The Eagle - September 27, 2011

American University’s student voice since 1925

September 27, 2011 Volume 86 – Issue 5

THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

AU DEPARTMENT OF PERFORMING ARTS presents

DEAD MAN WALKING a play on death row, dedicated to the case of Troy Davis

PAGE 10 @THEEAGLEONLINE

September 27, 2011

theEAGLE

IN THIS ISSUE

FROM THE TWITTERSPHERE

3 NEWS 3 RANTS, 4 ACTIVITY FEES, 7 COLLEGE WRITING, 8 MAP-WORKS 10 SCENE 10 DEAD MAN WALKING, 11 GOOD EATS, 13 SEX COLUMN 16 OPINION 16 STAFF EDITORIAL, 17 COLUMNS 20 SPORTS 20 MEN’S SOCCER, 20 FIELD HOCKEY, 18 VOLLEYBALL 13

You know you go to a politically active school when the residence hall elections are more competitive than the sports teams @TheEagleOnline @csHastings, Sept. 21

I got hired here 3 yrs ago and still love my job RT @ AmericanU: The Job and Internship Fair has started in #AmericanU’s Bender Arena.

THIS WEEK

SEPT. 27 — GLOBALIZATION AND MODERN DAY SLAVERY IN BRAZIL 3:30 p.m. - 5 p.m. / Hughes Formal Lounge / Author and human rights activist Binka Le Breton will discuss her involvement in the conservation and development of the Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest. / Contact: PartnersAU@gmail.com

SEPT. 28— PAINT YOUR BAG WITH AMLIT 2 p.m. - 5 p.m. / Quad / Paint a free tote bag, check out last year’s magazines and pick up other free goodies with American Literary Magazine as its celebrate its Sept. 30 submission deadline. / amlitmag@gmail.com

SEPT. 29 — DEAD MAN WALKING 8 p.m. / Katzen Arts Center Studio Center / Tim

K

@Rintintin93, Sept. 21

Robbins’ play “Dead Man Walking” examines the relationship between a convicted man on death row and his spiritual advisor. The play is based on the novel by Sister Helen Perjean. Tickets cost $10 for AU students, faculty and staff and $15 for others. / RSVP required auarts@american.edu

@dcseth, Sept. 21

John Legend is speaking at @AmericanU for alumni/ parents weekend. Topic: “social justice.” Didn’t know he had a new album out.

OCT. 1— CRAFTY BASTARDS 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. / Marie Reed Recreation Center / Discover unique arts and crafts at this downtown festival.

@ skumra926, Sept. 21

OCT. 3— BREASTIVAL

work all day, study all night. life of a go-getter (@ AmericanU swag)

11 a.m. – 6 p.m. / Quad / Show your support for the prevention, research and awareness of breast cancer at Women’s Initiative’s annual festival. / wi@ausg.org

@JAlves6, Sept. 22

CORRECTIONS

The Eagle has a commitment to accuracy and clarity and will print any corrections or clarifications. To report a mistake, email editor@theeagleonline.com.

@AmericanU after having a class switched into Kogod, I am yet again convinced that Business has the best facilities on campus

A Scene article stated Blends with Benefits “solely” performs pop, jazz, blues and alternative music. In fact, those genres are merely some of the genres Blends performs.

@ARstumbaugh, Sept. 21

Just received my graduation clearance documents... So surreal. #ClassOf2012 @AmericanU

The Aug. 30 News article “Main campus parking rates rise again” stated that students cannot park in the SIS garage. Only students with permits cannot park in the garage. The article also stated that it is possible for a student’s license to be suspended because of numerous AU parking tickets, which is incorrect.

E

AMERICAN UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT VOICE

MISSION

POLICIES

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.

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News 3

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/

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CLASSIFIEDS

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Register free for jobs near campus or home. www.student-sitters.com ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE/PAYROLL/ BOOKKEEPER NO Experience necessary.

Salary Commensurate, and takes little of your time. Requirements: -Should be a computer literate,must be efficient and dedicated. Please send resume to: distributionspcompany@gmail.com JOB OPPORTUNITIES! COME MEET US! Do you want to be part of one of DC’s foremost culinary and dining experiences?

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(Re)Defining Power Paradigms of Praxis the 8th annual public anthropology conference

october 15-16, 2011 keynote speakers Max Forte & Barbara Rose Johnston

Anthropology

department

a conference for activists academics & you

American

University

college of

arts & sciences

EAGLE RANTS

Is it sad that my days abroad consist of checking the Eagle website for Eagle Rants?

I just have no sense of time here and want my little piece of AU …

To the person who stole my giant bag of Cinnamon Toast Crunch from TDR-Mart: You better watch yourself.

Wanna get involved in Student Government, but all the positions have been filled before I arrived. President McBride seems to want diversity except when it comes to freshmen.

Mikey, I don’t know who you are, but I vow to take away your obscene amounts of mayorships around AU from you on Foursquare.

WONK can die in a miserable fire of hate and despair.

The person who came up with that campaign should be made to watch nothing but C-SPAN3 (not one or two).

Correct me if I’m wrong, but the point of being a “hipster” is to be a counterpoint to mainstream culture. Why is it that I saw a “hipster” today with a Coach handbag, an iPod and name-brand headphones?

Seriously, you’re not even trying anymore. Freshmen suck at everything.

Wanted: One male student. Must be tall, of an athletic build and clean-shaven.

Must be good at math as well as nice and funny. Must be willing to take my flower.

That is all.

Everyone hating on Tim McBride … STFU. The guy is awesome, nice and have you noticed, HE IS EVERYWHERE! Get off your laptop and say hi to him and you will agree.

My Jew-dar needs to be recalibrated …

There’s gum stuck on the underside of my desk and I want to remove it. Problem is, I’m too afraid to touch it.

registration is free at american.edu/cas/anthro/public questions, comments, concerns: aupublicanthro@gmail.com

#Catch-22.

AUSG should have a weekly column where members talk about what they are actually doing. Let’s see some transparency and open communication with the student body. Enough pointless ego boosting. Get AU to create a website to show how they spend our tuition dollars!

It’s too bad that all our fall sports teams are losing like crazy. They’re actually pretty good, and I feel like it’s scaring away a lot of people from future games.

Christ, my roommate is so incompetent.

TROLS THE BLOTTER CONTROLS THE UNIVERSE. I think it’s discriminatory that you’re not allowed to hand write and mail in Eagle Rants. What am I supposed to do, buy a computer? Yeah right!

[Editor’s Note: Umm, if you really want to submit a handwritten Rant, you can drop it off in the hanging folders outside MGC 252. No promises we won’t do handwriting analyses and discover your true identity, though.]

I’m not actually a student at AU but I moved to Washington recently and I’ve been taking the AU shuttle eve-

I’m procrastinating right now ...

Every time I see you, you look upset or you’re crying.

You’re beautiful, and it kills me to see you look so upset.

Please be happy! Plus, you have the bluest, most gorgeous eyes I’ve ever seen.

I thought Jane Goodall came to talk about how to effectively communicate with AU Central (which has to be run my chimps), but apparently it was a talk on world peace instead.

Facebook, if you keep messing your crap up, I WILL END YOU. This is a promise.

Dear AU Masked Vigilante, Finally spotted you across the Quad late last Saturday night. Keep protecting students. You’re the hero this campus needs.

- An admirer SPA Leadership is a cult.

ryday. I sum up my impressions of your student body with an old Simpsons line: what a shame, not a looker in the bunch.

Dear Peeping Tom Wonk, Join the party!

-Exhibitionists in McDowell Re: “Seeking Cake” This was a triumph! I doubt the Eagle will let me post my room number, but feel free to come looking for the room on the second floor with cake on the door.

Of all the words of Mice and Men, the saddest are “James Wigley.”

This school would be nothing without James Wigley.

Why is there only one of him, it just doesn’t make sense.

[Editor’s Note: Who is this James Wigley? We want to be in on the joke …]

“The Berks isn’t a dorm.

Stop treating it like one.”

Oh my. Somebody did NOT do their homework before renting their apartment.

Yay for Palestinian statehood. End the occupation and oppression!

THE BLOTTER MUST FLOW. HE WHO CON-

Help! I can’t escape from neurotic people!

79 days until I get engaged!

SUBMIT YOUR RANTS AT THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

Dear Lonely on North side and Lonely in South side. I am with out a doubt lonelier than you.

Dear Blackboard: I don’t know where you got your IT and customer service training, but telling me to download Google Chrome to view my course content is not IT advice, nor is it good customer service.

Sincerely, Safari is good enough for me, and I don’t want to contribute to Google’s evil empire I took my clothes out of my dryer, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that they were dry and not on fire.

Huzzah!

Damn you kid with the Tav Chick Fingers in my religion class. I can’t concentrate at all and I’m the TA. Why did you have to choose the Honey Mustard dipping sauce?

Why!!!

I could handle the cuddling. I could handle the sleepovers. But spreading ICING on each other just doesn’t fly with me. At least keep it classy and use Hershey’s syrup … #roommatedrama I’m beginning to wonder if professors write confusing essay prompts just so that someone will come and visit them during those dull office hours.

Bring Back the Blotter Campaign meets every day on Eagle Rants. Bring your slogans.

[Editor’s Note: We love you.]

Do you know how hard it was to find where to Rant?

It’s Rant-worthy.

So um, if I missed the past three weeks’ worth of Eagle Rants, where can I find ALL them (i.e. the “print-only” ones)?

[Editor’s Note: Check out http://issuu.com/theeagle for interactive PDFs of our past issues.]

September 27 , 2011

theEAGLE

AU considers changing Student Activity fee

BY LOIS NAM Eagle Contributing Writer Student Activities may change the way student activity funds are distributed among student organizations.

The funds come directly from AU students, who are billed a compulsory activity fee each semester. Full-time undergraduates pay $73.50 per semester. Part-time students pay $15. Graduate students, regardless of their enrollment status, pay $30 per semester, according to the University website.

The reason for reevaluating the current model is twofold. Several organizations that currently do not receive funding, such as the Fraternity and Sorority Life Programming Board, have expressed interest in receiving a portion of the funds, while some student organizations that regularly receive funding have not spent their full allotment, said Andrew Toczydlowski in Student Activities, who coordinates governance and leadership.

Student Activities has organized a committee to evaluate and potentially restructure the current fund distribution model, which has been in place for over 10 years.

Committee members will include leaders from

Student Government, the Graduate Leadership Council, the Media Board, the AU Club Council, The Eagle, the Interfraternity Council, Panhellenic Association and the National Pan-Hellenic Conference.

Ki’tay Davidson, chair of the AU Club Council and a member of the funds redistribution committee, supports the reevaluation of funds distribution and believes it should be done every few years to ensure that funds are used efficiently.

“I think it’s a great conversation to have,” Davidson said.

Currently, the fees collected from undergraduates are broken up into: 72 percent to Student Government 14 percent to the Media Board (which oversees all student media groups except The Eagle) 14 percent to the AUCC (which oversees the various student clubs on campus).

For the fees collected from graduate students, 86 percent goes to the Graduate Leadership Council and 14 percent to the AUCC, according to Toczydlowski.

The funds redistribution committee will also discuss whether or not to raise the fee.

“The last time the fees were raised was in 2002,” Toczydlowski wrote in an email.

It is too early to tell if fee increases are likely, but it is something the University is considering, SG Comptroller and committee member Eric Reath said.

Davidson favors a fee increase. She said the benefits from the extra funds, such as more University-sponsored events, would outweigh the slight increase in costs to each student.

The committee will consult a study done by the Educational Advisory Board, a higher education research firm, to guide their decision-making. The EAB released a report in June 2011 assessing the student activity fee structure at several colleges and universities, including nearby institutions such as Howard University and Georgetown University.

Howard and Georgetown respectively charge students $125 and $150 for activity fees per year.

Any proposed changes will need to be approved by Student Activities and Vice President of Campus Life Gail Hanson, but may go as high as needing approval from the Board of Trustees, Toczydlowski said. The proposed changes may go into effect as early as fall 2012.

No committee meetings have been scheduled yet, but the committee members said they are willing to consider all options during the reevaluation process.

“Everything is on the table,” Toczydlowski said.

“Everything could change.” news@theeagleonline.com

Department of Transportation voices support for AU Campus Plan

BY LINDSEY ANDERSON Eagle Staff Writer Representatives from the District Department of Transportation said they support AU’s Campus Plan, with the completion of a full transportation impact study.

DDOT presented its evaluation Sept. 24 at the fourth D.C. Zoning Commission hearing on the plan. The representatives said AU’s plan would very minimally increase traffic delays and the number of students traveling to campus.

DDOT also determined that the relocation of the Washington College of Law to Tenley Campus would decrease the number of students who drove to the law school.

Neighborhood representatives challenged that determination, saying many drivers commute from Virginia or Maryland.

“Often it’s more important that the destination is in close proximity than where [the driver] is coming from,” a DDOT representative said at the meeting.

DDOT suggested AU:

Q build a mid-block crosswalk across Nebraska Avenue from the proposed East Campus to Main Campus near Hurst Hall; Q maximize the shuttle system, possibly removing stops on Massachusetts Avenue and relocating the Tenleytown stop near Whole Foods; Q complete a study on students parking in the neighborhood; Q and establish a transportation demand coordinator to work with AU, DDOT and the community on initiatives such as decreasing

Eight fraternities sanctioned for Welcome Week parties

BY PAIGE JONES Eagle Staff Writer Eight of the 12 fraternities at AU are in warning status for hosting parties and transporting freshmen during Welcome Week.

The fraternities failed to meet Student Activities Minimum Chapter Standards of Fraternities and Sororities: “Chapters are not permitted to invite new students to parties/events during New Orientation and Welcome Week.”

“This seems unusual, but it’s really not,” Coordinator of Fraternity and Sorority Life Curtis Burrill said.

The remaining four fraternities did not receive a warning from greek life.

Five of the eight fraternities who received a warning were reported to Student Conduct, Burrill said.

He declined to name the eight fraternities that received a warning status.

A warning status is issued when an AU chapter of a fraternity violates any part of the Minimum Chapter Standards.

No consequences for warning status There are no immediate consequences for the eight fraternities unless another the number of people who drive to the University.

DDOT: East Campus pedestrians not a traffic challenge The block of Nebraska Avenue from Ward Circle to New Mexico Avenue is large, so people often cross in the middle of the block, said Anna Chamberlain, a DDOT transportation planner.

“A mid-block signal would help to create a safe crossing for pedestrians,” Chamberlain said.

ANC 3D Chair Tom Smith asked DDOT if East Campus pedestrians would impede Nebraska Avenue traffic.

“There’s basically no way

violation occurs, such as a disruptive party during Rush Week.

Interfraternity Council Chair Thomas Marro said AU fraternities receive warning status every year.

“Frats do this [break this rule] every year during Welcome Week,” Thomas Marro said. “And it’s been even more so in past years.”

After warning status, greek life organizations receive harsher sanctions: Q Probation — The chapter cannot participate in any activities for a period of time.

Q Suspension — AU will not recognize the chapter as a fraternity for a certain amount of time.

Q Expulsion — The chapter of that fraternity is permanently removed from AU. Greek life asked to stop parties Burrill said he instructed fraternities not to host parties or transport new students during Orientation and Welcome Week, but most did anyway.

“They think its tradition,” he said.

Marro said there were fewer Welcome Week parties this year.

“There used to be so many,” he said. “But we tried to cut down because Curtis told us

that more pedestrians will cross at those three locations [on Nebraska Avenue] than the signals can handle,” Chamberlain said.

Smith also asked about the impact of traffic related to possible retail locations on the East Campus.

“It depends on who the retail will serve,” a DDOT representative said. “If it’s student-serving retail, the impact will be nil or limited or will even take traffic away.”

ANC 3D opposes AU Campus Plan Smith also presented ANC 3D’s unanimous opposition to the Campus Plan at the hearing.

“AU failed to meet the bur-

not to.”

Greek life is in the process of reforming fraternities and sororities to focus more on national values and leadership, but it’s going to take time, Burrill said.

“You’re not going to change a culture in a year,” he said.

IFC Vice President Carter Gibson said these changes are relatively new.

“IFC has actually been enforcing regulations in the past two years,” Gibson said.

“Fraternities are being punished and held to a higher standard.”

Reforming greek life Burrill said greek life is trying to expose new students to greek life outside of parties.

“We had 120 greeks help with move-in,” he said.

“That’s the positive interactions with new students we want to see.”

Marro said the Interfraternity Council supports Burrill’s efforts to revamp greek life.

“Obviously I support Curtis’ efforts because it’s good for our image,” Marro said.

“It brings us closer to our values nationally.”

These reforms will allow greek life organizations to show their true colors.

“There’s always room for improvement,” Marro said.

“We just want them [fraternities and sororities] living up to who they say they are.” pjones@theeagleonline.com

den of proof that the plan won’t have an adverse impact on residents,” he said.

The district members specifically oppose South Hall, the Reeves Field bleachers expansion, East Campus and the mid-block pedestrian crossing.

Smith said East Campus student density was “too intense” and proposed retail on the campus would “undermine” Wesley Heights retail.

“Although it would not endear me to my friends in 3E, I suggest AU continue housing on Tenley,” Smith said.

Later in the night, a representative for ANC 3F said she was “stunned” by his suggestion.

CAMPUS PLAN, PAGE 9≥

School of Communication plans move to McKinley in 2014

By KIERSTYN SCHNECK Eagle Contributing Writer AU will begin renovations on the McKinley building in January 2012 to make it the new School of Communication, with SOC slotted to move into the building in early 2014, according to SOC Dean Larry Kirkman.

SOC will fund the renovation with university-issued bonds, according to Kirkman.

SOC plans to utilize McKinley for public events, bigger classrooms, offices, production facilities, student services and informal meetings.

Kirkman emphasized the need for informal lounges “so students can meet easily and spontaneously.”

The design also includes a

150-seat theater classroom on the second floor and an open courtyard on the roof. “[The space] will allow us to bring groups together, [so] students won’t be ‘silo-ed’ and can work at the intersection of their disciplines and professions,” Kirkman said.

A plaza entrance facing the Main Quad is also planned for the building. The glass façade will showcase the first floor’s media innovation lab — a trans-media production center with an interactive newsroom.

The lab will not replace the Media Production Center and its HD TV studio. Fiber optic cabling will be installed between the buildings to optimize collaboration.

The Center for Social Media and the Investigative

Reporting Workshop will be moved from New Mexico Avenue to McKinley, according to Kirkman.

“The use of MGC’s third floor after SOC moves out is still under discussion but will most certainly continue to be designated for academic use in order to meet the increasing needs of our academic programs and faculty,” Vice Provost for Academic Administration Violeta Ettle said.

The University chose to renovate McKinley building rather than construct a new building to avoid potential zoning issues with the District. “[The move to McKinley is] about identity and having a building that’s SOC and that reflects the stature and representation that we deserve,” Kirkman said. “[It’s

Rep. Schock recounts young start in civil service, Congress

By ZOE CRAIN Eagle Contributing Writer Rep. Aaron Schock (R-IL) spoke about what it means to be the country’s youngest representative and about his journey to Congress during an AU College Republicanssponsored event Sept. 20 in the Mary Graydon Center.

Schock began his political

MOVING ON UP SOC will begin renovations on McKinley in 2012 to move the school out of MGC in 2014.

about] having facilities so we can accomplish our mission and have the kind of impact we should have that’s leading the way.”

Kirkman said SOC obtained the construction permit in July and is now awaiting final approval from the D.C. Zoning Commission.

No setbacks are anticipated.

Kirkman said a facultystaff committee has been working this year with Bowie Gridley Architects to redesign the building. “[SOC has] clearly outgrown the third floor of Mary Graydon,” Associate Dean for Administration & Planning Ed Beimfohr said.

The University first reserved McKinley building for SOC in 2004. news@theeagleonline.com THE SCHOCK FACTOR Rep. Aaron Shock (R-IL) spoke to the AU community Sept. 20 in the Mary Graydon Center.

DIANA ALVERENGA / THE EAGLE

f t

n k e s

News 5

theEAGLE

career at 19 when he ran for a seat on the school board in his hometown, Peoria, IL, against the incumbent president.

“I realized many of [the school board members] weren’t there for the right reasons, and they were making a lot of the decisions about how I live,” he said.

The school board president challenged his petition’s le-

gitimacy, claiming the “ditto marks” used by spouses filling out the same information were in fact “stray marks,” rather than quotation marks that indicated identical information as the row above, Schock said.

He hired an attorney to dispute the “stray mark” claim in court, but lost the case. When all of the “stray marks” were deemed invalid, Schock no longer had enough signatures for his name to be printed on the ballot. Instead of walking away from the race, he organized a group of campaign workers to help him run a write-in campaign.

“I had thirty angry moms who had contacted me and were furious about what the school board had done to me,” he said.

The group jumped into campaign mode and knocked on 13,000 doors, enough to secure Schock’s win with 60 percent of the vote.

After two years on the school board, Schock became the youngest school board president in Illinois history at 22-years-old when he won the seat by a unanimous vote.

He then ran for the Illinois House of Representatives. Many people believed Schock didn’t stand a chance at winning the election considering the high level of low-income residents in the 92nd district, he said. But he pulled out another victory and served for four years.

During his time in office, he sponsored 13 bills that became law.

“I knew I wasn’t going to get anything done [in a partisan way],” he said.

“If I came up with a good SCHOCK, PAGE 9≥

RACHEL SLATTERY/ THE EAGLE

Student leaders call for better collaboration

By TORI HYNDMAN Eagle Contributing Writer AU student leaders convened for the first Student Government-sponsored Leadership Forum to share upcoming plans for the year and discuss pertinent campus issues Sept. 21 in Mary Graydon Center.

The forum was based on an idea last year’s SG President Nate Bronstein implemented on an as-needed basis, current SG President Tim McBride said.

“The idea originated with those meetings, but we wanted to make this broader,” he said. “We wanted the dialogue and discussions to be deeper and more farranging.”

Wednesday’s event welcomed about 20 student leaders from organizations such as Eco-Sense, AU Quiz Bowl, Women’s Initiative, AU Students for Israel and others.

McBride had each representative briefly introduce and explain their specific group’s efforts and goals.

Though some time was used discussing topics such

as WONK, the leaders created a few concrete goals and ideas that will help them to stay connected throughout the course of the year.

Some of those ideas include an internal newsletter among club presidents with contact information and requests for co-sponsorships or a master calendar to conflicts between events.

Through the discussion, lesser-known groups were able to establish themselves and promote their current projects, McBride said.

With over 250 organizations at AU, it is easy for groups to lose their voice, SG Deputy Chief of Staff Jonathan Sherman said.

“It is one of our biggest priorities to get student leaders together,” Sherman said.

SG is aiming to make the gatherings a regular and open event, available to anyone interested in making positive changes on campus, McBride said.

“We got more people than expected and a lot of interest in coming back,” he said.

“I’m happy with the turnout.” news@theeagleonline.com

September 27, 2011

theEAGLE

Alumni dish out career advice at informal dinners with students

By SAMANTHA HOGAN Eagle Contributing Writer AU is offering students a unique opportunity to network with alumni this year with the introduction of the Dinner with Alumni Program.

The dinner series consists of five dinners in the fall and five in the spring, all of which will be hosted by different AU alumni. A group of eight to 15 students, chosen on a first come, first serve basis, will meet with an alumni host from varying fields of study at a restaurant or the alumni’s home. “[It’s designed] to provide students a tool with which to expand their professional

and university networks [where there] is no cost to the students, [because] the alum will pay for the dinner in its entirety,” Alumni Relations Coordinator Michael Sumner said.

Dinners include: Q Class of 1994 graduate Z. Selin Hur, a Strategic Programs Principal at CACI International Inc., will host a dinner on the rooftop of her building for students interested in IT, management consulting and national security Sept. 28.

Q Class of 1992 graduate and resident of the Metro D.C. Celiac Association Jerry Maltiz will host a dinner at his home exclusively for students with celiac disease

and gluten allergies or intolerances Oct. 6.

Q Class of 1986 graduate Sandra Walter-Steinberg, chief strategist and principal for Sandra M. Walter and Associates Consulting, will host a dinner at Cactus Cantina Oct. 19 for students interested in business or communications in the nonprofit sector.

Q Students interested in communications and event management should attend the Nov. 8 dinner at Black’s Bar and Kitchen in Bethesda with Class of 1994 graduate Jennifer Collins, founder of The Event Planning Group.

Each dinner has an individual schedule, but most will start between 5:30 and

7 p.m. and will run for an unset duration of time, allowing students and alums the opportunity to interact in a “casual yet business-like atmosphere,” Sumner said.

The only requirement is that students acquire their own mode of transportation to and from the dinner.

The series was created by the Student-Alumni Initiative Committee, which includes Student Government President Tim McBride, SG Vice President Liz Richards and representatives from the Office of Development and Alumni Relations.

“A mutual goal [of the Dinner with Alumni Program is] to increase fellowship, communication and relations between undergraduates and alumni,” McBride said.

Sumner said the program was modeled after existing programs at Temple Univer-

sity, Northwestern University, Emory University and George Washington University.

He also said the success of the pilot program of three dinners conducted last spring helped put this fall’s series of dinners into action.

Andrea Agathoklis Murino, a member of the Alumni Board, hosted one of the three dinners last spring for eight students and two alumni, Joe Vidulich and Cait Douglas, at Chef Geoff ’s on New Mexico Avenue.

“The alums dished out internship advice, career ideas and interview tips,” Murino said. “I am still in contact with several students and the same is true for Joe and Cait.”

Murino said the dinner was a success for her as well as the university.

“I think the dinner accom-

plished exactly what AU Alumni Board hoped: it created new bridges between students and alums that will benefit both for years to come,” she said.

Sumner said he hopes AU alumni will benefit from the Dinner with Alumni Program as much as students. “[Alumni will have the chance to] reconnect with the University through meaningful volunteer opportunities and stay current on the latest news on campus,” he said.

This fall, the first alumni dinner is already full, but students can register for other upcoming dinners at www.american.edu/alumni/ register. news@theeagleonline.com

Center for Teaching, Research and All-AU ANC SOC, SPA establish search committees to Learning moves resources to library district approved find new deans

By SOMMER BRUGAL

Eagle Contributing Writer

By LAWRENCE KUBIL Eagle Contributing Writer Search committees for the new deans of the School of Communication and the School of Public Affairs will begin Sept. 28 as SOC Dean Larry Kirkman and SPA Dean William LeoGrande step down next year.

Provost Scott Bass said the SOC and SPA search committees are different in structure due to each school’s choice.

SPA opted for a committee of three representatives from the school’s three departments. SOC faculty chose one faculty member from the school’s four divisions, as well as four faculty members to represent all AU faculty members.

Both search committees also include two staff members, one undergraduate student and one graduate student from each school.

SOC student representatives were peer-nominated, while SPA chose student representatives who embodied the “needs of the students in SPA and at AU,” according to Bass.

Student Government

President Tim McBride will serve as the undergraduate student representative for SPA. “I can’t speak for the group, but … I would like someone who will be responsive to student concerns, desires and values our input,” McBride said. “Additionally somebody who shares the values of American University, diversity and service.”

SOC Associate Professor Matthew Nisbet, a search committee member, said he would like someone “dedicated to scholarly and professional innovation, student and faculty achievement, as well as building on the global profile of SOC as a leading international center for the studying of communications, journalism, digital media and film.”

Bass said he does not know how long the process will take to hire the new deans. news@theeagleonline.com

The Center for Teaching, Research and Learning relocated its technology to Bender Library and moved all staff members to the second floor of Hurst Hall over the summer. The move aims to make it easier for students

University’s needs for these offices.

“We are committed to making sure that the services provided are still at the same high level that it has always been for many years,” Baron said.

CTRL was founded in 1998, originally focused on teaching excellence and it assisted in hiring faculty

“It’s not us [CTRL] versus them [the Library], it’s us coming together to best serve the University.”

— CTRL Director Naomi Baron

to use CTRL’s resources.

Blackboard and Wimba Support, Audio Visual Support, New Media Center, Equipment Loans, Audio Visual Equipment and technology services are now located in Bender Library.

To consolidate their main office, CTRL moved the Teaching and Learning Resources Group and the Research and Online Learning Resources Group to the second floor of Hurst Hall.

CTRL Director Naomi Baron said these changes were made to best fulfill the

members.

In 2009, the office officially became CTRL because the University wanted to make a place on campus where additional kinds of development and aid activities could be provided for both faculty and students.

CTRL switched Audio Visual Sources, Social Science Research Lab and the Math Lab to other AU departments this summer. For example, College of Arts and Sciences now oversees the Math Lab and the Library oversees the SPA Lab.

The Social Science Research Lab is the only resource still physically located in Hurst while under Library management. The University is looking to find an appropriate space for it in the Library.

If approved, the relocation of the Social Science Research Lab will most likely take place during the summer of 2012.

“The Library has a lot of technology,” Baron said.

“There are a lot of technological people in the library.

It makes sense because [the students] are already there, allowing for all the functions to be physically available in one location.”

The University plans to host a mini retreat in October to discuss the partnering of CTRL and the Library, focusing on what is working, what is not and how to continue collaborating.

Baron said it is crucial for the CTRL to work closely with the Library during transition to best serve the AU community.

“It is not us [CTRL] vs. them [Library], its us coming together to best serve the university,” Baron said. news@theeagleonline.com

By PAIGE JONES Eagle Staff Writer AU residents will now have a guaranteed seat on Advisory Neighborhood Commission 3D, as the Ward 3 Redistricting Task Force voted Sept. 22 to place most of AU in 3D07.

Letts, Clark and Roper Halls will reside in 3D02.

The vote was a close call, with 16 in favor of ANC 3D Chairman Tom Smith’s proposed plan and 15 opposed.

Smith’s plan consolidates 2,800 AU students into one district, making it the largest district in ANC 3D. It will encompass North Hall and East Campus once built.

The Task Force had considered creating an all-AU district, but there are too many students for one district, Ward 3 Redistricting Task Force Chairman Jeffrey Kraskin said.

“Is that gerrymandering?” he said. “You’re darn right it’s gerrymandering.”

Kraskin said the 2,000-person cap is irrelevant since the population will increase in each direct.

Read more at eagl.us/rnaHdg

News 7

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Veterans share Iraq War stories with College Writing classes

By IULIA GHEORGHIU Eagle Contributing Writer Student veterans shared their experiences fighting overseas with AU freshmen through a partnership with AU Veterans and the College Writing Program.

The speaker series was linked to the freshman summer reading, “The Good Soldiers” by David Finkel, about the 2-16 infantry’s de-

ployment to Baghdad during the Iraq War. AU Veterans President John Kamin said many students don’t feel directly affected by the war, even though some AU students have been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Kamin found out last semester that the freshman summer reading selection would be “The Good Soldiers,” and the group contacted the College Writing

Program about bringing student veterans to campus.

AU Veterans brought in 14 student veterans from AU and other universities, including George Washington University and Georgetown University.

Director of College Writing Professor John Hyman agreed to collaborate with AU Veterans because he saw the potential to educate students who may know very little about the Iraq War.

Veteran and GWU student Quintin Steele spoke to Hyman’s class Sept. 22.

“I know AU Vets have felt sometimes that they are separate from other students at AU, and I think they felt thankful about this opportunity,” Hyman said. “And I hope that my students this morning felt gratified in the same way, that they understand that some of their peers are vets.”

Steele shared his experience as a human intelligence collector in a battalion that was stationed on the same base at the same time as the 2-16 infantry featured in “The Good Soldiers.”

Many of the student veterans, including Kamin, were deployed to Iraq in 2007 and 2008, the time frame in which “The Good Soldiers” is set.

“It’s just kind of our generation,” Kamin said.

Stephanie Van den Berg, Hyman’s student and a freshman in the School of International Service, said meeting a student veteran left her with a better grasp of American soldiers’ role in the conflict in the Middle East.

“There are just so many things we don’t know about our veterans and what they go through,” Van den Berg

said.

Kamin found veterans were enthusiastic about sharing their experiences with freshman students.

“On their [veterans’] side, it provides kind of a safe space to self-identify and to talk about something that is really an enormous part of our lives,” Kamin said.

He organized 25 lecture classes and participated as a guest himself, hoping that, through this opportunity, college veterans would establish themselves as equals with their peers.

“At times, it’s a little VETS, PAGE 9 ≥

Workers praise factory that makes Students look for peace solutions AU Campus Store apparel in Israel-Palestine simulation

By ALEX GRECO Eagle Contributing Writer Two workers from a factory in the Dominican Republic, the source of AU Campus Store clothing, spoke on campus Sept. 23 about their experiences with the factory, Alta Gracia.

Alta Gracia started as an organization with the help of United Students Against Sweatshops. This national organization opposes sweatshop labor, especially by factories that make collegiate clothing, according to its website.

The workers, Martiza Vargasand and Elba Nurys Olivo de Castillo, have been traveling to college campuses across the East Coast to promote Alta Gracia and show how it has changed their lives.

United Students Against Sweatshops, the Fair Trade Student Association, Student Worker Alliance and the Office of the University Chaplain sponsored the AU event.

Alta Gracia began its efforts in the Dominican Republic in 2000, helping workers who wanted to unionize at a factory in Villa Alta Gracia. After much debate, the factory agreed to give the workers a union contract, but the factory eventually closed and left members of the town economically devastated, according to USAS’s website.

Knights Apparel, a company specializing in college

apparel, stepped in and created Alta Gracia, a new factory named after the town where it presided. Knights Apparel rehired the BJ&B union leaders and agreed to recognize their right to negotiate wages, according to the USAS website.

Through a translator, Olivo told an emotional story of a woman with cancer who was able to access surgery through the money she earned at Alta Gracia. She spoke of a worker whose house burnt down, but was able to reconstruct it using her wages.

In an interview with The Eagle, the two workers said working at the factory has improved their lives. Vargasand is now able to provide her children with an education and a more spacious house. Olivo said working at the factory took her out of a depression caused by seven years of discouraging unemployment.

Both women agreed that in order for the factory to move forward, an increasing demand for the Alta Gracia products was necessary.

“We’re not going to be making these wins if students don’t get involved,” Vargasand said.

AU’s bookstore is also participating in the fight for workers’ rights.

“Not only is Follett an active member (and first ever retail member) of the Fair Labor Association, but today 100 percent of Follett’s clothing and gift vendors are

also members, and subject to their code and monitoring efforts,” Campus Store Manager Kristi Colebut said in an email.

Alta Gracia says it tries to go above and beyond in taking care of its workers.

“We pay our workers a wage that enables them to provide adequate food, clean water, clothing, shelter, health care, child care and education for themselves and their families — a ‘living wage’ — and hope for a better future,” the Alta Gracia website said.

The factory gives workers comfortable chairs and makes sure all ventilation in the building works properly, said Rachel Taber, the community education coordinator for Alta Gracia.

The owners of the factory also try to take safety concerns into account.

“We actually have workshops on how to evacuate the building safety, which is something you never see in other factories in the Free Trade Zone,” Vargasand said.

Workers at Alta Gracia are allowed to speak to inspectors without their bosses present, creating an environment where they feel comfortable discussing any issues they may have, Vargasand said.

“We have a business everyone deserves,” she said. news@theeagleonline.com

By REBECCA ZISSER Eagle Contributing Writer At 9 a.m. Sept. 25, a group of students sat in the School of International Service chatting, eating bagels, drinking coffee and trying to solve one of the world’s most pressing international conflicts: the Israel-Palestine conflict.

The American University Negotiation Project held a negotiation simulation of the conflict in the SIS Founder’s Room.

Ferdauois Bagga, a graduate student in the International Peace and Conflict Resolution program and president of AUNP, picked the topic because it is a current, controversial issue that many students have strong opinions about.

“We try to give people the opportunity to practice negotiating in tough situations,” Bagga said.

As participants arrived, they were given a nametag and information about the real-life Israeli or Palestinian public figure they would play that day. All roles were assigned randomly.

AUNP staff did, however, ask participants if they had any political biases on the Israel-Palestine issue. If they did, they were given a role that went against their bias, Bagga said.

The event began with a speech from Anthony Wanis-St. John, the event’s faculty advisor and author of the original version of the

simulation, explaining his expectations of the participants.

“We ask you to take on some of the attitudes of reality without pushing them too far,” he said, “Explore some of the dynamics here without having to face the consequences.”

Due to the large number of participants, the simulation was divided into two sections. All public figure roles from both sides were included in each section.

Before beginning the negotiations, individuals were allowed to meet with the person playing their same role in the other section to strategize.

The groups were then separated and players were given an opportunity to discuss plans with other members of their country’s government within their delegation.

Once all the preparations were done, the simulation commenced.

It soon became clear that the two groups had very different negotiation styles.

The first group gathered together in small groups, quietly discussing the issues, while others traveled between these groups proposing solutions and compromises that could be made.

The other group remained seated in a large circle, and participants addressed the entire group each time they spoke.

After three hours of negotiations, the groups reached their final conclusions,

which they presented at the closing ceremony in the form of a press statement.

While both groups made steps toward solving the problem, the solutions they came up with were diverse.

One group decided that Israel would remove its forces from one settlement, a multinational force would be put into the region, Hamas would call a ceasefire and some Palestinian families would be reunited within Israel.

The other group called for UN forces to be placed in the region, for Israel to keep its 1967 borders and for Jerusalem to be a shared neutral space.

After the simulation, Wanis-St. John spoke to the participants again and reinforced the program’s goals.

“What we’re trying to do here is give ourselves the permission to explore,” he said.

After the event, the participants were treated to lunch and a chance to mingle with their fellow delegates.

“I thought it was great,” George Washington University graduate student Sam Khazai said. “I thought it was productive and illuminated a lot of the problems that people on the ground have to deal with.” news@theeagleonline.com

September 27, 2011

theEAGLE

“MAP-WORKS” program gives new students resources for college success

Courtesy of Her Campus

By MISHIEL AYUB Eagle Contributing Writer

Students launch AU branch of Her Campus, a ‘collegiette’ lifestyle and entertainment blog

By ALEX GRECO Eagle Contributing Writer Her Campus, a women’s blog that describes itself as “A Collegiate’s Guide to Life,” launched its AU branch Sept. 13.

Three Harvard University students created Her Campus in September 2009. The site recruits writers from campuses across the country.

Students run their own campus blog and have a large amount of control over what material is published.

The site says it’s a mix of “national” and “campusspecific” content, according to the Her Campus website.

The site has over 250,000

readers per month and more than 175 branches, according to a press release. Businesses are beginning to take notice of the site as well.

“Her Campus also serves as a marketing platform connecting companies with college students across the country in creative ways,” according to the press release from the national headquarters of Her Campus.

Leslie Siu, cofounder of Her Campus American and a junior in the School of Communication, first heard about the blog while writing for USA Today College.

Siu worked with her friend Lauren Reddington, a senior in SOC, to complete the

required application process. They worked for two months over the summer to develop the site, Siu said in an email. Reddington and Siu work for Her Campus without compensation.

The blog currently has a profile of assistant SOC Professor Gemma Puglisi and tips on mastering the “college balancing act.”

Upcoming blog posts will focus on AU events that publicize the “ideals” behind Her Campus, such as internship fairs, Reddington wrote in an email.

“It’s a lifestyle blog and encompasses multiple facets of life at AU: on-campus events, balancing your time as a student wisely, intern-

HER CAMPUS, HER WAY Two students launched an AU branch of Her Campus, a lifestyle blog for college women. ship/resume/employment seeking advice, fun things to do around D.C.,” she said.

Her Campus American currently has six people on its editorial board and 15 pending writer applications, Reddington said.

Reddington and Siu have been promoting the Her Campus American blog through Facebook and Twitter. Once AU’s media board approves the blog, the pair plans to host on-campus events to make itself more noticeable to the student body, Reddington said.

“Her Campus is a great opportunity for AU students to get their writing published online and gain experience promoting a new organization,” Siu said. news@theeagleonline.com

ADVERTISE IN THE EAGLE Visit www.theeagleonline.com or email business@theeagleonline.com for rates and more information.

AU introduced Making Achievement PossibleWorks (MAP-WORKS) to first-year students Sept. 19, a program that allows students to address their ability to succeed in college and seek help from AU resources.

MAP-Works uses statistical analysis and research to identify what students need in order to thrive in their studies and social life during college.

“Not everything that leads to academic success is strictly academic,” said Ryan Anderson, assistant director of learning communities and assessment. “Your performance is also related to how you connect with your community.”

All first-year students including freshmen, transfer students and Washington Mentorship Program students, can take the nonmandatory survey through their AU Portal.

The survey will be available until Oct. 24, but students are encouraged to complete it within two weeks of its launch.

As of Sept. 26, 645 students completed the survey.

The online survey takes about 15 minutes and provides a personalized report once completed, rating a student’s progress in areas such as academics, finances and connecting with others.

Students can either answer the survey questions in a PDF or use an interactive simulation that mimics driving down a highway as students answer questions related to topics such as class attendance, course difficulties, time management and campus involvement.

Students then receive a green, yellow or red mark for each section based on their responses.

Each topic offers suggestions for students to think about and examples of concrete steps they could take,

as well as a list of contact information for University resources and departments.

Housing and Dining Programs, the Office of Campus Life, a few academic departments and the AU schools will be able to access each student’s report.

“It’s cool because students have a report in their hand that they can bring to their academic advisor to start a conversation about what the student can do to succeed,” said Jimmy Ellis, Manager of Student Recreation and Success.

The creators of MAPWorks want to help firstyear students establish a sense of community and belonging at AU. If a student is not adapting well, Residence Life professional staff can provide assistance for the student based on their report.

Over 100 universities have used the program, including George Mason University and Catholic University.

AU is among the first few schools to implement this program.

“MAP-Works has had great success across the country,” Ellis said. “We evaluated a few retention and success oriented programs and MAP-Works came out on top. We really like MAP-Works because they are very focused on students’ success.”

Residence Life staff encourage student participation in MAP-Works through a residence hallwide competition. The first five floors with the highest participation will win additional funding for floor activities.

“It’s really important that students take this survey and the RAs are an integral part of promoting the survey,” Anderson said. “The incentive of extra programming funds gives an extra push.” news@theeagleonline.com

theEAGLE

News 9

PHOTO OF THE WEEK EZRA MENELIK The AU field hockey team beat No. 6 Boston College 2-1 Sept. 25.

≤VETS, PAGE 7

awkward because I want to show that I’m a student like them,” Steele said.

The veterans weren’t the only ones excited about this experience. Hyman said the interaction between veteran and civilian students was an overwhelming success.

“One teacher said, ‘We ac≤ CAMPUS PLAN, PAGE 4

“No neighborhood should not share in the sometimes burden, sometimes responsibility of housing students,” Smith said. “Tenley should also be part of the housing solution.”

He also expressed concern that AU will eventually use its commercial properties, such as the AU-owned buildings on New Mexico Avenue, for student housing. ANC 3D suggested the Commission require AU establish a population cap ≤ SHOCK, PAGE 5

Republican idea, it would just get shot down. But, if I came up with a good government idea, I could get it passed.”

Schock’s break into national politics came when President Barack Obama chose

tually went overtime and the next class was trying to get in the room,’” Hyman said.

Joe Gruenbaum, a freshman in SIS, said he considers himself up-to-date on the conflict in Iraq, but this experience was eye opening and showed him a completely different aspect of the war.

“It’s those kinds of on-the-

ground, up-close and personal accounts of what affects policy that kind of help form a better understanding of policy as a whole,” Gruenbaum said.

that excludes commercial properties.

“Without some measures from the Zoning Commission, AU would have no limits on potential growth,” Smith said.

Zoning commissioners questioned Smith’s claims about traffic, parking and East Campus.

Commissioner Peter May challenged Smith’s assertion that two East Campus buildings would adversely affect Westover Place neighbors and impinge on their privacy. The two buildings closest

to the Westover townhomes would be administrative buildings used only during the day.

“That’s kind of the nature of the [Westover Place] development,” May said. “Is it so much more objectionable to have buildings used during the day?”

former Rep. Ray LaHood to serve as Secretary of Transportation. Schock won the congressional election with 59 percent of the vote, making him the youngest member of Congress and the first to be born in the 1980s. news@theeagleonline.com

news@theeagleonline.com

landerson@theeagleonline. com

theSCENE

September 27, 2011

ON STAGE

10 New theater students display acting, singing

By MIKE CONTE Eagle Contributing Writer

WILLA HINE / THE EAGLE

AU Dept. of Performing Arts to present timely play about death penalty

By HOAI-TRAN BUI Eagle Staff Writer When you perform a play about the death penalty, do you go for the brain or for the heart? The AU Department of Performing Arts’ production of “Dead Man Walking” decided to go for the simple solution: hit the audience in the gut.

It tells the story of Sister Helen Prejean, a nun who starts a correspondence with death row inmate Matthew Poncelet, who is seeking help to avoid his execution for the rape and murder of a teenage couple. The play is presented in conjunction with the Dead Man Walking School Theatre Project, of which AU is one of nine schools participating this season.

“Dead Man Walking” is a stage production of Tim Robbins’s award-winning screenplay of the same name. The AU production is set to run from Sept. 29 through Aug. 1 at Katzen Studio Theater.

Originally the AU performance of “Dead Man

Walking” was meant to be a reading, consisting only of actors, scripts, chairs and music stands. However, Director Rick Hammerly saw a reading as a waste of the students’ talents and decided to turn it into a full production.

“I came in to cast it as a reading,” Hammerly said.

“When we did a callback, one of the students said, ‘Could we memorize the lines?’ That’s when I decided to turn it into a production.

I fell in love with these kids.”

Given only five weeks to prepare and a rather small budget, Hammerly had to improvise. He decided the main set element would be chairs and the actors would be responsible for everything from the soundtrack, to changing the set to lighting.

The finished production is very minimalist.

The set consists of wooden chairs that the actors move throughout the play, as well as a white panel behind which the more gruesome action takes place, jail doors and some books and boxes.

Hammerly emphasized the lighting elements that would define scene changes, as well as the strictly choreographed movements of the actors.

“I want it very simple,” Hammerly said. “Ours has a message so you want to highlight the text. If I cover it up with all movie stuff, it’ll get away from the message about the death penalty.”

The actors also all wear the same uniform: jeans, a blue shirt and dark shoes.

“When you make people wear the same thing, it makes them part of an ensemble,” Hammerly said. “It strips away age, ethnicity so you can buy into who they are. In terms of learning, this is a great way to focus on the characters and their emotional arc, rather than outside things.”

Hammerly, who co-founded the Factory 449 theater company and currently serves as its producing artistic director, said the students greatly impressed him.

“I didn’t expect as much from students because they’re just learning their craft,” Hammerly said.

“They are dealing with the same professional challenges as actors would in my company. They were committed to the material, and in that way exceeded my expectations. I, as a profes-

sional actor, learned from them.”

The production is dedicated to the case of Troy Anthony Davis, a death row inmate who was executed Sept. 21. The beginning and end of the play feature recorded words by Davis and a photo slideshow of his life.’

School of Communication Assistant Professor Gemma Puglisi was in contact with Davis over the course of several years, and played a huge role in bringing the performance of “Dead Man Walking” to the AU campus.

Puglisi read about Davis in the newspaper and wanted to meet him. They regularly met in person for four years.

“I met him in October 2007, around the time he was supposed to be executed,” Puglisi said. “He wanted to share his story, wanted to get people to understand. I was so moved.”

Puglisi spent the next years writing to “celebrities, everybody and anybody who’d want to visit him.” She eventually got the Helen Prejean, on whose story “Dead Man Walking” is based, to visit Davis in Georgia. When they met in D.C., Prejean told Puglisi about the “Dead Man Walking” project and that she would love for AU to participate.

“I hope this play and the performance continue the

DEATH BECOMES HIM Based on the Tim Robbins screenplay, “Dead Man Walking” is the story of Sister Helen Prejean, a nun who tries to help lessen the sentence of a death row inmate convicted of a heinous crime. Thirteen AU students portray 40 characters in the play.

extraordinary dialogue about how horrible the death penalty is,” Puglisi said. “[Davis] has created a movement, and I hope this movement continues after his death.”

Davis was sentenced to execution for the fourth time this month. Hammerly was hoping the sentence would be withdrawn as it had been previously. But it wasn’t and Davis was executed Sept. 21.

“I didn’t want to make the play a memorial to him,” Hammerly said. “I wanted it to tell his story, center it on the spirit with which he fought to maintain his innocence and fight against the death penalty.” hbui@theeagleonline.com

The AU Department of Performing Arts “New Student Showcase” Sept. 24 was a brilliant display of actors in the making. Just as one would expect from an Acting 101 class, some students were rougher than others, but the force of their combined performances never ceased to be charming or provide insight into learning the art of acting and the unique experience of freshman year at college.

The showcase was an interesting bit of metafiction.

The first part, “Almost Me,” told the story of the new Performing Arts 101 class as the students prepared for their first audition. Each actor played a fully developed character that faced different challenges or brought unique baggage to their education.

While the story’s sole purpose was clearly to illuminate the audience on the many obstacles facing acting students, the actors were essentially playing brilliantly exaggerated versions of characters they know too well: the wide-eyed college freshmen, simultaneously overwhelmed and exhilarated by the commencement of a new phase in their lives.

Every student in the audience could surely identify with the exasperated calls home, the siren song of procrastination or the nervous, self-doubting moments spent with a new crush, all played with charm THEATER, PAGE 15 ≥

September 13, 2011

theEAGLE Courtesy of ELEVATION BURGER

GOOD EATS

Courtesy of GREG POWERS

SKIP THE BUTTERY POPCORN AND TREAT YOURSELF TO DINNER AND A MOVIE AT ANY OF THESE LOCALES. As a lover of both film and food, I am proud to say that some of my favorite meals have preceded and followed great movies.

Delirious with hunger after sitting through three and a half hours of “The Return of the King,” I enjoyed a delicious stack of pancakes at IHOP. Just this summer, I had a delightfully French evening of steak-frites at Mon Ami Gabi in Bethesda before a late showing of “Midnight in Paris.”

Here are some great places to nosh before or after a flick pick.

BETHESDA ROW CINEMA Metro: Bethesda (Red Line) Bethesda boasts one of the best culinary streets in the Washington area, many just a few steps away from Bethesda Row Cinema.

Sushi lovers will enjoy the bento boxes at Raku, while seafood aficionados will love the spicy Thai and Mussels Provençal at Mussel Bar. Just around the corner, the aforementioned Mon Ami Gabi is a great spot for Francophiles looking for a classic dish of steak with Béarnaise sauce and a heaping pile of crispy frites.

Then, grab some frozen yogurt at Sweetgreen for a tasty nightcap.

REGAL GALLERY PLACE STADIUM

Courtesy of RAKU

LANDMARK’S E STREET CINEMA Metro: Metro Center (Red Line) Nothing’s better than a large order of seasoned french fries after a stuffy foreign film, no?

Whether you agree or not, Ollie’s Trolley fries, sprinkled with a delicious blend of 26 herbs and spices, are not to be missed.

Indulge in a little comfort food at Waffle Shop, a greasy spoon that rivals The Diner in Adams Morgan.

Or, for dessert lovers, pistachio or pumpkin pie ice cream at Giffords will satisfy any sweet tooth.

Courtesy of OLLIE’S TROLLEY

Photos, clockwise from top left: Raku, Graffiato, Farmers and Fishers, Ollie’s Trolly

AMC LOEWS GEORGETOWN Metro: Foggy Bottom-GWU (Blue/Orange Line) Just a little ways from the theater is Farmers and Fishers, a contemporary American joint that serves everything from slider burgers topped with cheddar to “truck-style” Baja fish tacos garnished with cilantro and sharp cotija cheese.

J. Paul’s smoked-gouda mac ‘n’ cheese is a must-try, while Dean and Deluca, a gourmet grocery store, offers the best hot-food bar in all of Washington. Try everything from marinated mozzarella, sashimi, chicken salad and vegetable samosas.

But no Georgetown restaurant list would be complete without a shout out to Georgetown Cupcake, which still serves the best red velvet cupcake in the city.

Metro: Gallery Place/Chinatown (Red Line) Having delighted viewers of “Top Chef ” and patrons of D.C.’s Zaytinya with his culinary talents, Chef Mike Isabella doesn’t disappoint with his newest venture, Graffiato. Try one of the wood-fired pizzas like the White House, smothered with mozzarella, taleggio, ricotta, prosciutto and black pepper honey, or the hearty roasted potato gnocchi with pork shank and fresh burrata.

But sometimes you just need a cheeseburger. That’s why the marketing geniuses at Fuddruckers decided to put one across the street from the theater, enticing customers with the smell of seared meat. I found that a juicy bacon cheeseburger and “Shutter Island” was a surprisingly awesome combination.

For something sweet, try a Nutella, banana and strawberry crepe at Crepes On the Walk, just outside the Verizon Center.

Courtesy of LIEBERMAN PHOTOGRAPHY

BY KELLY HOLLIDAY

EAGLE STAFF WRITER

Scene 12

theEAGLE

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

Project Nur comedians speak about breaking down Arab stereotypes

By MATT SUTTON

H Street Festival celebrates the best of the District’s local culture with art, cuisine, music scene

By SARAH PACHTER Eagle Contributing Writer Despite the light rain, people swarmed from all parts of the city to the annual H Street Festival, an outdoor event Sept. 17 celebrating and promoting local artists, including an AU professor.

People gathered on street corners outside bars and ethnic restaurants. Vendors sold corn, barbecue, tacos, funnel cakes, cupcakes, ribs, fried chicken, watermelon, and lobster. Jamaican, Middle Eastern and Lebanese food was also displayed, all from local shops.

Sculptures, paintings, art

cars and performers lined the streets in small galleries and tents. Part of the up-and-coming arts community is the Gallery Oonh, which was also a festival sponsor.

The OonH gallery is a small two-story building that transports visitors into a small retro gallery on Martha’s Vineyard.

“We are trying to build a community space,” co-owner Dolly Vehlow said. “A culturist’s community greater than the bars; a broader cultural environment.”

Down the street from the festival was the H Studio Gallery, opening an exhibi-

tion of Pam Rogers and AU Adjunct Professor Katherine Mann’s work.

Mann said her paintings at the H Studio were moderately sized and “more intimate” than her typical works. She works mostly with paint but incorporated some print making into her paintings.

“D.C. is up and coming for art,” Mann said. “For the first time, an art fair is coming to D.C. We are beginning to compete with New York.”

In the next room were Rogers’ works, a combination of ink, pigments from plants, smoke, and pencil.

It is run by the American Islamic Congress and has Eagle Contributing Writer clubs at 23 universities, inComedy isn’t just comedy. cluding AU. Obeidallah mentioned It can break down American people should use the media stereotypes about Muslims to their advantage, and Kadand Arabs, said comedians er recommended that more Dean Obeidallah and Aron Kader in a Sept. 22 speech at Arabs and Muslims pursue the Capital Auditorium on careers in journalism and the media.

Tenley Campus.

“There’s not enough jour“I always wanted to do something in politics,” nalism that’s going on, on Obeidallah said. “And I al- the American side, from an ways could make people Arab perspective,” Kader laugh … so comedy seemed said. [like] a marriage of the two.” Obeidallah and Kader both Kader and Obeidallah mentioned that students have been featured in a have to deconstruct barriers number of comedy tours whether they are Muslim or and shows in the United Arab or not.

“If they’re asking a ridicuStates and the Middle East. lous question, take that opComedy Central’s “Axis of portunity as a teaching moEvil” tour, their own “Arabs Gone Wild” tour and ment and don’t be offended,” Comedycentral.com’s criti- Obeidallah said.

In the end, Obeidallah recally acclaimed series, “The iterated the importance of Watch List,” which Obeidallah co-created, are just a few. trying to leave an impresThey and other Arab and sion on people.

“I hope we’re having an Muslim comics are also the impact, ” Obeidallah said. creators and stars of “The SARAH PACHTER / THE EAGLE Muslims Are Coming,” a “I don’t know the answer if free stand up comedy tour aimed at educating and A FUNNY THING HAPPENED fighting intolerance be- Comedian Aron Kader uses PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM Local street performers tween Americans and Arab humor to break boundaries. lined the block for the H Street Festival to show off their talents.

She makes her own paint and paper. Each piece is “a narrative, a story and it’s process based,” Rogers said.

Rogers worked for the Smithsonian Institution doing detailed sketches of artifacts, which she finds creep into her personal work in some ways even though she is a painter.

“Negative space is something I think about more than anything else,” Rogers said. “Each piece I create is a narrative, a story. I’ll throw something down and think, ‘Hm, what’s it gonna be?’” thescene@theeagleonline. com

Courtesy of ARON KADER

and Muslim communities in the United States.

“The goal of that tour is really to make a difference,” Obeidallah said. “Press conferences and press releases aren’t doing it.”

Project Nur, a student advocacy group aimed at tolerance and civic action “in and beyond the MuslimAmerican student community,” sponsored the event.

we’re really changing minds, … [but] I’d rather live under the delusion that I’m having an impact by trying than sit at home and not do anything and know I’m definitely not.” thescene@theeagleonline. com

Scene 20

theEAGLE

VOICES College students easily misinformed when it comes to sexual health RYAN CARTER — SEX WONK “Mom, Dad — Where do babies come from?”

Did you get a talk on the birds and the bees from a parent figure? Perhaps there were uncomfortable talking points taken from a book that stole what innocence you salvaged from the schoolyard. Maybe, you received great information.

But how sure are you?

Think about the knowledge of sexual health that you have amassed over the years. Where did it all come from? Sure, medical volumes discuss sex, but what information did you actually get? And from where?

College students usually get information from their peers and media, rather than parents or professionals; but too often, neither of these sources really hits the mark. Peers may pass on fables instead of fact. Parents often make mistakes on the same topics, according to a study published by the Guttmacher Institute, a program dedicated to advancing sexual and reproductive health.

When examining your own understanding of sex, evaluate how credible your sources were. If peers and parents provided such essential sexual decisionmaking information, you

should definitely question it.

Movies, magazines and pornography (e.g., “American Pie,” Cosmo and “Pirates II: Stagnetti’s Revenge”) cannot substitute information based on non-mediated human experiences and fact.

Even many educational websites contain inaccuracies, according to a study performed at the University of South Florida. The university’s study reviewed 177 sites and found that those

it.

And you probably missed the more comprehensive programs that Obama’s health care reform will provide, which includes giving millions of dollars to vamp up sex education programs, including information on preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

Ultimately, we simply cannot trust what we hear or read. Seeking out competent

College students usually get information from their peers and media, rather than parents or professionals promising to have the most detailed information often had the most inaccuracies.

Even if a normally wellinformed friend or parent spouts a sexy fact, it is in your interest to fact check.

Why leave chance to such an important issue?

Unfortunately, resources that provide information based on science are uncommon. Please do not depend on in-the-classroom sexual health education either. Many critics have found errors in abstinenceonly programs. Just Google

sources is a job, but I have found at least one.

Go Ask Alice!, a website maintained by Columbia University’s Health Services, does provide great direction on sexual and other health concerns. You can win the next great sex debate that comes up in the residence halls: simply Go Ask Alice!

Submit your anonymous sex questions at theeagleonline.com. sexwonks@theeagleonline. com

Christopher Owens, Girls create ‘magic’ for audience at 9:30 club

By MAEVE MCDERMOTT Eagle Staff Writer The 9:30 club wasn’t sold out Sept. 19. If you had casually bought a ticket, unfamiliar with Girls’ exemplary three albums, you may not have picked up on the current of energy that ran through the crowd. To new

ears, Girls’ set at 9:30 may have been perfectly enjoyable and completely forgettable.

But Girls isn’t a band that attracts the more superficial kind of fan.

Over the course of the past three years, the indie rock community has fallen under the San Francisco band’s spell. The sphere of Internet

music blogs, obsessed with micro-analyzing every aspect of a song, fell in love with Girls’ ageless rock.

Fans were smitten by frontman Christopher Owens and his endlessly fascinating life story — he belonged to the Children of God cult as a child and lived on the streets.

On the band’s newest al-

Students get caffeine fix in many different ways OLIVIA STITILIS — VITAMIN O There is no denying it: college students love their caffeine. When life is full of late nights, procrastinated homework assignments and cramming way too many things in 24 hours, it seems impossible to make it through the day without it.

While there is certainly no debate about college students’ caffeine consumption, there is debate surrounding which form of caffeine is “best.”

One day, coffee is the miracle drug guaranteeing alertness and cancer prevention, but the next day it will lead to anxiety and a slew of other problems. While soda is never truly endorsed, the reasons behind the concerns and the level of actual concern vary every day, sometimes every hour. To add to the mix, energy drinks are now so popular that they can be found in vending machines only a few feet away from bedrooms in college dorms.

cium) one extra Coke a day gives a child a 60 percent greater chance of becoming obese, no matter how much they exercise or what else they eat, according to Greg Critser, author of the book, “Fat Land: How Americans Became the Fattest People in the World.”

Coffee: Best Bet “Coffee is one of the good, healthy beverage choices,” said Dr. Rob vam Dam of the Harvard School of Public Health, in an article written by The New York Times in 2006. The article was written by Nicholas Bakalar, and researched studies that claimed coffee had various health benefits. “Along with an extra jolt of energy when you need a pick-me-up at work or while running er-

rands, coffee has been shown over years of medical research to prevent many diseases.”

A Norwegian study found that women who drank one to three cups of coffee a day reduced their risk of cardiovascular disease by 24 percent compared with those drinking no coffee at all, according to the Bakalar article. The study also mentioned that the high level of antioxidants found in coffee can decrease inflammation as well as related health disorders such as heart disease.

Starting to feel better about your coffee addiction? Just be careful.

When it comes to coffee, moderation is essential. As soon as you have too much, the benefits dramatically decrease and negative side effects, such as anxiety and even nausea, can occur. No one wants to be that kid who has definitely had one too many lattes and can’t stop shaking.

Additionally, with coffee consumption, what you add to your cup is extremely important. Black coffee has no calories, but add sugar or milk, and that’s no longer the case.

Soda: health problems ahead While black coffee offers some health benefits, soda only generates health problems. Besides actually extracting calcium from your bones (due to the combination of high levels of phosphate and low levels of cal-

bum, “Father, Son, Holy Ghost,” Owens crafts one of the strongest albums of the year by pairing adopted riffs and melodies from other songs with simple lyrics, unadorned with wordplay or fancy vocabulary.

And from the second Owens and the rest of Girls came on stage, the night was magic.

The concert was tailormade for Girls’ fans. Both openers, Papa and Nobunny, were side projects of Girls’ members, and Owens played a varied set, opening

with the bluesy “Darling” from his first album and interspersing songs from last year’s “Broken Dreams Club EP” with the band’s more popular singles.

Owens, sporting a Hawaiian pajama shirt and a Kurt Cobain haircut, eschewed the snotty self-mockery seen on his first album to give an earnest and sincere performance. He held the crowd in a trance, and they went wild as he lay on stage for the outro in “Laura” and launched into dance during the galloping drums that

kick off “Honey Bunny.”

Not a single song fell flat, and the crowd’s energy rarely lagged during the band’s sublime surf-rockers “Honey Bunny,” “Lust for Life” and “Magic.” The audience responded just as powerfully to the slower songs, swaying to the soulful “Love Like a River” and wailing away in an immense sing-along to first album standout “Hellhole Ratrace.”

It’s easy to forget, especially after regularly attending

Energy drinks: fastest way to zero health benefits Likewise, energy drinks, which are extremely addicting due to their “jolt-crash” effect, provide absolutely no health benefits. Their potential harms span heart palpitations, seizures, strokes and — in most dramatic cases — sudden death, according to an MSNBC report.

These dangers largely stem from the unusually high contents of some ingredients such as B vitamins, which, when consumed in too high amounts, can lead to increased heartrate, as well as numbness in the hands and feet.

So the next time your 5 p.m. class rolls around and you are craving nothing more than a nap, walk far, far away from the vending machines and head toward the Dav or the Mudbox.

Black coffee may be bitter at first, but you’ll get your extra jolt and some health benefits to boot. What could be better? thescene@theeagleonline. com

WILD, PAGE 14≥

September 27, 2011

theEAGLE

AUDIOPHILE

Looking for new music? DJs at student-run radio station, WVAU, share their thoughts on a range of recent releases.

Between producing back-to-back albums and maintaining a stable line-up for the longest time in their existence, it was starting to look like Wilco were slipping into complacency.

Fortunately, “The Whole Love” dismisses that notion by the end of the opening track “Art of Almost,” a seven-minute epic that features bubbling electronics, Radiohead-like strings and lead guitarist Nels Cline absolutely abusing the guitar for the final three minutes.

The 11 tracks that follow never come close to this sense of experimentation, but that doesn’t stop them from being the best collection of songs Jeff Tweedy has written since “A Ghost Is Born.”

Wilco has made music in a variety of styles, and they all make appearances here: “Dawned On Me” is an insanely catchy sing-along, “Sunloathe” recalls “Summerteeth”-era Wilco with its layers of harmonies and keyboards and “One Sunday Morning” is an absolutely beautiful, hypnotic acoustic number. A definite return to form, “The Whole Love” holds its own among Wilco’s storied catalogue and shows this band has plenty more to offer.

Recommended if you like: My Morning Jacket, Spoon, John Lennon (Big Beatles influence on this record) Recommended Tracks: 1, 4, 6

WILCO THE WHOLE LOVE

— BY CAMERON MEINDL

GEM CLUB

Critics oftentimes throw around the term “dream-pop” to any band with whispery vocals and reverb infused melodies. But on their debut LP “Breakers,” Gem Club takes a more purist stab at the genre, honing the breathy, emotional piano-pop crafted on their first EP. Their minimal instrumentation, which consists of a piano, cello and vocals allows for the group’s melancholic lyrical underpinnings to seep through and finds moments of poignancy in the space between the notes.

Gem Club understands that a beautiful melody is more important than layers of dense instrumentation, and uses this strength to craft an album that creates a contemplatively wistful album.

Recommended if you like: Perfume Genius, Porcelain Raft, Bon Iver’s “Blood Bank EP” Recommended Tracks: 2, 5

BREAKERS

— BY MAXWELL TANI

THE KOOKS JUNK OF THE HEART

The Kooks can sound like a lot of bands, often to the point where they flirt with falling into “forgettable” territory. This is a group that is not trying to break any ground with their songwriting, but you can forgive them when they deliver the melodies and hooks that are present on this album’s highlights.

Many of the songs here are radio-ready. The opening one-two punch of “Junk of the Heart” and “How’d You Like That” are feel-good, bubble-gum earworms and it’s hard to resist the large “la-la-la” finale of “Eskimo Kiss.”

Although the band rarely deviates from standard classic rock instrumentation, “Runaway” makes good use of its blend of acoustic guitars, bouncy synth lines and falsetto hooks. “Junk of the Heart” might be guilty of having a few filler tracks, but when it gets into a groove, the results are pretty infectious.

Recommended if you like: Arctic Monkeys, Phoenix, Oasis Recommended Tracks: 2, 7, 11

— BY CAMERON MEINDL

Now that we live in a world without R.E.M., somebody needs to fill the void left in the DUM DUM GIRLS jangle-pop world. Luckily, Dum Dum Girls seem up to the challenge: “Only In Dreams” is

ONLY IN DREAMS (SUB POP)

their third release in about 18 months, and it maintains the high standard the previous two have set — the guitars are still chiming, the melodies are still sunny and the songs are as strong as ever. Things start off with a bang as “Always Looking” piles on surf guitar riffs, calland-response vocals and some white noise for good measure before leading into “Bedroom Eyes,” a lovesick tale about life on tour. Even with slightly glossier production by Richard Gottehrer and The Raveonettes’ Sune Rose Wagner, “Only In Dreams” proves that Dum Dum Girls are no longer just a promising young act, but a musical force to be reckoned with.

Recommended if you like: Best Coast, Wild Flag Recommended Tracks: 1, 2, 4

— BY CAMERON MEINDL

LISTEN TO THE EAGLE’S WVAU COLUMNISTS Cameron Meindl — “Rhyme & Reason” on Sat., 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Maxwell Tani — “Baroqueback Mountain” on Fri., 12 a.m. to 2 a.m.

AU puts on 12th Annual Human Rights Film Fest

By JANE MORICE Eagle Contributing Writer AU’s 12th Annual Human Rights Film Series, featuring a broad spectrum of documentary films on human rights issues, began Sept. 22 and continues through Oct. 20.

The Center for Social Media hosts the series in conjunction with the Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law at the Washington College of Law. Held in Wechsler Theater in the Mary Graydon Center, the series hosts a broad spectrum of documentary films that are “well-made and cover current human rights issues,” said Angelica Das, the associate director at the Center for Social Media.

The films’ directors will answer questions following the screenings. The two organizations responsible for putting the series together have slightly different individual goals, yet the overall message is the same.

“The Center for Social Media’s goal is to showcase socially-engaged media, in this case documentaries made with great technique and aesthetic,” Das said.

On the other hand, the

Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law focuses on the legal perspective of the films and how the topics discussed affect the world as a whole.

“These films provide the opportunity to examine human rights issues through film and experts,” said Hadar Harris, executive director of the Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law at WCL. “The goal is to raise issues of human rights in a public form and have people see various perspectives of these issues. The series is a great opportunity to think about, learn and explore topics not typically discussed.”

These topics include a film about doctor-assisted suicide titled “How to Die in Oregon,” premiering at the series Oct. 6. “The Redemption of General Butt Naked,” shown Oct. 13, is an eye-opening film that questions, “how we understand peace and reconciliation,” Das said.

Over the past 12 years, the series has seen a “tremendous growth in attendance,” according to Harris. thescene@theeagleonline. com

HUMAN RIGHTS FILM SERIES SCHEDULE Oct. 6 at 5:30 p.m. — “How to Die in Oregon” Oct. 13 at 5:30 p.m. — “The Redemption of General Butt Naked” Oct. 20 at 5:30 p.m. — “Not in Our Town: Light in Darkness”

≤WILD, PAGE 13 concerts, how live music has the potential to be a moving and transformative experience.

Girls’ set was full of moments that other bands spend a career trying to create, from the band’s heartstopping rendition of “Jamie Marie” during the encore, complete with 1960s organ, to the soaring refrain of the “Father, Son, Holy Ghost” single “Vomit.” “Vomit” is a song about loneliness and troubled love, and as Owens repeated the lyric, “Come into my heart” amid an epic guitar build, the audience

was utterly entranced.

Perhaps the more distracted audience members at 9:30 club Sept. 19 missed out on the mystical quality of Girls’ performance. But anyone who came to see Girls with a vested interest in the band as richly rewarded with an unforgettable performance.

Critics will debate whether Girls’ new album is the best of 2011, but for the most devoted of Girls fans, 9:30 club will not see a better performance this year than Chris Owens’ masterful set. mmcdermott@ theeagleonline.com

Scene 15

theEAGLE ≤ THEATER, PAGE 10 and authenticity.

As they were cast in their parts in the musical, the first act ended and the musical “Outta Here” began.

The actors reappeared playing the roles they were cast in at the end of “Almost Me.” This second play told the story of a drama group after members have graduated and are returning to college for a reunion.

Once again, the stereotypical scenarios are present, but nonetheless well realized.

There’s the playwright who married his college sweetheart and switched to a bor-

Some actors merely showed potential, while others will surely be looked for in any upcoming musicals. ing government job to make ends meet.

The starving actor who followed his dreams straight into his dad’s basement, but refuses to quit his passion.

The girl who made a few poor decisions and comes back pregnant (and spends a few amusing moments describing what it was like to play a pregnant woman in a play).

The songs were amusingly witty with a bit of profanity thrown in for good measure.

Some actors merely showed potential, while others will surely be looked for in any upcoming musicals.

As an introduction to the actors who will surely be appearing in AU productions for the next few years, the “New Student Showcase” showed there will certainly be some excellent performances to look forward to. thescene@theeagleonline. com

AU abroad student Boys dominate show makes most of sticky schedule at 9:30 club W situation in Istanbul this fall music season

By MAEVE MCDERMOTT

MADELINE WOLFSON — ABROAD COLUMN Some may recall that this abroad columnist was to be in London this semester after a stopover in Istanbul.

Well, sometimes planning for months on end and doing piles of paperwork doesn’t actually secure your place within an abroad program.

Now, I don’t want to name names or point fingers, but let’s just say that a certain University, American in origin, might have made some slight errors resulting in a student being stranded in a strange country on a program with no way to pay for said program.

And while I could conceivably turn this 600ishword article into one massive dump-a-thon, I really wouldn’t want to invade Eagle Rant’s territory.

So, through the power of blind optimism and quick, reckless decision-making, I have created my own study abroad program. There is no deadline to apply because there’s no application!

One must simply book the soonest, cheapest flight to Istanbul, find the cheapest, most crowded flat, then simply find some way to provide for herself as quickly as possible without a workers permit, university degree or ability to speak the native language. I’ll call it the “Illegal Immigrant Experience!”

Well, as irresponsible as this all may sound, I am ab-

solutely loving my time with IIE. I found a job where I teach English to 4- to 5-year-old Turkish children while they run around a room manically putting glue sticks in their mouths, kicking each other and openly planning my demise in their secret tongue.

Meanwhile, I sing songs like “Days of the Week!” at them and pray they don’t wet themselves. I might have snapped by now, but they have the super effective survival mechanism of being just so darn adorable that my rage morphs into the inexplicable desire to give them candy.

Life in my flat is also a bit manic. But for all I know, this may be how all Turkish flats are. With this assumption in mind, I have done some calculations and cooked up Turkey statistics, based solely on Flat 4 of the building I live in.

The average home in Turkey contains 10 people.

Each typically has 0.5 beds, 0.3 forks, 26 white socks, one toothbrush and zero cars. In Turkey, a household consumes roughly 28 loafs of bread, 15 containers of white cheese, 65 packs of cigarettes, nine liters of Fanta and one glass of milk.

Turkey’s population is extremely young, in fact a shocking 100 percent of Turks are under the age of

Eagle Staff Writer 35. And Turks is the wrong label, because only 10 percent of the population is in fact Turkish. The majority of citizens are German (40 percent), followed by Macedonian (20 percent), American (20 percent) and unidentified drifters (10 percent).

Turkey also has an astonishing unemployment rate of 70 percent which might account for the six nights per week that households dedicate to celebrations involving the imbibing of various substances such as delivered meat wraps and cigarettes.

Currently the most prominent issues plaguing Turkey are unemployment, fleas, lack of dish soap, confusion over sock ownership and eviction. And while Turkey imports mass amounts of food, condoms, knock-off Ray Bans and bottled water, it’s only apparent export on record seems to be “Party Music” which is graciously shared with all surrounding people nightly.

These statistics may prove inaccurate as I gather more data but luckily, thanks to my participating in IIE, I will have three months to gather more data. mwolfson@theeagleonline. com

SCENE REVIEWS THE BEST AND WORST OF THIS WEEK’S FILMS ON SCREEN THE MONEYBALL — A

Sept. 28: The Felice Brothers You’d think the Low Anthem, Deer Tick, the Avett Brothers, Dawes, Middle Brother, Delta Spirit and the Decemberists’ newest album have wrung the current alt-country trend dry.

The Felice Brothers attempt their own take on the Americana tradition with their new “Poughkeepsie Princess EP,” for which they recorded songs at their home in the Catskills. The brothers (yes, they’re actually brothers) will bring their 1960s-influenced folk rock to D.C. for a headlining show at 9:30, so expect plenty of raucous choruses and ramshackle guitars.

Oct. 3: Theophilus London Filling in the hipster-rap space between Kid Cudi and Childish Gambino, Theophilus London makes hiphop music with an electronic bent. London has toured with skate-rapper turned Top 40 star Lupe Fiasco, and seems to be headed down the same route from a buzzworthy critic’s favorite to a radio-friendly crowd pleaser. London, who hails from Brooklyn, is touring in support of his first full-length album “Timez Are Weird These Days.” If you find Cudi too mindless and Das Racist too abrasive, don’t miss London’s headlining set at 9:30.

Oct. 9: James Blake Way back in early 2011, James Blake turned dubstep on its head. The London ##########

A classic underdog story with clever dialogue and truly heartfelt moments

RESTLESS — B Infinitely bizarre ... an inspirational romantic drama that takes us inside the world of two ill-fated teenagers in their struggle for peace and happiness

KILLER ELITE — C+ Guns, fights, explosions, mystery, crime, stunts and more explosions — all typical ingredients that make the stereotypical action thriller

READ MORE AT THEEAGLEONLINE.COM/SCENE

Courtesy of JAMES BLAKE

producer, who had previously released a string of excellent EPs that featured minimal beats and mindbending samples, dropped his self-titled album that set the blogs ablaze trying to figure out how to describe Blake’s otherworldly iteration of dubstep. Eventually, Blake’s music was slapped with the “post-dubstep” moniker, a label that doesn’t do Blake’s producing genius and gorgeous voice justice.

As impeccable as Blake’s recordings are, an entirely new dimension of his music is revealed live, and 9:30’s impressive set of speakers will meet their match in Blake’s bone-rattling bass.

Oct. 14: G Love & Special Sauce Fall temperatures may be hitting D.C., but Philadelphia musician G. Love and his band Special Sauce are set to bring a slice of summer to the 9:30 club.

G. Love’s fusion of alternative blues and hip-hop is far less advanced than it sounds, and features lots of guitar strumming and foot stomping, accompanied by tongue-in-cheek lyrics. Fans of Jack Johnson, Jason Mraz and backwards baseball caps will appreciate G. Love’s laid-back grooves. Nashville alt-country rockers the Apache Relay open. mmcdermott@ theeagleonline.com A SINGLE MAN This fall, 9:30 club hosts a myriad of male artists like the talented James Blake.

OPINION

September 27, 2011

16

Student Activity fee: who gets what?

American University officials and student leaders have begun an arguably overdue examination of the distribution of the Student Activity fee.

As the system stands, each fulltime undergraduate student pays $73.50 every semester to Student Activities.

These fees are then pooled together and dispersed to fund umbrella student groups. Student Government receives 72 percent of this fund, while the Student Media Board and AU Club Council each receive 14 percent.

AU has experienced numerous changes in demographics and size since the current percentages were established in 2001. Just to further date the program, 2001 was before the Student Government was actually called the Student Government. Clearly, certain changes must be accounted for.

As AU moves forward with a new plan, The Eagle encourages the administration to continue this scrutiny in earnest.

Those especially knowledgeable about Student Activity funding — Student Activity wonks, one might say — will know that The Eagle also does not receive any of this money. And we would like it to stay that way. While extra funds are always helpful, the independ-

ence of our paper is our highest priority. Being funded by those we report on is a conflict of interest we frankly could not ignore. So, in the words of our favorite Alaskan governor: thanks, but no thanks.

However, University officials should truly investigate the merits

recommendations for redistribution by asking themselves what allocation system best serves the benefits of all students.

AUCC is a particular beneficiary that seems especially thirsty for new funds, and rightfully so. More funding for students clubs offers

AU has the opportunity to ensure that all students’ money is being used for the benefit of those who actually paid it. and disadvantages of the current distribution of Student Activities funding.

While we recognize that SG is entirely dependent on this fee for its budget, the disparity between its percentage and that of the Student Media Board and the AU Club Council certainly raises some eyebrows. Officials should guide their

these clubs the opportunity not only to attract more students, but also to get out there and make a name for AU. The AU Debate Society is but one example. Ranked seventh in the nation at the close of last year, the society’s achievements reflect well on the University as a whole.

Club funding is vital to the De-

The real Madrid, an exposé ADAM GALLAGHER — WHITE NOISE My contempt for studying abroad in Europe stems from my contempt for a group of AU kids who happened to study in Madrid. I won’t name them, but they know who they are.

Anyway Max, Goyo, Goggins, et al. vacationed en España for four months, yielding thousands of group photos at clubs and a few eating disorders based around something called a “churro.”

And while they raved, cruised and rarely went to school, I was thinking of reasons these flawed

bate Society’s success, allowing members to attend and win tournaments across the mid-Atlantic.

Yet while the group receives the most money from AUCC of any student organization, the Debate Society still faces difficulty sending team members to competi-

individuals had wasted their study abroad experience.

Let me now use them as the vehicle by which to demonstrate why you shouldn’t study abroad in Europe.

First and foremost, everyone does it. Over 24,000 American students studied in Spain during the 2008-2009 school year, which made it the third most popular destination (behind the United Kingdom and Italy), according to the Institute of International Education.

If you study abroad for

the same reasons I did — to make conversation at future parties, perhaps put it on your resume or gain a unique perspective — forget the Old Country.

In the School of Communication, we learn what makes stories newsworthy (seven times per class) and there’s nothing novel, unusual or significant about staying out until 5 a.m. drinking €1 wine. Few people care if water costs more. The clubs look a lot like those in D.C., especially with the presence of so many foreigners.

tions outside the immediate region. If a well-funded club such as this continues to be limited by its budget, one can only imagine the fiscal scenarios facing other clubs.

But before we get carried away in advocating for broad and sweeping changes, there are things we like about the fund’s current distribution.

To put this in terms that may resonate with you, do you really want to be in your SIS class bragging about the same international experience as the rest of your peers? Or do you want to want to drop a country’s name that will shock your classmates into respecting you, if not your naïve, ignorant opinions on microfinance?

Besides missing out on the intangible benefit of feeling superior, if you study in Europe, you will also be missing out on the tangible benefit of affordable sustenance.

I once went broke in London in five days, while it took me a whole semester to go broke in Egypt.

If that anecdotal evidence doesn’t sway you, at the time of writing, the exchange rate was $1 to .63 British pounds or .72 Euros.

On the same day, that dollar could get six Egyptian

For example, greek life is not among the groups that are currently funded, and we believe offering them Student Activities money would be a misguided move.

Fraternities and sororities may insist that their programming events benefit the entire University, as they argued for last year’s Greek Week.

Yet despite this outreach, we have seen little desire from the larger AU community to actually participate in greek events. With this in mind, it seems hard to justify appropriating a universal fee to such a limited interest.

Moreover, well-established national organizations and larger alumni networks support the AU chapters of fraternities and sororities. This certainly expands their fundraising ability beyond that of the average student group. And with limited Student Activities funds, the money should go to those who truly need it.

Ultimately, with this re-examination of the Student Activity fee, AU has the opportunity to ensure that all students’ money is being used for the benefit of those who actually paid it. We encourage our officials to press on and guarantee that students are getting the most bang for their buck.

pounds, which will get you lunch and dinner - provided, of course, that you like falafel. And don’t you dare Eagle Rant about €1 wine.

Onto my next point (that’s a transition right?), there are so many more awesome places to go.

While my nemeses in Spain were making memories they wouldn’t retain the next morning, people I like climbed the steps of Machu Picchu in Peru, rode horses through Petra in Jordan, journeyed through Kruger Park in South Africa and a thousand other things kids in Madrid can only read about.

Of course, those whom I despise are unapologetic about their time in Spain.

Shelby Krick, Madrid fall break veteran and a Lit major (apologies for the character slur), cites the ease of travel, the chance to learn a valuable language and the likelihood of gaining

a second, possibly better, family at a home stay. She actually didn’t say that about her family, but you will agree those are pretty weak reasons for studying in Europe.

Krick, however, doesn’t agree. Viewing studying abroad as an invaluable experience that everyone should do, no matter if its Spain or Senegal or Singapore, she feels getting out of America for a semester will yield friends, perspectives and memories (even if those memories are as hazy as those club shots).

She believes in the it’s-notwhere-you-study-but-whatyou-do-there philosophy.

I hope that wasn’t a crack about my four months spent eating falafels in the Egyptian desert. edpage@theeagleonline. com

Opinion 17

TIAA-CREF and justice in Palestine

You are now leaving the District JULIA GREENWALD — RANTING WITH MYSELF

MANA ALIABADI — THE EXAMINED LIFE

After living in D.C. for only six weeks, I know there is no other city I’d rather be in during my four years of college. Despite the pestering humidity and frequent rain, the city proves to be nothing less than perfect for activities and never-ending novelty.

However, one of the best parts about D.C. is how easily you can leave it, without even needing to pack a suitcase or fight for a visa.

The French Embassy held its 2011 Euronight Celebration Sept. 23, a night of European cuisine and discovery on what is technically French soil. European embassies throughout the D.C. area provided food, drinks and entertainment to a sold-out crowd of college students, D.C. natives and ex-pats who seek the international culture our nation’s capital has to offer.

I’ll admit that I love walking through Georgetown, sipping coffee in Dupont and shopping at the Forever 21 at the Metro Center, but now I know not to take the embassies, and everything they offer to D.C. residents,

I’ve been on campus for over a month now. I like to think I’ve gotten a good sense of the place. From what I’ve seen so far — in cigarettecircle conversations as well as in eavesdropped discussions in the Mud Box — I’ve come to realize that the “politically active” label given to us is actually a valid one.

Yet I tend to find that we often speak in broad generalizations. That’s why I’d like to turn some attention toward something far more concrete that should be given thought in our various political exchanges.

In January 2005, Palestinian human rights activists launched an initiative urging the international community for the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) of Israel and Israeli goods. Initially presented before the World Social Forum, the BDS effort was a response to the continued human rights abuses and international law violations carried out by the Israeli government, as confirmed by the UN General Assembly and the International Court of Justice.

The Palestinian BDS Na-

for granted.

The wonderful thing about AU’s location is its proximity - and I mean literally walking distance - to Embassy Row, and with it a gateway to culture that is inaccessible anywhere else.

How many people can say they went trick-or-treating at the Spanish Embassy or attended the German Embassy Open House and ate bratwurst?

The wonderful thing about these events is that they are not closed to diplomats or political personnel but are open to the public.

The International Club of D.C. offers not only events throughout the city, but also provides volunteer and committee work for any of its events.

The city also provides its residents with its annual event, Passport D.C., a monthlong exploration of Washington’s international culture featuring festivals, open houses, embassy events and performances.

Events include the Around The World Embassy Tour, where various embassies open their doors to the pub-

lic to showcase their cuisine and cultural heritage; French jazz performances; Latin dance workshops; and various movie screenings for kids offered by the Australian and Brazilian Embassies.

During Welcome Week, we were warned to not try and discover all of D.C. in one month, but instead to pace ourselves throughout our four years in the city. I’ll offer a different piece of advice: get to know the embassies, subscribe to emails and newsletters and join international clubs. Take advantage of the unique opportunity we AU students were given and travel the world in four years.

And lastly, start thinking about your Halloween costume and go trick-or-treating on Embassy Row. For more information on cultural events, visit culturaltourismdc.org and internationalclubdc.com. edpage@theeagleonline.com

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Humidity, Trending Topics already wrote about you being gone. Yet you’re still here. What gives?

The Nationals edge closer and closer to reaching a .500 record. All we ask for is mediocrity, Nats, is that too much?

tional Committee (BNC), a coalition of various Palestinian trade unions, NGOs and other organizations, began a call for the BDS strategy in order to achieve its goals. It called for the world to apply pressure until international law was upheld, including ending Israeli occupation of Arab lands acquired in June 1967, demolishing the separation wall being built between Israel and the West Bank, acknowledging full rights of Arab-Palestinian citizens living in Israel and guaranteeing the right of return for Palestinian refugees as denoted in United Nations Resolution 194 passed in December 1948.

Today, the BDS campaign has garnered a great deal of global attention, with the likes of prominent intellectuals Naomi Klein and Archbishop Desmond Tutu voicing their support for the movement. College campuses, historically the breeding grounds for political activism, have particularly embraced the BDS movement’s nonviolent approach to affecting change in the inhumane and illegal practices of the Israeli government.

More recently, Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), a grassroots organization dedicated to reaching a peaceful solution that promotes the “security and self-determination of both Israelis and Palestinians,” launched an initiative urging TIAA-CREF, the largest retirement provider for academics and other such professionals, to divest from companies that contribute to the abuse of Palestinian human rights.

While proclaiming to maintain a socially responsible investment policy, TIAA-CREF has remained invested in various companies that profit from human rights transgressions against the Palestinian people.

These companies include Caterpillar, which makes armored bulldozers used in destroying Palestinian lands

and homes, and Northrop Grumman, which produced parts for aircraft used in the three-week Israeli bombing campaign against Gaza in 2008 and 2009 known as Operation Cast Lead.

Although JVP does not fully endorse all aspects of the BDS movement, it has promoted a growing movement on campuses across the nation to urge stakeholder professors to compel TIAACREF to divest from companies like Caterpillar and Northrop Grumman. Here at AU, many of our professors rely on TIAA-CREF for their retirement pension funds.

Cathy Schneider, Professor in the School of International Service and a JVP member, describes the TIAA-CREF campaign as a means to “target companies that support the repressive arm of the occupation.

“More and more Jewish Americans are alienated by Israel’s abuse of the human rights of Palestinians, particularly in the occupied territories,” Schneider said in a phone interview. “Operation Cast Lead marked a turning point for many. Mobilizing for human rights is not antiSemitic.”

Currently, many students are already becoming engaged in JVP’s struggle to urge TIAA-CREF to divest from such companies. It’s time for the rest of us to set aside our fears and mobilize, too.

We now have on our hands a real opportunity to take direct action. So, sign the JVP petition. Reach out to your professors. Inform and prompt them to contact TIAA-CREF and hold it accountable for its investments.

And most importantly, channel our hunger for debate and energetic defiance into something more than just a potential for affecting real change. edpage@theeagleonline. com

September 27, 2011

theEAGLE

KAITLIN BROWN / THE EAGLE

CONFERENCE BATTLE No. 9 Alassane Kane and the men’s soccer team shredded the Colgate defense for three goals in Saturday’s shutout victory, the

Volleyball off to fast start in league play

By ZOE CRAIN Eagle Contributing Writer The AU volleyball team closed out the weekend with two home victories against Bucknell University and Colgate University to start Patriot League play 2-0 and boost its overall mark to 8-9.

“Going through all these preseason matches, it’s hard to tell how good your team is,” Head Coach Barry Goldberg said. “Starting with the league this week, we knew this was going to be a big week.”

Eagles roll past Bucknell In the Sept. 23 home game against Bucknell (3-8, 0-2), the Eagles cruised to a 3-0 victory with set scores of 2522, 25-11 and 25-16.

“It was a fun match for us,” outside hitter Rebecca Heath said. “I think it was the first time that, for three sets in a row, we really clicked as a team. We’re a young team, we have a lot of new players, so that’s kind of big for us to understand that we have that rhythm with each other.”

AU recorded 16 kills in the first set, including four apiece from Heath, Sara Rishell and Morgan Hendrix. The heavy offense coupled with 12 digs defensively proved to be too much for the Bison, who fell 25-22.

The Eagles came out strong again for the second set, as Rishell and Heath continued to boost their offensive totals while AU sailed to a 25-11 set victory.

After trailing 9-6 in the third set, AU took control when it scored six consecu-

tive points highlighted by three straight Juliana Crum kills for the 25-16 clincher.

AU takes down Colgate The Eagles finished out the weekend Sept. 24 with a 3-1 home victory over Colgate, defeating the Raiders (4-10, 1-1) by set scores of 22-25, 25-16, 25-21 and 25-17.

Crum posted a game-high 15 kills, with Hendrix totaling 14 and Rishell 13.

Despite a close battle that saw 10 ties in the opening set, AU couldn’t close the deal and lost 25-22. With Colgate clinging to a 21-20 lead, the Raiders won four of the next six points to secure the opening victory.

“We didn’t get those big points we needed to get [in the first game], so we came out for the second game and said, ‘Let’s take control of this match,’” Hendrix said.

The strategy worked for the Eagles, who earned a 2516 victory in the second set.

After racking up 17 kills in the first game, Colgate was only able to total eight in the second.

The third game saw the Eagles start quickly by jumping out to a 14-8 lead and prevail for a 25-21 win and a 2-1 advantage.

With the fourth set tied at 13, AU went on a 12-4 run to earn the victory and move to 2-0 in conference play.

“We had a number of good performances from people today, and that was important,” Goldberg said.

AU will host Morgan State University Sept. 27, then Army Sept. 30. sports@theeagleonline.com

KIM D’ARIA / THE EAGLE

2001 championship men’s soccer squad honored ten years later

By CHRIS HALL Eagle Contributing Writer It was just Todd West’s second year as a Division I head coach. His men’s soccer team faced a brutal schedule. Having moved from the Colonial Athletic Association in 2000 to the Patriot League in 2001, West’s Eagles were now facing unfamiliar competition to go along with a strong non-conference schedule.

And somehow, West took the AU men’s soccer team on an unprecedented run, winning a conference tournament title, going deep in the NCAA tournament and upsetting powerhouses along the way.

The magical feeling of that unforgettable year was stirred up again Sept. 24, as the 2001 team was honored during halftime of AU’s Patriot League home opener against Colgate University, invoking memories of a phenomenal season.

Before the 2001 campaign, the Eagles liked their chances.

“There is a nice blend of veteran leadership to go along with a quality recruiting class,” West told AU

Athletics prior to the 2001 season. “The nucleus of our team is returning and should really step to the front this year.”

The Eagles returned their top scorers, defenders and goalkeeper for 2001.

Players from that team remember the energy as well.

“You just felt we had something as a team,” said then-junior midfielder Kris Kuykendall at Saturday’s event.

Both the players and West credited a large part of the team’s postseason success to the non-conference competition. By squaring off against then-No. 5 University of Maryland and then-No. 3 University of Virginia, the Eagles tough out-of-league competition prepared them for the future.

“Todd’s never gonna call a gimme season,” 2001 freshman defender Charlie Koniver said.

Despite it being the team’s first year in a new conference, the Patriot League, West had one goal for the 2001 team: win.

“Our goal was to win a conference championship,” West said.

The Eagles adapted to the different style of the Patriot

League and put together a strong regular season run, finishing 6-1-0 in league play and setting up a tournament run.

Here’s where things get unforgettable.

The Eagles defeated Lehigh University 1-0 in double overtime to advance to the Patriot League tournament championship game for a showdown with the College of the Holy Cross. The Crusaders had handed AU its lone conference loss of the year.

After two overtimes with the score tied 1-1, the game went to soccer’s lottery: penalty kicks.

“It felt like we had played forever,” Kuykendall said.

The Eagles defeated the Crusaders in penalties 5-3 to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament and a showdown with Ohio State University.

Making its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 1997, AU came out strong with two goals in the game’s first six minutes and held off a furious Buckeye rally to prevail 2-1.

The joyride looked to be coming to a close for the Eagles as they traveled to play Wake Forest University.

CONFERENCE BATTLE No. 9 Alassane Kane and the men’s soccer team shredded the Colgate defense for three goals in Saturday’s shutout victory, the Patriot League Stacked with future pros and national team players, Koniver remembers the Demon Deacons as “way more athletic.”

But the Eagles continued their incredible run by handily defeating Wake Forest 3-0, thanks to two goals

by Adam Rosen.

The storybook season came to an end when eventual national champion University of North Carolina clipped the Eagles 1-0 in overtime in the Sweet 16.

“Looking back, we had a pretty good season; we could’ve been in the Elite 8 or Final 4,” West said.

The Eagles finished the 2001 season at No. 14 in the National Coaches’ Poll.

On the same day the 2001 team was honored, this year’s Eagles opened their season by smashing defending Patriot League regular season champion Colgate 3-0, showing their battles with three nationally ranked teams during a rugged nonconference schedule had prepared them well. sports@theeagleonline.com

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September 27, 2011

UPCOMING GAMES

SPORTS

WED. SEPT. 28

THURS. SEPT. 29

FRI. SEPT. 30

SAT. OCT. 1

No games scheduled.

No games scheduled.

Cross-country @ Paul Short Invitational at 10 a.m.

Volleyball @ Army at 7 p.m.

Field hockey vs. Lehigh at noon Women’s soccer vs. Navy at 1 p.m.

Cross-country @ George Mason Invitational at 10 a.m.

Volleyball @ Holy Cross at 2 p.m.

Men’s soccer @ Bucknell at 7 p.m.

Home Game

Field hockey knocks off No. 6 Boston College

By SAMANTHA RAPHELSON Eagle Staff Writer

KIM D’ARIA / THE EAGLE

Men’s soccer earns impressive win in first Patriot League game

By TYLER TOMEA Eagle Staff Writer The AU men’s soccer team put forth its most impressive game this season in its conference opener Sept. 24, defeating the defending Patriot League regular season champion Colgate University Raiders 3-0.

Against Colgate (5-2-1, 0-1), whose last Patriot League regular season loss came in October 2009, the Eagles (2-6-1, 1-0) netted two goals in the first half and one in the second for the 3-0 victory.

“A 1-0 [record in the conference] and a clean sheet and three goals; all three are big,” Head Coach Todd West said.

Seth Goldman, Alassane Kane and Tyler Collins all struck for the Eagles against a tough Raiders defense that had allowed four goals coming into Saturday.

The Eagles found the net 13 minutes into the contest, when corner Colin Seigfreid found Goldman, whose header beat Colgate goalkeeper Grant Reed to give AU a 1-0 lead.

“The first goal is always

important, especially when you’re playing these Patriot League teams,” Goldman said.

Ten minutes later, a Colgate handball in the 18-yard box gave Kane a golden opportunity to extend the AU lead.

Reed guessed right, but Kane smoothly sent his penalty shot past the extended arms of the Raiders goalkeeper for his third goal of the season, putting AU up 2-0.

Against Colgate’s defense that averaged 0.88 goals against in 2010, the Eagles scored twice midway through the first half.

Matt Makowski was strong in goal for AU, as the senior made three saves to send the Eagles to the half with a 2-0 advantage.

“We told them at halftime to keep playing,” West said.

After intermission, Colgate had its best chance to score, but Scott Brown sent his shot wide of the goal.

The Eagles continued to look for their third goal, and they got it in the 66th minute when Collins chipped a shot from 25 yards out around new Colgate goalkeeper

CONFERENCE BATTLE No. 9 Alassane Kane and the men’s soccer team shredded the Colgate defense for three goals in Saturday’s shutout victory, the Patriot League opener for both teams. Kane’s score on a penalty kick was sandwiched between goals from Seth Goldman and Tyler Collins.

Chris Miller. The goal gave Collins his second of the season and Seigfreid his second assist on the afternoon.

“Tyler Collins; that’s a goal all about effort,” West said.

Makowski nailed down the clean sheet in goal with two saves in the second half, as the Eagles put the finishing touches on a performance that was as good as it gets.

“To come out and beat them 3-0 on our home field is huge for us,” Goldman said.

The Eagles will play a nonconference home game against the Virginia Tech Hokies Sept. 27 before resuming conference play Oct. 1 at Bucknell University.

The Hokies will continue AU’s tough non-conference schedule, as the Eagles have played three ranked opponents while their first eight matches were against teams with a combined record of 32-14-7 entering Saturday. ttomea@theeagleonline. com

The AU field hockey team captured a win against No. 6 Boston College Sept. 25 at Jacobs Field, defeating BC (7-3) 2-1 and ending its four-game losing streak in the process.

“I think the major difference today was we were relentless and we had to be,” Head Coach Steve Jennings said. “We fought together as a group, and we overcame a great Boston College team.

It helped to score first to take some pressure off of us. It was a great job by our kids.”

The game began with a quick goal by AU’s Jenn Bradley in the second minute. Bradley was able to break away from her defender and slam a shot into the net for the game’s first goal.

Offensive control was back and forth between both

teams for the next 10 minutes until AU (3-5) gained its first penalty corner. However, Gina Hofmann came up short with a shot that went wide, and a follow-up shot by Alex McMackin was blocked as well.

The first half ended with zero shots on goal for Boston College, while AU had one goal and two strong attempts.

Boston College jumped out first in the second half with a shot on goal and a penalty corner, but was unable to execute either opportunity.

Prior to the corner, Hofmann left the game with an injury to her hand. She would re-enter the game later in the half, playing an “outstanding role” in the game, according to Jennings.

The contest then turned into a game of penalty corners, with AU earning five straight. On the fifth corner, McMackin scored off a re-

20 SUN. OCT. 2 Field hockey vs Temple at 1 p.m.

bound to put AU up 2-0.

“I just kept believing we were going to finish it,” Jennings said. “I knew that we had a problem with the receiving of the ball and not getting off the perfect shot, but we just kept with it . . We were able to get a great second opportunity and Alex [McMackin] was able to finish it. That was obviously a huge lift for us.”

BC was then able to acquire four corners in a row, resulting in its first goal by Chapin Duke to cut the AU lead to 2-1.

After taking out the goalkeeper to give them an extra player, BC nearly tied the game but the shot went wide past AU goalie Ashley Dalisera, with Hofmann there to make the save for her teammate and give AU its first win since Sept 4.

The Eagles will open the second half of the season next weekend as they host Patriot League opponent Lehigh University Oct. 1 and Temple University Oct. 2 at Jacobs Field. sports@theeagleonline.com

University of Richmond shuts out AU women’s soccer team

By LETTY SALAMANCA Eagle Contributing Writer The AU women’s soccer team failed to get back on the winning track Sept. 24, as the Eagles fell 2-0 to the University of Richmond Spiders at Reeves Field.

“I think our one-on-one defending really showed today as an area that we have to improve at,” Head Coach Dave Bucciero said. “They broke us down a lot in oneversus-one situations.”

Richmond (6-3-2) started to press early, and Becca Wann connected on a free kick past AU goalkeeper Arianna Efstathiou in the seventh minute for a 1-0 Spiders lead.

A second Richmond goal was negated with the offside flag up, and the Eagles began to create chances late in the first half, but could not equalize.

Just 27 seconds into the second half, Liza Koch scored from a cross to put Richmond up 2-0.

In the 63rd minute, AU’s Nicole Paviglionite nearly cut the deficit in half, but Andrea Young made one of her three saves on the afternoon to preserve the Richmond clean sheet. Young and the Richmond defense shut down the AU attack over the next 27 minutes for the 2-0 victory.

“We need to keep the focus on getting better with each

game and improving as a team, which will hopefully lead to success in the Patriot league,” Bucciero said.

The Eagles will begin Patriot League play Oct. 1, when they host the Navy Midshipmen. sports@theeagleonline.com

Read more at eagl.us/nd2pv6