u/Great-Analysis-5397

Hi all,

I'm a freshman and wondering about my schedule for next semester. I'm thinking about taking 14 credits and doing both French 3070 and German 1010. Obviously, I tested into French 3, and my skills are at a point where I could definitely live there quite comfortably. German, I've never taken before. Just wanted to try it out since I got interested in it recently.

I'm wondering if that's sensible or if two language classes is too much. For context, my other classes would be Focused Physics II, Diffeq, and Physics II Lab. Any insights on how much work each of the languages gives? Any differences with different professors? (Any preferred profs?)

Thanks!!

Why did someone get arrested (at least escorted out by WUPD) at Olin earlier today?

Have there been any classes about Bosnian and/or Balkan history or culture at WashU? I feel like this history is so important to St. Louis that WashU would have to have some opportunities to learn about it, but I haven't found anything.

I mean any type of class --- from a history relating to the Balkan region, to one specifically on the Bosnian War, to an actual language class. Anything.

Hi all, I'm an incoming freshman. I'm really torn between physics and mechanical engineering and was wondering if anyone had any pointers.

Here's my situation: I feel like my dream job would be working at an accelerator like CERN or Fermilab, but I know I do NOT want to do academia. I'd want to know how the accelerators worked and be able to get hands-on with them, but also comprehend the physics and be able to be active on the physics side. I've been interested in physics since I was 10 and I can't imagine giving up on my goal of learning about the Standard Model and getting to work with real nuclear and particle physics.

In some ways, this sounds like engineering physics, which is something sadly not offered at WashU. I don't think that a double major is too feasible, either, since I really want to experiment with languages (French and German), linguistics, and history classes, as well --- I don't want to suffocate from STEM overload. Additionally, I feel like both minors are too small --- MechE's doesn't get you certified, and physics' is too basic.

Does anyone from either field have any advice or simple pointers from experience? Maybe any people I should talk to regarding this?

Additionally, I was considering the idea of a Special Major, creating my own Engineering Physics major. This was a really small idea, and the thing is that I wouldn't end up ABET-certified if I found a way to do this. I'm fully prepared to try and make it work, but I wonder if that would be too fatal of a drawback (I don't have much context for how important that is on a resumé).

In all, I just want to see if people have pointers or tips on how to make the decision, especially considering my career ideas. And then on top of that, if anyone has any insight on the Special Major and how viable of an idea that is, I'm all ears.

Thanks so much :)

Were there symbols like the SS logo and swastika — ones that were innocuous enough before some period but then became infamous — earlier in history?

I was thinking about how, nowadays, you essentially cannot place two geometric S next to each other due to similarity to the SS logo. That has been co-opted, like the swastika. Are there examples of these co-opted symbols before the 20th century? Maybe even back into medieval era?

I recognize it’s probably harder to promulgate a symbol without media, but still, there was clothing and fabrics and carvings and such… Just curious :)