The Columns Weekly - Friday, Sept. 4, 2026 From The Columns Lindley Center for Student Wellness Becomes W&L’s Second LEED Gold Certified Building The building, which opened in August 2025, joins Childress Hall to earn the global sustainability certification. Campus Kitchen Announces 2026-2027 Just Food Series The annual event series examines how food systems interact with issues of social justice. Discovery Through Dance Nava Berwick ’27 explored culture, society and religion in Japan and Indonesia this summer through the Johnson Opportunity Grant program. Read More W&L News on The Columns Employee Accolades Opinio Juris Hosts Symposium on Mark Drumbl’s Reframing Transitional Justice Five scholars examine and respond to the new volume co-edited by Drumbl and Kirsten Fisher. Bill Hamilton Interviewed on CBS Evening News Segment The John T. Perry Professor in Research Science discussed tourist-animal interactions following a recent bison attack in Yellowstone National Park. Alex Rabar Profiled by the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators W&L’s chief public safety officer was featured in the member spotlight series “Behind the Uniform.” Want to be recognized for your work or do you have a colleague who should be recognized for their accomplishments? Simply use the employee accolade submission form. Rise Digital Display Guidelines Looking for information about how you can promote your content on the Rise digital display network? The Rise network includes over 40 screens across campus informing the W&L community about relevant news, activities and events. Content submissions for Rise are only accepted through the Web Help Desk, and the submission guidelines can be viewed online. Only requests placed through the Web Help Desk that meet the requirements will be approved for posting on Rise displays. Questions should be directed to Brian Laubscher, director of internal communications, at blaubsch@wlu.edu or x8676. Meet a Colleague Meet a Colleague: Rob Straughan Rob Straughan is the Crawford Family Dean of the Williams School of Commerce, Economics, and Politics. Learn more about Rob in our "Meet a Colleague" feature series. Scene On Campus President Ken Ruscio ’76 addresses faculty and staff at a breakfast on the Law School Lawn. View Photos Get to Know Your Newest Co-Workers New Employee Q&A Get to know the newest members of the Washington and Lee employee workforce through our new employee feature page! This week, we feature six new employees who have joined the W&L community in recent weeks. Support the Generals! Football and women's soccer host games on campus this week. Featured Social Media Site Follow the W&L football team through its Instagram page! Make sure to follow all the university's social media channels for more information about happenings on our campus! Twitter/X - @wlunews | @wlulex | @wlulaw Facebook - Washington and Lee University | Working at W&L Instagram - @wlunews | @wlulex | @wlulaw Upcoming Events Art Museum Block Party! 1-3 p.m. Watson Galleries and Reeves Museum Lawn Celebrate the start of the Fall Term with an Art Museum block party from the northern end of the Colonnade to Watson Galleries. The party will feature food and drinks, lawn games, museum swag, and an artist-led seal carving workshop. This event is free and open to the W&L campus community. The program is in part supported by the Center for International Education. More Info 21st Annual Tom Wolfe Weekend Sept. 4-5 W&L will host its 21st annual Tom Wolfe Weekend Sept. 4-5. The weekend’s seminar will feature George Saunders, whose new novel “Vigil” has been named a New York Times bestseller. This year’s seminar is co-sponsored by the Office of Lifelong Learning and the Roger Mudd Center for Ethics. Saunders will present the keynote address at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 4, in University Chapel, followed by a book signing in Washington Hall. The keynote address and additional programming on Saturday are free and open to the public. More Info University Faculty Meeting 4:10-5:30 p.m. Stackhouse Theater The first university faculty meeting of the 2026-27 academic year will be held in Stackhouse Theater on Sept. 7. Community Engagement Fair 1-3:30 p.m. Temporary tent near Graham-Lees Learn about volunteer and service opportunities from 30+ community organizations across the Rockbridge area. There will be free t-shirts, cupcakes and a prize raffle. All W&L students, faculty, and staff are welcome. Lenfest Outreach & Engagement Film Series “BASQUIAT” 7-10 p.m. Stackhouse Theater The Lenfest Center for the Arts presents a screening of the 1996 film “BASQUIAT.” The event, which is free and open to the public, is part of the Lenfest Center’s Outreach & Engagement (O&E) Series, which fosters immersive and collaborative university-community interactions. More Info Liberating Ideas Constitution Day Panel 5:30 p.m. Northen Auditorium W&L will mark its annual Constitution Day celebration with a panel of faculty members discussing several important cases from the U.S. Supreme Court's 2025-26 term. The event is free and open to the public. Lucas Morel, John K. Boardman Jr. Professor of Politics, will moderate the panel. He will be joined on stage by Mark Rush, Stanley G. and Nikki Waxberg Professor of Politics and Law and director of the Center for International Education; Nathan Dean, assistant professor of Law, Justice and Society; and Maureen Edobor ’17L, assistant professor of law. More Info “Meet the Press” Panel 5:30 p.m. Hillel House Washington and Lee University will host a “Meet the Press” panel with Virginia journalists at the Hillel House. The panel is free and open to the public and is sponsored by W&L’s Knight Program in Media Ethics and the Office of Community-Based Learning. More Info

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