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The independent newspaper of Washington University in St. Louis since 1878 VOLUME 142, NO. 1 THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2020 WWW.STUDLIFE.COM 1000 STUDENTS VISIT ST. LOUIS KWUR CONTINUES Behind the scenes Some ways to KWUR staff to of the three-week break out of the continue being on long coronavirus WU bubble this WU airwaves from class semester home (Scene, pg 3) (Scene, pg 4) (Cadenza, pg 8) ‘We have to be vigilant’: WU medical Chancellor experts weigh in on fall testing strategy Emeritus William H. Danforth dies at 94 JADEN SATENSTEIN SENIOR EDITOR William H. Danforth II, the thirteenth chancellor of Washington University, died Wednesday, Sept. 16 at his home in Ladue at the age of 94, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. The grandson of Ralston Purina Company founder William H. Danforth I, Danforth was born in St. Louis in 1926. After graduating from Princeton University in 1947, Danforth attended Harvard Medical School and served as a Navy physician during the Korean War. He then joined the Washington University School of Medicine faculty as a cardiologist. Danforth later became Vice Chancellor for Medical Affairs and then, in 1971, Chancellor of Washington University, succeeding Thomas H. Eliot. CHRISTINE WATRIDGE | STUDENT LIFE During his 24-year tenure, Junior William Satloff tests himself for coronavirus at Washington University’s West Campus testing site. The saliva test, which was devel- Danforth oversaw a significant oped by the Medical School, is required of all returning students. Most undergraduates in the St. Louis area will be tested every two weeks. increase in the University’s endowment, campus construc- TED MOSKAL second problem is that from the additional people with infection widespread interpretation of nega- tion and scholarship funding. SENIOR NEWS EDITOR time when you were exposed to who you wouldn’t catch through tive test results could undermine He also established 70 addi- COVID until the time when you other mechanisms, and so that is a the positive impact it would have. tional faculty chairs. Danforth Washington University’s may or may not present signs of recognized advantage.” We have to be vigilant. We can’t let retired in 1995 and was suc- COVID-19 testing strategy for the active virus can range between Still, according to both Hsueh our guard down even with a nega- ceeded by Mark S. Wrighton. the fall semester will combine two and fourteen days, so this and Lawrence, even the most com- tive test result.” Often referred to as “Chan mass asymptomatic testing with is just an extremely challenging prehensive testing plan is bound In order to crack down on this Dan,” Danforth was mar- more targeted diagnostic testing position.” to fail without the cooperation of type of reckless behavior, Wild ried to Elizabeth “Ibby” Gray for members of the University Despite these challenges, the the University community when it warned that those violating social Danforth, who died in 2005. community. Food and Drug Administration’s comes to wearing masks and social distancing guidelines will face seri- The then-named Hilltop Upon arrival to campus, all emergency authorization of a distancing. ous consequences. Campus was renamed to the undergraduate, graduate and new PCR saliva test developed by “Because of all those problems “We’ve been proactive and clear Danforth Campus in 2006 in professional students will be Washington University’s depart- with detecting the virus and iden- that we are going to take violations honor of Danforth and his required to complete a COVID ment of genetics in collaboration tifying people with the virus, you very seriously,” Wild said. “If we family. test. Students living in Residential with biotech company Fluidigm have to assume that at any point find out about egregious violation “I think it’s an extremely Life housing will receive tests at a has the potential to strengthen in time you could be shedding the of the public health principles, kind thing for people to do,” facility on West Campus as part of the University’s testing capacity. virus, because you can’t tell based that could lead to suspension or Danforth said to Student the check-in process before pro- The new test is less invasive than on how you feel, you can’t tell nec- expulsion.” Life in a February 2006 inter- ceeding to their housing. Students a nasal swab, which can often be essarily unless you just got a viral However, Wild acknowledged view. “I’ve had the privilege living off campus in the St. Louis uncomfortable for those being test,” Hsueh said. “You can’t tell the inevitability that some students of working with some excep- area will be required to complete a tested. It also requires less effort to based on your previous viral test, would test positive for COVID, tional people over the years. test during the first week of class. process, meaning that more tests so people have to take responsibil- stating that the Habif Health and And I think I got a lot of credit Over the course of the semester, can be processed more quickly. ity and act like they themselves Wellness Center is up to the job of for things other people did. I only undergraduate students will “As with most universities, could have the virus at all times.” handling any potential outbreaks. feel extremely lucky to have receive mass asymptomatic testing when we were planning in April, According to Lawrence, test- “What’s also important is the been a part of Washington every two weeks, due to their sta- May and June, there were not ing is important, but it is far from preparation for when we have University.” tus as a high risk population. widely available tests,” Interim the most essential piece of the cases, that we’re able to iden- Current Chancellor Andrew Diagnostic testing will fol- Vice Chancellor for Student University’s COVID prevention tify them quickly, that we have Martin said that Danforth low CDC guidelines, meaning Affairs Rob Wild said. “Part of plan. adequate staffing on the contact leaves behind a legacy of lead- that those showing symptoms of [the reasoning for] our delay of the “Let’s make sure we all look at tracing side as well as on the medi- ership and service that has COVID-19, as well as those who fall semester was to prepare and testing as what it is, and that it’s cal side,” Wild said. “We’ve really had a lasting impact on the have been potentially exposed to to make sure that we would have one piece of a bigger mitigation ramped up our operations out of University community. the virus, will be tested and poten- adequate testing capabilities.” strategy,” Lawrence said. “And Habif Health and Wellness Center “Most notably, we will tially moved to isolation housing. The approval of the saliva PCR it’s not even the most important so that when students either need remember Bill for taking the The University’s executive plan- test allowed the University to piece. The most important thing is to be quarantined or that they do University from what was once ning committee, which includes introduce regular asymptomatic just the masking and the distanc- test positive, that we have as a safe, known as a commuter campus over 200 faculty and staff, has been testing of undergraduates every ing, because quite honestly if there comfortable place where they can to the world-renowned insti- working all summer to develop this two weeks into its testing strategy was a way to ensure 95% perfect recover in isolation housing.” tution it is today, including plan. Dr. Kevin Hsueh, the medi- as announced in an email, Aug. use of masking and distancing, we Although testing is important, raising the prominence of the cal director of the Antimicrobial 31. wouldn’t even need any testing. Wild maintained that the coop- School of Medicine—Bill’s Stewardship Program at Barnes- Dr. Steve Lawrence, one of the But we have it, and so it is some- eration of the student body when academic ‘home’ and the place Jewish Hospital and member University’s top experts in viral thing that is one more tool in our it comes to masking and social where his leadership and ser- of the infectious disease unit, infectious diseases, said that the toolbox to try to keep this place as distancing will make or break the vice at Washington University described how the nature of overall effectiveness of asymp- safe as possible.” semester. began,” Martin wrote in a COVID-19 presents a particu- tomatic testing is still unclear, In fact, Lawrence expressed “We know that when these two statement to Student Life. “... larly difficult challenge for testing but it does have a few unique concern that increased testing things [masking and social dis- Indeed, anyone who has ever programs. advantages. could possibly encourage students tancing] happen, the likelihood been in the presence of Bill “COVID-19 is not a disease that “There is certainly a lot more to behave recklessly after receiving of spread reduces to nearly zero,” Danforth knows how special is super amenable to easy identifi- interest in testing asymptomatic a negative test result. Wild said. “We can see other uni- he was and how much he cared cation,” Hsueh said. “I think the people than there are data on its “Being tested regularly [could] versities that have opened that for this place and the people thing that people need to really effectiveness, and so we have been lead to a sense of feeling less vigi- have had challenges with this, and who have resided, studied and wrap their head around is that waiting [for] data as it becomes lant and saying, ‘Hey, I’m good when we have cases at Washington worked here.” people who actually are shedding available,” Lawrence said.

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