the importance of responsible energy use and conservation, and we are seeking innovative approaches to minimizing the impact that our University operations have on the environment. 

With the 2008 Presidential Campaign season well under way, we were pleased to learn in November that Washington University had been selected again as a site for a debate — this time a Vice Presidential Debate. This is the fifth consecutive time we have been selected as a debate host by the Commission on Presidential Debates — a record among all host institutions. I am aware of the brief inconvenience that the debate will cause to our community and to our neighbors, but I am deeply appreciative of your support as we again share the opportunity to showcase our University and our region to an international audience. The Vice Presidential Debate will take place at 8 p.m. CST on Thursday, October 2, 2008. In the coming months, you will receive additional and detailed information from us about this debate, so that you are able to plan accordingly for the various street closures and increased security that will occur. 

In the meantime, I hope you are able to take advantage of the many wonderful events that will take place at Washington University this spring. Our baseball and softball teams anticipate another successful season, and we welcome you to come cheer for the Bears. Please join the excitement of Thurtene Carnival, an important community tradition that dates back over a century, as our creative and talented students open our campus to the community with an assortment of shows, rides, food, and fun, April 12-13.

If you have any suggestions regarding this newsletter or questions about other community activities, please call our community relations director, Cheryl Adelstein, at 935-5752 or any of your neighbors who serve on our Neighbors’ Council. 

Sincerely yours,

Mark S. Wrighton

Chancellor

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