The Eagle -- Feb. 22, 2011 by The Eagle

92#&:;(<*=<:>#&7:!)?7 7!'@#<!*>0:;#*7:<;#*.8+4

!"#!"#$!

$#%&'(&)*++,*+-.. /01'2#*34*5*677'#*.8

%&!!"#$!'($)(!*+',

American Indian — .38 % Multiracial — 3.2 % Black — 4.4 % Hispanic — 5.96 %

Asian — 6.29 %

WHAT WE LOOK LIKE

International — 6.97 %

Unknown — 14.22 %

White — 58.58 %

A look at American University’s undergraduate racial demographics > page 12

-%&!!"#$!'($)(!

!"#$%&$'())*()+,,

NEWS

/01"2()

-."!"#$!

IN THIS ISSUE &

Eagle rants, Police blotter (3), SG budget revised (5), Racial demographics (12)

OPINION

(

Staff editorial, Shapiro column (6), Editorial contest (7)

SCENE

Oscar predictions (13), WVAU reviews (15), Calendar (17)

SPORTS

Men’s basketball, Women’s basketball (20), Sideline Scholar (19)

! 1"95?0@-.""&?A"=0A50"B6=4

-=>%!"#$%&!

34"$56&0(7058"$95-':9 (;-%1"0-(<=56"(( MISSION

The Eagle, a student-run newspaper at the American University, serves the community by reporting news involving the campus community and surrounding areas. The Eagle strives to be impartial in its reporting and believes firmly in its First Amendment rights. SUBMISSION AND EDITORIAL POLICIES

All submissions become the property of The Eagle. Unsigned letters will not be published. The Eagle reserves the right to edit letters and guest columns for length and clarity. Letters and columns may be published in print or online. Letters and columns are the opinion of the writer and not the newspaper. !"

The Eagle has a commitment to accuracy and clarity and will print any corrections or clarifications. To report a mistake, call the editor in chief at (202) 8851402 or e-mail editor@theeagleonline.com.

TOP TWEETS

since FEB. 14

202-885-1402

Editor in Chief

1. Eagle rants 2. AU to welcome prospective students with new $200,000 admissions center 3. Letter to the editor: Shaprio’s lack of credibility turns off readers 4. Dorms to be separated by grade next year 5. Topher Grace proves to AU he’s more than a lovable geek

CORRECTIONS

“Cleaning up garbage w/ members of the @AUCSC at the Anacostia Riverfront #AmericanU” @TylerSadonis, Feb. 19

Editor@theeagleonline.com News News@theeagleonline.com

Arts & Entertainment TheScene@theeagleonline.com

“watching ATV with my friends on a friday night. love it. #AmericanU” @mckeeverfever92, Feb. 18

“just wants to learn Arabic in a way that makes sense to her. But apparently, #AmericanU thinks my sense about my own life is nonsense.” @cat_litten, Feb. 16

Editorial & Opinion

Design Design@theeagleonline.com

Web WebEditor@theeagleonline.com 202-885-3593

Business Business@theeagleonline.com

202-885-1414 (x3)

Arab Women Leaders in a Modern Economy 11:30 a.m. WHERE: School of International Service Founders Room WHAT: Afnan Al-Shuaiby, secretary general of the ArabBritish Chamber of Commerce in London, discusses Arab women leaders in today’s modern economy and building business ties between the Middle East and the West. CONTACT: Kristi-Anne Caisse at 202-885-1603

WEDNESDAY 23 Hip-Hop Panel 6 - 9 p.m. WHERE: : MGC 247 WHAT: A Black History Month panel discusses the roots of hip-hop. CONTACT: Multicultural Affairs at ma@american.edu

Stefanie Dazio

Managing Editor for The Scene

Yohana Desta

Design Editor Assistant Design Editor

NEXT PAPER MARCH 1

202-885-1428

Website

www.theeagleonline.com

Mailing Address

Front page illustration credit: Chris Droukas and Katherine Riddle

252 Mary Graydon Center 4400 Massachusetts Ave. N.W. Washington, D.C. 20016

Student Life Editor

FRIDAY 25

SATURDAY 26

Heart for Haiti 7 p.m. WHERE: Ward 1 WHAT: A series of speakers, including several George Mason University students, share their experiences in Haiti before and during last year’s earthquake. CONTACT: Sarah Back at sb4948@gmail.com

Frederick Douglass’ Journey from Grievance to Gratitude 5 - 7:30 p.m. WHERE: East Quad Building Lounge WHAT: Professor Diana J. Schaub, author of “Learning to Love Lincoln: Frederick Douglass’s Journey from Grievance to Gratitude,” will lecture on the life of the prominent abolitionist. CONTACT: School of Public Affairs at govt@american.edu

Kogod School of Business Graduate Programs Open House 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. WHERE: Kogod School of Business WHAT: Kogod faculty, graduate admissions representatives and current students will be available to speak about Kogod MBA programs and answer any questions. CONTACT: Kogod Graduate Admissions at KogodGrad@ american.edu

Rachel Devor Lauren Landau

Administration and Local News Editor

Rachel Karas

News Assistants

Marie Zoglo Paige Jones Kate Froehlich Nicole Glass Leigh Giangreco

Sports Editor Sports Assistants

Sam Lindauer Kate Greubel Tyler Tomea

Editorial Page Editor

Linda Barnhart

Arts and Entertainment Editor

Hoai-Tran Bui Stephan Cho Maeve McDermott Madeline Wolfson

Blog Editor

Abby Fennewald

Assistant Blog Editor

Erin Greenawald

Multimedia Editor

Kira Kalush

Assistant Web Editor

Anna Scalamogna

Copy Editors

Rocio Gonzalez Marissa Cetin

BUSINESS STAFF Business Manager Finance Manager Sales Director Public Relations Coordinator Ad Rep

THURSDAY 24

Katherine Riddle Ana Santos

Assistant Photo Editor

PublicRelations@theeagleonline.com Fax Line

Chris Droukas

Photo Editor

202-885-1410

Public Relations

TUESDAY 22

Managing Editor for News

Photography

Classieds

CAMPUS CALENDAR

Ethan Klapper

Scene Assistants

Photos@theeagleonline.com

Charlie Szold

Senior Editor and Managing Editor for Web

Sports@theeagleonline.com

AdBox@theeagleonline.com

In “AU bookstore uses ‘living wage’ employees for clothing supplies,” the headline originally misstated “fair wage” for “living wage.”

Editor in Chief

Music Editor

Sports

EdPage@theeagleonline.com

“I love researching people and finding they graduated from #AmericanU. It’s so uplifting!” @kelchmee, Feb. 16

EDITORIAL STAFF

Sam Yolen Bobby Jones Alexander Robinson Kasturi Puntambekar Jonathon Gaynes

SUNDAY 27 Students for a Free Tibet Lobby Day Training Session 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. WHERE: Ward 6 WHAT: Representatives from Students for a Free Tibet Headquarters will come to discuss plans for their annual Tibet Lobby Day. CONTACT: aufreetibet@ gmail.com

!"#$%&$'())*()+,,

/"01(2

-."!"#$!

EAGLE RANTS Want an answer to your rant? E-mail your queries to our advice bloggers at compass@theeagleonline.com. ! To the two girls on the shuttle Sunday evening who encouraged me to “run run run” - thank you for your encouragement. I ran faster and made my bus, all thanks to you. Way to build the student community.

Dear SIS students, You can’t all single-handedly save the world. So do the rest of us a favor and STFU in class, so we can get on with our lives. -fellow SIS student !

My trust was violated by TDR today when they poured maple syrup onto the tofu. !

! You have so many cute boys around you and you don’t even want them. I feel like you’re spoiled, because they all adore you, and I adore them but they don’t even notice me. Share, please. I’m serious. It’s not fair at all.

Behavior,” when it should actually be named Neuropsychopharmacology. I would have never taken this class had YOU not misled me. This has nothing to do with POLITICAL SCIENCE so WHY do I have to take it?

I literally, physically ache when I think about Darren Criss and the fact that there is close to a 0% chance I will ever meet him.

Girl who eats ice in class... please stop

WTF happened to your formatting, Eagle Rants? I’ve been looking forward do this all week! EDITOR’S NOTE: Sorry! We fixed ‘em.

For the 21st time, I don’t have a valentine. And in years past, while I secretly hoped for a valentine or secret admirer I never got one, and while I wished I had, it didn’t devastate me. But last night (2/13) was the first time I was cynical about Valentine’s Day. Because while people say it’s not even a real holiday, that being single is better, and even that I should remember that I’m a great person, it’s not enough, finally. I don’t know what’s different about this year, but it is. I hate Valentine’s Day. ! Why is the water from the water fountains on campus so cold? It hurts my teeth! I demand tepid water!

! I’m sitting up in bed, fully-clothed, with my laptop finishing my homework due tomorrow. My girlfriend is sleeping next to me, also fully clothed. It is very early Monday morning of Valentine’s Day. Something’s very wrong here.

! I’ve wrote so many rants and have never been published, I wonder if I’m using the right website...

! Thanks AU for screwing me over ... Way to name a Gen. Ed. course “Drugs and

! The kid that eats marshmallows on Pandora is super scary!

! Is it just me or when you set the snooze button on your alarm for one minute, time flies like a starving bird chasing a fat worm!

CLASSIFIEDS

Cashiers Wanted FT/PT apply at Uptown Deli 7905 Norfolk Ave Bethesda MD 20814 301-961-5787

POLICE BLOTTER

Sitters Wanted. $12 or more per hour. Register free for jobs near campus or home. www.student-sitters.com

! I’ve had “Firework” stuck in my head for weeks now. I blame you, Kyle.

Nice boys are great... until they’re too shy to talk to you =[ !

! To everyone complaining about The Eagle covering “Snowpocalypse: One Year Later,” apparently you don’t read the Washington Post, which did the same thing. Heck, the Post even started a #snowmemberwhen hashtag on Twitter. Plus Snowpocalypse had a significant impact on local politics and commuters, so it actually was a big deal.

Feb. 11 The D.C. Fire Department transported a sick person from the Student Health Center to Georgetown University Hospital at 12:06 a.m. Three students cut letters from a library magazine inside Bender Library, after they were advised that such an activity was not permitted, which was reported at 2:05 p.m. Feb. 12 A coat was reported stolen from an unsecured locker in the Sports Center at 8:24 p.m. Feb. 14 An elevator contractor responded and freed several individuals from a “B” level kitchen elevator at 10:47 a.m. in the Mary Graydon Center. No injuries were reported.

A hydraulic boom portion of a truck struck a hot water supply pipe. The truck was in the process of delivering a dumpster at the MGC service/loading area at 11:45 a.m. No injuries were reported. The DCFD transported a sick person to the hospital from the tunnel shops at around 2 p.m. The Department of Public Safety responded to a fire alarm and discovered food burning in a microwave in the first floor lounge of Gray Hall at 1:30 p.m. Facilities Management brought a fan to remove smoke from the area. DCFD was not notified.

activated while trying to cook in the kitchen p.m. DCFD was fied.

he was potatoes at 10:45 not noti-

Feb. 15 DCFD transported a sick individual to the hospital from inside of MGC at 11:30 a.m. An unattended computer and cash were taken from a study room in Anderson Hall at 9:30 p.m. The incident was reported to the Metropolitan Police Department. No personal information was stored on the computer.

Public Safety responded to a fire alarm and discovered no signs of smoke or fire inside of Clark Hall. A witness reported the alarm

READ MORE EAGLE RANTS ONLINE.

Bethesda’s New NY Style Jewish Deli Bagels, Cheesecake, Bialys ,Egg Creams, Huge sandwiches, Matzo Ball Soup, Rugelach, Black and White Cookies, Salads, Dr Browns Sodas, Breakfast, Lunch, Catering and More! “Ess Till You Plotz”

UPTOWN DELI 7905 Norfolk Ave Bethesda MD 20814 301-961-5787 www.uptowndelibethesda.com AU Students receive a free 16oz soda with a valid student ID and purchase of any sandwich over $5.99 Offer good through 1-31-11 Not combined with any other offers. Must show valid ID

!"#$%&$'())*()+,,

Letts, Centennial sixth oors vandalized By LEIGH GIANGRECO Eagle Staff Writer

Residents of Letts Hall’s sixth floor will have to pay for nearly $5,000 worth of vandalism if Housing and Dining Programs officials don’t find the party responsible by the end of March. The Letts Hall Sky Lounge on the sixth floor suffered about $4,860 in damage last semester, including the cost of labor and materials, according to Jennifer Baron, the resident director of Letts, Clark and Roper Halls. The residents would have to pay about $50 each. Resident assistants found a circle of white paint on the floor, which damaged the carpet and nearby furniture, Baron said. RA’s discovered the damage Dec. 15 when they were checking the building before closing it for winter break. Vandalism also occurred in the Centennial 6 study lounge Feb. 4. The table in the study lounge had been turned upside down and glued to the floor, ripping up carpet. Chairs were also taken from the study lounge. A couch was also taken from the Centennial lounge. Centennial Hall Resident Director Leah Kreimer said there are no cost estimates yet. However, students will have to pay for the floor tiles, cleaning costs of the table and the chairs, if they are not found. Housing and Dining Programs officials aren’t sure if there’s a link between the two incidents. “[It’s] something we are trying to consider in making a connection between the two of them,” Baron said. “We’re not sure if they were separate situations. It was also involving paint and similar in nature, so there could be a comparison.” If no one comes forward or finds out who vandalized the lounge, the floors will be charged as a whole, according to the Housing and Dining Programs License Agreement. “All resident students served by the common area will be assessed for such repair and/or damage costs,” the agreement says. Baron said she will try and give students until the end of March to see if anyone comes

/"01(2

-."!"#$!

forward with information. Groups outside of South side, such as fraternities and sororities, are able to reserve space for meetings in the Sky Lounge. But organizations can’t reserve the space during finals time, when the Sky Lounge incident occurred, according to Baron. Some students argue that Letts 6 residents should not be held exclusively responsible, since outside groups also use the space. “To have just the sixth floor of Letts pay for this vandalism seems like ... I don’t know if double standard is the right word, but it seems unfair to me to have that happen because it is a space that’s used by multiple different groups,” said Sarah Casey, a Letts 6 resident and a freshman in the School of International Service. Preventing future vandalism Sixth floor Letts residents said, in the future, students living on that floor should be warned of charges related to Sky Lounge vandalism. “Even though people weren’t signed up for that room, it doesn’t mean that people from other areas [of the building] weren’t using that room,” said Thomas Montesano, a Letts 6 resident and a freshman in the School of Public Affairs. Centennial 6 residents were told that they should be more vigilant to prevent vandalism at a recent floor meeting. Rachel Mandelbaum, a Centennial 6 resident and sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences and SIS, said she sees a lot of vandalism on the floor. “People have drawn all over the walls,” Mandelbaum said. “In our lounge, people have stolen the couch and various chairs.” John Hamblett, a Centennial 6 resident and sophomore in SPA said it’s not the residents’ responsibility to keep an eye out. “I think it’s ridiculous that when we were having the meeting we were all supposed to be watching this,” Hamblett said. “I didn’t sign anything that said that I had to be patrolling my floor.” lgiangreco@theeagleonline. com

Forcible sex offense occurs on Tenley By STEFANIE DAZIO Eagle Staff Writer

A forcible sex offense occurred at approximately 3 a.m. on Jan. 22 in Tenley Campus’ Congressional Hall, according to the Department of Public Safety. The female student involved reported the incident on Feb. 16. The Metropolitan Police Department is currently investigating the case, according to Adam Cooper, Public Safety’s logistics and compliance coordinator. There is a known suspect. A Public Safety report said the female student and two other students, including the suspect, were at a party in Maryland on Jan. 21. The female student

and the suspect consumed alcoholic. At about 3 a.m., the female student was highly intoxicated and returned to her room in Congressional Hall. The suspect followed her into her room without her knowledge, grabbed and began to fondle her. The female student tried to push the suspect away from her. She vomited and he backed away. The female student got into bed and passed out. When she woke up at about 2 p.m., she discovered signs suggesting a sexual assault had occurred. Public Safety collected the victim and a witness’ statements and issued a Campus Crime Alert on Feb. 17. Sanctions are imple-

mented through Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution Services if AU’s conduct system finds a student responsible for a sex-related offense. Suspension and dismissal from the University are typically considered, but Cooper said each case is evaluated separately. A second reported sex offense occurred this semester. On Jan. 17 at about 1 a.m. near Tenley and Main Campus, a female student walking back to campus from an off-campus event hailed a taxi. The driver asked the victim to sit in the front seat. He then exposed himself and fondled the victim. She exited the taxi at Main Campus and contacted Public Safety. No injuries Film and Media Arts Journalism Public Communication

were reported and the investigation is still open. Reports of forcible sex offenses increased from zero in 2008 to three in 2009 on main campus, according to AU’s Annual Security Report. Sex offenses are one of the most underreported crimes on campus, according to Public Safety Chief Michael . Of the three reports of forcible sex offenses filed in 2009 on main campus, one occurred in a residential facility. Staff writer Kate Froehlich contributed to this report. sdazio@theeagleonline. com

STAYING SAFE !"Walk in groups whenever possible and look out for each other. !" Avoid isolated and dark areas. !" Carry your cell phone and keep it accessible. !" If you are approached, take note of the person’s appearance, clothing and anything unusual that will help identify the suspect. !"Be aware of the emergency telephones (yellow boxes on pillars, blue light phone towers and red telephones) located on campus, in building lobbies, elevators and in parking lots.

Alum Michael Kempner, CEO of the PR agency M!! "roup, meets #ith students in his $% of&ce'

!"Do not accept a drink that has already been opened

Serious. Passionate. Professional. The School of Communication prepares students for professional careers in !lm " media arts# pu$lic communication# and %ournalism& ' second ma%or in S(C is a smart pairin) *ith most '+ ma%ors# as S(C ma%ors onl, ta-e ./012 credits to complete& 3n fact# students *ho ma%or in S(C are also re4uired to choose at least a minor in an additional School or Colle)e& 5an, choose a dou$le ma%or& 5a-e the most of ,our '+ education& Consider S(C as a !rst or second ma%or and )et read, for a career in ma-in) a difference& Undergraduate Majors: Information Sessions Tuesda,# 5arch 67# 28679.867pm 0 5:C 2;; <ednesda,# 'pril /# 28679.867pm 0 5:C 21=

For more information, contact communication@american.edu or visit our Web site at www.american.edu/soc

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.” —Leonard Steinhorn Professor, Public Communication

!" Do not let anyone follow you into the building or admit anyone as a guest unless they are your guest. !" Report any suspicious activity or suspicious individuals to the Department of Public Safety. !"Program AU Public Safety into your cell phone for emergencies: 202-885-3636.

SOURCE: DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY

!"#$%&$'())*()+,,

/"01(2

-."!"#$!

SG budget reduced $5,000 after Students change perceptions Student Activities revision on drinking after AlcoholEdu By ZACHARY COHEN Eagle Staff Writer

Fan Fridays and possibly other events have been canceled for the rest of the semester, due to a budget reallocation between Student Activities and Student Government. More than $5,000 the SG originally allocated to various student groups had to be cut from the budget, after Student Activities said their previous funding estimates were off. Fan Fridays began last spring as an effort to increase school spirit on campus with giveaways for students wearing AU apparel. SG’s Special Committee on the Budget passed a bill Jan. 23 using numbers Student Activities officials described as “estimates.” The SG believed the numbers would not change significantly, according to Class of 2013 Senator and Committee Chairman Taylor Yeates. Andrew Toczydlowski, the Student Activities’ coordinator of Governance and Leadership, told SG officials that final numbers would be available shortly after Feb. 7, the add/ drop deadline, he said. On Feb. 9, Toczydlowski

told SG officials the Student Activities estimates were off by $5,482.40 out of the total $38,800 distributed by Student Activities, Yeates said. That amount will not be available for SG use. Changes between estimates and final Student Activities fees are not uncommon in the budgetary process and adjustments this large are to be expected. The discrepancies depend on how many students enroll each semester, which cannot be determined until after the add/drop deadline, Toczydlowski said. “The margin of error in these calculations is not something that’s easily predicted,” he said in an e-mail. Last year, Student Activities’ dispersion of funds increased by over $1,000 between the time of estimation and final figures, Toczydlowski said. Most of the organizations that lost money did so voluntarily at a Feb. 9 budget meeting or lost money considered a “buffer” by the Special Committee on the Budget, said Class of 2013 Senator Tim McBride, a member of the Committee. Bike Lending, the Class of 2011, the Community Service Coalition, the Special Programming Events Commis-

sion and the Undergraduate Business Association all saw parts of their allocations cut. The Student Government General Fund, used by the executive branch for various purposes, took the biggest cut at about $2,000, leading to the cancellation of Fan Fridays for the rest of the semester. Bike Lending lost $500, affecting its ability to move forward on various initiatives Director Dan Raymer had in mind for the spring semester, including doubling the number of bikes in the AU bike fleet. “It’s going to slow us down, but we’ll be able to recover,” Raymer said. The Kennedy Political Union, the Student Union Board and Women’s Initiative did not lose funding because external contracts are either being negotiated or have already been budgeted for, according to Greg Cornell, SUB director. SUB’s budget from the beginning of the reallocation process was going to be left with at least enough money to pay back their $11,000 debt incurred during the Cee Lo Green concert, McBride said. zcohen@theeagleonline. com

Asian Flavors still delayed, awaiting successful inspection By RACHEL KARAS Eagle Staff Writer

Asian Flavors is not yet open for business in the tunnel because the kitchen safety system failed inspection, according to Auxiliary Services officials. The system, which includes the building’s fire alarm, cooking hood, ventilation system and fire suppression system, did not pass the final inspection in January, according to Dave Courter, director of Auxiliary Services. Multiple contractors were contacted to fix the issues and all the problems were corrected by Feb. 18, according to Courter. “It’s one of those fairly complex interactions between systems where we hope it’ll work out the first time … but

it didn’t,” he said. A second fire hood test and a complete fire inspection are scheduled for today. The final inspection is scheduled to take place Feb. 23. “We’ve checked and doublechecked the building,” he said. “We have confidence that everything the inspector identified as a problem is fixed.” Courter will meet with Asian Flavors owner Tom Gera after the final inspection to discuss plans to open the restaurant. He is not yet able to say when Asian Flavors will open. Gera also owns Megabytes, the American Cafe and the Katzen Café. AU signs rst lease for Balducci’s space Antica Neapolitan Pizzeria will fill part of the space formerly occupied by high-end

grocery store Balducci’s at 3201 New Mexico Ave. AU signed its first lease Feb. 21 for the retail space left empty after Balducci’s moved out summer 2009. The space will likely be divided up into AU offices, Antica Neapolitan Pizzeria, a soup/salad shop and a yogarelated space, The Eagle previously reported. AU anticipates a fall 2011 opening for Antica Neapolitan Pizzeria, according to Courter. The restaurant will offer fullservice, family-oriented Italian dining with indoor and patio seating, Courter said. The menu includes woodfired pizza, gelato, pasta and risotto dishes. rkaras@theeagleonline. com

By LAUREN LANDAU Eagle Staff Writer

Before arriving at AU, 59 percent of Class of 2014 students classified as high-risk drinkers reported they had no desire to change their drinking habits. But nearly 40 percent of this group changed their minds after completing an online alcohol education course required by AU for all new undergraduates, according to Associate Dean of Students Michelle Espinosa. AlcoholEdu is an online alcohol prevention program that builds students’ knowledge of alcohol through interactive lessons, narratives and “what would you do” scenarios. The program also utilizes a personal planning tool that allows students to set personal goals based on their drinking choices. The program identifies students who would be considered high risk, moderate, light or non-drinkers based on their self-reports of how much they drink and how often. AU began using the program for incoming students in the summer of 2009. At AU, all new students must complete the first round of AlcoholEdu online testing before they come to campus. The students complete the second round of testing six weeks later. AlcoholEdu is utilized by

65 to 70 percent of college campuses nationwide, according to health educator Kate DiEmidio. Results from the first round of testing indicate that incoming AU freshmen drink at lower rates than the national average for entering college freshmen, according to Espinosa. Espinosa said that this year’s AlcoholEdu report is not final yet. The final analysis and interpretation of the results will probably be available by late March, she said. Espinosa said that the AlcoholEdu program changes students’ understanding of the effects of their drinking and their risk level. “Even for students who are high-risk drinkers, it helps them understand why they might need to change their drinking habits,” she said. “They might not go from high risk to non-drinkers, but our hope is that they certainly will go from high risk to light or moderate, from a safety or harm reduction standpoint.” DiEmidio said that it is important for non-drinkers to also receive alcohol education, because they might encounter someone, perhaps a friend, who has had too much to drink and requires assistance. DiEmidio said that the AlcoholEdu program teaches students how to identify the signs of alcohol poisoning and how

to help someone who is dangerously intoxicated. Espinosa said that after the program, students indicated a stronger interest in practicing safer habits by reducing their number of drinks, avoiding drinking games, alternating alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, reducing the frequency of their drinking and allowing for more time to pass in between alcoholic beverages. llandau@theeagleonline. com

CRITICAL SIGNS OF ALCOHOL POISONING Mental confusion, stupor, coma or person cannot be roused !"

Vomiting

Seizures

Slow breathing (fewer than eight breaths per minute) !"

Irregular breathing (10 seconds or more between breaths) !"

Hypothermia (low body temperature), bluish skin color, paleness !"

SOURCE: NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON ALCOHOL ABUSE AND ALCOHOLISM

VISIT THE INCUBATOR

BLOGS.THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

!"#$%&$'())*()+,,

!"#$#!$

To charge or not to charge We’ve all had to pay residence hall damage charges at some point during our college careers. Not just for stained rugs or marks on the wall in our own rooms, but also for the hallways and common areas on our floors. Rowdy students are part of college life. As such, the occasional busted ceiling tile or puke-covered elevator is expected. Students should rightly be expected to cover the costs for their excesses, otherwise the scourge of low-grade vandalism will only grow. And while vandals might come from different floors and buildings, students must be willing to take responsibility for

their living spaces. However, there are several rooms and lounges sprinkled throughout the dorms that specifically host events for outside groups. Spaces like the McDowell and Hughes Formal Lounges can be reserved for events. Usually, when these spaces are damaged and no one is found responsible, the AU student body picks up the tab — not individual floors. Unfortunately, residents of Letts 6 are on the hook for about $4,860 in damages after some miscreants roughed up one of these common areas, the Letts Sky Lounge. The Sky Lounge is designated as a “small

Changing male culture to defend against violence SMARTER THAN I LOOK

CONOR SHAPIRO He came stumbling out of his car and darted toward her. She noticed him immediately as she walked beside a friend near midnight on campus at The University of Arizona. How couldn’t she — he was shirtless, stroking his penis, pants near his ankles. At first, she thought it was a fraternity initiation, a stupid prank. She remembers initially smirking at

the spectacle, preparing to be mooned. If only. Within seconds the man approached her and viciously slammed her to the ground. Her friend froze. A male bystander looked on in shock. The deranged man wrestled to unzip her pants as she squirmed furiously beneath him to avoid his assault. The bystander, paralyzed by fear, finally shouted, “Hey!” as a siren in the distance spooked the assailant, thwarting his assault. I know her. She is my sister. My parents were phoned that night from an inconsolable voice they could hardly recognize. My sis-

Floor residents should not be held nancially responsible for common areas that can be used by anyone.

meeting space” on the University Center’s website and can be reserved for use by students not living on Letts 6. Organizations often use the space for events and sometimes things go wrong. But currently, if anyone vandalizes or accidentally breaks something in the Sky Lounge and no one is found responsible, residents of Letts 6 pay. That just doesn’t make much sense. There are meeting spaces inside the dorms that are considered “divorced spaces,” meaning charges from damages are the responsibility of all students, not just the residents of that dorm. If the Letts Sky Lounge can be reserved by out-

side groups like many of these divorced spaces, then why is it not treated in the same fashion? Outside of installing security cameras in hallways to catch vandals in the act (which isn’t going to happen, as it might be seen as an invasion of privacy), there’s not much that can be done to obtain the identity of these villains. Therefore it is only fair for the University to more evenly spread charges when damage is done to common areas like the Letts Sky Lounge. We hope the University will make these changes before this year’s Letts 6 residents find themselves down a collective $4,860.

ter was nearly raped and forever scarred. It was traumatic for my entire family — a moment that found all of us in tears. My sister is one of thousands of women who suffer sexual violence by men. National Organization for Women’s website states, “According to the National Crime Victimization Survey, which includes crimes that were not reported to the police, 232,960 women in the U.S. were raped or sexually assaulted in 2006. That’s more than 600 women every day.” A majority of assaults are unlike my sister’s — they’re perpetrated by acquaintances. Additionally, “A significant number of crimes are never even reported for reasons that include the victim’s feeling that nothing can/will be done and the personal nature of the incident.”

I asked Nate what compelled him to join the club. He said, “Since my freshmen year, seven more of my friends, here and elsewhere have been sexually assaulted or raped. It kills me each time to know I couldn’t do anything to prevent it. So this is how I am beginning to make my impact.” While Nate bears no responsibility for the horrific actions of evil men, we believe men can coalesce to help create a culture rich not with traditional machismo, but integrity and respect. Men can create a culture where respect for women is exhibited openly, not hidden through a charade of phony toughness or selfish insouciance. Some men may read this and think, well, I’m not a part of this, so I don’t need to do anything. They don’t

need to, but they should. We’re in this battle together. It’s about the safety of your sister. It’s about the livelihood of your girlfriend and friends. It’s about taking a stand and playing an active role in a culture we can help shape. We welcome and encourage your participation. The club is open to all male students. We’re stronger and more credible the larger we become. We all have loved ones who’ve been affected by the rage and power of men. Let’s “man up” in the true sense of the word, and do something about it. Conor Shapiro is a graduate student in the School of International Service and a liberal columnist.

If that doesn’t boil your blood, I don’t know what will. Some of us are disturbed enough to take action. I, along with pal and Student Government President Nate Bronstein and approximately eight other men, are part of a group called Men Creating Change (Tuesday nights at 6:30 in McKinley 101). We discuss many complex issues in order to redefine titles like masculinity and strength. We share ideas about how men can become enablers for the safety and prevention of violence and harassment against women. Last week we had a guest, Joseph Vess from Men Can Stop Rape, join our chat. His organization, “…mobilizes men to use their strength for creating cultures free from violence, especially men’s violence against women.”

TALK BACK: E-MAIL EDITOR@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

edpage@theeagleonline. com

!"#$%&$'())*()+,,

/012132(4

-."!"#$!

Who is The Eagle’s Next Great Ranter? Metro needs Obama’s focus

By Douglas Bell Last Tuesday, the Obama Administration announced their proposal to invest $53 billion over the next six years for national high-speed rail construction. Obama has said that this investment will create tens of thousands of jobs and be a key factor in modernizing America’s infrastructure. Respectfully, Mr. President, I’ve got a newsflash for you: We already have a sizable amount of public transit infrastructure that is woefully underfunded. And as that infrastructure

continues to grow older and demand more repairs and modernization projects, we really should be setting aside more of our funds toward improving the infrastructure we utilize today. There is no region in the country more dependent upon the vitality of public transportation (except for New York City) than here in D.C. Metro is the artery of Washington and the surrounding metropolitan area, and it’s used daily by hundreds of thousands of commuters, tourists and, of course, college students. So when Metro is in trouble — whether it’s getting snowed into undergroundonly mode or recovering from a major accident on the rails — everyone in D.C. is affected. Last year, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority barely got through a major budget deficit without cutting service because

D.C. residents made it clear that they would prefer to stomach fare increases over any cuts to rail or bus service. But this year, WMATA is facing a $72 million budget gap — about three times as much as last year — and local jurisdictions aren’t exactly in a solid place to cough up the extra cash right now. Throw in a new Republican Congress looking to make cuts in federal contributions to both WMATA and the D.C. Government, and it becomes very likely that Metro may have to further increase fares or else institute some of the biggest service cuts in Metro’s 35-year history. One of the ideas for saving money is cutting late-night service on Friday and Saturday nights, which the WMATA Board seriously discussed recently. Not only would eliminating after-midnight service save Metro approximately $3 ! see BELL on page 8

Separating dorms by class: Worst idea to come out of AU since ‘Wonk?’

By Ian Urriola Housing and Dining has announced that starting next year, all residence halls will be segregated according to class status. All freshmen will live in Letts, Clark and Roper. Sophomores and upperclassmen will live in McDowell and Leonard. And juniors and seniors can live in the terrace, first, and second floors of Anderson, as well as the first and second floors of Centennial. Housing and Dining’s logic

is that they will be able to plan better activities that are more relevant to the students living in each hall. This is a bad idea. It is a known fact that each side of campus has different … let’s say personalities, whether Housing and Dining acknowledges them or not. If you want to stay in and enjoy a quiet evening with your friends, go to North side. If you want to go out to a frat party or have a wild evening, go to South side. Starting next year, all freshmen will be forced to live on South Side. Housing and Dining says that if all the freshmen are living together, they will be able to plan more activities focused on alcohol abuse for them. While this is noble on their part, forcing freshmen to live on South side seems to negate their reasoning. They would be throwing freshmen into the lion’s den.

However, I do realize why they have to put the freshmen on South side. The dorms on South side have more rooms than North side, and seeing how many upperclassmen live off campus after their freshman year, there are just more freshmen who live on campus than there are sophomores, juniors and seniors. So this raises the question, why segregate the dorms in the first place? As a freshman who lives on a floor that has members of every class year on it, I have valued the relationships I have made with my upperclassmen peers. Sophomores, juniors and seniors are able to help freshmen through their first year at college. They know what we poor, little freshmen are going through. Any advice or life lessons they give us are far more valuable than any!

see URRIOLA on page 8

AU sidelines CAS students with Time for the U.S. to forgo the intellectually rigid ‘Wonk’ campaign status quo in the Middle East

By Emi Ruff-Wilkinson I finally thought the Wonk nonsense was over. Everyone’s had their time to vent, those free T-shirts have been shoved to the back of people’s drawers and it seemed to be swept under the rug for the time being. Until we opened up the pricey new welcome center with a giant “WONK” emblazoned on the wall so that everyone can know just how wonky we are. And it’s more than

just a sign: James Raby, the director of Enrollment Marketing, sees this as the University’s “first public launch” of our rebranding. But Wonk is wrong for AU, and the fact that the University continues to forge ahead with its plan to define us as the Wonkiest of the Wonks truly stupefies me. It excludes the entire humanities and arts departments by definition, perpetuating a longstanding problem of ignoring the College of Arts and Sciences in favor of improving the already-great School of International Service and School of Public Affairs. The old news is that AU happened to choose a word that pops up in the dictionary as “a student who spends much time studying and has too little social life.” But that joke has faded, and the bigger issue is the actual

reason to choose “wonk” as the word that defines us. The version of “wonk” that AU was presumably going for (unless they really have a low opinion of their own student body) was the one referring to “foreign policy wonks,” people who are obsessed with a subject and are certifiable experts in their respective field. But is that how AU should be defining itself? “Wonk” has a very specific connotation to the political, international relations and public policy field. And the problem with AU is that we’ve overemphasized those parts of our school while pretending that the rest of our academics barely even exist. As a sociology major/creative writing minor, a “social theory wonk” is !

see RUFF on page 8

By Jeremy Rife Beyond a doubt, history occurred last Friday. Hosni Mubarak, one of the Middle East’s most entrenched autocrats, stepped down in the face of 18 days of protests by Egyptian citizens. And now, people around the world, including students at AU, are asking the question that can only be answered with the passing of time: What now?

There have been some commentators who have expressed the hope that the Egyptian revolution, and the Tunisian revolution that inspired it, are the start of a wave of democratization throughout the Middle East and North Africa. It is possible that such a wave of democratization will occur and similar unrest throughout the Arab world has suggested that this might be the case. There is, however, the possibility that the remaining autocracies will learn from the Egyptian and Tunisian examples and remain in power by avoiding the critical blunders of Mubarak and the former Tunisian president, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. There is also the question of what will rise in the place of those regimes that are overthrown. Perhaps what the Arab world is experiencing isn’t so much a wave of de-

mocratization as a reshuffling of an autocratic card deck. Or perhaps those revolutions will instead be hijacked by Islamists in a copy of the 1979 Iranian revolution. It is a sad fact that, even if these concerns turn out to be unfounded, a democratic Middle East alarms those who have come to rely on the status quo. Israel is looking at the possibility of a democratic Egypt with trepidation. Free and fair democratic elections in the Palestinian territories brought Hamas to power, and even the slimmest of possibilities that a similar outcome will occur in Egypt must be a harrowing thought indeed. The 1979 peace treaty between the two states relieved Israel of much of the military threat against its existence. If an elected government adopts a belligerent ! see RIFFLE on page 8

WANT TO HEAR MORE FROM YOUR FAVORITE? THEY NEED YOUR SUPPORT! GO ONLINE AND VOTE AT THEEAGLEONLINE.COM/VOTE

!"#$%&$'())*()+,, !

from BELL on page 7

million per year, but it would also provide the equivalent of 45 more days per year for track maintenance. As someone who hates the extra wait while Metro is single-tracking, it’s hard for me to oppose that argument. But of course, eliminating late-night service is a move that would favor riders who use Metro for their commute over riders who use Metro for pretty much everything. Obviously, college students tend to fall in the latter category, and for many of us, late-night weekend service is a necessity. Cutting after-midnight service would also put more cars on the road and increase the prevalence of drunken

from URRIOLA on page 7

thing Housing and Dining can ever give us. This raises another question. Why does Housing and Dining think that they need to provide “activities” for residents? Their job is to give us housing and to feed us. As students we already have a myriad of resources at our disposal for getting academic and

from RUFF on page 7

the last thing I want to be. Pretending to know all the answers undermines the entire purpose of seeking to understand society — my Social Research professor has a rule of thumb that our research should always bring up new questions at the end. The entire purpose of the humanities is to be constantly questioning and to never stop exploring new possibilities. The same thing goes for the arts. We have the only MFA in Creative Writing in D.C., and Howard University is the only other university with an MFA in Studio Art. Those are not Wonky subjects. They’re devoted to constantly improving work that comes from an authentic place. It may be a passion, but it is far from a Wonk-like obsession with potable water in Somalia.

/012132(4

-."!"#$! drivers. But regardless of the pros and cons of any particular service cut or fare increase, this is the wrong time for our mass transit systems to be facing cutbacks. Metro’s infrastructure is over three decades old. Its rail cars need replacing, its tracks are cracking, and its escalators are breaking faster than it takes someone to say “hold onto the handrail.” Furthermore, experts are predicting that Metro will be at capacity by 2030, and there are already segments of the system that have become major choke points, including the western segment of the Red Line that AU students know and love. Sure, high-speed rail has the unique quality of being an infrastructure

investment that sounds sleek, modern and sexy. But even if high-speed rail systems are completed by the 2020s, they will never become what Metro already is today for District residents. We need investment in the public transit that we already have so that it can continue to serve the communities that rely on it every day. And so, Mr. President, on behalf of all of us SmarTrip Card-carrying students and public transit riders across the country, I ask this: Don’t reinvent the rail until we can fully fund the one we’ve already got.

health-related advice. We have academic advisors, peer advisors, professors, writing centers, career centers, technology centers, a student health center and a wellness center to name a few. Students know where to find any help they need for their short four-year stay at this university. Students should be able

to choose where they want to live, not forced to live where the University tells them to. The saying goes “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Well Housing and Dining, the housing system isn’t broke, so don’t fix it!

The University already has a bad habit of ignoring the College of Arts and Sciences and Wonk dismisses this part of our school. It places the focus sharply on SIS and SPA. Teresa Flannery, the director of Communications and Marketing, said that the reason for “Wonk” is that “our reputation lags behind our quality.” Here’s one reason: we’re ranked at No. 79 by U.S. News & World Report. (For the record, Georgetown is No. 21 and GW is No. 51.) And yet, BusinessWeek put Kogod at No. 28 on their list of undergraduate business schools, U.S. News & World report put SPA at No. 14 for public policy, and Foreign Policy magazine put SIS’s undergraduate program at No. 11 and its graduate program at No. 8. So how the heck did we wind up at No. 79? If the University really

wants to attract better students and improve our image outside of D.C., then that’s going to require becoming much more than just a trade school for Wonks. And it’s not like we’re starting from nothing. CAS is already a thriving academic community with truly stellar professors. So rather than throw away what is now adding up to $525,000 on a four-letter “rebranding” effort, why don’t we spend some of that money to actually improve the rest of AU? In the long run, upping our rankings will have a greater impact on how the university is perceived, and having a more diverse curriculum will help us gain a reputation as the vibrant community that we already are.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

AU tags leave workers nameless CLASE, The Community Learners Advancing in Spanish and English, is much more than a language exchange program. Along with the acquisition of language skills, students often learn of some of the hard realities of the everyday lives of these undervalued workers. One symptom of the obstacles faced by these workers is prominently displayed on their uniforms. At the start of the New Year, Aramark, the multinational corporation from which AU subcontracts its housekeeping duties, issued new uniforms to their employees. But instead of their traditional Aramark insignia, the uniforms wield the American University logo. The tags makes you believe that these workers are properly valued and integrated members of the AU community, but they do not even include the workers’ names. They contribute to the façade obscuring the harsh reality that the men and women who keep this campus clean and beautiful are, by all administrative accounts, not AU employees and, as such, are not entitled to the benefits AU is committed to granting its employees. These workers dedicate themselves to making our campus a better place, and to improving our lives as students. In exchange, they are underpaid, denied substantial benefits and robbed of equal access to the school’s basic services. It is a grave injustice that many individuals bearing the proud name of our

University over their hearts, who labor all day in service of it, must leave our campus and travel to another job once their shift ends. That, even though our tuition pays their salaries, these workers wearing AU tags are not AU employees is a reality of which the administration routinely and explicitly reminds CLASE. It is their excuse in ignoring and rejecting CLASE initiatives, pursuing a policy of inaction, shirking their social responsibility towards these workers while denying culpability. The University is able to make this trivial distinction by sub-contracting to Aramark, thus cutting costs and minimizing accountability. AU has subjugated its social responsibility in service of the bottom line. But, the administration would rather evade questions, misinform with nameless tags and obscure the truth with legal jargon than admit that. As a multinational corporation with 255,000 employees in 22 countries, Aramark does not care about the lives of a hundred workers at a small school. Many students, however, would care about these workers’ plights, if they were aware of them. As representatives of AU’s student body, the administration should embody the oftdemonstrated compassion of its students and enact policies pursuant of their belief in social justice, in line with AU’s Strategic Plan and Corporate Responsibility statement. Instead, Aramark’s workers are

branded with AU’s nameless tags, deliberately misinforming the student body and misrepresenting reality. This helps suppress the resistance the administration is afraid could result from widespread awareness of AU’s culpability in these workers’ hardships. In the context of the University’s real stance on the status of its Aramark workers, these nameless tags are so ironic as to border on cruel. They function to hide the workers and their plights in plain sight. Some have worked at AU for more than twenty years, even as students, faculties, and companies like Aramark come and go. For the sake of the integrity of our University, the workers must be recognized as valuable members of our community through concrete policy. Without it, the ideals we claim to promote will continue to be debilitated by hypocrisy. Empty rhetoric and superficial representations of inclusion are not enough. It is time for the students of American University to stand up and demand the administration to grant these workers the benefits due them. They have been invisible far too long. Community Learners Advancing Spanish and English (CLASE) is focused on forming solidarity between AU students and Aramark and Bon Appétit employees who work on campus.

from RIFFLE on page 7

to accept the results of these elections left them reeking of hypocrisy. Attempting to allay the fear of the unknown by relying on the status quo, however, is a self-defeating denial of the nature of change. The world is not static. Autocracies eventually fall, and while Arab democracies may elect parties and politicians that the U.S. and Israeli governments find distasteful, that is the nature of democracy. To stand against the democratization of the Arab world is akin to standing against the passage of time. It is futile, and a waste of an opportunity to be on the right side of history.

Whatever may happen in the months to follow, history has been made. We are witnessing it unfold before our eyes, and the Middle East will never be the same. The time for democracy has come. It will not materialize instantly, and there will be many setbacks on the long road toward it, but the events in Tunisia and Egypt demonstrate that it is a question of when, not if, these autocratic regimes will fall and are replaced by systems of government accountable to their people. It is up to the rest of the world, especially the United States, to no longer stand in the way.

attitude, Israel could be at its most vulnerable in decades. The United States as well has clung to the status quo in its dealings with the Middle East. When prompted with the choice between the known evil of autocratic government and the unknown of genuine democratic elections, the U.S. has supported the former in the Middle East almost every time. One of the rare exceptions was the 2006 elections in Palestine, which were resoundingly won by Hamas. Such a result reinforced American ambivalence toward democracy in the region, and the refusal of the Western world

Aaron Montenegro and Kate Hampton, CLASE

!"#$%&$'())*()+,,

/"01(2

-."!"#$!

AU’s study abroad program in Cuba changes locations By MEAGAN SHAMBERGER

Eagle Contributing Writer

SHIRA KARSEN / THE EAGLE

WOMEN’S WORDS — Starr Brainard, left, Tori Disston, Alyssa Trempus, Christine Edmond, front, Bridget Burns, hidden and Chelsea Cohen act in the Feb. 18 performance of “Vagina Monologues.”

‘Vagina Monologues’ raise $4,500 By PAIGE JONES Eagle Staff Writer

This year’s “Vagina Monologues” left both the audience and performers on the verge of tears, as AU sophomore Kyla Novell channeled Haitian feminist and political activist Myriam Merlet in one moving performance on Feb. 18. Merlet, who brought “Vagina Monologues” to the island country, died in last year’s earthquake. The “Vagina Monologues” is a play of about 20 monologues that focus on topics related to the vagina, such as menstruation, rape and birth. Eve Ensler wrote the play in 1996 to raise funds and awareness for violence against women. Ensler was a friend of Merlet and used her story in this year’s performances. The main monologue described the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti and the dangerous circumstances women endured. “Women, hardly clothed,

grabbed by hungry, angry men, filled with babies not their own,” said Novell, a sophomore in the School of Communication, as Merlet. Women’s Initiative performed the “Vagina Monologues” for the seventh year Feb. 17-19, raising over $4,500. This year’s monologues focused on the women and girls of Haiti. While this monologue left Novell almost in tears and the audience awestruck, it was not the only performance to have such an effect. “My Vagina was My Village,” which honored a Bosnian women who was brutally raped by soldiers, silenced the entire audience with its graphic content. “Six of the monstrous doctors with black masks shoving bottles up me too,” School of International Service freshman Mica Brenman said in the performance. “There were sticks and the end of a broom.” Although some monologues touched on grave is-

sues such as sexual assault, others were more lighthearted. “No smell,” a performer said to describe what one lady said when asked what her vagina smelled like. “Yeah right!” an audience member shouted back, eliciting laughs from the performer and audience. The “Vagina Monologues’” director Nirvana Habash chose the order of monologues to have the best effect on the audience. “Nirvana decided to open with some funny ones, then group all the serious ones together so the audience could feel the weight of it, and end with good ones,” said Women’s Initiative Director Quinn Pregliasco. While the “Vagina Monologues” are performed with the same script throughout the world, Women’s Initiative added some of their own lines to make it more personal for AU. “And the AU moan — ‘I am the sex wonk!’” screamed School of Public Affairs senior Emily Beyer in her

imitation of other women’s moans in her monologue, “The Woman Who Liked to Make Vaginas Happy.” The audience cheered and laughed as performers catwhistled at their cast mate. Despite the sexually intimate topics this play discussed, SIS freshman Chelsea Cohen said she felt comfortable with the cast. “It wasn’t awkward at all,” she said. “There were definitely bits that I could not have said, but I was comfortable with all of it.” The cast will donate the profits from each of the three performances to the D.C. Rape Crisis Center; Helping Individual Prostitutes Survive, an organization that provides basic necessities and support for prostitutes who want to pursue normal jobs; and Courtney’s House, a transitional housing for sexually assaulted women. pjones@theeagleonline. com

AU will be changing universities for its Cubabased study abroad program this fall after the University of Havana was unable to continue hosting AU’s program. The new program will be based at Casa de las Américas in Havana. When AU Abroad first created a study abroad program at the University of Havana in 2006, it was one of only four such programs, Doyle said. This January, several U.S. regulations restricting travel to Cuba were eased, making it easier for American colleges to establish abroad programs there. “The University of Havana was quite over-

Trinidad and Santiago de Cuba. CASA also hosts a few other university programs from the United States, according to Doyle. The students will participate in a five-course, structured program that includes three classes on Cuban culture and society, an intermediate Spanish course and a photojournalism class taught by AU Journalist in Residence Bill Gentile, according to Doyle. “We’re very excited an AU professor will be going down with the students to teach on the program,” Doyle said. Gentile said he has been traveling to and covering Cuba since 1981. Although he has never taught a full semester abroad, Gentile taught online classes from

“I think our students will be enlivened by engaging in a deeply compelling society, rich in culture and shared history.” — Bill Gentile AU journalist in residence

whelmed with many universities interested in programs there, and they no longer had the capacity to run the type of structured program we wanted,” Doyle said. As a result, the new program has moved to Casa de las Américas, also known as “CASA,” in Havana. “CASA is Cuba’s premier research institution related to Cuban and Caribbean studies and Cuban art and culture,” Doyle said. The institution will be responsible for the organization of the program. This includes hiring professors, providing student housing and leading excursions to potential locations such as Santa Clara, Cienfuegos,

such foreign locales as Afghanistan and Mexico. He also traveled to the Galapagos Islands with a group of AU students. Gentile said that it is time to take advantage of the loosened restrictions as an opportunity to create strong bonds between Cuba and AU. “I think our students will be enlivened by engaging in a deeply compelling society, rich in culture and shared history,” Gentile said. The deadline to apply for the program is March 15. news@theeagleonline. com

!"#$%&$'())*()+,,

/"01(,+

-."!"#$!

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

FELICIA AFUAN SPRING AWAKENING Last week, D.C. was treated to a rare few days of unusually warm weather. Students gathered on the quad to hang out with friends, play football or just soak up the sun. Send submissions to photos@theeagleonline.com

Historically black greeks focus on service, connections By SAMANTHA LANDWEHR and SILVIA WEKO

Eagle Contributing Writers For members of historically black fraternities and sororities, Black History Month is no different than any other month of the year. “You should always be aware of black history, not just in February,” said Stephanie Toussaint, a sister of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. AKA is an international service organization where regional schools also make up larger chapters. Toussaint said she believes

most people associate black history with Martin Luther King Jr., but black history is more than that. Camille Cheeks-Lomax, a sister of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., said there are many AU alumni who influenced the black community and should be invited back as guests. “AU should be bringing more influential speakers to campus to celebrate the history of not only black culture but of American University and D.C.,” she said. Althea Avice de Guzman, an AKA sister, said people should learn more about black history. “The fact that it exists and

we can celebrate it gives me hope that we’ve moved forward in acknowledging the contributions of minorities, but it also gives me the realization that there’s so much to do,” said de Guzman. Damita Salmon, a sister in Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., said Black History Month is about more than overcoming slavery. “We are more than that horrible experience, we have become more and accomplished more,” she said in an e-mail. “We need to better educate ourselves, our peers, our neighbors and our children so that the truth about our legacy as a people is not lost to us

forever. It’s so important to know your history, because it can reshape your destiny.” Raven Jones, a sister of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., said though the historically black Greek letter organizations are connected through culture and have a presence on campus, sometimes they aren’t noticed outside of step performances. “Some people don’t even know we’re in a sorority until they see us wear our letters,” she said. “But to the black community we’re known as the largest African American Greek organization.” Student Activities rec-

ognizes six active historically black sororities and fraternities, governed by the National Pan-Hellenic Council. “For me, AKA was the best decision because they are structured for community and service, especially sisterhood,” said Chelsea Ritchie, an AKA sister and treasurer. Brothers and sisters have said these organizations revolve around their community service. Jeremiah Headen, a brother in Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., said he believes his experiences with his fraternity are different than other Greek life organizations because of this

commitment. He said the brothers would go out at night, but wake up at 9 a.m. to volunteer together. Members of these groups are active for years after college. Some of the “diamond sorors,” or older members, of AKA are 80 years old and still involved in community service and attend their chapter meetings. “You’re a member for life,” Cheeks-Lomax said. “This is a life-long commitment to the community and your brothers or sisters.” news@theeagleonline. com

!"#$%&$'())*()+,,

-."!"#$!

/01"$-23"4"5-(,,

Across a broad spectrum of industries, we’ve seen the collapse of major companies in recent years due to a lack of accountability and responsibility. Companies such as Merck—a global healthcare leader helping people through its medicines, vaccines and consumer care, and animal health offerings—are working hard to protect and enhance the reputation of “The Corporation.” Hear Merck chairman Richard T. Clark (KSB ’70) discuss how the company—named among the 100 Best Corporate Citizens for 2010—makes corporate social responsibility a vital part of its mission, values, and culture.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 4 P.M., KOGOD STUDENT LOUNGE RSVP TODAY AT KOGOD.AMERICAN.EDU/HEALTH. The Alan Meltzer CEO Leadership Speaker Series Student sponsors: Alpha Kappa Psi, Kogod Graduate Business Association, and Kogod Undergraduate Business Association EO/AA

!"#$%&$'())*()+,,

/"01(,)

-."!"#$!

AU behind on black enrollment New task force Administration seeks to increase domestic minority enrollment in freshmen class by 10 percent By RACHEL KARAS and LAUREN LANDAU Eagle Staff Writers

Students identifying themselves as black made up 4.4 percent of AU’s fall 2010 undergraduate population, roughly 9 percent less than the 2009 national college average. According to AU’s Office of Institutional Research and Assessment, AU’s undergraduate population in fall 2010 was: ! 58.58 percent white ! 6.97 percent international students ! 6.29 percent Asian ! 5.96 percent Hispanic ! 4.4 percent black ! 3.2 percent multiracial ! 0.38 percent American Indian ! 14.22 percent unknown According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s most recent data, in 2009 undergraduate students enrolled in four-year U.S. colleges were: ! 67.98 percent white, non-Hispanic ! 13.59 percent black ! 10.12 percent Hispanic ! 5.94 percent Asian Black Student Alliance President Ariel McMillan said she finds it awkward and disappointing when she’s often the only black student in her classes. “I just wish I saw more people like me,” McMillan said. McMillan and Dshawna Bernard, president of Caribbean Circle, said they think prospective students choose other schools because of low enrollment of domestic minorities at AU. The Caribbean Circle is an AU organization that seeks to foster awareness of Caribbean culture. “When you come on a campus and you don’t see people of your own, it’s easy for you to not feel a

willingness to apply here,” Bernard said. AU’s Strategic Plan includes a goal to increase enrollment of underrepresented domestic minorities in the freshmen class by 10 percent. A domestic minority is any U.S. student who states his or her race as anything other than Caucasian, according to Director of Admissions Greg Grauman. Grauman said AU admissions representatives can travel to culturally diverse areas to recruit future students. He said a commitment to shift more financial aid dollars from merit scholarships to need-based aid could help increase domestic minority enrollment. As outlined in the Strategic Plan, these changes aim to provide a greater number of undergraduates with financial packages to meet 100 percent of their aid needs. In addition, the University hopes to raise $1 million for student scholarships. Jeremiah Headen, a senior in the School of Public Affairs and former president of the AU National Pan-Hellenic Council chapter, said at least 10 of his friends left AU because they felt a lack of community, services and support for minority students. He said a lack of funding causes major problems when tuition increases, but financial aid packages do not expand to match these changes. “The school gave them money to come here, but it didn’t give them money to stay,” Headen said. AU’s diversity not indicative of D.C. population Last September, Newsweek ranked AU as the sixth most diverse school in the country for its international student popu-

lation, range of faiths and gay-friendly campus. College Prowler gave AU a “B” in diversity, saying the University is not representative of D.C.’s cultural and racial mixture. Newsweek ranked George Washington University 14th for diversity. GW surpasses AU in racial minority enrollment with a population that is 10 percent Asian, 7 percent African American and 7 percent Hispanic. D.C.’s 2009 population was 40.6 percent white and 54 percent black, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates. Bernard said when she transferred to AU, she believed the student body would be more diverse than it really is. “When I walk around D.C., I see diversity,” she said. “When I came to AU, I didn’t see a reflection of that.” Bernard said she believes AU needs to focus its recruitment efforts on D.C. high schools. “We need to take care of home,” Bernard said. “We should not have a school down the street, or anywhere in a five-mile radius of AU students, being nonchalant … and feeling as though they cannot come here when they go on the campus.” Although McMillan said she believes that AU should continue targeting D.C. schools, she said AU needs to increase recruitment in bordering states as well. She would also like University administration to speak with current black students and community members about the plan and ask for feedback on how to increase minority enrollment at AU. McMillan said she is optimistic about the plan and AU’s future, but it might take a while for the changes to noticeably manifest themselves.

“People will come, but you probably won’t see a big increase until you see more diversity on campus,” she said. Staff writer Paige Jones contributed to this article. news@theeagleonline. com

IN NUMBERS

American Indian 25 students — 0.38% Asian 419 — 6.29% Black 293 — 4.4% Hispanic 397 — 5.96% International 464 — 6.97% Multiracial 213 — 3.2% Unknown 947 — 14.22% White 3901 — 58.58% Total 6659 — 100% Data made up of fall 2010 undergraduate population SOURCE: OFFICE OF INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH AND ASSESSMENT

to address SG diversity By MARIE ZOGLO Eagle Staff Writer

The Undergraduate Senate is creating a task force to discuss diversity within the Student Government. The group will meet with organizations representing marginalized students to discuss issues these groups think the Senate should address, as well as ways to get underrepresented groups more involved in SG, according to Tim McBride, senator for the Class of 2013 and cochair of the group. “The biggest thing is SG initiative for people to be more cognizant that they should be reaching out to people of varying backgrounds and perspectives,” McBride said. The announcement of the task force’s creation follows a recent AWOL article noting a lack of female and minority representatives in the SG. “It was something that was obvious, but I think it really hit home for a lot of senators, particularly the discussions that we had afterward,” McBride said. “It was clear that this was something we should address.” Elizabeth Richards, a Class of 2012 senator and one of eight female senators of 27 total, said the SG has never addressed this problem “head on” and thinks the new initiative is an important step. “Women constitute more than a majority of students at AU and it’s just important that our student government reflects the student body as a whole,” she said. Hadid Simmons, a School of International Service senator, said the task force will provide a “muchneeded conversation” in the Senate. “It’ll provide a more allinclusive environment where minorities and

members of marginalized groups in the university community will be able to pursue and enjoy greater representation in the Undergraduate Senate,” he said. Most students join the SG as a result of a current member’s encouragement, so senators need to start recruiting from marginalized groups, according to McBride. “It’s one thing when a member of your community suggests that you should run, but it’s a whole other thing when someone who doesn’t seem like you asks you and tells you that they think you’d be a good candidate,” McBride said. The group will be focusing more on engagement and outreach than on specific requirements for diversity, according to McBride. “I’m not going to force anyone to do anything that they don’t want,” McBride said. “It’s going to be encouraging [senators] to go to these meetings of Queers and Allies and Eco-Sense or to meet with members of African-American fraternities to learn about the issues and to encourage them to run.” The group wants to make it clear that the SG is open to all students. “There is a perception out there that this is a predominately white, male group,” said McBride. “It’s something that needs to be changed. We need to make it clear, we need to make it extra clear, that that’s not the case.” mzoglo@theeagleonline. com

!"#!"#$#

$#%&'(&)*++,*+-..

Courtesy of LOREY SEBASTIAN / PARAMOUNT PICTURES

WILD WILD WEST — This year’s Oscars nominees cover a range of genres, from the Coen brothers’ Western remake of “True Grit,” starring big name actors Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon, to the horrorladen ballet flick, “Black Swan.”

AU Film Society: Everything you need to know about Oscar This week is the final stretch until Oscar season. The final Academy votes are in, with the winners being announced this Sunday — but until then speculation and predictions galore will be invading entertainment news and the blogosphere. And we, the AU Film Society’s co-founders and board members are giving our opinions on the top six categories of the night. Best Actor Unfortunately for an armless James Franco and golden boy Jesse Eisenberg, Jeff Bridges’s gruff and gritty turn as Rooster Cogburn in the Coen brothers’ “True Grit” will bring him out on top over the stuttering Colin Firth. Hopeful eyes from the international community will be on dark horse nominee Javier Bardem to break the ice for a foreign language Best Actor in “Biutiful,” but their hopes would be better placed on the film’s run for Best Foreign Language Film. — Emmett McGregor, AUFS

Vice President Best Actress Some years we watch the Academy Awards with bated breath, waiting to find out which lucky actress will take home the Oscar. However this year you might be tempted to get up and pop another bag of popcorn, because Natalie Portman is the clear frontrunner for her turn as Nina Sayers in “Black Swan.” She may not be as seasoned as fellow nominees Annette Benning and Nicole Kidman, but Portman has a very dear place in the hearts of today’s U.S. film audience as the girl we watched grow up on the silver screen. After recently announcing her pregnancy and marriage along with taking home Best Actress for both the Golden Globes and the SAG awards, it seems like everyone is rooting for Miss Portman. — Meaghan Reynolds, AUFS Communications Director

Best Adapted Screenplay Aaron Sorkin’s masterpiece, “The Social Network,” has this one all wrapped up. Adapted from the book “The Accidental Billionaires,” this arguably fictional story of the creation of the largest social network in history that as of late is aiding in literal revolutions. However, this screenplay is revolutionary itself in that it surprisingly isn’t a movie about Facebook. Rather it is a film about archetypal struggles between everyday kids who quickly rise to fame and fortune, and the betrayals and jealousy that come with it. Impressively Sorkin chose not to even show an actual Facebook page until the last five minutes of the movie. This carefully crafted script blows the other nominees for bestadapted screenplay straight out of the water. — James Paul, AUFS Treasurer Best Original Screenplay The battle for the Oscar

for best original screenplay is not a clear K.O. for any of the nominees this year. “The King’s Speech,” an obvious Academy favorite period piece, will most likely take home the award. However, dark horse candidate “The Kids Are All Right” is a possibility as well. It is a great indie script that highlights the everyday struggles of a lesbian couple raising kids. Academy members may be swayed just as they were for 2008’s “Milk,” which took home the Oscar for best original screenplay that year. — James Paul Best Director Despite “True Grit’s” popularity, the Coen brothers aren’t the center of attention this year. And while Tom Hooper put up a strong take with “The King’s Speech,” it seems the focus is more on Colin Firth than the directing. The same can be said for David O. Russell with “The Fighter,” which

has been talked up for Christian Bale’s and Melissa Leo’s performances more than the rest the film. While “The Social Network” is loved for practically every performance, it’s not going to be the year of David Fincher. And so Darren Aronofsky might finally walk away with best directing for crafting “Black Swan,” a psychological thriller that is known for flair, intense storyline and acting. — Matt Gohn, AUFS CoPresident Best Picture This year’s corral of nominees, while containing a significant percentage of art house indie fare, is the most entertaining in years. From the feel good of “The King’s Speech” to the adrenaline injected “Black Swan” and “The Fighter,” no one can accuse the Oscars of pandering to the stuffy upper crust. Yet my pick for Best Picture is the surprisingly brooding Facebook movie. Nine Inch

Nails’ Trent Reznor’s score propels the murky trademark imagery of director David Fincher and West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin’s razor-sharp dialogue into this pulsating, Rashomon-style narrative. And the performances from this cast of acting’s who’s who of up-and-comers beats every ensemble this year shy of “The Fighter.” But it is the personal connection any 20-year-old male striving to distinguish his worth can have with this film. “The Social Network” encapsulates with its nuance insecurity masked in man’s efforts of displaying dominance in this 21st century. — Ryan Williams, AUFS CoPresident You can watch all our predictions come true (or not) at the Tavern with us this Sunday at 8 p.m when we broadcast the Academy Awards. You’ll also get the chance to test your own film knowledge, win cool prizes and meet the AU Film Society!

!"#$%&$'())*()+,,

/0"1"(,2

-."!"#$!

MOVIE REVIEW I Am Number Four

Courtesy of MUNNYBEAR / FLICKR

Grade: C Scene Says: We are disappointed. By ROCIO GONZALEZ Eagle Staff Writer

“I Am Number Four,” Michael Bay’s latest production, tries to take from two formulas: “Twilight’s” supernatural romance and “Transformers’” explosive action. You would hope the filmmakers would at least take away the best points from each blockbuster series and take them to the next level. You would be wrong. The premise: Number Four (Alex Pettyfer) has spent most of his life on Earth after having to leave his home planet, Lorien, due to a Mogadorian invasion that destroyed it. He has lived his life on the run — though he has plenty of time to go to high school and enjoy extracurricular activities — evading the Mogadorians, who are bent on decimating the entire native population of Lorien. There are nine others of his kind walking among earthlings, but the first three have been found and killed. (Next up is you know who.) The film had a lot of promise but never took off, and this is apparent the minute

the characters begin to speak. It was as if the screenwriters from “Twilight” and “Transformers” got together and asked themselves, “What can we put together with as little effort as possible?” Their answer was “I Am Number Four,” which, like “Twilight,” was first a novel. Starring Pettyfer, a British import, the film makes no effort to break away from clichés. The annoying bully, the science geek, the prettybut-quiet girl who captivates the hero — they are all there. This is just your typical high school movie, now equipped with bigger explosions, uninspired acting and one of the weakest screenplays in recent memory. The film does little to get its audience interested in the story. The romance is bland and unimaginative, with Pettyfer and “Glee’s” Dianna Agron reciting the lines we have all heard before. If you want to see a gorgeous Brit agonizing about the girl he shouldn’t be with, go see “Twilight” or its sequels. It would truly be a better investment of your time and money. Director D.J. Caruso (“Dis-

turbia”) made some interesting (albeit confusing) choices. There are nonsensical sequences throughout the movie featuring the girl later revealed to be Number Six (Teresa Palmer). She crosses paths with Number Four much too late in the film to make it interesting, and she does not do much except look smug when walking away from exploding buildings. This being a Michael Bay production, it is set up so that everything leads to a much too long, much-tooloud explosion extravaganza with a hint of hand-to-hand combat. The questions raised during the first half of the film are never answered, leaving the audience confused and blatantly setting the stage for many sequels to come. Viewers will probably still be willing to wait around to see the sequel — if there’s money, there will be a franchise — and here’s hoping they will make a better effort. Which, let’s face it, is highly unlikely. rgonzalez@theeagleonline. com

Courtesy of MARY REHAK / FLICKR

BATHTIME — Baths is a one-man chillwave project of newbie Will Wiesenfeld. He’s headlining his first tour thanks to rave reviews for his debut album “Cerulean,” released in 2010.

Baths struggles to remain aoat at Rock and Roll Hotel By MAEVE McDERMOTT and MAXWELL TANI Eagle Staff Writer and Eagle Contributing Writer

No one should be surprised by the mediocre performance of pseudo-dubstep prodigy Baths at last Friday’s sold out show at the Rock and Roll Hotel. Baths, the one-man project of Will Wiesenfeld, recorded his debut album “Cerulean” over the span of two months in his bedroom and has capitalized on the rising popularity of the chillwave genre, quickly gaining recognition on major music websites like Pitchfork and Stereogum. But when he stepped onstage Friday, it was clear that he was unprepared to live up to the buzz-band hype. It was evident to the audience from his awkward stage demeanor that Wiesenfeld hadn’t played many live shows before, and he didn’t seem very comfortable being the center of attention for concertgoers. Before even

playing his first song, Wiesenfeld proceeded to elaborate on being sick, in what came across as a poor disclaimer, and proceeded to stumble his way through the opening song only to stop halfway through to start again. Baths’ rough start and onstage troubles would’ve been a non-issue, but sadly his unique brand of experimental bedroom pop didn’t translate well to a live setting. In fact, it didn’t translate at all: instead of the effervescent melodies that made “Cerulean” so enjoyable, Baths played a dark, beat-driven show. Audience members reacted favorably to “Cerulean” standouts “Aminals” and “Halls,” but Baths’ jarring new songs, which were prominently featured in his hour-long set, fell flat with the crowd. All of the carefully constructed textures found in “Cerulean” were obfuscated by bass-heavy synthesized beats that drowned out Wiesenfeld’s falsetto, harmonies and keyboard textures. Any

sort of melody was obscured by complex beats that didn’t adhere to traditional musical standards such as tempo. However, little of this can be blamed on Baths himself. This is Wiesenfeld’s first headlining tour, coming on the heels of his highly anticipated debut album. Hardly a year in the making, Baths is undoubtedly a musician with promise, with a strong recording under his belt and a fresh take on a fast-expiring genre — expecting Wiesenfeld’s first major tour to be flawless is far from reasonable. The next time Baths comes to town, he’ll hopefully be more comfortable on stage and more used to performing his new material, and it’ll likely be a show you won’t want to miss. Unfortunately, Baths’ first headlining appearance in D.C. succumbed to some serious growing pains. mmcdermott@ theeagleonline.com

!"#$%&$'())*()+,,

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.

Cut Copy — Zonoscope (Modular) The surrender of the indiesphere to the 1980s continues into the new year, for better or worse. The trend has resulted in a relative deluge of passionless, “New Romantics” knockoffs, destined for 7.8 ratings on Pitchfork, and soon to be forgotten. But the pop mastery of Cut Copy’s “Zonoscope” is good enough to forgive these indiscretions. There are more ‘80s influences here than you can shake a Casio guitar synthesizer at. The Men at Work vibes of “Take Me Over” and the jangle-pop guitars of “Where I’m Going” make this abundantly clear. Cut Copy has accomplished the interesting feat of creating a superb summer album in the dead of winter. So treat yourselves to these bouncy synths and sing-along choruses when the next Snowpocalpyse hits. Recommended if you like: LCD Soundsystem, Klaxons, Pet Shop Boys Recommended Tracks: 2, 3, 4

— Brad Barbour

Ringo Deathstarr — Colour Trip (Sonic Unyon) As I helplessly watch the latter days of my tweens slip through my rapidly aging fingers, I can’t help but yearn for a return to infancy when I would lie in my crib and let the effects-laden waves of My Bloody Valentine’s “Loveless” cascade over me. Thankfully, I can take comfort in knowing that Ringo Deathstarr is making the beautiful type of shoegaze I crave. “Colour Trip” is overflowing with Stephin Merritt-esque melodies soaked in droning guitar distortion, all backed by pulsing bass lines and driving beats. By swapping vocal duties between Elliot Frazier and Alex Gehring, the band is able to keep things interesting and concurrently set up some awesome harmonies. However, perhaps Ringo’s biggest asset is spot-on mixing and production, which is what puts an already great album over the top. Recommended if you like: The Jesus And Mary Chain, Astrobrite, The Radio Dept. Recommended Tracks: 1, 2, 4, 7

— Peter Gill

Daniel Martin Moore — In The Cool Of The Day (Sub Pop) On his third outing, Kentucky native Daniel Martin Moore sounds right at home. This comes as no surprise when one learns that “In The Cool Of The Day” was inspired by the gospel music Moore heard growing up — the outcome couldn’t sound any more natural. Lyrically, this subtle celebration of faith is simply an extension of the vaguely uplifting themes that permeated his earlier work. Musically, Moore’s unbelievably smooth voice once again takes center stage, but this time around he wisely augments his traditionally spare arrangements with tints of gospel, jazz, and bluegrass that lend themselves to a more engaging listening experience. Put it all together, and you’ve got one of the most unpretentious, yet undeniably good, albums of the year. Recommended if you like: Ben Sollee, James Taylor, God Recommended Tracks: 2, 3, 4, 11

— Claire Teeling

The Natural Yogurt Band — Tuck In With … (Now Again) This review will do its best at describing this record, but it probably won’t do a very good job. Just being honest. In 2009, The Natural Yogurt Band released their first record, “Away with Melancholy,” and caught the attention of everyone looking for their psychedelic modern funk fix. With “Away with Melancholy” long gone (they only had a thousand limited copies), the band, former Little Barrie drummer Wayne Fullwood and Miles Newbold, are back with “Tuck In With…” and have added a world influence to their psychedelic jazz funk. It sounds like these two just travel as nomads across the world, recruiting locals to come play with them wherever they go. With all the tracks being very short (none are longer than two minutes), it’s constantly changing for the better. Recommended if you like: Madlib, David Axelrod, The Heliocentrics Recommended tracks: 1, 4, 5, 7

— Kevin Kunitake

Fujiya & Miyagi — Ventriloquizzing (Yep Roc) Brighton’s Fujiya & Miyagi have returned with their latest album in two years, as well as their darkest. In their title song, they compare themselves to marionette puppets, setting the pessimistic mood for the album, where other songs touch on themes of temptation, gluttony and other human ills. The funk-y electronic bass lines and beats that serve as a background for these lyrics create a conundrum for the listener: Do you dance or just sit down as the cynical lyrics overtake you? That, my DJs, depends on you. But if you like your electronic music tempered with a dash of funk, I recommend a listen. Recommended if you like: Aphex Twin, Can, (an electronic, softer) James Brown Recommended Tracks: 2, 4, 5

— Allison Porambo

Stalley — Lincoln Way Nights (Intelligent Trunk Music / Mishka) To compare Stalley’s latest project to a classic car is almost too fitting. Stalley is a rapper with an epic beard who hails from the small blue-collar town of Massillon, Ohio, known for football, basketball and cars. They take classic cars and chop them up, raise them, add fresh paint, new rims and subwoofers. On “Lincoln Way Nights,” Stalley brings his hometown’s athlete work ethic as he takes apart the classic hip-hop model piece by piece, rebuilding it bigger and louder but always keeping its classic touch. It’s like Clint Eastwood’s car from “Gran Torino,” well-polished and loud so people can’t help but stare. The production gives the record that gritty old-school sound while Stalley’s soft-spoken flow keeps the record sounding new. Turn up the bass for this one. Recommended if you like: UGK, Curren$y, Big K.R.I.T. Recommended Tracks: 2, 4, 9, 14

— Kevin Kunitake

/0"1"(,2

-."!"#$!

Cast bares all for erotic update of Greek tragedy ‘Oedipus El Rey’ By MADELINE WOLFSON Eagle Staff Writer

Far too often classic works are left untouched, gathering dust and losing their intended impact. However “Oedipus el Rey” not only revamps Sophocles’ famous morality tale, but also injects the fire, grit and vivacity that reside in the deepest caverns of human nature. This electric Chicano retelling runs until March 6 at the Woolley Mammoth Theatre where tickets start at 35 dollars. Impeccably written by Chicano playwright Luis Alfaro (previous co-director of the Latino Theatre Initiative and chairman of the Gay Men of Color Consortium) and directed by Michael John (Garcés) the play gracefully takes the story of Oedipus and updates it, setting it in present day Southern California. The play remains faithful to the Greek work in which an ambitious King is told that he is fated to kill his father and marry his mother. The hero tragically does just this, unknowingly, in his attempt to cheat fate and rise above the will of the Gods. The honest and bold portrayal, performed by an all-Hispanic cast, chooses to take less time on the aftermath of Oedipus’ hubris — rather it focuses on his rise to royalty, his fall into Fate’s cruel hands and the act of reckless violence and sexuality from which we are traditionally kept safely distanced. The show is vibrant and excels in its use of staging, lights and design. A thin cross-like stage serves as the setting of both the prison where the play begins and where Oedipus blindly adheres to Fate’s prophecy. The stage is sparse but makes smart use of grates, metal bars and a rust dominated color pallet. Ominous reverberating clanks of metal trans-

port the viewers into an unfamiliar, ethereal world. Two balconies ornamented with prayer candles are ever-present, reminding the viewer that the Gods (in this case those of the Catholicism and Chicano tradition) are always watching. Costumes are wonderfully understated and are juxtaposed with vivid tribal tattoos, starkly inked on the inmates who deliver the protagonist’s fate that work as grand images of the Divine. The show succeeds but stops short of greatness. Andres Munar stars as Oedipus and is textually required to be physically strong as well as comfortable fulfilling the fully nude sex scene that is anything but subtle. The cast was solid, no one person shining more brightly than another. However the acting never matches the raw realism of the text. The performances may have been crisp, clean and well-rehearsed but they lacked the vulnerability and nuance for which the script begged. Had the chorus (or Coro) been more highly stylized and the leads been pushed to exist honestly within their characters rather than represent them than the audience would have been breathless. Despite this, the show is still a must see for anyone willing to face it. Ultimately “El Rey” creates an ethereal yet grounded world dominated by destiny that allows rare and poignant insight into the forbidden eroticism, emotional brutality and stinging anguish that the ancient material only implies. The show forces the viewer to face the darkest corners of humanity and will leave the audience questioning their own desires and capabilities. mwolfson@ theeagleonline.com

!"#$%&$'())*()+,,

/0"1"(,2

-."!"#$!

MOVIE REVIEW The Eagle

Courtesy of MATT NETTHEIM

Grade: B Scene Says: Squandered potential abounds. By TRAVIS McKAY ROBERTS

Eagle Contributing Writer It’s been a while since we’ve seen a Roman-era drama of the quality of “Spartacus,” “Gladiator” or “Troy” — and it might take a while longer. “The Eagle,” based on the Rosemary Sutcliffe novel, “The Eagle of the Ninth,” does its very best to join those ranks. However, not even an all-star cast (starring Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell, Donald Sutherland and Mark Strong) can save this (occasionally) painfully slow movie. Marcus Aquilis (Tatum), is the son of one of Rome’s most famous, or perhaps infamous, generals. The general’s most renowned achievement? Losing 5,000 soldiers in the North of Britain. In a quest for redemp-

tion, Marcus manages to achieve an officer’s post at his father’s old fortress, near Hadrian’s Wall in Britain. After a crippling attack on the fortress by the barbaric Gaelic tribes, Marcus conscripts a young British slave, Esca (Bell), to serve as his guide through the isolated northern territories. The movie tries to take on many roles. It is a traveling adventure movie, with huge swaths of the movie filmed in beautiful, “Lord of the Rings”-esque vistas of Hungary or on location in the Scottish Highlands. It is a buddy movie, of sorts. The ever-changing relationship between slave and master, oppressor and oppressed, friend and enemy, is a central theme of the film. Lastly, it is most definitely an action movie. And if you go for no other reason, go to see the in-

credible, beautifully-choreographed action scenes. However, above all, the movie is a historical film with modern political undertones. However, despite the careful attention to historical detail (the phalanx formations and authentic Gaelic dialogue spring to mind), “The Eagle” falls flat on its face by the second act. The movie’s somber, tranquil tone makes for profoundly eerie scenes. It leads to a slow movie, punctuated by explosive and intense action scenes. It’s a recommended watch, if only for the movie it comes very close to being: a poignant, moving film about freedom and honor. Instead, “The Eagle” is a jack-of-all-trades, and master of none. thescene@theeagleonline. com

VISIT THE INCUBATOR

BLOGS.THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

SHIRA KARSEN / THE EAGLE

ANIMAL INSTINCT — Animal Collective member “The Geologist,” (left), Director Danny Perez and AU student coordinator Ben Nigh discuss the making of “ODDSAC.”

Animal Collective screens trippy new lm at Mudbox By MAEVE McDERMOTT Eagle Staff Writer

Filmmaker Danny Perez brought his experimental film “ODDSAC” to the Mudbox on Friday, Feb. 18 as part of the Critical Approach Film Series. “ODDSAC” was the product of four years of collaboration between Perez and the members of the band Animal Collective. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival last January. Animal Collective’s Brian Weitz (more commonly known as “the Geologist”) joined Perez to discuss their film. The screening began with a visual collage of Perez’s installation performance at the Guggenheim that incorporated an Animal Collective soundtrack with video, sculpture and gigantic costumed creatures. The elaborate visuals gave a taste of what was to come in “ODDSAC.” Perez’s creation was, in a word, trippy. The 53-minute film featured new Animal Collective tracks, which ranged in sound from more standard tracks to disso-

nant, otherworldly audio. Absent of a real narrative structure, “ODDSAC” featured instead a series of twisted vignettes featuring a woman fighting as her house disintegrates into tar, a man playing drums in a field of rocks, a family on a camping trip whose faces are consumed by marshmallows and a massive food fight in a forest spurred by a nightmarish glittering fish-man. The stunning visual and ethereal soundtrack had a hypnotizing effect on the patrons of the Mudbox. Visually “ODDSAC” was a stunning kaleidoscope of a film that served as the perfect counterpart to Animal Collective’s trippy soundtrack. After the film, Perez and Weitz held a question-andanswer session to shed some light on their creative processes in making the film and the more humorous moments of their collaboration. “It was as simultaneous as we could make it — that’s why we call it a visual album and not a movie or a music video. We shot all

the live action stuff first and from there we started making demos, and then [Perez] would recut the scene and send it back to us and we would rerecord the music, so we’ve been passing it back and forth for three years or so,” said Weitz. In a welcome change in tone, Perez and Weitz played up the more humorous aspects of making the film, joking about child actors gone wrong and mishaps involving low-budget props. “I cannot believe they convinced them to give us money to make this thing. What they asked us for was a tour documentary,” Weitz said. When asked about plans for future projects, Weitz and Perez both laughed. “We’ll make a roadtrip comedy,” Perez deadpanned. After the success of “ODDSAC,” let’s cross our fingers for a Perez-directed, Animal Collective-scored “Wild Hogs II.” mmcdermott@ theeagleonline.com

!"#$%&$'())*()+,,

/0"1"(,2

-."!"#$!

TUESDAY 22

SCENE CALENDAR WEDNESDAY 23

THURSDAY 24

Kettle of Fish 8 p.m. WHERE: Artisphere, 1101 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, Va. METRO: Rosslyn (blue/orange lines) WHAT: Arlington Independent Media presents a film about a man who is forced to confront his intimacy issues when he sublets his apartment to an attractive biologist. COST: $6 CONTACT: www.arlingtonarts.com

PETE’S NEW HAVEN STYLE PIZZA

Rasputin: The Mad Monk 8 p.m. WHERE: The Passenger, 1021 7th St. NW METRO: Metro Center (red/blue/orange lines) WHAT: The Washington Psychotronic Film Society is a group of film lovers who offer weekly screenings of obscure, off-beat films both new and old. In “Rasputin,” Christopher Lee plays a mystical visionary who is equally loved and hated by his town. COST: Free ($2.00 suggested donation) CONTACT: www.wpfs.org

Double Dagger 8:30 p.m. WHERE: Black Cat, 1811 14th St. NW METRO: U Street/AfricanAmerican War Memorial/ Cardozo (green and yellow lines) WHAT: The Baltimore, punk-rock trio that makes up Double Dagger like to boast that their music is best enjoyed in their live performances. They’re joined by Imperial China and Tiny Bombs at Black Cat Backstage. COST: $8 CONTACT: www.blackcatdc.com

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

FRIDAY 25

SATURDAY 26

SUNDAY 27

Darkest Hour 5 p.m. WHERE: 9:30 club, 815 V St. NW METRO: U Street/AfricanAmerican War Memorial/ Cardozo (green and yellow lines) WHAT: As part of the Atticus Metal Tour, Darkest Hour is joined by Born of Osiris, As Blood Runs Black and The Human Abstract at the 9:30 club. COST: $15 CONTACT: www.930.com

The Dance Party 8:30 p.m. WHERE: DC9, 1940 9th St. NW METRO: U Street/AfricanAmerican War Memorial/ Cardozo (green and yellow lines) WHAT: While formed and based in the nation’s capital, The Dance Party pop rock quartet actually draws its inspiration from living in Hollywood. They’re joined by Blackbells at DC9. COST: $10 CONTACT: www.dcnine.com

Juno and the Paycock 2 p.m. WHERE: Artisphere, 1101 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, Va. METRO: Rosslyn (blue/orange lines) WHAT: Directed by Shirley Serotsky, “Juno” follows Captain Boyle and his family as they struggle to survive in the midst of the Irish Civil War. COST: $26.50 (with student ID) CONTACT: www.arlingtonarts.com

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

MOVIE REVIEW Last Lions Grade: A By TAHEEA KHAN

Eagle Contributing Writer In the last 50 years, the lion population has plummeted from 450,000 to 20,000. The documentary “The Last Lions” explores this recent and shocking pattern. The film was directed by filmmakers Dereck and Beverly Joubert and presented by National Geographic Entertainment in association with Wildlife Films. The award-winning filmmakers spent over 28 years in Africa, exploring, filming and researching wild lions. In fact, a documentary produced by the husband-and-wife team was screened for Disney animators as inspiration for one of this generation’s most memorable childhood films, “The Lion King.” “The Last Lions” reveals the true, epic journey of lioness Ma di Tau (Mother of Lions) as she fights for survival. The beginning of the film shows how Ma di Tau and her male’s

territory is invaded by a rival pride, after which she is left to solely care for her three cubs. Shunned from her previous territory, Ma di Tau is the first lion to cross the feared crocodile-infested river to take refuge and find prey in order to feed milk to her cubs in Duba Island. The film demonstrates her struggle of protecting and nurturing her three cubs against all odds, as her first cub drowns in water and her second is brutally injured, forcing Ma di Tau to make the heartbreaking decision to leave her behind. With amazing storytelling and incredibly up-close footage, one question echoes throughout, “Will the surviving cub be one of the last wild lions to exist?” The remote Duba Island has been home to the Jouberts for the last seven years, giving them the rare experience of observing the formation and evolution of a lion pride. The film “The Last Lions” beautifully documents the cycle of life and the primal instincts in every mother to protect

her offspring and bloodline. Although entirely focused on lions in this one particular location, the Jouberts were able to captivate the audience throughout with familiar emotions of fear, strength, affection and courage — everything that we can relate to in our daily lives. By sharing the experiences of Ma di Tau, the audience feels the suspense and urgency of this crisis. As Dereck Joubert stated in a Q&A after the film screening, “We no longer have the luxury of time when it comes to big cats, they are in such a downward spiral that if we hesitate now, we will be responsible for extinctions across the globe. If there was ever a time to take action, it is now.” It is in fact critical that potential viewers who may not be aware of the current situation of lions, watch the film to fully comprehend the severity of this crisis and the potential for change in any way possible. thescene@theeagleonline. com

MONDAY 28 Gull 9 p.m. WHERE: Black Cat, 1811 14th St. NW METRO: Not much is known about Gull other than his bare Internet presence and multiple YouTube videos where he plays his songs on the guitar and drums at the same time. He’s playing a set at the Black Cat Backstage. COST: $8 CONTACT: www.blackcatdc.com

$#%&'(&)*++,*+-..

!"#!"#$%&'()

%01234!"##(20#15065#4718

Wait … There’s a museum on campus? By LAUREN ALEXANDER The Incubator

Who actually goes into the Katzen museum? I’ve always said that I wanted to, but the sculptures outside are enough to give me some art fulfillment for a while. Any art student who spends any time at all in Katzen must pass by the museum. I mean hello, the Katzen Café is right next door. We always have the excuse that there is no time, or no interest, because who wants to walk around a campus museum? Personally, I have always loved going to museums, like the Guggenheim in New York City. And who doesn’t love the Newseum? Am I right? So I was reading Today@AU, like the minority of students who do, and I checked the “upcoming events” section only to find out that the exhibit is changing! Since Jan. 25, six new artists have been on display. As I walked by the museum this evening, I saw a crazy, yet beautiful, looking lady who took up the entire back wall of the gallery. The museum itself is actually pretty big. We’ve all heard that Katzen is as long as the Washington Monument is tall, or something. Well that tidbit is certainly confirmed after I spent about an hour admiring the wall art of different incredible, and mostly young, professional artists. Dafna Kaffeman’s art is definitely my favorite on display. Her 3-D statues and sculptures are made of all glass and replicate anything found in nature, like leaves or fur. It’s so cool how glass can look so, well, soft and comforting. If you were to look at her sculpture with the naked eye, you would never in a million years guess that it was glass, but indeed it is! She has a variety of sizes of her artwork. However, her smaller, delicate pieces, as well as her

large-scale installations deal with issues raised by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (She is an Israeli artist.) Along with the rest of the art hanging in Katzen made by students, the building is truly beautiful. The only difference is that the art in the rotunda and by the stairs in interactive. Does anyone remember that awesome rope-ish, wheel thing that was attached to wall all the way to the left side of the building last semesCourtesy of AU MUSEUM

Can we be When good love goes bad: “It’s so Handling the ‘Sudden Turn Off’ ‘Normative’?

cool how glass can look so, well, soft.” ter? No? Not a good enough description? The interactive display had a rope which you could pull and wheels would turn, and it was really really cool. Anyway, I’m just saying that maybe one day our students’ artwork will be on display in the Katzen museum. Oh — and go check it out before the exhibit closes, you’ve got until March 13. Free admission 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. blogs@theeagleonline.com

By SUZETTE ELIZABETH LAKE The Incubator

We’ve all experienced the romantic anomaly that is the “Sudden Turn Off.” You’re hanging out with somebody new and it’s going great. You’re getting along well and have lots to talk about. You’re actually thinking this might be heading somewhere...then it happens: for no apparent reason you’re suddenly turned off. All at once, the things you found cute and endearing yesterday become childish and unattractive in the harsh light of today. The laid-back attitude you thought was so cool before now reveals itself to be simple laziness and a lack of ambition. Literally, all the positives invert to negatives. You know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you’re finished with this person, because once you’re turned off, you’re turned off for good. OK. So just end it and walk away. No problem, right? Oh, but there is a problem,

my friend. You now have to pull a Relationship Rewind and retrogress things back to their pre-romantic beginnings — which is an extremely difficult thing to do. Once you cut off a fledgling relationship how do you move forward with that person as friends? When you “all of the sudden” change your mind about someone you’re dating, how do you do it without looking like a jerk? It just hit you like a ton of bricks that you don’t want to be with this person, and you’ve got to let them know. But it’s a difficult concept to articulate because all your behavior up to this point signaled “all systems go” — because you really meant it at the time — and directly conflicts with your present state of attraction (or lack thereof). So how do you explain your sudden change of feeling? This is truly a conundrum and I’m going to go ahead and be honest and just admit that I have no succinct answer to this question. I’ve found myself in this situation a few times in my life, and I am not too proud to

admit that I almost always ended up taking the awkward way out (also know as, just letting things linger on until a confrontation was absolutely unavoidable). I’m all about direct conflict when someone makes me angry or acts unjustly, but I hate having to initiate those awkward confrontations that occur when the other party hasn’t done anything wrong. In some ways, it’d be much easier for me if the person I’m trying to dump would get angry with me. But, as it stands, this post specifically discusses instances in which the party being ditched is entirely innocent, and is only being let go because of a sudden change-of-heart. So, I’ve decided to leave this one open-ended and ask what you would do (or have done) in a situation such as this. E-mail me personally at slake@theeagleonline.com with your answers, advice and comments. Cheers. slake@theeagleonline.com

By CHRIS CONSROE The Incubator

To begin this discussion, I propose a quote: “I don’t set out to offend or shock, but I also don’t do anything to avoid it.” –Sarah Silverman As I understand it, heteronormativity is the idea that society is setup with norms and values that align sex, sexuality and gender roles. That however, is not how I hear it being used. Maybe it’s the kind of person I hear use it, maybe it’s the frequency with which I hear it used trivially: either way I cannot stand it. When it’s being used to analyze our culture in an investigative sense, I think heteronormativity can play a role. In everyday conversation, it doesn’t. Too often have I heard someone use the word heteronormative to condemn what they feel discriminates or oppresses them.

!"#!"#$! Read the rest of this blog post and join the discussion:

http://eagl.us/canwebenormative

!"#$%&$'())*()+,,

/01$-2(,3

-."!"#$!

A warning to the team that dares Men’s basketball needs better focus to reach NCAA tourney sign the best player in baseball SIDELINE SCHOLAR

BEN LASKY With the Albert Pujols extension deadline passed, almost every team and fan in baseball is hoping to acquire The Machine’s services next offseason. However, Pujols, or anyone his age for that matter, is not worth a 10year contract. At this rate by the time his career is over Pujols will be the best first baseman in the history of baseball. Go to baseballreference.com and you’ll see players comparable to Pujols at the same age. On that list are names like Gehrig, Aaron, Mantle and Frank Robinson. Not such a bad list to be associated with. The problem is that Pujols is 31 years-old, 32 by opening day 2012, and a 10year contract close to $300 million given to a player at that age could handcuff a team financially if they are not playing in the Bronx or Boston. After turning 35 years old, Frank Robinson slugged over .500 just once in five years. Mantle was out of the !

from EAGLES on page 20

next eight points to extend its lead to 50-42 with just under nine minutes left. The Crusaders pulled to within two points on four separate occasions during the final eight minutes, but could never tie or take the lead from the Eagles. An Alyssa May conventional 3point play made it 59-58 AU with 3:25 left, but that would be the closest Holy Cross

game due to injuries by the time he was 37. Hank Aaron was well below average his last two seasons, though he was in his 40s. If Pujols plays well for the first eight years of the contract, I’m sure the Cardinals would view it as a success. However, what if he’s merely above league average for the last five years of the deal? Is five years at close to $30 million a year for a pretty good first baseman worth it for a team like the Cardinals? The Rangers thought signing Alex Rodriguez was a franchise-altering move when they signed him to that 10year, $252 million contract in 2001, but quickly realized that they had no money to make any other significant moves. Three years later he was gone. Don’t get me wrong, if Pujols were to leave it would be a gigantic loss for the Cardinals in production on and off the field. However, there have been countless instances in which so-called franchise players leave their teams and the team moves on. Babe Ruth didn’t finish his career with the Yankees. They won the World Series a year after his departure. Favre left the Packers. How are they doing? And according to Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert the

Cavs are going to win the NBA championship before the Heat. Make no doubt about it, if Pujols leaves the Cardinals they will never be able to make up his level of production with one player. But they would be able to sign multiple players with the $30 million they would save annually. The Cardinals could give him a contract based on legacy ala Derek Jeter but it wouldn’t be as easy for the Cardinals, because again, the Yankees are about the only team that can hand out that kind of contract. Next summer Pujols will see what is out there in terms of contract offers and some team will offer him a 10year deal. Sorry Yankees and Red Sox fans, I’m not talking about you. It turns out that each team only has room for one great first baseman. But whoever does offer the deal may end up getting a oncein-a generation hitter for 10 years. More likely though they’ll be paying close to $30 million a year for an aging legend who is a shade of his former self in the final few years of the deal.

would get in the game’s final minutes. AU responded to May’s effort with a 9-1 run to secure the victory. Ebony Edwards was the main contributor, as the guard totaled six points during the stretch that saw AU’s lead balloon from 5958 to 68-59. The Eagles went 5-7 from the free throw line down the stretch to secure the win. The Patriot League Tournament is set to begin Mar. 5. A

loss to Navy on Wednesday would give the Midshipmen its second win over AU this season and drop the Eagles to second in the conference. Following the crucial showdown with Navy, AU will host the Lafayette Leopards on Saturday, Feb. 26 in the final regular season game for both teams.

By MARK NATALE Eagle Staff Writer

Hey, look at that. Our team is second in the standings. Yes, AU, our men’s basketball team has now officially locked up the second seed in the Patriot League Tournament for next month. So what’s that mean for those of you back at home who are casual viewers? Nothing. For you die-hard fans out there? Same story: nothing. The Eagles have simply been owned by the Bucknell University Bison this year. Yeah, second place is good and all, and that means that we get to host a semifinal game at AU, but when it all comes down to it, Bucknell has the Eagles’ number this season and they’re still No. 1. I’m going to take the role of the ultimate pessimist here. With the team as it stands right now, do not look for AU to make it to the Big Dance. It’s every college team’s dream to make it to the NCAA Tournament in March, but this year, the

team is just not cut out to do it. Looking at the team, one would expect much better. This year, the Eagles have been offensively dominating. Vlad Moldoveanu, Stephen Lumpkins and Troy Brewer have held this team together when it comes to scoring. As of Sunday, Lumpkins leads the Patriot League in field goal percentage while Moldoveanu is second in the league in PPG. But that doesn’t mean that the Eagles are legitimate contenders for the spot in the tourney this year. AU has been plagued by a tendency to play only one decent half a game. That half is really good, yes, but it’s still just one half of a game. You can’t win games against the beast from Pennsylvania while only putting together one good half. AU also struggles just keeping the ball. I can’t count how many times I’ve seen the referee point the ball at the basket AU’s defending because of a silly mental mistake or a lack of communication. It’s the end

of the season and that stuff should not be happening. The positive energy on the bench just isn’t there — they need to be confident in themselves before AU can move on and take a stab at Bucknell. AU needs to get its act together and use its remaining games of the season to put together some big wins. A few huge victories towards the end of the season and the momentum can carry into the playoffs and help the team get through the first couple rounds. Inside, I’m an optimist — I want AU to win and I want our school to have the opportunity to play in the Big Dance. It’s a big deal that, lately, the numbers of people at sporting events has been rather dismal. Our campus needs a pick-me-up, and an opportunity to play in the biggest tournament of the year could definitely help us out. So pick up your game, AU. We want to win. We want to beat those Bison. Don’t you? sports@theeagleonline.com

blasky@theeagleonline.com Name: Stephen Lumpkins Age: 20 Height: 6’8’’ Weight: 225 Hometown: Redwood City, Calif. Grade/School: Junior/Kogod School of Business Position: Forward Why did you decide to come to AU to play basketball? Location and combination of academics and basketball. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Ten years, um, not sure. With a family and doing something I enjoy. What is your best sports moment at AU? Freshman year going to the NCAA Tournament.

ttomea@theeagleonline. com

VISIT THE INCUBATOR

BLOGS.THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

Photo credit: PHIL OCHS / THE EAGLE

PPG

FG%

3PT%

FT%

RPG

APG

2008-09

3.4

46.3

52.5

2.6

.25

2009-10

51.5

57.1

8.5

1.25

2010-11

13.3

57.7

63.4

8.1

!"#$%&$'())*()+,,

!"#$%!

AU clinches No. 2 seed in Patriot League Tournament By MICHEAL MCELVEEN Eagle Contributing Writer

RACHEL DEVOR / THE EAGLE

TEAM PLAYER — Senior guard Nick Hendra dribbles by College of the Holy Cross defenders during AU’s 64-60 win on Sunday. Hendra finished with nine assists and 8 points. AU clinched the No. 2 seed in the upcoming Patriot League Tournament.

-."&'()& -." &'()&

STEPHEN LUMPKINS FORWARD — #32

Nick Hendra seemed to see every play in his head before it happened on his way to dropping a seasonhigh nine assists in a close victory over rival Holy Cross. It was Re-Phil Bender night and although the gym was half empty, the entire arena was rocking from the jump ball. Hendra used his vision to see plays ahead of time, as he dished out assists to at least four different teammates. Hendra has been dubbed a “shoot first” player, but his arsenal of passing was on display against a strong showing from the Crusaders in AU’s 64-60 win. “I take what the defense gives me. If they play off me, I will shoot it,” Hendra said. However, Holy Cross did not get the memo that Hendra has registered at least four assists in the Eagles’ past six games. AU secured second place in the Patriot League with the victory. While Hendra played puppet master, Vlad Moldoveanu scorched the nets with 15 points in the second half. Moldoveanu struggled for most of the first half, going 1-5 from the field in 13 minutes. He found his niche at the free throw line, where he finished the half completing 6-7 from the stripe. He finished the game with 23 points and snagged seven rebounds while going 13-15 from the free throw line. “For us, it’s our biggest rival. We wanted to win this game,” he said. “Every game is a tournament game.” Holy Cross stumbled out of the gate, shooting a dismal 0-5 in the first 5:03 of the game. The Eagles struggled to find the bottom of

the net as well, going 2-7 from the field. Coming out of a timeout with 14:57 remaining in the first half, the Crusaders moved star guard Devin Brown to the off guard position and he hit a fadeaway jumper to give Holy Cross their first points of the night. Brown, averaging 15.3 points per game, would not do much damage during the game. He finished the contest just shy of his season average with 13 points on 5-13 shooting from the field. After a scrappy first half, which AU finished leading 26-22, both teams cleaned up their offense and executed. Holy Cross opened the half 5-7 from the field but AU one-upped them by going 5-6 and holding the lead at 36-33 with 15:55 remaining. Moldoveanu took over scoring wise with a left-handed layup and pull up out of the post. He also added an assist to Lumpkins for an uncontested layup. But Holy Cross was not going to sit and watch Moldoveanu for long. Andrew Keister drew three defenders but managed to score out of a post move to give the Crusaders their first lead of the game 39-38. Moldoveanu, sensing the moment, drove the lane to draw a foul and a technical on Holy Cross’ bench. “I pride myself in that,” he said. He made one of the two free throws to tie the game. The Eagles connected on five of six free throws during the last 2:55 of the game. Hendra ended the game with eight points, nine assists and five rebounds. The Eagles will face Navy in their next game Wednesday, Feb. 23 at Bender Arena. sports@theeagleonline.com

)+ Women come back from decit to take top spot in Patriot League By TYLER TOMEA Eagle Staff Writer

The AU women’s basketball team exploded for 50 second-half points en route to a 73-62 comefrom-behind victory over the Holy Cross Crusaders Saturday in Worcester, Mass. Two wins in the team’s final two contests will now clinch the No. 1 seed in the Patriot League Tournament for the Eagles. Liz Leer helped erase a 32-23 halftime deficit with her fifth double-double of the season (19 of her 25 points in the second half, 10 rebounds), and the Eagles’ win moved them into first place in the Patriot League. Alex Smith, who totaled 16 points on 6-9 shooting, paced the Crusaders. “Today we showed our toughness and resilience by overcoming a tough start to the game and rebounding with a quality second half,” AU Head Coach Matt Corkery told AU Athletics. “We worked to get better shots as the game progressed and played with a lot of energy and determination.” After trailing by as many as 10 points in the first half, a Leer layup with 13:03 remaining put AU up 40-39 for its first lead since the 9:53 mark of the first half. On the ensuing possession, Holy Cross regained the lead with two free throws from Brisje Malone. But Lisa Strack, who tallied 11 points and six assists on the afternoon, answered with a 3pointer to give AU a lead it would never relinquish. Strack’s triple put the Eagles ahead 43-41 with 12:21 to play. AU would then score seven of the !

see EAGLES on page 19