February 14, 2012

American University ’s student voice since 1925

February 14, 2012 Volume 86 – Issue 17

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The caption of the Jan. 31 article “Clinton discusses shared humanity, receives “Wonk of the Year” award,” identified Alex Kreger as the president of the Kennedy Political Union. She is the director.

The Jan. 31 article “Meet your AU Board of Trustees” said trustees train the University president; they hire and assess the performance of the president but do not train him or her. The article also said there are 25 active trustees, but all trustees are active although six trustees are exoficio, faculty and student trustees. All trustees are required to serve on a committees. The article also incorrectly identified

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Corrections The Jan. 24 article “AU opens commuter lounges” incorrectly implied that the reporters had spoken with Transfer Student Association President Christina Rodriguez. At the opening ceremony, Gail Hanson, not Rodriguez, said the Transfer Student Association was looking to build community.

American University’s student voice since 1925

Diana Bowen

Pamela Deese as the current chair of the Campus Life Committee; Deese is the past chair of the committee.

The Feb. 7 article “Student petitions White House to end Super PACs” incorrectly stated that Marlena Luhr learned about the “We The People” application from Philip Scranage.

The Feb. 7 article “Army Corps uncovers Civil War-era artifacts near Kreeger building” said EPA guidelines required perchlorate levels in drinking water to be 1 ppb. The EPA instead calls for 15 ppb. The article also said Army Corps was reducing perchlorate levels at the Glenbrook property to 20 parts per billion and that AU wants it as 12.6 ppb. Rather, the Army Corps is trying to reduce arsenic levels to 20 parts per million and AU wants arsenic levels below 12.6 ppm. The article also quoted Hengst as saying groundwater from Spring Valley is funneled into the McMillan Reservoir when Hengst was talking about the Dalecarlia Reservoir.

Upcoming Events Feb. 14

Feb. 16

Feb. 17

VALENTINE’S DAY “TWILIGHT” SCREENING

UBU REX

LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS INFORMATION SESSION

Single and not in the mood to mingle? Looking for a cheap date? The Student Government’s Student Union Board is hosting a screening of “Twilight” When: 11 p.m. - 2 a.m.

Where: Ward 1 Contact: sub@ausg.org.

Feb. 15 PANEL ON HEALTHCARE AND THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT A panel of health care and government officials will explore recent healthcare legislation.

When: 7:30 - 9 p.m.

Where: SIS Founders Room Sponsered by: AU College Democrats Contact: club@aucollegedems. org

This “Macbeth” parody, directed by Cara Gabriel, opens Thursday night. Tickets for regular admission is $15 and $10 for members of the AU community and seniors.

The show runs through Feb. 18. The Saturday afternoon performance begins at 2:00 p.m.

When: 8 - 10:30 p.m.

Where: Greenberg Theatre Contact: auarts@american.edu

VAGINA MONOLOGUES

Women’s Initiative’s annual show is back! Part of the proceeds will go to the VDAY fund. The show runs through Feb. 18 and begins at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

When: 8 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Where: MGC 1 Contact: wi@ausg.org

U Abroad is hosting an information session for students interested in studying at the London School of Economics on Friday morning.

When: 11 a.m. - noon Where: MGC 203 Contact: AU Abroad at 202-8851320

Feb. 19 QURAN STUDY

The Muslim Student Association is hosting a Quran Study Sunday afternoon.

When: 2:30 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Where: Kay Lounge A Contact: Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad at 301-904-0947

Speaking out

AU students interrupt Sarah Palin speech at CPAC 4

In the hot seat

Student leaders pick nominee for student trustee 5 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2012

Fire breaks out at Avalon apartments, forcing residents to evacuate No injuries reported, according to fire chief

By LAUREN LANDAU EAGLE STAFF WRITER

News

Staff writer Zach C. Cohen and contributing writer Noah Gray contributed to this report.

LLANDAU@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

Students stack Ramen for a cause 6

3

AU hires lawyers in adjunct negotiations Union representatives lobby to adjunct professors at their homes and classrooms

By PAIGE JONES EAGLE STAFF WRITER

No residents were injured in a fire in the Avalon apartments on Massachusetts Avenue Feb. 12, but one firefighter was transported to the hospital for chest pain.

All residents were evacuated outside into below-freezing weather for about 45 minutes after two fire alarms were pulled.

The fire started in a kitchen on the second floor and did not spread beyond the unit. Fifth Battalion Fire Chief Jeffrey Herbert said he would not describe the blaze as “small,” but rather as a “working fire” with heavy smoke conditions.

“Everything was black,” said Sabrina Naimark, who lives down the hall from the fire’s origin. “There was a lot of smoke.”

Responding units required both an attack line hose and backup line to extinguish the fire, Herbert said.

Once the situation was under control, the fire department tested the building for carbon monoxide before letting people back in.

Despite the all-clear, the Avalon lobby still reeked of smoke. The rug of the second floor hallway was soaked through with water, and black ash dotted the walls.

Nine engine companies deployed to the scene, including four ladder trucks and five EMS units.

“They did a great job,” Herbert said.

“The companies followed their protocol, put the fire out quickly and contained it to the apartment of origin.”

MPD blocked off a portion of Massachusetts Avenue during the operation, forcing commuters to reroute themselves.

Officers reopened the road at 4:15 p.m.

Normal traffic patterns resumed.

GREAT WALL

Student tuition funds part of the legal counsel AU hired to contest the potential adjunct union, according to University officials. However, other revenue sources are also footing the bill because the University combines revenue from various sources and redistributes the money for expenditure.

“AU is a tuition dependent institution, with approximately 94 percent of revenue derived from student sources,” Douglas Kudravetz, the associate vice president of finance and assistant treasurer, said in an email.

AU’s revenue budget is split into five sections with tuition and fees compiling 80 percent of the budget. Residence halls and Auxiliary Services, which includes the Eagle’s Nest, Bon Appétit and the Campus Bookstore, make up 7 percent of the of the University’s income.

Student tuition will not be affected by the legal counsel and will continue to increase 3.8 percent as projected in the 20122013 budget, according to Kudravetz.

“We do not anticipate these will require us to change revenue or expenditure budgets for the next fiscal year,” President Neil Kerwin said in a Jan. 23 memo.

The money used to pay for this legal representation will be filed under the General Counsel’s office in the “Supplies and Other” section of the budget with other service contracts. “Supplies and Other” makes up 29 percent of AU’s expenditures.

“The General Counsel’s office will make adjustments to its budgeted allocation to accommodate the project [legal counsel],” Kudravetz said in an email. “It does not need to seek funds from other areas of the budget for this project.”

AU and the Service Employee International Union Local 500 are both mandated by law to have legal representation until

both parties are satisfied with an outcome of negotiations.

AU violated federal labor law in ’07 AU shuttle drivers are the most recent campus group to unionize. They voted to join the Teamster Local 922 union in 2007.

That year, the National Labor Relations Board, which mediates between employers and workers who want to unionize, said the University violated federal labor law and ordered AU to recognize and bargain with the union.

The board also ordered AU to post copies of a notice declaring that federal law permits joining or forming a union and that AU will not refuse to bargain with the shuttle drivers union.

The University said it refused to bargain because it objected to the validity of the election. AU was then required to bargain with the union by law of the NLRB, according to the Sept. 25 order.

Union won’t increase ’12-13 tuition The University has already determined tuition will increase 3.8 percent for fall 2012, regardless of whether the union is approved.

“We do not anticipate any change to that [increase],” Kudravetz said. “Dr. Kerwin’s Campus Update memo on January 23rd indicated that the current budget year is on track to be balanced and no adjustments are anticipated for FY13 [Fiscal Year 13], which was approved by the Board one year ago.”

The Board of Trustees approves tuition increases every other February for the next two fiscal years. In February 2011, the board approved the 3.8 percent tuition increase for fall 2011 and fall 2012, The Eagle previously reported.

The shuttle drivers unionized in summer 2007, after the Board had already approved a 6 percent tuition increase for fall 2007 and fall 2008.

Tuition increased 5 percent in fall 2010 and fall 2011.

College of Arts and Sciences Adjunct Professor Erik Cooke said he would rethink his decision to support a union if it raised student tuition.

“If they did raise tuition [because of an adjunct union], I’d have to think hard on it,” he said.

Representatives try to catch the adjunct faculty members whenever they can, including at their homes, recognizing that adjunct professors often have busy schedules.

“With a university campaign, we usually try to reach adjuncts on campus and occasionally if we have a home address, we do home visits,” SEIU Local 500 coordinator Anne McLeer said. “It’s not usually necessary though.”

McLeer said she approached George Washington University adjunct faculty members at their homes when she was an adjunct for the university. GWU adjunct faculty unionized in 2008.

“I’ve always had positive reactions,” she said.

McLeer said she has not heard any complaints of union representatives bothering AU adjuncts at their home.

CAS adjunct professor Cooke said he did not know of anyone who was approached at his or her house by a union representative. He said it is in the best interest of the union to approach adjuncts favorably.

“They’re not going to win us over if they’re badgering,” Cooke said.

CAS Adjunct Professor Mark Plane compared union representatives visiting adjunct houses to canvassing organizations such as Jehovah’s Witnesses and political campaign canvassers.

“If you don’t want someone at your door, just tell them they’re not welcome,” he said.

Plane said he has enjoyed all his encounters with union representatives.

“They have all been exceedingly polite,” he said. “As long as they are civil and adhering to any and all laws, it’s exceedingly important to keep talking.”

Plane said an adjunct who is also pursuing a doctorate degree told Plane he could not talk to him about the union vote because he was afraid for his career.

Ph.D. students who are also adjuncts cannot vote in the election.

However, Cooke said he appreciates the University’s stance in this issue.

“I’m gratified the University made their opinions known and how respectful they’ve been,” Cooke said. “I’ve felt no pressure.”

PJONES@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

Union reps reach out to adjuncts SEIU Local 500 representatives have been contacting adjunct faculty to encourage them vote.

theEAGLE NEWS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2012

4

AU students heckle Sarah Palin at CPAC Protestors escorted from the building by security officials

By ALEX GRECO EAGLE STAFF WRITER

A group of Occupy protesters mainly comprised of AU students crashed the Conservative Political Action Conference Feb. 11 at the Marriott Wardman Park hotel by heckling former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin during her speech.

About 15 protesters participated in a “mic check” during the speech, which consisted of one person shouting and the group following his lead. Leo Zausen, a freshman in the School of Public Affairs and the College of Arts and Sciences, led the “mic check.”

The group was thrown out of the conference by a mix of Secret Service members, police and volunteers, Zausen said. The audience shouted “USA! USA!” as the demonstrators left.

“It was for the purpose of getting our voice heard and letting people know what we actually stand for,” said Ashley Weston, a freshman in the School of International Service who participated in the “mic check.”

Zausen said CPAC officials expelled the group without a specific reason.

“I would imply that we were interrupting Sarah Palin’s speech,” Zausen

said. “But we were just using our first amendment just like she was using hers so we had every right to be in there as she did.”

The protesters said the goal of the “mic check” was to read Occupy’s declaration. However, they were thrown out of the hotel before they could do so.

Weston said the protesters read the declaration on the street outside of the conference instead.

“We weren’t trying to make a whole commotion,” Weston said. “We weren’t trying to make this a big deal. It was supposed to be just a peaceful thing: We go, we say a little bit, we say a little something, and then, regardless of whether or not we were thrown out of the hotel, we were going to exit peacefully after we’ve said what we wanted to say.”

AU student demonstrators each paid the $35 entrance fee to get into the hotel. Weston said some protestors obtained media passes by posing as staffers of The Eagle because some had previously written for the publication.

“We weren’t trying to affiliate with anyone else,” she said.

The Eagle did not order any former or current staff to cover the event.

AGRECO@THEEAGLONLINE.COM

Watch the “mic-check” online at http://eagl.us/A1atqu

COURTESY OF YOUTUBE

COURTESY OF AMERICAN UNIVERSITY

WAMU will move to a new location at 4401 Connecticut Ave NW as early as 2013.

WAMU moves to Connecticut Ave

By MARISSA CETIN EAGLE STAFF WRITER

WAMU 88.5’s airwaves will have a new place to call home as soon as early 2013.

AU signed a contract to purchase a new building for the station at 4401 Connecticut Ave. NW last week.

The station is currently located at 4000 Brandywine St. NW in Tenleytown, its headquarters since 1993 when the station had only 60 full- and part-time employees and a budget of $4.1 million.

“The station has experienced tremendous growth – 400-500 percent in the past 19 years – and a major thing holding us back over the last couple of years has been the limitations of our current space, which we’ve outgrown,” WMAU’s General Manager Caryn G. Mathes said in an email.

The noncommercial news and information sta-

tion hosts NPR’s nationally syndicated “The Diane Rehm Show,” carries multiple frequencies including 88.5-1 WAMU’s Bluegrass Country music programming and holds a local connection with awardwinning programming like “Metro Connection” and “The Kojo Nnamdi Show.”

AU Chief of Staff David Taylor said the search for a new space has been in the works for a while.

“This opportunity has been a long time coming,” he said.

He adds the new building is “attractive” and gives WAMU 88.5 the “space to grow into on a major thoroughfare into Washington.”

“The new building is a great find,” Taylor said.

Mathes said the new Connecticut Ave property and increased space offer the station opportunities to expand its programming and production on the air and on the Web in order to become a “world-

class” radio station.

In the past, WAMU had to turn down opportunities for national programming due to tight space in the Brandywine building.

“Now that limitation has been removed, and we can consider future opportunities purely on the merits, rather than through the prism of logistical constraints of our workspace,” Mathes said.

WAMU will also own space on the building’s first floor, allowing for street-level visibility.

“One of the features being planned for the new home is a ‘street peek’ into the newsroom to allow passers-by to see our reporters at work,” Taylor said.

The first floor also opens up potential for live Bluegrass Country concerts and new ways to broadcast popular programs such as “The Diane Rehm Show” or “The Kojo Nnamdi Show” to the community, according to Mathes.

“The possibilities are exciting,” Mathes said.

He and Taylor said they

anticipate the new possibilities can only benefit the station and University.

“When WAMU is successful, American University is successful,” Taylor said. “WAMU will be able to achieve even more in their new home, and AU will benefit from that.”

Despite moving farther from AU, Mathes said the station’s connection to the University is “unbreakable” and will not be affected by the move.

AU holds the license for the radio station.

“We rely on our student workforce in just about every department of the station to augment our operations and provide valuable support,” Mathes said.

Mathes also said the management and administration departments often work together, and the station collaborates with AU’s schools and institutions, emphasizing the AU-WAMU connection.

The station celebrated its 50th anniversary this fall and has been broadcasting since 1961.

MCETIN@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

theEAGLE NEWS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2012

Kerwin takes students’ questions

By REBECCA ZISSER EAGLE STAFF WRITER

Students voiced their concerns on issues ranging from workers’ rights to divestment from Israel in a discussion with AU President Neil Kerwin at a town hall meeting Feb. 13.

The town hall, sponsored by the Office of the President and the Office of the University Chaplain, took the form of an open forum discussion in the Kay Spiritual Life Center Lounge.

Joe Eldridge, an adjunct professor in the School of International Service, opened the event by introducing Kerwin and commenting on his history of public appearances.

“Having the president like this … undefended, subject to your passions and concerns, doesn’t happen very often,” he said.

Kerwin expressed dismay at being portrayed as unavailable to students.

“I’m not sure I would have come had I heard the introduction,” he said.

Kerwin continued by explaining the University’s three top goals right now:

• ensure that the institution remains financially stable, • make sure students and faculty have access to the university and • give back to D.C. He finished his opening statement by saying, “no one walks out of these meetings satisfied, but our obligation as an institution is to keep the conversation going.”

Students took the floor to comment on University policies and ask Kerwin questions.

Russell Warburton, representing the Student Workers Alliance, said he feels on-campus parking is too expensive for low-wage AU workers to use on a regular basis.

Warburton asked Kerwin if he would sign a commitment to devise a plan to solve the issue.

“I don’t think it’s appropriate for you to ask me to sign something that I haven’t read or studied,” Kerwin replied.

However, he said the issue will be on the agenda when the University Budget Committee meets at the end of the summer.

SOC creates new master’s degree in news entrepreneurship

By JESSICA MARSALA EAGLE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

AU is creating a new master’s program in media entrepreneurship that will draw on resources from the School of Communication and the Kogod School of Business.

The program will aim to help students create their own media-related businesses or develop projects within their current businesses, said SOC Professor and Director of Writing Programs Amy Eisman, who will likely direct the degree program.

“There will be count-

less opportunities for entrepreneurs in the rapidly changing media field over the next five to ten years,” Kogod’s Management Department Chair Stevan Holmberg said in an email.

The degree will consist of 30 credits to be completed in 20 months. Graduate students will take classes once each week and once every other Saturday. The program is targeted toward local working professionals from diverse fields.

The program must receive the final approval from the Board of Trustees before Eisman can begin. She said she does not foresee any difficulties

Tom O’Connor, a freshman in SIS, spoke in favor of the adjunct union and questioned the University’s decision to hire antiunion lawyers.

“Why stifle the democratic rights of workers?” he said.

Kerwin said it would have been irresponsible of the University not to take a position and that his main concern is that everyone involved in the issue gets a vote.

He also said that, since AU is involved in a proceeding before the National Labor Relations Board, it should be no surprise that AU sought legal help.

“We’re going to know in three days what the results are [of the vote] and we’ll move on from there,” he said.

After an hour, Eldridge brought the town hall meeting to a close.

“Some of us have heard things that we don’t agree with, but the main thing is that we heard each other,” he said.

Other issues discussed at the meeting included: • SIS student Thomas Meyer explained during the final part of the approval process.

“We expect that the program will be approved because we have been working closely with the University leadership on its development,” Eisman said. “But of course we want to wait for the signoff, which we expect soon.”

Eisman has been working on the program ever since she “picked it up” over a year ago from SOC Dean Larry Kirkman and Associate Dean Rose Ann Robertson. She credits them with giving the program its foundation.

A former media professional herself, Eisman understands the necessity of knowing not just about business but also how to manage it.

Eisman worked with Gannett for 17 years, eventually leaving the organiza-

the Take Back the Tap initiative and asked if the elimination of bottled water from University events was on the administration’s agenda. Kerwin said yes.

• Valerie Keibala, a freshman in SIS, asked if the University would divest from Israel. Kerwin said no.

• Travis McKay Roberts, a junior in SIS, spoke on behalf of Empower Congo and asked the University to look into more responsible electronics procurement. Kerwin said he would look into the issue.

• A group of students asked whether Kerwin would reconsider the name of the SIS atrium so it would not be associated with the royal family of Bahrain. Kerwin said no.

• Margaret Weekes, the associate dean of public affairs for the School of Public Affairs asked if the University could provide scholarships and college counseling to children of Aramark workers. Kerwin said no.

RZISSER@THEAGLEONLINE.COM

tion as executive editor of USA Weekend magazine.

“You may be working for yourself, you may be pushing a new initiative in a company or an association — you still need to understand how to do competitive analysis, how to grow a good idea, how to manage technology, the latest in media law and how to sell your idea to potential investors,” she said.

The Executive Director of J-Lab Jan Schaffer also helped create the program’s curriculum, and Eisman credited Holmberg as being the “entrepreneurial spirit.”

“The core coursework will focus on disruptive chaos in the media world, the realities an entrepreneur can expect in bringing an idea to fruition, Continued on Page 6

5

SG introduces swipe access for Bike Lending Senate disperses an additional $36,000 to KPU, SUB and others at meeting

By ZOE CRAIN EAGLE STAFF WRITER

The Undergraduate Senate distributed more than $36,000 to various Student Government and Student Activities organizations Feb. 12.

The Bike Lending program will spend $1,000 specifically on new swipeaccess technology. With this program, students will be able to swipe their ID and gain access to a bike, said Finance Chairman Al Robinson.

“This allows more people to check out bikes more at their convenience, and it allows for a better operating system,” Robinson said. “It is something that has a broad use for other departments. It’s a great pilot program that

will greatly improve the lives of students.”

SG Secretary Kevin Sutherland also outlined the goals of the Street Team initiative, designed to increase awareness of SG’s role at AU. The Street Team will be responsible for promoting the image of SG through outreach with tabling, fliers and social media, Sutherland said.

Getting involved with the Street Team will allow students to get involved with SG without having to go through an election or appointment process. The Street Team will begin its work this week, he said.

“We are AU,” a campaign run by Sutherland, tries to make SG officials more personable and relatable.

No launch date has been announced, but preparations are set to begin this week, Sutherland told the Senate.

ZCRAIN@THEAGLEONLINE.COM

The Undergraduate Senate gave out over $36,000 during the annual reallocation on Feb. 12.

Student Union Board

$12,000

Kennedy Political Union

$11,525.14

Women’s Initiative

$3,300

Bike Lending

$2,500

Capital Maintenance

$2,500

CAS Council

$2,000

SIS Council

$1,800

Council for the Class of 2015

$800

Total

$36,425.14

theEAGLE NEWS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2012

6

Kirkman to bring program to Board before exit

College graduate helps change Sallie Mae loan policy

By SAMANTHA HOGAN EAGLE STAFF WRITER

Continued from Page 5

the stages of building and launching a project, financial and technological management of new initiatives, building and engaging audiences and some digital competencies,” Schaffer said.

SOC professor Maria Ivancin plans to teach a course in the new program called “Managing Audiences-Advertising and Beyond.”

“As everyone knows, our communications industries have gone through, and continue to go through, tremendous evolution.”

-SOC Professor Amy Eisman

Holmberg will teach “Entrepreneurship and Innovation,” and Schaffer intends to lead the introductory “Seminar on Entrepreneurship.”

Kirkman will bring the program to the Board of Trustees before he steps down July 1. He said in an email that he does not believe his departure will affect the new program in any way.

Kirkman said he believes the new dean will continue what he called the “hotbed of media innovation and cutting-edge research” that was started when he came to AU in 2001.

“As everyone knows, our communications industries have gone through, and continue to go through, tremendous evolution,” Eisman said.

RZISSER@THEAGLEONLINE.COM

Sallie Mae changed its student loan policy hours after receiving a 23-yearold student debt activist’s petition protesting the organization’s forbearance fee.

The $50 fee allows borrowers to defer payment on their loan for three months at a time on up to three separate loans, potentially totaling $150.

Stef Gray, an alumna of Hunter College, brought a petition against Sallie Mae Feb. 2 in protest of their fee, saying it’s an “unemployment penalty.”

Sallie Mae is the largest private student loan provider in the United States, according to the organization’s website.

Gray had more than 119,800 signatures on the petition as of Feb. 13, according to Change.org, the site she used to create the petition.

Originally, the paid fee was not subtracted from borrowers’ loan totals.

The fee cost college graduates hundreds of dollars each year, Gray said in a conference call with college journalists Feb. 6.

“It’s not really a deposit, because individuals do not get [the forbearance fees] back at the end,” Gray said. “If I were renting an apartment, and unless I burned the place down, I would get my deposit back when I moved out. That is not how it is with Sallie Mae.” Sallie Mae changed its policy three hours after receiving Gray’s petition at the D.C. office. Paid forbearance fees will now go toward paying off students’ loan balances, Gray reported on Change.org, the Web’s fastest growing platform for social change, according to William Winters, a senior organizer for Change.org.

Gray said she was dis-

AU Students for Choice construct wall of Ramen

By NABILA CHAMI EAGLE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

AU Students for Choice and Planned Parenthood assembled a wall of 84 cases of Ramen noodles on the Quad Feb. 13 and gave out many of the 2,016 Styrofoam cups of Ramen in those boxes.

Gabrielle Martinez, a Public Affairs representative for Planned Parenthood, said the demonstration was part of a national movement to show students the sheer quantity of food that can be purchased with the equivalent of a year’s worth of birth control.

Planned Parenthood es-

timates an average woman spends about $600 a year on birth control, equal to 84 cases of Ramen cups. “[Planned Parenthood] is showing exactly what $600 is worth to college students and getting petitions signed to show support and thank President Obama for covering birth control in the Affordable Healthcare Act and also to tell Congress not to overturn his decision,” Martinez said.

“This is definitely one of those ‘shock-value’ events because so many people don’t realize how much money actually goes into this,” AU Students for Choice member Tea Sefer said. “We’re really passion-

satisfied with the policy change, because the fee is still charged.

Sallie Mae declined to comment on this story.

Gray encouraged students to fact check the information about financial aid given to them by universities. She also said students should ask their universities’ financial offices which companies they promote.

AU sees fewer private student loans AU has seen a decrease in private student loans over the past five years, according to Violeta Ettle, vice provost for academic administration.

Ettle attribute this to three factors: the federal government has created a federal loan for graduate students, the credit market has tightened, making it harder for students to secure private loans and AU has been working to discourage loan borrowing unless “absolutely necessary.”

She said AU has also made significant changes to its curriculum and infrastructure to help maximize students’ time and money, using: • summer online ate about it, we think it’s really important and we think it’s more than the moral issue that people have been pinning it as.”

The pyramid of orange ramen boxes sparked interest for many students, but not all were convinced by the groups’ message.

“I was shocked when I realized what this was,” Sean Atkinson a junior in the Kogod School of Business said. “Co-pays obviously suck, but I don’t really care about this issue.”

Students at the demonstration also decorated Valentine’s Day cards addressed to their members of Congress with the message: “Congress, listen up or we’re breaking up.

Birth control matters.”

Members of the city’s Planned Parenthood office are engaging campuses across the city with events

COURTESY OF CHANGE.ORG

Stef Gray, an alumna of Hunter College, presented her student loan petition to Sallie Mae on Feb. 2. learning programs, • accelerated degree programs including three-year Bachelor of Arts programs with a fourth-year Masters degree option, • a flat tuition rate for full-time undergraduates taking between 12 to 17 credits per semester • and dual degree

programs on campus that allow completion of two graduate degrees The changes that are coming out of online petitions like Gray’s shows that people do not need to “sit back pacifically as corporate Goliaths try to overpower them,” Winters said.

at Georgetown University and Howard University this week.

“We are trying our best to unite across campus,” Sefer said.

AU students and Planned Parenthood constructed a wall of Ramen to represent the quantity of food that can be purchased with the money spent on a year’s worth of birth control.

NEWS@THEAGLEONLINE.COM

SHOGAN@THEAGLEONLINE.COM

DIANA BOWEN / THE EAGLE

theEAGLE NEWS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2012

Bosnian diplomat visits AU as his nation restructures

By KATIE FIEGENBAUM EAGLE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The ambassador to the United States from Bosnia and Herzegovina spoke at AU the same day his country finished 16 months of negotiations for the makeup of its new government.

“I’m amazed, it’s a big achievement for us,” Ambassador Mitar Kujundzic said Feb. 10.

Kujundzic spoke for about an hour to an audience of 35 people in the School of International Service Founders Room as the first speaker in the Balkan Lecture Series.

The International Politics Student Organization, a new group promoting

discussion about international issues, organized the series.

The country held its fi fth democratic elections in October 2010 with both the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats getting the same number of seats in parliament.

It took 16 months after the election for the winning parties to decide how to divide the position of prime minister and the makeup of the cabinet, according to the Associated Press.

Vjekoslav Bevanda is the new Prime Minister, according to the same report. He is a member of the Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Her-

zegovina and was a former finance minister.

Kujundzic said he recognized how weird it sounds to Americans for a country to be without part of their government for so long. He talked about why it was necessary to have such a system.

“Multiethnic democracy is particularly difficult because you need to have agreement not only by winners of the last election, but also all national political forces,” he said.

Bosnia and Herzegovina gained its independence from former Yugoslavia in 1992. A brutal conflict followed, during which members of the Army of Republika Srpska committed acts of genocide against Bosnian Muslims. The country is made up of ethnic Bosniaks, Serbs and Croats.

Kujundzic said he believes these groups have learned to live with each other, despite historical tensions.

“There is such a com-

EPA ranks University for green energy use

By REBECCA ZISSER EAGLE STAFF WRITER

Advertise in

theEAGLE business@theeagleonline.com

The Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Partnership ranked AU No. 12 for clean energy usage among colleges and universities in the United States.

AU uses 100 percent green power through photovoltaic solar panels, which are located on the roofs of seven University buildings, and the school’s purchase of renewable energy certificates.

“The rankings are compiled quarterly, using data submitted by partners,” the EPA said in an email to The Eagle.

The list ranked the top 20 clean energyusing colleges and universities. The University of Pennsylvania ranked first, using 48 percent green power and 200,194,600 kilowatt-hours of renewable energy annually.

AU used 54,033,500 kilowatt-hours this year. Because the University already uses 100 percent green power, the only way to move up in the rankings would be to use more energy.

plex political structure and it takes a long time to negotiate every political decision, but this is the necessity of democracy in our country,” he said.

Kujundzic hopes his country will be able to join North Atlantic Treaty Organization between the next three to six years and the European Union between the next 10 to 15 years in order to join a prosperous international community.

“We perceive NATO as probably the most successful international organization, besides the EU, in the whole history of humankind,” Kujundizic said.

However, Kujundizic said there is opposition to NATO in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Some citizens oppose it because the organization bombed Srpsksa, a region in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in 1995 during the Bosnian War. Kujundizic did not believe this would be a barrier to joining the organi-

7 zation because those who do not completely support NATO membership do not feel strongly enough to block a decision.

David Park, a senior in SIS who partook in the Washington Semester Program last semester that studied the conflict in the former Yugoslavia, spent 23 days in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Croatia talking to high government officials and locals.

“I’m glad the ambassador had much more reasonable predictions about the timeframe for membership in the EU and NATO than officials who we talked to, who seemed much more optimistic,” said Park.

However, Park met with many in Bosnia and Herzegovina who were very against NATO membership and with those who were worried the government was avoiding talking about reconciliation issues from the Bosnian War. Kujundizic praised the close relationship between

Solar panels produce one percent of the energy used by AU and renewable energy credits cover the rest.

“We purchase renewable energy credits to offset the rest of our energy usage,” said AU’s Sustainable Outreach Associate Joshua Kaplan, referring to the energy not produced by on-site solar panels.

Each renewable energy credit is worth a certain number of kilowatt-hours, which the University purchases from a wind turbine in Colorado, Kaplan said.

AU does not use the energy produced

“We’re the 24th largest purchaser of all organizations, which puts us right behind the Empire State Building.”

— Sustainable Outreach Associate Joshua Kaplan

by the wind farm but still claims the environmental benefit, Kaplan said.

This practice is common as most wind farms are in the Midwest, while the majority of energy usage takes place on the coasts.

“We’re creating more demand for wind energy,” Kaplan said.

The ultimate goal is to build a local wind farm and buy wind energy directly, he said.

“It was only starting in 2010 that we started to purchase all of our electricity

the U.S. and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The United States helped form the peace agreement at the end of the Bosnian War and gives a large amount of foreign aid to the country.

The ambassador talked about the current economic situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which he described as “very, very bad.” He also discussed the country’s refusal to recognize the state of Kosovo, as well as other political problems within the country, such as the misrepresentation of Croats in the political system.

However, Kujundizic stressed the stability of the country.

“All countries in this region are very constructive, cooperating very well in good neighboring relations ... and there is no fear of military conflict,” he said.

NEWS@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

through them [the wind farm],” Kaplan said.

AU’s purchasing of renewable energy is the equivalent of planting 451,434 mature trees or taking 9,514 cars off the road annually, according to data collected in 2010 by the EPA. AU is also ranked on the Green Power Partnership’s “100 Percent Purchasers” list, which ranks organizations like Fortune 500 companies, universities and state and federal governments, based on green power usage.

“We’re the 24th largest purchaser of all organizations, which puts us right behind the Empire State Building,” Kaplan said.

AU is still working to improve by achieving carbon neutrality by 2020.

The University is trying to find ways to offset carbon emissions for energy usage that is encouraged and cannot be reduced. For example, AU encourages students to study abroad, but that means more carbon emissions from plane travel, Kaplan said.

To compensate, the University hopes to purchase more green energy to counter the effect of carbon emissions from planes.

Beckerman said that it is important that AU students pay attention to issues relating to sustainability on campus.

“I think our sustainability efforts [on campus] are a reflection of what we should be doing as a country,” he said.

RZISSER@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

theEAGLE NEWS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2012

8

Opposing political groups team up for economic dialogue

Students combat obesity with PR campaign

screen “I.O.U.S.A.”

PRSSA members educate residents of Wards 7 and 8 about childhood health

By NICK FRANCALANGIA

EAGLE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

AU Dems, Students for Liberty

By JOE STE.MARIE EAGLE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

AU College Democrats and AU Students for Liberty cosponsored a showing of the Concord Coalition’s fiscal documentary “I.O.U.S.A.” Feb. 9.

“I.O.U.S.A.” is a warning on the future of the United States’ current fiscal policy and growing national debt. The film follows two men, former U.S. ComptrollerGeneral David Walker and Executive Director of the Concord Coalition Robert Bixby, as they tour the nation on a “Fiscal Wake-Up Tour” in 2008.

The Concord Coalition is a bipartisan group founded in 1992 to raise awareness of the problem of the national debt, according to the film.

The coalition focuses on the necessity of fiscal discipline and reform and combats the widespread misconceptions about the deficit among the public, Smith and Isenburg said. It avoids specific policy solutions to remain bipartisan, according to the film.

Concord’s National Political Director Phil Smith and Chief Budget Counsel Cliff Isenberg were also at the screening and later talked to the audience about the Concord Coalition.

Smith said the movie is still relevant even four years later.

“The numbers may have changed, but the general trends have stayed the same,” he said.

Smith said past deficits were the result of deliberate action on the part of the president or Congress.

However, future deficits will most likely be structural in nature as the exploding costs of Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security force ever-growing deficits, he said.

Ian Hitchcock, a sophomore in the School of Communication, said he came to the screening because he was intrigued by the name of the film.

“It’s kind of a double entendre,” Hitchcock said. “There’s obviously the literal interpretation, that we owe the whole country. But there’s the other interpretation, too, that the government owes it to the public to do a decent job.”

Isenberg later addressed this issue in the question-answer session, saying the government has failed to provide solutions to the nation’s debt issues.

Continued on Page 9

Four AU students are taking on childhood obesity in D.C.’s poorest neighborhoods.

Students from AU’s chapter of the Public Relations Student Society will fight childhood obesity throughout February as part of a national public relations competition.

The campaign, “Youth for Choice: Challenge Yourself to be a Champion of Health,” combines social media like Facebook and Twitter, to target childhood obesity in Wards 7 and 8, according to the team’s website.

The team believes they must fight the stigma of childhood obesity in order to fight it. The campaign encourages youth to make their own decisions about exercise and nutrition.

“We’re not trying to change behavior completely,” Jett Choquette a senior in the School of Communication said. “Our main strategy is raising awareness and encouraging young kids to make small choices that will together add up.”

The students are sending print materi-

als about their campaign to local organizations in Ward 8, like the Boys and Girls Club and fitness centers.

Members of the team include: Jett Choquette; Kevin Sutherland, junior in the School of Public Affairs; Kate Froehlich, sophomore in the Kogod School of Business; and Kelsey Balimtas, sophomore in SOC; Wards 7 and 8 attracted the group’s interest because both wards have a lack of grocery stores, according to Choquette.

Only four grocery stores operate in Wards 7 and 8 combined.

“It’s a really huge area,” Choquette said. “It’s basically everything east of the Anacostia River.”

In the U.S., about 20 percent of youth are obese, and obesity rates in Wards 7 and 8 are double that, according to the team’s website.

“Not only is it difficult to find nutritious foods, people oftentimes cannot afford to do so or do not actively make the choice to eat healthfully,” Balimtas said.

The team members will enter their plan in the National Public Relations Student Society’s annual Bateman Case Study Competition.

Teams from colleges across the nation develop and write campaign plans “encourage children, teenagers, parents, educators and community organizations to improve their individual health and the health of their community,” according to the competition’s website.

AU in top three for schools with most undergraduate Peace Corps volunteers University also listed third in rankings for most graduate school volunteers

By LORIN ELENI GILL EAGLE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

AU ranked in the top four of universities producing the most Peace Corps volunteers for the fourth year in a row.

The University ranked third among medium-sized universities, according to the 2012 Peace Corps Top Colleges List.

AU was also ranked third for the highest number of

Peace Corps volunteers from graduate school.

Peace Corps volunteers from AU have increased steadily over the last seven years with 63 undergraduate alumni serving abroad last year. Fiftyfive alumni served in 2010, up from 34 in 2006.

George Washington University ranked first among medium-sized universities with 78 volunteers. Western Washington University, in Washington state, placed second with 73 volunteers.

Over 860 AU alumni have volunteered with the Peace Corps since its inception in 1961, according to the Peace Corps’ Mid-Atlantic Regional Office.

College of Arts and Scienc-

The teams present the “research, planning, execution and evaluation” of their plans, according to competition’s rules.

Case Study teams nationwide implemented their plans to fight childhood obesity on Feb. 1. The competition ends Feb. 29.

The team will then report their results to the National Public Relations Student Society of America, which judges entries based on their effectiveness. The Society will announce the winner in October at the organization’s national conference.

Later this month, the team will run an assembly at Stanton Elementary School in Ward 8, featuring Mary Beth Albright, a former Food Network star. More than 85 percent of the school’s students rely on free or reduced lunch.

“As not only a local celebrity, but also a D.C. resident and public health advocate, [Albright] was a clear choice,” Balimtas said.

Ward 8 Councilman Marion Barry has also agreed to help with the assembly, according to Balimtas.

While the team will eventually compete against other college teams, right now Choquette said their mission is more about being directly involved in the local community.

“It’s so rewarding to be working with our very own community here in D.C.,” Balimtas said.

es 2007 alumna Kate Marsh is currently working as a teacher trainer in Cambodia. She said the idea of joining the Peace Corps became reality while she was at AU. “I’m pretty sure attending American was the first step on my road to being a Peace Corps volunteer,” she said in an email. “I spent hundreds of hours volunteering on campus and in the greater D.C. community with like-minded people, which shaped my mindset about the value of volunteering, of giving one’s time and skills to others.”

Stephen Chapman, the public affairs specialist of the MidAtlantic Regional Office, said he believes AU’s high rank is due to the school’s passion for service.

“I’ve been on the AU campus a lot, and the students are very service-oriented, particularly with interests in government and international careers,” he said.

NEWS@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

The Peace Corps attracts students who wish to work abroad and immerse themselves in meaningful work, according to Bridget O’Connell, the Career Center’s director of outreach and marketing.

Interests include HIV/ AIDS education and prevention, economic development and agriculture on behalf of marginalized people.

“We’re thrilled with the 2012 ranking and we look forward to hosting Peace Corps recruiters for an information session next Monday,” O’Connell said.

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theEAGLE NEWS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2012

Students praise film’s role in budget talks Continued from Page 8

“Well, it’s really things like that that show the depth of the leadership deficit here in America,” Isenberg said. “Neither side is willing to risk their ‘sacred cows.’ The Democrats won’t touch entitlements, and the Republicans will fight a tax increase to the bitter end.”

Ben Ritz, sophomore in SOC, had seen “I.O.U.S.A.” some time ago, and it inspired him to get involved with the budget issue.

“Well, we don’t agree on many things, but we all do agree that the national budget is unsustainable and intolerable,” said Ritz, who is the fiscal policy director for AU Dems and the organizer of the event.

“So, even when we disagree a lot we still team up sometime[s],” said Alex McHugh, president of AU Students for Liberty. “It’s all about keeping the discussion going and challenging people to think critically about the issues!

Neither of us can do that as well on our own.”

More College Democrats than Students for Liberty members were able to go the event due to scheduling conflicts, McHugh said.

The two groups previously teamed up to host a screening of “Waiting for Superman” Feb. 8 and a debate on U.S. job creation Nov. 15.

Staff Writer Zach C. Cohen contributed to this report.

NEWS@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

9

Valentine’s Day Valentine’s Day can be stressful, especially if you have a new boyfriend or girlfriend. This year, grab a few special, last-minute gift ideas from student organizations and University departments for your significant other or friend. — JESSICA MARSALA / EAGLE CONTRIBUTING WRITER What’s it called?

Delta Chi

Rude Mechanicals

University Honors Program

What is it?

Location/Date

Price

Contact

Rose Sale

Buy a rose for the Romeo or Juliet in your life.

Quad Feb. 6-14 11 a.m.- 2 p.m.

$1

audeltachi@gmail.com

Sonnets for Your Sweetie

Give a sonnet or tiara to that special someone.

Quad Feb. 13-14 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

$2 per sonnet $5 per tiara

aurudemechanicals@ gmail.com

Valentine’s Day Party

Honors students can celebrate Hughes Hall Valentine’s Day with hot chocolate, candy Feb. 14 and cookies.

7-8:30 p.m.

Free. For Honors students only.

honors@american.edu or on.fb.me/yfprR7

Meal swipe or $11

aubamco@gmail.com or bit.ly/w4oHYp

$5

dimebusinessmanager@ gmail.com or call Rachel Mariman at (609) 7512237 to request a singing valentine

Free

sasa@american.edu

Terrace Valentine’s Dining Room Day in TDR

Enjoy a fair trade chocolate event at dinner.

TDR Feb. 14

Dime a Dozen

Singing Valentines

Surprise someone with a personalized singing valentine.

Berks, Avalon or oncampus locations Feb. 12, 3-6 p.m.

Feb. 15, 10 p.m.midnight

South Asian Student Association

Valentine’s Day Movie

Come eat pizza and watch the Bollywood film “I Hat Luv Storys.”

Ward 5 Feb. 14 8:15 p.m.

Undergrad nominated for Board of Trustees

By ZACH C. COHEN EAGLE STAFF WRITER

AU student leaders chose Brett Atanasio to be the next student representative on the Board of Trustees. Atanasio is currently the speaker of the Student Government Undergraduate Senate.

For Atanasio to become a trustee, the Trusteeship Committee of the Board of Trustees must now nominate Atanasio, and the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry of the United Methodist Church must approve him.

Atanasio would begin transitioning into his role in May, pending that approval.

The process is “thorough” and “rigorous,” said current Student Trustee Chazmon Gates.

Atanasio is the first undergraduate student to serve as a trustee since former SG president Seth Cutter served during the 20092010 academic school year.

The last two student trustees have been students in the Washington College of Law. A graduate student has never served as a student trustee at AU. “I did have a goal to see an undergrad as the student trustee this year,” said SG President Tim McBride. “I thought it was time to see the rotation come around to the undergrads.”

The student trustee participates in most Board discussions but does not vote.

Ten people applied for the position. Of those 10 applicants, McBride said • eight were rising undergraduates, • one was a rising graduate student and • one was a current graduate student.

No law students applied, McBride said.

McBride, Graduate Leadership Council Executive Chairman El-

liot Bell-Krasner and President of the Student Bar Association Sarah Stanley said they chose Atanasio for his ability to be professional and fully represent the student body on University affairs.

“We needed to find a balance: somebody who was passionate about the position, somebody who had the institutional knowledge, but somebody who was able to articulate the needs of students within the realm of what the Board of Trustees does in an effective way,” Bell-Krasner said.

Atanasio will continue to be speaker of the Senate until his term ends in October, he said.

“The advocacy issues I bring to Senate I will be able to address more substantively because of my connections with higher level administrators at that point with the Board of Trustees,” Atanasio said.

As an undergraduate senator, Atanasio has advocated for a number of University policy changes, including ROTC presence on campus, sexual assault prevention and open gender housing.

But involvement in SG has its limitations, Atanasio said, and he

hopes to use his new position to enact further change on campus that he couldn’t do in the Senate.

“I thought it would be a tremendous opportunity to try to fight for the students of AU on the Board of Trustees,” Atanasio said.

He plans to reach out to students in an effort to more accurately reflect students’ sentiments on the Board by having regular meetings with student leaders to discuss contemporary campus issues.

“I would hope to be as transparent as is allowed,” Atanasio said.

The Board of Trustees first created a student representative position in 2006 in their general restructuring of the Board after AU President Benjamin Ladner resigned, The Eagle previously reported.

Georgetown University and George Washington University do not have a student representative on their respective Boards of Trustees.

ZCOHEN@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

theEAGLE NEWS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2012

10

Photo of the Week

DIANA BOWEN / THE EAGLE

Nora Morse, an e-board member of AU Students for Choice, gathers signatures for a petition to support no-co-pay birth control on the Quad.

Eagle Rants

THE TWITTERSPHERE SAYS @CARTERGEE

CARTER GIBSON

@ALINAHIMAM

ALINA IMAM

@CITYGIRLBLOGS

CITY GIRL

People who believe the Earth was created in literally 6 days over 6,000 years ago ARE crazy. Sorry.

I’m drowning in responsibilities. Go away, to-do list.

Go very very far away.

@AmericanU - seriously. Please answer me.

Why is there no more sushi? I’m craving it.

As are my coworkers at @TheKCCD @VALLAER

VERONIQUE ALLAER

Starting off the morning @AmericanU Lavender Languages to discuss gender and sexuality.

@TEASEFER

TEA SEFER

Clicked on the @AmericanU homepage to log onto Blackboard. My heart beat fast when I saw my own face looking back: american.edu @HOTFOOTMCCOOK

Who actually cares about floorcest anymore? soy sexy y lo sabes Sometimes a lady just wants to get laid.

ALLEN NGUYEN

I don’t agree with horrid weather like this unless it’s going to snow for real. I’m tired of the “will I/won’t I?” game you’re playing forecast!

first all nighter of the semester @AmericanU

“Kofi Annan is my godfather” well yes that just happened. Only at@AmericanU

First @AmericanU fire alarm of pledge season. Sixth of the year, all rainy.

Tim McBride wears patriotic boxers. I would know.

I’ve seen them.

What religion is against gender-neutral bathrooms? I can’t find that in my bible…

every valentines day that goes by, you’ll always be my favorite. drunkn egle ranting is the new drunkj tesxting!!

Hello, my name is Tom Riddle. i just love saturday nights/ sunday mornings in typing away essays and hanging out with little mice in the lounge…

I feel so good I’m gonna break somebody’s heart tonight…

Who else loves the poo wall? remember that time we cuddled? because I don’t I’m a nevernude. There are literally dozens of us.

What do you expect from me, mother? I’m half ma-

Go ahead, speak your mind.

We’ll probably print it. chine. I’m a monster.

Swedish World Politics professor, you are very attractive.

How do you know if you are in love??

I think my roommate is dating her pillowpet. lets be honest, if I truely were a wonk I would realize that there is no point in copyrighting a word nobody else would copyright.

One of the new roommates in my apartment is a pretty girl and now I’m afraid to poop in my own home.

This is terrible.

I thought the Dav prided itself on being fair trade, the cool thing, the hipster thing where intellectuals can sip coffee…... but they’ve been playing Taylor Swift all morning. Ears. Bleeding.

SILVER SCREEN

The Scene reviews some of the best new action and romance flicks in theaters 14 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2012

GOOD EATS

Scene

AUDIOPHILE

WVAU reviews new albums and the Audible at AU series continues, which features two student musicians 16, 17

12

PRALINE BAKERY

By KELLY HOLLIDAY EAGLE COLUMNIST

Let’s just admit it: Valentine’s Day sucks.

For everyone in relationships, it’s simply a bankbreaking obligation. For the single, it’s a day spent updating relationship statuses on Facebook or overdosing on conversation hearts while watching “He’s Just Not That Into You.” I wouldn’t normally advise healing a broken heart or relationship woes with food (we’re humans, after all, not dogs), but this year, let’s make an exception. Instead of spending a fortune on roses and Godiva chocolates this Valentine’s Day, I suggest indulging in some of D.C.’s best gourmet offerings.

Here are four epicurean spots that offer delicious gifts and promise to delight even the grouchiest of Valentine’s haters.

COURTESY OF PRALINE BAKERY AND BISTRO

Bethesda’s Praline Bakery is a pastryholic’s haven. The bakery has your typical buttery almond croissant and chocolate chip cookie, but the menu is chock-full of interesting treats like rustic apple tarts and citrus-flavored mousses.

Branch out from the expected box of chocolates and give your sweetheart a bag of the Parisian, pastel-colored macaroons. The light, flaky macaroon shell pairs perfectly with the soft, gooey center and comes in mouth-watering flavors like pistachio and tart raspberry.

Planning a romantic breakfast for your sweetheart? Praline Bakery has you covered with flavorful pound cakes, like lemon blueberry and sour cream streusel. Pair a slice with a foamy, rich cappuccino and you’ll make them fall in love all over again.

SECOLARI OLIVE OIL AND VINEGAR SHOP

DEAN AND DELUCA

COURTESY OF DEAN AND DELUCA

This New York-based shop with a Georgetown location is the holy grail of grocery stores. Dean and Deluca is loaded with crusty breads, the finest meats around, an enormous cheese selection and fresh produce.

You’re sure to find ingredients for a gourmet meal in this artisan mecca. From Tuscan wines and French de Puy lentils, Dean and Deluca is also a place for those hard-to-find ingredients you can’t get at Safeway.

And let’s not forget the mouth-watering prepared food section, which features everything from Indian samosas to Waldorf chicken salad to meaty, lumpy crab cakes.

Grab a few tulip stems from the fresh-cut flower section and call it a day.

COURTESY OF SECOLARI

Nestled along Bethesda Row, Secolari is the newest addition to the chic Maryland suburb. The tiny oil and vinegar emporium offers vats upon vats of fruity olive oils and balsamics, which patrons can use to fill Secolari’s own recycled glass bottles. Ask for vinegar and oil combination suggestions and have the store box up the bottles in a rustic, wooden box.

You can also find unique culinary treats at Secolari, such as red pepper marmalades, pickled green bean spears and spicy sesame rubs for fish and chicken. You can still find goodies for the non-foodie as well: the shop has a wide range of herbal soaps and candy-colored bath salts.

COWGIRL CREAMERY Nothing says I love you more than cheese, and Cowgirl Creamery offers the best in the city. Located not far from the Metro Center stop, Cowgirl Creamery is known and regarded for its high quality, organic cheese.

Try the award-winning Red Hawk, a delightful organic cow’s milk cheese, or the tangy Inverness, which has a Brie-like gooeyness. The Devil’ Gulch is also a standout with its red pepper flake rind that adds a spicy kick. And just in time for Valentine’s, Cowgirl Creamery offers a special cheese-lover’s gift, featuring triplecrème, sheep’s milk and goat cheeses, along with dark chocolate and nutty crostini.

KHOLLIDAY@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

COURTESY OF COWGIRL CREAMERY

theEAGLE SCENE TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2012

13

AU Players have an ‘Adult Evening with Shel Silverstein’

By JANE MORICE EAGLE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

For decades, grade school children have memorized poems from “Where the Sidewalk Ends” and learned life lessons from “The Giving Tree,” both books written by Shel Silverstein.

But the iconic author was not always so child-friendly.

Before he broke out in children’s books, Silverstein wrote much raunchier material. It was this so-bad-it’s-good writing that AU Players performed Feb. 10-12.

The show, titled “An Adult Evening with Shel Silverstein,” displayed seven AU student actors in 10 separate scenes, all written by Silverstein. The subject matter was kooky, with scenes ranging from a concerned husband confronting a “bag lady” to a scene where the sole words uttered were “meat and potatoes.”

“While the show might be very adult, it depicts normal people in their normal lives,” said Rosemary Cipriano, a freshman member of AU Players.

The show doesn’t hold back and lives up to its name, as one of the most evident themes throughout the scenes was sex.

One such scene was the humorous “Buy One, Get One Free,” featuring Cipriano and freshman Rebekah Nantz as prostitutes. With the title in mind, the audience could easily decipher what the scene was to be about.

A few scenes were slow to start and others were less funny than the rest.

Nevertheless, the actors’ performances did not waver. They put their hearts into each line, and while the audience was on the smaller side, did not let it deter them from doing their best.

The audience’s reaction to most scenes was exactly as Cipriano had predicted.

“People have no idea what they’re getting into when they come to see the show,” she said. “There’s a strong ‘Oh my God!’ factor.”

Even with the show’s name as a sort of forewarning, some of the very strong language took the audience aback.

The crowd was surprised at the dark humor in a few of the scenes, including one where a little girl, Lisa, (Chris Carillo) is horrified when her father (Anthony Logan Cole) tells her that he has shot and killed the pony she wanted for her birthday.

This particular scene developed quite nicely, and in the end, it’s not as gruesome as it initially seems, but that did not stop the audience from gasping.

Yet, even with the consistent foul language and non-conventional subject matter, the show was unexpectedly hilarious.

THESCENE@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

YOHANA DESTA / THE EAGLE

Alfred Jarry’s play “Ubu Rex” is a satirical commentary on the corruption of upper-class citizens.

AU Dept. of Performing Arts to stage modernized version of play ‘Ubu Rex’ on Feb. 16-18 in Greenberg

By YOHANA DESTA EAGLE STAFF WRITER

If you’ve never heard of the play “Ubu Rex,” there’s one thing you need to know: The very first word of the play is a loud and dismal “Shitter!” exclaimed by a man wearing only tight, white underwear. If that doesn’t set you up for the rest of the show, then you’re in for quite the surprise.

The play, written by Alfred Jarry in 1896, was originally intended to hold a mirror to society and show the upper class that they were corrupt hypocrites who couldn’t care less about the people who needed help. It also has a plethora of Shakespearean influences.

“He [playwright Alfred Jarry] is literally shitting on the theater,” said director Cara Gabriel, an AU assistant professor in the performing arts department. “He is taking a big shit on the values and principles and morals of society.”

The AU Department of Performing Arts is staging the play and will be showing Feb. 16-18 in the Greenberg Theatre.

“Our hero is actually an anti-hero,” Gabriel said. “The

people who we think are supposed to be the good guys are just as despicable as our antagonists.”

The plot revolves around Pa Ubu (played by Tim Harmey), a bored rich man who really wants to be king.

He and his scheming wife, Ma Ubu (played by Jordan Van Clief) hatch a plan to kill King Wenceslas (played by Adi Stein) and any heirs in order to claim the throne. However, while Pa Ubu’s plot to kill the king works, he doesn’t manage to kill the prince, Boggerlas (played by Shannon McArdle), who escapes to the mountains.

What ensues is, simply put, madness.

But to be fair, it was madness from the very beginning.

“I couldn’t say that he’s a hero, or a villain because he just acts out of self interest and what is best for him,” said McArdle of his Boggerlas.

“I think that’s what the play speaks to: we all act out of self interest and it’s not really for any moral good.”

“Ubu Rex” is a hard play to encapsulate. It’s got a kooky ensemble cast akin only to cult classics with wild imagery like

“Alice in Wonderland” or “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” albeit without the musical aspect. Ma and Pa Ubu are wickedly sexual and immature beings, with Pa spending a good portion of the play in thick white briefs and oversized glasses. Adding to his bizarre appearance is the fact that his weapon is often a red plunger.

Pa’s entourage includes three schoolgirls wielding machine guns and sporting freakishly wide smiles, servant girls in matching outfits, joined at the arm and a minion who looks more like an S&M addict with a muzzle and shiny chains around his torso.

“The play itself is always done in a very clownish way, as Alfred Jarry and the original production sort of intended,” Gabriel said. “My hope with this production is that it will be clownish, but I wanted [our actors] to be more recognizable and more contemporary.”

While Gabriel finds it difficult to describe the play’s genre, given its various elements of silliness mixed with serious political commentary, she’s certain it’ll make audiences laugh.

“One of the cast members, Megan St. John, called it the ‘South Park’ of the 1890s,” Gabriel said. “I’ve seen four weeks of rehearsal of this play and I still laugh out loud every time.”

“I hear her all the time laughing, and I’m like, ‘you’ve seen this joke a hundred times!’” said Michael Litchfield, who plays Macnure, Pa Ubu’s ally. “[But] we also keep making stuff up as we go along and find new ways to be funny.”

Despite its high comedic factor mixed in with its bizarrely intriguing imagery, “Ubu Rex” feels like the utmost organized chaos. Characters are running all around the stage, jumping and tumbling over the run-of-the-mill playground set, but it all has purpose.

“I think that we should constantly be challenging ourselves,” Gabriel said, speaking on Rex’s many layers and difficulty to direct. “When I picked this play … what I said to the students was [that] there are a lot of things about this play I’m not sure of yet … and we’re going to find it together.”

YDESTA@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

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SILVER SCREEN

COURTESY OF SCREEN GEMS

THE VOW GRADE: B

By SYDNEY GORE EAGLE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

SAFE HOUSE

COURTESY OF UNIVERSAL PICTURES

GRADE: A-

By JANE MORICE EAGLE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The idea has been done before: How do you decide whom to trust when your life is full of deceit and secrecy? Yet in the new action-thriller “Safe House,” the answer to this question may even come as a surprise to the viewer.

The film, set in beautifully authentic Cape Town, South Africa, has a confusing beginning. The storyline switches between the day’s events of both CIA agent Matt Weston (Ryan Reynolds, “Green Lantern”), who keeps watch over a safe house, or a secure locale where government agents or criminals can be kept in hiding, and U.S. traitor Tobin Frost (Denzel Washington, “Unstoppable”). Frost is being chased through-

out Cape Town by a mysterious troupe of men, after him for reasons not immediately understood.

Through numerous (violent) turns of events, Frost ends up in Weston’s custody. The distrust and tension between the two carries on until Weston realizes he and Frost really aren’t that different from each other, even though Frost is a rogue CIA agent wanted by the U.S. government for decades and Weston has been in the agency for only a year.

This realization forges an unforeseen bond between the two men, one that will keep them both motivated towards their cause.

While the film is quite entertaining and realistic, a few scenes were a bit too uncomfortably realistic, including a squirm-inducing

waterboarding scene.

A few plot elements could have also been further developed, especially the romantic storyline between Weston and his girlfriend Ana (Nora Arnezeder).

At times, the viewer may feel as if the scene was left hanging, and some things weren’t explained clearly enough.

“Safe House” is the typical action movie, filled with car chases and gun battles.

While everyone might not be interested in watching death and destruction, enthusiasts will most likely find this movie above par.

In the end, viewers may be cheering for a completely different side than the one with which they started.

THESCENE@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

If you woke up after an accident and Channing Tatum insisted that he was your husband, would you even question it?

Most ladies wouldn’t, but it looks like Rachel McAdams didn’t get that memo.

The concept of “The Vow” has been used many times before: wife suffers from terrible accident or disease, gets diagnosed with amnesia and forgets who her husband is so he has to make her fall in love with him all over again.

You saw it in “50 First Dates” and “The Notebook,” so you’re probably skeptical of the originality.

Director Michael Suscy (“Grey Gardens”) adds his own twist in “The Vow” because the story was “inspired by true events,” information not mentioned in the trailer. The story works because it injects a sense of realism into it, but it’s easy to wonder which parts were real.

Within the first five minutes, the film sets up the night of Paige (McAd-

ams) and Leo’s (Tatum) car accident, and slowly, but surely it occurs. Literally in slow motion.

From there, the time frame shifts back and forth from the moment Paige and Leo met in Chicago, to their next four years together that Paige has forgotten to the present, which is somewhere from 2008 to now. (You’ll pick up on this during the scene where Paige asks who the president is and Leo says Obama).

This film doesn’t primarily focus on Tatum trying to get McAdams to remember him and fall back in love — in fact, there’s more complexity to the story than meets the eye.

Viewers get sucked into some family drama because the only thing that Paige can remember is her family, who she stopped talking to during the five years she was with Leo for some reason she doesn’t recall. Paige’s ex-fiancée also finds his way back into her life, causing more drama.

The chemistry between Tatum and McAdams is captivating. It feels natu-

ral and makes their love believable. Of course, it’s not comparable to “The Notebook,” but then again, most romance films will never get to that level.

Tatum has a way of playing the same type of character in every romantic movie he’s in — strong, soft-spoken and sensitive — but he performs in a way that moves the viewers in this film. He narrates the story and makes you choke up a bit because you feel for him in this heartbreaking situation.

The writers tried to balance the seriousness of this film with some light, comedic lines, but they only lasted for a few seconds before reverting back to the sad stuff.

The beauty of “The Vow” is that it is completely unpredictable. Most people probably go into it thinking that Paige will either regain her memory and fall back in love with Leo or that she will never remember him so he leaves her. Be reassured: something no one could have predicted or expected happens.

THESCENE@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

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SILVER SCREEN

COURTESY OF AMC

COURTESY OF WARNER BROS

JOURNEY 2: THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND GRADE: BBy MATT SUTTON EAGLE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The second installment of the “Journey to the Center of the Earth,” “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island,” begins a few years after the last journey ended.

Sean Anderson (Josh Hutcherson, “The Kids Are All Right”) and his new stepfather, Hank (Dwayne Johnson, “Fast Five”), search for Sean’s grandfather and renowned adventurer, Alexander Anderson (Michael Caine, “Inception”).

Anderson is thought to be stranded on the Mysterious Island, a fantastical land mass in the Pacific Ocean made famous by the novels of Jules Verne.

Director Brad Peyton (“Cats and Dogs: The Re-

venge of Kitty Galore”) and writer Brian Gunn took a big step up from their last projects.

Peyton made admirable use of the CGI, scenery and 3D and tied the stories of Jules Verne into a fun film that the whole family can enjoy.

“Journey 2” plays with the (very real) rumors that the stories by Jules Verne were more than just fiction.

Sean and Hank travel to the nearby coordinates of Palau with Gabbatto (Luis Guzman, “Arthur”) and his beautiful daughter Kallani (Vanessa Hudgens, “Sucker Punch”) as their guides.

Of course, they find the island, but the adventure truly begins when the island and its mysteries begin to sink back into the

sea.

“Journey 2: The Mysterious Island” was filmed in stunning 3D, making great use of the surreal landscapes, amazing creatures and great action sequences.

The use of multi-angle shots and slow motion makes the action sequences really pop. However, the shots are also cheesy at times, like when Kallani falls at an obnoxiously slow speed.

The general light-heartedness and humor of the film, brought mostly by the goofy Gabbatto, makes sure the film doesn’t take itself too seriously.

The banter between Hank and Alexander as they battle to be the best male role model to Sean is also extremely enjoyable.

And though Johnson

is still unable to shake the image of being “The Rock,” he has really found his calling and does well in comedies and family films.

Hudgens, who is still trying to escape her familiar first role in “High School Musical,” doesn’t have many lines but is a great choice to play Josh Hutcherson’s love interest. She is often funny and adds depth to her and Guzman’s relationships by searching for a way to get away from her life on a small island and go to college in the States. Kallani wasn’t the hardest or best role, of Hudgens’s career, but her character was a nice addition to the story and future of the series.

THESCENE@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

TV PICK: THE WALKING DEAD

By HOAI-TRAN BUI EAGLE STAFF WRITER

It seemed like the zombie genre was past its prime. When studios started churning out movies that featured Nazi zombies, you knew the genre was creaking toward its inevitable demise.

But in 2010, AMC’s “The Walking Dead” reinvigorated the tired zombie genre by infusing it with a new vitality and a great cast of characters.

Based on the ongoing graphic novel of the same name, “The Walking Dead” follows Sheriff Rick Grimes and a small band of survivors in a post-apocalyptic world overrun with zombies known as “walkers.”

The show isn’t burdened by heavy exposition about the origin of the zombie apocalypse, choosing instead to focus on the characters and their struggle to survive the zombies

and each other.

“The Walking Dead” is surprisingly poignant and psychological at times, serving as an excellent character study of a group of people who are isolated and fighting for survival.

It’s gripping and exciting, and refreshingly, it does not overdo the gore or violence.

“The Walking Dead” has some remarkable similarities to another cult show, “Lost,” which also served as a study on a cast of characters who were thrown together under supernatural circumstances and forced to deal.

The similarities stop there, however. “The Walking Dead” is currently making a name for itself and gaining momentum.

With the premiere of a new second season episode Feb. 12 after a fourmonth hiatus, “The Walking Dead” is back and better than ever.

HBUI@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

theEAGLE SCENE TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2012

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AUDIBLE @ AU

AUDIOPHILE Looking for new music? DJs at WVAU share their thoughts on a range of recent releases.

BAND OF SKULLS

SWEET SOUR There is nothing innovative or unique about Band of Skulls. This trio is one of many garage-blues bands who play off the sexual tension between their male and female vocalists while laying down sludgy, heavy riffs. Luckily, this is a generally compelling formula, and Band of Skulls proves to be rather adept at it.

For their sophomore effort, the group

SOUL REBELS BRASS BAND UNLOCK YOUR MIND

CHRISTINE LY / THE EAGLE

Sophomores Colin Wick and Jesse Drucker are two of the nine-member Neologians.

Student musicians bring original Afro-funk grooves to AU campus

BY CHRISTINE LY EAGLE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Who says jazz, philosophy and politics don’t share common ground?

School of International Service sophomores Colin Wick and Jesse Drucker combine all of those interests into their musical repertoire. They are also College of Arts and Sciences students: Drucker is studying philosophy and Wick is studying music.

On campus, you can find them jamming in the practice rooms at Katzen. Occasionally, you might find Drucker doing something for AU’s student radio station, WVAU, like writing for the website or DJing.

Wick, Drucker and a few of their friends formed an Afro-funk band called The Neologians last semester. Their sessions have produced sounds emulating artist Fela Kuti and other Afro-influenced genres.

On Feb. 10, they headlined Capital Punishment, WVAU’s free concert series.

You can find out more about the group on their Facebook page at facebook.com/ theneologians.

You won’t find any Top 40 artists on Wick’s and Drucker’s list of musical influences. Wick cites many jazz greats such as Plas Johnson, Dexter Gordon, Sonny Rollins and more. Drucker is a little bit more unconventional and suggested groups that play what he calls “crackedout blues,” like Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band from the ’70s.

The two musician friends are on opposite sides of the spectrum when it comes to how they learned to play music.

Wick grew up in a musical family and started classical training early on the piano. He experimented with multiple genres and eventually “fell in love with jazz.”

Now, Wick performs piano, saxophone and clarinet in AU jazz ensembles and workshops.

Drucker, on the other hand, started teaching himself piano and eventually guitar through the influence of a friend.

Even now, he doesn’t rely on sheet music or formal training to strum chords on his guitar or bass. He also dabbles in percussion, chanting and spoken lyrics and has performed at past WVAU Open Mic Nights.

Continued on Page 18

This album just kicks so much ass.

The power of an eight-man band, with each member trained in the fabled tradition of New Orleans jazz, combined with a modern street sense and their ear for writing excellent funk chord progressions, is something impossible to ignore.

SHARON VAN ETTEN TRAMP

Van Etten’s “Tramp” is an honest and intricately put together album that begs to be put on repeat. The thumping intro of “Warsaw” starts the album off like a purposeful march, teeming with reverberant guitar strumming and warbled beseeching vocals. Van Etten’s delicate yet strong voice taps into a vast spectrum of

DR. DOG BE THE VOID Let’s be clear, Dr. Dog isn’t reinventing the wheel here. The group’s latest release follows the same psychedelic, ’60s-style rock radio as their previous releases. It might seem easy for this band to grow tedious by their seventh full-length, but there’s something we always forget about Dr. Dog; they are damn good at what they do.

The album opens with bluesy track “Lonesome,” filled with stomps and slide guitars. “That Old Black Hole” changes things up a bit with a disco-style soul and

brings plenty of grime to these songs, best showcased in the title track and the chorus of “Bruises.” Surprisingly, the slower songs are equally solid, as “Navigate” and “Hometown” definitely provide the sweetness referenced in the album’s title. Such songs prove that Band of Skulls is no onetrick pony and that the future holds potentially exciting musical developments from the group.

RIYL: The Kills, Blood Red Shoes, The Dead Weather

BY CAMERON MEINDL

The album is should be called “Unlock Your Body” because there’s no way you can hear this and not want to get down.

A sure highlight is the vicious cover of “Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This,” but this is only a jumping-off point into an album of amazing originals by the funk/ jazz/hip hop/ska/reggae juggernaut that is the Soul Rebels Brass Band.

RIYL: The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, BadBadNotGood, The Roots, The Neologians

By JESSE PALLER

emotions.

The album is poignant, dainty and brilliantly eloquent. Light guitars, kick drum and keyboard synth pads back Van Etten’s gorgeous vocals particularly well on the melancholy track “Kevin’s.” A six sentence review of “Tramp” is a pathetic attempt to express the sheer passion and feeling that this album evokes so just do yourself a favor and give it a listen … or ten.

RIYL: Laura Gibson, Kathleen Edwards, St. Vincent

By BRENDAN PRINCIPATO

backing bongos (BONGOS? BONGOS!).

When “These Days” kicks in, you might think Dr. Dog has gone garage rock with its octaved guitars and drums that would make a Ramones fan jump in their seats.

Yet, these newer sounds fit in perfectly with their pre-established style.

What Dr. Dog flaunts best on “Be The Void” is their atmospheric and “dancey” songs, such as “How Long Must I Wait” and “Heavy Light.” The influence of afropop and hip-hop melds perfectly with the psychedelia of their early work. Dr. Dog proves yet again that there is still plenty of mileage left in their wheels. You might as well enjoy the ride.

RIYL: Wilco, My Morning Jacket, Delta Spirit, Portugal. The Man

By MIKE CREEDON

theEAGLE SCENE TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2012

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AUDIOPHILE Looking for new music? DJs at WVAU share their thoughts on a range of recent releases.

POLIÇA GIVE YOU THE GHOST It would be post-rock, but somebody sings. It could be called R&B, but it’s got too much drumming. It’s a little like Bon Iver, but the singer is a girl. And yeah, she sounds a lot like Justin Vernon, probably because Poliça is the band responsible for the weird R&B Gayngs project that he took part in during 2010, and there was probably some influence shared there.

But this album is far more “to-

CRAIG FINN

CLEAR HEART FULL EYES The first solo album from the lead singer of the Hold Steady, “Clear Heart Full Eyes” is quite different from the usual output listeners associate with Finn. Instead of anthemic choruses and enormous guitars, these songs are occupied by Americana arrangements that recall that last Decemberists record.

However, what the record lacks

GONJASUFI MU.ZZ.LE.

Gonjasufi is clearly a man not interested in putting out anything traditional or easy to follow. On this second full length LP, he develops the psychedelic hip-hop sound he pioneered on his first album, with the same amount of experimentation and abandon for song structure.

The songs do not seem to follow any sort of conventional pat-

gether” than that one was, with definite grooves underlying the stratospheric auto-tuned wandering of the chilling vocals. The songs themselves are sinister, languid post-trip hop productions, with minimal structure but rich melody and a full soundscape completely their own. The biggest surprise is the drumming, a dynamic powerhouse (courtesy of Spoon’s Jim Eno) that grounds the ethereal music and eventually entices it into climaxes of epic proportions.

RIYL: Bon Iver, Gayngs, Portishead, Katy B

By JESSE PALLER

in melody and riffs is made up by Finn’s consistently excellent lyrics. The majority of these tracks are far more personal accounts than Finn is accustomed to writing, and when he delves into story-songs, the characters are aging, out of luck and heartbroken.

Without his usual band backing him, Finn’s conversational vocal style might not work for everybody, but if you appreciate great storytelling, Finn is your man.

RIYL: “Nebraska” era Bruce Springsteen, Conor Oberst

By CAMERON MEINDL

tern, as they simply flow into each other as Gonjasufi sees fit, often not lasting longer than two minutes. In that sense, a few of the tracks seem to just be ideas rather than fully fleshed out songs, but at the very least, all of them are interesting. If you’ve ever wondered what it was like to drop acid while walking through a library of hiphop samples, look no further.

RIYL: Flying Lotus (or anything off Brainfeeder), Clams Casino, Shlohmo

Check out more reviews from The Scene online by scanning the QR code to the right with your smartphone.

By RICHARD MURPHY

Dupont Circle’s Secondi stuffs tiny store with consigned finds

JANE MORICE / THE EAGLE

BY JANE MORICE EAGLE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

On one of the few snowy, windy days we’ve had here in D.C. this winter, I decided to venture out to Dupont Circle with a good friend and check out a consignment shop that has intrigued me from the moment I first saw it — Secondi.

Secondi, located above Starbucks on Connecticut Avenue, is an upscale consignment shop that caters to women.

I walked up the stairs and was welcomed into a bustling, cramped area. Secondi is not very large at all, but it is stuffed to the brim with clothing and accessories.

The store’s smallness did not really affect my shopping experience, however.

To the right was an area with jackets, dresses and suits, all of good quality. Secondi is quite selective about the brands it sells. Finding a Calvin Klein dress, a Diane von Furstenberg jacket or Tory Burch boots isn’t that far-fetched. (In fact, these are all things I came across on my visit.)

While it is fun to find upscale brands, there are also comparatively lower-end brands sold at Secondi, such as the Gap and J. Crew.

No matter what you find, always be sure to look at the price tag. Secondi’s pricing system is one I haven’t encountered before.

The item is given an initial price point, but if the item has not been sold a month from the day it comes into the store, the price is knocked down. If the item is still in the store a month after that, its price is knocked down once more, and

JANE MORICE / THE EAGLE

that will be its price from then on.

I did not buy anything on my trip to Secondi, but there were quite a few items that I was tempted to pick up, such as a Pashmina scarf and a pair of Rock & Republic jeans.

As much as I like the pricing system at the store, I think it can be a bit inconvenient, especially if you’d like to pick something up but would rather wait until it is marked down. The problem is that you can’t guarantee it will still be there when you come back for it.

The great brands sold at the store also mean the items can be pretty expensive (at least for an average college student) even when they are totally marked down.

If you are willing to spend a little bit more money than you might at a thrift store, you will not be disappointed.

THESCENE@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

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Mission Improvable rides meme wave with their viral video ‘Shit AU Says’

BY ALEX GRECO EAGLE STAFF WRITER

MICHELLE EIDER / THE EAGLE

Jack’s Mannequin recently ended their People and Things Tour by stopping at 9:30 club on Feb. 11. The band sang fan favorites like “I’m Ready” and “Bruised.”

Jack’s Mannequin show they’re ‘made for’ 9:30 club Feb. 11

BY MICHELLE EIDER EAGLE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Piano-rock quartet Jack’s Mannequin delivered a rousing resolution to their People and Things Tour on Feb. 11 at the 9:30 club. The band treated fans to an extended concert in celebration of their last show.

Frontman and pianist Andrew McMahon told an ecstatic audience that, although his voice was tired from months of touring, he planned to “push it till the last drop.”

That he did. The impressive 22-song set list featured plenty of old favorites from the band’s beloved 2005 debut album “Everything in Transit,” as well as current tracks from the recently released “People and Things.”

Following the two openers, soul singer Allen Stone and indie-rock trio Jukebox the Ghost, Jack’s Mannequin took the stage early to accommodate the additional songs.

Backed by bassist Mikey “The Kid” Wagner, guitarist Bobby Anderson

and drummer Jay McMillan, McMahon opened the show with the band’s current single “Release Me,” followed by their first single “The Mixed Tape.”

The crowd turned up the volume during the defiant “Holiday from Real,” singing and dancing along to the piano-heavy tune.

During the trippy “Bloodshot,” McMahon jumped on top of his piano and instructed the crowd to wave their arms. Popular tracks off “Everything in Transit,” such as “I’m Ready” and “Bruised,” kept up the energy level throughout the night.

Upbeat pop numbers were consistently balanced by poignant ballads like “Hammers and Strings,” the hopeful “Swim” and the sentimental “Casting Lines,” which McMahon said was inspired by a recent reunion with childhood friends.

These slowed-down songs showcased McMahon’s on-point vocals and formidable piano skills.

The band closed the show with fan favorite “Dark Blue,” followed by an extended rendition of

“Made for Each Other/ You Can Breathe.” The last number gave McMahon ample time to thank his band mates and crew before exiting the stage.

After only about a minute of applause, McMahon quickly returned solo and began the encore with the emotional, classically inspired piano ballad “Caves.” McMahon explained he wrote the song while hospitalized with leukemia, a subject that inspired much of the 2008 album “The Glass Passenger.” He dedicated the ballad to a fellow cancer survivor he had met on tour and gave a shout-out to the Dear Jack Foundation, the charity he founded after his battle with cancer.

The opening acts joined Jack’s Mannequin on stage for a fun cover of The Zombies’ “Time of the Season.”

For the final encore number, McMahon broke out his harmonica and invited the audience to sing along to “La La Lie,” celebrating the end of the tour through showers of confetti.

THESCENE@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

“And then I found out he was gay!”

“Professor, I just wanted to let you know that I have a very strong opinion on this.”

“Oh, I’m from New Jersey too!”

It was a Saturday night, and Facebook had exploded. AU improv and acting group Mission Improvable released a video titled “Shit AU People Say”, and the video spread across campus in a matter of minutes.

Gabe Menchaca, a freshman in the School of Public Affairs, was thrilled to see the creation.

“We find it funny because we get the joke — it’s like an inside joke,” Menchaca said.

The video is part of a YouTube trend that mocks quirky habits, sayings and ideas of locals from different places across the country, including “Shit D.C. Says.”

The video depicts a student talking on her cell phone on the quiet floor of the library, and students discussing the deficit of forks in the Terrace Din-

ing Room. The troupe even featured a Bon Appétit worker yelling, “Tenders!”

Members of Mission Improv-able began accumulating potential quips and funny moments over an email thread, said Madeline Wolfson, a member of Mission Improvable and a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences.

“So many of the suggestions that we were all sending independently back and forth were identical, and that’s when we started to realize what the kind of stereotypes actually were,” Wolfson said in a phone interview.

Nate Bronstein, a director and producer of the video, said the “Shit People in D.C. Say” video inspired actors to do something similar for AU. The acting troupe worked with Michael Conte, Emily O’Connor, Nicole Raz and Joanna Sobieski from ATV to produce the video.

More than 12,000 people viewed the people as of Feb. 13 at 9:30 p.m.

“Another reason we are doing this now is because we wanted to add a new dynamic to Mission

The Neologians perform for WVAU’s free concert Capital Punishment Continued from Page 16

Wick and Drucker offered a few suggestions for how to improve AU’s music scene.

Wick said AU underestimated the growth of its music program when it designed Katzen Arts Center.

Wick said that, while it is “very nice for small groups, [it doesn’t accommodate] large ensembles.”

He and Drucker said the music program could be further improved with the creation of an AUhosted media-sharing website or forum to “share [original] music, connect

Improv-able this year,” Bronstein said. “So we’ve started introducing the ‘digital shorts,’ sort of like SNL [Saturday Night Live] has digital shorts.”

The former Student Government president explained that the “shorts,” in addition to playing during the troupe’s performances, will promote the group’s presence on campus and raise money through YouTube advertising revenue.

“Shit AU People Say” didn’t make a smooth transition to the Web, originally. The film was released early due to a technical error Feb. 4 and quickly accrued around 400 views.

ATV took the video down about two hours after its release, Bronstein said.

“Put it up again already,” wrote one Facebook user.

The video was put back up Feb. 6, complete with credits, under Mission Improv-able’s channel.

The updated video also included three additional lines and a conclusion that thanked the Tavern for its participation in the skit.

Menchaca said he would want to see a similar video in the future.

“I think it’s a good thing to make fun of ourselves a little bit from time to time because I think that a lot of the time people take themselves a little bit too seriously,” he said.

THESCENE@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

and collaborate with other [student] musicians even if they’re not in the music program.”

Drucker also said, “Internet and recording equipment is getting cheaper. If we can get this, then students won’t be so [creatively] isolated” The two suggest the possibility of collaborating with WVAU to host students’ music samples in their library or to play them during radio shows.

THESCENE@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

theEAGLE SCENE TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2012

Summer Camp bring sweet vintage aesthetic to U Hall British indie-pop duo delivers tracks from their debut album “Welcome to Condale” Feb. 9

By SYDNEY GORE EAGLE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

smiles at everyone he meets / It’s a great place to raise kids, but they never will grow up / Families build houses on the graves of those they’ve loved,” Sankey sang.

Sankey and Warmsley used this dark content to their advantage, harmonizing and belting out their creepy lyrics to a sea of young adults, performing the songs in a lighthearted way so the audience didn’t completely catch on.

Unfortunately, after the opening song, a technical mishap occurred on Warmsley’s guitar strings, delaying their set for about 15 minutes.

Eventually after switching gears, Sankey and the drummer returned on stage to play “Done Forever,” which featured haunting organs and a thumping tempo.

Summer Camp’s vintage aesthetic transported the entire audience to a gym at a high school prom.

With images of old-fashioned dancing being projected in the background, the crowd couldn’t help but mimic it. The dancing was out of control during crowd favorites like “Round the Moon,” “I Want You” and “Ghost Train.”

Despite the technical mishap with Warmsley’s chords that delayed the set for a bit, Summer Camp put on a sensational performance that enchanted all.

If summer camp were anything like a Summer Camp concert, no kid would ever leave.

On Thursday, Feb. 9, the London-based duo of instrumentalist Jeremy Warmsley and vocalist Elizabeth Sankey rocked U Street Music Hall.

Sankey and Warmsley call their 2009 union a “happy accident” because they never intended to actually go public with their music.

The two recorded a few songs and posted them online under a fake name, keeping their identities hidden from all.

Instead of staying buried on the Internet, intrigued fans wanted to dig up more about them.

In 2010, they released their first EP “Young,” and the following year on Halloween, they dropped their first album “Welcome To Condale,” referring to a fictional Condale suburb in California that they created.

With their unique fusion of ’80s synth-pop and ’60s girl-group tunes, the band’s music and videos are heavily inspired by vintage American culture.

During their show, the band even projected popular photos and film clips from ’80s classics like “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” “The Breakfast Club” and “Teen THESCENE@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM Wolf” in the background.

The whole set, Sankey Drive p and Warmsley vibed off of ast thes e teleph each other, getting in each one line s and le other’s faces on stage and these su ave burban maintaining a quirky interacstreets tion with the crowd.

In contrast to their sparThe mayor drinks too much and kling personalities, Summer Camp’s lyrics fall on the smiles at everyone he meets darker side, often dealing with teenage obsessions, It’s a great place to raise unsuccessful relationships and kids, but they conflicts. never will grow up The opening song, “Welcome to Condale,” showed this contrast. on the graves of those “Drive past these Families build houses telephone lines and they’ve loved leave these suburban streets / The mayor drinks too much and –Elizabeth Sankey

19

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis

ACROSS 1 Hitchhikes 7 Hiker’s snack mix 11 “Cocoon” director Howard 14 “Très sexy!”

15 Chevy hatchback 16 Tavern order 17 Baker’s sweetener 20 Columnist Landers 21 Swiss calculus pioneer 22 Odds and ends 23 “__ silly question, get . . .”

24 “Twittering Machine” artist Paul 26 Cinnamon blend for a Thanksgiving recipe 33 “The Sheik of __”: 1920s song 34 “Poor me!”

35 Carpenter’s cutter 36 Places for compost 37 Little ones who, they say, are made up of the ends of this puzzle’s four longest entries 39 Israel’s Netanyahu, familiarly 40 Took a load off 41 Writing implements 42 Elegant dress material 43 “All finished!”

47 Make less difficult 48 Ages upon ages 49 Heart or liver 52 The devil 54 Tavern spigot 57 1966 Beach Boys hit 60 Sick 61 __ pro quo: substitute 62 Laundry employee 63 Santa’s little helper 64 Trig function 65 Equivalent of A-flat DOWN 1 Old Roman garment 2 Sound of traffic frustration

By Anna Gundlach

3 __ Bator, Mongolia 4 Fellow 5 Feature of a clear day 6 Dog also called a Persian Greyhound 7 Garden entrance 8 Too much of a good thing 9 Little wagon’s color 10 Have in one’s hands 11 Classico competitor 12 Norwegian royal name 13 Indoor ball brand 18 Shepard who hit golf balls on the moon 19 Lone Star State sch.

23 LAPD alerts 25 Grazing lands 26 Blue Ribbon beer 27 Dickens villain Heep 28 Underwater ray 29 Examine grammatically 30 Last Supper query 31 Mountain quarters 32 “Dallas” surname

Saturday ’s Puzzle Solved

(c)2012 Tribune Media Services, Inc.

37 Thousands, in a heist 38 Buy for the future, as gold 39 German road 41 Manners to be minded 42 Rock-throwing protesters 44 Marsh duck 45 Heavy metal band named for a rodent 46 “’Bout this large”

49 Boo-boo, to tots 50 Turn at the casino 51 __ of Mexico 53 Senate page, for one 54 Rocking Turner 55 Expert server, in tennis 56 Whodunit quarry 58 Rapa __: Easter Island 59 Japanese dramatic form

Level: 1

2

3

4

Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit, 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit www.sudoku.org.uk SOLUTION TO LAST WEEK’S PUZZLE

© 2012 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Media Services. All rights reserved.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2012

STAFF EDITORIAL

Opinion

GIVE STUDENT TRUSTEE THE VOTE

This week, student leaders nominated Speaker of the Undergraduate Senate Brett Atanasio to be the student trustee on the AU Board of Trustees. The Eagle applauds the appointment of this competent undergrad. But the fact that the position he fills is without full voting rights makes his nomination bittersweet.

An undergraduate trustee is more likely to be most familiar with student needs, as he or she lives and eats on campus daily. Indeed, many of the recent, more influential movements for University development and change have come from undergraduates. This year alone, both “A New AU” and “Occupy AU” have developed from primarily undergraduate membership and leadership. And the Undergraduate Student Government has incontestably been the most visible student group on campus dedicated to actively advocating for the student body.

Atanasio is an experienced SG officer, currently serving as speaker of the

A poor man for President

Undergraduate Senate. and could, as a trustee, lar situations may be avoidRegardless of one’s per- assist rejecting legislation ed in the future. Only then sonal feelings on the SG, that had been fairly passed can the student body’s best few other positions need to over his objections in the interests be represented be as in tune with Universi- Senate. While we think it on the Board of Trustees. ty affairs, the student body is beneficial for the stuAll these specifics with and the plethora of issues dent trustee to learn from Atanasio’s nomination affecting it. Any student and perhaps attend Senate aside, some may wonder trustee should match his meetings, overseeing the what difference any stuor her passion dent trustee can for student admake on the Board.

The fact that the position vocacy with an Indeed, the reality understanding may damper some Atanasio fills has no voting of the students optimism. The sturights makes his nomination themselves. dent is only one of And Atanasio’s 31 on the Board, bittersweet. previous SG and the position terms seem to comes with no votindicate both.

Senate and being a trustee ing rights. No matter how Past service in the SG pose potential conflicts. passionate our representais a strength; we don’t conTo our knowledge, the tive is, it’s hard to point to test that. However, we are SG has no official proce- direct influence without concerned that Atanasio’s dure, rules or regulations being on the roll call. position in the Undergrad- regarding one of its own AU has always been a uate Senate will present a members serving as the progressive institution. In conflict of interest should student trustee concur- the past, the Board has he serve as trustee si- rently. Thus, Atanasio directly furthered this multaneously. The Senate would not be violating any tradition, although it was writes, debates and passes protocol should he contin- pushed along by crisis. Folresolutions that are for- ue to serve out the remain- lowing the Ladner scandal, warded directly to the trus- der of his term as speaker. AU became one of the few tees. An individual holding Nevertheless, we feel the universities with a student both the speakership and apparent conflict of interest trustee. Not Yale, not Hartrusteeship would have is rather clear and hope the vard and not even Georgetwo layers of input on the SG looks into establishing town have such a position. same specific resolution a proper code so that simi- Current progress aside,

we encourage the Board to continue in this forwardthinking fashion and consider granting the student trustee full voting rights.

To some, the move may seem radical, but frankly, there are too many important issues before the Board of Trustees to eschew a direct student voice in the process. And other schools have instituted the policy with positive results. Both Cornell University and the University of New England have not only one, but two voting student trustees.

We have no specific crisis that prompted us to push for a voting trustee, no failure of leadership to rile up the masses. We only have the principle of fair student representation in University affairs on our minds. And this is a principle that shouldn’t need a scandal to be fulfilled.

The Eagle encourages the Board to take the initiative and follow the progressive schools it seeks to emulate. Let the student trustee vote.≠ E

Running for president is about one thing: eating at diners.

A candidate for president must be an expert in the proper ordering of a local Iowan pork tenderloin sandwich, an authentic New Hampshire corn chowder and South Carolina barbecue (always with a Carolina Gold yellow mustard sauce). One can only imagine the expenditures this requires.

Yet, post tax return release, chances are that Mitt Romney could buy every single diner he has visited over the course of his campaign. (He makes enough money in a day to pay for a year at AU.) Presidential candidates spend millions of dollars to appear to be “just like one of us,” a middle class, hard-working citizen. Poor was never so chic.

EDPAGE@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

Continued on Page 21

understand some of the history behind it.

According to the NAACP, “NAACP leader and legendary historian and educator Carter G. Woodson originally founded ‘Negro History Week’ in 1926, at a time when most history books simply omitted any African-American history and the central role African-Americans played in the birth of America as we know it.”

The organization continues to explain: “In 1976, Negro History Week was expanded to Black History Month. Since then, Black History Month has offered an opportunity to study, reflect on, and redefine our ongoing legacy in American history.”

Nevertheless, I can’t

To students, Black History Month is that month in school where they learn about black inventors, pioneers and leaders who have all made a formidable difference in American history. Students go online, they make timelines and they have a class paper written on Benjamin Baker or St. Elmo Brady.

Then, 28 days later, these important people are forgotten, and students return to reading a textbook that has no background information about or context for the influential Americans they just studied. Students continue to be deprived of black history and culture for 11 months and, thus, are never able to fully understand or embrace it.

Carter G. Woodson’s vi-

sion is a beautiful one, but we are slowly drifting further away from his dream.

Black History Month implies that it’s fine for history books contain minimal information on Africa and African-American culture, as long as we focus on it for one month.

We have to, as a people and nation, leave Black History Month behind.

As a starting point, it has done its job, providing Americans of every race with information on one of its most significant groups for decades.

However, it is time we take a step closer to integrating black history into the year, so that it becomes what it truly is: history.

Making Black History Month history JULIA GREENWALD |RANTING WITH MYSELF ”You’re going to relegate my history to a month?”

This was Morgan Freeman’s complaint in a 2005 interview with “60 Minutes,” during which the actor openly criticized Black History Month.

I’m glad I’m not alone in my particular uneasiness with Black History Month and what I think it has come to represent.

I remember asking the person next to me waiting for the elevator, as we both read the first flier advertis-

20

ing it, “Do you also think there’s something weird about celebrating Black History Month?”

What I got in response was a skeptical look, and a mutter that sounded something like, “That’s kind of racist.”

But is it really? Or are Morgan Freeman and I the only people who think that we have to outgrow Black History Month?

Before I get into how and why Black History Month should change, let’s

help but think that giving a significant portion of Americans a celebratory month makes us forget that their history and culture is embedded in all of American history and should always be celebrated, embraced and taught, not segregated and limited to a sole month.

Black History Month has, at one level, become shallow and commercialized. It’s that month where we go to the Smithsonian to see an exhibition on African art and buy an iTunes blues song with a “Black History Month” logo on it while we lick Langston Hughes stamps.

We should be visiting these exhibits, listening to these artists and using these stamps regardless of what month it is.

SAM MENDELSON UNCOMMON GROUND

EDPAGE@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

theEAGLE OPINION TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2012

Mendelson, Continued from page 20

Thoughts on love MANA ALIABADI | THE EXAMINED LIFE I want to take a moment to talk about love, that ever elusive, everpervasive of all abstract human concepts that happens to be the bittersweet theme of this day.

Beyond the faux-traditionalism that accompanies all “Hallmark holidays” such as this one, Valentine’s Day also pushes us to reexamine love’s role and relevancy as a concept in our modern day and age.

While I could go on and on about how ridiculous and contrived this day is, my criticisms wouldn’t get at a deeper understanding of what it means to love and why we all, in some form or another, seek it so much.

So I wonder, is love really a meaningless construct in the context of our modern times? Or do we seek it even more as we feel its absence pervading all around us?

Unlike many of my politically like-minded peers, I refuse to perceive love as a so-called “bourgeois” construct. Their reasoning claims that love enables us to relish in our own feelings of self-importance, pride and jealousy, while fostering long-standing traditions of sexism and patriarchy.

Although I recognize this analysis’s validity to a certain extent, I reject the parallel drawn between all forms of love and bourgeois vanity.

Like most other abstractions, love can take on various forms in varying degrees.

Unlike the traditional bourgeois interpretation, I believe there exists a deeper form of love, which transcends such superficial narcissism and arrogance.

In this sense, it grows into a concept through which the self, as a purely self-interested unit, is dissolved and becomes a part of a greater collective, whether it is manifested through unity with another person, an entire community or even a greater ideal.

In releasing the self, love becomes perhaps the greatest liberator of all.

While I would never assert that they are completely synonymous, there has always been an interesting relationship between love and sex. Given the high concentration of like-minded, similarly aged people in the college atmosphere, the relationship between love and sex

often demands scrutiny as we try to make sense of our occasional casual hookups and potentially meaningful exchanged glances.

The more time I spend immersed in the college lifestyle, the more I am pushed to reassess my views regarding sexual freedom, which increasingly seems like a solution and viable method of reversing historical patterns of patriarchy while undermining love’s former superficial interpretation.

Although I am hesitant to label mine as an argument for free love, I do see great merits in exercising one’s right to free sexual association and exchange.

Most importantly, such an approach requires a complete disavowal of possession over another individual while also promoting egalitarianism in the fact that this right applies to everyone — regardless of sex, orientation, or preference.

Just as there are varying levels of love, there exists varying levels of sexuality, sexual orientation and involvement in sexual activity.

In line with this view, the link between love and sex becomes an active renunciation of selfish ownership and traditions of bigotry. Although free sexual exchange may not be the best permanent lifestyle choice for everyone, its principles promote a unique blend of camaraderie and liberation.

We need a more progressive perspective and general approach to love and sex that is more aligned with our modern civilization’s advancement.

Thirteenth century Persian poet Mowlana Jalaluddin Rumi seemed to have a better grasp on it all than many of us do today. He writes in “A Moment of Happiness”: “You and I unselfed, will be together, / indifferent to idle speculation …

In one form upon this earth, / and in another form in timeless sweet land.”

It seems Rumi was also accepting of love’s fleeting yet unifying effect, which pleases and inspires all of us as we continue to seek it.

In the context of our college experience, practicing and promoting sexual liberation is perhaps the best way to unearth some of the truths that underlie this captivatingly elusive concept.

EDPAGE@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

According to the Center for Responsive Politics, the average wealth of a senator was $13.2 million in 2010 and $5.9 million for a representative.

But the real wealth is in the presidency.

From George Washington to Obama, the Oval Office has been filled with some of America’s richest men.

Historian Edward Pessen estimated that more than half of all presidents were in the top 3 percent of society.

Yet the poorest presidents, whose wealth were less than $1 million, hold some diamonds in the rough. Who could forget Lincoln, Truman and Wilson?

In the 2012 election, we have a front-runner Mormon candidate, a falling adulterer candidate, a rising evangelical candidate, an OB/GYN candidate and (of course) a socialist candidate. But what the 2012 field lacks is a Poor Man’s Candidate.

While Ron Paul’s and Barack Obama’s wealth pale in comparison to the rest of the field, they have never felt poverty in their adult lives. They haven’t had to navigate the complex web of food stamps, unemployment

benefits, welfare, Medicaid or simply search for employment (even though Romney claims he has been concerned about getting a “pink slip”).

What if, instead of a gang of men who shoot 18 holes every Sunday at a country club, America had to choose from their caddy, vale, or busboy?

What if, instead of a Financial Sense candidate, there was a Street Sense candidate?

The Oliver Twist of candidates would be dropped off at campaign stops by a friend or relative, wearing an off-color (tan or olive perhaps) suit — without a tie of course. They would read speeches from 3 by 5 notecards, and their rhetoric, instead of being lofty, would be more along the lines of a Subway sandwich, somewhat unidentifiable meat along with a healthy lathering of an assortment of dressings.

Their talking points would argue for jobs of any color (green or un-green), a bureaucracy that works (who knows what the Department of Interior, Commerce or Agriculture really do?) and some place safe to sleep.

Arguments about deficits, debt ceilings, earmarks, House ethics, socialism and judicial ap-

LETTER TO THE EDITOR I want to thank The Eagle for its continued interest in the Honors Program and in the ongoing discussion of the changes that we hope to make in the program. Last week’s article had a couple of errors and oversights that led to some confusion and misplaced concern in last week’s editorial.

Last week’s article described the proposed core curriculum as centered on writing and research courses, which it is not. The task force, in fact, has recommended that the Honors Program shift from the current system, which offers a menu of courses, to a core curriculum, which would offer a set sequence of courses as well as accompanying courses on research and writing. The set sequence of courses would be content-driven and similar to the colloquia currently offered and greatly enjoyed by students.

The core courses would be interdisciplinary and team-taught, giving students a chance to explore multiple perspectives on current issues and enduring

questions.

Last week’s editorial raised concerns about an isolated community, a lack of course options and the need for an open comment period. I’m interested in hearing from students whether they share a concern about isolation. Currently, Honors students share only a quarter of their courses: 30 of the 120 credits required for graduation must be Honors courses. Since some proposals offered by the task force would reduce the required number of Honors credits, future Honors students could possibly have more courses with the general student population than they do today.

As indicated in the editorial, some Honors students outside SIS and SPA do struggle to find courses and rely on the supplement system. That problem will be eliminated if we shift from the current menu system to a core because the core can be designed to balance the disciplines.

The comment period on the

21 pointees wouldn’t really matter when getting food on the table is life’s biggest challenge.

Say the Poor Man is elected, would State Dinners be held at IHOP? Unlikely. But the whole mindset of the Chief Executive would change.

Polls, political brinksmanship and partisan hackery would be trumped by a genuine and honest search for solutions for the majority of the electorate, who are unfortunately not multi-millionaires.

That isn’t to say that a Poor Man’s President would be a success (or a failure for that matter), but perhaps it would be oddly reassuring to know that one of us, not just a rich person pretending to be one of us, could use the bully pulpit to preach Street Sense values instead of statistically calculated talking points.

Lincoln guided the country through its most trying times, all while having almost no money in his bank account.

Now, more than ever, we need a change to our system, the era of millionaires is over, and in its place, the era of the poor man can begin.

EDPAGE@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

proposed changes to the Honors Program has been open since we began the process, and it remains open. Each week that the task force met, it posted materials immediately on the web for comment. We’ve met twice with students, once with faculty, and circulated a survey of faculty. I hope that students, faculty and staff will continue to send forward their advice and recommendations. Everything we’ve received has been helpful.

The task force completed its work by sending forward a number of options for the direction the Honors Program might go.

This spring, those options will be refined and crystallized into a proposal that can be implemented and fulfill the desire for “an unsurpassed undergraduate education.” All along the way, you can expect us to continue posting information and inviting comment from students, faculty and staff. I look forward to your contributions.

Michael L. Manson Interim Director, University Honors Program

theEAGLE SPORTS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2012

22

Women’s lacrosse earns two exhibition victories, ready for 2012

By TYLER TOMEA EAGLE STAFF WRITER

The Eagles started off 2012 by picking up two exhibition victories Feb. 12 over the Wales National Team, 8-3, and Villanova University, 10-4.

Emily Burton scored three goals and Kimberly Collins found the back of the net twice, as the Eagles defeated Wales, who

is currently in the middle of a U.S. tour.

In the second matchup of Sunday’s doubleheader, Collins led the way with three goals while Lauren Schoenberger added two.

Kaska Komosinski made a combined five saves in the two contests.

“The scrimmages went really well,” AU Assistant Coach Jackie Proch said.

“It was definitely a positive

reflection of the preseason and the work the girls put in.”

The Eagles will begin the regular season Feb. 18, when they play host to Davidson College.

Eagles picked fourth in Patriot League The AU women’s lacrosse team will be looking to follow up its improvements the past two

No. 10 AU wrestling finishes 1-1 at regional

By SAMANTHA RAPHELSON EAGLE STAFF WRITER

The No. 10 AU wrestling team split its two matches at the National Duals Regional Feb. 12 at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. Seeded sixth at the six-team regional, the Eagles fell to the third-seeded University of Oklahoma Sooners, led by former AU Head Coach Mark Cody. AU then rebounded by picking up a 25-16 victory over Central Michigan University for the program’s firstever triumph over the Chippewas.

No. 1 heavyweight Ryan Flores led the Eagles in both meets with two pins to increase his pin total to nine and remain undefeated at 12-0. Flores defeated Oklahoma’s Kyle Colling at the 4:53 mark and Central Michigan’s Peter Sturgeon (ranked No. 17) at 2:09.

No. 3 Ganbayar Sanjaa also defeated his two opponents, recording a fall against No. 15 Matt Lester in the Oklahoma match and narrowly defeating CMU’s Donnie Corby, 3-2. Sanjaa is another wrestler that will be in championship contention come March, as the redshirt senior boasts a 17-2 record that includes three pins, three major decisions and one technical fall.

The Eagles, who evened their dual record at 7-7 following the regional, struggled against the Sooners. Oklahoma defeated AU in eight of 10 bouts to hand the Eagles a 35-12 loss.

AU trailed 17-0 after four bouts and 35-6 after nine, as Flores and Sanjaa were the only two AU grapplers to record wins against the Sooners.

But the Eagles bounced back nicely against the Chippewas, winning six of 10 bouts to defeat CMU for the first time in program history.

After leading 6-5 following the first three bouts, AU received victories from No. 14 Matt Mariacher, Kevin Tao and Sanjaa to pull in front 16-5.

But Central Michigan answered with three straight victories of its own, putting the score at 16-16 heading into the final two matches.

No. 19 Daniel Mitchell picked up a key 7-2 decision at 197 pounds over CMU’s Craig Kelliher, then Flores secured the team victory with a pin over Sturgeon.

The Eagles will return to Bender Arena Feb. 19 for the Bender Takedown, when they square off against No. 18 Virginia Tech in their final dual meet of the season.

AU’s senior student-athletes will be honored prior to the match.

The matchup against Virginia Tech will be AU’s final competition in February, with the EIWA Championships and the NCAA Championships set for March.

SPORTS@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

seasons with a strong 2012 campaign.

Last season’s winning record (9-8) was the team’s first in eight years.

The Eagles finished 3-13 in 2009, 6-10 in 2010 and 9-8 in 2011.

“The girls, I think it really starts with them,” Proch said. “I think it really starts with their work ethic. They’re really buying into what we’re selling them.”

Last year’s season ended in heartbreaking fashion, when the team lost 15-14 in triple overtime in the Patriot League Tournament Semifinals.

AU led 13-11 in that contest with 11:28 remaining, before Colgate led the

game at 14-14 with 3:02 left and won it in the third overtime session.

“I know Colgate’s a game the team has highlighted on their schedule,” Proch said.

Patriot League coaches and sports information directors selected Colgate second in the 2012 PL Preseason Poll and the Navy Midshipmen first with 12 of the 14 first-place votes.

The Eagles were selected fourth for the second straight season.

The Eagles have a lot of firepower returning this season, as top scorers Bernadette Maher, Samantha Marshall and Collins all return from a year ago. Maher notched a team-high

35 goals last season, while Marshall added 31 and Collins connected on 30.

“It’s great returning your top scorers and impact players,” Proch said.

The return of the marquee players will help aid the development of the underclassmen, Proch said.

Komosinski returns in goal for the Eagles. The senior has made 26 starts in her AU career, including all 17 games from a season ago.

Two-time All-Patriot League selection Emily Stankiewicz returns to lead the defense after posting a team-high 43 ground balls and 26 caused turnovers.

TTOMEA@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

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theEAGLE SPORTS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2012

Holy Cross trips up men’s basketball, 59-52

By ERIC SALTZMAN EAGLE STAFF WRITER

Facing a quick turnaround following a big win against Lehigh University, the AU men’s basketball team came up short against Holy Cross Feb. 11 in Worcester, Mass.

The Eagles (16-9, 7-3 PL) trailed during the entire second half of the game, eventually falling 59-52 to the Crusaders (1113, 5-5 PL).

Devin Brown and Dave Dudzinski led the Crusaders in scoring with 14 and 10 points, respectively.

After Holy Cross scored the game’s first basket, AU went on a 13-3 run to take an eight-point advantage seven minutes into the game.

Charles Hinkle contrib-

uted six of the 13 points during the run, but struggled to find a rhythm offensively all afternoon.

The senior led the Eagles with 14 points, but went just 4-18 from the field and 2-8 from 3-point range.

The Crusaders responded to AU’s early run and tied the game at 18-18 with 5:59 left in the first half following Malcolm Miller’s 3-pointer.

Tony Wroblicky’s basket 26 seconds later put the Eagles up 20-18, but that would be the last time AU held the lead for the entire game.

Holy Cross followed Wroblicky’s score with a 10-0 run to take a 28-20 lead into halftime. Over the final five minutes of the first half, AU com-

RACHEL DEVOR / THE EAGLE

After scoring 18 points against Lehigh Feb. 9, Tony Wroblicky scored four points in 12 minutes at Holy Cross.

PATRIOT LEAGUE STANDINGS

23

FEB. 15

Men’s basketball vs. Navy at 7:30 p.m.

Women’s basketball @ Navy at 7 p.m.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Bucknell 10-0 PL, 20-6

American 7-3 PL, 16-9

American 10-0 PL, 18-6

FEB. 16 FEB. 17

Swimming and diving Patriot League Championships @ Navy (All day) Track and field Patriot League Championships @ Bucknell (All day) Swimming and diving Patriot League Championships @ Navy (All day)

Navy 7-3 PL, 14-10

FEB. 18

Women’s lacrosse vs. Davidson at noon

Lehigh 7-3 PL, 19-7

Army 6-4 PL, 12-13

Lafayette 6-4 PL, 11-14

Lehigh 6-4 PL, 13-11

Women’s basketball vs. Army at 2 p.m.

Holy Cross 5-5 PL, 11-13

Holy Cross 4-6 PL, 13-12

Men’s basketball @ Army at 4 p.m.

Army 4-6 PL, 11-14

Colgate 3-7 PL, 6-19

Swimming and diving Patriot League Championships @ Navy (All day)

Colgate 1-9 PL, 7-18

Lafayette 2-8 PL, 8-17

Navy 0-10 PL, 3-21

Bucknell 2-8 PL, 4-21

Track and field Patriot League Championships @ Bucknell (All day)

FEB. 19

Wrestling vs. Virginia Tech at 2 p.m.

Track and field Patriot League Championships @ Bucknell (All day)

mitted one turnover and missed all eight of its shot attempts.

The Eagles shot 32 percent (19-59) from the field and went a dismal 6-24 in the first half. AU also had difficulty making it to the foul line, reaching the charity stripe six times.

Holy Cross opened up its lead to 15 midway through the second half when Jordan Stevens’ 3-pointer put the Crusaders up 46-31 with 9:54 left in the game.

But the Eagles rallied, outscoring Holy Cross 18-7 over the next 7:32 to cut the Crusaders’ lead to 53-49 with 2:22 to play.

That would be the closest the Eagles would get in the second half, though, as AU shot 1-6 with a turnover in the game’s final two minutes.

Hinkle was the only double-digit scorer for the Eagles. Troy Brewer added nine points on 3-8 shooting (3-7 from 3-point range), while Simon McCormack finished with eight.

Following his careerbest performance against Lehigh Feb. 9, Wroblicky totaled just four points in 12 minutes of action. The sophomore center picked up his third foul less than a minute into the game’s second half.

Combined with Lehigh’s 89-69 victory over Colgate University, the Eagles are again tied for second place in the Patriot League with the Mountain Hawks.

AU will be back in action Feb. 15, when the Navy Midshipmen travel to Bender Arena. Navy is in last place in the Patriot League.

SPORTS@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

SIDELINE SCHOLAR

Who should show the love in sports

By BEN LASKY EAGLE STAFF WRITER

It’s that time of year again.

Tuesday is a day you celebrate with the one you love. That’s right, it’s National Organ Donor Day. Yes, that’s really a thing.

Someone also pointed out that something called Valentine’s Day is this week as well.

Like I did last year at this time, I have some suggestions for some sports personalities who need to show some love this week.

Gisele Bundchen and Patriots wide receivers Following New England’s Super Bowl loss to the Giants, supermodel Gisele Bundchen, the wife of Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, complained about how many passes Patriots receivers dropped.

While she probably said what most people were thinking, there is a code in sports. It may sound cliché, but you win as a team and lose as a team. Gisele broke that code.

While she was defending her husband amidst a barrage of heckling comments from Giants fans, she probably only made matters worse for him.

You can only imagine the things he’ll be hearing from fans and opposing players next season after this incident.

Though there is a chance that Brady will get

Gisele back in the future.

I can just picture the QB now.

“How dare they put her in the orange Vera Wang?

The white Dolce & Gabbana was much better at bringing out her stunningly blue eyes!”

Jayson Werth and rational thoughts Last season, when Nationals outfielder Jayson Werth struggled to get his batting average up to .240 for the season, the team struggled as well.

During a losing streak in May, he told the media that “things need to change.” He then went on a completely serious tirade about how it was wrong that Teddy Roosevelt never gets to win the Presidents Race.

Is that why the Nats were losing? Or was it because their supposed star outfielder was having a terrible season?

I’m not saying it was all Werth’s fault, but I’d say it had a little more impact than a 12-foot tall Teddy Roosevelt not winning a fake race.

Perhaps Werth should advocate for the acquisition of Randall Simon. As a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2003, Simon was arrested for assault after a game in which he jokingly swung a bat and knocked over one of the runners in the Sausage Race in Milwaukee.

In fact, Werth attempt-

ed to throw the Presidents Race in September by knocking over some of the presidents, but Teddy still could not take home a victory.

Simon might be just the person the team needs to put them over the top.

That, or players making $126 million can hit more than .232.

Washington Wizards and luck No I’m not referring to Andrew, though I’m sure he could crack the Wizards’ starting lineup. I’m talking about the luck the Wizards need in every aspect of their game.

Luck to get the No. 1 pick in the draft. Luck to woo some kind of talented player to come play in D.C. Luck to show up on SportsCenter with something, anything positive said about them.

It is staggering how bad the Wizards are right now.

They’re so bad that their play has inspired a website that tells just how poorly the Wizards played in the previous game, called DidTheWizardsWinLastNight.com.

Only five times this season has the answer been yes.

Kevin Har vick and Kyle Busch Just kidding. This is a sports column.

So to recap: It’s not worth it to bash receivers or blame mascots or to be a terrible basketball team or to turn left for five hours. Please keep that in mind Tuesday while you’re celebrating Ferris Wheel Day. Yes, that’s a thing too.

BLASKY@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

Men’s Basketball

Holy Cross knocks off cold-shooting Eagles 23 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2012

Sports

Wrestling

Flores, Sanjaa shine as Eagles split matches at Cornell 22

24

Eagles off to best Patriot League start in program history

RACHEL DEVOR / THE EAGLE

Lisa Strack recorded 13 points and five steals against Holy Cross.

RACHEL DEVOR / THE EAGLE

The AU women’s basketball team has a lot to cheer about, as the squad is the first Patriot League team since Holy Cross during the 2004-05 season to open conference play with 10 straight wins.

By JOSH PAUNIL EAGLE STAFF WRITER

The AU women’s basketball team had a record-setting day Feb. 11, when the Eagles defeated the Holy Cross Crusaders 67-47 at Bender Arena.

The Eagles (18-6, 10-0 PL) started off Patriot League play with 10 consecutive wins for the first time in program history, giving them a three-game edge in the conference standings. It is also the best start a Patriot League team has gotten off to in seven years.

“A big part of that success is our preparation,” said Lisa Strack, who recorded 13 points and five steals. “But an important thing we talked about is it’s not over, so we have to keep looking forward to the next practice and the next game and keep preparing.”The Eagles were in a tough battle against Holy Cross (13-12, 4-6 PL) in the first half, as neither team built a lead of more than three points.

AU took a 25-23 lead into halftime following Tori Halvorsen’s layup with 30 seconds

left in the first half.

The contest remained competitive in the first nine minutes of the second half, as the Eagles led 38-35 with 11:06 to play. But AU broke the game open with a quick 12-0 run over the next 2:51. “[That run] was big because we started to get some offense off of our defense,” AU Head Coach Matt Corkery said. “We did a better job executing in the half court and found a lineup that was effective for us. It was a big difference in the game.”

Alexis Dobbs, who tallied 10

points on the afternoon, started the run with back-to-back 3-pointers. AU knocked down eight 3-pointers in the game, with seven of those coming in the second half.

“It’s huge knocking down those 3-pointers,” Strack said.

“It’s a big component of our game, and it got us going.”

The Eagles received strong play off the bench from Ti’Asia McGeorge, who chipped in nine points on three 3-pointers for AU and contained Holy Cross guard Alex Smith.

“That’s what we expect from her,” said Jen Dumiak, who led the Eagles with 14 points and seven rebounds. “She’s one of the best defenders on our team. She comes in and brings a lot of energy and locks down

people guarding the ball.”

One of the big turnarounds for AU was its ability to force turnovers and increase the tempo of the game. For the fi fth straight game, the Eagles forced at least 20 turnovers. “[The girls] wanted to pressure them on defense and press,” Corkery said. “We responded positively and picked up our defensive energy.”

AU will next travel to Annapolis, Md., to take on the Navy Midshipmen Feb. 15.

The defending Patriot League Champions, Navy is second in the conference this season with a 7-3 PL record.

Strack will need 16 points in the game to reach 1,000 points for her AU career.

SPORTS@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM