American University’s student voice since 1925
theEAGLE
April 17, 2012 Volume 86 – Issue 24
THEEAGLEONLINE.COM
DISCOVERY’S FINAL FLIGHT PAGE 7
COURTESY OF NASA
RELAY FOR LIFE PAGE 7
DANCE SHOWCASE PAGE 10
@THEEAGLEONLINE
TRACK AND FIELD PAGE 19
theEAGLE TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2012
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Open-air Dining Rain or Shine
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Upcoming Events APRIL 17
APRIL 18
APRIL 19
STUDENT-WORKER COMMUNITY DAY
DAVID BROOKS
HOLOCAUST REMEMBERANCE WEEK FILM
11 a.m.-1 p.m. / Kay Spiritual Life Lounge / Come have lunch with the Aramark cleaning workers and join the discussion between students and workers about how much they have gained from one another. / Sponsored by the Student Worker Alliance, the Residence Hall Association and Community Learners Advancing in Spanish and English / Contact american. solidary@gmail.com
8 p.m. / McDowell Formal Lounge / Hear New York Times Op-Ed columnist and writer David Brooks discuss the topic of his recent book “Human Beings as Social Animals: The Natural Basis of Sympathy, Culture, and Character.� / Sponsored by the Political Theory Institute / RSVP to pti@ american.edu, contact alevine@ american.edu
KPU PRESENTS JON HUNTSMAN 8:15 p.m. / University Club / Former presidential candidate, Governor of Utah and U.S. Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman will speak to the AU community. Tickets are not required / Sponsored by the Kennedy Political Union and AU College Republicans / Contact kpu@ausg.org
8 p.m. / Butler Board Room / Watch the screening “From Philadelphia to the Front,� a documentary exploring the stories of WWII JewishAmerican soldiers. A discussion with history professor Pamela Nadell will follow / Sponsored by the Jewish Student Association / Contact jsa@ american.edu
APRIL 21 DELTA CHI EARTHBALL COMPETITION 2 p.m. / Tenley Field / Join Delta Chi in the first annual Earthball competition for The Jimmy V. Foundation. Register on the Quad from Tuesday to Friday. / Sponsored by Delta Chi. / Contact audeltachi@ gmail.com
TAXI RIDE
Taxi rates will increase this summer 6
RELAY FOR LIFE
Students stay awake all night to raise funds for cancer 7 TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2012
News
Students petition for Veterans’ Resource Center SG called for a Veterans’ Resource Center in the April 1 meeting, The Eagle previously The AU community showed reported. support for a Veterans’ ReIn addition to the petition source Center through a petifor a Veterans’ Resource Centtion during this year’s Yellow er, Deming and Leslie drafted Ribbon Week. a letter of support encouraging The Center would support professors to sign or to write and advocate for student vettheir own letters of support. erans dealing with administra“I think professors in a lot tive affairs at AU and with the of ways are the best for speakU.S. Department of Veterans ing to the advantage of having Affairs. veterans in the classroom and The proposal is based on a they maybe understand that five-year plan, but the Center the Center would be a really could be established “by the great thing for their students end of the next to have,” Leslie school year, alsaid. though that is beThe petition ing very optimishas gained a lot tic,” according to of support from NUMBER OF STUDENT AU Vets President the student YEAR VETERANS AT AU Roger Deming, body. a senior in the “I’ve definiteSchool of Public 2011-2012 204 ly seen a lot of 165 Affairs. 2010-2011 student support 119 The proposal 2009-2010 for the Veteris based off of ans’ Resource programs at 23 Center,” Demother universities, ing said. “It’s all including George about asking for Mason University and George al Jacket.” a student’s signature and exWashington University. Deming said a VRC would plaining to them why there’s “It’s really no question, look- play a crucial institutional role. a need for a resource center. I ing at the schools statistically, “For veterans, if our paper- have yet to meet a student that that what gets put into a VRC work is messed up, we get will say ‘no, I don’t support gets a tremendous return on it, monumentally screwed,” Dem- this.’” in terms of bettering student ing said. Nicole Cutuli, a freshman veterans’ lives, bettering the AU hired Valerie Verra as a in School of International Serstudent communities,” Dem- full-time staffer at AU Central vice, is one of the many civiling said. to focus solely on processing ian members of AU Vets. She Patricia Leslie, director of all of the paperwork this se- became involved in the group the Student Government De- mester due to the large and after attending an on-campus partment of Military Affairs growing presence of student screening of the documentary said the Center is different veterans on campus. “Hell and Back Again.” from most resource centers The Center would also pro“I definitely think the VRC on campus because it creates vide additional help to veterans is needed for a group that is a safe space while serving an awaiting certification for their so underrepresented at AU,” administrative role. educational benefits and quali- Cutuli said. NEWS@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM Graduation rates and GPAs fication for health benefits. of student veterans will imStudent Government gathprove with the presence of a ered signatures for petition Veteran’s Center, according to supporting the creation of a a study released by The Pat Veterans’ Resource Center. By IULIA GHEORGHIU
EAGLE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
JON HUNTSMAN
Tillman Foundation in 2011. Deming, Leslie and Katherine Gale, former director of the Department of Military Affairs, began writing a proposal for a Veterans’ Resource Center last summer. AU Vets created Yellow Ribbon Week last year as an initiative during the spring semester to increase “pure awareness of the group,” Deming said. AU Vets gauged student interest in creating the Center this year by putting together social events, like a screening of Stanley Kubrick’s “Full Met-
Utah governor to speak at AU 8
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Sammy fraternity under investigation for hazing By REBECCA ZISSER EAGLE STAFF WRITER
AU’s chapter of Sigma Alpha Mu has been on probation since April 10. The fraternity is undergoing investigations for hazing, according to Curtis Burrill, AU’s coordinator of fraternity and sorority life. “Basically, we’ve just been temporarily suspended,” said Sigma Alpha Mu President John Mandalakas. He said the allegations against the fraternity are not true, but the suspension will not be lifted until the allegations are proven false, which could take a lot of work and time.
Sigma Alpha Mu has cancelled all fraternity-related events because of their suspension, including the philanthropy event “Hookah and Hummus on the Quad” scheduled for April 20. This is not the first time this AU chapter of Sigma Alpha Mu has experienced allegations. The fraternity lost its charter in 2003 “for administrative noncompliance and alcohol violations,” The Eagle previously reported. However, Sigma Alpha Mu continued operating as an unofficial fraternity for seven years until they regained their charter in 2010, The Eagle previously reported. RZISSER@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM
Freshmen fight FDA blood donation ban By KATIE FIEGENBAUM EAGLE STAFF WRITER
Six AU freshmen have been organizing a campaign against the Food and Drug Administration’s ban on blood donations from men who have had sex with another man. The campaign, Red is in the Rainbow, is part of the School of Public Affairs’ Leadership program. Incoming freshman in the program have worked in designated small groups since August to create a social action project. Red is in the Rainbow is the project of the Gender and Sexuality Group. Josh Parrish, a freshman in SPA, said the group chose to tackle the MSM (man who has had sex with another man) blood ban after researching different issues. “This is an issue that people really don’t know about, and the ban prevents altruistic people from saving lives,” Parrish said. After spending the fall semester researching the project, Red is in the Rainbow wrote a petition, which
asks for a repeal of the MSM blood ban. However, the group offered a solution by requesting men who have had sex with another man not be able to donate blood for a year. Many countries have adopted this policy as an in-between step. “While it’s not ideal, we feel that it is a necessary stepping stone to reach full equality and repeal the policy completely,” said Emily Horowitz, a freshman in SPA working on the project. The petition currently has over 400 signatures, and students hope to get 10,000 signatures before sending it to the FDA. The students have created videos and social media sites to raise awareness about the issue. Red is in the Rainbow is also planning a blood drive with the Red Cross in Letts Formal Lounge on April 25 to raise awareness. Organizers will give out stickers that read, “I can’t donate blood, ask me why!” and “I’m donating blood for someone who can’t.” Continued on Page 4
theEAGLE NEWS TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2012
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AU to re-evaluate contract with Aramark for cleaning services The new Facebook campaign has drawn support from various campus organizations, EAGLE CONTRIBUTING WRITERS such as the Latino and AmeriThe current contract becan Student Organization, Fair tween AU and Aramark will exTrade Student Organization, pire this summer, allowing the Community Action and Social University to either re-contract Justice, Community Learners with Aramark or sign on a new Advancing Spanish and Engservice provider for another lish, Occupy AU and the AU year. Methodists. AU contracts Aramark to Philip Scranage, a sophoprovide housekeeping sermore in School of Public Affairs vices for buildings on and off and School of Communicacampus. tion and Student Government Aramark is a multi-national, Director of Student Voice and billion-dollar corporation that Participation, decided to parhas been repeatedly cited by ticipate in the poster campaign other universiafter learning about ties and the Unite workers’ rights durHere campaign ing SG President Tim for its exploitaMcBride’s election tion and maltreatcampaign. “Our work goes up and up, but ment of employScranage pointed ees, according to out that the UniverThe Georgetown sity administration never our salaries. The time in Voice and other released a statement independent in January to implewhich we have to get the work done newspapers. ment socially responAramark acsible business pracis not enough.” cepted the Univertices. Those practices sity administra-Aramark worker would include assesstion’s offer to add ing the way compafour off-campus nies that work with buildings to their the University treat contract last year. The accept- workers, that we are respected their employees. ance of this increase resulted in our workplace, not be treat“Students should be inin Aramark workers cleaning ed as if we are worthless,” an- volved because we come to AU 4,500 more square feet per day. other said. to change the world,” Scranage The average employee’s The AU Student Worker Al- said. “This is a way for us to imdaily workload increased from liance is running a campaign in pact the world around us in a 22,500 to 27,000 square feet support of better pay and work- meaningful way.” per shift, according to Vincent ing conditions for Aramark SWA also wrote a letter to Harkins, assistant vice presi- workers. President Neil Kerwin’s office dent of Facilities Management. Over 30 students signed a two weeks ago. The letter outThe national benchmark is petition to encourage AU ad- lined the SWA’s concerns about 32,000 square feet per worker, ministration to limit the square the increased workload and according to Harkins. This cut- footage each worker must provided a proposal regarding off is set by Sightlines, a facili- clean at an event hosted for workers’ rights on campus. ties assessment company. Aramark workers by SWA. Students have not yet re“We’re not in this business Students have also been ceived a response to the letter, to terminate people,” Harkins posting photos of themselves Miller said. said. “It’s all a matter of effi- on Facebook holding posters Students also made phone ciency at the end of the day.” advertising their support of calls between April 10 and 12 Student Worker Alliance Aramark workers since March to Kerwin’s office expressmember and School of Interna- 20. ing their support for Aramark tional Service freshman Tom “This particular campaign workers. O’Connor claims the workload was sparked by the fact that we “Sure they get paid for what increase for Aramark workers felt that since last year’s ‘Ex- they do,” O’Connor said. “But is due to the new buildings the ploited Wonk’ campaign, the I’d like to believe that this camschool will build as a result of campus had sort of forgotten pus is a community where our the new Campus Plan. about the Aramark workers,” relationships run deeper than “Basically, what this means SWA organizer and College of their mere function.” NEWS@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM is that workers will be expect- Arts and Sciences sophomore ed to clean a 23 percent larger Ethan Miller said. By PETER SAUDEK AND RADHIKA RAMAN
area in the same amount of time without any increase in benefits,” O’Connor said. AU wage policy, since Sept. 1, 2009, has set the minimum wage at $12, The Eagle previously reported. “Our work goes up and up, but never our salaries,” one of the workers said at a Student Worker Alliance event on March 28. “The time in which we have to get the work done is not enough.” For fear of retaliation by their bosses, workers wished not to identify themselves. “What we implore is that, as
Students argue end of blood ban may solve shortages Continued from Page 3
The 1983 MSM blood ban policy was created to protect transfusion patients from contracting HIV. Even if a gay man has never tested positive for HIV/AIDS, he is permanently deferred from donating blood, according to the group’s website. The FDA defended its decision by saying that gay and bisexual men continue to be at elevated risk for contracting HIV. However, the SPA group believes this policy is discriminatory, and with today’s screening technology the ban is not necessary. “We found that if the ban is ended, then there will be enough blood donors to end today’s blood shortage, and that is really striking,” Horowitz said. Many LGBT advocacy organizations are working on the issue as a side project, but no group’s mission centers around the problem, according to Parrish. The group is focusing mainly
on raising awareness at AU, but is also reaching out to D.C. organizations, U.S. senators and the media. Horowitz and Parrish published an article in the Huffington Post in January about the blood ban. Other groups within the SPA Leadership Program have focused on developing after-school sustainability programs, creating care packages for impoverished areas of D.C. and raising awareness about transgender violence, according to Dani Nispel, the teaching assistant for Red is in the Rainbow. “The success of the groups always varies,” Nispel said. “But I think it’s cool to see how much passion is going into these projects.” Parrish and Horowitz believe the project will achieve its goal in the near future. “We’re at the point where even the Red Cross has spoken out about the problem,” he said “and I think that needs to be taken into consideration.” KFIEGENBAUM@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM
Virus infects 50 Mac computers at AU By KATIE FIEGENBAUM EAGLE STAFF WRITER
A computer virus has infected over 50 Mac computers at AU, according to a memo sent out by the Office of Information Technology on April 11. The virus, called Flashback or Flashfake, takes advantage of out-of-date Java software on computers and installs malicious software. The software allows an external source to control the computer remotely without the owner’s knowledge, according to Eric Weakland, the director of Information Security at AU. “This is a problem because then the controllers can do anything they want on your computer: from showing you unwanted ads, all the way to stealing information from you like credit card numbers or your username and password,” Weakland said.
Flashback has infected over 600,000 computers worldwide and was first discovered in September 2011. Apple released an update fixing the software weakness on April 3. OIT said AU students should update their computer’s software to prevent the virus from infecting their computer. OIT is identifying which computers have been affected by the virus, notifying the owners and helping them fix the problem, as well as protecting the virus from spreading through AU’s network. “It is very important to keep all your installed software up to date,” Weakland said. “Mac computers are not immune to viruses, and cyber criminals are targeting Mac users more often.” KFIEGENBAUM@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM
theEAGLE NEWS TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2012
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KAITLIN BROWN / THE EAGLE
SYDNEY KASHIWAGI / THE EAGLE
SYDNEY KASHIWAGI / THE EAGLE
AU honors LGBT community with ‘Day of Silence’ By RYAN MIGEED EAGLE STAFF WRITER
AU students showed their support for the LGBT community by holding a weeklong commemoration of “Day of Silence” from April 9 to 13. Events included: • Filming students’ stated commitment to LGBT rights in a “This Is Why We Fight” video, • Tabling on the Quad, • Giving out free Tshirts and bracelets and • Holding a PRIDE Prom in the Katzen Rotunda on April 13. Day of Silence is a “national, youth-run effort using silence to protest the actual silencing of LGBT people due to harassment, bias and abuse in schools,” according to its website. “Day of Silence is a tradition at AU,” Student Government President Tim McBride said in an email to The Eagle. The Residence Hall Association, GLBTA Resource Center, SG and Queers and Allies co-sponsored the week’s activities. The week ended with PRIDE Prom, an event held in response to the discrimination students faced in their high schools. Many LGBT students were not allowed to bring their partners to prom, according to Rachel Fogel, deputy director of Queers and Allies.
“People really need to be able to have fun, people need to be able to meet people, and people need to be able to feel safe,” Fogel said. Approximately 30 people turned up for the event, which ended around 11 p.m. Event organizers decorated Katzen with rainbow-colored balloons. They also hung posters with students’ testimonials on why they supported Day of Silence. Some of the handwritten responses included: “Because I love my gay family – Jason” “Because we all deserve to be exactly who we are – Anthony” “Because people shouldn’t have to hide who they are for fear of bullying – Erin.” LGBT advocacy has progressed on campus this year, McBride and Fogel said. “Student Government has made significant progress through partnering with campus organizations like Queers and Allies and RHA,” McBride said. “The highlight of this year was the massive expansion of our campus’ Open Gender Housing option to include students of every academic year.” Fogel said Queers and Allies focused on creating a community between LGBT students and their “allies” this year. Along with that, “increased
visibility was one of our largest goals this year,” she said. In the future, Queers and Allies will work to create an “inter-college coalition within D.C.,” Fogel said. They have begun reaching out to students at George Washington University, the University of Maryland and Catholic University. This coalition would allow students in the D.C. area to organize events and network, according to Fogel. “This is an exciting and inspiring time for LGBT rights,” McBride said. “Over the last few years, we’ve seen significant progress in both the state and federal governments on issues ranging from marriage equality to employment nondiscrimination.” Last year’s effort did not go as well, according to Fogel. The events had lower student turnout because the events were not as well organized. “This year we started a lot earlier and got a lot of organizations involved,” Fogel said. In general, the response to “Day of Silence” has been very positive, according to Fogel. “It was really nice even for us who are involved with Queers and Allies to see people today walking around that I’ve never even met before,” she said. “It was really nice to see that we have that kind of support in the community.” RMIGEED@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM
Students advocate for fair trade apparel By JOE STE.MARIE EAGLE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
AU’s Fair Trade Student Association is working to increase demand for fair trade products in the campus store. The Fair Trade Society hopes to boost awareness and support of Alta Gracia apparel in the AU Campus Store. Alta Gracia is a college apparel company that pays a living wage and provides a safe workplace for workers, making it unique among its competitors, according to their website. “Once AU students know [about fair trade], they seem to make the switch,” Ellie Yanagisawa said, a member of the group and a sophomore in the School of International Service. “[The bookstore] is a business, so it’s all based on demand. Our strategy is about appealing to students.” Demand for fair trade apparel is increasing, according to Campus Bookstore Manager Kristi Cole. “Based on success, we’ve committed to double the orders with Alta [Gracia] this year, and continue to look for opportunities in expansion,” she said. The group organized an event with representatives from Alta Gracia last October, which led to peak fair trade apparel sales at the bookstore. “We need a constant awareness,” Yanagisawa said. The bookstore responds to changing demand through their network of buyers. “We have a dedicated team of buyers always looking to meet the demands of our consumers and with that, our assortments are constantly evolving,” Cole said. Cole said all of the campus store apparel comes from ethi-
cal companies that pay workers a livable wage and maintains good workplace conditions. “Our entire assortment is subject to the most ethical labor standards in the industry,” Cole said. AU Fair Trade Society supports Alta Gracia because of their labor practices. “They’re so special because they pay a living wage,” Yanagisawa said. To pay a ‘living wage,’ a company must monitor the costs its workers face. Those wages can be up to three times higher than minimum wages, according to the company’s website. While it meets some of the strictest standards in the industry, Alta Gracia cannot guarantee that the materials the company uses, such as cotton and dye, are also fair trade, according to Yanagisawa. Follett, the company that runs the bookstore, remains dedicated to fair labor, Cole said. “Follett is deeply committed to the concept of social justice, supporting the many organizations that ensure ethical working conditions,” she said. The Fair Trade Society is also working to secure more space for advertising about fair trade products in the bookstore. “We’re trying to get a bigger display, so students know,” Yanagisawa said. The group said the bookstore ideally would only offer fair trade apparel, putting AU ahead of many other small colleges that also sell fair trade products. “We’ll definitely be standing in the forefront,” Yanagisawa said. NEWS@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM
theEAGLE NEWS TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2012
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DAVE STONE / THE EAGLE
D.C. taxi rates set to increase this summer By JACK KERNOCHAN EAGLE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The D.C. Taxicab Commission will raise fares beginning April 21. The charge per mile will increase from $1.50 to $2.16,
and the hourly wait fee will be raised from $15 to $25, according to an April 11 article in the Washington Post. D.C. Taxicab Commission proposed increase fares in a bill to the D.C.
Council in order to: increase the wages of D.C. cab drivers, modify fees for additional passengers, small animals and large bags, improve cab quality, such as upgrading to newer models of cars, and al-
low passengers to pay with credit cards. D.C. taxi fares are some of the lowest in the nation, so these increases are a welcome change for cab drivers, according to the bill. School of Communication freshman Cassandra Heikkila said she believes fare adjustments will prohibit her from reaching different parts of D.C. “When I want to go volunteer in non-Metro accessible areas, it’s already expensive to take a cab,” she said. “If it gets any more expensive I will have to stop volunteering at all the places I really love.” However, School of Public Affairs freshman Andy Lee said these increases are for the best. “Though I understand the frustration people feel when rates on any public good increase, it is all for the best,” he said. “Taxi drivers are normal people with normal problems, they need more money too.” NEWS@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM
Provost appoints SG reduces bottled water use at Jeffrey Rutenbeck as sponsored events new SOC dean By ALEX GRECO EAGLE STAFF WRITER
AU has appointed Jeffrey Rutenbeck as the new School of Communication dean, according to a memo sent out by Provost Scott Bass on April 16. He will begin July 1. Rutenbeck received his bachelor’s degree in political science and history from Colorado College. He attended University of Missouri to achieve a master’s in journalism and received his doctorate in communication from the University of Washington. Rutenbeck has leadership experience in communications programs for Champlain College in Vermont and University of
By HEATHER MONGILIO
Denver. He also served as a consultant for Microsoft and Time Warner on cultural and social change. Rutenbeck also wrote a book about understanding technology vocabulary called “Tech Terms: What Every Telecommunications and Digital Media Professional Should Know” and has written over 30 journal articles. Current SOC Dean Larry Kirkman will take a one-year sabbatical and return to teach at AU in fall 2013, according to the AU website. AGRECO@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM
EAGLE STAFF WRIER
AU Student Government will no longer be distributing bottled water at its events in an effort to be more environmentally friendly. The bill sponsored by At-Large Senator Adriana Ganci calls for the use of tap water instead of bought water from companies like Deer Park. “This is sort of a small first step at the University as a whole trying to further its green image and leadership within the D.C. community,” Ganci said. The bill excludes the use of bottled water when called for by a contract with an outside organiza-
tion such as if a speaker requests water bottles as part of a contract. The Senate will host a town hall on April 26 at 8 p.m. to allow students to share their opinions and ask questions about anything SG related. “It’s basically to let the students have their voices heard,” Class of 2014 Senator Samantha Turetsky said, the sponsor of the bill. Turetsky said most students do not know they can come to public comment at Senate sessions to ask questions about and comment on what the SG is doing. Both bills were passed unanimously. HMONGILIO@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM
AU not affected by nationwide salmonella outbreak By LINDA BENESCH EAGLE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Two D.C. residents are among the 116 people nationwide who were infected in a widespread outbreak of the foodborne illness salmonella. The outbreak has spread to 20 states and D.C., according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s website. Dan Bruey, the director of the AU Student Health Center, said in an email, there have been no reported cases of salmonella at AU. “At this time, with only two people in D.C. being reported, we have not implemented our strategy of notification,” Bruey said in the email. “We stay alert and monitor for cases, in collaboration with the Department of Health and local health care organizations, and provide notification if warranted.” Many of the people infected with salmonella reported consuming sushi, which the Food and Drug Administration believes is the most likely cause of the outbreak, according to the Wall Street Journal. The FDA announced on April 13 that yellow fin tuna had contained the virus and was responsible for the outbreak, according to the Associated Press. This kind of fish frequents sushi dishes, confirming officials’ previous predictions. Najma Roberts, communications director for the D.C. Department of Health, said in an email the Department did not have information on where in the District the salmonella cases occurred. “No specific restaurants or food vendors have been shut down in the District of Columbia because of salmonella,” Roberts said. The best way for stu-
dents to protect themselves from salmonella is to wash and cook all meat thoroughly, avoid crosscontamination of foods during cooking, and wash their hands before handling any food, according to Roberts. Bon Appétit is keeping a close eye on the outbreak as well. “Everyone at Bon Appétit understands that safe food and a safe work environment are our top priority,” Michelle Mooney, general manager of Bon Appétit, said in an email. “We will react quickly if a culprit is identified by the health authorities.” Most AU students said they had not previously heard about the outbreak. Alifa Watkins, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences, said AU should make a more conscious effort to inform students. “I think the best option would be to put warning flyers in places where students will see them, just so that they can be aware that there is an outbreak,” she said. “So that if they’re buying their own food they know to practice good hygiene, because hopefully the school already is. “ CAS sophomore Emily Trabert said she did not know of the salmonella outbreak, but was not particularly worried. “I’m not very concerned,” she said. “I usually cook my food really well and I already don’t eat out often.” School of Public Affairs junior Damián Fontanez said he was less likely to eat meat due to the outbreak. “I don’t consume too much meat in D.C. anyway,” he said. “But the salmonella outbreak scares me from eating any, especially after hearing that the DOH doesn’t know where the outbreak occurred. It makes vegetarianism that much more appealing.” NEWS@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM
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AU stays up late to fight cancer By ELIJAH MERCER EAGLE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Members of the AU community raised over $77,000 and walked for cancer research at the fourth annual “Relay for Life” on April 14. Students, survivors and caretakers stayed up for 12 hours in honor of Relay’s “Celebrate. Remember. Fight Back.” slogan. Relay For Life is the main volunteer-driven cancer fundraising event for the American Cancer Society. The event is held to spread cancer awareness and celebrate the lives of survivors, caretakers, patients and those who lost their
ca Lagomarsino won the Mr. and Mrs. Relay competition. For the competition, each participating Relay team selected one male and female member to dress up as a member of the opposite sex. They were asked to dance and perform to a musical number. Onlookers then donated money to Relay to the dancer of their choice. Over $500 was raised through this competition. “It felt great to win the competition because I knew it meant I had raised the most money and was able to make a difference,” Lagomarsino said. “Frankly, I’ll do anything, including being ridiculous as possible, to raise money for the
“Frankly, I’ll do anything, including being ridiculous as possible, to raise money for the fight” -SPA senior Jessica Lagomarsino
COURTESY OF NASA / KIM SHIFLETT
Retired NASA space shuttle to make its final flight over D.C.
shuttle in air on Tuesday. “I remember reading and seeing news about Discovery Students on the Quad may shuttle’s missions in the past,” see more than clouds in the sky Laughton said. “I’m excited to on April 17. see the shuttle flying above us.” NASA’s space shuttle DisDiscovery will be mounted covery is scheduled to fly over atop NASA’s modified Boeing parts of the D.C. metropolitan 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft area between 10 and 11 a.m., on what NASA calls a “ferry according to an April 9 NASA flight,” according to Curie. press release. After Discovery’s last misThe shuttle will travel from sion in space in February 2011, NASA’s launch site at Kennedy NASA prepared the shuttle Space Center, Fla. to for display by disasChantilly, Va. to be on sembling parts of the display at the Smithshuttle so hazardous sonian’s National Air chemical plumbing & Space Museum, and hardware would NASA spokesperson not affect visitors. COMPLETED Michael Curie said. NASA first 39 MISSIONS The Federal Avialaunched Discovery tion Administration to carry three complanned the flight munications satellites with NASA to fly over into space in 1984. SPENT the National Mall, The space shuttle also 365 DAYS Reagan National Airdeployed the Hubble port, National HarSpace Telescope and IN SPACE bor, Smithsonian’s helped launch the UlNational Air & Space ysses spacecraft in a Museum and finally mission to explore the land at Dulles Intersun in 1990, according ORBITED THE EARTH national Airport. to NASA’s website. “Discovery could NASA’s new mis5,830 TIMES just fly straight to sion for the DiscovDulles without flying ery at the National around Washington,” Air & Space Museum Curie said. “But a lot is to commemorate of people have asked past achievements in to see the shuttle flyspace, to educate and TRAVELED ing over the area, so to inspire future gen148,221,675 MILES NASA is hoping the erations of explorers. weather will be fa“The National Air DATA FROM NASA vorable and we can & Space Museum CHECK FOR UPDATES AT let as many people holds the national colTHEEAGLEONLINE.COM see Discovery.” lection, and as such, Laura Brown, a deserves to receive FAA spokesperson said the Ad- to look out for it.” one of the space shuttles,” Cuministration collaborated with Kenny Laughton, a sopho- rie said. “The museum asked NASA about the flight route. more in the School of Inter- for Discovery and NASA was “Working with the NASA pi- national Service, followed the happy to provide it.” lots of the 747 and other NASA news of Discovery’s past misNEWS@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM officials, the FAA developed a sions and is eager to see the By JESSICA LIU
EAGLE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
specific route for the aircraft and will be in constant communication with the pilots during the flight,” she said in an email to The Eagle. Students at AU plan to look out for the shuttle’s journey over D.C. “It’s really cool that we will be able to see the Discovery space shuttle flying in the sky,” Whitney Livingston, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences said. “I’m going to try
THE DISCOVERY SHUTTLE:
lives to cancer. The top three fundraising teams this year were the Relay Committee Chairs, the United Methodist Student Association and the Delta Phi Epsilon Fraternity and Sorority. The Relay committee created a “March Madness” bracket for all participating Relay teams to build momentum and raise money for the event. Each week, registered teams were put up against the other AU teams to see who could raise the most money that week. The D.C. Delta Chapter of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity won the Relay “March Madness” Tournament, even though they did not win the most money overall. Their chapter raised $3,616, according to Luminaria Chair Corinne Abolafia and Recruitment Chair Daniel Knoll. The Luminaria Ceremony at the event recognized family members, friends and anyone else who passed away from cancer. Participants walked slow laps around decorated white paper bags lined up around the gymnasium floor of Bender Arena in honor of all those affected by cancer. Mock Trial members and juniors Eric Fleddermann and Jessi-
fight.” Relay for Life featured performances from the AU Bhangra team, as well as AU a capella groups On A Sensual Note, Dime A Dozen and Blends With Benefits. To keep people awake in the late hours of the event, participants were taught zumba at 4 a.m. and yoga at 6:30 a.m. Relay for Life sponsor Blackberry also gave out prizes such as a free pizza and yoga mats. Junior Sauric Cabrera won the drawing for a free Blackberry. It was School of Public Affairs freshman Emily Horowitz’s first time attending the AU Relay event, but she participated all throughout high school. “I loved seeing everyone come together for the cause,” Horowitz said. “I have a lot of family and friends who have or are currently fighting cancer, so it has always been a close cause to me.” Disclaimer: Mercer is in Sig Ep and previously helped organize Relay for Life events. NEWS@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM
theEAGLE NEWS TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2012
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AU declared “grand champion” of recycling By REBECCA BARTOLA EAGLE STAFF WRITER
AU won first place in this year’s national RecycleMania competition. RecycleMania posted the final results on April 13, labeling AU as the “grand champion” out of the 266 total colleges and universities who competed in the “grand champion” category. RecycleMania is a program that promotes waste reduction on college campuses over an eight-week period each spring. AU reduced their cumulative greenhouse gases by 229 metric tons, the equivalent of taking 120 cars off the road or eliminating the energy consumption from 60 households, according to RecycleMania’s website. “We feel that it had a lot of success in making people rethink what it means to throw things away, especially in terms of our in-
stitutional goal to send zero waste to the landfill,” AU’s Sustainability Outreach Specialist Joshua Kaplan said. AU placed 193rd out of 288 colleges and universities in last year’s RecycleMania competition. Kaplan said AU’s greatest strengths in the competition were its outreach ability, passionate students, and improved accessibility to recycling methods across campus.
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By JESSICA MARSALA EAGLE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Only three admitted undergraduate students participated in a Twitter initiative launched by AU Admissions. The initiative consisted of admitted students tweeting a picture of themselves with their acceptance packets using the hashtag #ThumbsUpAU. Ryan Gregor, the associate director of enrollment marketing in AU Admissions’ Office of Enrollment, initially thought of the idea. “Honestly, it was such a one-off thing we did, if it worked it was going to be fantastic, but generally it was just something we
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were kind of experimenting with,” he said. “It was never a preconceived plan before the admit packets went out.” Gregor said he never anticipated a very favorable response because he believes students do not react well to initiatives on Twitter. “I think the other part of it is that it’s hard to get a codified hashtag going,” Gregor said referring to students’ tendency only to follow the main American University Twitter account or to post photos to Facebook instead of Twitter. Gregor said in an email that this was not a marketing campaign since it was not built off of preconceived goals and was not
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“We really tried to innovate this year,” Kaplan said. “We made recycling a relevant and interesting issue for a large portion of the campus community.” New events this year included “Solo Cup recycling awareness,” a recycled sculpture competition and an electronic waste drive on the Quad.
TOP 10 ‘GRAND CHAMPION’ COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES IN THE RECYCLEMANIA COMPETITION
AU launches social media initiative to little success
GW COLLEGE OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES WASHINGTON, DC
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launched with the intention to be long-lasting initiative. “I wouldn’t use the term campaign as it implies something that is sustained and has specific targets and goals,” he said. “We never intended to sustain this nor did we have specific goals or targets for it.” Gregor said the initiative may be revived in May after admitted students make their final decisions for college. However, he is unsure if AU Admissions will do something similar to “#ThumbsUpAU” next year. “Our social media has always been sort of the step-child of our communications program because we’ve never had enough resources in terms of people and time to devote to it,” Gregor said. Scott Talan, School of Communication professor and one of the Social Media Club’s faculty coordinators said the idea might
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have been more successful if AU Admissions offered an incentive for students to participate. “[They could have offered] T-shirts, a gift card to the Dav cafe, coffee with President Kerwin, [or] some free AU branded items,” he said in an email. Brittany Pouliot, who was recently admitted to AU, participated in the “#ThumbsUpAU” initiative. “To be completely honest, this is the first acceptance letter I got,” Pouliot said. “I was so excited, because I knew all of my friends had been getting acceptance letters for a while.” Pouliot said she did not feel comfortable joining any Facebook groups online for her incoming class because she has not yet made a decision about AU. “To be honest, if it was not my first acceptance, I might not have done it,” Pouliot said. NEWS@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM
Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman to come to AU By REBECCA ZISSER EAGLE STAFF WRITER
Former presidential candidate Jon Huntsman will be speaking on April 18 in the University Club. He will be the Kennedy Political Union’s last speaker for the year, co-sponsored by the AU College Republicans. The event will start at 8:15 p.m. KPU Director Alex Kreger thinks Huntsman will be a good speaker because he was so recently in the national spotlight. Huntsman dropped out of the Republican presidential primary in mid-January. His campaign featured his daughters, who created a series of campaign videos for him. The videos were
posted on their YouTube channel, Jon2012Girls. Prior to his campaign for president, Huntsman served two terms as the governor of Utah and spent time as the American ambassador to China under President Barack Obama. Kreger said Huntsman has some of the freshest political ideas right now and will be able to speak to Republicans, Democrats and Independents alike. “I think there will be a lot of excitement and people will be interested because he is a unique candidate,” she said. Tickets are not required for the event. RZISSER@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM
theEAGLE NEWS TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2012
Eagle Rants I think strong women are beautiful. I wish real life worked like facebook, where each person walks around with a friend button I can click on. There’s so many interesting people I could be friends with if I weren’t so awkward :( That awkward moment when you go to a party full of alumni who have been called by the phonathon and have to defend the phonathon and its workers to them... This eagle rant does not exist. People can hate all they want on TDR, but their mashed potatoes last night were DREAMY. I disapprove of the volume of your incompetence. I wish someone had turned off the lights in the
Go ahead, speak your mind. We’ll probably print it.
old McDonalds... :/ I have SO SO SO SO many meal swipes left. Why am I required to purchase so many???? How anybody at the Facebook offices ever get anything done is beyond me. Their stalking skills must be at ninja levels now
in a hook up and I want you to be that one!! I’m always scared that people will think that I wrote rants about them here. It’s kind of creepy how familiar some of these sound.
I got on my computer today and soon after I decided that I would actually get some work done I thought, “You know what I haven’t done today? Check Eagle Rants...”
Guys at this school need to learn that “jokes” about sexual assault and harassment just aren’t okay. Joking about something this serious makes it seem like it is not as big an issue as it is. I was involved in a sexual harassment case recently, and it is just wrong for someone to make my situation seem more okay for the perpetrators through “jokes”. It’s not funny, and it’s not okay to say these things.
Why are you so talkative on words with friends but as soon as we see each other in public you shut right up? One out of ten games on words with friends ends up
that awkward moment at phonathon when the person you’re calling has the same name as your high school principal and you get really scared for a second...
END OF THE YEAR SEXUAL TENSION. Glad to see I’m not alone in this one.
THE TWITTERSPHERE SAYS @AMYCHIN
AMY CHIN
Feeling nostaligic and reading @TheEagleOnline - @AmericanU, what a weird and often times wonderful place. Once an eagle, always an Eagle! @JOE_VIDULICH
JOE VIDULICH
I am loving the @AmericanU ad at the #nationals game!
@LIFE_ASTAYLOR
TAYLOR TAPSCOTT
“He’s in the friend zone so he can see me changing” #overheard at@AmericanU
@EMILYJMO
EMILY JANE MOORE
I’m in awe of campus right now..All the trees and flowers are blooming again! I’ll miss this beautiful place when I graduate, @AmericanU !
@JALVES6
JARED ALVES
That time I have over 330 @AmericanU dining dollars to spend before May 8th. Time to start spending at Eagle’s Nest
@NJC89
NAKEESHA CERAN
Adding to the reasons why I love @AmericanU-An Awesome Relay for Life Event, filled with lots of love, energy and fun.. #JLC
GRADUATING SENIORS Don’t forget about the Talon! It’s AU’s award-winning yearbook that has been recording and preserving the memories that you’ve experienced all year. To order, go to, http://www.balfour.com/yearbooks.php For any questions please email talon@american.edu.
Books cost $75 which includes shipping and are shipped early in the fall semester of the next academic year.
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SMALL SCREEN The Scene picks their favorite TV show of the week: “Game of Thrones” 12 TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2012
Scene
AUDIOPHILE SUB to bring Matisyahu to the Tavern 13
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SARAH JACQUES / THE EAGLE
AU hosts Acapalooza, raises money for charity D.C. CHIME By KENDALL BREITMAN EAGLE STAFF WRITER
Spirits were lifted in a whole new way at the Kay Spiritual Life Center on April 13, as a capella groups performed for the sixth year of AU’s Acapalooza. Hosted by the ladies of Treble in Paradise, Acapalooza raised money for community group D.C. CHIME, which works to help keep music education programs in schools throughout the District. Those who attended the event were encouraged to donate $3 to the cause. This year’s sixth annual event marked one of the largest yet. Acapalooza showcased nine groups in total, including AU’s own Treble in Paradise, Dime a Dozen, On a Sensual Note and Blends with Benefits. Featured guests included the Georgetown University Phantoms, University of Maryland’s Generics, Ohio University’s Leading Tones, James Madison University’s Overtones and University of Delaware University’s Y Chromes. The biggest Acapalooza yet also brought some big crowds, as groups performed to a completely packed audience. No seat was left unclaimed and students had to find space to sit in the aisles and along the walls. The night opened with a performance by Treble
in Paradise, who proved themselves as the only allfemale group by performing a mashup of every girl’s guilty pleasure songs: “We Found Love,” performed by soloist Nozomi Kitamura (Kogod 2015), and “Call Me Maybe”, performed by Courtney Bettridge (CAS 2012). Throughout the night, Treble in Paradise continued to deliver with songs such as “When Love Takes Over,” featuring soloist Amy Wilson (CAS 2013); “Domino,” featuring Sarah King (CAS 2014); and a mashup of Adele’s “Rumor Has It” and “Someone Like You,” performed by soloists Maddy Brady (SOC 2014) and Abigail Frost (SIS 2015). Also representing AU was Dime a Dozen, who sang a hauntingly beautiful performance of The Beatles’ “Because.” Dime a Dozen also blew fans away with their rendition of “Little Lion Man” by Mumford and Sons, as their vocals took on the difficult task of nailing the fast paced background. Blends with Benefits reintroduced the audience to Linkin Park in a new and interesting way with performances of “What I’ve Done,” sung by soloist Maggie McGuire; “In the End,” sung by Nikki Del Casale; “Numb,” sung by Nate Cover; and “Breaking the Habit,” performed by soloist Leo Piscioneri and backed by the harmony of
Marley Cook and the vocal percussions of Cover and Casale. On a Sensual Note chose to sing what seemed to be an audience favorite with a performance of R-Kelly’s “Remix to Ignition” featuring soloist José Morales (SPA 2013). After showcasing the quirkiness for which they are known, the group switched things up with a beautiful performance of Queen’s “Somebody to Love,” featuring soloist Adam Bradley (SPA 2014). A few of the featured guest groups also managed to win over the audience. Georgetown University’s Phantoms blew the audience away with backto-back amazing performances of Lady GaGa’s “Bad Romance,” the Dixie Chicks’ “Not Ready to Make Nice” and the Civil War’s soulful single “Barton Hallow.” Another fan favorite was the University of Maryland Generics, who brought the audience to their feet with their vocals and dance moves. The group performed Trey Songz’s “Bottoms Up,” among others. By the end of the night, Acapaloooza raised over $400 for D.C. Chime and proved that, in a current music world filled with electronics and synthesizers, nothing can really beat the sound of true vocals. KBREITMAN@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM
WILLA HINE / THE EAGLE
AU Dept. of Performing Arts holds annual spring dance concert By CASEY BRAND EAGLE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Pingpong balls covered the floor as dancers rolled, leapt and glided across the stage. Music surged and then suddenly stopped. The annual spring dance concert had begun. The AU Department of Performing Arts held its spring dance concert in Greenberg Theatre on April 13 and 14. The theme for this year’s concert was “Upside Down/Inside Out.” Melanie George, the concert’s artistic director and the director of AU’s dance program, said this year’s theme was “a metaphor for the process becoming transparent.” In order to expose this process to the AU community, the dance department held open rehearsals in February and March. The lobby of the Greenberg Theatre also featured concept boards and costume renderings for audience members to study before entering the theater for the performance. George said the lobby display was about stimulating the senses. She wanted the performance to be a journey. “I want audience members to talk about the work
and think about the work as opposed to just watch it,” George said. Lauren Christie, a senior in the School of Communication, created a video blog featuring footage of rehearsals and interviews with choreographers and student dancers. The video blog was a way to document the process and create excitement for the show. Christie performed in three dances herself. The two-hour performance featured eight dances by two guest choreographers, two student choreographers and four staff choreographers. It featured a variety of dance styles, including ballet, jazz and modern. “This year, to take it to the next level, I wanted every student involved in the repertory class to have the opportunity to work with a guest,” George said. Guest choreographers Joan Meggitt and Leanne Schmidt taught the dancers over a four- to five-day period. Schmidt’s piece, “Sugar,” stood out among the long stretch of performances. It is strange and hardly characteristic of a traditional dance performance, yet fascinating. The dancers lament their desire for sugar and the
effects that it has on their bodies. They shake their thighs, arms and backsides in anger, adding humor to the performance. The piece challenges perceptions of dance. It required the dancers to speak and act, new challenges for the performers, George said. Next week, the dancers will go to New York City to perform “Sugar” in Schmidt’s dance concert. Gracie Corapi, a freshman in the School of Communication who is a dancer in “Sugar,” said working with guest choreographers is a valuable experience. “You’re making professional connections and learning from talented people,” Corapi said. The concert was lengthy, but the eight pieces performed were staunchly different, meriting the length. George said this year’s concert was “amazing as usual” but there’s one aspect that was different this year. “For me, personally, it’s very bittersweet because the seniors that are graduating this year are the students who were freshmen the year that I started teaching here,” she said. THESCENE@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM
theEAGLE SCENE TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2012
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SILVER SCREEN
COURTESY OF THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY
BULLY
GRADE: ABy MICHELLE EIDER EAGLE CONTRIBUTING WRITER COURTESY OF DIYAH PERA
THE CABIN IN THE WOODS GRADE: A
By DAVID KAHEN-KASHI EAGLE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Once every decade you find that genre-defining movie that impresses people so much that they rant and rave till the cows come home. Well, “The Cabin in the Woods,” from the minds of Drew Goddard (“Cloverfield”) and Joss Whedon (“Firefly,” “Serenity,” “Buffy: The Vampire Slayer”), happens to be that kind of movie. It’s enthralling and terrifying all at once and will certainly be one of those films that is referenced as inspiration to kids of all ages who are just being introduced to the horror and thriller genres. Without being a spoiler, “Cabin” begins with a group of college kids preparing for a road trip, à la “Friday the 13th.” Each character is what you would expect from a generic horror movie — the hot blond (who is a pre-med student), the athlete (who is a sociology major that knows about philosophers dead and gone), the stoner (who provides comic relief, and yet still manages to keep a modicum of lucidity), the academic (who is the quiet
and reserved type) and the young, innocent shy girl. These roles are played excellently by the principal cast of Chris Hemsworth, (who looks to have a pre“Thor” muscle build), Kristen Connelly (“As the World Turns”), Franz Kranz (a Whedon regular actor from the TV series “Dollhouse”) Anna Hutchison (“Go Girls”) and Jesse Williams (“Grey’s Anatomy”). The audience is introduced to an agency that watches the characters as they progress like lambs toward the slaughter. Tiptoeing around the twist, and without explaining exactly what happens, the movie focuses naught on what goes bump in the night, but rather why that bump happened in the first place. Richard Jenkins (“Let Me In,”) and Bradley Whitford (“Scent of a Woman”) play the puppet masters, who work for a shady agency and set about the various pratfalls and traps that the teens have to muddle through. The movie progresses with the speed of a bullet train, and the twists and turns that the story takes are both unexpected and beautiful; ultimately lead-
ing to what will surely be one of the most memorable climaxes for moviegoers in recent memory. And there’s sure to be one surprise cameo that people will be pleased to see. Whedon and Goddard’s script is top notch, featuring engaging and witty dialogue and a story that is thrilling and refreshing. The score, by David Julyan, evokes the natural brass terrors of monster movies like “Hellraiser” and the special make up effects are a throwback to those of Don Baker, such as “The Exorcist” and “An American Werewolf in London.” The cabin itself plays a character in the film, and is likely to remind viewers of the cabin from the “Evil Dead.” It’s clear that both Whedon and Goddard have a reverence for the genre, as they not only provide a sort of refresher about what makes this genre great (it’s chock full of references in which die-hards will surely take delight), but they also examine and break down the tropes of modern horror films. Move over “Scream”: a new genre-satirizing bad boy is in town. THESCENE@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM
Thirteen million children are bullied each year in schools across the country. Exposing the gravity of this problem is the goal behind the moving documentary “Bully,” a film that takes statistics and humanizes them by presenting five tragic cases of bullying. Inspired by director Lee Hirsch’s own experience of being bullied as a child, the film follows five families whose lives were touched dramatically by the consequences of bullying. Viewers meet middle school student Alex Libby, who, at just 12 years old, appears more worldweary and defeated than a man five times his age. Punched, strangled, sat on and stabbed by his “friends” on the school bus daily, Libby just shrugs into his favorite oversized Steelers jersey, reverting deeper within himself as his only line of defense. Taunting, threats and name-calling compound the physical abuse. Exasperated, Alex’s mother wonders why he continues to hang around such cruel children, telling him that real friends don’t behave this way. “If you say they’re not my friends, then what friends do I have?” Alex asked. Alex receives little help
from inept school administrators, who fail to see there is a problem. “Boys will be boys,” insists Kim Lockwood, the assistant principal at Alex’s middle school. Through its subjects, the film highlights the cycle of violence perpetuated by bullying. “They’ve pushed me so far that I want to become the bully,” Alex said in a moment of desperation. Indeed, for some victims, it’s only a matter of time before the harassment becomes too much to take. In Yazoo County, Miss., cameras followed 14-yearold honors student and bullying victim Je’Meya Jackson, who has spent the past few months in a juvenile detention center after drawing a gun on a bus full of students. Before the situation escalated, another student tackled Je’Meya and secured the gun, ensuring that no one was hurt. Now, Je’Meya faces 45 felony charges, including 22 counts of kidnapping. In countless other cases, bullying victims have tragically turned on themselves. Tyler Long was 17 years old when he committed suicide, Ty Smalley just 11. Heartbreaking interviews with their parents reveal the devastation of such an unthinkable loss. While the film certainly does not sanitize the gravity of the issue, the makers
of “Bully” are also adamant in stressing this message: within tragedy, there always lies hope. Kelby, a gay teenager living in the Bible Belt of Oklahoma, faced relentless persecution from students and teachers alike after she came out. Now, surrounded by supportive friends and family, Kelby has given up a past of self-injury and turned to advocacy on behalf of bullying victims. “Maybe all it takes is for one person to stand up,” Kelby said. This is the idea behind Stand for the Silent, an organization started by Ty Smalley’s parents in the wake of his death. Along with the parents of victim Tyler Long, Kirk and Laura Smalley work to end bullying and save lies with their rallying cry, “Everything starts with one.” Clocking in at just 90 minutes long, the film only scratches the surface of this complex issue. “Bully” fails to address why some students are motivated to harm others, or what school administration needs to do to fix this problem. But with stories as powerful as those told by Alex, Kelby, Ja’meya and the families of Ty and Tyler, the perspectives of the victims hold more than enough emotional weight to carry the film. THESCENE@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM
theEAGLE SCENE TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2012
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WVAU to host Dan Deacon for free show BY MAEVE MCDERMOTT EAGLE STAFF WRITER
It’s been two and a half years since acclaimed electronic musician Dan Deacon graced the District with one of his many eclectic performances. AU college radio station WVAU is hosting Deacon’s return to D.C. at Comet Ping Pong on April 27 as part of their Capital Punishment concert series. The performance is cosponsored by AWOL, AmLit and ATV. The concert is free for all AU students with their student ID. Space is limited, so come early. Punk-rock band Roomrunner opens at 10 p.m. and Deacon plays at 10:45 p.m. Deacon, one of the most prolific names in electronic music, has released eight albums, com-
posed numerous contemporary classical pieces and scored several films. He has also served as one of the founding members of the Baltimore arts and music collective, Wham City. Deacon recently signed a major-label record deal with Domino and has a new album in the works set to be released this year, following his critically acclaimed 2009 release “Bromst” on the local Carpark label. Deacon’s exuberantly chaotic live shows, which feature elaborate visuals and plenty of crowd interaction, have earned him a reputation as one of electronic music’s most notorious live performers. Less prolific than his more traditional releases (but equally as engaging) is Deacon’s viral video “Drinking Out of Cups,” which introduced his work to
a wider audience on YouTube. The video, which pairs Deacon’s bizarrely imaginative spoken-word track with director/musician Liam Lynch’s animations of a lizard with a heavy Long Island accent, became an immensely quotable sensation with over 16 million views to date. Opening for Deacon is Baltimore-based punk rockers Roomrunner, an offshoot of the prolific hardcore group and fellow Marylanders Double Dagger. Roomrunner will release their new EP “Super Vague” on May 15. Located on Connecticut Avenue (a short walk down Nebraska Avenue from Tenleytown), student-friendly restaurant Comet Ping Pong is a fusion of pizza parlor, pingpong joint and independent music venue that regularly hosts concerts featuring both local and national touring acts. The restaurant has attracted some high-profile fans along the way. In 2010, bleached-tipped
Lumen8 Anacostia festival shines light on underrated art scene By SEAN MEEHAN EAGLE STAFF WRITER
For the first time in a while, the focus of the D.C. Arts scene moved east of the river with the Lumen8 Anacostia art, music and light festival, the kickoff to a three month-long art showcase in the historic neighborhood on April 14. Lumen8 Anacostia, which took place on MLK Jr. Avenue, SE between Good Hope Road and Morris Road, was a multivenue showcase of the burgeoning art scene which aimed to establish Anacostia as one of the premiere artistic communities in the District. “It’s exciting to see people know that we are an arts community, because that’s not how people perceive the area,” Anacostia resident and featured artist Tommie Adams said. “I hope they end up doing this every year. It’s helping the community evolve, people are taking pride in this event. This is a neighborhood-changing event.” Through June, temporary exhibits and “pop-up spaces” will be up every Saturday from
noon to 5 p.m., making Anacostia a destination for art fans across the district. Here is our guide to some of the highlights from the kickoff event and upcoming art events in Anacostia. Carolyn Becker: “Threads Part 3” AU junior Carolyn Becker performed her latest performance art piece “Threads Part 3” in the old police evidence warehouse at 2250 Railroad Ave., SE, where much of the kickoff event was held. In the performance, Becker uses pink thread to sew herself together, progressively binding and constricting herself until she can no longer move, at which point she breaks free from the threads. “The piece is about the body and its internal and external limitations and the anxieties that hold us down,” Becker said. “By breaking the thread at the end, I’m freeing myself from those limitations.” The performance was part of a series put on by Aether Art Projects, a program which focuses on curating shows in
non-traditional places with an emphasis on performance art. Aether Art Projects sponsored five performances at the kickoff event, as well as several installation pieces throughout the warehouse, many of which were made by Becker in her signature pink thread. Monica Canilao: “Home Mender” On the fourth floor of the warehouse is an ambitious installation piece made of recycled material from across the country. The piece takes hours to fully explore and discover. It is a feast of unique artifacts, discarded materials, color and texture combined into a dreamlike playhouse. “Home Mender” is part of the 5x5 Public Art Project, which has set up art installations throughout the city. Justine Topfer, one of the five curators of the project, will hold a spotlight of the pieces she has sponsored in the same location as “Home Mender” on April 21. The piece will be up until April 27.
COURTESY OF WVAU
celeb chef and Food Network icon Guy Fieri visited Comet Ping Pong on his show “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” declaring that “if you live north of the equator, you have to come here.” Full Disclosure: McDermott is the web director of WVAU.
COURTESY OF HBO
TV PICK: GAME OF THRONES By SETH ROSE EAGLE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
MMCDERMOTT@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM
Tommie Adams Photography: “Natural Light & the Male Nude” Adams’ photography, which features nude male models in front of dilapidated urban backgrounds, aims to display the full range of emotion in the male nude figure. Resisting the saturation of female nudity in art, Adams highlights the male form and its ability to evoke pride, humility, vulnerability and strength. Adams’ photography will be displayed on the top floor of the old Anacostia Bank building located at 1922 Martin Luther King Dr. He will also hold a free seminar on photographing the male form in natural light on April 28 from 2 to 3 p.m. at the same location. Cherry Blast The old evidence warehouse will also host an event this weekend for those over 21 called Cherry Blast. It is the art community’s wing of the Cherry Blossom festival, featuring exhibits by BLUEBRAIN and Evan Howell, AU grad Jacqueline Levine, musical performances and an allaround party. SMEEHAN@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM
It’s been a long time since a true fantasy drama has had a foothold in TV. HBO’s “Game of Thrones” is looking to revamp that trend. With a wildly successful first season under its belt, the show just recently debuted its second to equal praise from critics and viewers. Based on the book series “A Song of Ice and Fire” by George R.R. Martin, “Game of Thrones” tells the tale of various warring houses in the land of Westeros all looking to claim the Iron Throne and control of the realm for themselves. The houses and the conflicts they enact bear a strong resemblance to the real life War of the Roses, and the series is indeed a veritable gold mine for students of history and politics. For those less inclined to track real world parallels, “Game of Thrones” still offers intense drama with meticulously fleshed-out characters and blurring lines between villains and heroes. The source books have a reputation for their willingness to break every narrative taboo on record (up to and including the killing of main characters), and the show has so far not disappointed in that realm. This knowledge that no one is safe keeps the drama from feeling stale or canned. We are not even sure if the heroes are really heroes, and, if they are, it is not certain that they will win. The fictional universe of “Game of Thrones” presents one of the most compelling and realistic depictions of the nature of power and what men (and women) will do to get it. Perhaps then it is not fair to label it as fantasy. Either way, it is not a spectacle to be missed. THESCENE@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM
theEAGLE SCENE TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2012
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AUDIOPHILE
Looking for new music? DJs at WVAU share their thoughts on a range of recent releases.
ALABAMA SHAKES BOYS & GIRLS In the short span of a year, Alabama Shakes have ridden a meteoric rise from playing in dive bars to making the rounds at every major festival and late night show. It’d be easy for a backlash to develop around the much-hyped band, who are finally releasing their debut full-length, but their music is far too likable and soulful to dismiss. The obvious star here is singer Brittany Howard, whose vocals have the personality, pain and rawness needed of a great soul singer. On
slow-burner “Be Mine,” Howard makes the vocal transition from wounded lover to crazed rocker sound seamless. Meanwhile, the band behind her cook up plenty of great Southern-rock riffs: “Hold On,” “Hang Loose” and “On Your Way” prove that this is more than a one-woman show. There’s a lot to love about this band, which is even more exciting when you consider that there still is room for the songwriting and production to grow. For once, Alabama Shakes prove to be that rare group that overcomes the trappings of media hype, establishing themselves as a legitimately talented band. Recommended If You Like: Mavis Staples, Janis Joplin By CAMERON MEINDL “RHYME AND REASON,” SUNDAYS NOON-2 P.M..
COURTESY OF MATISYAHU
SUB to bring reggaerapper Matisyahu to Tavern on April 28 BY KENDALL BREITMAN EAGLE STAFF WRITER
The Student Union Board announced that they will be bringing reggae-rapper Matisyahu to the Tavern on April 28 for their last show of the semester. Like most SUB concerts, admission will be free for students who present their AU ID. However, unlike most shows, students are able to bring a guest to the event. Born Matthew Paul Miller, the musician took on the stage name Matisyahu (meaning “Matthew” in Hebrew) after discovering and converting to Orthodox Judaism. Known for his use of chromatic Hebrew chants and unexpected blends of reggae, hip-hop and alternative rock, Matisyahu arrived on the music scene with the release of his 2004 single “King Without a Crown.” Since then, he has released two live albums, two remix CDs and three studio recorded albums. Over the years, Matisyahu has accrued a fan base within the Jewish community. In 2006, the artist’s sophomore album, “Youth,” went gold and was named the number one Digital Album by Billboard Magazine. Later that year, he performed
a solo set at Bonnaroo music festival. Throughout his career, Matisyahu has continuously managed to surprise audiences with his effortless tendency to make Jewish prayer sound a little less serious by incorporating rap, beatboxing, scatting, reggae and a mix of English, Hebrew and Yiddish. The performer made news this past December when he decided to shave off his trademark full beard, which is considered sacred to many Hasidic Jews. Fans were surprised by the announcement, which he made on his Twitter account, but the artist claimed that the shave was a symbol of reclaiming his individuality and rebirth. To add to this wave of media attention, Matisyahu also made headlines for kicking a photographer at a show in Brooklyn, but later claimed over Twitter that it was a lapse in judgment and apologized for his actions. Whether you are looking for some enlightenment or just a tune you can dance along to, head over to the Tavern on April 28 for an unforgettable show. KBREITMAN@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM
SPIRITUALIZED SWEET HEART SWEET LIGHT Spiritualized has always been classified into the undefined genre of space rock, and here, on the band’s seventh album, the classification is entirely appropriate, as the album reaches past the sky in terms of ambition and vision. The songs here are all without exception grand, elaborate ordeals, with lush guitars, multiple backing vocalists and swirling symphonic addi-
THE MARS VOLTA NOCTOURNIQUET Cedric Bixler-Zavala’s fiery range-wrecking voice still rages with vitality, songwriting mastermind Omar Rodriguez-Lopez fills every song with layers of mind-twisting guitar and new drummer Deantoni Parks continues in the TMV drummer tradition of defying all human evolutionary boundaries. But the songs sound new, more melodic, more accessible than anything TMV have ever made and more focused on complete songs than sections. This leads to a truly dynamic set of songs,
MIIKE SNOW HAPPY TO YOU After three years, the long-awaited sophomore album by Swedish pop trio Miike Snow has arrived and sadly seems to be a hit-or-miss type of record. Certain songs on the album are tremendously prevailing while others seem to fall short both musically and lyrically. Despite some subpar tracks, “Happy To You” has a fair share of tastefully constructed electronic elements. The synths are melodic and pleasing, often blending harmoniously with rhythmic samples
tions. It’s a formula that could possibly come off as cheesy, but deftly avoids such a fate by, paradoxically, remaining grounded and relatable through frontman Jason Pierce’s excellent lyrical ability, largely inspired by his recent battle with double pneumonia in which he nearly lost his life. This album is truly balladry at it’s best: huge, grand and without cliché. RIYL: The Stone Roses, The Beatles (mostly the ballads), Blur, Deerhunter By RICHARD MURPHY “LIONHEART JAMES,” THURSDAYS 2-4 A.M.
including the uneasy, Radiohead-tinged “Aegis,” the gorgeous, lunar “Empty Vessels Make the Loudest Sound,” the psychotic, Modest Mousestomping “The Malkin Jewel” and the heartrending “Vedamalady” with its layers of tremulous soundscape. The lyrics are still impenetrable and the music still challenges all sensory perception, but overall the result is a subtly decadent and highly enjoyable work of musical mania that rewards almost instantly, keeping TMV secure in the elite pantheon of prog rock. RIYL: At The Drive-In, Muse, Rush, Radiohead By JESSE PALLER “WE LIKE MUSIC,” WEDNESDAYS 10 P.M.-MIDNIGHT
and interspersed horns and piano. Aptly integrated filters and electronic glitziness both enhance the songs’ compositions, creating multiple tiers of sound. The experimentation present on this album is admirable, marking a definite growth between Miike Snow’s last album and “Happy To You” despite a few lackluster tracks. Full of hooks and fun, “Happy To You” is an electro-pop wonderland. RIYL: Tom Waits, Daniel Johnston, The White Stripes By BRENDAN PRINCIPATO “THIS RADIO SHOW WILL RUIN/SAVE YOUR LIFE,” MONDAYS MIDNIGHT-2 A.M.
theEAGLE SCENE TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2012
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East Coast music festivals to bring the heat this summer By SYDNEY GORE EAGLE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
With Coachella, Lollapalooza, SXSW and Bonaroo dominating the West Coast, and Midwest and South with epic concert festivals, no one has paid much attention to festivals on the East Coast. This summer, that is going to change with to-die-for festivals starting this May. THESCENE@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM
BAMBOOZLE On May 18-20, the Bamboozle Festival will take New Jersey by storm for the ninth time on the beach at Asbury Park. This year, the lineup is an eclectic combination of electronic, hip-hop/rap and alternative rock artists, notably those who made their mark on music back in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s into the present. Kicking off the festival on Friday will be the 2012 Grammy-winning DJ from Skrillex, ‘90s alternative rockers Incubus and Pittsburgh rapper Mac Miller. After winning 11 Grammys, releasing six albums and showcasing an upcoming tour for the next 4 months, Foo Fighters will share the stage on Saturday with poppunk royalty Blink-182. On Sunday night, the handsome ‘80s icon from Sayreville, NJ, Bon Jovi, and new-millennium New Yorkers, Brand New, will end the party. Other artists like Jimmy Eat World, Motion City Soundtrack, We Came As Romans, The Knocks, Marianas Trench and DJ Pauly D will also perform. General admission single-day passes are $65-75 and 3-day passes are $190. Beach club and VIP tickets are also on sale. $30 gets fans into exclusive afterparties with the performers.
THE ROOTS PICNIC This June, The Roots Picnic will be celebrating its fi fth year at the Penn’s Landing in Philadelphia, for a two-day festival. On Saturday, June 2, Philadelphia’s own powerhouse group, The Roots, will perform two sets. Also performing will be D.C. rapper Wale, hip-hop legend De La Soul and other artists including St. Vincent, tUnE-yArDs, James Murphy, Danny Brown and Stretch Armstrong. Sunday’s lineup will feature alternative hip-hop artist Kid Cudi; Major Lazer, the collaborative music project of DJs Diplo and Switch; and Chill Moody, an aspiring rapper and lyricist from Philadelphia. Two-day passes are $106.80 including tax, while single-day tickets are $63 total.
FIREFLY FESTIVAL From July 20-22, the Firefly Festival in Dover, Del. will bring a premiere festival lineup to the Tristate area. The lineup is off the charts, bringing back Las Vegas rock-and-rollers The Killers from their 2010 hiatus to headline the fest’s first day. Also headlining is two-man garage band the Black Keys and guitar legend/former White Stripes frontman Jack White. Death Cab For Cutie, John Legend, The Flaming Lips, Passion Pit, Lupe Fiasco, Girl Talk, Young The Giant, Cold War Kids, Cults, Chiddy Bang and more will also be featured at the inaugural event. As of now, advance 3-day pass are available for $198, and a limited number of regular tickets will go on sale for $218. VIP costs a whopping $595 and Super VIP weighs in at $1,195. This summer, East Coasters finally have big festivals to call their own, so buy tickets for these sizzling summer fests before they burn up.
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis
ACROSS 1 Doctrine suffix 4 Predatory cat 8 Swiss bread? 13 ABBA’s home country: Abbr. 14 Sewing cases 16 Defamatory text 17 Live __: 1985 charity concert 18 *Hangman drawing 20 Pisces follower 22 Centuries on end 23 Excessively 24 *Layered lunch 28 Cabbage 29 Resident of a city at nearly 12,000 feet 33 Chance in a game 35 “__-dokey!” 38 Overplay a part 39 Words with price or premium 40 *Actor’s prompt 42 Endearing tattoo word 43 Slowly, in scores 45 “Dumb” girl of old comics 46 Message from the boss 47 Inferior and inexpensive 49 Deduce 51 *Colleague of Wyatt Earp 56 Karate belt 59 Inside info 60 Rental agreement 61 *Feature of Fulton’s Clermont 65 Strings in Hawaii 66 École enrollee 67 Baker’s device 68 Address at a Scottish pub 69 First American Red Cross president Barton 70 Venison source 71 Effort DOWN 1 “I, Robot” author Asimov 2 Artistic ice cream blend
4/17/12
By Gareth Bain
3 Filet mignon order 4 Not as much 5 Derby-sporting Addams 6 “Yes, mon ami” 7 Rechargeable battery 8 Shrank in fear 9 Oil-drilling equipment 10 Be up against 11 “Quo Vadis” emperor 12 Mark’s love, casually 15 Distort, as facts 19 Microwave no-no 21 Black, to Blake 25 Six-time baseball All-Star Moises 26 Like a newborn 27 Holiday entrée 30 Trampoline maneuver 31 Physics particle 32 Jules Verne captain 33 Powder on a puff 34 Sundance Film Festival state 36 Green prefix 37 Toyota subcompact
Monday’s Puzzle Solved
(c)2012 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
40 Compromise with the district attorney 41 Tirade 44 Chew the fat 46 For a __ pittance 48 Plains native 50 Gal’s guy 52 Trims the lawn 53 Green-bellied sap sucker 54 Schindler of “Schindler’s List”
4/17/12
55 Clingy, in a way 56 Oil acronym 57 Object that may be struck by the starts of the answers to starred clues 58 Thought 62 TiVo, for one 63 Wide shoe letters 64 Morn’s opposite
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 TUESDAY’S PUZZLE
4/18/12
© 2012 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Media Services. All rights reserved.
TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2012
STAFF EDITORIAL
Opinion
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ASSURING THE ABILITY TO GIVE The way our nation regulates blood donation is discriminatory. But six freshman in the SPA leadership program aim to right that wrong. The Red is in the Rainbow Campaign is collecting signatures of those in favor of allowing all adults donate blood, regardless of the history on their sexual activity. The Eagle commends the effort. And its about time it received some attention. In 1983, the Food and Drug Administration began enforcing restrictions on donated blood. Men who had had sex with other men after 1977 were “deferred” and not allowed to contribute to blood banks. Female partners of men who have had sex with other men were in a later ban deferred for a year after last physical contact.
Homosexuality was seen as dirty and unholy, and irrational fear coupled with surprising data led to one of the more discriminatory policies in FDA history. The Eagle would like to
organization, men who have a history of sex with other men are 200 times more likely than the average first time blood donor to have HIV. This data is in dispute by
deferring African-Americans from giving blood, as that, like the current policy, would be discriminatory. Demand for blood is high, and to refuse a large, willing demographic the op-
Demand for blood is high, and to refuse a large, willing group the opportunity to donate may risk the lives of many patients in need of a transfusion.
be able to report that our laws have changed to reflect the more accepting attitudes of many Americans. Unfortunately, the FDA’s discriminatory restrictions are still in effect. Why? According to the
the American Association of Blood, the Red Cross and America’s Blood Centers, all of which support the policy’s elimination. One AABB model found that allowing men who have had sex with men to donate
So long, and thanks for all the fish DOUGLAS BELL | WRITER OF OUR DISCONTENTS Although final exams may still be a few weeks away, this is the final edition of my column for The Eagle for this year. And so I thought it would be fitting for me to turn back to last fall’s first issue of The Eagle, when in a “Meet the Columnists” feature, my fellow columnists and I were asked to introduce ourselves and what the focus of our columns would be. Here’s what I wrote: “If I could change one thing about AU, it would be to energize students to become more locally engaged, and
blood would result in one additional HIV transfusion every 32.8 years. The risk to blood recipients is not as frightful as the FDA would have us believe. We find the policy to be
to impress upon our local decision-makers to be much more responsive to the needs and concerns of students.” But in the grand scheme of things, there’s very little that one columnist can do to inspire such a monumental shift in behavioral attitudes. Instead, I mainly used this column as an opportunity to write about the campus issues that I felt affected by, such as the burdensome student debt, the wasteful and misrepresentative WONK campaign and the disconnected nature of our Stu-
dent Government. And thus my writings will go down into the archives, alongside those of dozens of other columnists before me who also wrote about their own specific grievances with the University and the world. It takes more than one person to transform change from an idea into action. And that is something that we have seen begin to take place this year. This year has witnessed student movements organize to advocate for better wages and working condi-
wrong in principle. AfricanAmericans are also at greater risk of HIV — in fact they make up 49 percent of new diagnoses and comprise only 12 percent of the population. However, the FDA would never suggest
portunity to give may risk the lives of many patients in need of a transfusion. The few risks that come with eliminating the policy are outweighed by the benefits to patients in need of blood. We applaud the efforts
tions for the University’s workers that we all take too much for granted. The year witnessed students come together with faculty members to lead an effort to secure union representation for adjuncts. It has been a year where many students have rejected the myth that the AU administration cannot be persuaded to change their policies to provide greater benefit to the entire campus community. And the Student Government has also made great strides towards becoming much more representative of the concerns of the student body. The Undergraduate Senate this year has drastically reduced the hostility once endemic in its meetings, and has stabilized the long-term participation of its membership and its leadership. They’re hosting the first of what I hope
will be many Senate Town Halls on April 26, and I encourage you to attend. And the SG administration has made great strides towards establishing a more open, more transparent, and more effective Student Government that students can largely depend on for great events and as a platform for oncampus advocacy. Certainly though, not all of the campus engagement this past year has been quite so positive. We’ve seen student movements drape banners off of buildings, interrupt guest speakers at studentorganized events and attempt to turn the campus into a British monarchy. Even so, it has been great to witness the growth of student passion and action this year, and I hope to see it continue to grow in the near future. After all, we cannot truly consider our-
of SPA freshmen in the Red is in the Rainbow leadership program. The Eagle supports the petition and urges like-minded students to participate in the organization. The FDA’s restrictions are archaic and discriminatory, caught in the backwards thinking of the ‘80s. We believe this petition has the nascent support in the AU community to become a significant movement, and we invite the campaign to join with other organizations on campus with similar interests to widen its support and appeal. The Eagle fully supports the Red is in the Rainbow movement. It truly has the capacity to bring real change on an issue important to the AU community. ≠
E
selves nationally politically active unless we are locally active as well. My time as an opinion columnist for this fine publication is now coming to an end. But as we close the lid on the 2011-12 year, let’s come back in the fall with a renewed interest in advocacy for the issues that matter to us as students. Run for Student Government office and engage with the administration officials. I end by reprising the well-known Margaret Mead quote that I cited here last August: “Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” Douglas Bell is a junior in the School of Communication. EDPAGE@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM
theEAGLE OPINION TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2012
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LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Student Activities responds to Students for Liberty On April 3, a Free Speech Wall built on the Quad by Students for Liberty and approved as a student event by Student Activities was taken down by Public Safety without customary consultation. The usual protocol would be for Public Safety to consult with University Center and/or Student Activities prior to removing any structures associated with an approved event. Campus Life staff has taken the necessary steps
cifically named individual students are not. To achieve their event objectives, Students for Liberty must staff the event in order to provide the campus community with the opportunity to engage in discourse about the purpose of the wall, importance of free speech and the content on the wall. Alex McHugh makes excellent points that minority perspectives are often marginalized and therefore “silent,” and
Student Activities thinks it is important to affirm the University’s commitment to freedom of expression. to ensure that the customary protocol is followed in the future. In light of last week’s op-ed by Students for Liberty’s Alex McHugh, Student Activities thinks it is important to affirm the University’s commitment to freedom of expression and clarify the reasons for the conditions placed on reinstatement of the Free Speech Wall. Student Activities’ expectation is that Students for Liberty, as the leaders of the event, will engage in dialogue with students about the purpose and content of the Free Speech Wall. Certain language and statements, although offensive to some, are protected. However, anonymous, derogatory statements about spe-
that is not specific to any college campus. Our responsibility as a campus community is to create an environment where students feel comfortable voicing their perspectives, and also to create a learning community where multiple perspectives are heard and can be challenged. Alex McHugh wrote passionately about the importance of free speech to challenging our perspectives and considering different ways of thought. Face-to-face dialogue is essential to this process and to coupling freedom with responsibility. Nicole Mehta Coordinator of Academic and Intercultural Programs Student Activities
The “commencement” of our lives FRANCESCA MORIZIO | SPEAK MY LANGUAGE Words should be concrete ideas. That’s how communication works, we say one thing and we expect that our audience will understand what we mean because words have distinct meanings. Language is a socially agreed upon construction. We all agree that the words on this page mean what they do simply because that’s the social norm. As this semester draws to a close, I’ve received numerous emails and postcards from AU about commencement. My final year here has been absolutely wonderful. I’m not even being hyperbolic; AU has been a tremendous place and my readership in this space has exceeded my greatest expectations for a column about language and rhetoric. As I was reading one of these flyers I was stuck by a memory: bagpipes at some early hour. It was the beginning of my freshman year and I was fresh and full of anticipation. I dragged my roommates down to the amphitheater that morning to see Presi-
dent Kerwin speak; it was my first real college event. Commencement, they called it. Another commencement is coming in a few short weeks, but this time for a very different reason. There’s a school of literary theory called “deconstruction.” Jacques Derrida is one of the theorists who made the theory what it is, and in one of his seminal texts, “Plato’s Pharmacy,” Derrida brings forth the idea of what he refers to as “the pharmakon.” Pharmakon is a Greek word that means both “medicine” while also referring to “poison.” One word means one thing and its own direct opposite. Medicine and poison together. Opposites in the same place in just nine simple letters. Derrida’s main point is much larger than this simple example when it comes to his thoughts on the very nature of language, but this example is powerful nonetheless. We are all familiar with words having multiple meanings, but two words meaning the exact opposite? That certainly is
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Simplifying SG election policies Thirty-three pages, 12 articles, and 42 sections. Last week, the Eagle published an editorial talking about the red tape that seems to consume Student Government elections. Two years ago, SG went through its most intense election cycle: a candidate was removed from the ballot and the Undergraduate Senate seriously considered decertifying the entire election. Today, our elections are a minefield and navi-
gating the rules has become more strategic than actually reaching out to students. It’s time we make elections what the student body deserves: open and fair to all students, inside and outside SG. That’s why this weekend, we introduced the most sweeping and comprehensive election reform in recent memory. Through the Committee for the Review of Elections Policy and Enforce-
something that deserves attention. All you would have is context to truly understand what pharmakon means, and choosing the wrong definition could have life-threatening consequences. Which brings me back to commencement. What I did on one of my first days at this University and what I will be doing on my very last. One word. Two very different definitions. The beginning of something and the end of something. The definition of commencement meaning “beginning” came first in around A.D. 1250, but it’s only about 150 years later that commencement begins to mean “the end” as well. It’s almost fitting for college students for this word to have two opposite meanings. It’s the end of our time at AU, but it’s also the beginning of the rest of our lives, if I can say that without sounding too cheese. But how does that even happen? How can a word evolve to mean two completely opposite things in the same space? ment, we’ve gone through — word-by-word — to ensure that election policy is no longer a barrier to entry. It’s easy to say that the Board of Elections should have barely any regulatory power, but that puts us back to square one, two years ago. Our task is to find the delicate balance between safeguarding students from overzealous candidates and giving them the freedom to campaign without the minefield. We have almost cut the regulations in half. We’ve made rules simpler, we’ve combined clauses and we’ve reorganized. We’ve spent hours discussing and debating. We’ve made
I wish I had an answer for that, as it’s questions such as this one that keeps lit majors around the world up at night. But I don’t. The only thing I do know from this example is that language is fluid. It evolves and changes and grows. Words can end up meaning very different things to different people. We think we know what words mean, but how can we really ever know? How can we ever really know anything if our words can mean the opposite of what we mean them to? If I casually invite my friend to commencement, not giving them specific dates or times, will they come in May or September? Unless I tell them specifically either option would be a correct interpretation of my invitation. This concept might sound completely out there and I’ve only provided two examples, but if you listen closely, you’ll begin to hear the pharmakon. Words don’t always mean what we think they mean to others. Poison and Medicine. Beginning and Ending. Morizio is a double major in CAS and Kogod. EDPAGE@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM
the rules more accessible to campaign staff, and we’ve made the rules for adjudication of disputes more specific. For the first time ever, election policy will explicitly specify how violations of election policy are handled. The rules should be based on one thing, and one thing only: common sense. But they should also be accessible to anyone who wants to run. Joe Wisniewski Senator for the Campus AtLarge Joe Ste.Marie Parliamentarian AUSG
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theEAGLE OPINION TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2012
Between You & Me
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The Eagle’s new political cartoon series.
BY RYAN MIGEED / THE EAGLE
The virtues of individualism CONOR SHAPIRO | SMARTER THAN I LOOK If I can relay anything in my last column for The Eagle, it’s “think for yourself.” Before we opened our textbooks, before we shuffled flirty notes to each other, before we sat down for instruction, we had to collectively recite “The Pledge of Allegiance.” This was the story for most of my years growing up in the public school system in Arizona. I assume many others share a similar experience, as 43 states in America require reciting the pledge as state law. Despite the fact that I haven’t uttered the Pledge in over a decade, I can deliver it without pause or thought. It’s reflexive. The
very first thing the state does is ensure compliance through repetition. Obedience is an acquired trait. In high school, I began to rebel, and my participation in the ritual waned. This earned the ire of my peers, so I eventually stood while other recited, unwilling to alienate myself for what I initially believed was a small concession. Things got a tad more complicated on the basketball court, as I would sway side to side and ignore the National Anthem blaring from the speakers before tip-off. My folks in the stands were criticized by other parents over my insolence. My thought was always,
“What in God’s name (thanks public schools!) does ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ have to do with a high school basketball game?” What does it have to do with a professional basketball game for that matter? There is no correlation. The game could progress perfectly fine without its encroachment. I know because I play pick-up games all the time, and we manage to get along just fine (even without referees!). The problem, as I see it, is twofold. First is the notion of unconditional support. This type of love and support is romanticized in our literature and sought individually since
birth. We’re all looking to be accepted for who we are, regardless of just how unpleasant that may be. Our mothers are probably closest to granting us this wish. And I don’t really know if that one specifically is a bad thing - I believe there’s a biological element at play in that case. The state, however, wants us to extend that unyielding support to our country, to our military. The church asks us to do the same with our religion. Our schools continue this pattern by institutionalizing learning in a uniform way. We will be Eagles forever. We will be Americans forever. We will be Christians forever. We will be Sigma Chi brothers forever. It’s garbage. It leads me to my second point. The second problem is the role of institutions and hierarchy. The Catholic Church is corrupt. The military is corrupt.
Corporations are corrupt. Fraternities are corrupt. Heck, even Occupy D.C. was corrupted once it got too large. As soon as collective bodies expand, too much liberty, autonomy, privacy and consensus is sacrificed. The result is corruption, dissatisfaction, cronyism and coercion. The larger a collective body becomes, the greater likelihood these problems will emerge. Our present system has “liberals” supporting a president who tramples on liberty, bombs recklessly, deports quantifiably and incarcerates unprecedentedly (to mention only a few). The culprits are the institutions: they’re too large and too powerful. The same can be applied to countless other social entities (including Livestrong, Susan G. Komen, The United Nations, etc.) We should resist the
urge to swell organizations. We should be conscientious of the bloated size of our affiliations as conflict and marginalization increase with each membership influx. Projecting unequivocal faith is extremely dangerous. We must be strong enough as individuals to fight this inclination – as it is often exploitative and irrational. If this column seems anarchistic, that’s because it is. If you have a visceral reaction toward it, it may be because the state has demonized the term equating it with chaos and disorder. But how much did we ever learn about anarchy? Practically nada (yet we’re positive it’s an enemy). Like I said, the message of my final column is clear: Think for yourself. But you don’t need me to tell you that. EDPAGE@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM
theEAGLE SPORTS TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2012
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McCutchen leads list of small-market stars By SAMANTHA RAPHELSON EAGLE STAFF WRITER
Even if you do not follow baseball closely, you have most likely heard of stars such as Albert Pujols, Derek Jeter, Ryan Howard and Josh Hamilton. However, there are a lot of players who possess star potential that often go unnoticed on small-market, struggling franchises. While their teams probably won’t win the pennant, a few players are destined to be breakout stars this season. Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Some might say McCutchen is too good for the Pirates, who have historically struggled in the NL Central. Struggled might not even be the right word; more like the Pirates give up before the season even starts. But McCutchen might just prove he deser ves a place in baseball’s elite this season. Despite coming off a 2011 campaign where his batting average dropped from .286 to .259, McCutchen has begun 2012 on fire. He’s currently hitting .333, with an on-base percentage of .405. Aside from McCutchen, Pittsburgh’s offense has been woeful to start the season and is last in the majors in runs scored. It is not surprising that McCutchen is often left stranded on the bases. Hopefully he won’t let his team’s poor performance get him down, as he just signed a six-year, $51.5 million contract with Pittsburgh. Luckily, the star center fielder is only 25-yearsold, so when his contract
is up, he will be one of the most coveted free agents on the market.
only perfect behind the plate, but also pack power with the bat. A new brand of catcher has been born. Santana just signed a contract extension worth $21 million with the Indians that keeps him in Cleveland through 2016, with a club option in 2017.
In 2011, Santana was one of only four players in the league to hit at least 25 homers, 35 doubles and draw 90 walks. Santana has started off in a slump in 2012, but he has the potential to be one of the best catchers in the game. SPORTS@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM
Michael Cuddyer, Colorado Rockies right fielder Cuddyer is another one of those great players that is overlooked by large-market franchises. In 11 years with the MinWhile their teams probably won’t win the nesota Twins, he hit 141 pennant, a few players are destined to be home runs and knocked breakout stars this season. home 580 RBIs while hitting .271. Cuddyer recently signed a three-year, $31.5 million deal with Colorado this offseason, and the Rockies couldn’t be happier. So far he has been a beast at the plate, putting up a .371 average that includes one HR, five doubles and 13 hits. Cuddyer is on track to becoming the Rockies new superstar, as Troy Tulowitzki can’t seem to keep up with the new slugger. But, unfortunately for Cuddyer, he is 33 years old. While that is still young in baseball years, he doesn’t have a lot of time remaining to land a large-market contract. The Phillies considered him this offseason, but deemed him too expensive as they were reaching the luxur y tax threshold. This alone shows he has potential, and it should be a great boost to his confidence during his short time in Colorado. Carlos Santana, Cleveland Indians catcher Thanks to guys like Santana and San Francisco’s Buster Posey, catchers are expected to be not
Woods’ behavior not an issue Continued from Page 20
played. In fact, this was tame for Woods. His former caddy Steve Williams kicked a photographer’s camera and stole a camera from a fan during the 2004 U.S. Open because they had taken pictures while Woods was in his backswing. I understand golf is the gentleman’s game. But as we know by now, Tiger is not a gentleman. He is a ruthless competitor. That means if he hits a series of bad shots, he’s going to be angry and he’s going to let that be known.
Woods’ actions were inappropriate. But so what? I don’t want to hear about etiquette. Gentleman’s game or not, when a bad round costs you millions of dollars, or, in Tiger’s case, even more questions about whether you’ll ever win another major, etiquette is gone. Like it or not, Tiger Woods is who he is, and if getting back to throwing tantrums means also getting back to the dominance he once showed, I think most golf fans will take it. BLASKY@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM
theEAGLE SPORTS TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2012
19 SCHEDULE
PATRIOT LEAGUE STANDINGS WOMEN’S LACROSSE Navy 5-0 PL, 14-2 Colgate 3-2 PL, 4-10 Holy Cross 3-2 PL, 7-7 American
April 18 April 19 April 20 April 21
No games scheduled No games scheduled Women’s lacrosse @ Ohio St. at 1 p.m. Track and field @ Morgan State Legacy
3-3 PL, 7-7
Meet (All Day)
Lafayette 2-3 PL, 9-7 Lehigh 2-3 PL, 7-8
No games scheduled
April 22
No games scheduled
Bucknell 0-5 PL, 4-11
Hinkle joins top seniors at Invitational By JOSH PAUNIL
ing to be key, to stay sharp and stay in shape because Although Charles Hinyou never know when the kle had a great senior potential opportunity will season at AU, he needed a arise.” little help getting the necSince Jones has essary exposure to chase coached a plethora of prohis dream of playing professional basketball playfessional basketball. ers and been through the So Hinkle jumped at the process multiple times, opportunity to play in the he is able to give some inPortsmouth Invitational sight on the best way to go Tournament March 11-14 in about the process. Portsmouth, Va. “I think, if you have the “I thought it was a good right approach and the opportunity to showcase ability – and Charles cermy skills and play with tainly has the ability – the such great talbig thing is ent,” Hinkle in my opinion said. “It has to not be so always been “I think the big thing for Charles is worried about my dream to how much that he got the exposure.” get paid to play money is in basketball, and that first conI feel like play- AU Head Coach Jeff Jones tract,” Jones ing in the PIT said. “I think was just fun, the big thing another step to is finding a get closer to my dream.” lot, especially these last place where he can fit, a The PIT is an invita- couple of weeks,” Hinkle place where he can get a tion-only tournament that said. “We’ve just been talk- good start on his professhowcases 64 of the best ing about the whole pro- sional career.” seniors in college basket- cess. He’s definitely been Finding that place where ball. Multiple PIT partici- a big help and has been he can fit will be a process pants get drafted to the mentoring me along the similar to how Hinkle chose NBA each year, and there way.” AU, something he feels are dozens of overseas One step of that process worked out well. scouts on hand as well. is hiring an agent, and Hin“Coming to AU, I was “There were a lot of kle has chosen David Lee kind of forced to score scouts, a lot of people Services. The agency rep- more,” Hinkle said. “By watching and a lot of talent resents NBA stars such as coming here, I had a better there,” Hinkle said. “It was Andrew Bynum and Tre- opportunity to show what I just another opportunity to vor Ariza. had and perform at as high show everyone my talent Another step is continu- of a level as I could. It was and to be regarded as one ally working out, now that definitely a good experiof the top seniors in the Hinkle doesn’t have any ence playing at AU.” country. It was just a good more showcases to particiSPORTS@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM experience.” pate in. AU Head Coach Jeff “Anyone who has known Jones was also on hand Charles knows he’s not for the first few days of the afraid of hard work and he’s PIT. going to be working really “I think the big thing for hard,” Jones said. “That’s goEAGLE STAFF WRITER
COURTESY OF AU ATHLETICS
Ali Tyburski produced one of the top performances for AU over the weekend, finishing second in the 1,500-meter run in the Bison Outdoor Classic at Bucknell.
Olsen, Tyburski among top runners By GENNARO FARONE EAGLE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The AU track and field teams combined for eight top 15 finishes after competing in the Bison Outdoor Classic at Bucknell and the Patriot Open Invitational at George Mason over the weekend. Josh Olsen, Mark Allen and Ali Tyburski posted strong performances for the Eagles at Bucknell, while Zach Wright and Alexa Bolden set new marks in the AU record books at GMU. Olsen, Allen record 1-2 finish Five Eagles placed in the top 15 in their section of the 5,000-meter run, with Olsen and Allen leading the way. Olsen registered a time of 14:22.60, which earned him his first outdoor victor y of the year and was also good for 10th all-time in AU histor y. Allen crossed the finish line shortly after Olsen at 14:23.11 to place
second. Both runners’ times were IC4A qualifying times. Ryan Williams (14:38.67), Mark Leininger (14:38.82) and John Pope (14:39.17) rounded out the Eagle runners by finishing in 11th, 12th and 14th, respectively. In the Patriot Open Invite, Wright launched himself to the highest finish for AU at the event. He landed in third for the men’s high jump with a mark of 2.03 meters, just short of his school record of 2.04 meters. University of Mar yland Eastern Shore’s Rico Taylor earned the top mark of the event with a final jump of 2.13 meters. The other notable finish on the men’s side at GMU came courtesy of Ian Lutz, who finished 13th in the men’s 5,000-meter run at 15:17.48. Tyburski earns second place At Bucknell, Tyburski came in second in
the 1,500-meter run after clocking in at 4:35.65. The sophomore’s time was good enough for seventh best in program histor y. Meanwhile, Bolden was busy rewriting the Eagle record books at George Mason. In the 200-meter dash, her time of 26.83 put her in 28th place but was the third fastest finish in Eagle histor y. Bolden then notched the sixth fastest time at AU in the 400-meter dash with a time of 1:01.72 to finish in 24th. The AU track and field teams return to action next weekend when they travel to Baltimore for the Morgan State Legacy Meet April 21. The Eagles will then finish up April at the Penn Relays, before getting ready for the Patriot League Outdoor Championships scheduled for early May. SPORTS@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM
Charles is that he got the exposure,” Jones said. “If he gets a foot in the door, I think he’s got a great chance to have a terrific career.” Hinkle was the lone Patriot League representative, and the secondstraight Eagle to play in it after Vlad Moldoveanu participated last year. Hinkle reached out to the former Eagle star for advice leading up to the invitational. “We’ve been texting a
Sports
Basketball Hinkle participates at Portsmouth Invitational 19 TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2012
MLB Which small-market players are nZJOH VOEFS UIF SBEBS 18
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Navy routs AU 19-6 By ERIC SALTZMAN EAGLE STAFF WRITER
KIMBERLE D’ARIA / THE EAGLE
Kimberly Collins and the Eagles missed a chance at clinching a spot in the Patriot League Tournament when they fell 19-6 at Navy.
SIDELINE SCHOLAR
Tiger’s on-course antics not a big deal By BEN LASKY EAGLE STAFF WRITER
Remember a few years ago when Tiger Woods said his behavior on the golf course had to change? Well, if you haven’t heard, it hasn’t. Woods’ underwhelming performance at last week’s Masters was overshadowed by the fact
that he kicked a club and said a few bad words. It’s time for everyone to accept that this is who Tiger is. It’s also time to accept that it’s not that big of a deal. Tiger’s overwhelming talent and mental toughness is what made him the most dominating athlete in the world. No shot was impossible. No moment
To conclude the Patriot League regular season, the AU women’s lacrosse team traveled to Annapolis, Md., to face the two-time defending Patriot League Champions, the Navy Midshipmen, April 13. The Mids (14-2, 5-0 PL) proved to be too much for the Eagles, scoring 10 goals in the second half en route to a 19-6 victory. Just 30 seconds into the second half, Navy’s Loren Generi scored to push Navy’s lead to 10-5. The goal was the start of a nine-goal run to put the Eagles (7-7, 3-3 PL) away for good. The lone Eagle second-half goal came when Kimberly Collins took advantage of a free position shot with 10:31 left when the game was well out of reach for AU. Generi’s goal was one of seven on the day, tying a Navy freshman record. She also led both teams with eight draw controls and nine shots. The first half was more competitive than the second. Collins scored the game’s first goal just 38 seconds in, and was too big. He was, and apparently still is. intense while on the course. The highs lead to fist pumps that could get Wolf Blitzer excited, and the lows mean that the guy in the TV truck with his finger on the bleep button better be ready. The people that are calling Woods’ actions at the Masters despicable are the same people criticizing him for not winning. They want Tiger to be pre-scandal Tiger. Well, this is pre-scandal Tiger. But let’s not act like Woods is alone in his behavior on the course. There used to be an annual tournament in Maryland called the Kemper Open, which I at-
both teams exchanged scores through the opening 20 minutes, in which no team held an advantage of more than one goal. With 11:49 left in the first half, Jasmine DePompeo scored to give the Mids a 5-4 lead they would not relinquish. Entering halftime, the Eagles trailed the Midshipmen 9-5. The Navy defense proved to be particularly stifling and held the Eagles to 15 shots on the night. In the second half alone, the Eagles were outshot 21-5. Emily Maher was one of the lone bright spots for AU, as she recorded three draw controls to give her 51 on the season and tie Gina Riitano for most draw controls in a single season by an Eagle. Burton and Collins, who entered the match ranked fourth and fifth in the Patriot League in points per game, couldn’t help AU keep up with the Navy attack. Collins matched teammate Lauren Schoenberger with a teamhigh two goals, while Burton and Maher contributed one score in the loss. For the Eagles, Kaska Komosinski made eight saves in the game. Michelle Verbeeck made tended almost every year. I remember one occasion when I watched a player who not many people were paying attention to. After a particularly bad shot, he slammed his club down and kicked it. I saw him speaking aggressively to himself, and while I was not close enough to hear what he was saying, my guess is it was not, “Gosh darn it. That was not a very good shot.” Tiger is not the only one acting like this, but the magnifying glass is on him whenever he moves. It has gotten to the point where he’s not allowed to have a bad moment. It’s not Tiger’s fault that he’s the biggest star in the sport, if not the world. He should be allowed to throw a club or curse
five saves for the Mids in 53 minutes of action, yielding to backup Elaina Ponchione for the remainder of the contest. In addition to Generi’s seven-goal performance, Aimee Gennaro finished the game with seven points, including three goals, for Navy. DePompeo and Jess Fellows each scored twice. With the win, Navy clinches the Patriot League regular season crown outright for the first time in school history and will enter the tournament as the No. 1 seed. The Eagles are finished with conference play but hope to still earn a berth in the Patriot League Tournament. AU and Lafayette are in contention for the last spot in the tournament, with the Eagles needing Lafyaette to drop its season finale at Holy Cross to get in. The Eagles will finish the regular season with two nonconference games on the road. They’ll take on the University of Maryland-Baltimore County April 17 before finishing up against No. 10 Ohio State April 21. ESALTZMAN@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM
once in a while. He’s human. Humans, even ones as talented as Woods, get frustrated. Honestly, I don’t think there’s ever been a person who has ever played a round of golf and hasn’t dropped an f-bomb or two. Another issue I’m having is the amount of outrage there has been surrounding Tiger’s “meltdown.” People are acting like he took his 9-iron, broke it in half and then took the sharp part of the club’s shaft and stabbed an elderly person. This was not a meltdown. If kicking your club and cursing on the golf course represents a meltdown, then I’ve had a meltdown every time I’ve ever Continued on Page 18