American University’s student voice since 1925
September 20, 2011 Volume 86 – Issue 4
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September 20, 2011
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IN THIS ISSUE
3 NEWS 3 RANTS, 5 MCDOWELL SWIPES, 7 ROBERT GIBBS, 8 PIE CLUB 12 SCENE 12 A CAPELLA, 13 FASHION, 15 AUDIOPHILE 18 OPINION 18 STAFF EDITORIAL, 18 OPEN LETTER TO PUBLIC SAFETY 20 SPORTS 20 WOMEN’S SOCCER, 22 VOLLEYBALL, 24 FIELD HOCKEY 13
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.
All submissions become the property of The Eagle. Unsigned letters will not be published. The Eagle reserves the right to edit letters and guest columns for length and clarity. Letters and columns may be published in print or online. Letters and columns are the opinion of the writer and not the newspaper.
CONTACT US
THIS WEEK
SEPT. 20 – “YOU’RE IN THE MAJORS!”
Sundance Film Festival winner, REACT to FILM founder Dennis Paul will moderate a panel discussion with the film’s director, Danfung Dennis and Sydney Freedberg, founder of Learning from Veterans. / RSVP auhaba@eventbrite.com
1 – 4 p.m. / Letts-Anderson Quad / Still have no idea what to study? Talk to advisors and representatives from AU’s majors and get a taste for your potential area of study. / Sponsored by the College of Arts and Sciences and the Residence Hall Association. / mboren@american.edu
SEPT. 21 – ONEVOICE MOVEMENT SPEAKING TOUR 8 – 10 p.m. / East Quad Building Lounge / Listen to the stories of Obada Shtaya and Eyal Shapira, an Israeli and a Palestinian who are working together for a two-state solution in the Middle East. / angela@ onevoicemovement.org
SEPT. 21 – “HELL AND BACK AGAIN” 7 p.m. / Weschler Theater / Experience the life of American soldiers on the ground in Iraq. Following the AU Arts Council’s pre-release screening of the
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EDITOR IN CHIEF — (202) 885-1402 editor@theeagleonline.com NEWS news@theeagleonline.com ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT thescene@theeagleonline.com
SEPT. 22 – FIRESIDE CHAT WITH ROBERTO RODRIGUEZ
SPORTS sports@theeagleonline.com
6 – 7:30 p.m. / SIS Founder’s Room / Roosevelt Institute presents Roberto Rodriguez, the special assistant to President Obama on education and member of the White House Domestic Policy Council. The chat is part of the Institute’s Millennial Generation Speaker Series. / AURooseveltInstitute@gmail.com
EDITORIAL + OPINION edpage@theeagleonline.com
SEPT. 24 – AU/GW ART HISTORY SYMPOSIUM
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8 a.m. – 5 p.m. / Kogod 223 / Art history graduate students from AU and George Washington University convene for their annual conference. / kalbrec@ american.edu
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CORRECTIONS
EDITOR IN CHIEF Lindsey Anderson MANAGING EDITOR FOR WEB Sean Meehan MANAGING EDITOR FOR NEWS Julia Ryan MANAGING EDITOR FOR THE SCENE Yohana Desta DESIGN EDITOR Chris Droukas DESIGN ASSISTANTS Allie Powell Jessica Luczywo PHOTO EDITOR Rachel Devor STUDENT LIFE EDITOR Zach Cohen ADMINISTRATION + LOCAL NEWS EDITOR Paige Jones NEWS ASSISTANTS Kate Froehlich Leigh Giangreco
SPORTS EDITOR Tyler Tomea SPORTS ASSISTANT Ben Lasky EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR Joe Wenner ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Hoai-Tran Bui MUSIC EDITOR Maeve McDermott BLOG EDITOR Abby Fennewald MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Diana Bowen ASSISTANT WEB EDITOR Cara Bernard BUSINESS MANAGER Michael Slater SALES DIRECTOR Alexander Robinson ACCOUNT MANAGER Kelsey Beck
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The Eagle has a commitment to accuracy and clarity and will print any corrections or clarifications. To report a mistake, email editor@theeagleonline.com.
NEXT ISSUE: SEPT. 27
Two photographs, the photo of the week on page 5 and the center photo on page 14, were incorrectly credited. Bailey Edelstein took the photos.
A Taste of Armenia
Annual Bazaar Thursday, October 6, 2011 Friday, October 7, 2011 Saturday, October 8, 2011
12 noon- 9 p.m. 12 noon – 10 p.m. 12 noon – 10 p.m.
Lunch & Dinner Served Daily Rain or Shine
INTERACT WITH THE ISSUES
Koshland Science Museum • 525 E Street, NW, Washington, DC
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Attic Treasures Kids Corner And much more….
Soorp Khatch Armenian Apostolic Church 4906 Flint Drive, Bethesda, MD 20816 Tel: (301) 229-8742 Fax: (301) 229-9393 http://www.soorpkhatch.org
News 3
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FROM THE TWITTERSPHERE
EAGLE RANTS
@hanale14, Sept. 16
Casa Negra, the happiest place on Earth!
Got some Thai food for dinnz and now watching @AmericanU vball team get obliterated by villanova me. #ironic
Why does this school not have a dating site? All the cool schools have them. : (
@colincjcampbell, Sept. 16
My first week at AU was amazing. I’m so glad I chose AU over Georgetown (and BU and Tulane and Wake Forest). GO AU!
I just saw an @AmericanU professor wearing a bolo-tie in SIS #AUhipster
@samraphelson, Sept. 13 @TheEagleOnline I hate Eagle Rants saying we should print less and put more online. Guess only journo students appreciate value of newsprint @ericwilkens, Sept. 18 Studnts @AmericanU who think they’re J. Lyman/T. Ziegler annoy me. You’re undergrad, not WH senior staff. Get over yourself. #westwingrefrnce @ericwilkens, Sept. 19 Girl being soo rude to @AmericanU maincampus shuttledriver over a long wait for the lawschool bus. Completely ridiculous, total meanie.
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#@%!
CLASSIFIEDS
Sitters Wanted. $12+ per hour. Register free for jobs near campus or home. www.student-sitters.com
The gardens at AU are beautiful. I wish I had someone to take a romantic walk with me through them. Freakin’ Microsoft Word … How dare you taunt me with your red line of death … I know I spelled it right! Making me pick up The Eagle to read all the rants is bad enough … but now the blotter’s being discontinued????? I’m legitimately contemplating transferring to a school with a halfway decent paper. I hate that you sign away some of your constitutional rights when you go greek at AU. I should be reprimanded for community service, charity fundraising, campus beautification and attracting new students. Sorry for partying. Sorry not sorry.
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Tim McBride liked my post on Facebook … I think I just peed.
JOB OPPORTUNTIES! COME MEET US! Do you want to be part of one of DC’s foremost culinary and dining experiences? The Federalist is opening soon in downtown Washington D.C. We are looking for team members passionate about their careers. Many opportunities for Servers, Back Servers, Host/Hostess. For more information or to apply immediately, contact: The Federalist, Tel (202) 587-2631 or email: thefederalistdc@gmail.com
Tim McBride delivered an epic takedown of privilege in Reflections of American Society on Stage this week. Maybe SG is not as ridiculous as it appears sometimes …?
Reem Nourallah, Masters Degree Arabic Language Educator & Tutor More than 15 years of extensive experience in teaching the Arabic language Lessons are conveniently located two blocks away from the AU campus Reasonable rates. Call 202.363.3740 or email ReemNC@aol.com
“Honors kids are all dumb conceited d-bags anyway.” Thanks Letts student. You really embody the AU spirit.
To whomever stole my sandals on the LA Quad: I have warts. Happy wearing them! But seriously … please, please, PLEASE return them to either Public Safety or McDowell front desk. They were my favorites. Dear Lonely from Southside, A couple Northsiders would
love to meet with you! We already know D.C. but there’s always more to explore and friends to be made! We are not into partying and love Sticky Fingers and Busboys and Poets. Next Wednesday, Dav coffee at noon? Friendly on Northside [Editor’s Note: We at The Eagle are rooting for you! We hope you become friends … and rant about it!] Dear Lonely on Southside, People like that do exist! Just keep looking for us, we’ll be the ones watching classic movies or cooking dinner and exchanging witty commentary with our judgment intact in the lounges on Friday nights. TDR, you need to change your signs: You do not have ham and noodles with cheese sauce, you have cheese sauce with ham and noodles. I could drown in it. Hey Peter! I think you’re cute and funny. Maybe I wanna do what bunnies do
smear. Women: There is NO LAW requiring a pap smear to get birth control. The health center just wants to make more money off you. Stand up for your rights! Dear “Sally Student,” Yeah, you’re right. Library staff should be forced to work on a federal holiday just for you and your group project that literally can’t be done anywhere else on campus. Let me personally apologize for causing you distress. Sincerely, THE LIBRARY Who wants to show me a wonkin’ good time? To the two very attractive guys who live in McDowell with their window facing Hughes: Thanks for leaving your curtains open and lights on every night when you’re changing. I really do appreciate it. del C:\\*.* is open on all the computers in the library. My elementary school had that blocked. Enjoy your havoc.
Dear Lonely on South side, I would like to be your friend. Love, Lonely on North side with you, if you know what I mean. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Thank you Eagle for making those 3.75 hours go a little bit faster. [Editor’s Note: Anytime!] Anyone else infected with the AU plague? Stupid rain and cold weather … got me sick. :( I refuse to be sick in September, especially when it’s still 80 degrees outside. If all the commotion don’t quit in the next few days, I’m pretty sure I’m going to end up with PTSD from the Roper-Clark War. Why does Women’s Initiative do nothing about the issue of the AU Student Health Center scaring women away from getting birth control by telling them they need a pap
Dear WANTED: Friends, You sound pretty chill. I like to remember things about last weekend too. rant back. -south side solitary All I want is to find a small group that ISN’T a cult or place of hate/judgment. How on Earth is this difficult? RE: WANTED: Friends Lonely on Southside, I would like to meet you, as I too like to explore D.C. (especially over booze-and-sexfilled blurs). I’d love to debate about politics and quote TV shows, visit art museums and eat at quirky little bistros with you. I am a neat person, but haven’t yet found my niche here at AU. And yes, while I did copy and paste what you said, I am being sincere. If it works for you, I’ll stand outside of MGC
SUBMIT YOUR RANTS AT THEEAGLEONLINE.COM
on Tuesday 9/20 sometime between 1 p.m. and 2:35 (I have a class), on Wednesday 9/21 after 3 but before 4, on Thursday 9/22 between 11:35 a.m. and 4, and on Friday between 10:10 and 2:35. Please note though that I’m probably not going to sit outside for that whole duration, but I will come by every now and then during those times. Hopefully we run into each other. I’ll wear a cyan T-shirt with plaid shorts. Lonely on Northside [Editor’s Note: Does that mean you will be wearing that cyan T-shirt and those plaid shorts every day next week?] Whoever left the handcuffs and KY Jelly in the garbage in the laundry room … probably read the “dorm sextiquite” article again … my innocent clean clothes have been scarred for life. Where the hell did the couches on the second floor of the library go? Where am I supposed to take my power naps? — Lonely on Southside, you need to meet James Wigley … Hey AU, thanks for the inflatable bouncy castle and slide that were up on the Quad on Sept. 13 for all of two hours. I love being taunted as I go into my 11:45 class and walking out of my 1:10 class and seeing everything is taken down. Way to pick the time when EVERYONE has a damn class. I didn’t even want to have fun! No one ever comes to visit me during my office hours. I am a sad panda. Whoever’s network is named Aperture Science in Nebraska Hall … We should be best friends. Also, do you have cake? The Berks isn’t a dorm. Stop treating it like one. Some people have jobs/responsibilities and can’t stay up until 3 a.m. every night because their immature, rude neighbors won’t shut up.
September 20 , 2011
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ANC 3D 07 Illustration: CHRIS /THEEAGLE EAGLE GARRYDROUKAS TAM / THE
Task force considers all-student ANC district By KATE FROEHLICH & LINDSEY ANDERSON An Advisory Neighborhood Commission taskforce is discussing plans to create an ANC district comprised entirely of AU students. The plan would group all of AU except for Letts, Clark and Roper Halls into ANC 3D 07, the district seat currently held by student Deon Jones. Letts, Clark and Roper Halls would fall with Spring Valley neighborhood under ANC 3D 02, currently headed by ANC 3D Chairman Tom Smith. Taskforce Chair Dr. Jeffrey Kraskin said all of AU would ideally fall into one district, but AU’s resident hall population is over the 2,000-person cap per district. “It has to be done; we have to break it apart,” Kraskin said.
will come together and will likely vote on a new Ward 3 map, Kraskin said. A final map and written statement must be submitted to the councilmembers and the D.C. Subcommittee on Redistricting by Oct. 11. The D.C. Council makes the final decision on redistricting, which will go into effect for the 2012 elections next year. Although it is still early in terms of executing such a plan, Smith said he supports the idea of redistricting. “American University is an important part of the community and the students are an important part of the community,” he said. “They have as much right to be represented on the ANC as anybody else.” Smith added that there are about 2,800 students who count toward the census, and the maximum a district can have is 2,000 people.
All D.C. wards redistricting The changes come as all D.C. wards are redistricting, a process that occurs every 10 years. Ward 3 Councilwoman Mary Cheh organized the Ward 3 redistricting taskforce, made of about 40 representatives, including community members and ANC commissioners. Each district in Ward 3 (3B, 3C, 3D, 3E and 3G) created their redistricting map. Tonight, all districts
Students approve of AU-only district “We’re trying to unite the campus community with the community at large, and the best way to do this is to have a guaranteed student seat,” said Joe Wisniewski, a sophomore in SPA that has attended the past three redistricting meetings for Jones. Jonathan Sherman, a sophomore in SIS and a representative for A Voice for U, an AU campaign work-
Eagle Staff Writers
IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD A Ward 3 task force may create an ANC district that would include all of AU except Letts, Clark and Roper Halls. Letts, Clark and Roper remain would be part of ANC 3D 02. Shown here are possible boundaries for the proposed all-AU district. ing to give students more representation in the local community, said putting 90 percent of AU in Jones’ district is the best way to get a student on the ANC for the next few years. However, Sherman adds that for the future, it is better to keep the districts essentially as they are now. “Tom Smith will move on to something bigger and better in D.C. politics or retire at some point, which may be our chance to move in and have two student representatives,” Sherman said. “If this campaign is looking towards the future, we’re going to hope that the districts stay the same. If we’re looking at today, we’ll advocate for the one-district plan.” In the future, Smith and Kraskin said AU might have two student-only districts as a result of plans by the University to increase housing, increasing the number of students to be counted. news@theeagleonline.com
By KIERSTYN SCHNECK & LINDSEY ANDERSON Eagle Contributing Writer & Eagle Staff Writer Continuing the conversation on sexual assault and dating abuse at AU, the Office of Campus Life and the Wellness Center held a forum on the topic Sept. 14 in Butler Boardroom. The forum discussed AU’s sexual assault education measures, the Wellness Center’s new Peer Educators program and a national survey on gender-based violence faced by U.S. college women. Campus Life scheduled the forum in light of last semester’s protests over Vice President of Campus Life Gail Hanson’s refusal to sign a federal grant proposal that would have given AU $300,000 to improve its sexual assault education programs. In response to the protests, the office agreed to organize a sexual assault forum this fall. In addition to Hanson, the panel included: Q Rosie McSweeney, director of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution Services Q Michelle Espinosa, associate dean of students Q Robert Hradsky, assistant vice president and dean of students Q Daniel Rappaport, sexual prevention coordinator Q Courtney Brooks, a parttime staffer in the Women’s Resource Center. About 50 AU community members and camera crews from Channel 9 and FOX 5 attended the event. Representatives from the Department of Public Safety, Housing and Dining, University Communications, the GLBTA Resource Center and the Student Health Center also attended the forum. Nearly half of college women experience gender-based violence The event was also the stage for the national unveiling of the College Dating Violence
and Abuse Poll, sponsored by Liz Claiborne Inc. Nearly half of the women surveyed in the study said they experienced sexual abuse and/or violence in a relationship, and 60 percent of those women said they experienced it in college. The poll surveyed over 500 students on U.S. college campuses last spring. Hanson said the polling numbers reveal the necessity for dating abuse education. “The data is always alarming,” Hanson said. “[Students] have the power to try to change what’s happening to people your age.” AU sexual assault education The panelists talked about their efforts for continuous improvement in educating the AU community about sexual assault and in offering counseling for survivors. Hanson outlined the University’s goals to expand the sexual assault program. “It’s not a good solution, this ‘one size fits all,’” Hanson said. “We chose a broadbased way to give people choices, so they can deal with their trauma in a way that works for them. We’re in conversation to identify what we need to have in place.” Campus Life also introduced the non-mandatory SexualAssaultEdu this summer as part of the AlcoholEdu program. Over 95 percent of freshmen participated in the program. The dual program offers precautions about drinking and driving, alcohol poisoning, sexual assault avoidance and counseling. Mandatory sexual assault education was a major sticking point in Hanson’s refusal to sign the federal grant this spring. The grant would have required stops to be placed on students’ accounts if they did not complete the program. A two-page handout at the forum listed AU’s efforts to battle sexual assault, from changes to the Student Con-
duct Code to educational initiatives. “We can’t underscore enough the importance of education and awareness of sexual assault,” Hradsky said. One of the educational measures listed on the handout included summer orientation’s “True Stories” session, where an orientation leader shared her own story of being sexually assaulted. Lauren Croll, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, then stood up at the September forum, saying she was the orientation leader who shared the story. “I am offended that this [sharing my story] is listed under education,” Croll said. “It was a story. It was not education.” Croll said orientation leaders were not prepared to deal with the students who disclosed to them that they had been sexually assaulted. “I chose to present my story because I knew it was the only way those students would be exposed to sexual assault,” Croll said. Sexual assault Peer Educators Sexual Assault Prevention Coordinator Daniel Rappaport also introduced the Wellness Center’s Peer Educators program, which will operate under his supervision this fall. The program includes 12 trained students who will run workshops instructing students on the prevention of stalking, sexual harassment, relationship violence and sexual assault. Quinn Pregliasco, former director of Women’s Initiative, expressed concern that students are being asked to bear the burden of hearing the stories of and supporting sexual assault survivors. “I am nervous that, again, students are in a situation where they will be confided in and will hear disclosures [about sexual assault],” Pregliasco said. Rappaport said the peer educator group will meet with him every week for an hour and a half to debrief and learn how to handle disclosures. “Women’s Initiative has done this work [hearing disclosures] for awhile, but it is a student organization,” Hanson said. “Peer SEXUAL ASSAULT, PAGE 9≥
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PHOTO OF THE WEEK PEACE DOVES Members of Jane Goodall’s Roots and Shoots nonprofit organization carried peace doves across the WoodsBrown Amphitheater Sept. 18. Goodall spoke to the AU community about her work in Africa and with her nonprofit.
FELICIA AFUAN / THE EAGLE
Vandals intentionally tear out three new swipe-card readers in McDowell Hall elevators By SEAN CUDAHY Eagle Contributing Writer The University installed a new swipe system in McDowell Hall over the summer that requires residents to swipe their student IDs to run the elevators. Students reacted to the new system by ripping out the elevator card readers on three separate occasions during the first two weeks of classes. AU chose to implement this new “double-barrier” swipe system as part of a building-wide renovation project. “It [was] just an opportunity to improve security … more and more universities are providing a double-bar-
rier system,” Housing and Dining Director of Administration and Finance Chad LaDue said. “The idea is that as we renovate buildings, if the resources are available, we install the double-barrier system.” LaDue said the need for security in residence halls has increased since the halls are now being used for multiple purposes such as classes and meetings. Residence Director for Leonard and McDowell Halls Matthew LeBrasseur confirmed in a Sept. 15 email to residents that the destruction of the card readers was intentional. Housing and Dining has not yet found out who is responsible for the incidents.
The cost of replacing the card readers will be divided among McDowell residents until the culprits are found.
system, elevators are programmed to shut down when card readers are torn out, causing delays for residents looking to use the elevator. McDowell Hall only had one functioning elevator for the first three weeks of the semester because of these problems with the card swipe system. Technicians fixed both elevators in McDowell Hall
“This vandalism has had a major impact on the entire McDowell community.” —Matthew LeBrasseur, McDowell & Leonard Resident Director
The cost to fix the card readers is $260, according to LeBrasseur’s email. “This vandalism has had a major impact on the entire McDowell community,” LeBrasseur wrote. Under the new security
early Sept. 19 with durable card readers that Housing and Dining hopes will make vandalism more difficult. McDowell resident and sophomore in the School of Public Affairs Laura Friess-
nig said the elevators delays were a major disruption in her daily routine. “They’ve made me late to class,” she said. SPA sophomore Nick Ribaudo echoed Friessnig’s frustration. “Not only does it set my schedule completely off, it’s such a hassle to actually walk up the stairs,” he said. Letts, Roper and Clark Halls already have doublebarrier card reader systems, and the three halls have yet to experience any problems. “In Letts Hall, we’ve had no issues at all,” LaDue said. “If someone were to rip [the reader] off the wall, people would see it or hear it.” LaDue said the card readers aren’t going anywhere in the long term. “That’s not even on the table,” he said. news@theeagleonline.com
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September 20, 2011
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New Student Activities grant to cover SG campaign costs By ZOE CRAIN Eagle Contributing Writer The Student Government has created a “Leadership Opportunity Fund” to help ease the financial burden of students running for SG president, vice president, secretary or comptroller. Applicants will have access to as much as $200, the Board of Election’s spending cap for election campaigns, SG Board of Elections Chairman Phil Cardarella said. The ultimate idea is to see student elections become more accessible to students, SG President Time McBride said.
Fund will give up to $200 to executive board candidates “In terms of running campaigns, having to dole out $200 of your own funds serves as a disincentive for some students to run because they can’t afford that,” McBride said. The spending cap was lowered from $300 to $200 this year. In order to apply for funding from the Leadership Opportunity Fund, candidates must be in contested races for positions on the executive board. They will also have to obtain a specific number of signatures on their nomination form, roughly estimated at 100 to 150, compared to the 75 student signatures necessary to be officially put on the ballot as a candidate, McBride said. SG hopes to get a more economically diverse group of students to run for executive board positions by dedicating between $2,000 and $3,000 total to help cov-
er campaign costs, McBride said. “This endowment is meant to level the playing field and allow students from all socioeconomic backgrounds access to student leadership positions,” according to a news release from SG Communications Director Chris Jasinski. Access to the Leadership Opportunity Fund will not be based on personal or family wealth. Asking candidates to disclose financial information would be an invasion of privacy, McBride said. “We wanted to protect the privacy of lower-income students,” McBride said. The money will be contributed jointly from Student Activities and the Office of Campus Life, and will eventually be included in SG’s budget. Student Activities will distribute this year’s campaign subsidy so as not to add more funds to the SG budget finalized last April, said Andrew Toczydlowski, the Student Activities coordinator of governance and leadership. Next year, the subsidy funds will come from the SG budget, which is made of undergraduate students’ Student Activities fees. Steps will be put in place shortly to ensure that any money given to candidates from the fund will be used honestly, Toczydlowski said. “As long as purchases don’t violate Board of Elections, Student Activities and University standards, they’re fine,” he said. McBride hopes to extend this funding to students running for fall Senate elections as early as fall 2012, he said. news@theeagleonline.com
RACHEL SLATTERY / THE EAGLE
SG promotes school spirit with Ward Week despite low turnout By MISHIEL AYUB Eagle Contributing Writer AU students celebrated the annual Artemas Ward Week with events such as the Student Union Board concert We the Kings, a carnival on the Quad and the Kennedy Political Union’s first speaker of the year, former White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs. The 10-day Student Government program, lasting from Sept. 9 to Sept. 19, also featured a 9/11 remembrance event and a ’90s TV show marathon. Artemas Ward, who is also the namesake for the building that houses the School of Public Affairs as well as the traffic circle near campus, was General George Washington’s right-hand man in the Revolutionary War. SG dedicates the week to Ward because of his and AU’s shared commitment to public service, SG Vice President Liz Richards said. Multiple departments in
the SG, including KPU, SUB, the Community Service Coalition, Women’s Initiative and the SG Events Department planned months in advance for the various Ward Week events. “We want to make kids have fun and enjoy being at AU,” Richards explained. “It’s also a great way for us to welcome the freshman class.” Allie Gardner, a freshman in the School of International Service, said she did feel a sense of belonging, especially with the SUB concert Sept. 9 and a Ping-Pong tournament Sept. 10. “I enjoyed the concert very much,” said Caroline Heimerl, a freshman in SPA. “Ben Kweller was an excellent opening for We the Kings. I had never heard him play before, but his music was really easy to listen to.” Students said they particularly enjoyed the Ping-Pong tournament, “Jackpot PingPong,” in the Tavern, where
they competed for a $50 gift card to Amazon. Kristen Pulkstenis, a freshman in SPA who attended the tournament to support her friend, enjoyed watching the competition. “It was really fun,” Pulkstenis said. “They should definitely make this an event again next year.” On Sept. 11, the SG recognized the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Students were given the opportunity to participate in service events, including writing letters to soldiers. “It was great to have the opportunity to take a pause in my day to help those who were less fortunate,” says Aaron Stein, a freshman in SPA. The ‘90s TV night on Sept. 15 in the Tavern gave students a chance to view their favorite childhood shows. “It was a way for people to relive their childhood,” Richards said, laughing. SG also hosted a barbecue in the amphitheatre Sept. 16 prior to volleyball game against Villanova University to motivate and cheer on the team. Ward Week’s last event was its most anticipated, KPU’s speaking event with former White House Press Secre-
OPENING ACT Ben Kweller and We the Kings performed in Bender Arena on Sept. 9 as part of Ward Week. The 10-day series of events, from Sept. 9 to 19, included a barbeque, a ping-pong tournament and a 9/11 day of community service events. tary Robert Gibbs Sept. 19 in the University Club. Although Ward Week has been celebrated for many years, the turnout to the festivities has been consistently low in recent years. SG would like to raise the attendance to Ward Week events in the future. “Artemas Ward Week is not highly recognized on campus,” Richards said. “Our goal is to boost the spirit and promote the week more.” Some students said they felt the week’s events were not well promoted. “I wish I had known more about Artemas Ward Week because the activities sounded like fun and I didn’t know about them,” said Elizabeth Leslie, a freshman in SPA. news@theeagleonline.com
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Former Press Secretary Gibbs reflects on life post White House By LEIGH GIANGRECO Eagle Staff Writer Robert Gibbs has had quite a change of pace since his February resignation as press secretary under Barack Obama. Though Gibbs continues to act as an adviser to the president for the 2012 election, his Blackberry’s battery and his stamina are not quite as tested as they were during his days on Pennsylvania Avenue. “It’s gearing back up, but thankfully it’s not as crazy and chaotic as it used to be,” Gibbs said of his 2012 campaign involvement in an interview with the Eagle. “There’s some things that you miss and some things that you don’t miss.” In a Sept. 19 speech at an over-packed University Club, Gibbs reminisced about his White House days. His greatest memories included the opportunity to have a close working relationship with the president and access to plentiful bowls of red, white and blue M&Ms in the Oval Office. Gibbs doesn’t miss the constant stress of his former job or 15 extra pounds he gained during his tenure. He kept an anonymous postcard joking about his weight in his office as a reminder of the ups and downs of being the press secretary. “Though that postcard was hard to read, I kept it on my desk for the rest of my days at the White House to try to instill in myself a little humility,” Gibbs said in his speech. But neither humility nor humor could prepare Gibbs for having to handle the White House’s response to the catastrophe that arrived on the Gulf Coast in the summer of 2010. As the BP oil spill leeched out into the ocean off the coast of Louisiana and Mississippi, Gibbs struggled to respond to reporters’ relentless questions in Washington about Obama’s response to the spill. “The hardest obstacles are the ones you don’t expect,” he said. At the time, he was shocked
by the sheer volume of questions from reporters about the oil spill. “Frankly, those were some of the toughest briefings I ever had,” Gibbs said. Now, Gibbs said with some sarcasm, he has more knowledge of the inner workings of relief wells than
in his answer. “I will say this: He’s thinking through a lot of this,” Gibbs said to laughter from the audience before turning serious. “The president wrestles with this question a lot, I don’t know when he’s going to stop thinking about it and start talking about it,
AMY NOAKES / THE EAGLE
OUT OF AFRICA Jane Goodall spoke about her nonprofit youth peace program Roots and Shoots, her childhood and her work in Africa at a speaking event Sept. 18 in the Woods-Brown Amphitheater.
Goodall advocates for international peace By NICOLE GLASS Eagle Staff Writer
RACHEL DEVOR / THE EAGLE
HOT OFF THE PRESSES Former White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs spoke to AU students in the University Club in MGC Sept. 19 about his experiences working with President Obama and interacting with the media.
anyone other than oil company employees. He settled back into his former role as press secretary for a moment while taking questions from students. He came to the defense of President Obama when one student asked about the president’s wavering stance on gay marriage. “If you could not use the word ‘evolve’ in your answer, I would really appreciate that,” the student said, referencing the administration’s tendency to say Obama’s opinions are “evolving.” Though Gibbs refrained from using that language to describe the president, he was nevertheless ambiguous
but I think the acceptance [of gay people] of this country is changing every day.” Gibbs also said the media does not cover developing situations like the Gulf Oil Spill and Arab Spring are not covered with enough depth. He repeated throughout his address that the mentality of some cable news commentators is that “every day is an election.” He said even the format of these cable news programs, with talking heads framed in boxes, creates divisive discussion. “I think media and news information is flying around faster than before and as fast as it happens today, people want it faster tomorrow,” Gibbs said. lgiangreco@theeagleonline. com
Dr. Jane Goodall, the British scientist who made breakthroughs in chimpanzee research while living in Tanzania, advocated on behalf of her Roots and Shoots program at AU Sept. 18 in the Woods-Brown Amphitheater. The organization is a global youth advocacy group aimed at spreading peace. Roots and Shoots operates peace building programs in 126 countries and works with elementary schools, prisons and universities. Goodall left Africa after 45 years of research to travel around the world and speak about animals and the environment. Goodall, 77, spends over 300 days a year traveling – and she stops at many universities. She answered questions from students and NBC4 news anchor Wendy Rieger about her life, her work with chimpanzees and Roots and Shoots. Goodall said her fascination with Africa began after she read “Tarzan” as a child. She eventually saved up enough money working as a waitress to pay for the boat
fare to Africa. Goodall then moved to Gombe National Park, Tanzania, at age 23 with the help of Louis Leakey, a research scientist who sponsored her work. After a year of research in the field, she gained enough trust among the chimpanzees to be able to approach them. Eventually, she was accepted into their society and lived with them. When chimpanzees became an endangered species, Goodall left the forest to try to protect them from extinction, she said. During her time in Gombe, Goodall learned that chimpanzees, like humans, occasionally have wars with one another. Goodall commented her research has affected her thoughts on peace. She said chimpanzees are not the best teachers because they are just like humans. She noticed unhappiness and tension among the chimpanzees in times of conflict, both of which disappeared in times of peace. “If there’s been a conflict, as particularly obvious in captive chimps who can’t get away, then nobody relaxes until the conflict is resolved,” she said.
Goodall also hopes helping other people would ultimately help the chimpanzees. One cause of the endangered status of chimps is deforestation which she attributes to poverty. As families cut down trees to feed their families, they inevitably deplete resources that lead to systemic poverty. “[Saving] the chimpanzees and the forests wouldn’t work unless [we work with] local people living in poverty, improving their lives and basically creating groups of people who become our partners in conservation rather than fighting for the last bits of forest,” she said. Goodall also told a story about a group of African children that started planting seeds during a war. A group of soldiers around the children stopped their observing, leaned their guns against nearby trees and started helping the children plant seeds, Goodall said. And that’s the kind of movement she hopes AU students will join. “This, to me, is so Roots and Shoots, it’s so beautiful,” she said. When asked whether she misses living in the forest, Goodall closed her eyes. “Luckily, I can close my eyes and actually be in the forest,” she said. “Otherwise I would probably go crazy.” nglass@theeagleonline.com
September 20, 2011
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Talon to consider AU Sustainability redesigning yearbook Office hires alum to after 2011 sales slump coordinate outreach By TORI HYNDMAN and PATRICK BURNETT Eagle Contributing Writer AU’s student-run yearbook, The Talon, has high hopes for its future despite disappointing sales from last year. The Associate Collegiate Press award-winning yearbook only sold 100 to 200 yearbooks this past year, according to last year’s Editorin-Chief Ellen Miller. The Talon does not attrib-
“A lot of people don’t even know we have a yearbook.” —Diana Bowen, photo editor, The Talon
ute a hefty price tag or the dying yearbook market to last year’s lacking sales. The biggest factors in this slump were a lapse in marketing strength and a weak push to get the yearbook’s name out to students, said current Editor-in-Chief Eric HianCheong, a senior in the School of Communication. “A lot of people don’t even know we have a yearbook,” said Diana Bowen, photo editor for the Talon and a senior in SOC. Talon considers rethinking design, sales approach Students debate whether the $65 yearbook purchase is worth it because social media sites such as Facebook serve similar purposes to a yearbook in documenting the school year, HianCheong and Bowen said. However, some members of the AU community said the traditional feel of a yearbook has not entirely lost its appeal. “A published hard copy of a book can be a snapshot of time,” David Johnson, an SOC digital journalism professor, wrote in an email. “It is something tangible
that someone can keep and hold.” Even so, some see yearbooks as better in a digitalized format. “I love the idea of yearbook, but it is hard to ignore that we are in a digital era,” said Angela Variela, vice president of communication in AU’s Social Media Club and junior in SOC and the School of International Service. “People like free things and Facebook is replacing the yearbook of our generation.” The Talon looks to revamp its approach The Talon is working to keep yearbooks something that students will want to purchase. A “salad bar” approach is one of the new techniques the staff is considering implementing to increase sales, Hian-Cheong said. Through this approach, approximately 30 percent of the content will vary by consumer, targeted toward the specific interests of the individual. “A certain percentage of the book is pick-andchoose, user-generated content,” Hian-Cheong said. For example, students could choose whether or not to have pages in their book about Greek life, depending on their involvement or attachment to the organization. The Talon staff is also aiming to break the preconceived notion that the yearbook is only for graduating seniors. The majority of the Talon features spreads and stories geared towards underclassmen, Hian-Cheong said. Regardless of the sales records from their slump year, the Talon staff said they are confident their efforts will pay off not only for this year, but also for the years to come. “We’re still strong,” HianCheong said. “We just had a bad year.” Talon website hacked The Talon also had technological issues over TALON, PAGE 9≥
By SCOTT MARTURANO Eagle Contributing Writer AU hired recent graduate Joshua Kaplan as the outreach specialist for the Office of Sustainability in July to engage the community in environmentally sustainable goals. “Josh’s role will be working with people one-on-one to find out the behavior of students on campus towards environmentally sustainable activities,” Office of Sustainability Director Chris O’Brien said.
Kaplan graduated from AU this May with a degree in environmental studies. His first project will be expanding the Green Eagle program on campus. The Green Eagle program, which employs and pays student leaders to talk to other students about environmental issues, is the biggest outreach vehicle of the Office of Sustainability, according to Kaplan. “Having students on the ground [active in the Green Eagle program] has a much bigger effect than just hav-
ing signs up around campus,” Kaplan said. He said the Green Eagle program will expand its staff this year. Each office around the University will have a designated staff member to help implement sustainable initiatives. The first months will include initiatives such as biking to work or using less energy around the office, he said. “So far, things are going great,” O’Brien said. “We’re training 20 students this year to be Green Eagles and we’re looking to expand our green roof program.” Kaplan will also engage students and faculty through online newsletters, Twitter and Facebook updates, as well as outreach exhibitions at events around campus throughout the
year, according to O’Brien. Kaplan was hired as an outreach specialist due to his senior year internship in the Office of Sustainability and his commitment to environmental sustainability at AU, O’Brien said. “One of the reasons Josh is so valuable to our office is the fact that he knows the University and its students, and can relate to them on a personal level,” O’Brien said. O’Brien is eager for Kaplan to begin work this year due to his prior experience in the office. “We’re excited about this year with Josh,” O’Brien said. “Sustainability at AU is expanding more than we ever thought.” news@theeagleonline.com
Students to talk, eat pastries at new Pie Club By KATIE FIEGENBAUM Eagle Contributing Writer AU is now home to the Pie Club, a group that will discuss, eat, make and celebrate all that is pie. The club, a recognized student group, will meet about once a month. Members will eat pie, learn from each other about the art of pie and watch and listen to pie-related movies and songs -- as well as discussing cooking in general. Pie Club will hold its first meeting Sept. 23 at 7 p.m. in Ward 2. No one will be turned away due to lack of space, and each executive board member will be baking enough of their favorite pie to share with the group. Even before its first meeting, Laura Hartnett, the club’s founder and a junior in the School of Communication and the Kogod School of Business, and the executive board are hard at work planning events for the upcoming year, including a crust-making workshop and a big Thanksgiving party. “Pie brings happiness, and it also brings people together,” Hartnett said. Hartnett had been talking about creating such a club for the past several years with her friends and the prospective students she
met as an AU ambassador. “A once-a-month meeting will be enough to spread our message of pie and love without overloading our members,” Hartnett said. Joan Hanna, a senior in the School of International Service, said she thought Pie Club was a silly idea until she thought about the pos-
Affairs, is a friend of Hartnett and has been appointed part of the club’s executive board until formal elections are held. He said one motivation behind forming the club was to avoid disappointing incoming students who had heard about the idea from Hartnett or him while visiting AU.
“The club sounds amazing! I love to bake, and food is best enjoyed with other people.” —Jess Lawson, freshman, SOC
sible gains of joining such a club. “Baking is a good skill to have, and any club that encourages people to do so is a good idea,” she said. Hartnett stressed that the club is not just about pie, but also about learning to use the kitchen. “People nowadays don’t know how to make pie; they know how to buy pie,” Hartnett said. Hunter Presti, a sophomore in the School of Public
Though Pie Club hasn’t done much advertising for its first meeting, members collected the emails of over 200 prospective members during the Student Involvement Fair on the quad Sept. 14. AU Writing Instructor Kate Wilson, who teaches a College Writing seminar called “Eating in America,” said she thinks the club is a wonderful and interesting idea. “There are so many con-
venience foods nowadays, and a ‘quick’ emphasis on food in our society, which I appreciate somewhat because we’re so busy,” she said. However, Wilson said she believes there is an important communal and artistic aspect to baking. “Making a pie builds a community, whether it be with your family or friends or fellow members of the pie club,” Hartnett said. Jess Lawson, a freshman in SOC, heard about the club from her RA, Pie Club Executive Board Member and SPA junior Mary Criasia. She signed up for the club on Wednesday at the involvement fair. “The club sounds amazing! I love to bake, and food is best enjoyed with other people,” Lawson said. She said she believes stress-free activities, like baking, are very important, especially in the busy lives of college students. “Many other clubs are more serious, but this is fun and it doesn’t put a lot of pressure on us students,” Lawson said. news@theeagleonline.com
News 9
theEAGLE ≤SEXUAL ASSAULT, PAGE 4
educators are tied to the Wellness Center and are better prepared paraprofessionals.” Attendees also re-emphasized their desire for someone with confidentiality that could be an intermediary between the University and survivors of sexual assault while maintaining their anonymity. “We’re working to create one or two other confidentiality venues,” Hanson said. “We know people want confidentiality and advocacy, and we’re working to get that.” Campus Life also hopes to make more progress in AU’s sexual assault education with other initiatives such as updated informational stall stickers, Women’s Initiative’s awareness programs and the Discrimination and Sexual Harassment Project Team. news@theeagleonline.com ≤TALON, PAGE 8 the summer when its website, talonyearbook.com, was hacked and rendered unusable in early July. A person or group that goes by the username “pSyCh0-3D” claimed responsibility for the attack, which consisted of the website’s content being replaced with written obscenities toward Tunisia and unidentified rap music playing in the background. Bowen discovered the attack in early July while preparing to work on the website. She attempted to email the creator of the website, Adam Dexter, who graduated from AU in 2010. But she was unable to reach him, and the problem remained unsolved during the course of the summer. The website was restored Sept. 15 after the staff contacted the website’s hosting service, which proceeded to reset the website and restore the content with a backup on its servers, Hian-Cheong said. The attack had no impact on the overall operations of The Talon. “[The website] was something to help market ourselves better, but it’s not necessary,” Hian-Cheong said.
news@theeagleonline.com
NOW President rallies against economic injustice for women By ROHAN PAREKH Eagle Contributing Writer The best solution for the political problems facing women today would be to pursue economic justice, said Terry O’Neill, President of the National Organization for Women, during an AU College Democrats event Sept. 14 in Ward. O’Neill spoke about how the ongoing debate concerning the federal budget deficit has had a systematically disproportionate impact on women. As president of the NOW Foundation and chair of the NOW Political Action Committee, O’Neill pointed out the flaws in Chairman of the House Budget Committee Representative Paul Ryan’s controversial budget plan.
than $1 million. “Those tax rates are lower then the tax rates Ronald Reagan put on his tax increases as president,” O’Neill said. “That bill alone will eliminate the federal deficit in ten years or less.” Before she began fighting for economic security for women and single mother benefits, O’Neill took part in a grassroots campaign against Louisiana’s 1991 gubernatorial election of David Duke. She exposed what she saw as instances of Duke’s racist and Neo-Nazi remarks. “After his win I thought Louisiana NOW was an organization I could actually work with,” O’Neill said. NOW has over 100 chapters all over the country and the organization has six core issues, ranging from repro-
“[Cuts to welfare] are simply unacceptable.” —Terry O’Neill, President of NOW
“The Ryan budget would save money by slashing a whole range of social programs that the federal government currently pays for including certain child care programs,” O’Neill said. “You are making the lives of women who receive the services harder because now they have to leave work and pick up their children, making it harder [for women] to hold on to their jobs in an economy where joblessness is a huge issue.” O’Neill also said cuts in welfare would deprive women of valuable jobs. “Women residents make up 70 percent of these homes as well as the vast majority of social and health-care workers that would be laid off,” O’Neill said. “This option is simply unacceptable.” O’Neill instead showed support for Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky’s Fairness in Taxation Act. The bill would raise taxes for Americans who earn more
ductive rights to economic justice for women. O’Neill also offered her opinion on a few of the candidates in the 2012 presidential election during the question and answer portion of the event. “From my point of view, if someone like Sarah Palin or Michele Bachmann were to run for president, neither of them would become president,” O’Neill said. “It’s because their policy preferences are very pro-corporate, anti-union and antiwomen’s rights.” While the presidential debate is important, improving the economy is a more important issue for most women, she said. “Lots of economic issues affect women and the Super Committee needs to consider women when drawing up budget cuts,” O’Neill said. news@theeagleonline.com
MARCH OF THE PENGUINS Professor Jack Child died at the age of 73 on June 18 after complications from heart surgery. He had a fondness for penguins and traveled to Antarctica 14 times as a staff lecturer and guide. He even occasionally dressed up as a penguin on campus.
Courtesy of AMERICAN UNIVERSITY
Professor, Latin American expert Jack Child dies at 73 By PAIGE JONES Eagle Staff Writer Jack Child was known throughout the AU community for his enthusiasm, whether it was for Latin America or for penguins. Child, a College of Arts and Sciences professor, died from complications after open-heart surgery on June 18. He was 73 years old. “I saw him periodically [last] spring, but I wasn’t aware of him being ill,” School of International Service Dean Louis Goodman said. Child began his AU career as SIS assistant dean in 1980. He then transferred to CAS as a professor in the Department of Language and Studies in 1989. “You could tell how popular he was by how quickly his classes would fill up,” Goodman said. Child founded the Center for Teaching Excellence in 1998, serving as director for four years, and taught as an SIS affiliate professor until his death. Child was passionate about Latin America. He collected Latin American postage stamps, wrote several pieces on the region and visited
each Latin American country. He applied his passion for Latin American studies outside the classroom to create the Center for Latin America Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences. “We now have a Center for Latin America Studies,” SIS Professor Philip Brenner said. “If not for Jack Child, we wouldn’t have that.” Child received many awards during his time at AU. He won the University Award for Teaching in the General Education Program in 1998, the University Faculty Administrator award in 200, and was awarded University Professor in 2009. Despite his numerous academic achievements, Child remained humble. “It was like you were in the presence of a saint,” Brenner said. According to many of his students and colleagues, Child worked in the best interest for others. He even wrote and published a booklet listing all the available Latin American courses each semester, which he paid for with his own money. “Whenever Jack asked you to do something, you couldn’t say no because it
was never for himself — it was for the common good,” Brenner said. Child was born in Buenos Aires to American parents, spending his first 18 years in South America. After graduating from Yale University, Child served in the military as a Latin American specialist for 20 years until he retired as lieutenant colonel. “Jack resigned from the military, giving up friends, a career, because it was about the principle of what the United States was doing in Latin America and what they were asking him to do,” SIS Professor Philip Brenner said. Child also shared his passion for penguins with the AU community. He visited Antarctica 14 times as a staff lecturer and guide, and even dressed up in a penguin suit on more than one occasion, according to Goodman. “He was the penguin-lover among us all,” Goodman said. Child is survived by his wife, two sons, two daughters-in-law, five grandchildren, sister and brother. He will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery, and a memorial service will be held on Sept. 23 in the Methodist Church. There will be a following reception in the SIS Atrium. “He was a remarkable person,” CAS Dean Peter Starr said. “We’re really going to miss this guy.” pjones@theeagleonline.com
September 20, 2011
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Student Health Center hires new staff, establishes Twitter account By REBECCA ZISSER Eagle Staff Writer
EAGLE FILE PHOTO
HELPING HANDS The AU Student Health Center hired three new full-time staff members, including a psychiatric nurse practitioner, a nurse and a patient services supervisor.
CAS professors create initiative to promote Russian culture By SAMANTHA HOGAN Eagle Contributing Writer College of Arts and Sciences professors Eric Lohr and Anton Fedyahshin hope to eliminate existing stereotypes of U.S.-Russian relations in today’s world with the founding of their Initiative for Russian Culture this semester. The IRC program includes new course offerings in CAS, as well as film screenings, expert speakers, art exhibits and musical performances throughout the school year. “[IRC] is designed to introduce American students to the rich array of Russian culture and to foster significant cross-cultural exchanges with their Russian counterparts,” CAS Dean Peter Starr said in an email. Lohr said the IRC is open to all AU students, not just Russian studies majors. “Some familiarity with these traditions is important for every undergraduate’s general liberal and cultural education,” he said. Starr said the IRC pro-
gram will allow students to increase their understanding of Russian culture and politics. “Here in the College [of Arts and Sciences], our strength in the global arts and humanities is significant and growing,” he said. “I firmly believe that you cannot understand the politics of a given corner of the world without a deep understanding of the culture or cultures that subtend them.” Fedyashin and Lohr introduced a series of new courses to CAS’s history program in August to explore the socio-cultural exchanges between the United States, Russia and the former Soviet Union. Fedyashin teaches the literature-based course, “Dostoevsky’s Russia” (HIST-296), which examines Dostoevsky’s novels and the historical period in which they took place. Over 36 students are currently enrolled in the course. “This is proof that there is a genuine thirst for Russian literature among U.S. students,” Fedyashin said.
He said he hopes to take students to St. Petersburg this summer as part of the IRC program to, “walk what Dostoevsky was writing about.” This trip will only be offered to students in the “Dostoevksy’s Russia” class, not through AU Abroad. Lohr is teaching the CAS course “Russian Film and Politics” (HIST-296). It will include four film screenings at the Russian Embassy in D.C. and the opportunity to meet with the world’s leading experts in these films. In the coming years, Lohr and Fedyashin plan to offer more Russian studies courses, including “Tolstoy’s Russia” and “Russian Intellectual Controversies.” These course offerings will be open to all AU students, according to Lohr. AU students can get a taste of IRC at the screening of the Russian film “Jazzmen” on Sept. 30. The event will include a free dinner and the chance to meet with distinguished Russian guests at the Library of Congress. For a complete list of courses offered through the IRC visit their website at american.edu/cas/history/ initiative-russian-culture. news@theeagleonline.com
The Student Health Center hired a full-time psychiatric nurse practitioner, nurse and patient services supervisor this summer. Nurse Practitioner Lorraine Carleo will help the center meet the mental health needs of students, according to SHC Director Daniel Bruey. Hiring Nurse Kelsey Schleider this summer will allow more immunization and routine visit appointments, Bruey said. Theodore Peyton was hired this fall as a full-time patient services supervisor. His job will be to work directly with students and deal with any customer service issues. “They [the new hires] will let the rest of the staff know how we can work towards improving the patient experience,” Bruey said. The Student Health Center has also expanded its hours of operation. The SHC will now be open
until 8 p.m. on Monday and Thursday nights. “These are the nights when students said they would be most likely to [use] an evening appointment,” Bruey said. He also said the Student Health Center will also expand its use of social media, specifically Twitter. “It’s the best place to get updates from the Health Center about anything,” he said. The SHC has had difficulty getting the word out to students. The Health Center Twitter account currently has about 70 followers. “It’s not as much as we would like, considering the information we disseminate on it,” Bruey said. The Student Health Center deliberately chose Twitter as the medium for their online presence because of its fast pace, Bruey said. “We didn’t want to do a Facebook,” he said. “The Twitter thing seemed so much quicker.” Despite its lack of Twit-
ter followers, the Student Health Center still manages to reach out to students. “We still use Today@AU,” Bruey said, “And we use all the listservs that we have for campus life.” Bruey said all of these new services and staff hires came directly from the wants and needs of the AU student population. “Most of them [reforms] came out of student surveys and meeting with student leaders,” he said. “All of them came out of talking with students.” Bruey said the SHC receives feedback and suggestions for improvement yearly from students to hopefully make the delivery of student care more efficient and thorough. “Anything that makes a patient’s visit more beneficial to the patient makes everyone happier here,” he said. “It makes the medical providers job easier. news@theeagleonline.com
Honors Program task force to evaluate credit requirements By SARAH JARECKI Eagle Contributing Writer A task force of 13 AU community members will review the Honors curriculum in the next eight weeks as part of AU’s cyclical review system. The program was last reviewed in 2001. Vice Provost Lyn Stallings will head the Honors Program task force with a faculty member from each of the six schools, and a sophomore and a senior in the program. Interim Honors Director Michael Manson said his top concern for the task force is the number of Honors credits students in the program must take to graduate with honors. Students must take 30 Honors credits, complete a capstone project and maintain a 3.5 GPA to graduate
with honors. Another important goal for the task force is to improve the Honors Program appeal to prospective students. “[I want students to say] Oxford is a fine school, but at the Honors Program at AU I have the unique opportunity to do X or Y,” Manson said. Honors sophomores and seniors turned in applications to serve on the task force Sept. 9. The faculty members are either leaders in their schools or recommended by the deans of their respective school and the Honors faculty advisors. Manson said he would like to see the current Honors colloquia forums remain in the curriculum. Colloquia are courses designed by professors to work with 20 students to brainstorm about the professor’s current research and passions.
Manson feels these colloquia allow students and faculty to step outside the box in terms of class discussions. “I would be surprised if nothing about colloquia is implemented,” Manson said. The task force will have fully reviewed the Honors curriculum by December and will go forward from there to develop new programs, activities and classes, according to Manson. He said he is excited for the “blank check” the task force is given to focus on improvements. “We have a program other universities would love to have,” Manson said. “We don’t have anything to fix.” news@theeagleonline.com
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September 20, 2011
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ON STAGE AU A CAPPELLA
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Courtesy of TREBLE IN PARADISE
AU is home to four a cappella groups, all of which boast major talent and gloriously punny names. AU a cappella is completely student-directed, and the groups have performed around D.C., released albums and opened at major D.C. concerts. Whether you’re new to the D.C. music scene or are a concert-going pro, there’s no arguing that D.C. is a mecca for musical expression. Get to know Dime a Dozen, Treble in Paradise, Blends with Benefits and On A Sensual Note.
TREBLE IN PARADISE Treble in Paradise is AU’s only all-female a cappella group, and can list singer-songwriter Ben Folds as a fan. In 2009, the piano man personally selected the ladies of Treble as the winners of his “Sing Your Heart Out” competition. The group recorded an a cappella version of Folds’ hit “Zac and Sara” and opened for his Baltimore show. Treble has established itself in the local a cappella community, performing at events both on-campus and around the city. Plenty of a cappella groups can cite “Glee” as an influence, but Treble has sang with the cast of the hit show at a special performance on the National Mall for Fox News. The group’s repertoire includes pop hits by Katy Perry, Bruno Mars and, yes, Ben Folds. Every spring, Treble hosts Acapalooza, the largest AU a cappella event of the year. Acapalooza brings together the AU a cappella groups to perform alongside other university a cappella groups, spoken word artists and dance performances, all in support of a chosen charity. With a CD in the works, keep an eye out for Treble’s next on-campus performance.
ON A SENSUAL NOTE
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There’s no mistaking the gang of tie-sporting men that roam campus, singing tuck-ins to swooning females. On A Sensual Note, AU’s all-male a cappella group, have no interest in dishing out humorless covers of jazz standards. OASN, a self-proclaimed “group of guys in ties doin’ what feels right,” are known for their comical performances to the extent that they even require students who audition to crack jokes. OASN’s dedication to a cappella is evident in every song they sing, as displayed in the touching rendition of “Lean on Me” they recently performed at AU’s Sept. 11 candlelight vigil. In OASN’s 15 years (check out a comprehensive record of their history on their website) the men have recorded three CDs and performed all over the area. OASN has also lent their voices to the Cherry Blossom Festival, the Singapore Embassy and the Barack Obama campaign, as well as other events both on and off campus. OASN sings a variety of genres, including songs by Kanye West, the Jackson Five and the Who. The group performs on campus several times each semester, so don’t miss your chance to see their Lady Gaga medley.
DIME A DOZEN Dime a Dozen is AU’s oldest co-ed a cappella group and has been around since 2000. The origin of their name started off as an ironic reference to the myriad of a cappella groups forming at AU, but 10 years later, Dime is bigger than ever, performing for crowds both at AU and all over the East Coast. On campus, Dime sang in support of Relay for Life, and every year, the group delivers ever-popular Valentines Day Grams. Dime is known for their versatile style and high energy, boasting an impressive repertoire that includes everything from Billy Joel and the Beatles, to Ke$ha and the Lonely Island. The group’s a cappella philosophy? Keep it simple. “We don’t need instruments, electronics or special effects to make amazing music and put on shows that people love,” said Rachel Mariman, the group’s musical director. The AU a cappella veterans recently added several new members to the group, affectionately called “nickels,” so stay tuned for performances from Dime’s new lineup. EAGLE ARCHIVE PHOTO
BLENDS WITH BENEFITS Blends with Benefits is the newest addition to the AU a cappella community. A co-ed group founded in January 2011, Blends puts a spin on the a cappella tradition by integrating piano, ukulele and percussion into their arrangements. The group solely prefers pop, blues, alternative and jazz and are in the process of arranging TV theme songs. Coldplay’s “Fix You,” Sara Bareilles’ “King of Anything” and a drum-bolstered version of Florence and the Machine’s “Cosmic Love” are regular staples in Blends’ performances. Blends has a few on-campus performances under their belt, appearing at AU’s Got Talent and fundraising for Relay for Life. The group may be young, but their camaraderie and love of singing is evident. “My favorite thing about singing a cappella is being able to create music with the people that have come to be my family,” Blends Director Maggie McGuire said. “I’ve been in choruses and choirs for most of my life, but nothing compares to what we make happen in Blends.” Courtesy of BLENDS WITH BENEFITS STAFF WRITER MMCDERMOTT@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM BY MAEVE McDERMOTT EAGLE
LOOK OF THE WEEK
Summer for Fall MADELINE BEARD — FASHION Shorter days, longer nights. The classic autumnal flavors at Starbucks. New York Fashion Week. All telling signs of one thing: goodbye, sweet summertime, and hello, fall. While the cool breeze may have you running to H&M to stock up on knits and outerwear, don’t pack away your summer clothes just yet. Sydney Gore, a freshman in the School of Communication, lends some insight on how to keep your favorite summer pieces current for fall. “I’m kind of funky when it comes to wearing bottoms in the wrong season,” Gore said. “I’ll be wearing high-waisted shorts, corduroy shorts, wool shorts basically all fall with tights because I have no shame.” Gore also incorporates another typical summer item into her favorite fall outfits: the fannypack. “I am happy to see the fanny pack coming back into style,” Gore said. “I invested in one, and I wear it to the side … fedoras are back in style, and combat boots are very ‘in’ for the season as well.” Gore finds inspiration for her personal style from the music she listens to and from her friends. “My style is kind of like an evolution,” she said. “As I got more into indie music and rock ‘n’ roll, I started to dress a little edgier and grungier.” While Gore is just beginning her college experience, she has big plans for the future. “Hopefully, I’ll get to write for a magazine one day — I really enjoy writing entertainment stories,” she said. “In the long run, I’d like to publish a book. If that doesn’t work out, maybe I’ll be a stylist.” As she starts her first year at AU, Gore foresees the campus and the community having a positive influence on her look. “I’m sure over time it will evolve, especially with the kids I’ve started to hang
around,” she said. “The people here are just so fashion forward … It’s a little competitive, but I love it.” thescene@theeagleonline. com
Head to Toe FEDORA
Urban Outfitters
VINTAGE SWEATER
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GRAPHIC TEE
Urban Outfitters
FANNY PACK Urban Outfitters
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BABY, IT’S COLD OUTSIDE. LET @THEEAGLEONLINE KNOW WHAT YOU’RE ROCKING THIS FALL.
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SILVER SCREEN
Courtesy of THE ROOM
Cult classic ‘The Room’ draws fans to E Street Cinema for midnight screening, Q&A with Tommy Wiseau BY MAEVE MCDERMOTT Eagle Staff Writer Last weekend, E Street Cinema took a break from screening their normal fare of critically acclaimed indie films to show what’s been called “the Citizen Kane of bad movies” — “The Room.” E Street periodically screens the cult classic, but devotees were treated to a special appearance by the movie’s writer, director, producer and star Tommy Wiseau. “The Room” is a 2003 film that tells the highly melodramatic story of a love triangle between Wiseau’s character, his wife (Juliette Danielle) and her lover (Greg Sestero). The movie is characterized by its gaping plot holes and abysmal acting coupled with even worse dialogue, along with hilariously bad R&B slow jams that accompany the movie’s multiple sex scenes. Wiseau
marketed “The Room” as a “dark comedy,” though it’s uncertain as to whether the movie’s humor is intentional or not. The film is shown at midnight screenings throughout the country, and “Room” buffs have developed their own traditions to accompany the movie’s eccentricities, most famously throwing spoons at the screen in a reference to the framed pictures of cutlery seen in the background of many scenes in the movie. A man determined to squeeze every cent out of “The Room,” Wiseau took pictures and signed autographs before the screening and gave a characteristically wacky question-and-answer session before the screening. Wiseau, sporting his signature long black hair and sunglasses, declined audience requests to recite Shakespearean sonnets, as he has been known to do during past audience ses-
sions. In his bizarre Eastern European accent, Wiseau explained that the secret to living a happy life was “seeing ‘The Room’ as much as possible.” But he declined to answer most of the audience’s questions, shaking his head and repeating, “Next question please!” to the crowd’s chagrin. After he sang a warped rendition of “Happy Birthday” and swung a lucky audience member around in his arms, he ran off to the audience’s roars of applause. As soon as “The Room” started, audience members launched into their commentary, screaming “Where are we?” every time the movie’s introduction showed a shot of San Francisco. The audience’s glee at the movie’s most absurd moments made “The Room” doubly enjoyable, as the crowd heckled Danielle for her un-dyed eyebrows and her mother for her
WISEAU SERIOUS? Wiseau wrote, directed, produced and starred in this 2003 film that critics deem the worst film ever made.
casual and completely inexplicable claim of “definitely” having breast cancer. The theater fell silent to watch Wiseau gloriously stumble through the flower shop scene, erupting into cheers at the end. Two audience
members tossed a football whenever the movie’s male characters played a random game of toss, sometimes beaning other unassuming crowd members. And throughout the movie, the crowd launched a constant volley of plastic spoons at the screen. For “Room” devotees, the midnight screening is a golden chance to scream well-cultivated insults alongside hundreds of other
fans. If you’ve never seen the classic of modern cinematic failure, don’t miss your chance to fall victim to the delightfully awful charms of “The Room” next time it comes to E Street. mmcdermott@ theeagleonline.com
AUDIOPHILE Fans get ‘hysterical’ for Clap Your Hands Say Yeah at 9:30 club BY MAEVE MCDERMOTT Eagle Staff Writer Is there a more tired story in indie rock than the saga of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah? Their moniker “indie’s first buzzband” has worn thin from use in every context where the band is discussed (including this one). Here’s an abridged version: In the archaic age of 2004, before the time of Myspace or Bandcamp, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah self-released their eponymous first album and won the support of music blogs — thus, the indie pop fivesome was reborn as a critical darling. The Clap Your Hands Say Yeah story is so pitch-perfect that everything they’ve
produced after their beloved first album has failed to captivate the same level of attention from both the press and public. Their narrative has followed them around like a stray dog, nipping at their heels and stealing the spotlight away from their modestly reviewed second album, “Some Loud Thunder.” After four years spent away from recording, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah played the 9:30 club on Saturday in support of their third album, “Hysterical.” The prevailing questions in the crowd before CYHSY came on were whether the indie rock fivesome would play the music from their beloved debut album or try and introduce their new material. The audience had
a median age resting around 30, and it was clear that there weren’t any new fans in the audience. The crowd had come to see old CYHSY, and as the band walked onstage to the plinking pianos of “Sunshine and Clouds and Everything Proud,” they set the tone for the night, letting the crowd know that the night would be stocked with old material. And stocked it was, as the band followed the single with the crowd-pleaser “Over and Over Again.” The show, from the first song, was heavy on the material from the first album, and CYHSY were incredibly receptive of the crowd’s expectations of a throwbackheavy set. The synth-packed tracks off their third album
translated well live, but the audience’s energy lagged when the band transitioned into their midtempo, harmonica-heavy material. The band’s shift in mood was palpable depending on whether they were playing old or new material. Lead singer Alec Ounsworth introduced a new song with the throwaway disclaimer, “Here’s something new, think of it what you will,” and CYHSY played their newer material like they had something to prove to the crowd. They seemed to be having a ball when they played “Home on Ice,” “Details of the War” and other first-album staples, dancing around and grinning as the audience cheered them on. The most distinctive as-
pect of the band’s sound was Ounsworth’s reedy and David Byrne-esque voice, which noticeably developed from his more yelpy vocals on the band’s debut to a smoother, more controlled timbre. CYHSY were professionals on the stage, eschewing long jam-out sessions and extended choruses for short songs and swift transitions. Several dedicated fans danced throughout the whole set, but the crowd didn’t get moving until the second half of the night, with second album hit “Satan Said Dance” propelling the crowd into movement, which turned into an ecstatic frenzy as CYHSY closed the set with a trio of the first album’s most beloved hits:
“Is This Love?”, “The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth” and “Upon this Tidal Wave of Young Blood.” With those three songs, the crowd was hooked, as fans pogoed with mirth and shouted the lyrics along with Ounsworth. While it remains to be seen whether CYHSY will ever top the achievement that was their debut album, they proved at the 9:30 club that they could win over a crowd with ease, even if they had to focus almost exclusively on their earliest songs to do so. mmcdermott@ theeagleonline.com
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FILM REVIEWS Courtesy of THE WEINSTEN COMPANY
Courtesy of RICHARD FOREMAN
DRIVE GRADE: A — 100 MINUTES
I DON’T KNOW HOW SHE DOES IT GRADE: A- — 95 MINUTES By EMMA BECK Eagle Contributing Writer Gone are the days of the suits for a working dad or the sweats for a stay-athome mom. These are the times of working mothers balancing the responsibilities of past expectations and present day realities. “I Don’t Know How She Does It” is a film that embodies the American values of family and hard work, transferring an age-old theme to the present day. Step into the life of Kate Reddy (Sarah Jessica Parker): mother, wife and fulltime working professional. Kate finds herself juggling the separate spheres of her life as her working life begins to pick up speed. When the opportunity to secure a new business deal arises, Kate’s life takes a turn as she struggles to cater to each of her roles effectively. “I Don’t Know How She Does It” reveals the challenges mothers face in weighing career aspirations and assuming their once-expected roles as prime homemaker. The film captures the frustrations of the working parent, touching on the imbalance it can leave as a mother separates from the dynamics of the home life.
The heart of the film lies within the genuineness of both its plotline and characters. While “I Don’t Know How She Does It” primarily attracts parents, the plot also reaches a range of age
SARAH JESSICA PARKER CHANNELS THE MODERN WORKING WOMAN IN THIS FEMALEEMPOWERMENT FILM. groups. College students will identify with Momo Hahn (Olivia Munn), Kate’s post-grad assistant who lives by a work-is-life mentality. The older generation will relate to Kate’s mother-in-law, a compassionate woman unable to comprehend how Kate chooses to work rather than to stay at home with her children. Parker blends a sense of warmth into Kate’s confident nature. Her character stands as an emblem of the revolutionized 21st cen-
WORKING GIRL Sarah Jessica Parker plays the every woman in this uplifting romantic comedy. tury woman — a woman who meshes her passion for work, her joy as a mother and her role as a wife into one strong woman. Greg Kinnear, who plays Richard Reddy, represents a break from Hollywood’s stereotypical husband of a breadwinner wife. Reddy, who also works a full-time job, wholeheartedly supports his wife, never once pulling the “you’re a woman, so why aren’t you with the kids?” card. Director Douglas McGrath and writer Aline Brosh McKenna present the comedic, lighthearted film in a manner that at times mirrors reality TV shows. Side interviews with characters as well as freeze frames in which Kate steps out to speak directly to viewers provide the audience with multiple perspectives outside of Kate’s line of vision. “I Don’t Know How She Does It” speaks to the challenges of the working parents among the values of a family, home life — a subject ever-relevant in this day and age. So suits or sweats? Hell, 21st century gender norms say it’s the suit and the sweats for both mother and father. thescene@theeagleonline. com
By NISA SANDERS Eagle Contributing Writer A 1950s throwback, action-packed drama with an ’80s inspired soundtrack is the best way to describe “Drive.” The film is based on a novella of the same title by popular fiction noir writer James Sallis. Everything about “Drive” is cool and, after watching it, it’s clear why director Nichols Winding Refn won the Best Director award at Cannes this year. In “Drive,” Ryan Gosling plays a stunt driver called “Driver”, who doubles as a wheelman and mechanic. He falls for a waitress named Irene (Carey Mulligan), who unfortunately has a bit of baggage — she has a young son and a husband in prison, who is about to be released. As Driver and Irene’s steamy but weirdly platonic affair progresses, he enters a deal to be a racecar driver backed by two sketchy mobsters. Driver enters the contract with Bernie (Albert Brooks, “Taxi Driver”) and Nino (Ron Perlman, “Hell Boy”) only because he trusts his employer and friend, Shannon (Bryan Cranston, “Breaking Bad”). Soon, Irene’s ex-con husband, Standard (Oscar Isaac, “Body of Lies”), is released from prison. Driver and Irene’s affair is put on hold, and the trouble begins. While in prison, Standard had built up a small debt to
some bad guys in exchange for protection. They come to collect, forcing Standard to rob a pawnshop. Driver steps in when the thugs threaten to hurt Irene and her son, demanding to be the driver for the job
THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS Ryan Gosling plays a Hollywood stuntman that falls for a girl who leads him into a world of trouble. the whole movie, Gosling’s character is never given a name — he is just referred to as “Driver.” Gosling is sexy, mysterious and scary. He demands your
AN ACTION-PACKED THRILLER WITH AN ALL-STAR CAST THAT IS AS INTELLECTUAL AS IT IS GORY. and offering to pay Standard’s debt if his family is not harmed once it is done. Reluctantly, a deal is made, and Standard is to rob the pawnshop with a trashy accomplice Blanche (Christina Hendricks, “Mad Men”). All goes well with the robbery at first, but the film soon takes a bloody turn when the shop owner appears just as they’re about to make their getaway. Refn should be commended not only for his direction, but also for making a fresh action movie. In a time when the industry is spitting out unnecessary remakes or mediocre films, “Drive” stands out in a good way. His style is graceful and hypnotic, and it is easy to tell that he was not afraid to take his time to develop the story. Scenes linger, and there usually is not a lot of dialogue — but when there is, it’s simple, telling and witty. What is truly intriguing is the fact that throughout
attention as he plays the good guy that you do not want to mess with. Mulligan is sweet and sincere as Irene — the audience feels her pain as she struggles with her love for Driver, her son and her husband. Cranston is top notch as the nice guy who gets in with the wrong guys. Brooks and Perlman are perfect seedy mobsters, who are horrifying but witty. Hendricks plays a fantastically sultry and trashy vixen. But a word from the wise: “Drive” is super-violent (think along the lines of a Quentin Tarantino flick), so if you cannot handle lots of blood, this may not be for you. thescene@theeagleonline. com
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‘Heir Apparent’ puts modern twist on 300-year-old French comedy By SETH ROSE Eagle Contributing Writer
Courtesy of HANI QUALITY THEATRE
Putting on an adaptation of a classical work in modern theater is akin to diffusing a bomb. Make too few changes and you risk alienating an audience with language and references dated by hundreds of years, but make too many and you risk losing the qualities that made the work a classic in the first place. Adapting a play from the early 1700s with an entirely new translation would be a particularly perilous affair, but that is just what the Shakespeare Theatre Company aimed to do with its current production of “The Heir Apparent.” Originally named “Le Légataire Universel” and GIRL, INTERRUPTED penned in 1708 by French Adi Bielski stars as Margalit comedic playwright Jeanin 1940s “Israeli Love Story.” François Regnard, the STC The play, written by Pnina and artistic director Michael Gary, marked its 299th run. Kahn commissioned Helen Hayes Award-winning playneer and soldier in the Palrole in 2009, skillfully por- wright David Ives to devise mach, the unofficial army trayed all the roles depicted an entirely new translation for pre-state Israel. As the in the play. She dominated of the original. story of their love unfolds, The new script is subtle the stage and manipulated so does the story of the esthe only prop, a bench used at first, placating the auditablishment of the state of as a podium, a table, a seat ence with references to the Israel. on a bus, a bed and even a Bastille and ever-present The show is based on the motorcycle. Not only did rhyming couplets. Then, as true story of Pnina Gary, the Adi physically perform the soon as we become comwriter and director of the character perfectly, but she fortable with another period piece, a character mentions a Cadillac. A blatant reference to universal health care is made. Someone barges in with a disguise that incorporates an American flag and a raccoon-skin cap! Before long, it is obvious that Ives — Laura Cutler, assistant director, Center for Israel Studies
One-woman production depicts epic ‘love story’ By KATIE CASTELLANO Eagle Contributing Writer The critically acclaimed monodrama “An Israeli Love Story” brought to life the true story of a young woman living in pre-state Israel play at AU Sept. 13. The night also marked the play’s 299th performance. The drama was performed in front of a full house at the Abramson Family Recital Hall in the Katzen Arts Center. AU’s Center for Israel Studies, the Department of the Performing Arts and the Embassy of Israel sponsored the show. Laura Cutler, assistant director of the Center for Israel Studies, wanted to expose the students of AU to the atmosphere of pre-state Israel and felt that this play did that. “Since so many of our programs focus on current aspects of Israeli history, society, culture, and politics, I thought it would be interesting for our students to learn about the early days and values of the state,” Cutler said. The play centers around Margalit, a young woman living in 1940s pre-state Israel, and her love for Ami, an idealistic Kibbutz pio-
“I thought it would be interesting for our students to learn about the early days and values of the state.”
has taken the “modern” part of modern adaptation very seriously. And yet for all of its outof-place references to contemporary trappings, “The Heir Apparent” keeps its classic feel. The dialogue is still predominantly in verse, and the actors handle the language remarkably. The set is appropriate for a 1700era French mansion and the costumes appropriate for its occupants. Aside from the “new” parts, the core of the show seems to have changed very little in 300 years. This keeps the modern references feeling natural, a breath of innovation instead of the stale and distracting gimmick they could have been. It’s a good thing too, because “The Heir Apparent” weaves a hysterical yarn. The plot concerns the inheritance of the elderly, dying Garonte and his nephew Eraste, valet Crispin and maid Lisette’s attempts to persuade him to leave it to Eraste. What follows is an archetypal farce, with all the requisite instances of physical comedy, outright vulgarity and mistaken identity (both accidental and otherwise). Every principal player brings the energy and affinity required for such absurd roles, moving from gag to gag seamlessly and keeping the audience on their toes. Of particular note is Carson Elrod, who as Crispin takes on not one, but three disguises over the course of the
show, each one more outrageous than the last. Although it does not contribute as much to the unconventionality of the show, the set must be given special mention. In true STC fashion, no expense was spared. The action takes place in only one room, but that room is packed to capacity with all manner of clutter. Books, candles, weapons, knick-knacks and unidentifiable objects line nearly every inch of shelves on the ground floor and ceiling. In the second act after the comedic trio have ransacked the place hunting for Garonte’s gold, these pieces of minutiae have been individually moved and strewn about the room. The attention to detail is marvelous and greatly helps reinforce the image of a man who owns too much and gives little away. David Ives and Kahn walked the knife-edge of classical adaptation flawlessly with the production. “The Heir Apparent” is funny, irreverent, and most importantly, relevant without feeling like it has abandoned its roots. For a production put on using an entirely new translation, this is a prodigious feat. If Jean-Francois Regnard was alive today, the Le Legataire Universel he would have written would likely closely resemble The Heir Apparent. thescene@theeagleonline. com
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play. Gary said during the question-and-answer session after the show that she was initially inspired to tell her story by her grandson, who was doing a family heritage project for school and asked her about her life. She was encouraged to share her story with others and turned it into a play with the hopes that others could relate to it and find comfort in it. The play has since become extremely successful. Adi Bielski, who won the Israeli Best Actress Award in Fringe Theater for this
also emotionally connected with the character she portrayed. Her empathy shined through and made Pnina Gary’s story come to life. “An Israeli Love Story” is a powerful play that not only evokes a sense of nostalgia for the people of Israel, but also relates to today’s generation. thescene@theeagleonline. com
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OPINION
September 20, 2011
Gerrymandered and (sorta) lovin’ it gerrymander - noun - the dividing of a state, county, etc., into election districts so as to give one political party a majority in many districts while concentrating the voting strength of the other party into as few districts as possible. The fight for representation in government is part of American heritage. By Wednesday night, it might be time for AU to add another chapter to that storied tradition. On Sept. 20 representatives from all Advisory Neighborhood Commission districts within Ward 3 will vote on a redistricting plan, part of Washington’s redistricting process every 10 years. This proposal would create an ANC district composed entirely of AU students, a scenario which virtually guarantees university representation in local government. After unpacking the (admittedly) dense details of ANC politics, it is clear the redistricting is an improvement over the status quo. Currently, AU is spilt between two ANC districts — North Side in 3D02 and South Side in 3D07. Following an extensive PR campaign and voter registration drive
last year, South side was successful in electing then-freshman Deon Jones to the 3D07 seat, AU’s first student representative in recent memory. 3D02 resident and incumbent Tom Smith defeated a second student candidate, Tyler Sadonis. Thus, only half of campus is currently represented by one of our own in the 3D ANC. Under the present districts, representation of student interests is significantly diluted. While Smith contends that he strives to represent all of his district’s residents, there are those who would still prefer to see student interests represented by someone who is actually a student. And while AU does have in Jones a representative that is a student, a significant portion of his district extends beyond campus, possibly forcing him to balance student desires with those of constituents
An open letter to SG Senate candidates DOUGLAS BELL — THE WRITER OF OUR DISCONTENTS I want to start by saying thank you for deciding to run for the Undergraduate Senate. Being a senator is a valiant position in our Student Government; unfortunately, it’s a position that has historically received little respect from most of the campus community. The Senate’s purposes include establishing the internal policies of the SG and the advocacy positions that it presents to the administration. While the SG executives have their hands full managing departments, planning programs and representing the SG as a whole, senators are busy reaching out to students, listening to their concerns and converting those concerns into actions. At least, that’s how it should work. I served as the Senate’s parliamentarian two years ago, a year
in which the Senate impeached one executive, suspended another and endured nasty floor fights on measures ranging from an election certification to the SG budget. Only about a quarter of the bills that year pertained to advocacy; instead, dealing with internal SG affairs and passing endless bylaws amendments took center stage. Veteran senators wrangled votes and used the rules of procedure to their advantage. Many of the newer senators simply filled seats while offering no new proposals. The toxic atmosphere of the Senate that year led many senators to resign and caused many students to call for the Senate to simply be disbanded. Even in the Senate’s inaugural session back in 2006, then-Speaker Chris Sgro resigned mid-year,
outside the university community. In the past, the interests of AU’s neighbors have often clashed with those of students. These problems are largely rectified in the redistricting proposal. The redrawn ANC 3D07 district would include only AU students living in Anderson, Centennial, McDowell, Hughes and Leonard Halls. No longer would students elected to the ANC need to temper their advocacy for the university. No longer would ANC campaigns dissolve into catty back-and-forths between AU and its neighbors as they fight over control of their district’s seat. Not only students, but AU as a whole, would have a clear and uncompromised representative on the ANC. However, because all districts are capped at 2,000 residents, the remaining AU students in Letts, Roper and Clark Halls would remain in the 3D02 district. While the idea of a district specifically for AU is welcome, isolating this sliver of campus from the rest of the university might give some pause.
To be sure, with fewer students in 3D02 under the proposal, students would have a less likely chance of challenging Smith for the seat than they currently have. Statistically speaking, Smith is virtually guaranteed the position for as long as he wishes to run, since AU students only constitute one-third of his electorate. Yet these student residents still make up a significant portion of his constituents. If organized, this is certainly a large enough group to remain an influential demographic within their own district. And they will always be able to take their concerns to their student representative in the neighboring district. We’re being gerrymandered. There’s no getting around it. But in doing so, we’re concentrating the power of students and being given a seat on a district council that will be a guaranteed voice for the University in community affairs. And as members of this community, our voices deserve to be heard as clearly as possible.
stating, “Too many senators focus on procedure, pomp and egoinflation rather than what’s important to students. These are the focuses which force the student body at large to look at the Senate with cynicism.” It is a shame that this is what the legacy of the Undergraduate Senate has become. But despite its flawed history, the Senate has had a number of successes. Senators’ work last fall helped bring ROTC back on campus, a major achievement towards securing equal rights for AU’s military students. They were instrumental in launching Bike Lending, supporting the reformation of AUTO and establishing funds for clean energy projects, just to name a few. Yet these achievements still feel more like the exception than the rule, as students continue to regard the Senate as the self-aggrandizing branch of the SG whose members take themselves too seriously. But I believe the Senate has the potential to become a force of advocacy and student leadership to be reckoned with. However, it is going to take a dramatic change in how you senate candidates approach your roles. If you’re running for Senate just to add a line to your resume or as an easy way into a “better” SG position, you are
doing a disservice to the student body. As a senator, it is your obligation to take the time to reach out to your constituents and connect with them. Learn about the challenges they are facing and listen to their suggestions to make AU better. Don’t just sit in MGC 262 and wait for them to come to you. We don’t need another year of the Senate mainly writing amendments to the bylaws and coming up with clever acronyms for bill titles. We need leadership and commitment from each individual that we elect to this body. It is time for the entire Undergraduate Senate to become the movers and shakers of this university, spearheading new ideas to make student life better, and mobilizing the entire Student Government to lobby the administration to implement those ideas. This election is not about what makes you the best candidate. It’s about what makes you our best representative. Let’s make this the year that the Senate finally earns its rightful place as the crown jewel of SG. Douglas Bell is a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences. Please send comments and responses to: edpage@theeaglonline.com
18 Open letter: police blotter must return To whom it may concern: I am a student at American University and I am writing this letter to express my discontent with the discontinuation of the “police blotter.” The blotter served as an excellent way for any AU student, myself included, as well as any professor or staff member, to educate him or herself on the current state of our campus and see whether or not there were any recent occurrences to be concerned about. The new “crime log” does nothing but report dates, crimes, times and general locations, which gives me no insight as to whether or not I should be concerned about some of the events which have been reported. Any example from this new, lackluster “log” would serve to prove my point, but I believe a recent posting at the time of this letter’s composition perfectly illustrates this worrisome condition. It states that an “Aggravated Assault” occurred at “Anderson HallInside” on “9/13/2011 22:30.” And “the case has been forwarded to MPD or other law enforcement agency.” Now please tell me how this is in any way a sufficient summary of what was a clearly significant crime on our campus? As a resident of Anderson Hall, I, in addition to my fellow residents, am surely entitled to a more detailed and thorough report than this impersonal rag. There is no framework, nor is there any back story, meaning there is no substance. Without this substance, I feel significantly less secure living in Anderson Hall and at AU. I am also less confident about the openness of AU Public Safety who up to now has been nothing but accessible, personal, professional and stellar in both duty and deed. I hope this faceless, detail-deficient sheet does not mark the beginning of a less personable and open AU. I understand that some said the “police blotter” had become a source of amusement for many, but this fact alone cannot be the reason why the blotter has been discontinued. It would be a travesty if something as petty as people laughing at the blotter were the sole rationale for its unnecessary BLOTTER, PAGE 19 ≥
Opinion 19
theEAGLE
Handling life’s hardships, with the help of friends CONOR SHAPIRO — SMARTER THAN I LOOK Trembling near the ledge of the eighth story of my dorm, life was looking bleak. I peered out toward the distant ocean and noted how cruel it was to feel like a prisoner in such a spectacular setting. The intermittent laughter echoing from the kids on the sidewalk felt like salt to my wounds. I exhaled. As incredible as college is, the aggregated stresses (good and bad) are taxing and can lead us into situations of grave despair. With all the dramatic changes — mov-
ing, homework, papers, relationship turbulence, new residence and roommates, employment or lack thereof — it’s all a bit overwhelming. This time of year reminds me of the moment I hit rock bottom my third week into college as an undergraduate. My girlfriend of three years and I decided to attend the same school away from home and even secured housing in the same co-ed dorm. Everything was going to be perfect. Perfect, that is, until a few weeks before move-in when
she dumped me, quickly joined a sorority and started openly dating the Ryan Reynolds of my floor. Life came at me fast. I was devastated. To exacerbate the situation, I couldn’t find work, failed my first two exams and hyperextended my knee, so I couldn’t exercise. Which brings me back to the ledge. Literally minutes from potentially jumping off, my roommate exited the elevator and saw me in disarray. It was embarrassing. He as-
suaged my fragile emotions and listened to me. I vented and sobbed and told him to leave me alone, but thankfully, he warded off my rejections. He helped me process my feelings and coax me back to reality. Heck, he even bought me a burrito. (I’m a sucker for Mexican food.) I recovered. To paraphrase the sagacious words from the LGBT campaign, things got better. My injury healed. My grades improved. I even started dating again about a year later. None of it was easy, and I had relapses where I pondered doing something terrible out of desperation. Thankfully, the worst I could muster were lovesick emails from a heartbroken boy. Cut to today. My former girlfriend — coincidentally now a resident of D.C. — is one of my best friends. We
New words: seasonal fads or a shift in language? FRANCESCA MORIZIO — SPEAK MY LANGUAGE Remember truthiness? Stephen Colbert caused quite the stir when he introduced that particular noun in 2005 on the segment of his show aptly called “The Word.” (The fact that a prime-time news show even has a daily segment devoted to words is interesting in and of itself.) The American Dialect Society, a committee I — a devotee of words — had never even heard of until that fateful day, chose to take this newly minted word and honor it with the title of “Word of the Year.” Merriam-Webster quickly followed and, in 2006, truthiness (which is built into the dictionary on my word processing application) was again named “Word of the Year” and added to the dictionary in the following edition. While there was a spike on Google trends on the date of the word's unveiling to the public, Colbert gave himself the greatest bump when he used the word at the White
House Correspondent’s dinner as part of his roast of then-President George W. Bush. But would you even consider slipping truthiness into conversation today at the risk of sounding dated? Mr. Colbert himself doesn’t even use it in his show’s opener anymore, instead opting for the more current “Lincolnish” and “Freeberty,” neither of which appears to have changed the national lexicon. Words fall in and out of vogue faster than last season’s new black. Language changes with the times, but in a larger sense than in the way slang changes from generation to generation. I’m talking about actual linguistic shifts in what words we use to express ourselves, not just “rad” or “cool” or “groovy.” Once, I had a teacher in high school ask me to think without using words. It’s not impossible, but it’s hard; you’re stuck with mostly images.
I think we can all agree that language is one of the best forms of communication we know of. It is this massive, all-encompassing behemoth of a “thing” (for lack of a better word) that names everything we could conceive of or express. Language is our everything. Everything we know, everything we feel, everything we are is made up by 26 little letters. Our world is a world based in language; humans control everything because we can effectively tell others what to do. Language is control. But for being so expansive, language is flawed. The only way we can truly express ourselves is through language, but it’s limiting. Extremely limiting. Think of all the words you wish existed. All of the feelings you wish you could express. Language prohibits us from actually saying what we mean because we don’t have the words to describe it. It’s the ultimate Catch-22:
language is all we have, but it can never be what we really need it to be. It’s the ultimate tool of expression, but can language ever really allow us to say what we feel? Does it allow us to say what we really mean? I wish we could look at what truthiness did as something normal, routine — a force of change in the stuffy old rooms of dictionary editors instead of a comedic outlier that we will probably never tell our children about. I can only hope that somewhere in the not too distant future, a word will come along that changes everything again, that somewhere out there is a newly budded thought, a need for a particular sound that expresses a feeling that others can connect with. Because if we don’t keep adapting language and adding to it, its constraints will become that much more apparent. Francesca Morizio is a double major in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Kogod School of Business. Please send comments and responses to: edpage@theeagleonline.com
hang out once a month, confiding in one another and swapping relationship advice. We have an amazing platonic friendship. Never, ever did I expect that. Back on the eighth story of my dorm, that seemed as likely as scoring a date with Jennifer Lopez. Granted, it took me almost four years to get there, but that’s the gig — life is challenging If we persevere through these challenges, we’re forever stronger and sometimes experience the unthinkable (still holding out for J-Lo). Our ability to weather times of great suffering is what gives us character and graduates us to adulthood. It prepares us for future crises. The fact that I endured that low phase of my life remains a subconscious reassurance that I can endure any pressing stresses I encounter today.
Hopefully, my dramatic anecdote is about as relevant as Newt Gingrich, and you’re having a wonk of a time thus far at AU. But for anyone out there who is struggling with similar issues that I did — any whose rants aren’t trivial complaints about the boredom of Phonathon — I promise you things will improve. (No guarantees on the Phonathon.) I’m living proof. I just needed someone to place things in context. I needed a friend. So be a friend. Go out of your way if you see someone who could use a shoulder. Sometimes, that’s all they need.
≤ BLOTTER, PAGE 18 demise. We, the tuition-paying students of American University, deserve a full explanation of the blotter’s cancellation supplementary to the reinstatement of the full stories of any and all criminal activities that occur at our
university. I await any response to the many pleas of the student body and hope the words of this letter find their way to reasonable ears.
Conor Shapiro is a graduate student in the School of International Service. Please send comments and responses to: edpage@theeaglonline.com
Very truly yours, Nicholas A. Rangos SPA, 2015 edpage@theeaglonline.com
QUICK
TAKE
The American Jobs Act: a college perspective. Reaction to the American Jobs Act, proposed by President Obama Sept. 7 in a speech to a joint session of Congress, has dominated the week’s political news. Should AU students nearing graduation get their hopes up? Or is the proposal unlikely to improve the employment outlook. Our Quick Take columnists and guests weigh in:
THE JOBS ACT’S IMPACT ON EDUCATION By Rachel Lomot "Education needs to be reformed. The President knows this, as do our congressmen. The Jobs Act has a plan. It proposes to spend $30 billion solely to renovate deteriorating schools. Obama asks, 'How can we expect our kids to do their best in places that are literally falling apart?' This is true, I have spent some time in an after-school program where supplies were scarce. That environment is not conducive to working. We can feel it here as AU students, I enjoy my class in the new SIS building a great deal more than my class in the basement of EQB … " Check out the Quick Take at theeagleonline.com/front/ quicktake to see the rest of this column, in addition to takes from AU College Democrats and AU economics professor Robert Lerman.
September 20, 2011
theEAGLE
Paviglionite, Mohandesi lead women’s soccer during weekend games By TYLER TOMEA Eagle Staff Writer AU women’s soccer tied one game and snapped a five game winless streak this weekend against Mount St. Mary’s University and Delaware State University, putting the team’s record at 3-5-1 on the season. Eagles can’t close out Mt. St. Mary’s Nicole Paviglionite’s first career goal put the AU team up 1-0 against visiting Mount St. Mary’s, but the Eagles saw the lead evaporate six minutes later and were forced to settle for their first draw of the season. Assisted by Jasmine Mohandesi, Paviglionite’s header got past goalkeeper Alicia Miller for the game’s first goal in the 61st minute. The Mount’s (1-4-1) Alicia Mirando countered in the 67th minute with her first goal of her career to knot the game at 1-1, a score that would hold up for the remaining 43 minutes. “I did feel like we kind of let the win slip away,” Head Coach Dave Bucciero said. “For us to have success this year we have to have a stronger will and we have to put teams away.” A scoreless first half came to a close with AU holding a 10-5 advantage in shots. The numbers were misleading though, as both team’s shots were never threats to find the back of the net. The Mount held a 2-1 advantage ≤ LASKY, PAGE 24 I understand the comparisons; both had limited experience as a college quarterback. The difference between the two is that very few thought Russell should have been the No. 1 overall pick, whereas Newton was regarded as a favorite. Newton will not throw for 400 yards every game in 2011, but it’s clear that in no way should he be compared
in corner kicks, while each team totaled five fouls. When Paviglionite directed her header past Miller, it looked like the Eagles were on their way to snapping their winless streak. But Arianna Efstathiou’s misplay in the goal put the ball squarely at the foot of Mirando, who easily converted it into an opportunity to tie the contest. “I thought our back line as a whole broke down,” Bucciero said of the game-tying goal. With two minutes to go in regulation, Katarina Kingston was inches away from notching the game-winning goal, but her shot from just outside the box struck the crossbar. The first overtime period saw one shot sent wide by AU’s Michaela Cowgill, while Mt. St. Mary’s had its best chance near the end of the second overtime. But Efstathiou made up for her earlier mistake and saved a Ragan Cote breakaway to preserve the 1-1 draw. For the game, AU held a 26-11 advantage in shots and a 5-3 edge in corners. Efstathiou made six saves, while Miller made eight. AU snaps winless streak The Eagles returned to the field Sept. 18 for a road game against Delaware State University and defeated the Hornets (1-9-1) 1-0 for their first win in five games. Mohandesi scored from 10 yards out after the ball
to the former Raiders signal caller. Bruce Boudreau: Total Job Security Under head coach Bruce Boudreau, the Washington Capitals have averaged 47 wins per season and have been one of the most successful teams in the regular season. With that said, the Caps have also never appeared in the conference finals under him.
RACHEL DEVOR / THE EAGLE
BACK ON TRACK Michelle Montilio and the AU women’s soccer team earned a draw and a win this weekend after losing by a combined score of 11-3 in the last four games. Montilio and the Eagles are back in action Sept. 21. deflected off a Hornet defender to push across the game-winning goal for AU. That score was the junior forward’s second of the season, tying her for the team lead with Samantha Trotta. Klare Lazor got the start in goal for the Eagles and registered a clean sheet on the afternoon with three saves. Of the nine games this season, Lazor has started six while Efstathiou has gotten the nod in three. AU will be on the road Wednesday, Sept. 21 to take on Loyola University (Maryland), before returning to Reeves Field to play host to the University of Richmond.
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ttomea@theeagleonline. com Washington has one of the most talented teams in the NHL, but they keep coming up short. If they fail in the playoffs again this season, Boudreau is surely gone - if he isn’t fired before then. blasky@theeagleonline.com
registration is free at american.edu/cas/anthro/public questions, comments, concerns: aupublicanthro@gmail.com
theEAGLE
Men’s soccer shut out twice this weekend By CHRIS HALL Eagle Contributing Writer It was a rough weekend for the Eagles, as two hardfought men’s soccer games both ended in losses with the conference schedule getting underway next week. “It’s frustrating to play two home games and not find the back of the net, but in stretches we played some of our best soccer of the season,” Head Coach Todd West said. Cal State blanks Eagles The Eagles (1-6-1) kicked off the weekend Sept. 16 by falling 3-0 to the California State University Fullerton Titans. The Titans came into the game with considerable momentum after having tied the defending NCAA Champion University of Akron Zips earlier in the season and starting the sea-
son on a six-game unbeaten streak. Having struggled with two-game weekends, the Eagles planned to sit back and conserve their legs as much as possible for Sunday’s University of Central Florida game, according to West. But Fullerton attacked strongly throughout the first half, with Kevin Venegas, Cal State’s leading scorer, opening the scoring for the Titans with his fourth goal of the year. Less than 10 minutes later, Eric Escobedo took a pass outside of the box and sent in a high arcing shot over Eagle goalkeeper Matt Makowski for a 2-0 Titans lead. With the first half winding down, Jesse Escalante headed in a shot from 10 yards out for a 3-0 Cal State advantage. What had looked to be a promising afternoon never
Sports 21
materialized as the first half ended with AU in a threegoal hole. The second half trudged on uneventfully, as AU continued to be unable to convert its chances, and the game ended in a 3-0 loss. “Some areas need improvement, but we still have the opportunity to be a good team,” West said. He listed the inability to finish and convert chances as the main problem in the loss. Tough weekend continues against UCF The Eagles hosted the No. 10 Central Florida Knights Sept. 18, looking to shake off their Sept. 16 loss. The UCF attack was held scoreless by a battling AU back line for the first 20 minutes, before things began to go downhill. Nik Robson scored on a free kick 25 minutes in that bounced past Makowski for the game’s opening goal. Tension began to rise on the field following multiple disputed tackles, and the first half ended with the Knights leading 1-0. Strong attacking and staunch defense by both
RILEY SPENCER / THE EAGLE
squads characterized the second half, with Makowski keeping the Eagles in the game. Halftime did nothing to calm either team down, as three yellow cards were handed out in a five minute span midway through the second half. With 18 minutes left in the game, Cameron Cooksey scored UCF’s second goal
on a long throw-in from the sideline, shifting the momentum firmly to UCF. “We’re definitely the best 1-6 team in the country,” West said. AU will return to the field Saturday, Sept. 24 for its Patriot League opener with Colgate University. sports@theeagleonline.com
SCORING DROUGHT Colin Seigfreid and the AU men’s soccer team struggled offensively this weekend, as the Eagles were unable to score once in the two games they played this weekend.
September 20, 2011
theEAGLE SENIOR STANDOUT Octavia Rinehardt continued a strong start to her senior campaign by placing fourth at Saturday’s Navy Invitational. This performance came after Rinehardt placed first in the Mount St. Mary’s 5K Duals to open the season. One of the most accomplished runners in AU history, Rinehardt will look to head back to the NCAA National Cross Country Championships for the second year in a row.
Courtesy of AUEAGLES.COM
Rinehardt posts strong showing at Navy Invitational By JACK KERNOCHAN Eagle Contributing Writer The AU cross-country men’s team finished fifth out of 10 teams, while the women’s squad finished eighth out of 11 at Saturday’s Navy Invitational in Annapolis, Md. The race was 6K for women and 8K for men. Senior Octavia Rinehardt led the way for the AU women with a fourth place finish. She ran the 6K in 22:09:77, only five seconds behind Caitlin Storbeck of LaSalle University, who placed first. For the men, Josh Olsen finished sixth at 24:36:09. AU entered Saturday off
a sweep at the Mount St. Mary’s 5K Duals to open the season on Friday, Sept. 2. That race saw three different Eagles take each of the top three spots, and led to AU junior Mark Allen garnering his first weekly award from the Patriot League by being named Patriot League Male Runner of the Week. Allen did not duplicate his first place finish from Mt. St. Mary’s, but nevertheless found himself in the top 25 with a 16th place finish and a time of 24:53:92. Rinehardt’s fourth-place finish continues a superb start to her final season as an Eagle. She began
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the year two weeks ago at Mt. St. Mary’s with a first place finish and a time of 18:02:99. Her decorated career includes being named to the All-Patriot League First Team in each of her three years, as well as being named All-Region her junior year. Last season, Rinehardt became the third woman in AU cross-country history to qualify for the NCAA National Cross Country Championships. This feat helped her earn the honor of being named the AU women’s cross-country MVP for 2010. As for Olsen, his time of 24:36:09 shattered his previous personal record of 25:24:13 in an 8K race. The senior looks to ride off this momentum going forward and see even more success in the coming weeks. Navy took the overall team victory for the women, while Eastern Kentucky University pulled out the win in the men’s race. Navy finished second in the men’s race, while LaSalle was the runner-up on the women’s side. Other notable finishers for the Eagles included John Pope, who sprinted in at 25:01:54 and placed 22nd, while Mark Leininger made the top 50 with a time of 25:23:16. AU’s second-best female runner was Carly Birkhold, who crossed the finish line in 38th place with a time of 23:46:60. Next on the schedule for AU is the Paul Short Invitational, which will be held in B watch and listen to pierelated movies and songs ethlehem, Pa. Friday, Sept. 30 at 10 a.m. The Eagles will then be in action the next day for the George Mason Invitational. sports@theeagleonline.com
Eagles swept away at weekend American Volleyball Classic By ERIC SALTZMAN Eagle Staff Writer The Eagles hosted the American Volleyball Classic this weekend and took on Villanova University Friday, Sept. 16, while squaring off against Western Kentucky University and the University of Missouri Saturday. The Eagles (5-9) lost all three matches and won one set on the weekend. Villanova handles Eagles AU fell to the Wildcats (85) in straight sets by scores of 25-20, 25-19 and 28-26. The first set saw the Eagles close the gap to 18-16 after trailing by as many as eight, but AU was unable to overtake the Wildcats. Once Villanova took a 7-6 lead in the second set, it never looked back, while the third was the closest of the match. With the game tied at 25 apiece, the two teams exchanged points until Kim Maroon hit an ace to seal the match for the Wildcats. All-Tournament selection Sara Rishell led the Eagles with 12 kills, while Monika Smidova led the team with 22 assists and 14 digs defensively. “Villanova was faster, and EZRA MENELIK / THE EAGLE
they hit the ball better than we did, and they made more kills than we did,” Head Coach Barry Goldberg said. Western Kentucky cruises past AU The Eagles first Saturday game was against the Hilltoppers (14-1), who won in straight sets 25-13, 25-21 and 25-22. Western Kentucky dominated the first set, while the Eagles were able to stick with the Hilltoppers early in the second before falling 25-21. Western Kentucky led by as many as six in its 25-22 third set victory. Rishell once again led the team with 12 kills, while Alexandria Miller and Rebecca Heath each tallied seven digs. “We [were] kind of off a little bit, couldn’t get anything clicking,” Rishell said. “Except near the end, we got into a bit of a rhythm; just a bit off today, kind of unfortunate.” Missouri defeats AU in nightcap Saturday night saw the Eagles fall 3-1 to the Tigers (13-4), who reached the Sweet 16 of last year’s NCAA Tournament. AU
came back from an 11-6 first set deficit to tie the game at 25 and, after trailing by one, a three-point surge capped by a kill from Juliana Crum gave AU its only set win of the weekend at 28-26. However, Missouri took control of the game and won the next three sets 25-18, 25-20 and 25-18. “They [Missouri] served us tough and we didn’t handle the receive as well,” Goldberg said. “We couldn’t run the offense; they just got physical with us by the net.” Crum, Heath and Rishell posted double-digit kills, while Smidova recorded 41 assists and Miller led the team with 15 digs. The Eagles are 1-6 in their last seven matches. The team will travel to take on the Loyola Greyhounds on Wednesday, Sept. 21 before opening Patriot League play against Bucknell University on Friday, Sept. 23 at Bender Arena. AU has won the conference regular season and tournament championship in nine of the past 10 seasons, only failing to do so in 2009. sports@theeagleonline.com
TOUGH TIMES Rebecca Heath and the Eagles are having a rough time against a difficult non-conference schedule, as AU has lost six of its past seven matches with only one set win in those six losses.
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September 20, 2011
UPCOMING GAMES Home
SPORTS
24
WED. SEPT. 21
THURS. SEPT. 22
FRI. SEPT. 23
SAT. SEPT. 24
SUN. SEPT. 25
Women’s soccer @ Loyola (Md.) at 5 p.m. Volleyball @ Loyola (Md.) at 7 p.m.
No games scheduled
Field hockey @ Richmond at 4 p.m. Volleyball vs. Bucknell at 7 p.m.
Men’s
soccer vs. Colgate at 12 p.m. Women’s soccer vs. Richmond at 3 p.m. Volleyball vs. Colgate at 2 p.m.
Field hockey vs. Boston College at 1 p.m.
Game
What top polarizing sports figures should be named BEN LASKY — SIDELINE SCHOLAR
EZRA MENELIK / THE EAGLE
Nationally ranked field hockey team drops third-straight game By SAMANTHA RAPHELSON Eagle Staff Writer After being unable to capitalize on offensive opportunities for the third game in a row, the No. 17 AU field hockey team fell to the University of Louisville 1-0 Sept. 18 at Jacobs Field. The Eagles (2-4) outnumbered the Cardinals (6-2) in penalty corners 6-3 and out shot them 14-7 but could not defeat their goalie, Erin Conrad, who had six saves on the game. “Louisville’s a very good team and in close games, if you don’t finish your chances and they do, then you’re set,” Head Coach Steve Jennings said. “If we don’t score a goal, we can’t win. I don’t think our defense did a bad job at all.” Louisville maintained offensive control for the first
part of the first half, but were not able to get many shots on goal. And while AU’s defense was very stout, its counterattack was weak in that, once they got the ball, they could not get it down the field. AU realized what needed to be improved early and in the 27th minute Jaclyn Anspach sent a shot that went high above the net. Over 10 minutes later, the Eagles got their first penalty corner opportunity, but shot wide and the women came up short on the return as well. Louisville immediately got back in the game with two back-to-back attempts, but could not get past AU’s solid defense backed by goalkeeper Stephanie Burry. Almost three minutes later, the Eagles were yet again unable to capitalize on two penalty corners. Jenn Bradley attacked the net on the
second chance, but Conrad skillfully blocked her shot. When it seemed as though AU would head into halftime with a scoreless tie, Louisville’s Elizabeth Vance was able to penetrate the goal with two minutes remaining in the first half. The Eagles started the second half ready to improve their counterattack, after not being able to finish goals in the first. However, they continued to poorly play their corners on their first three chances of the half. On their final penalty corner, AU’s Shelly Montgomery put up a strong shot that was deflected wide. The game ended before AU could get in another attempt to force overtime. The loss comes after AU fell from No. 8 to No. 17 in national rankings after two consecutive losses last weekend at the Terrapin In-
Last Friday was the day NBA fans have been waiting for. This long, drawn-out process is finally over, and basketball fans can now rest comfortably. Yes, that’s right. Lakers small forward Ron Artest officially changed his name to Metta World Peace, a funny name for someone who was the main player in one of the biggest brawls in NBA history. So I got to thinking, what would be some ironic name changes for other athletes in the sports universe? What if Barry Bonds changed his name to Mister Clean? But before I use up all my best CLOSE CALLS ones too early, here’s my Once ranked as high as No. 8, list of some new names that Gina Hofmann and the AU field athletes should think hard hockey team has lost each of about. the last three games by one goal. Elizabeth Vance scored Albert Haynesworth: Skinny Sunday in Louisville’s 1-0 win. Workaholic My dislike for Patriots defensive tackle Albert vitational. Haynesworth is well-docu“The main focus for us is mented. But it’s not because trying to get more return I’ve grown up rooting for from our offensive oppor- the Redskins and he essentunities that we’ve created,” tially represents the Dan Jennings said. “Today we Snyder era. When you root actually drew a number of for the ‘Skins, you expect great corners, had some them to sign the best free great execution in terms of agents, who then go on to the actual setup of it, but the do nothing. final part wasn’t there. So What I have a problem we’ll get back to work and with is that he was being try to fine-tune what we’ve paid $41 million guaranteed done. The good news is if we and refused to buy into his continue to create chances I role as nose tackle in a 4-3 think we will put ourselves system. If his role were to in situations where we will go get food for the team, he win the game.” should have done it. The Eagles will return to Adding insult to injury, in action on Friday, Sept. 23 at his second and final year the University of Richmond, with Washington, head and are back home on Sun- coach Mike Shanahan reday, Sept. 25 to face Boston quired Haynesworth to pass College. a fitness test, which he expectedly could not do. sports@theeagleonline.com Now I’m ranting. He’s lazy.
He’s fat. Skinny Workaholic it is. LeBron James: He Love Me No one, and I mean no one, outside of Miami Heat fans like LeBron James. Literally nothing he does helps his public image. First, there was The Decision. We all know what happened. It’s been all downhill from there. On that night, maybe the most popular player in the NBA became the league’s biggest villain. He made fun of Dirk Nowitzki for getting sick during the NBA Finals, and then tried to play it off as if he hadn’t. After losing in the Finals, he said people who did not like him would have to go back to their normal lives. The quote was taken out of context, yet one must believe there had to be a better way to get his point across. But what really makes people dislike LeBron is his refusal to admit he did anything wrong by leaving Cleveland the way that he did. He either doesn’t get it or is too stubborn and prideful to admit it. There are worse athletes out there. He has never been arrested or taken illegal substances. But are there less arrogant ones? Cam Newton: JaMarcus Russell Through the first two games of his NFL career, Newton has thrown for 854 yards. I’m not 100 percent sure about this, but I believe that’s more yards than Russell threw for in his entire three-year career. LASKY, PAGE 20 ≥