The Eagle -- Feb. 1, 2011

AU STUDENTS PROTEST EGYPTIAN REGIME, EVACUATE CAIRO — PAGES 4, 5, 12

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PICTURED — AU student Mariam Aziz leads a chant at the White House during a Jan. 29 protest against Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

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IN THIS ISSUE

Eagle rants (3), Weather cancellations (5), CERF (8), Campus Plan (10)

OPINION

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Staff editorial (6), Left Turn Here (7)

SCENE

Listopia (13), WVAU reviews (15)

SPORTS

Men’s basketball (20), Women’s basketball (19), Wrestling feature (19)

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1.Dan Rather: American journalism is in trouble 2. AU releases Campus Plan for community review 3. Asian Flavors to open soon, McDonald’s will close within a year 4. Eagle rants 5. SUB $11K over budget after Cee Lo Green show

CORRECTION The Eagle would like to commend Emma Noftz for her work as the campaign coordinator of AU’s Rally to Reaffirm Sanity on Jan. 14. The staff editorial, “AU’s Time to Shine” did not mention her.

CAMPUS CALENDAR

“why is the cable on @americanu campus not working yet?????? this is ridiculous AUATV” @martinez_a, Jan. 28 “Just a random shout-out to AmericanU students...smart, creative, optimistic, funny. Love teaching you, love learning from you AU_SOC” @CatyBC, Jan. 27

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RAD for Women 5:30 - 8 p.m.

WHERE: McDowell Formal Lounge WHAT: Public Safety provides a free self-defense workshop for women.

CONTACT: Rima Sifri at sifri@american.edu.

The Israeli-Syrian Peace Talks: An Elusive Peace?

2 - 3:30 p.m.

WHERE: : Library Grad Research Center Classroom WHAT: Professor Josef Olmert, an Israeli scholar and diplomat, will lecture on his experience in negotiation.

CONTACT: Diane Singerman at dsinger@american.edu.

“The Human Spark” 7:30 p.m.

WHERE: Wechsler Theater WHAT: Professor Larry Engel will show part of his PBS film, “The Human Spark,” and follow with a discussion on the teaching of evolution.

CONTACT: Larry Engel at engel@ american.edu.

Author talk on “The Climate Fix” 1:30 - 3 p.m.

WHERE: School of International Service Founders Room WHAT: JProfessor Matt Nisbet will interview author Roger Pielke Jr. about his new book, “The Climate Fix,” which argues that economic interests always override environmental ones.

CONTACT: nisbet@american.edu.

Table Tennis Tournament 7 - 11:55 p.m.

WHERE: Mary Graydon Center, 1st floor Marketplace WHAT: Face off against other AU students in the annual American University Table Tennis Tournament Championships.

CONTACT: Patrick Ledesma at ledesma@american.edu.

Super Bowl 1 - 11 p.m.

WHERE: Mary Graydon Center Tavern WHAT: Come and watch the Green Bay Packers take on the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Super Bowl.

CONTACT: Patrick Ledesma at ledesma@american. edu.

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EAGLE RANTS !

I miss coloring books.

! PLEASE open the library 24 hours now. K thanks.

-Seniors with actual work to do and nowhere to do it. ! Why do people leave their trash in classrooms? There are trashcans everywhere people. Stop being lazy.

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I LOVE cupcakes.

Stupid people who turn computers off at the printing station after they use them so that the people waiting in line behind them have to wait an extra five minutes and sign onto the computer again: The printing station computers are meant to stay on all day. That is why there is a LOG-OFF button on the desktop. It’s the little red button that says “LOGOFF.” You double click it before you leave and you are all clear to walk away and let the next person use the computer. !

! My professor calls people out when they are late. I haven’t been called out but I am still going to give her bad marks on her evaluation because humiliating people for being late makes her look extremely unprofessional, immature and neurotic. ! I’m in love with my stepbrother. Problem? I think so.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Check out “Cruel Intentions” for the answer. ! I hate when you volunteer an answer and then the professor makes fun of your answer. So mean. I am never raising my hand again in that class. Gosh. ! Fourteen days without Eagle Rants. For those of you playing along at home that is three updates that they have missed. What gives? Why has every other section of the newspaper been updated but the most popular one? ! The annoying girl who goes into the computer technician lab and tells boring stories to the cute young computer technician (about her day and what she ate and who texted her) enter-

tains me greatly. This girl obviously has a huge crush on computer nerd guy, but computer nerd guy is too nice to tell her off, so he just keeps making up reasons to tell her why he can’t come over to her house. She never gets the hint. This stuff is better than a soap opera. ! Dear (CENSORED FRATERNITY NAME), I just want you all to know that you guys aren’t cool.

The wanna be frat thing really isn’t working for you, trust me as a sorority girl you guys are just creepy. Get your huge balloon heads out of the clouds and try to act like human beings. Maybe then people will like you, and your parties will be more than average. kay thanks. ! To the person who last week said, “It’s called a straightener and makeup girlies” Wow, Really? How much time do you spend in front of the mirror? Probably a lot because you are very insecure and vain. Girls who actually have developed minds don’t need to put masks of goop on their faces to try and attract sex. ! To everyone who wants a dating site: why not just do what other schools are doing? http://likealittle.com/ home It’s not necessarily a dating site but let’s get it running for AU anyway! Some of these missed connections actually pull through and they’re all kind of adorable.

Dear Freshmen who wear lanyards with your keys and IDs, Don’t be intimidated by that idiot who wants you to realize that it’s college and not summer camp, I am a senior who wears my keys and ID around my neck because that way I don’t lose them and they’re exactly where I can find them when I need them. Tell the haters to mind their own beeswax. !

To the person who doesn’t say thank you to the shuttle drivers: Didn’t your parents teach you any manners?

Some people actually do say thank you to their professors when they leave or you’re welcome to the people sitting at the front desk to the dorms etc. It can possibly brighten up someone’s bad day or even make them feel appreciated after having hundreds of people, like yourself, not say the simple two letter word. If having manners makes me a conformist, then I’ll be the best conformist I can be. Grow up. !

! I will never get over how mad I am that going to TDR to eat some tater tots when not on the meal plan costs 12 fucking dollars. This has got to change ... and I need more friends with unlimited swipes. ! Is it really not enough for a guy to have only ONE

hookup buddy? Does he really need TWO? Guys are pigs. ! AU Athletic Department: Please provide your smaller teams with more clothing.

I really don’t enjoy hearing basketball players complain about having to give away all their free stuff when I work just as hard and have one single sweatshirt to show for it.

READ THE POLICE BLOTTER ONLINE.

! Where did all of the rats go? My walks through the amphitheater are no longer thrilling. Let’s remember people, one ran up my leg when I was walking one time — we bonded on an intimate, emotional level.

Can’t wait for spring.

! I think AU should offer a Walking 101 class. People do not know the rules of the sidewalk. ! To AU Department that shall remain nameless: I know you’re trying to do your jobs or whatever and I respect that, but where in the handbook does it say I can’t nap on campus? Do you have nothing better to do than pester me about this “issue?” Is it really that im-

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portant? I don’t live on campus, I’m tired and against my wishes, I’m here by an ungodly hour in the a.m. I would like to be able to stay awake for my classes, thus I nap before them. Until you pay $35,000+ a year for school and show me a rule that officially states no napping in any AU buildings, nap I shall.

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Students protest at Egyptian Embassy, White House

By LEIGH GIANGRECO Eagle Staff Writer

ANA SANTOS / THE EAGLE

A PROTEST HALFWAY ACROSS THE WORLD — AU students Farley Sawyer, a School of International Service senior, Haleigh Duggan, an SIS first year graduate student and Adam Gallager, a junior in the School of Communication, protest outside the Egyptian Embassy Jan. 29 to denounce President Hosni Mubarak’s regime. About 400 people protested at the embassy and later the White House.

Crowds gathered outside the Egyptian Embassy Jan. 29 to protest President Hosni Mubarak’s regime.

Afterward, approximately 400 people moved down Connecticut Avenue, bound for the White House.

The march continued downtown, going under Dupont Circle, echoing under bridges, shouting, “Young people want the fall of the current order,” in Arabic.

Once at the White House, protesters chanted, “Obama you should know, Mubarak has to go,” across the North Lawn.

But then the chants stopped and people knelt in a moment of silence for Egypt.

For AU students who have studied abroad in Cairo, the protest signaled U.S. solidarity with the Egyptian people in their quest for freedom.

Adam Gallagher, a junior in the School of Communication, held a sign saying, “UNITED AGAINST AMERICAN DOMINATION, FREE EGYPT.” “I was in Cairo last semester studying abroad and every class there talked about how they needed democracy to take that next step forward to become a developed nation,” Gallagher said. “So I’m glad they’re finally taking steps towards it.”

Lena Shareef, a senior in SOC, said the protests struck a personal chord with her.

“We’ve been to all these places and now to see the [National Democratic Party headquarters] on fire,” she said. “We can imagine those people how it must be there, we know what it was like normally.”

Starr Brainard, a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences, took a gap year to study in a suburb of Cairo last year and got in touch with a friend there on his cell phone earlier that day.

Brainard said his friend told him that when the police pulled out, many prisoners escaped.

“He says people are armed, guarding their homes to protect themselves and their families and their possessions,” Brainard said. “It’s basically chaos.”

Elizabeth Zito, a senior in CAS, said she had not heard from her friends in Egypt since the media blackout Jan. 28. Before the blackout, her friends said the police force violence was worse than they imagined.

“My friend received a rubber bullet to the mouth, two of them had almost been arrested but escaped — a little bit bruised — then one of my friends actually had to rescue his brother from a police truck by breaking the lock,” Zito said.

College of Arts and Sciences Professor Ibtisam Ibrahim, who teaches Contemporary Arab World, characterized the movement as a non-violent, youth-led revolution.

Ibrahim said she doubts the movement would end in another totalitarian regime.

“The leading group is a very young, very secular generation who have benefited greatly from the Internet and Facebook communicating with each other,” she said.

Not only was Facebook used to gather the people for the protest at the embassy in D.C., but it has been used in Egypt to organize those protests as well. Some of the students at the protest said that along with CNN or Al Jazeera, they use Facebook and Twitter to get quick updates.

Damian Fontanez, a member of Students for Justice in Palestine at AU, strode down the street, draped in the Egyptian flag.

“Freedom is important to me,” Fontanez said. “Regardless of which country.” lgiangreco@theeagleonline. com

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AU students in Egypt will be evacuated; will have option to stay abroad

By RACHEL KARAS Eagle Staff Writer

AU Abroad is currently working to evacuate the 11 AU students studying abroad in Cairo, according to Tina Murray, assistant director of AU Abroad.

Several students are already on their way out of the country, while others are on their way to the airport or already there, according to an AU Abroad Facebook update.

AU offers study abroad programs in Cairo through two partners: the American University of Cairo and AMIDEAST, a study abroad organization.

Currently, there are three students studying with AMIDEAST and eight students directly enrolled at AU-Cairo. Both programs are evacuating their students as soon as possible, Murray said.

AMIDEAST has made arrangements for private evacuation, and those students were on their way out of Cairo on Jan. 31 and going to Greece. From there, they will go to other AMIDEAST programs in the Middle East, Murray said.

Students at AU-Cairo are using the U.S. State Department’s Safe Haven travel option, which offers transportation options for any American wanting to leave Cairo.

The State Department is chartering planes to meet U.S. citizens at the airport.

AU-Cairo students will then be taken to Cyprus, Greece or Turkey temporarily. Passengers must reimburse the U.S. government for the cost of the flight, according to the State Department.

Through AMIDEAST and AU-Cairo, AU Abroad is trying to figure out where all students will land and which alternative study abroad program they will then relocate to for the rest of the semester.

No students have chosen to return to AU, nor has anyone chosen to remain in Cairo, according to Murray.

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“We’re tending to think at this point that students will have such a variety of options to stay abroad that they will probably choose another study abroad option over coming back to campus,” she said.

Murray said the biggest challenge of the evacuation process has been communication, since all cell phone and Internet use has been cut off.

“What has been interesting is that it does seem that the AU students are in communication with each other, so if we get a piece of information conveyed to one student, it seems to be shared amongst all the students, so that’s been very helpful,” she said. “The students have been creative in communicating with their families and so we’ve opened up communication with the families and gotten some information that way.”

Students are made aware of the academic and financial implications of studying in unstable countries.

When preparing to study in the Middle East, applicants must sign a waiver acknowledging the risk inherent in the region during the application process.

Because all alternative programs are AU-approved, students will be able to take a full course load for the rest of the semester.

It is yet to be determined if students’ program costs will be reimbursed following their relocation, Murray said.

Murray hopes the unrest will not deter other students from studying abroad.

“These students are having an unparalleled experience,” Murray said. “In fact, some of them have expressed regret at the very real prospect that they won’t be able to stay, because they want to see how this all plays out.” rkaras@theeagleonline. com

Weather cancellations come day of class

By KATE FROEHLICH Eagle Staff Writer

Students shouldn’t expect to hear about any weatherrelated delays until two-anda-half to three hours before classes are scheduled to start, according to AU officials.

There have been two weather-related delays so far this year.

The most recent one, on Jan. 27, caused tree damage throughout campus, with partial power outages at the Tenley Campus and the Washington College of Law. The Media Production Center on Main Campus lost

power completely.

To see any changes on the academic calendar, more than five snow days would be required, according to Jorge Abud, assistant vice president of Facilities Development and Real Estate.

Crews are sent out on a priority basis to clear walks and roads on campus, first focusing on linking residence halls to the Mary Graydon Center so students have access to dining services and then focusing on paths to academic buildings.

The decision to close or stay open is ultimately made by Vice President of Finance

and Treasury Don Meyers, with a recommendation from Abud.

“We try to balance the newest conditions with getting the news to people as quickly as possible,” Abud said.

Abud looks at local road conditions, public transportation and what other area businesses and schools do.

“We look to see if we think that the roads will improve by roughly an hour before we open,” Abud said, so students off campus have extra time for their commutes.

He also watches the federal government’s status closely.

“They are such a large em-

ployer and tend to have to worry about the roads and transportation options more than anyone else has to,” he said.

Even if the University delayed, professors still have the option to cancel their individual classes.

“They get guidance on that from individual deans because each has different standards that they expect.

From our perspective, the faculty has freedom to make those decisions,” Abud said. kfroehlich@theeagleonline. com complete their degrees.

As avid writers and readers, the two struggle to name a favorite author.

“It’s like asking someone to pick a favorite child,” O’Malley said.

The consultants use each other to continue building their own skills.

“As writers, we never stop bouncing ideas off each other. Even professional writers do the same thing,” Wyse said. “I am always working to improve my own writing.” kfaherty@theeagleonline. com

JEFF MINDELL / THE EAGLE

THE RIGHT WAY TO WRITE — Writing Center Consultants Melissa Wyse, left, and Rose O’Malley tutor students to improve their papers for the future. Wyse and O’Malley are also graduate students here.

Consultants steer students in the ‘write’ direction

By KATE FAHERTY Eagle Staff Writer

Every day, Rose O’Malley and Melissa Wyse combat a college student’s worst fear: writer’s block.

These Writing Center consultants help students battle theses, incomplete sentences and bad grammar.

“We help students who struggle in asserting their ideas strongly,” O’Malley said. “I like the one-on-one process, getting them past a block.”

Wyse said she tries to help students for their future writing assignments.

“We help the student, not the paper,” Wyse said.

O’Malley and Wyse said they enjoy working with students who come in regularly, with whom they can form a relationship and see improvement in the students’ writing.

O’Malley, 26, is a secondyear master’s student studying literature at AU. As an undergraduate, she majored in Political Science at Catholic University.

She worked for the National Women’s Law Center, writing for their blog, before coming to AU. Wyse, 29, is a Master of Fine Arts student for creative writ-

ing at AU. She got her undergraduate degree in English from Rutgers University.

She has been working on a book of short stories since 2004, which she hopes to finish a draft of by her graduation.

O’Malley and Wyse began working at the Writing Center last semester and spend 10 hours a week there as part of their scholarships.

Besides their full-time graduate work and their jobs in the Writing Center, both are teacher’s assistants for classes in the Literature Department.

Both women hope to work as writing teachers after they

FIVE FACTS ! O’Malley has four siblings. ! She is allergic to most animals. ! She is a comic book fan. ! Just last year, at the age of 25, she got her driver’s license and has recently been struggling with driving through the snow. ! Her favorite D.C. restaurant, which she visited during Restaurant Week, is Eatonville, near U Street. ! Wyse just returned from visiting Belgium, with her husband. ! She has a black and white cat, named Laine. ! Her favorite show is “The Wire.” ! In Baltimore, she lived in apartments that are in a renovated department store building. ! Wyse has never been bitten by a mosquito.

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CERF round 2?

Changes to the program formerly known as ‘CERF’ have us feeling bamboozled We love green energy and sustainability. We really do. However, we’re questioning the wisdom of the Clean Energy Revolving Fund, which is now getting revamped, repackaged and renamed for a second attempt at success.

Haven’t heard much on it, aside from the referendum last year for the one-time $10 fee? Yeah, neither have we – and that’s part of the problem.

CERF, as originally planned, was supposed to be a fund to purchase things like solar panels and wind turbines to

supply AU with green energy. The money saved through the green energy initiatives would then be routed back into the fund to buy more green energy. Lofty ambitions? Yes. Attainable?

Apparently not.

CERF needed $100,000 to get started but only ended up with $5,000 in the bank. A referendum passed to fund CERF through a mandatory fee, but it was never implemented, leaving the program short.

To give its creators and supporters credit, they’re trying to make lemons into lemonade

AU shouldn’t give in to phony ROTC patriotism SMARTER THAN I LOOK

CONOR SHAPIRO The first time I heard about the Westboro Baptist Church protesting our campus was circuitously through a friend of a friend.

She incorrectly believed the Church was targeting their protest against ROTC because “don’t ask, don’t tell” was repealed weeks before (and, you know gays deserve the right to murder, too).

Hmmm, I thought. I’d like to protest ROTC, but I can’t join these imbeciles. It would be like T.S. Eliot wrote, “to do the right deed for the wrong reason.” Alas, the bigots came and went softly and AU students took the moral high ground, proudly accepting homosexuality not as a sin, but as a natural part of life.

What is grossly unnatural is for an institution of higher learning to sanction ROTC. I understand AU would face legal challenges, not to mention intimidation and laughable claims of treason, if they refused ROTC’s presence on campus. But that’s

by taking the $5,000 in funding and using it to support student groups working on green projects. However, this wasn’t the original point of CERF. Last year there was so much effort expended in getting CERF passed that we’re a bit flabbergasted that it was so ignominiously abandoned. We hope that the future members of the Student Government will gauge the necessity and practicality of projects before wasting hours of everyone’s time.

the byproduct of bravery. It would be quite the spectacle, wouldn’t it? I can see the headlines now: “Unpatriotic American University Refuses ROTC, WTF?” Instead, the Student Government quickly kowtowed and endorsed the program.

Evidence of ROTC support is rampant. Last semester, The Eagle published an editorial supporting increased access for ROTC, “Those who have joined ROTC will one day serve our country and they deserve equal treatment. These men and women deserve our utmost respect for the sacrifices they plan to make for this country.” Last week, President Barack Obama invoked unwavering support for ROTC in his State of the Union address.

Enough with the ubiquitous admiration, it’s time for a dissenting view.

AU is unique in its approach to international

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From the Incubator: College drinking doesn’t pay

By RHYS HEYDEN Incubator Blogger

It was a scene that everyone who’s every spent a weekend on a college campus is all too familiar with.

Three in the morning.

Clomp, stumble, clomp, THUD. “Do you need help?”

“Are you OK?” Quickly dragging herself up from the floor, the girl insists she’s fine. She stumbles into the bathroom. She pukes for a few minutes.

Hopefully, she finds someone who’s sober to take care of her. She falls asleep.

We’ve all been there, we’ve all put up with it. Tipsy Tues-

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days. Wobbly Wednesdays.

Freaky Fridays (coincidentally, what a crappy movie that was, eh?) Alcohol is an intrinsic part of the college experience.

We’ve been educated and lectured to death about the dangers but, wouldn’t you know, that doesn’t seem to work. Maybe we need to see one more VHS from the 80?s, have another group of 27-cum-18-year-old “kids” in garish pastel sweaters tell us what’s up. Or not.

Drinking sucks. Drinking is fun. Drinking will make you sick and hungover.

Drinking will get you laid.

All can be true.

Let me situate myself:

I don’t drink. I probably won’t until I’m 21 and, even then, probably only socially.

I choose not to drink not because it’s illegal or I’m religiously opposed or my uncle tragically drowned in a tub full of Four Loko. No, I choose not to drink because I abhor the culture that surrounds it, and, quite frankly, I think my time is better spent elsewhere.

I simply think that “problem drinking” happens a lot on college campuses, and I’ve seen too many people adversely effected by it to stay silent. And, folks, I live on North Side. Five months here must be like two nights in Letts.

Read full text online. http://eagl.us/h9QUjN

studies. While competing programs boast titles like Foreign Affairs or International Security, AU offers a more peace-oriented program, coincidentally named International Peace and Conflict Resolution. This distinction is important as it reflects the tactical selection many faculty employ – enacting non-violent methods to resolve conflict.

ROTC taints our university by distorting that image with militaristic solutions.

Perhaps it’s fair, and within First Amendment rights, to balance peacemakers with a warmonger option. Albeit, anyone claiming that AU should be balanced with a violent approach should heed the hundreds of ROTC programs on college campuses nationwide that lack peace education programs.

The dearth of peace studies programs across the U.S. is a transparent indication that AU is an anomaly that

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deserves to retain its unique, unadulterated standing. It also proves how complicit universities are in generating ‘young guns’ to continue the failed military interventions of their predecessors.

Most folks believe ROTC and military ‘service’ to our country is deserving of our reverence and respect.

However, the truth is, most of these folks are doing our nation a grave disservice through their participation in imperialism, violence and environmental destruction while bankrupting us as well.

The cadets aren’t to blame, they’re merely victims of a predatory structure. I sympathize with those who have deluded themselves into thinking military service is analogous with preserving our freedoms or ROTC service is beneficial to America.

It seems service to our country is reserved only for the military.

I believe serving our coun-

try means starting a small business. I believe serving our country is becoming a teacher, a firefighter, a doctor, a nurse. I believe serving our country is responsible journalism, an advocate of transparency. I believe serving our country is attaining an advanced degree to mitigate conflict peacefully throughout the world.

Universities have an obligation to produce graduates who’ve dissected the difference between these types of service.

Citizens have numerous locations to join the military via ROTC. It’s a shame that AU is bogged down in toeing the line instead of boldly taking a stand.

Conor Shapiro is a graduate student in the School of International Service and a liberal columnist. edpage@theeagleonline. com

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Letter to the Editor: What the Campus Plan means to you By now, a growing number of students have heard about a new Campus Plan for AU. Essentially, it’s about new buildings and what AU will become over the next 10 years. If you’re a student here today, you may wonder why this is relevant to you.

It is, and here’s why.

Building new residence halls, improving academic and athletic facilities, and expanding Mary Graydon Center, will have a meaningful impact on student life, academic achievement, new students who come to AU, your college experience and our community.

For example, most of our current residence halls were built many years ago. Each year, several hundred AU freshmen begin college life living tripled in rooms originally designed for two people. (It was my experience as a freshman here years ago.)

Moreover, to accommodate current student housing needs, AU rents 100 units in an apartment building adjacent campus.

As AU students today, many of you will graduate before the proposed new residence halls open and other improvements are completed. But your interest, input and support can help to ensure that they are here for the students who come after you.

Sooner than you think, classes and exams will be over and you will be an alum and on your way in the world. You may not think a lot about that now amidst the busy pace of classes, jobs, internships, study abroad and other campus activities.

But leaving things better than you experienced them is a good thing. The new Campus Plan will be a part of the legacy you leave to AU and future students.

Take time to be involved and make a difference.

Penny Pagano Director, Community and Local Government Affairs.

Pagano is an AU alumna.

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Party of Romney meets Party of Palin Divisions within the GOP beginning to shine through as election season approaches LEFT TURN HERE

NICK FIELD Well, what a difference a few months makes. After the Democrats lost the House of Representatives in the midterm elections, the common perception in the media was that the Barack Obama’s presidency was in a potentially fatal crisis.

Today, however, he appears to be a heavy favorite for re-election next year. CNN polls, for instance, showed that the president’s approval rating has improved from 48 percent in mid-November to 55 percent in the latest poll.

The rise in Obama’s approval can probably be attributed to several factors, including the successful lame-duck session of Congress, his heartfelt and uplifting response to the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, DAriz., and last week’s State of the Union. While all of these events have helped Obama’s re-election prospects, Obama’s greatest advantage in 2012 was revealed in the responses to his State of the Union, namely the sharp divide evident in the Republican Party.

For the first time in history, this year we had two opposing responses to the President’s State of the Union message. Congressman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., the chairman of the House Budget Committee and one of the GOP’s so-called “Young Guns,” gave the official Republican

prepare to choose a nominee in 2012.

For the business-orientated, fiscally-conservative Republicans that Paul Ryan spoke for, the preferred nominee for 2012 is clearly Mitt Romney. According to them, only a moderate businessman like Romney can

are their party’s two primary front-runners.

The great problem for the Republican Party, then, is that neither candidate’s supporters appear willing to support the other should they become the nominee.

To Romney supporters, Sarah Palin is at best an un-

“The fact is that Ryan and Bachmann perfectly exemplied the two warring factions in the Republican Party as they prepare to choose a nominee in 2012.”

Party response. Immediately afterward, though, Congresswomen Michelle Bachmann, R-Minn., gave the official “Tea Party” response.

While most of the news focused on Bachmann’s hilariously awful performance — looking off-camera the whole time — the real story here is the unprecedented party divide that these dual responses represent. The fact is that Ryan and Bachmann perfectly exemplified the two warring factions in the Republican Party as they

defeat Obama by offering a clear plan to improve the economy.

To the more socially-conservative evangelical Republicans like Michelle Bachmann, however, the clear choice for 2012 is Sarah Palin. To them only a social warrior like Palin can reverse the course that the socalled socialist Obama has put America on and restore it to its glorious and mythical past. It would be impossible to find two more contrasting candidates, yet they

electable, polarizing figure and at worst an unqualified idiot incapable of performing the duties of an American president. Just last week, a prominent Romney supporter named Mark DeMoss said Palin was unable to be a “competent” enough president and compared her public appeal to Justin Bieber.

Palin supporters, on the other hand, see Romney as an unprincipled flip-flopper who committed several unforgiveable sins as governor of Massachusetts, including

instituting a universal health care system (which happens to be very similar to the dreaded “Obamacare”), as well as being pro-choice for much of his political career.

It’s hard to see how the Republican Party can unite behind one of these candidates as the 2012 campaign begins. Nevertheless, this problem has probably been seen as an opportunity for other potential candidates, particularly Mike Huckabee and Newt Gingrich, to become a possible compromise candidate. Such a task will be extremely difficult, though; and with the President’s poll numbers already bouncing back, the prospects for Republicans have significantly dimmed.

If the Party of Romney can’t live with the Party of Palin, and vice versa, then the Republican Party will have no chance in 2012. Republicans would ultimately do well to remember the words of their party’s first President, Abraham Lincoln, who infamously stated that “a house divided against itself can not stand.”

Nick Field is a junior in the School of Public Affairs and a liberal columnist. edpage@theeagleonline. com

TRENDING TOPICS "to February - the month that celebrates love and relationships for some, dead presidents and black history for others (or all of the above). being baseball season yet. #toto itthenotpower restored to everyone that lost it last week. Pepco really needs to step up their game. It’s not a good timeof year to lose your heat. "to winter. Thebeing has worn off, BRING ON SPRING. #to those peoplenovelty that can actually use chopsticks. Many of us cannot, for some embarrassingly so - kudos to those of you that can do more than stab and eat. ! "

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CERF falls short in fundraising, will rename and re-evaluate goals

By MARIE ZOGLO Eagle Staff Writer

Courtesy of NOTES FOR BOB

IN MEMORIAM — Professor Robert “Bob” had been at AU since 1995, serving as the provost and a history professor.

Bob Grifth, AU history professor, dies at 71 from Hodgkin’s lymphoma

By PAIGE JONES Eagle Staff Writer

Professor Robert “Bob” Griffith was well known for his kindness in the history department and throughout AU. Griffith died Jan. 25 at the age of 71 due to complications from Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

He came to AU in 1995 and served as provost for two years.

Before that, he was the dean of the College of Arts and Humanities at the University of Maryland, College Park.

In 1997, he joined the History Department.

“He was initially going to be provost of the University, not just a member of the history department,” said History Professor Allan Lichtman. “It was like being a kid and starting all over again.”

After a few years in the History Department, Griffith served as the department chair for six years.

“He was a model department chair,” said Professor and Acting Department Chair Richard Breitman. “He did everything a department chair could possibly do and more.”

He wrote many books about American history, including “The Politics of Fear: Joseph R. McCarthy and the Senate.”

Shortly before his death, the

Organization of American Historians awarded Griffith the Roy Rosenzweig Prize for Service for his dedication and passion to history.

Griffith was best known for his kindness and willingness to help others, in addition to his academic successes as a provost, department chair, professor and author.

Griffith helped Lichtman improve his 1,000-page book on American history and conservatism, “White Protestant Nation: The Rise of the American Conservative Movement,” which later became a finalist for the National Book Critics’ Circle Award.

“Bob Griffith went over every single line of that book and actually had comments on every single page that made it a much better book,” Lichtman said.

While he devoted a great deal of time to academics, Griffith loved to spend time with his family as well.

“He would always be talking about the accomplishments of his children, and his wondrous times with his grandchildren,” Lichtman said. “I think he was a family man extraordinaire.”

Griffith brought this sense of closeness to work with him as well.

“He treated the History De-

partment like his family too,” Lichtman said. “His door was always open, you could talk to him about anything. He was always interested in bragging about what you were doing and helping you advance your career. You were one of his kids.”

Breitman and other people in the History Department, along with Griffith’s friend David Thelen from Indiana University, designed a website in memory of Griffith. Students and faculty can leave “Notes for Bob” at http://notesforbob. wordpress.com.

“I knew there were literally hundreds of people who wanted to talk and share their feelings and their memories about Bob,” Breitman said.

A memorial service will be held in February in the Kay Spiritual Center to honor Griffith.

“Bob did it all,” Lichtman said. “He was a great scholar who produced a path-breaking book about the McCarthy era in American history, produced many articles, he was a major administrator that helped advance two institutions. That’s quite a set of accomplishments.” pjones@theeagleonline.com

The Clean Energy Revolving Fund has been forced to change both in name and nature due to a number of serious problems in its design.

The fund will now transform into what will likely be called the AU Sustainability Fund, which will operate with a much smaller budget through and finance a broader range of ecofriendly initiatives.

The SG created CERF last year to help make AU more carbon-neutral, The Eagle previously reported.

The fund was supposed to raise $100,000, which would then be used to purchase solar panels, wind turbines and other forms of renewable energy. The money saved from using renewable energy would then be put back into the fund to be used to purchase more clean forms of energy generation.

But CERF has yet to reach this $100,000 threshold, with only $5,000 currently in the fund.

Chris O’Brien, director of AU’s Office of Sustainability, said he never thought the revolving mechanism for the fund was a good idea because either projects would need too much money at once or wouldn’t revolve money into the fund fast enough for later ventures.

“It was just kind of set up in a way that it would never get started,” O’Brien said.

Fundraising Issues Last year, the SG struggled to raise the Student Activities fee by $10 to fund the $100,000 initiative.

Senators tried through a

resolution, a petition and finally a campus-wide referendum to shore up support for the increase.

About 67 percent of students voted to increase student activities fees by $10 to support clean energy and help fund CERF last March.

But when AU and SG officials met Dec. 2 in a preliminary meeting to discuss the $10 fee, they decided CERF was impractical and decided to redesign it into the broader AU Sustainability Fund, according to SG officials.

They also decided to table the fee.

“It’s not going to be money directly from the University,” said Jennifer Jones, the SG’s environmental policy director and former president of Eco-Sense. “It’s not going to be your tuition money. It’s going to be voluntary donations.”

CERF has struggled to come up with the money through fundraising.

“If people aren’t willing to voluntarily donate something, what makes you think you can compel them and get anywhere?” said AU alumnus and former Undergraduate Sen. Steve Dalton, who opposed the mandatory $10 fee last year.

Beyond funding, there were also a number of issues with CERF. “We already have an annual budget of $500,000 for energy-saving projects,” O’Brien said, adding there isn’t a need for a fund devoted solely to clean-energy.

However, broader sustainability projects, such as community gardens, are much more difficult to obtain funding for.

While money from CERF was to solely support clean energy projects, the rede-

signed fund would finance broader sustainability projects, such as solar panels, wind turbines and composting.

Future Plans CERF will be “transforming to become more effective,” said Stephen Bronskill, the policy director for EcoSense and an SG deputy director of environmental policy.

The new fund will function similar to the Eagle Endowment, which gives out money for community service projects. A committee will distribute a certain amount of money each year to different groups for environmentally friendly projects and then help them use the money.

The reworked AU Sustainability Fund would not need to reach the minimum threshold of $100,000 required by CERF. The fund can use the $5,000 already in the account to start supporting projects as early as this fall and will maintain a minimum balance and fundraise continuously to finance its grants, rather than relying on returns from earlier projects.

For now, Bronskill said these changes allow students to focus their strengths on brainstorming creative project ideas, rather than worrying about fundraising.

“If we decide down the road that we want to turn this into a big endowment or that there’s a need for more funds for more projects, who knows what we’d do.

Maybe another referendum goes up,” he said. mzoglo@theeagleonline. com

VISIT THE INCUBATOR BLOGS.THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

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AU fundraising campaign exceeds goal

Founders’ Day Ball on target for Feb. 26

By MARIE ZOGLO

AnewAU raises more than $214 million

By LEIGH GIANGRECO Eagle Staff Writer

The AnewAU fundraising campaign brought in $214,113,000 over seven years, beating its $200 million goal in March 2010.

The campaign officially closed Dec. 31, 2010, after raising money since Oct. 16, 2003. It helped fund the Katzen Arts Center, the new School of International Service Building and renovations to the Kogod School of Business building.

Funds raised help keep tuition costs steady, according to Tom Minar, the vice president of Development and Alumni Relations.

“Money we raise has a general impact on the institution’s budget,” Minar said. “Whether or not that trickles into tuition is a different question. Every dollar that’s given to the University helps keep tuition down. The money we raise helps keep the tuition down tomorrow. It’s hard to draw what the line of impact is.”

AU prioritizes fundraising for scholarships, Minar said.

Under the AnewAU campaign, 84 new scholarships were created that did not previously exist.

“We also think that [scholarships are] essential to the diversity of the student body and the very shape of the student body,” Minar said.

Nearly 400 undergraduate and graduate students at AU currently receive financial assistance from scholarships, fellowships and awards established by

donors during the 20102011 academic year, according to Sarah Petrie, director of Stewardship and Donor Relations. This does not include general University need-based aid and merit scholarships, fellowships and awards.

AnewAU raised funds through calling current students and families, and also tapped alumni and philanthropists for donations.

“We spend a lot of time meeting face to face with alumni, parents and friends ... helping them meet their philanthropic objectives by giving to AU,” he said.

No particular class at AU donated the most money.

Alumni donors came from a broad range of classes, Minar said.

Three Board of Trustees members donated to the campaign, he said.

Despite the recent recession, donations also did not lag. Minar said that since his arrival in 2008, he saw growth in the 2009 and 2010 fiscal numbers.

“You don’t lower goals, ever. You lengthen campaigns,” he said. “Because campaigns are rarely set, at least in higher education, with a hard end date, they’re set with a date of ‘we’d like to do this in x length of time.’”

AU’s last fundraising campaign, the 1993 Centennial Campaign, netted about $100 million. lgiangreco@theeagleonline. com

Eagle Staff Writer

Student Government officials promise Founders’ Day Ball will happen this time around, despite last year’s problems.

The black-tie ball is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 26 at the Corcoran Gallery of Art on 17th Street. Buses will transport students from campus to the Corcoran and back.

The theme will be “an AU masterpiece,” to tie in with the art gallery, according to Amanda Silva, vice president of programming for the Residence Hall Association.

Music will be by mash-up artist E-603.

“This is the one day when we all come together as a unified student body to celebrate being at American University,” said Maia Tagami, the Student Government vice president.

Last year, the ball never happened due to a series of setbacks, including issues with weather, contracts, funding and staffing.

“Planning and everything is on schedule,” Tagami said of this year’s preparations.

“Everything’s coming along really well and I’m confident it’s going to meet the expectations of students. We’re on target with the timeline we set out in September.”

Tagami said to prevent a repeat of last year’s problems, the SG began planning the event during the summer.

Tickets will be $10 this year, as opposed to $20 in the past.

A limited amount of the 600 tickets will be sold each day “sometime soon” to ensure the event doesn’t sell out immediately, Tagami said.

“The event is taking place,” Director of Founders’ Week Ben Schorr said. “It’s going to be a really good time.” mzoglo@theeagleonline.com

SHIRA KARSEN / THE EAGLE

DANCING THE NIGHT AWAY — AU students jump and jive during the Dance Marathon on Jan. 28. This year’s event raised funds for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.

Dance Marathon kicks up $2,600 for AIDS research

By NANCY LAVIN Eagle Staff Writer

This year’s Dance Marathon raised $300 more than last year’s for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation Jan. 28.

More than 150 students turned out for the six-hour marathon, which raised more than $2,600 for the foundation, according to Women’s Initiative Director Quinn Pregliasco.

The event became an AU tradition four years ago when a student interested in the foundation came to Women’s Initiative proposing that AU sponsor a dance marathon.

“It’s another event that captures the true spirit of the AU community,” said Nate Bronstein, Student Government president.

Dance marathons are

held at universities across the country to raise money for the cause. The amount of time students spend on their feet represents the emotional and physical challenges faced by children living with HIV or AIDS. A $15 donation covers the cost of giving treatment to a pregnant HIV-positive woman, ensuring that her baby will be HIV-negative, according to the foundation’s website.

The marathon also featured performances from the AU Bhangra Team and a capella groups On a Sensual Note and Treble in Paradise.

Most of the food, which included Chipotle and Georgetown Cupcakes, was donated or provided at a reduced rate, Pregliasco said. The Washington Na-

tionals also donated tickets, which were raffled off later in the evening.

“The whole community has been really supportive of our efforts,” Pregliasco said.

Coca-Cola donated 10 cases of its Fuze juice products and 15 T-shirts that were given away throughout the night.

“We are absolutely willing and honored to contribute to great causes like these,” said Kristin San Fanshawe, the Coca-Cola Campus Ambassador for AU. Other teams of participants included Women’s Initiative, Phi Sigma Sigma Sorority, Alpha Phi Omega Community Service Fraternity and AU Women’s Rugby Football Club. nlavin@theeagleonline.com

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2011 Campus Plan: AU’s next decade AU’s draft released after years of preparation

By STEFANIE DAZIO Eagle Staff Writer

Since AU’s founding in 1893, the University has expanded from a single building, Hurst Hall, to 43 on Main Campus alone.

The University’s draft 2011 Campus Plan, released Jan. 24 for community review, proposes adding 750,000 square feet of new buildings, additions and renovations in the next 10 years.

The plan proposes a new East Campus, located on the Nebraska Parking Lot, a new South Hall dorm near the current South side buildings, moving the Washington College of Law to the Tenley Campus and additions to the Beeghly Building, the Kay Spiritual Life Center, Nebraska Hall and the Mary Graydon Center.

In the next 10 years, administrators expect enrollment to increase by 13 percent,

AU calls for more student input, ideas

By MARIE ZOGLO Eagle Staff Writer

mostly in graduate and law students. The total enrollment would increase from 10,298 to 13,600 students.

In 1914, AU’s first graduating class totaled 28 students.

AU officials will meet with local Advisory Neighborhood Commissions this month to receive more feedback from the community.

This year is the first time in D.C. history where two universities have students in ANC seats at the same time.

AU freshman Deon Jones and Jake Sticka of Georgetown University will have to weigh in on their respective schools’ Campus Plans in the coming months.

AU plans to file its plan with the Zoning Commission in early March and administrators believe Zoning Commission hearings will begin in May or June.

Courtesy of American University

sdazio@theeagleonline.com

BEEGHLY BUILDING – The 2011 Campus Plan proposes a five-story addition to the Beeghly Building, which would allow AU to house all science classes and research under one roof.

AU officials are asking students to get involved in the Campus Plan process.

With the release of the draft plan, the AU community can now see what development the University proposes for the next 10 years.

Sam Hagedorn, a junior in the School of Public Affairs, is one of a few students who have been involved in the Campus Plan for a few months.

“I’ve spoken up a few times,” he said. “I like to think it helps move the conversation at least a little bit. Certainly having students who know what’s going on is going to be really important moving forward.”

Hagedorn said he believes the best part of the draft plan moves the students who currently live on the Tenley Campus onto !

see STUDENTS on page 12

‘East Campus’ would cost AU more than $100 million

By STEFANIE DAZIO Eagle Staff Writer

The most contested part of the Campus Plan, the new East Campus, could house 765 students right next door to local residents.

The new campus would include six buildings, including an Admissions Welcome Center, retail spaces and an underground parking garage on what is currently the Nebraska Parking Lot. Construction would begin the summer of 2012 and finish by the fall of 2014, according to David Taylor, AU’s chief of staff.

The project would cost AU between $110 and $125 million, according to Jorge Abud, assistant vice president for facilities develop-

ment and real estate.

Taylor believes neighbors are “afraid” of the proposed developments, because nothing has ever been built in that space before.

“The ‘something new’ factor, I think, no matter what you do where, is always going to create a little bit of a ripple,” Taylor said.

The space borders the Westover Place townhouses, whose occupants’ windows overlook the area.

Some residents have been vocal about the plans during AU’s community meetings, saying they will be able to look into students’ dorms and vice versa.

Neighbors were also worried about noise levels coming from the proposed campus.

“We don’t think it’s going to be the problem that some who live adjacent think it may be,” Taylor said. “You can walk on this campus any hour of the evening or the night and it’s actually pretty quiet.”

Several neighbors who have participated in these meetings could not be reached for comment.

Taylor said residents who live near Nebraska Hall and the Tenley Campus don’t have problems with student noise.

“Things are not wild and crazy there,” he said.

But because of that community input, AU changed the plans so an administrative building would act as a buffer between Westover Place and residence halls.

Neighbors also believe an increased number of students crossing Nebraska Avenue to reach Main Campus would pose safety concerns and extra pedestrian traffic.

Taylor said these concerns do not have simple solutions, but the University will look into them.

Originally, AU officials told neighbors the school was looking to bring students back onto campus with the proposed new dorms.

But in the draft plan, AU proposes to change its housing requirement. In 2001, the Zoning Commission required the school to house 85 percent of freshmen and sophomores and two-thirds of undergraduates in University facilities.

AU now asks that the to-

tal percentage of students housed on-campus be decreased to 55 percent, from two-thirds of students, because of “community resistance” to the East Campus and other new dorms. But AU says it would house 100 percent of freshmen and sophomores, up from the current 85 percent.

AU’s dorms are supposed to house 3,533 students, but with tripled rooms and a lease with the Berkshire Apartments, currently 4,083 undergraduates live in AU facilities.

The Campus Plan calls for on-campus housing to increase to 4,100 total beds, after AU officials originally proposed 4,900 total beds to neighbors.

Taylor said lowering the

number of beds is a “tradeoff ” to neighbors, who asked for fewer buildings near the community.

If fewer buildings are constructed, fewer students will be housed, he said.

“We can’t drive it further in, you’re not going to put housing on the quad,” he said.

Taylor believes the East Campus would give students a better on-campus experience.

“At the end of the day, we still need housing, we need to utilize that parcel and we think that’s an entirely appropriate place for students to be,” he said. sdazio@theeagleonline. com

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PHOTO OF THE WEEK

WCL could move to Tenley Campus

By NICOLE GLASS Eagle Staff Writer

AARON BERKOVICH SNOWBALL FIGHT ON THE QUAD Students battled on the quad Jan. 26 after a snowstorm shut down the University at 3 p.m. The giant snowball fight was organized on Facebook and lasted from 11 p.m. until after midnight.

A student arms herself, above, near the Battelle-Tompkins building while another student gets pelted with a snowball.

Send submissions to photos@theeagleonline.com

2011 plan calls for 750,000 sq. feet, dwarfs 2001 proposal

By RACHEL KARAS Eagle Staff Writer

This year’s Campus Plan is nearly double the size of the 2001 plan, which included designs for the Katzen Arts Center and the new School of International Service building.

The 2011 plan proposes 750,000 square feet of new buildings, additions and renovations. The 2001 plan called for 400,000 square feet of development, only 94,700 of which has been built.

The remaining 306,000 square feet were not built due to a lack of funding, according to Jorge Abud, AU’s assistant vice president of Facilities Development and Real Estate. Many of the projects were supposed to

be paid through by fundraising, but the money was never raised and AU did not borrow the money needed.

The three main areas of concern for local residents are traffic, what people in University buildings might be able to see in nearby homes and what residents of those homes might see on campus, according to Abud, who has worked on both plans.

“It’s natural for people anticipating change near their homes to be concerned and fearful,“ Abud said. “The reaction we’ve gotten from Westover Place residents is that they’re concerned about the large number of students who would be living [on the East Campus] and problems that might create in terms of

noise or views of the buildings we are proposing closest to the homes.”

Though Abud said overall opposition to what the Campus Plan has proposed is not much different from that of 2001, the University now involves many more community members in the planning process.

Neighborhood outreach is conducted through mailings and posting information online.

“Our experience in the past is that the community kind of self-selected who would attend the meetings, and what we found toward the end of each of our processes is that new people came in who hadn’t been involved and we had to deal with that,“ Abud said. “At the start of this process, we wanted to make sure we cast the net very wide and included as many people as possible.”

The amount of neighbors present at this year’s meetings is more than double the amount present at the 2001 meetings, according to Dav-

id Taylor, AU’s chief of staff.

Last time, more association leaders represented residents, he said. This year, more neighbors have come themselves.

Campus officials used a professional mediator to oversee talks between AU and the community, similar to 2001, Abud said.

“It helps to have someone who has neither our interests nor the community’s interests in mind, but is just trying to help people be open-minded about bringing different ideas together,” he said.

The Katzen building is one story shorter than was originally proposed because of community input during the process.

The design of the back of the building was also modified to include a minimum number of windows, no lighting, and mechanical equipment was strategically placed to limit the amount of noise that could be heard from nearby houses.

“I think that was, for what-

AU proposes to move the Washington College of Law from its current location on Massachusetts Avenue to the Tenley Campus in 2013.

The University proposes to demolish all of Tenley Campus except Capital Hall to make a new home for the WCL. Capital Hall would be renovated and the new buildings would be four- to fivestories tall. The move would give law students better access to public transportation than the current location in Spring Valley, according to the draft plan. There would no longer be housing on the Tenley Campus.

The proposed demolition is a problem point for the Tenleytown Historical Society because of the current buildings’ ages.

The current WCL building at 4801 Massachusetts Ave., NW would be used for other AU programs, which are still ever reason, my recall is that that was a significant gesture the University made to the community. It enabled us to really get the momentum going behind it,” Taylor said.

The Zoning Commission approved the 2001 plan overall with a number of conditions on issues such as hours of operation and lighting, many of them having to do with Katzen, Abud said.

Some structures included in the 2001 Campus Plan were never completed, including: A new building on the site of the East Quad Building A new building on the site of the Asbury Building A building to connect the Watkins and Kreeger buildings A building to replace the AU Abroad/Public Safety/ Financial Aid complex New housing on the Tenley Campus A building behind the president’s office building rkaras@theeagleonline.com

to be decided, said David Taylor, AU’s chief of staff.

This part of the Campus Plan would allow the law school to expand and develop its program, Taylor said.

He expects the construction will begin during the summer of 2013 and end during the fall of 2015.

WCL has existed in its current location for 15 years and has grown to such a level that space has become a major issue, according to Claudio Grossman, the college’s dean.

“We are currently in three buildings, impairing our ability to promote interconnectedness among our different programs and limiting creativity in our community — a situation that will only worsen in the future,” he said in an e-mail. “It is accurate to say that in the current location we already lack office space for our faculty needs and library space is limited.”

The proposed eight-acre site in Tenleytown would provide the needed space.

Presently WCL has been forced to lease space elsewhere in the neighborhood because of the small size of its building, Grossman said.

“There is no other city in the world more important to lawyers,” Grossman wrote.

“A vibrant community like ours, in a more favorable and accessible site, will put to its maximum uses the opportunities that Washington creates.”

The shuttle service to the building would continue even if the law school were moved, Taylor said.

He also believes local businesses would not be affected by the change, since these programs would continue to bring students to the area.

Other consumers from these programs would replace the law school population, he said. nglass@theeagleonline.com

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either Main Campus or the proposed East Campus, bringing them “closer to the AU community.”

AU has worked hard to communicate with its neighbors during the process, Hagedorn said, resulting in several changes to the proposed East Campus.

“I think that shows a real openness on AU’s part,” he said.

Hagedorn and Penny Pagano, AU’s director of Community and Local Government Relations, said they hope students will participate at the Zoning Commission hearings, write letters and interact

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Our goal is to send out graduates who can see a problem, understand what to do, attack that problem and be able to solve it creatively.”

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with neighbors to show the community that AU needs new housing.

“If students are a part of that conversation, things are going to turn out better for us,” Hagedorn said.

School of Communication Professor Pallavi Kumar and her students are working on projects to increase student engagement with the plan.

Kumar’s Public Relations Case Studies class is working with Pagano and Ravi Raman, AU’s director of Finance Communications, to help “mobilize student support” for the plan with individual public relations campaigns that will be carried out later in the semes-

ter, Kumar said.

Kumar’s Media Strategies and Tactics class is also planning to purchase a Facebook ad to alert students to the need for their support.

Kumar said a real challenge of mobilizing student support is that most will not be at AU to use the new facilities.

“Since AU students are motivated by their ability to effect real change, this is an opportunity to really have a role in leaving a lasting legacy to their school,” Kumar said. mzoglo@theeagleonline. com

Egyptian students try to stay focused during unrest at home

By NICOLE GLASS Eagle Staff Writer

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Mariam Aziz heard gunshots through the phone as she talked to her best friend in Cairo at 5 a.m. on Jan. 29.

Her best friend, trapped in her apartment, was running out of food and did not know how to get more.

Aziz, an Egyptian sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, has been leading

protests in D.C. throughout the week.

“I am anxiously awaiting the day when I cancel the events and instead march in celebration of freedom, of liberty, of democracy and dignity,” she said in an e-mail. “My heart has always broken for those who are killed everywhere in the world, but when its my home, it’s a whole different world. My eyes have dried up and all I can do is pray and protest.”

Her family is still in Cairo, where more than a hundred looters attacked their building on Jan. 28, trying to rob the first floor’s bank.

Aziz’s mother called her the next day, her voice shaking and crying.

“Talking to my mom [the next] morning and then my best friend at night just shattered my heart into pieces,” she said. “At 3 a.m. on Sunday I woke up in terror, remembering that my other best friend is diabetic and fearing that she does not have insulin, without which she would go into a coma or even die if her sugar levels messed up.”

Farida Aboulmagd, a sophomore in the School of International Service also from Egypt, finds it hard to believe that the rule of the man who has controlled Egypt for her entire life is finally being challenged.

“Most of my friends and I have known nothing but the same Egypt under [President Hosni] Mubarak,” she said.

“It’s incredible to see the Egyptian people take to the streets and finally try to take matters in their own hands.”

After watching her people form a barricade around the Egyptian Museum to prevent further vandals and looters from entering, Aboulmagd said she felt proud to be an Egyptian.

The country’s unrest has caused Egyptians to unite to protect themselves, which Aziz said has been incredible to hear about.

“People all across the country are having shifts to have people on the streets at every single moment, with guns and sticks to protect their families against the reportedly government-hired thugs,” she said.

“It’s incredible to see how the Egyptian people are literally acting together hand in hand.”

Aziz thinks students here need to do more to support the Egyptian people.

“How many AU students went out to the [Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear]?

Hundreds?”

Aziz said.

“Whereas no more than a dozen came out to stand in solidarity with brothers and sisters being massacred, to stand up against one of our time’s more tyrannical dictators. I hope the community will start to walk the talk.” nglass@theeagleonline.com

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########t Courtesy of DEAN HENDLER / NBC

PINK SLIP — Television shows often find subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) ways to get rid of certain characters. Writers for the “The Office” have a variety of ways to get rid of Steve Carell’s charachter after the actor announced his departure from the show.

Four easy ways to lose television characters LISTOPIA

MICHAEL W. RICHARDSON Hello all, and welcome to Listopia. This new column will be dedicated to looking at our current pop-culture fascinations and queries through the lens of the media that came before. In list form!

This week, the impending departure of Steve Carell from NBC’s “The Office” has caused a new flurry of excitement about who will replace his character Michael Scott.

It’s a big question, because Carell’s character is both the heart of the show but also a major target for the show’s critics.

So how do the writers prepare their audience for a

break-up from a loved or loathed character? By looking at this handy list of the four major ways a character can disappear forever.

Option 1: The Bell Tolls For A Ratings Bonanza The character has been blown to smithereens. The chances of them coming back: zero, barring angels or a saving throw. Reserved for gritty cop shows, over-the-top genre pieces and, of course, soap operas, killing off a character is a good way of making sure that pesky actor or actress never eats the last éclair for the Kraft Services table again.

This option can be invoked a few different ways. For one thing, it’s important not to anger the writers: After Jon Polito mouthed off to reporters about being shafted on “Homicide: Life on the Street,” the writers altered the script, having Polito’s charac-

ter commit suicide between seasons. If you’re the creators of “Lost,” simple fan dissatisfaction can lead to the killing off of characters. Of course, there are more tragic examples: when John Ritter died, “8 Simple Rules” also killed off his character in a similar fashion, leading to some touching moments on an otherwise mediocre sitcom. Then they brought on David Spade to replace him, and that’s the greatest tragedy of all.

Odds for The Office: 100 to 1 (Though...think of the ratings.)

Option 2: The Jedi Mind Trick Sometimes we are simply meant to forget that a character even existed at all. Their disappearance is never commented on, leaving fans to scratch their heads. The most famous example of this is Chuck Cunningham, Richie’s older brother on “Happy

Days,” who was simply never brought up again after some prominence in the show’s first two seasons. For a more modern example, re-watch the pilot for “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” You didn’t know Larry David’s character was supposed to have kids? You’re forgiven, because they’re never mentioned ever again.

Odds for The Office: 80 to 1 (5 to 1 if the characters had their way.)

Option 3: The General MacArthur The option with the most open-ended possibilities but also less satisfying than some of the others. Essentially, the writers make the main character leave the bulk of the show for their own off-screen adventures, emphasis on the off-screen. This allows the option of bringing them back for a guest appearance or if the show is too difficult to write

without that character. In TV parlance, it’s called “putting a character on the bus,” which I assume is named after the easiest way to get rid of unwanted young children every morning.

This is the most common form of ditching a character, assuming that the writers or producers have not been angered or recently bored.

Because of the possibility of coming back, it fits a “realistic” setting much better than another possibilities.

Lazarus wasn’t dead, he just had to move to Chicago for a new job (I smell a spinoff!).

However, there’s one worth mentioning. The Ropers were eliminated from “Three’s Company” for their own spinoff. Unfortunately, their show floundered and after its cancellation there was little they could do to get back on the show that made them famous. It is a cruel bus.

Odds for The Office: 2 to 1.

Option 4: The Reality Showdown Your $50,000-an-episode contract isn’t worth dealing with your housemates/competitors/other horny single people (on Fox at least). So do what any other sane person would do when leaving a place of employment: burn your bridges.

Epic screaming matches, hair pulling and a general sense of satisfaction at leaving everything ravaged and burned. Truly “The Jersey Shore” is our generation’s barbaric Viking horde. Reserved for reality shows and, God willing, “Two and A Half Men.” Odds for The Office: 1 to 1 (Cross your fingers, people.) mrichardson@ theeagleonline.com

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When in Rome: AU student nds heavenly pasta dish CROSS-CULTURAL DISPATCH

ROME, ITALY

By KELLY HOLLIDAY Eagle Staff Writer

Since I made the decision to study abroad in Rome, I have been dreaming about my first real Italian meal in the Eternal City.

I’ve imagined myself swimming in a pool of spaghetti alla carbonara, dousing my jet-lagged soul with a glass of Prosecco and relishing in the sweetness of the best gelato Rome could offer.

But as I missed my original flight to Rome, I made a detour to London’s Heathrow airport and didn’t arrive at my apartment until the late evening. My first bite of real Italian food was of a slightly cold piece of sausage and cheese pizza.

Because I had had nothing but stale Goldfish and horrible airplane food in the previous 24 hours, a bite of that pizza (which had been sitting out all day, no doubt) was more than welcome.

But as the next day arrived, my stomach grumbled for a big bowl of pasta.

Eden, a tiny twinkle-light adorned restaurant, is nestled along the Via Fonteiana in Trastevere, Rome. It sits across the piazza where my apartment is located, and now holds the honor of being my first taste of authentic Italian cuisine. With a glass of Pinot Grigio in my hand, I perused Eden’s menu and savored the fact that I could not understand a word of what I was reading. I recognized gnocchi al quatro formaggi (a rich dumpling made of potato, drenched in a delicious four-cheese sauce) and the bruschetta pomodoro (diced tomatoes dressed in olive oil and basil, atop a crispy slice of bread), but I settled on the bucatini amatriciana.

Bucatini is essentially spa-

ghetti, but is hollow and much thicker, and is commonly paired with a carbonara sauce. It also happens to be one of my favorite pastas (yes, when you’ve eaten as much pasta as I have, you pick favorites). Amatriciana is a classic Italian pasta sauce, made from tomatoes, pecorino, garlic, onions and pepper flakes. I couldn’t wait to taste them both together.

The recipe for the classic sauce originated around the 15th or 16th century in the small Italian town of Amatrice, just on the outskirts of Rome. Poor migrant shepherds in Amatrice used local ingredients to make

the city, including the amatriciana rosso. It was there in Rome that the dish was renamed as pasta alla matriciana. Over the years the recipe was adapted and wine, basil, sage, onions and garlic were added to the sauce. Nowadays, pasta amatriciana is considered to be one of the most famous and traditional Roman dishes.

But I didn’t care about the history. I didn’t care that Italian peasants invented the dish. And I didn’t care that my new study abroad friends were discussing their mutual love for “Glee,” because when I took my first bite of bucatini amatriciana, all I cared about was

Courtesy of MICHAEL W. RICHARDSON

AN AMERICAN IN PARIS — Traveling at a good price across Europe has never been an easy feat.

With airlines like EasyJet, students can get cheap airfare at the risk of hidden fees and delays.

AU student uses planes, trains to travel cheaply across Europe CROSS-CULTURAL DISPATCH

“The sauce was thick with sweet tomatoes and dotted with salty guanciale ....” an alla gricia sauce, which consisted of pecorino romano cheese, guanciale (salt-cured pork cheek), and black pepper. The sauce was originally paired with spaghetti, and was known as amatriciana bianca, referring to the color of the sauce.

It wasn’t until sometime in the 17th century, when tomatoes were introduced to Italy from the New World that amatriciana bianca became amatriciana rosso.

As tomato-based sauces became the norm throughout Italy, amatriciana rosso moved its way across the country. When the Amatrice natives migrated to Rome, they brought their own regional cooking into

pasta.

The sauce was thick with sweet tomatoes and dotted with cubes of salty guanciale, and paired (though non-traditionally) well with the bucatini. Let’s just say that if I were to be featured on Food Network’s “The Best Thing I Ever Ate,” this would be the dish that I would rave about. I can only hope that the cuisine in Rome will get better as I venture farther into the gastronomical delights it has to offer. But if not, there’s a charming little restaurant across the street with my name all over it. kholliday@theeagleonline. com

LONDON, ENGLAND

By OLIVIA STITILIS Eagle Staff Writer

As I stood lost in the pouring rain on the streets of Paris at 3 a.m., my Frenchspeaking friend re-booked on a different flight and my phone minutes officially used up, I could not help but laugh. No, I hadn’t gone insane. However my chronic lack of sleep and airport diet of peanut M&Ms (hey, they have protein!) probably didn’t help either.

This was just another alltoo-familiar travel moment during my ten day trip to Italy and France during my winter break at the London School of Economics. All I wanted was to fly from Nice to Paris, a journey that typically takes approximately two hours. In my case, it took a mere 18.

Before coming to London I considered myself a pretty seasoned traveler. No stranger to any type of transportation, I have been to every major East Coast train station, flown nationally and internationally by myself, sat on endless busses (sometimes for ten hours straight)

and done plenty of driving.

Nonetheless I spent my summer researching travel options in Europe. Friends back from abroad constantly mentioned budget airlines RyanAir and EasyJet, yet always with a certain tone.

Though they gushed over the money these airlines saved them, there seemed to be a downside they didn’t want to tell me. It was as if there was a secret associated with them. Something I wouldn’t understand without first-hand experience. A special club I wasn’t a part of yet. Well, I’m pretty confident I’ve now gained VIP status in that club complete with complimentary flight delays, hidden fees and airports always at least a half hour away from the city you think you’re flying into.

It all began while I was waiting in line for my first flight thinking how well things had been going. As I reached the ticket counter that feeling abruptly left (and never returned).

Apparently no one at security noticed that my passport had not been checked, meaning I had to go back.

Seeing my face the check in attendant simply said, “Your flight leaves in ten minutes.

Good luck.” Thanks lady!

I miraculously made my flight, but the week contained similar issues. While I mastered foreign metro systems, buses and airport shuttles I also managed to

spend two hours looking for my hostel in Marseilles (Parlez-vous l’anglais?) and have flights cancelled, rescheduled, delayed and rerouted. I ran through train stations, took trains without heat, accidently took a bus out of France and into Italy (easier than you would think) and refined my international “I’m lost” face.

Despite all this, I still say go for it, travel cheaply. Budget traveling makes you a much better traveler and pushes you to experience things you never thought you would, or perhaps never really wanted to.

I experienced people cheering me on as I sprinted through an airport, security people who let me cut lines and had the plane door close behind me all in the time span of fifteen minutes and all before I even left London.

At one point when the alternative was sleeping in a bus station outside of Charles de Gaulle Airport I convinced an Italian speaking bus driver using my horrendous French and rusty Spanish that I needed to get on his bus. And I did.

On-time transportation that is warm with working overhead lights now seems luxurious. Navigating a country where I speak the language or know where I’m !

see ABROAD on page 16

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WVAU REVIEWS Every other week The Eagle asks the assistant music directors and DJs at WVAU what they’re currently listening to. Here’s what they’re recommending. Check out WVAU.org to listen.

The Radio Dept. — Passive Aggressive: Singles 2002– 2010 (Labrador Records) “Passive Aggressive” collects the last eight years of singles and b-sides from the Swedish dream pop band, spanning from their lo-fi, shoegaze origins to their current electronic sound.

You don’t listen to The Radio Dept. for the most meaningful lyrics — they’re short, repetitive and magnificently vague. Instead, you listen to experience powerful, raw, negative emotions — depression, rejection, loneliness, political outrage — distilled and expressed in pure sonic form, and in a way few bands match up to. This is music to cry to.

Recommended if you like: M83, Beach House, The Cure, Slowdive -Zarek Chase

40 Watt Hype — Push (Royal Dutch Company Music) 40 Watt Hype started impromptu at a backyard party, and they sound like they started impromptu at a backyard party. The band sounds like a rough mix of soul, R&B and hip-hop, all with a Latin flavor, as if each musician had a genre they were pursuing independently but blended them when they came together. The album sounds a bit karaoke-ish. But like karaoke, sometimes it’s surprisingly good. The best parts of the album are when the instruments come out and converse with one another, letting the vocals fall into the background.

Recommended if you like: Ozomatli, Cypress Hill, eating hot dogs at barbecues -Kevin Kunitake

Mogwai — Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will (Sub Pop) Scottish post-rockers Mogwai have always been masters of patience in songwriting, rewarding the listener after minutes of tense build-up with the cathartic highs that have characterized their sound since their 1997 debut. In the awesomely titled “Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will,” much of their slow-burning intensity has been removed in favor of accessibility.

But the band’s instrumental skill and fundamental understanding of how a song should be paced is evident. While 20 minute epics like “My Father My King” may not make an appearance, instrumental rock fans still have a lot to look forward to. The guitar work in “San Pedro” is among the best in their catalogue, while the electronic-tinged “Mexican Grand Prix” moves just like the title implies.

Recommended if you like: Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Explosions in the Sky, Sigur Rós -Brad Barbour

Decemberists make it reign with sixth album, ‘The King is Dead’

By MADELINE WOLFSON Eagle Staff Writer

Jan. 11 marked a special day for some music lovers as the sixth full-length Decemberists album, “The King is Dead,” was released.

The band has been tantalizing fans with the early debut of the album’s single, “Down by the Water,” simultaneously preparing the diehards for what would be a slightly different sound from their usual stuff. For those who have not yet had the pleasure of getting to know this super smart, indie-folk, Morriseyloving band, then the time has arrived.

The Decemberists hail from Portland, Ore., and have been making great album after great album since their first EP in 2001, “5 Songs.”

The Decemberists (named after the December Revolt) are fronted by singer/songwriter Colin Meloy, known for his nasally, bleating voice as well as his whimsical, verbose lyrics that tend to spin tales of pirates, whales and doomed lovers.

The band branched out in a big way after they released “The Hazards of Love” in 2009, an epic folk-rock opera inspired by Russian folk tales. This overdone concept-heavy production failed to impress fans or critics but did succeed in yielding some now-favorites like “Annan Water” and the insanely catchy “Rake’s Song” which turned the subject of infanticide into a toe-tapper.

And now the Decemberists shift genres once more with “King” as the band swaps British-inspired folk for American. From the first line declaring, “Here we come to the turning of the season,” it is clear that we’re not in for another literary romp complete with Dickensian motifs, not that there’s anything wrong with that.

The screaming harmonica of “Don’t Carry it All,” the opening track, ushers in 40 minutes of steel pedal strumming, fiddle-filled, country-infused melodies.

This album makes good use of REM’s Peter Buck on guitar, and the voice of Coloradan Laura Veirs who accompanies Meloy and the crew with an Americana twang.

Although the album as a whole neither surpasses nor quite matches some of their older work, “King” does present a handful of soonto-be favorites. In addition to the album’s first single “Down by the Water,” “Calamity Sing” and “All Arise” stand out as bouncy, boisterous tunes that are hard to shake, and the tenderly crooned “January Hymn” is a bittersweet gem that sparkles in its simplicity. The album is the right move for a group whose past work is almost too strong to compete with. It’s a solid must-have that is unlikely to make the “best of ” lists for 2011 but boasts well-crafted music and Meloy’s lyrical genius. mwolfson@theeagleonline. com

VISIT THE INCUBATOR BLOGS.THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

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TUESDAY 1

We Deliver Monday — Thursday 25% off for AU students (with valid ID) after 8:30 every night

WEDNESDAY 2

THURSDAY 3

Wroteo 8 p.m.

WHERE: Artisphere, 1101 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, Va. METRO: Rosslyn (blue/orange lines) WHAT: The multi-talented Holly Bass hosts her open mic show, Wroteo, featuring slam poetry, sonnets, hiphop and haikus. The poetryinclined are encouraged to come.

COST: Donations accepted CONTACT: www.arlingtonarts.com

Chocolate City 8 p.m.

WHERE: Artisphere, 1101 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, Va. METRO: Rosslyn (blue/orange lines) WHAT: In this harrowing documentary, filmmakers Ellie Walton and Sam Wild follow the lives of 400 low income families in D.C. who were displaced by gentrification in 2001. Walton will join the audience after the screening to discuss the film.

COST: $6 CONTACT: www.arlingtonarts.com

Larry Miller 8 p.m.

WHERE: D.C. Improv, 1140 Connecticut Ave. NW METRO: Farragut North (red line) WHAT: While his name may not be familiar, Larry Miller has been a constant presence in Hollywood as an actor, writer, and now a returning stand-up comedian. He’s embarking on a national tour after a decadelong hiatus.

COST: $22 CONTACT: www.dcimprov.com

FRIDAY 4

SATURDAY 5

SUNDAY 6

Tea Leaf Green 9 p.m.

WHERE: 9:30 club, 815 V St. NW METRO: U Street/AfricanAmerican War Memorial/ Cardozo (green and yellow lines) WHAT: Tea Leaf Green is a four-piece jam rock band from San Francisco that commands a strong following in Northern California. They’re joined by The Bridge, a Baltimore-based jam rock group.

COST: $17 CONTACT: www.930.com

No Compromise 8 p.m.

WHERE: Rock and Roll Hotel, 1353 H St. NE METRO: Union Station (red line) WHAT: Maryland-based No Compromise is celebrating the release of their new album, “Level Up,” with a packed show at the Rock and Roll Hotel featuring fellow locals The Very Small, Savage Badger Vans, and 7 Door Sedan.

COST: $10 CONTACT: www.rockandrollhoteldc. com

Jam Messengers 9 p.m.

WHERE: Black Cat, 1811 14th St. NW METRO: U Street/AfricanAmerican War Memorial/ Cardozo (green and yellow lines) WHAT: Rob K and Uncle Butcher of the Jam Messengers claim to be on a mission to save the proud roots of rock ‘n’ roll. Join them at Black Cat as they jam with the Tail Draggers.

COST: $8 CONTACT: www.blackcatdc.com

PETE’S NEW HAVEN STYLE PIZZA Columbia Heights 202-332-PETE (7383) Tenleytown-Friendship Heights 202-237-PETE (7383) Hours of Operation: 11AM-10PM Sunday-Thursday 11AM-11PM Friday & Saturday

Your club needs money.

We want to give it to you.

If you’re a club leader, be sure to submit a budget no later than Monday, January 31st to be considered for funding during our January/February budget cycle.

Budget application coversheets are available outside our office (MGC 260) and on our website.

Completed budgets are due by 5 PM on Monday, January 31st to the Student Activities Front Desk (MGC 271).

For more information, please e-mail us at aucc@american.edu or check out our website, www.auclubcouncil.org

SCENE CALENDAR

MONDAY 7 Deerhoof 7 p.m.

WHERE: 9:30 club, 815 V St. NW METRO: U Street/African-American War Memorial/Cardozo (green and yellow lines) WHAT: San Francisco’s Deerhoof can be considered an experimental and artsy indie rock group. They’re performing at the 9:30 club to play hits from their latest album, “Deerhoof vs.

Evil,” and are joined by Chain and the Gang and Ben Butler and Mousepad.

COST: $15 CONTACT: www.930.com

!

from ABROAD on page 14

going? That’s so overrated.

Was my trip worth it? A thousand times yes. It was a trip of a lifetime that I will reference with my friends I traveled with for the rest of our lives. Budget traveling abroad teaches you incredible flexibility,

perspective and the importance of having a sense of humor. I know I can handle any travel problem with confidence and even in languages I don’t speak.

Whenever I made it to each new destination I felt a huge sense of accomplishment. Even though no one was there to say

good job, the sights I saw in Paris, sunshine I felt in Nice, pizza I ate in Rome and the biggest exhale of my life when I returned to London were my own trophies. ostitilis@theeagleonline. com

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Breath of Fresh Air: A hunger for awareness

By FELIX FUCHS The Incubator

What this blog is about is experience and how to convert it into fiction, be it prose or poetry. Usually I will post poems along with certain explanations to give context and credit sources of inspiration. However, I want to debut with a short story published in several consecutive postings. The according context will be given in the next post, so that you can make up your own mind. Without further ado, now, I humbly present…

A Hunger for Awareness “So how is it?“ the porter asked.

The man who had just entered stopped and looked at him bewildered.

“How is what?”

Meaningfully, the old man in his red uniform, with the shiny brass buttons and the polished shoes, opened his mouth in a toothless grin.

“The weather outside.”

Covered in a slowly melting layer of big, soft flakes, the man just stood there in the doorway, with his reddening face in sharp contrast to the whiteness of the rest of his body. Then, grinding his teeth in annoyance, he turned and walked away, mumbling.

“The weather outside is frightful.”

Behind him he heard the porter burst into laughter. He should have helped him get rid of the last remainders of his shabby set of teeth. The few seconds the man had held him up through that stupid remark had given the snow enough time to melt, soaking his hat and coat thoroughly.

All the people milling around the station, chattering and laughing, made him even angrier. Trying to calm down, he stepped to the counter to buy his welldeserved ticket home. If the

Breath of Fresh Air is a new Incubator blog featuring creative works such as short stories, poems and ne-art photography.

Visit blogs.theeagleonline.com to read more. train can make it through the blizzard, he thought, I might make it back in time for Christmas. And if his lucky streak held, he might even catch his wife with the iceman or maybe — why not for a change — with the butcher who delivered their Christmas turkey. No, that would be beneath even her low moral standards.

His face was burning when he sat down looking like a heap of angry, wet rags.

Absently he started to whistle without even knowing what melody. How did he end up here? A modern day Willy Loman, traveling the small backwater towns with useless goods. How the hell did he ever get into this mess he called his life? He had never been a great sportsman or a great student, but he had made it through college though hardly with flying colors.

Now look at me, a useless bum with a promiscuous wife, no children, a job that hardly deserved this label and not even a shattered dream. He was so normal that he had never even thought up his own pipedream. Never had the need.

“A kiss is just a kiss, right?”

“Wha?” he turned and was stunned to find a sweet looking girl at his side. Sweet like an apple.

Maybe twenty he assessed at once. One of those girls, he thought, one of those who made every boy’s and most men’s heart ache for a kiss. Beautiful blue eyes,

too. Like bright, blue lakes you wanted to dip into and then slowly drown, so you would never have to get out again.

She brushed back a strain of shiny black hair. Dear Lord, it’s like satin, he thought, almost choking on his sudden need for love.

“The song you were whistling,” it came out between her glossy lips. When her mouth opened slightly in a cute smile, he could see shiny, perfect teeth and a hint of a sweet pink tongue.

“Wha?” he stumbled again.

“I mean, isn’t it the theme from Casablanca?” She slowly pulled up the sleeve of her right arm, showing her pristine skin which almost radiated youth in a manner that made it a physical aspect of his sad world threatening to consume his delicate despair.

“I wasn’t really thinking about that, but I guess you’re right,” he finally managed.

She smiled again as innocently as any girl ever could. Yet at the same time she exuded an air of almost wicked heinousness. Her face was a perfect oxymoron of bittersweet promise.

“Oh, me neither, but since I entered this building I cannot get it out of my system. And it’s not just me.

You seem to have it on your mind, too, Sir.” His hands became sweaty and his thoughts slowly slipped away… blogs@theeagleonline.com

EMILY ROSEMAN / THE EAGLE

CATCH A SHOW — Royal Albert Hall is a popular performance venue in London, located in the Kensington area of the city. Over 350 performances a year are held there.

Take Flight: Finding hidden treasures across London

By EMILY ROSEMAN The Incubator

LONDON—Today’s events included a plethora of sight seeing via a bus tour (coach tour a la brit speak) which brought our group all throughout the city of London as well as Westminster, and finally a walking tour of Kensington, the area in which I am living and studying in. Needless to say it was both extremely beautiful and so culturally rich. I knew signing up for the study abroad program that there would be so much I wanted to see and plan within the city itself. I am not so concerned with the backpacking and jet-setting aspect that my fellow colleagues seem so eager to jump to. I wholeheartedly agree that there is a wealth of opportunity within these historic walls that we live in to explore and to find every single day, so why not spend some time getting lost down an alley way!

Our morning started with the coach tour. It was perfect

since as a typical London day it started off rather gloomy, and the coach spared us exposure to the elements. We cruised up and down narrow streets packed with information and even more historical background such as boroughs that date back to pre-war eras and squares that were once home to public executions! London beauty however comes with its subtle nods to preserving the history of England, while also completely being a very forward metropolitan city. Our bus would wind down corners as we would come across amazing fashion houses, car show rooms you could drool over, and homes that were well into the hundreds of millions.

It is most certainly a city, like D.C., that appreciates its rich and deep background that has solidified its place in history, but has put a stamp on the global stage as a forward moving trend in all facets of life.

Our day ended with a group walk of Kensington borough, the area where we live. Our

lovely tour guide provided wonderful information about the famous residents that once took up homes here such as T.S. Elliot, Freddy Mercury, dozens of ambassadors and plenty of others to afford the pricey bill. Kensington offers something similar to Tenleytown in its beautiful residential area (beautiful and extremely fortunate) where families can grow up in very quiet, village-esque neighborhoods, but still get the same city feel. Gardens, museums, universities, and pubs offer the area a wide range of activity as does the surrounding neighborhood of Hyde Park where you can get some of the most up to date brands. What was the most humbling part of our walk was that there was still so much to discover about our very own neighborhood. I can’t wait to find out the hidden secrets that lie behind every alley in my own backyard. blogs@theeagleonline.com

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Why Roethlisberger will earn his third ring on Super Bowl Sunday

The Lombardi Trophy will go to the Green Bay Packers SIDELINE SCHOLAR

Steelers will take down Packers

By TYLER TOMEA Eagle Staff Writer

The Pittsburgh Steelers will hold a two-win advantage over the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys with seven Super Bowl victories after this Sunday, and here’s why: Ben Roethlisberger Am I terrified of going against Aaron Rodgers in this spot? Absolutely. The general rule is to never go against the hottest quarterback in the league, especially when the other signal-caller is without his starting center and has Flozell Adams protecting him.

But Roethlisberger makes plays when necessary, and his third Super Bowl victory would continue to move him up the all-time quarterback ranks. While he didn’t put up impressive numbers stat wise in the AFC Championship Game (10-19, 133 yards, 0 TD, 2 INTs), Roethlisberger’s ability to keep plays alive, avoid sacks and scramble for key first downs was huge in the 24-19 victory over the New York Jets.

Roethlisberger will need to do this to be successful against the aggressive Green Bay pass rush.

Dick LeBeau This Super Bowl is a classic matchup between Packers’ offensive guru Mike McCarthy and Steelers’ defensive mastermind Dick LeBeau. LeBeau leads a defensive unit that ranked No. 1 against the run, No. 12 against the pass and No. 2 in total defense in the regular season.

The fact that there’s two weeks to get ready for this game helps LeBeau prepare a Pittsburgh secondary that will face one of its biggest challenges of the season. While the Steelers stout run defense should

have no trouble, remember that Tom Brady torched Pittsburgh through the air in Week 10. LeBeau will develop a plan that puts pressure on Rodgers and gets him out of his comfort zone, which will go a long way towards helping the Steelers win.

The Running Game The ability of Rashard Mendenhall to continue to move the chains and keep the Packers’ high-powered offense off the field this Sunday will be vital.

Mendenhall rushed for 95 of his 121 yards in the first half of the Jets win, and his ability to break off long runs gives Pittsburgh a crucial edge in the ground game.

Green Bay is down to its 14th-string running back, and the Packers lack of a running game will allow LeBeau to key on Rodgers. And if James Starks

outperforms Mendenhall in the biggest game of the year, I’ll have felt like my whole life has been a lie.

Been There, Done That Pittsburgh is preparing to play its third Super Bowl in the past six years, and second in the Mike Tomlin era. In situations like these, I tend to take the team that is accustomed to Super Bowl week and not the team arguing about who will be in the team picture.

So there’s why the Steelers will win Super Bowl XLV, in 500 words or less.

Remember, all bets are off if Shaun Suisham is lining up for a game-winning 45yard field goal. ttomea@theeagleonline. com

BEN LASKY It’s that time of year again, the time of year where I destroy Tyler Tomea with my Super Bowl pick. There is no clear favorite this year, but in the end, the Green Bay Packers will be sending one of their own to Disney World.

Some Steelers backers will point to the fact that Pittsburgh had the best run defense in 2010. However, that shouldn’t affect the Packers all that much because they have a one-dimensional offense anyway. They’ve shown throughout the season that they can win without a running game.

The team’s leading rusher, Brandon Jackson, had only 703 rushing yards overall. None of their running backs averaged four yards a carry. John Kuhn led the team in rushing touchdowns with only four. Despite all this, the Packers won 10 games this season.

It all comes down to Aaron

Rodgers. In his three postseason games this year, Rodgers has a 71 completion percentage, to go along with 790 passing yards, six touchdown passes and a 109.2 passer rating.

If Rodgers continues to play like this, the Steelers have little chance at taking home their seventh Super Bowl trophy.

The Steelers will also have difficulty stopping Troy Polamalu’s hair rival, linebacker Clay Matthews and will also need to find a way to take out defensive tackle B.J. Raji. The Steelers already had a weakened offensive line, and now rookie Pro Bowl center Maurkice Pouncey, is out for the Super Bowl with a fracture in his ankle. Their starting left tackle, Jonathan Scott, is playing for his third team in his five-year career. The Steelers have Flozell Adams at right tackle, which would be great if this game were played three years ago. With Pouncey out, the Steelers may become one dimensional as well. That is, if the Packers don’t miss 10 tackles every time Rashard Mendenhall touches the ball.

Like in any sport, it’s not necessarily the most talented team that wins it all, but the hottest

team. Right now, the Packers are playing the best football.

The San Francisco Giants won the World Series because guys like Cody Ross suddenly became Ted Williams for a two-week span. In just three playoff games this season, Tramon Williams has three interceptions, half of what he had in the regular season. Packers’ rookie RB James Starks had 29 carries for 101 yards and no touchdowns during the regular season. In the first round of the playoffs against the Philadelphia Eagles, Starks had 23 carries for 105 yards. Every year, these relatively unknown players step up and play better than anyone expected.

Right now, the Packers just have that Super Bowl swagger.

They just seem to be rolling on all cylinders. Aaron Rodgers is on fire and their defense has been coming up with big plays when the team needs them.

With the hottest QB in football, an aging and injured Steelers offensive line and a Packers defense that has been dominant, Green Bay will win 24-17 and the Lombardi Trophy will return home. blasky@theeagleonline.com

Courtesy of AUEAGLES.COM

STAYING BALANCED – Redshirt junior Matt Mariacher stares down his George Mason opponent in a match from last week. Mariacher is currently ranked 13th in the 141 pound weight class.

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AU wrestler Matt Mariacher returns to lineup better than ever

By KATE GREUBEL Eagle Staff Writer

For the first time in AU wrestling history, six wrestlers are ranked in the InterMat College Rankings.

Among those six wrestlers is redshirt junior Matt Mariacher, currently ranked No. 13 in the 141 pound weight class.

Mariacher started this season on the heels of his redshirt year — a year he spent improving his technique and, ultimately, improving his approach to the sport itself.

Mariacher performed well during his first two seasons at AU, which is now ranked number 10 in the nation, posting an overall record of 16-14 his first year and 2111 the second.

However, Mariacher knew he was not competing at his full potential, often taking the easy way out when it came to discipline.

“Being a freshman, there were so many things that coach would tell me to do that I wouldn’t listen to 100 percent,” Mariacher said.

During his freshman season, Mariacher did not stop eating candy, per Head Coach Mark Cody’s advice, and he noticed that his bad habits had an effect on his performance on the mat.

“I was holding myself back by relying on my own knowledge of how I should be performing and preparing for these matches,” Mariacher said. “If I wasn’t getting enough rest or if I didn’t get a good meal in before a weigh-in or a dual meet, I wouldn’t feel as great going out there.”

By his sophomore year Mariacher had grown in technique, conditioning and mat awareness. He had also moved up a weight class to 141 pounds from 133 pounds. At that point he had a decision to make.

Mariacher was thinking about moving up to the 149 pound weight class for his junior season, but Kyle Borshoff, now a volunteer assistant coach for the team, was already in the stop.

Rather than competing for

the spot against Borshoff, Mariacher approached Cody about taking a redshirt year.

“I thought it was a good idea,” said Cody, who saw the year as a chance for Mariacher to “make his weaknesses his strengths and to make his strengths stronger.”

During the 2009-10 wrestling season, Mariacher continued to train with his teammates and followed a strict diet. However, he was not allowed to compete in Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association matches or open tournaments in the AU line-up. Mariacher paid his own way at open tournaments, where he wrestled in the 149 pounds weight class with his dad or a teammate serving as his coach.

“It was a little bit more relaxing because there is no pressure on you,” Mariacher said. “It is a lot easier to make gains out there.”

The matches may have been more relaxing for Mariacher, but Cody saw no difference in Mariacher’s dedication in the wrestling room during his redshirt year.

“In order to be effective your redshirt year, you have to work like you are in the lineup,” Cody said. “And there are guys that do that and guys who don’t do that, and Matt was one of the ones that did it. He worked as hard as anyone else in the room.”

Mariacher’s hard work is paying off, as his current record is 22-6 including two wins over nationally ranked opponents in the 141-pound weight class.

Cody points to Mariacher’s improvement in getting out from under opponents as key to his success so far this season.

“He’s still got a little ways to go there, but once he gets to the point where he can get away from everybody, he’s capable of doing anything,” Cody said. “He is capable of winning his weight class, he is capable of being a national champion this year. He has improved that much.”

Mariacher also gives credit to his teammates Steve Fit-

tery, ranked No. 1 in the nation for the 157 pound weight class, and redshirt sophomore Bubby Graham for helping him wrestle without unnecessary pressure on his shoulders.

“I used to think wrestling was the most important thing and that I needed to win in order to succeed,” Mariacher said. “It’s been awesome having teammates like Bubby and Steve around because they make sure I know that competing my hardest, and more importantly competing for God, are what’s most important, win or lose.”

Along with Fittery and Graham, Mariacher has taken on a larger leadership role among the wrestling team this season.

“I knew I had to set an example for the younger kids to try to prevent people from doing the things that I did as a freshman,” Mariacher said. “It is so easy to not do 100 percent of what Cody says, so those guys need somebody to look up to so they can try to replicate that.”

Though Mariacher may not be the most vocal of Cody’s wrestlers, the head coach knows he can count on Mariacher to “lead by example.”

“We hold very high standards for the kids on the team and it’s easy for Matt to live up to those standards,” Cody said. “He is just a wonderful human being and I am proud of him.”

Mariacher’s teammates are also thankful to have him on the team to push them toward achieving their common goal of becoming national champions.

“As a teammate and friend he keeps me accountable, making sure I’m doing the right things on and off the mat, whether it’s eating right or getting to bed on time,” Graham said. “Matt wrestles hard everyday in the practice room and makes sure everyone else is doing the same.” kgreubel@theeagleonline. com

RACHEL DEVOR / THE EAGLE

TIGHT SPOT — Liz Leer tries to get by two Navy defenders in a game from last week. Over the weekend, AU defeated Lafayette to gain sole posession of second place in the Patriot League.

Nicole Ryan hits milestone in Eagles’ victory over Lafayette

By TYLER TOMEA Eagle Staff Writer

Stephanie Anya and Nicole Ryan both had memorable afternoons when the AU women’s basketball team defeated the Lafayette Leopards 66-51 on Saturday in Easton, Pa. Anya tallied a career-best 16 points to go along with nine rebounds, while Ryan scored 12 and became the 14th player in program history to reach the 1000point plateau.

Alexis Dobbs added 13 points for the Eagles, who outscored the Leopards 3722 in the second half.

“We really came out strong to begin the second half and set the tone for the rest of the game,” Head Coach Matt Corkery told AU Athletics. “We strung a lot of possessions together while getting defensive stops, so that really helped us stretch the lead and get a cushion in the last few minutes.”

With the score knotted at 35 four minutes into the second half, the Eagles used

a 16-2 run to seize control of the contest. Dobbs was the key contributor during the stretch, scoring nine points during the spurt that put AU up 51-37 with 8:16 remaining.

After Lafayette’s Madeline Fahan drilled a threepointer one minute later, Anya responded with a layup to put the Eagles ups 13. The sophomore center shot 7-13 from the field in 19 minutes en route to her best performance at AU. “Stephanie was very active, stepped up in the post and scored the ball for us,” Corkery said. “We were looking for someone to step up and she did that.”

Following Anya’s layup, the Leopards scored seven of the game’s next nine points as they tried to fight themselves back into the game. Two free throws from Melissa Downey sliced the AU lead to 55-47 with 4:36 to play.

The only points scored over the next two minutes would be two Lisa Strack free throws, as the AU defense prevented the Leop-

ards from further cutting the deficit.

A Samantha Jordan jumper pulled Lafayette to within eight, before Ebony Edwards hit a layup that pushed the AU lead back to double digits. Ryan then hit the last of her four three-pointers on the night to put the Eagles ahead 62-49 with 1:37 remaining and squash any hopes of a comeback.

Dobbs and Strack each made a pair of free throws down the stretch as AU closed the 66-51 victory on a 9-2 run.

The win improved the Eagles to 15-6 overall and 5-2 in the Patriot League. With the loss, Lafayette dropped to 9-13 on the season and 2-5 in conference play.

AU will be in action next on Saturday, Feb. 5, when they host the two-time defending Patriot League champions, the Lehigh University Mountain Hawks. ttomea@theeagleonline. com

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Eagles defeat Lafayette Leopards during Phil Bender “Regardless of your opponent or ranking you just have to be ready to play ...”

— Head Coach Jeff Jones

By MICHAEL GARDNER Eagle Contributing Writer

MARK NATALE / THE EAGLE

GOING STRONG — Vlad Moldoveanu scores two of his 17 points in AU’s 73-60 victory against the Lafayette Leopards on Jan. 29.

The men’s basketball team hit a barrage of three-pointers to defeat the Lafayette Leopards 73-60 in front of 2,989 fans at Bender Arena for the annual Phil Bender event.

The win comes after AU lost Wednesday night to the United States Naval Academy 72-53.

“Certainly the crowd was great,” Head Coach Jeff Jones said after the game. “It’s always an electric atmosphere and I think the team fed off the crowd and the crowd fed off the team’s performance.”

Senior forward Vlad Moldoveanu and junior guard Troy Brewer led the three-point charge for AU, as the two shot four for five combined in the first five minutes to lead a 17-6 run.

The Eagles never looked back as they shot 53.6 percent from the floor and 60 percent from behind the arc in the first half.

“I think we did really well in the first half,” Moldoveanu said. “We were moving the ball, we got open shots and were finding guys wide open.”

The Leopards tried to keep up in the first 20 minutes, but the dynamic scoring attack of AU’s big three — Moldoveanu, Brewer and junior forward Stephen Lumpkins — were too much as Lafayette could not cut the deficit below eight points and trailed by 13 at the break.

The Leopards only hit nine

of 25 shots in the first half.

Lafayette kept the game close in the second half as Jared Mintz and Jim Mower combined for 22 points and the Leopard bench outscored the Eagles’ bench 27-8.

After Lafayette cut AU’s 16-point lead down to nine points with under a minute to play, Lumpkins put up another score down the stretch. The junior ended up with 21 points shooting eight for nine from the floor and five for six from the free throw line.

Brewer and Moldoveanu joined their teammate in double figure; scoring 13 and 17 points respectively.

American hit eight threepointers, shooting a season best 53.3 percent from behind the arc.

This game ends the first half of Patriot League play as the Eagles conclude the first seven games with a 5-2 record. AU will next travel to Lehigh University on Feb. 6 and then to Lewisburg, Pa. on Feb. 9 to face the Bucknell University Bison and try to avenge a 75-60 loss to the Patriot League leaders.

“Every game is important,” Jones said. “College basketball’s crazy. Regardless of your opponent or ranking you just have to be ready to play and I think that’s more important for us. We have to do better at being ready and find the intensity.” sports@theeagleonline.com