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Over 40 laptops stolen on campus since August Student resigns from job Laptops have been stolen from residence halls, administrative offices and common areas on campus

By RYAN MIGEED EAGLE STAFF WRITER

About 40 laptops have been stolen on campus since the beginning of the academic year, according to Adam Cooper, Public Safety’s logistics and compliance coordinator.

Public Safety is investigating the thefts and refused to provide information on when and where the thefts occurred.

“After speaking with the staff here, it has been determined that giving such specific information in regards to an ongoing investigation is not pertinent at this time,” Cooper said in an email. “We do not want to compromise the efforts of DPS in investigating these occurrences.”

The Eagle learned about the thefts from various Letts Hall residents, a Letts Resident Assistant and an email cautioning Letts, Clark and Roper Hall residents to deadbolt their doors in light of the thefts.

The Eagle could not confirm the location nor the date of the thefts since Public Safety’s crime log, which replaced the police blotter, does not list information about what was stolen.

Laptops stolen over the course of this academic year have been taken from residence halls, administrative offices and common areas, Cooper said in a separate email.

Most of the thefts have involved Mac laptops taken from rooms occupied by females, he said.

Public Safety did not confirm or deny the existence of specific suspects because they do not comment on ongoing investigations, Cooper said.

Public Safety has issued three crime alerts related to laptop thefts this school year. Cooper emails these alerts to The Eagle, and the department posts them on its website.

• On Nov. 5, Public Safety issued a crime alert saying the department had “received several reports of burglaries from residence hall rooms in Anderson Hall while the occupants slept.”

There were no descriptions of suspects at the time.

• On Nov. 27, Public Safety issued a crime alert about a Nov. 25 laptop burglary in Letts Hall. The suspect was described as a white male with “slightly longer than crew cut dark hair,” 5’7” to 6’ tall, medium build and 18 to 24 years old.

• On Jan. 17, Public Safety issued a crime alert about three reports of unlawful entry in Anderson Hall. Laptops were stolen in two incidents. The suspect was described as a white male with medium-length brown hair, between 5’8” and 5’10” and 18 to 21 years old.

The Nov. 25 Letts resident said she witnessed her laptop being stolen while she was staying on campus during Thanksgiving break.

“I woke up and there was a strange man in my room,” said Emma Grindfors, a School of International Service freshman who lives on the sixth floor of Letts.

The thief simply apologized and left, Grindfors said. He was a “typical-looking AU kid” of average height and weight, and he was Caucasian, she said.

Grindfors said she left her door unlocked because she feared she would be unable to enter her room again if she was locked out. The Letts Hall desk was closed during the break.

Grindfors reported the theft to Public Safety and the Letts Hall front desk.

Grindfors said she heard of another Letts Hall resident who fell asleep with her laptop on top of her and woke up without it.

Resident assistants required Letts and Anderson Hall residents to show them they could deadbolt their doors Feb. 14 in light of the theft.

A Letts Hall resident assistant, who wished to remain anonymous, said she believes the thefts occurred in rooms where residents did not deadbolt their doors at night, the RA

said.

“The best thing we can tell people is to deadbolt their doors,” the RA said.

Resident Director of Letts, Clark and Roper Halls Jennifer Baron encouraged residents to deadbolt their rooms in an email sent to residents last month.

Laptop thefts in residence halls have become a big concern to students.

“It is an inconvenience,” said Austin Ryan, a School of Public Affairs freshman and Letts Hall resident. “It does change the way you live.”

Other Letts residents agreed.

“I asked for a laptop lock for Christmas,” said Emily Ellis, a freshman in SIS. Public Safety encourages people to report anything suspicious.

“All suspicious activity on campus and crimes in progress should be reported to Public Safety immediately at x3636 immediately,” Cooper said.

“If anyone has information related to any incident, that information can also be provided anonymously by completing the Tips Form at: www. american.edu/finance/publicsafety/tips.cfm.”

Staff writer Lindsey Anderson contributed to this report.

RMIGEED@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

after Md. delegate votes ‘no’ on gay marriage bill Undergrad worked as legislative director for Delegate Sam Arora

By HEATHER MONGILIO EAGLE STAFF WRITER

The Maryland House of Delegates took its first step toward allowing same-sex marriage in the state Feb. 17 by passing the Civil Marriage Protection Act with a vote of 72-67, according the Washington Post.

Behind the scenes, two AU students who work in the Maryland House welcomed the news on a bittersweet note.

“We won a great victory for equal rights, and it made me feel proud to work in the Maryland General Assembly,” said Joshua Lapidus, former legislative director for Delegate Sam Arora and a student in the School of Public Affairs and the School of International Service.

But Lapidus resigned before the vote after discovering that Arora planned to vote against the bill.

“I cannot stand beside you if you stand for inequality,” Lapidus wrote in a letter to Arora, sent to The Eagle by Lapidus’s friend.

Jeff Gan, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences and SPA and an intern in Arora’s office, is also Continued on page 4

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Students take stand SG stays neutral on on Md. gay marriage adjunct unionization Continued from page 3

planning to resign.

Gan said in an email that he could no longer work for someone that had tried to restrict the rights of Maryland residents.

“I am completely and 100 percent for it,” Gan said of the bill.

Arora represents Maryland’s 19th District, which encompasses parts of Montgomery County between Glenmont and Shady Grove.

Before the vote, Lapidus handed Arora a letter with the intent to resign if Arora did not vote for the bill.

“I knew that I was the only person who thought I could get a yes vote from Sam,” Lapidus said.

Lapidus learned that Arora planned to vote against the bill about an hour and a half before Arora went to the floor.

Last year, Arora voted in favor of granting civil marriage rights to samesex couples in the House’s Judiciary Committee, but voted against when it came before the general House.

The House pulled last year’s bill from the floor when delegates realized Arora’s “no” vote meant it would fail. The Maryland Senate passed the bill.

Arora’s plan to vote against the bill last year was unexpected, as he had openly stated he would vote to send the bill to the governor, according to a Washington Post article.

While working for Arora, Lapidus hoped to change Arora’s vote in favor of same sex marriage.

“Josh took this job to pass marriage equality,” Gan said.

This year, Arora voted against the bill again, despite disapproval of a potential “no” vote from Lapidus, other delegates and Democratic politicians and staffers.

“As your Legislative Director - I strongly advise you reconsider [your deci-

sion to vote no],” Lapidus said in the letter.

Former President Bill Clinton and actor Kal Penn called the Arora office to lobby for Arora’s vote for same-sex marriage.

There is currently a petition calling Arora’s resignation on the grounds that he ran a campaign in support of marriage equality but did not vote in favor of it.

In order for the bill to pass, 71 senators had to vote “yes.” The House required the Majority of the House, 71 out of 141 members, rather than a simple majority to pass the bill.

Democratic Delegate Tiffany Alston was the 71st vote for the bill. She changed her vote after her amendment to the bill was passed.

The amendment deals with a timeline for a possible referendum, which would ask Maryland residents about their support for the bill. If the public opposes the bill, the referendum would stop the bill from becoming law.

Marylanders will vote whether or not to uphold the bill in a Nov. 4 referendum if those who oppose the bill collect enough signatures and the courts recognize the validity of those signatures.

“The people of Maryland are going to uphold the governor’s bill,” Lapidus said.

Gan was not as confident.

“I personally don’t believe that you should go out of your way to preserve the right of a majority to vote on the rights of the minority,” Gan said.

If the bill passes in the Senate, Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley will immediately sign the bill.

If the bill passes and a referendum proves residential support for the bill, Maryland will be the eighth state to grant same sex marriage.

HMONGILIO@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

May consider support during adjunct negotiations over salary, job security

By ZOE CRAIN EAGLE STAFF WRITER

The Undergraduate Student Government Senate may consider voting on a resolution to support adjunct unionization.

The Senate originally discussed the resolution Dec. 4, then decided to indefinitely delay voting on it Jan. 22.

The resolution stated that the Senate would support the unionization, in recognition of the adjunct faculty’s positive influence on academics and “the function that such unionization would play within the principles of social responsibility and equality.”

The Senate will bring

there’s no reason for the Student Government to get involved,” said then Class of 2014 Sen. Rob Battaglia, who resigned from the Senate over winter break.

Battaglia said Slatko might have had a better chance of passing the resolution if he came to the floor with polling data showing that the majority of the SIS constituency supported the unionization.

“My constituency were the people that brought this issue to my attention,” Slatko responded. “Students came to talk to me about it, so, in doing my job, I decided this would be something the Senate should look at.”

Slatko worked with

“If it doesn’t directly affect the students, then there’s no reason for the Student Government to get involved.”

— Former Class of 2014 Sen. Rob Battaglia

the bill back to the floor as negotiations with the union progresses, according to Rory Slatko, an undergraduate senator for the School of International Service and the sponsor of the bill. The Senate originally wanted to wait for detailed results of the adjunct vote before they passed legislation.

“I believe [tabling the resolution] was an appropriate move for this body,” he said. “It would be wrong to support something that the adjuncts themselves didn’t even support” if they didn’t vote for it.

Some senators believe the resolution didn’t belong on the floor in the first place.

“If it doesn’t directly affect the students, then

Student Worker Alliance to craft the legislation and garner support.

Following heavy debate on the floor Jan. 22, the resolution was “tabled indefinitely pending forthcoming information,” meaning that the body would look at the resolution after the adjuncts had voted.

Although the adjuncts voted for unionization, Battaglia still believes the Senate shouldn’t pass the resolution supporting unionization.

“I don’t believe that they did the right thing in terms of tabling it, because I think the Senate didn’t do the right thing by the fact that there was even a bill introduced,” he said.

AGRECO@THEEAGLONLINE.COM

Army Corps finds above-average arsenic level at AU

By RYAN MIGEED EAGLE STAFF WRITER

The Army Corps found an arsenic level slightly above the recommended amount on a section of AU’s campus, according to Dan Noble, Army Corps of Engineers Spring Valley project manager.

An Army official knowledgeable in the matter said the higher-than-recommended arsenic level was found slightly northeast of the Mary Graydon Center. However, AU Chief of Staff David Taylor said the level was found close to Bender Arena in the Butler Garden.

“We will be contacting AU,” Noble said at a Feb. 14 Restoration Advisory Board meeting.

That 20.6 ppm level in Lot 44 is only slightly above the normal level of 20, so it is likely that AU administration officials will ask the Corps not to disturb the land and other big trees in the area, as they have before, Noble said.

“A reading of 20.6 is not ‘off the charts’ high,” Taylor said.

If necessary, AU will ask that the soil be returned to a normal level, Taylor said in an email.

The Army Corps will also install the last deep well for groundwater study on AU’s campus during spring break, Noble said at the RAB meeting. The well, used to monitor arsenic levels, will be near Kreeger Hall.

The Kreeger investigations should be completed by March, Taylor said.

Glenbrook property to be demolished The Department of the Army is reviewing the Army Corps’ plan for the demolition of the AU-owned property at 4825 Glenbrook Rd., according to Brenda Barber, an Army Corps of Engineers Spring Valley project manager.

The Corps is hoping to have all the signatures they need from Army officials, including Assistant Secretary of the Army Jo-Ellen Darcy, for the document to be approved by the end of this month, Barber said.

The Environmental Protection Agency, D.C. Department of the Environment and AU have all approved the plan according to Barber.

After tearing down the house and removing the debris, the Army Corps will dig about 12 to 14 feet, until they reach bedrock, the rock layer underneath the soil, Gaines said.

At the RAB meeting, Noble said the Corps is likely to find items similar to those found on the 4825 property in the past, which included glass jars and large barrels.

A report conducted by Lockheed Martin, a national aerospace and engineering contractor, and commissioned by the EPA designated “the back portion of the lot at 4825 Glenbrook” as the likeliest of three locations for the burial pit. The designation is based on a 1918 aerial photograph of the area taken by the Army.

“I don’t want to say that this is absolutely what we believe, that this is a definitive report,” Noble said at the RAB meeting. “The report offers up three potential locations for this pit and says that this is the best one.”

However, some believe the Army Corps is not digging in the right place.

Allen Hengst, a librarian at AU’s Pence Law Library, said the Sgt. Maurer Pit is not underneath the 4825 property, but behind it on the edge of the Kreeger roadway.

Continued on page 5

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Army Adjuncts vote to join SEIU Local 500 union to tear down AUowned house

By PAIGE JONES

EAGLE STAFF WRITER

Continued from page 4

Hengst has followed the Spring Valley project throughout its 19-year history and attended the Feb. 14 RAB meeting.

“The Army claims there were no maps of where these pits were buried,” Hengst said. “We believe there may be records of these burial spots.”

Hengst’s claim is based on another map provided in the report, on which a sketch of six overlapping circles designate the possible location of the pit.

The circles on this map put the pit at a location behind the 4825 property, on AU’s campus, Hengst said.

In response, the Army Corps’ position is that they are digging in the backyard of the property, in addition to digging underneath the building.

The Sgt. Maurier Pit is named for the Army sergeant who oversaw some of the burials of munitions.

RMIGEED@THEEAGLONLINE.COM

AU adjunct faculty voted to unionize with a vote of 379-284 on Feb. 16.

A total of 664 adjuncts cast their votes out of the 1,672 faculty members eligible to participate in the election, according to a University-wide memo Provost Scott Bass sent Feb. 16.

The University will not challenge the election and will move on to bargaining with the union according to Bass.

“We look forward to beginning the collective bargaining process and engaging in a constructive dialogue with the union regarding issues related to adjunct faculty employment,” he said in the memo.

There is no set date for when negotiations between the University and SEIU Local 500 will begin, according to Anne McLeer, the director of research and strategic planning at the Local 500 of SEIU. McLeer said the union will first

conduct a focus group and send a survey to adjuncts to decide which issues to highlight in the collective bargaining. Once the issues are decided, a team of adjuncts, McLeer and SEIU Local 500 Executive Director David Rodich will begin negotiations with AU. McLeer said she estimates the negotiations will take six months, similar to the negotiations between George Washington University and their adjuncts.

“It takes as long as it takes,” she said. “They’re building it from scratch, so it’ll take a while.”

University Communications and Marketing refused to comment on this story. Faculty Senate Chair Jim Gerard did not respond to requests for comment.

School of Communication adjunct professor Alison Schafer said she is more interested in the outcome of negotiations than unionization since the union will have little affect on her personal life.

“Adjuncts are in a weird situation,” she said. “We are definitely

Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity forms colony at AU Frat targets “the good guys,” “the boyfriend who’s totally faithful”

By JOE STE.MARIE EAGLE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

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Twelve AU students formed the founding class of AU’s colony of Lambda Chi Alpha in a Feb. 18 ceremony in Butler Boardroom.

The new members will begin to take charge of the colony, a provisional group, as it develops into a full chapter, in the coming weeks under the guidance of an advisory board of Lambda Chi Alpha alumni, according to Nick Ludwig, an educational leadership consultant for national Lambda Chi Alpha. The process takes about two years.

Alumni Advisor Derek

Abrams, a Lambda Chi Alpha alumnus from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, and a few interested undergraduates tried to bring Lambda Chi Alpha to campus in 2009.

The University didn’t open up a new spot for a fraternity on campus until last fall.

Last spring, 130 undergraduates received bids to fraternities, while 130 interested undergraduates did not, Curtis Burrill, coordinator of fraternity and sorority life for Student Activities said.

“We clearly have need for another organization,” he said.

Lambda Chi Alpha and six other fraternities ap-

treated like second class people.”

However, Schafer said she was surprised by the low voter turnout.

“It amazes me how many people voted,” she said. “It shows a lot of people thought stakes were low.”

Students show support for union Student Worker Alliance member and College of Arts and Sciences junior Ethan Miller said he was excited by the outcome of the Feb. 16 ballot count.

“The fact that the University is not challenging the election is probably because there was such a large majority in the votes and pressure from students,” Miller said.

Miller said he and others from the Student Worker Alliance showed their support of adjuncts unionizing by delivering letters to every dean and department head, passing out flyers, talking with students in the dorms and speaking in classes.

plied for the spot, Burrill said.

Student Activities chose Lambda Chi Alpha for its learning model, which emphasizes going out into the community and then reflecting. Student Activities also liked the fact that Lambda Chi Alpha offered to send full-time staff that work for the fraternity’s national office to develop the colony at AU, according to Burrill.

“Institutions with strong, active undergraduate communities are places where the fraternity can thrive,” said a statement from Lambda Chi Alpha’s national office. “The campus culture is a good fit with the values that Lambda Chi Alpha offers to young men.”

To recruit new members, Lambda Chi Alpha staff and Ludwig tabled throughout last week, in addition to running a variety of events, he said.

“We’re trying to reach the students that never thought they’d want to go Greek: the good guy who sits next to you in class, the boyfriend who’s to-

AU previously challenged the election for shuttle drivers to unionize in 2007, The Eagle previously reported. Operating engineers at AU attempted to form a union in 1996, but were dissuaded from doing so by the University, according to Miller.

“The University has a pretty bad track record, and I hope this is a change and a turn in the right direction,” he said.

Miller said he hopes to see adjuncts receive increases in salary, job security and benefits but not at the expense of students. “[AU saying they might raise tuition] is a distracting thing the University tries to do,” he said.

“There can be a way for [adjuncts’] pay to go up without tuition increasing too.”

SWA will hold an event to discuss the union and what happens next on Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. in the School of International Service Founders’ Room.

tally faithful,” Ludwig said.

“That’s who we’re looking for.”

Lambda Chi Alpha eliminated its pledge system in 1972. The fraternity allows new brothers to enter the organization with full voting rights and the ability to become an elected official in the chapter, Ludwig said.

In other fraternities, new members join as pledges and do not have the same chapter rights until they are initiated.

“Other organizations and fraternities aren’t doing what we’re doing,” Abrams said.

As founding members, the 12 new associate members will begin to charter the colony with Lambda Chi Alpha and become an official chapter, Ludwig said.

In order to gain chapter status, the colony must be financially solvent and maintain an average GPA above the average AU male’s GPA of 3.17, Ludwig said. The colony will continue accepting new members over the next week and will take part in the rush process next fall.

PJONES@THEAGLEONLINE.COM

“Later in life, I’ll look back and say, ‘I started that,’” Billy Erickson said, a new associate member and a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences.

The new associate members will begin seven weeks of education in the fraternity’s core values — loyalty, duty, respect, service, stewardship, honor, integrity and personal courage — led by the Alumni Advisory Board, Ludwig said.

“I’ll work with the colony to help give them direction,” Abrams said. “It comes down to whatever these guys put into it.”

Abrams, as well as three other members of the alumni advisory board, have served as educational leadership consultants for Lambda Chi Alpha.

The Lambda Chi Alpha chapter at the University of Maryland will act as the new colony’s ‘big brother chapter,” helping the new associate members to build into a chapter, according to Abrams.

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University College housing, offices move to Anderson

By PATRICK BURNETT EAGLE STAFF WRITER

All University College students and staff will live and work in Anderson Hall next year.

UC is a program that allows freshman to live and study with other students based on a common seminar course, according to

the UC website.

UC will move student housing from Letts, Clark and Roper Halls into the fourth, fi fth and sixth floors of Anderson Hall, said Ryan Anderson, the assistant director for learning communities and assessment for Housing and Dining.

UC students expressed

a desire to live closer to other UC students and get to know students from other UC seminars, UC Assistant Director Jamie Wyatt said.

“The feedback that we get from UC students is that they really like meeting and getting to know other UC students, so we anticipate that the new housing arrangement will facilitate that,” she said.

There are currently 16 UC seminar courses, bringing the total number of seminar courses to 18. The UC will add three courses next year: Religion and Globalization, Anthropology of Life in the

United States, and CrossCultural Communication, said Anderson and Wyatt.

Religion and Globalization will replace the UC section of Forms of the Sacred, Wyatt said in an email.

UC’s central office, which is currently in the Provost’s Office in Leonard Hall, will also move into Anderson this March, Wyatt said.

The new UC office will take over what was previously the South Complex Office, which housed the offices of South Side resident directors.

Two of the RDs moved into the remodeled former

SIS appoints new dean, revamps undergrad program

By CAROL CUMMINGS EAGLE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

EAGLE FILE PHOTO

SIS Professor Thaddeus Jackson will take over as the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Education July 1.

“When I was six or seven, my nickname was ‘Professor.’”

-SIS Professor Thaddeus Jackson

School of International Service Dean James Goldgeier appointed SIS Professor Patrick Thaddeus Jackson to be the SIS Associate Dean of Undergraduate Education. Jackson will begin this position on July 1.

Jackson has served in the Office of the Provost as Director of General Education and the University College since April 2007.

“I really wanted to be able to put somebody in that role who is a tenured member of the faculty,” Goldgeier said.

Jackson will join current SIS Associate Dean of Academic Affairs Maria Cowles as the school’s second academic dean.

“There’s only been one academic dean in SIS despite [the fact] that it’s doubled in size,” Cowles said.

Jackson’s appointment is part of multiple changes in the school.

Immediate changes to the SIS program are expected next fall, with more adjustments to be made to

the curriculum later, according to Cowles.

The faculty will release their decisions about the specific changes after a vote next month.

Cowles said the changes are aimed to promote a liberal arts focus on undergraduate degree.

“I spent a lot of time thinking about undergraduate education and I hope to bring that to SIS.” -SIS Professor Thaddeus Jackson

“In the past in SIS we didn’t have a separate focus on the undergraduate program,” Jackson said.

Faculty, students and alumni have been meeting over the past year to discuss a revamp of SIS, according to Cowles and Goldgeier. “[The goal is] making sure the curriculum is geared toward critical thinking and writing for the undergraduate students,” Cowles said.

The new undergraduate program will help define

ID Card Office and Ryan Anderson’s former office in Anderson. One RD will remain in the South Complex Office to work directly with the UC program, Anderson said.

“I feel that moving the University College office into the same building in which the students live will prove beneficial, both from a student service perspective and also from a professional collaboration perspective,” Anderson said in an email.

UC staffers are modeling the approach based on the success of the Honors Program’s consolidation into Hughes Hall, saying

that it has led to “more relationship-building and collaboration,” Anderson said.

However, Anderson notes that the decision to consolidate UC was not based on the Honors model.

“I think rather it would be more accurate to say that it has helped me, as someone who will be working with the UC office, have a frame of reference for how we have been successful in a similar situation in the past,” Anderson said.

what it means to receive a liberal arts education in international relations, Jackson said.

“I’m aiming for SIS to be the best undergraduate liberal arts education in international relations in the country,” he said.

Goldgeier said when Jackson starts his position this summer, faculty members and students will meet to discuss changes to the undergraduate program.

“It will really start to emerge as a conversation as we start to think about the different possibilities [for the undergraduate program],”he said.

Jackson helped launch non-residential, first-year learning communities in his current position as director of University College and director of the General Education program.

“When I started doing University College there were nine or 10 sections, and next year we’re going to have 18,” he said.

Jackson recently participated in a review to map out a set of changes to the General Education curriculum.

“I spent a lot of time thinking about undergraduate education, and I hope to bring that to SIS,” he said.

Jackson, who earned a doctorate in political science from Columbia University in 2001, said he

always knew he wanted to work in an academic setting.

“When I was six or seven, my nickname was ‘Professor,’” he said.

After finishing his undergraduate degree at Michigan University in 1994, Jackson said it made sense to continue his education instead of getting a job right away.

“Where I really felt the most at home was on campus,” he said.

Jackson will teach a 400-level class in SIS next summer called “Social Science Fiction” about the theme of world politics in science fiction films and books.

“Some issues involving relating to the Other are clearer in science fiction because it’s [dealing with] a whole different species,” he said.

Brina Malachowski is a freshman in SIS and the College of Arts and Sciences.

“He did a lot of great things for the University College program, so it makes sense that he’ll be able to do a lot for the undergraduates,” Malachowski said.

PBURNETT@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

NEWS@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

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Conduct office warns against marijuana abuse

By ALEX GRECO EAGLE STAFF WRITER

AU’s Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution Services warned oncampus residents of the University’s marijuana policy in a Feb. 16 email.

The email highlighted the disciplinary consequences of possessing or smoking marijuana and pointed out the academic and professional implications of marijuana violations.

AU has the following consequences for students caught with marijuana: • AU notifies parents of students under 21 years of age • Students are placed on Disciplinary Probation, which leads to additional consequences if the student repeats the offense • The violation is placed on a student’s record, which can be looked at by other universities or future employers Rosie McSweeney, the director of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution Services, said the email was sent out to remind students about AU’s policy. She said she felt students were not adequately informed about the consequences, such as parental notification.

“When I speak with students, I think some of them tell me that marijuana smoking on campus is pretty normal, and so I think my hope was just to get more information out so that students can make informed decisions,” McSweeney said.

The University is required by law to keep disciplinary records seven years after the final notification of disciplinary action. Any releases of disciplinary records are in accordance to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. School of Public Affairs freshman and Students for a Sensible Drug Policy member Sam McBee disagreed with the email.

He posted a letter on Facebook and submitted the letter to this reporter.

Students for a Sensible Drug Policy is a national organization committed to drug reform.

In the letter he criticized the University’s drug policy sanctions, saying it harmed students.

“When numerous students who perform well in class, participate in clubs and organizations, and truly strive to make a positive difference, are hindered not because they use cannabis, but because of the harsh punishments for using cannabis, then we have a serious problem,” he wrote.

AGRECO@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

WILLA HINE / THE EAGLE

Chris Matthews spoke in the School of International Service atrium on Feb. 15 about his new JFK biography, “Elusive Hero.”

“Hardball” host Chris Matthews praises JFK as military hero

By NICOLE GLASS EAGLE STAFF WRITER

MSNBC’s Chris Matthews painted a portrait for AU students of the man he calls his hero: President John F. Kennedy.

“I like heroes that don’t kill people,” Matthews said in a Feb. 15 speech at the School of International Service.

Matthews, the host of the MSNBC talk show “Hardball with Chris Matthews,” spoke about his new book “Elusive Hero,” a biography of Kennedy.

“I like heroes that save people,” he said, adding that he believes Kennedy was that kind of hero.

Kennedy was the type of man who believed the insolvable was solvable, from rescuing his crew during an attack on his Navy unit in World War II to leading the United States, Britain and the Soviet Union into the Cold War’s first peace

treaty, Matthews said.

“I want to talk about what a war hero looks like,” he said before describing Kennedy’s battle feats.

Young Kennedy swam four hours to shore while pulling a 42-year-old injured man along with him, after a Japanese destroyer cut his boat in half in 1943.

“I keep thinking when I hear that story: It’s like “The Godfather” when Michael lights the cigarette in front of the hospital and he looks at his hand and realizes it’s not shaking, and he realizes he’s the Don,” Matthews said. “Kennedy was like that.”

Matthews reminded students how the early 1960s were filled with fear of a third World War. He recalled hiding under his desk as a student, not knowing whether the alarm was a fire drill or warning of a nuclear attack. But Kennedy saved the nation, he said.

Kennedy said all man’s problems are manmade and solvable. Matthews credits him for bringing reassurance to Americans.

“You don’t hear politicians talk like that anymore,” he said. “The sense of possibility that if you do your job and lead properly and look for opportunities for success, not just blame-gaming, then you can actually get something done.”

Matthews predicts the government will still be divided after the next election and President Barack Obama will most likely win the presidential election, he said.

A politician’s objective should be serving the United States, not playing games or trying to unseat the president, he said.

“I don’t like how the first thing [U.S. Senate Minority Leader] Mitch McConnell [RKy.] says when a new president comes in is, ‘my number one goal is to get rid of this guy,’” Matthews said. “It should never be your number one goal. Your number one goal should be the republic.”

Matthews said there are a few Democrats and Republicans in the government today who, like Kennedy, gained respect through their service

to society for their heroism in war, including Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., for their actions in Vietnam.

“I think we’d probably lose something if we don’t have leaders that had that war experience,” Matthews said.

Matthews recalled the 1963 commencement speech Kennedy gave at AU, titled “A Strategy for Peace,” which led to the Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty.

The Treaty, which led to an agreement beneficial to the United States, Britain and the Soviet Union, was a stunning example of what international policy has the potential to do, Matthews said.

“I’d be very proud to go to the school where that occurred,” he said, recommending that every student read Kennedy’s speech.

After recalling some of the highlights of Kennedy’s biography, he urged students to buy his book and stayed after the event to sign every copy.

“If you don’t buy it, you’re crazy, and I won’t like you,” Matthews said.

NGLASS@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

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Student Health Center warns of norovirus in wake of GW outbreak SHC urges AU community to wash hands frequently to prevent spread of disease

By REBECCA ZISSER EAGLE STAFF WRITER

ZACH C. COHEN / THE EAGLE

Gay activist Dan Furmansky gave the keynote speech at the conference Feb. 19.

Gay Jews meet for AU conference Discuss intersection of sexual identity and religion on college campuses

By ZACH C. COHEN EAGLE STAFF WRITER

LGBT Jews from the across the country gathered at AU last weekend for a conference on navigating the challenges of being both Jewish and gay.

The National Union of LGBT Jewish Students organized the three-day conference “Advocating our Identity.”

NUJLS is a relatively new organization, and AU students wanted to bring the 15th annual conference to AU after going to a similar conference in Boston last year, AU Hillel Associate Director Mindy Hirsch said.

The conference was primarily sponsored by AU Hillel, AU’s GLBTA Resource Center, the Embassy of Israel, the Human Rights Campaign and national Jewish and LGBT advocacy organizations.

A number of dignitaries, including AU President Neil Kerwin, Hillel International Presi-

dent Wayne Firestone and gay rights advocates from across D.C. spoke at the conference.

“For a community that has known what it feels like to be marginalized by institutions, by community leadership, to see the leaders of these very important institutions here ...

I think it’s a really important message,” AU Hillel Director Jason Benkendorf said.

AU made a great home for the 87 attendees given its commitment to inclusion of minorities, including members of the Jewish and LGBT community.

“This brings together two communities of enormous importance of both the current activities of this University and to its history,” Kerwin said at the keynote brunch Feb. 19.

AU’s location in D.C. also allowed conference organizers to bring mostly local speakers that could speak about advocacy, Hirsch said.

Gay Jews are typically a minority when it comes to both their sexual identity and their religion, said Steven Philp, a conference attendee and graduate student at the University of Chicago.

“It’s strange being a minority community yet always being

the minority within that minority community,” Philp said.

One of the major goals of the conference was to provide queer Jews the opportunity to express themselves as both gay and Jewish.

Students from across the country came to D.C. for the conference. University of Southern California’s Jewish Alliance of GLBTs and Straights even gave four of their students a free trip to the conference, USC freshman Justin Elliot said.

Other students were only a Metro ride away, like Richard Dweck, a junior at George Washington University who is involved in both Hillel and the LGBT resource center at GW. “It’s nice to have people you have commonalities with,” Dweck said.

Philp recognized the value of an event like this, where students would be able to meet people with whom they could share an identity.

“There’s a part of me that was always really curious: What would it be like to be the majority?” Philp said. “That’s the interesting thing about walking into this room.”

ZCOHEN@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

The Student Health Center has advised students to take precautions in response to an outbreak of norovirus at George Washington University.

There were about 85 norovirus cases at GWU on Feb. 15, according to The Hatchet.

Director of AU’s Student Health Center Dan Bruey sent out a memorandum to the University community regarding the illness on Feb. 16.

Bruey could not be reached for comment on whether there were cases of norovirus at AU. Norovirus is a viral infection that causes 50 percent of food borne stomach viruses, according to the memo.

Symptoms of norovirus include nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

The virus is highly contagious and can be transmitted through food, water and by touch.

The virus incubates in 12 to 46 hours, and those who become ill can expect to be sick for two to three days, according to the memo.

In most cases resting and drinking fluids should be enough to get rid of the virus.

The memorandum provided students with tips on how to prevent the spread of the virus, including: • Wash hands frequently • Washing fruits and vegetables before eating • And washing anything that may have been contaminated with the virus as soon as possible.

The Henry the Hand Foundation, an nonprofit that aims to spread information on how to prevent illness, suggests students should wash their hands before eating; avoid coughing and sneezing into their hands; and keep their fingers away from their eyes, nose and mouth.

The Student Health Center sent out a similar warning to students in 2008 in response to an outbreak of norovirus at Georgetown University, The Eagle previously reported. This norovirus outbreak did not affect students at AU. NEWS@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

COURTESY OF WIKIPEDIA

George Washington University had 85 cases of norovirus as of Feb. 15.

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Students walk for eating disorder awareness

By EAN MARSHALL EAGLE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

A group of AU students were among the 320 participants in the National Eating Disorders Association Walk on the National Mall Feb. 19 to raise awareness for eating disorders.

Five teams of walkers, which also included students from the University of Maryland, Notre Dame of Maryland University and Bucknell University, trekked across the Mall despite the cold and cloudy weather.

Participants walked around the length of the Mall twice.

AU’s Wellness Center was one of the primary sponsors of the walk, according to an email by Alan Duffy, one of the primary organizers of the event and the AU’s eating disorders manager.

ABC 7 was the official media sponsor.

Duffy said the purpose of the walk was to raise awareness about the seriousness of eating disorders. About 24 million Americans suffer from eating disorders, he said.

Bridget Joyce, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences, volunteered at the event with other members of Alpha Phi Omega.

“It [is] a really good cause,” Joyce said.

Members of Delta Tau Delta also walked as well.

Bryan Sullivan, a junior in CAS, walked because he knew someone with an eating disorder.

“My sister has been recently diagnosed with minor anorexia, and I’m trying to veer her in the right direction,” he said.

Christyn Ser, a sophomore in the School of Communication, was Continued on Page 10

Grad enrollment drops after three-year increase

By JOHN ROUBIL EAGLE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Graduate enrollment at AU has dropped, according to a Jan. 23 memorandum from President Neil Kerwin.

There are 188 fewer graduate students in 2012 than in 2011, a calculated 5.5 percent drop, according to Director of Institutional Research and Assessment Karen Froslid-Jones.

Froslid-Jones said in an email that AU enrolled • 3,126 graduate students for spring 2009, • 3,421 in spring 2011 • And 3,233 for spring 2012.

She did not seem alarmed by the decrease in graduate enrollment.

“I wouldn’t call 188 students significant, especially since the schools and colleges budgeted and planned for fewer students,” she said. “You’ll notice if you look at the four-year trend that

there are variations in enrollment and that this year’s enrollment is pretty close to where we were two years ago.”

Jonathan Tubman, the vice president for graduate studies and research, said the University revamped the graduate program section of the AU website to attract more applicants. The new pages feature faculty and student testimonials portraying their experiences and the merits of AU’s programs.

Tubman said he hopes this effort will draw new applicants, though he said the drop may be more closely linked to flaws in the graduate programs’ structure.

“Other schools are ahead of AU at offering student-friendly courses,” Tubman said.

Some prospective students are deterred from AU’s graduate programs because of the lack of flexible evening and online courses, Tubman said.

“I think what we’re also see-

ing in urban areas, is that many people work full time and go to graduate school, and if you make it easy for people to go to school and work part time then they can work full time and go to school,” he said.

Kerwin’s Jan. 23 memo said part-time enrollment is “substantially above” target numbers, which may be attributed to the fact that more students are pursuing graduate degrees while working day jobs.

Other D.C. graduate schools, such as George Mason University and the University of Maryland, have transitioned to accommodate students by offering more classes online and after 5 p.m., Tubman said.

“AU is moving there,” he said.

School of Public Affairs graduate student Catherine Horn said she had a difficult time getting into courses that fit into her work schedule, such as “Public Policy Practicum,” a graduation requirement for all public policy master’s students.

One of the three sessions meets in the middle of the workday, while another convenes late

2 into the evening. Horn said the most popular session, Tuesday at 5:30 p.m., filled up almost instantly because evening time attracted many students.

“AU could be more accommodating in terms of class times and location,” she said.

Horn said AU’s location is also constricting for students that spend part of their week working downtown. She said universities like Johns Hopkins University and Maryland have strategically situated their graduate-level programs in rented-out city center facilities to accommodate their active students.

School of International Service graduate student Edward Whitney said he believes accommodating working students too much will lead to academic degradation, which he calls the “Community College Effect.”

“How accommodating can you expect people to be without running the risk of sacrificing the academic quality of the class atmosphere?” he said.

NEWS@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

Italian restaurant to open near AU campus

By KATIE FIEGENBAUM EAGLE STAFF WRITER

Italian restaurant La Forchetta will open at 3201 New Mexico Ave. NW in the next two weeks, according to Jorge Abud, AU’s assistant vice president for Facilities Development and Real Estate.

The restaurant will fill an AUowned space that has been vacant since Balducci’s, a specialty grocery store, closed in 2009, Abud said.

AU had difficulty procuring tenants for the space because there is not a lot of parking or pedestrian traffic at the location, Abud said.

“Our first choice was to replace the gourmet market with something similar, but we spent a year and half trying to find something to fit our model,” Abud said.

“Most national chains and retail locations want lots of traffic.”

La Forchetta was originally set to open last fall, according to an “AU in the Neighborhood” newsletter sent out by the University at the beginning of February. But it suffered setbacks when it acquired its liquor license. There is a strong concern in the surrounding community about students drinking at the new restaurant,

Abud said.

Lee Minichiello, a commissioner for ANC 3D who has been involved in the liquor license process, said the business still has not finished negotiating the license.

The topic will be discussed at the March 7 ANC meeting.

“I’m trying to make this a happy story and work something out,” Minichiello said. “Personal-

However, Minichiello said happy hours would be allowed.

The owner of La Forchetta and ANC had drafted regulations on alcohol for the restaurant, which were sent to Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration, and then sent back with changes to ANC 3D. The restaurant owner could not be reached before publication time.

“I’d like to see it go forward and make it a success story, but there is a possibility it will be delayed more.”

—ANC 3D Commissioner Lee Minichiello

ly, I’d like to see it go forward and make it a success story, but there is a possibility it will be delayed more.”

The owner participated in the licensing process without AU, but there will be controls in place that will limit drinking.

Abud said there will be no happy hours and patrons will not be able to order alcohol unless they order food as well.

If the commission wants to challenge the new agreement, they must send it back to the review board or negotiate directly with the owner, Minichiello said.

Minichiello hopes to deal with the owner regarding the agreement, which will take less time than going back to the ABRA. La Forchetta is under pressure to follow new alcohol rules because of the reputation left by one

of the spot’s former tenants, Quigley’s Restaurant, Abud said.

The student hot spot came into frequent conflict with neighbors over noise complaints and alleged underage drinking at the restaurant, The Eagle previously reported. The restaurant closed in February 1997 amid a slump in sales.

La Forchetta will serve pasta and Neopolitan pizza, according to the February “AU in the Neighborhood” newsletter. The new owner of the restaurant lives in the surrounding area, and holds 15 other eating establishments in the D.C. area, Abud said.

Abud said he believes La Forchetta will bring some variety into the neighborhood.

“There are a lot of pizza places … I don’t know if there will actually be customers, since Chef Geoff’s is nearby,” said Jeannette Berman, a sophomore in CAS. The restaurant’s owners originally wanted to name the place “Al Forno,” The Eagle previously reported. However, the name was changed to “La Forchetta” after another business had rights to that name, according to Minichiello.

NEWS@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

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Wellness D.C. Zoning delays Campus Plan decision again Center sponsors national walk

By LINDSEY ANDERSON EAGLE STAFF WRITER

Continued from Page 9

diagnosed with anorexia when she was younger.

“I’m coming full circle to help others,” she said.

Kaitlyn Wozniak, a CAS junior and one of the student organizers of the walk, said she was diagnosed with anorexia when she was in high school. She was still struggling to overcome the disorder when she came to AU, but was able to fully recover.

“What is so great about supporting this cause is

The D.C. Zoning Commission again delayed a decision on the AU Campus Plan, although the commissioners seem closer to reaching a verdict.

“The delay tightens the timeline, but if the plan is approved we will proceed with haste to get the initial housing built and hit the timeline,” AU Chief of Staff David Taylor said in an email.

AU aims to complete North Hall and the Nebraska Hall addition by fall 2013.

Commissioners discussed a variety of issues surrounding the ad-

AU Students for Liberty rally against business influence in government Group tables on Quad

“I’m coming full circle to help others.”

— Christyn Ener, sophomore, School of Communication

with national nonprofit to advocate against “crony capitalism”

By Z.P. MOORE EAGLE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

that I can help educate people and spread a message of hope,” she said. “Eating disorders have become an epidemic. They’re also preventable and recovery is possible.”

The walk raised over $32,000 for programs used to help raise awareness for eating disorders.

The walk kicks off National Body Image Awareness Week, which includes a Feb. 21 panel on eating disorders at Whole Foods in Tenleytown and a screening of “Someday Melissa” on March 18 in Baltimore.

NEWS@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

ditional information AU submitted to the commission since the Jan. 23 hearing. The Feb. 16 hearing was the shortest yet, lasting about two hours.

The commissioners discussed whether they should limit AU’s ability to rent out buildings like the Berkshire Apartments. “I didn’t hear testimony that the University’s management of that [Berks] was a problem,” Commissioner Peter May said. “If the University needs to do a master lease for apartments, I wouldn’t want to deny them the right to do that.”

The commission debated whether leased apartments like the Berks should count in the

AU Students for Liberty want businesses to stop interfering in government.

The club tabled outside Mary Graydon Center Feb. 14, passing out fliers and candy and explaining “crony capitalism” to those who would listen.

The tabling coincided with National Expose Cronyism Day, organized by the nonprofit Crony Capitalism is Phony Capitalism. “[Crony capitalism] is a form of socialism masquerading as capitalism wherein business success is based on cozy relationships between business executives and government officials,” said the fliers supplied by Crony Capitalism is Phony Capitalism.

Libertarian activists formed Crony Capitalism is Phony in the fall 2011 in the D.C. area. The nonprofit sent out supplies, including fliers, banners and candy to ap-

proximately 250 student groups across the country, including AU Students for Liberty, for National Expose Cronyism Day. The ties between business and government create favoritism that negatively affects the free market, according to Thadius Main, director of finances and secretary of AU Students for Liberty. “Crony capitalism” is not true capitalism because true capitalism would be free of government interference, said Main, a freshman in the Kogod School of Business.

“When you mix politics and the market, you poison both,” said John Pedersen, a freshman in the School of International Service and the School of Public Affairs.

Siobhan McGuirk, a doctoral student in the Colleges of Arts and Sciences studying anthropology, said she disagreed that shrinking government was the way to stop business interference in it. She said government should not be reduced since it provides help that people need.

“When the government was reduced in the UK under [Prime Minister] David Cameron, the first things to go were social programs,” she said.

NEWS@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

number of students the University houses “on campus.” AU aims to house 67 percent of undergraduates on campus by fall 2016.

Commissioner May said he did not see a reason to challenge the Department of Transportation’s decision that the Campus Plan would not pose traffic problems for the neighborhood. Neighbors have said the plan would worsen traffic. “I don’t feel like I’m the one to decide that any of the parties can know the issue better than traffic consultants,” May said.

Commission Chairman Anthony Hood said the University had not sufficiently worked with the neighbors, saying “For me, that’s a show-stopper.” Taylor said AU would work to strengthen the neighborhood liaison committee “to gather for information sharing, reporting out, updating and

attempting to work out ‘solutions’ before issues become ‘problems.’”

The commissioners discussed the proposed landscaping on East Campus and AU’s agreement to change some of the buildings’ exteriors from limestone to brick at the neighbors’ request.

Hood said he wanted AU to address the ongoing noise complaints from a neighbor who says the noise from the Reeves and Jacobs Fields is unbearable. “I want to make sure this issue is resolved because this is an issue that has been around since 2001,” Hood said. Taylor said AU would work on an appropriate remedy for the fields’ noise.

At the next hearing in March, the commissioners may reach a decision.

LANDERSON@THEEAGLEONLINE.COMW

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Photo of the Week

The AU Department of Performing Arts will present “Bare: A Pop Opera” from Feb. 23 to 25 and March 2 to 3. The musical follows students at a Catholic high school as they deal with the conflict between sexuality and religion.

PHOTO BY: JIBEK NURGAZIEVA / THE EAGLE

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0/

Eagle Rants

Go ahead, speak your mind.

We’ll probably print it.

The real reason I never de-friend people from my high school that I never talk to? I want them all to know when something amazing happens in my life and how happy I am.

nothing terribly exciting happened today I can’t stop smiling. There are so many possibilities. You, go seek them.

[Editor’s Note: Bask on honey, bask on]

I may have told you that I have a thing against Valentine’s day, and I’m pretty sure you don’t read these.

But I love you.

The Leonard Formal Lounge is rarely open for studying even during the designated hours!! There are people chillin on the couch in there right now mouthing to me it’s not open.

Not. Cool.

What coup d’etat!? Explain!

[Editor’s Note: I seized control of Eagle Rants from our beloved Editor in Chief] What the memes?

F

are

AU

You guys. chill out about the rants. unless they’re posted AFTER the day is over (i.e. 12:01am), you can’t complain. leave the editor alone.

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY, TIM MCBRIDE!!! <3 my friends don’t believe I rant almost every day... and they make the eagle rants almost every day. THIS ONE’S FOR YOU. Tonight at TDR i had to drink my water out of a bowl.

There were no cups. It was alright I’’m basking in a sea of happiness. Even though

wonk shirt bonfire. dusk. lets burn all of the wonk campaign.

About that time the SG President nominated his roommate to be Student Trustee. #nepotismwonk To the person in TDR who I awkwardly looked in the eye as we both took bites of our food: sorry. That was really awkward.

I shave my legs before every time we hang out JUST IN CASE we end up getting naked. I’d be down...

People who freak out when Eagle Rants aren’t up yet clearly need to get a hobby. (rants on rants on rants) It’s always such a bummer to get reject emails for internships. :( I’m gonna be like the only AU student ever

who has never had an internship…

What I wonk wonk wonk is what you wonk wonk wonk, naa naa #rihanna The SG and the Eagle must overcome their differences and unite to face their true foe: the ridiculouslyloud-hallway-speaker-abusing radio kids.

Dear SG and The Eagle: You could just ask us to, you know, turn it down.

Much love, the ridiculously-loud-hallway-speakerabusing radio kids.

Lost my panties last night going at it behind the church. So worth it.

That awkward moment when you’re wearing rainboots because you thought it was supposed to rain but it’s not and now you’re walking around in rainboots like an idiot.

I think I’m just going to start pretending that some of the nicer rants are about me just to boost my self-esteem.

[Editor’s Note: They are about you. All of them.]

Why am I nice to the douchebag?

THE TWITTERSPHERE SAYS @MOCHA_BEE

SARAH B.

Gonna check out the Vagina Monologues today at @americanu.

Shoutout to @AhmazingCVE for being the best vagina ever LOL.

@JKLIPTON

JONATHAN LIPTON

So the @AmericanU health center can carry Maxim magazine but I can’t get financial aid?! #wtf #collegeproblems

@ABDULALI_

ABDUL ALI

@AmericanU I’m very pleased that my school is a welcoming place for LGBT students. However, I wish that extended to other#diversities

@D7ALAZZAM

‫مازعلا نمحرلادبع‬

“@AmericanU u r so depressing on saturday”

@NALLELYMEJIA

NALLELY MEJIA

@AmericanU School on President’s Day?

@ANTHSGILMS

ANTHONY GILMARTIN

What I wouldn’t do for just ONE day without any awkward run-ins@ AmericanU.

ON THE RUNWAY

This week’s fashion pick features a student who went to NY Fashion Week 15 #$%&'()*+,%-.$(.)+/!*+/0!/

Scene

AUDIOPHILE

WVAU reviews new albums & the Scene previews upcoming concerts 17, 21

!"

Women’s Initiative puts on annual ‘Vagina Monologues’

BY REBECCA ZISSER EAGLE STAFF WRITER

the School of Communication.

“The play does a great [job by] way of artistically speaking about these issues, and people will be able to get more reallife insight.”

Audience members will also have the opportunity to give back by filming their own “It Gets Better” videos after each performance. They will all be compiled into a larger video that will be given to Dan Savage, the creator of the “It Gets Better Project,” when he speaks at AU later in the semester, according to Ingraham.

The cast and outreach committee also participated in a NOH8 photoshoot to submit to photographer Adam Bouska’s grassroots campaign supporting the right to same-sex marriage.

“I just want one person to stop and reflect about assumptions they have made about this community, and then we have done our job,” Menninger said.

“Bare” performances will be in the Katzen Studio Theatre. The cast’s rehearsal process is available aubare.tumblr.com.

Beyoncé blasted from the speakers, as a mostly female audience filed into the University Club Feb. 17, waiting for the second showing of “The Vagina Monologues” to begin.

AU’s Women’s Initiative put on the play, which ran Feb. 16 to 18.

Eve Ensler wrote the Vagina Monologues in 1996 and productions of “The Vagina Monologues” occur worldwide each year between Feb. 1 and April 30 as part of the V-Day movement, which aims to prevent violence against women.

The play consisted of 20 monologues dealing with vagina-related issues ranging from shaving to rape.

While much of the show dealt with serious issues such as female genital mutilation and sexual abuse, even scenes that weren’t specifically about such serious topics triggered the emotions of audience members.

In one of the final monologues, “Renaming Cunt,” sophomore Starr Brainard played the role of a woman from Pittsburgh trying to bring back the c-word. At the end of her monologue she had the entire audience chanting “cunt, cunt, cunt” with her.

During the Friday night performance, she stopped the chanting and introduced her mom who was sitting in the audience that night. She then asked her mom to stand up and yell “cunt” with her. When she did, the audience reacted with cheers and applause.

Mica Brenman’s performance as a sex worker for women was also memorable as she spent the majority of her monologue demonstrating different types of moaning. She even included the American University moan, which involved her complaining about having to study and fawning over Tim McBride in the midst of her moans.

The three performances raised money for the D.C. Rape Crisis Center, the VDay Foundation and Rachael’s Women’s Center.

THESCENE@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

RZISSER@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

JIBEK NURGAZIEVA / THE EAGLE

The play “Bare: A Pop Opera” deals with two boys who fall in love and struggle with their sexuality and strict religion.

AU Dept. of Performing Arts to ‘bare’ all for new play

BY NICOLE CUSICK EAGLE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

There’s nothing more titillating than spiking a modern day issue with equal parts humor and drama. That’s what “Bare: A Pop Opera” will attempt to do when the AU Dept. of Performing Arts stages the show on Feb. 23-25 and March 1-3.

The show deals with social issues such as religion and sexuality, all wrapped up in a tear-jerking piece of theater.

“Bare” came to the attention of Director Carl Menninger (who is also a professor and currently teaches “Fundamentals of Acting”) when a friend came to him and told him about a former student who had problems with a roommate who made homophobic comments.

“The student came to me one day and said ‘I wish I never came out; my life was so much easier before I did,’” Menninger said in an interview with The Eagle. “I thought to myself, ‘Wow, Carl, you are really naive to think that even at such a liberal university as AU, these students are not struggling with their sexuality and identity.’”

Set in a Catholic boarding school, the show centers on a

group of friends during their senior year.

Peter (Carter Lowe) is in love with his roommate Jason (Sam Edgerly), one of the most popular kids in school.

They are carrying on a closeted romance, but Peter wants to go public with their affair.

Jason isn’t so keen on the idea, as he feels that his entire world would crumble if word of the relationship got out.

Things get more complicated when Ivy (Alyssa Wilden) makes a play for Jason. Her rejected suitor Matt (David Landstrom) discovers the secret that Peter and Jason have been keeping, and it’s only a matter of time before things take a turn for the star-crossed lovers.

Menninger’s first step was putting together a Bare Outreach Committee, led by his assistant Matthew Ingraham, a sophomore theatre major at AU. Other committee members that helped to draw awareness to the issue include Matthew Rubbelke, Jen Grunfeld, Elise Arndt, Connor Coleman, Matty Grossman and Eddie Leavy.

The committee has been busy working with other LGBT friendly groups on campus and in D.C., including the LGBT Resource Center; Dig-

nity, a group of practicing gay and lesbian Catholics; Sexual Minority Youth Alliance League (SMYAL); and Parents Families & Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG).

The culmination of working with these groups will result in a series of talkbacks after some of the performances of the show.

The first session will be Feb. 25 after the 2 p.m. performance and will focus on “Spirituality, Sexuality and Religion.” Panelists will be Allen Rose, president of Washington chapter of Dignity USA; Dr. Joseph Palacios, Georgetown University professor; Rev. Beth Irikura, director of youth ministry at Unitarian Universalist Congregation; and Sybil Roberts, dramaturgy adviser and moderator.

The second session will be March 3 after the 2 p.m. performance and will focus on “Struggles of Gay Adolescents.” The panelists are Alison Gill of GLSEN; Andrew Barnett of SMYAL; Phil Hicks of PFLAG; and Matt Bruno, American University GLBTA Resource Center program coordinator and moderator.

“I really hope people get some more insight on LGBT issues through the talkbacks,” said Eddie Leavy, a senior in

LOOK OF THE WEEK Fashion Week MADELINE BEARD — FASHION It’s the most wonderful time of the year.

Yes, I am completely aware the holiday season is already two months behind us now, so before you think I’ve gone completely batty, let me clarify: It is the most wonderful time of the year for fashionistas.

The fashion week season is upon us, with top-notch designers debuting their fall/winter 2012 collections in some of the most stylish cities worldwide (D.C. included!).

Christyanna Nguyen, a student majoring in Public Communication in the School of Communication, spent this past week attending fashion shows at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York City.

“I went to see the Nanette Lepore show, and I figured while I was in the area, I’d help work the Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti show,” Nguyen said.

“Alberta Ferretti was one of my first internships in fashion, so I always make sure I keep in contact with the PR team — they’re a great group!”

During her trip, Nguyen had the opportunity to meet Olivia Palermo, a certified socialite and one of the biggest tastemakers in the fashion industry.

“It’s cool to see all the most stylish people in the fashion world all in one place. The production of these shows are just amazing, sometimes surreal,” Nguyen said. “There’s just something so comical about weeks and weeks of preparation for a show that lasts about 15 minutes.”

While she is only a sophomore, Nguyen has already stuck her wellheeled foot through the fashion industry’s door, landing a few coveted internships where she learned to apply her communication background to fashion.

“I’ve interned for a handful of Italian designers in the Press Department, working with fashion editors and celebrity stylists to pull looks for their clients or upcoming stories,” Nguyen said.

“The rest of my experiences include a lot of freelance … I work a lot of Lookbook photoshoots for online accessory retailers like ShopJeen.com, and I also intern for Refinery29 here in D.C.” With the desire to work in the fashion industry one day, Nguyen makes sure she stays up-to-date on the latest trends for the upcoming season. She looks forward to embracing pastel colors, white shift dresses and bold accessories for spring.

“I feel like a lot of trends are really repeating themselves,” Nguyen said.

“People are just becoming more crea-

tive on how to apply them.”

Nguyen marks Ashley Olsen and Nina Garcia as some of her biggest style inspirations, as well as one woman who hits closer to home: her Mama Nguyen.

“My mom has the best application to style,” Nguyen said. “She believes that you have to think randomly about what you love.”

Nguyen looks forward to her future in fashion and will continue exploring her opportunities in the industry.

“The goal is to put my passions to good use,” Nguyen said. “Right now I’m testing out the waters from print to Web editorial and celebrity PR for designer brands. I just want to learn as much as I can before taking on a fulltime job.” !"#$%&'()##$*+#,-+.-#/0,!

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Christyanna Nguyen headed up to Fashion Week in New York and met style maven, Olivia Palermo.

Photos: MADELINE BEARD / THE EAGLE

Want to hear more about Nguyen’s New York Fashion Week adventures? Read her review of the Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti and Nanette Lepore shows at www.erinjeen.com.

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02

D.C. CHILLIN’

PARADE TIME!

Let the Good Times Roll: Mardi Gras in D.C.

By CHELSEA CLAYS EAGLE COLUMNIST

CHELSEA CLAYS / THE EAGLE

By far one of my favorite holidays, Mardi Gras (“Fat Tuesday” in French for the Francophiles out there) is a day dedicated to letting loose and pigging out on all the best food before the austere season of Lent begins with Ash Wednesday.

First celebrated in Mobile, Ala., but popularized in New Orleans, this day consists of fried food, parade fanfare and tons and tons of beads.

The colors of Mardi Gras — purple, yellow and green — adorn places all around the South; schools shut down for the day; and lavish parades and galas allow everyone to have a rip-roaring good time.

D.C. Chillin’ brings you a guide to celebrating Mardi Gras D.C. style.

Head over to eateries like Bayou Bakery to get a traditional king cake.

After grabbing some delicious king cake, attend the Washington area’s largest Mardi Gras festival tonight for free at the Clarendon Courthouse, accessible via the Courthouse Metro stop.

More than 40 homemade floats wind down Wilson Boulevard to show off their community spirit and throw a great festival.

The parade begins at 8 p.m. but come early to get a prime spot along the parade route and to catch beads and Moonpies. Be sure to wear purple, yellow and green along with a great mask or costume. The better the mask, the more beads you get.

For more information, visit http://www. clarendon.org/

EAT UP CAJUN STYLE! Eating the most gluttonous foods possible (so much fried food) is one of the best parts of Mardi Gras. For authentic New Orleans style food, head to Bayou Bakery (accessible via the Courthouse Metro stop).

Louisiana native David Guas, renowned for his Cajun cuisine, opened this restaurant that is famous for amazing biscuits (get them with the red pepper jelly — not to be missed) and beignets, classic fried doughnuts covered in powdered sugar, which make you feel like you’re in the French Quarter of New Orleans.

But especially for the Mardi Gras festivities, this bakery makes a traditional king cake, a delectable treat resembling coffee cake covered in icing and purple, yellow and green sprinkles. Find the plastic baby Jesus, coin or bean inside and you’ll have good luck for the rest of the year (and you have to buy next year’s cake too!)

For more information, visit http://bayoubakeryva.com/where.html

GET YOUR GEAR! During Mardi Gras, costumed people throw beaded necklaces to spectators, and ball-goers adorn themselves with fanciful masks. Costumes are appreciated (like a springtime Halloween).

To get beads, masks and costumes, head to Total Party in Georgetown. This store has plenty of Mardi Gras themed beaded necklaces, masquerade masks and costumes to wear to your Mardi Gras festivities.

For more information on hours and location, visit www.totalparty.us/location.html

THESCENE@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

Dupont’s beauty lies beneath the surface

SEAN MEEHAN / THE EAGLE

The Arts Coalition for the Dupont Circle Underground is converting the old trolley tunnels into a chic cultural hub.

BY SEAN MEEHAN EAGLE STAFF WRITER

The abandoned trolley tunnels under Dupont Circle are generating a lot of buzz, despite being empty for roughly 40 years, and have the potential to become the newest hallmark of Washington.

The Arts Coalition for the Dupont Underground is working to convert the 75,000 square feet of tunnels into a multi-purpose arts and design cultural center.

The project is still in its beginning stages of designing and obtaining investors. Although Washington Post columnist Roger Lewis said in a May 2010 column that the city should supplement the revival of this space with public funds, the nonprofit Art’s Coalition for the Dupont Underground thinks it can get the necessary funds by entirely private means.

Most of the project’s buzz revolves around its lofty goal of creating a center for the D.C. arts community that will also rival the traditional historic or governmental landmarks as a tourist destination.

“D.C. has the potential to draw the design and arts crowd, not just the history crowd,” project founder Julian Hunt said.

The Arts Coalition behind the project hopes it will create a central location for D.C.’s growing arts and design communities that will also establish the District as a global destination among these communities.

“We want to create a project that will put the city on the map in the same way as the High Line in New York,” Hunt said. “This could have the same catalytic effect on the identity of D.C.” In addition to the High Line, an urban park built on a stretch of abandoned elevated train tracks in New York, the group cites as inspiration several other examples of recycled public spaces, including a converted submarine base in France, a converted mine in Germany and a performance space below London’s Waterloo Station.

Although the D.C. project is relatively new, Hunt’s focus on public space goes back to his work as an architect in Barcelona in the ’80s and ’90s.

“The experience of being in Barcelona showed me the importance of reviving public space,” he said.

“It became a center of architectural ingenuity.”

The integration of innovative public space design into Barcelona,

a city with a rich historical focus, inspired the group to do something similar in the district.

“Barcelona is a great example because it has managed to combine design ingenuity with a very traditional historic heritage,” Managing Director for Dupont Underground Braulio Agnese said.

Following Barcelona’s example, the group has focused on creating an innovative design that fits with the project’s artistic goals.

“We knew it had to be a highquality architecture design,” Agnese said. “It’s an unconventional space, so we didn’t want to use a conventional model. We need this to be innovative.”

The current, tentative design is a sleek, modern space with room for a winery, bookstore, restaurant, meeting space and large amounts of exhibit space.

“We’re trying to create a new attitude with more emphasis on good use of public space,” Hunt said. “We see it as part of a larger arts initiative. The arts community here is dynamic, but it lacks a center. This project could consolidate the energy of the arts community in this city.”

SMEEHAN@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

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PREVIEWS

02

‘Artist’ likely to win best picture Oscar

BY MAEVE MCDERMOTT / EAGLE STAFF WRITER

From political punk rockers to spoken-word virtuosos, here’s a sneak peak of some of the shows The Eagle will cover in the coming months.

BY HOAI-TRAN BUI EAGLE STAFF WRITER

MMCDERMOTT@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

ISLANDS

FEB. 22 @ BLACK CAT

ANTI-FLAG MARCH 7 @ ROCK AND ROLL HOTEL Wedged in this spring’s lineup at the Rock and Roll Hotel between DJ nights and bedroom-pop shows are progressively-minded punk rockers Anti-Flag, playing on H Street on March 7.

The Pittsburgh quartet has been making punk rock with a serious liberal slant since 1988 and have played in support of protests all over the world.

This time around, Anti-Flag is touring the East Coast in support of their ninth studio album, “The General Strike,” supported by the Flatliners and Have Nots.

Canadian indie pop veterans Islands have been plugging away at their art since early 2005, when they burst onto the scene with their debut album “Return to the Sea.” Interestingly enough, Islands’s debut album featured collaborations with members of Arcade Fire and Wolf Parade, two bands that rose to the top of the indiesphere. For Islands, unfortunately, widespread popularity hasn’t been in the cards, but that doesn’t mean their catchy brand of art pop is any less enjoyable.

After three more albums and some significant lineup shuffling, including vocalist Nick Thorburn’s Mister Heavenly side project, which included members of Man Man and Modest Mouse (and, for several live shows, Michael Cera on bass), Islands returns to the Black Cat on Tuesday in support of their fourth full-length album, “A Sleep & A Forgetting.”

PORTLANDIA

SAUL WILLIAMS

FEB. 21 @ 9:30 CLUB

FEB. 23 @ BLACK CAT

Two years ago, Fred Armisen was a comedian best known for his work on “SNL,” and Carrie Brownstein was a riot-grrrl veteran coming off her career as half of Sleater Kinney. Sure, Armisen and Brownstein may have run in the same circles of highbrow taste, but nobody expected the two artists to combine their “Stuff White People Like”brand tastes to form the comedic duo that is “Portlandia.”

Armisen and Brownstein bring their sketchcomedy characters from their hit IFC show to the 9:30 club Feb. 21 for two sold-out shows. Fans can look forward to a night of Armisen and Brownstein discussing Portlandia’s comedy, singing a few songs and reprising many of the quirky comedy’s beloved characters live.

Brownstein is booked for the rest of spring with Wild Flag, also coming to D.C. in a few months, so catch her with Armisen for a night of the Pacific Northwest’s finest in-jokes.

From film festival champion to musical bard who’s collaborated with legends including Nas, Trent Reznor and Allen Ginsburg, classifying Saul Williams’ art as “genre-spanning” is a gross understatement.

Williams, who cut his teeth in NYC’s slam poetry scene while studying acting at NYU, rose from the city’s open mics to the silver screen as a writer and actor in the 1998 feature film “Slam,” which went on to win both the Sundance Grand Jury Prize and the Camera d’Or at Cannes.

While his first feature film was sweeping the world’s most prominent festivals, Williams was beginning to make music, fusing hip-hop with spoken word and collaborating with prominent rap artists and legendary poets alike, including touring with contemporary artists like Nine Inch Nails and the Mars Volta. With a resumé this impressive, Williams’ set at the Black Cat on Thursday is one not to miss.

Awards ceremonies are usually the dullest events on Earth, but for some reason, we flock to the TV as soon as the Oscars are on.

On Feb. 26, the 84th Annual Academy Awards on ABC will judge the best and brightest films of 2011, and film buffs of the world can rejoice or rage Oscar choices.

Billy Crystal hosts the show this year, taking up the job after Eddie Murphy dropped out.

Thankfully, he’s reliably hilarious and hopefully won’t fall short of the lofty expectations previous hosts have suffered from.

The slots for best picture nominees have been reduced from 10 to nine films this year, perhaps in an effort to be more selective in a year which, frankly, had few standout films.

Of the best picture nominees, Martin Scorsese’s “Hugo” received the most nominations at 11. But most of the film’s nominations, aside from best picture and directing, fell in technical categories like costume design and sound mixing.

“The Artist” is close behind with 10 nominations, but it has its foot in some of the Big Five categories such as best actor and best supporting actress, as well as the goodwill from its sweep of all previous awards ceremonies.

As of now, “The Artist” is the most likely frontrunner for a best picture win, and it is well deserved. Despite the familiar plot, the novelty and joy of having a silent film in the Oscars for the first time since “Wings” in 1929 is a strong justification for the film to win.

The frontrunner for best actor is a bit less obvious, especially after George Clooney’s surprise (and unfair) win at the Golden Globes for “The Descendants.”

The strongest contenders look to be Jean Dujardin for “The Artist” and Gary Oldman for “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.” While Dujardin is earning a lot of love for “The Artist,” Oldman is long overdue for a win. It’s a sad fact that this is only his first nomination in his 30-year career. A win for Oldman would amend the fact that the Oscars have been snubbing him for years.

Best actress is also a bit of a close call, with dark horse Rooney Mara getting a slot over Tilda Swinton (“We Need to Talk About Kevin”) for her performance in “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.” Also in the running is the dauntingly talented Meryl Streep for playing Margaret Thatcher in “The Iron Lady” and Michelle Williams for her near-perfect performance as Marilyn Monroe in “My Week With Marilyn.” Despite Streep giving a transformative performance every year, Williams was simply divine as the iconic Monroe. It’s hard to pick a frontrunner.

Best supporting actor will most likely go to Christopher Plummer in “Beginners,” who gave a subtly moving performance that outshone all the other actors in the film.

Octavia Spencer is winning much acclaim for her performance in “The Help” and is the clear favorite for best supporting actress.

The last of the Big Five categories, best director, will most likely go to Michel Hazanavicius as a part of the flood of love for “The Artist.”

But “Hugo” is also a contender, as Scorsese’s nomination is the only other Big Five category in which the film scored.

As with best picture, it looks like the race will be between these two films.

HBUI@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

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02

SILVER SCREEN

ARRIETTY

COURTESY OF STUDIO GHIBLI

GRADE: A-

By HOAI-TRAN BUI EAGLE STAFF WRITER

THIS MEANS WAR

COURTESY OF 20TH CENTURY FOX

GRADE: C+

By Michelle Eider EAGLE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

“This Means War,” McG’s latest directorial effort, seeks to explore humorously the age-old question: Is it possible to be in love with two people at the same time?

But in reality, this spy comedy is little more than a shallow, jumbled mess of fast cars, pretty people and explosions.

Tom Hardy (“Inception”) and Chris Pine (“Star Trek”) co-star as Tuck and FDR, a pair of CIA agents with cool jobs and even cooler names.

Not only are they partners in the field, but these spies are also best friends. That is, until they both fall for Lauren Scott (Reese Witherspoon), a focus group administrator at the LAbased Smart Consumer, Inc. Unable to decide who has the rightful claim to Lauren, the agents consent to a “gentlemen’s agreement” in which they will both compete for her affections.

The rules of the agreement are as follows: 1) Tuck and FDR must stay out of each other’s way. 2) Lauren can never find out that they know each other.

3) Most importantly, they must not let the competition interfere with their friendship. What could go wrong?

To win over Lauren, FDR and Tuck use their CIA resources to spy on her and find out exactly what she looks for in a man. Using this knowledge, the two plan a series of spectacular, over-the-top dates, while sabotaging each other’s chances with Lauren at the same time.

Meanwhile, Lauren finds herself drawn to both Tuck, the sweet and reliable father of a 7-year-old, and FDR, the charming and exciting lady’s man.

For guidance, Lauren turns to her best friend, Trish, played by comedian Chelsea Handler.

As Trish, Handler plays what is virtually a married version of herself, drinking vodka out of sippy cups and dishing out crass

advice. Handler’s sadly underutilized character injects some much-needed sarcasm into a plot dripping with clichés and cheesy double entendres.

With all this excitement surrounding Tuck and FDR’s rivalry, it’s easy to forget that they actually have real CIA work to do.

In a thinly-developed subplot, the spies must ward off bad guy Heinrich (Til Schweiger, “Inglourious Basterds”), who has come to seek revenge against Tuck and FDR after they killed his brother during an operation. The villain’s role in the movie is confusing at best and likely an excuse to throw in a few car chases and explosions.

As the competition between the spies intensifies, Tuck and FDR’s hijinks provide for a few laughs, but it’s not enough to redeem the rest of the film.

The talents of an attractive, capable cast are wasted on a lazy plot audiences will forget almost immediately after the final scene.

THESCENE@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

Outside of Disney and Pixar, there aren’t many choices for animation fans in the U.S. But head over to Japan, and you’ll find Studio Ghibli, an animation goliath that has been producing quality films since the 1980s. If you’re skeptical about the quality of an anime movie, you can be assured that it’s not just anime, it’s art.

Ghibli’s newest release, “The Secret World of Arrietty,” is based on the 1952 novel “The Borrowers” by Mary Norton and is the directorial debut of Hiromasa Yonebayashi. Ghibli injects the charming-yetdated plot with some modern sensibilities and feminist undertones. (Many of the Ghibli films often feature a strong female protagonist.)

“The Secret World of Arrietty” tells the story of Arrietty and her family, a group of small people who are only about 10 centimeters tall. They dub themselves “Borrowers,” because they borrow small items to survive, like tissues or sugar cubes, things humans wouldn’t miss.

Arrietty (Bridget Mendler) is a strong-willed and free-spirited girl who longs to join her father, Pod (Will Arnett), in his quests into the real world, against the wishes of her

anxious mother, Homily (Amy Poehler). One day, as she ventures out to try to borrow something on her own, she is spotted by a new human boy moving into the house, Shawn (David Henrie).

The film deals expertly with themes of free will and fate, as well as the loss of childhood innocence.

The plot focuses much on the plight of Shawn, a sickly and lonely boy sent by his neglectful parents to live in the country to better his health. While there, he tries to befriend to Arrietty.

Shawn’s sickly condition leads him to become extremely depressed and accepting of his oncoming death, but Arrietty, who is naturally a fighter and survivor, tries to convince him otherwise. There are some incredibly poignant moments dealing with Shawn’s condition and with Shawn’s family, though his relatives go mostly unseen.

The characters in the film are incredibly multilayered and well drawn, with the exception of Hara (Carol Burnett), the antagonistic housekeeper who has a vendetta against the Borrowers.

Arrietty seems to start off as the typical stereotype of the free-spirited heroine but develops as she is exposed to the world- to the good and the bad.

Amy Poehler is hilariously energetic as Hom-

ily, giving a panicked and dedicated performance.

And Will Arnett’s low growl of a voice is perfectly suited to the stoic and cool Pod. The beauty of this film lies in the animation, of course. The settings are incredibly detailed and vibrant, enhancing the film because of the minuscule size of the protagonists.

The animation is as breathtaking as many Ghibli movies, although it seems that less attention was spent on the designs of the characters than on the settings and landscapes.

Still, the close-ups of the characters brought out much of the subtle emotion and successfully expressed their thoughts to the audience.

“The Secret World of Arrietty” puts much stake in the beauty of silence.

There are many pensive and quiet moments that allow the viewer to concentrate on the animation and just take a respite from the fast-paced animation.

“Arrietty” is a return to form for Ghibli after rather weak releases like “Tales from Earthsea” and “Ponyo.” The film offers poignancy and subtlety to the story to an extent that is not often seen in American animated films.

It places great value in the importance of the appreciation of life.

HBUI@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

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02

CENTER STAGE

COURTESY OF JOHN SHRYOCK

Genesis Reboot

By ZACH C. COHEN EAGLE STAFF WRITER

The Tree of Life is made of metal pipes. The apple is a lightbulb. And Abel kills Cain.

Welcome to the New Old Testament.

The Synetic Theatre opens its New Movements project with “Genesis Reboot,” the story of a demon (delightfully played

by Joseph Carlson) and an angel (Mary Werntz) as they battle to recreate the creation story in a postapocalyptic world.

But don’t worry: there’s still an Adam (Austin Johnson) and Eve (Brynn Tuckier), a Cain (Matthew Ward) and Abel (Jefferson Farber), an apple, a snake and even a mechanized Tree of Life, which dominates most of the stage.

The show draws from, and remains true to, its source material: the Bible.

Eve very conspicuously bursts from Adam’s rib; the demon is clearly an allusion to Lucifer, the fallen angel; and the core of the relationships between Adam and Eve and between Cain and Abel are exactly as they appeared in the original text. Adam and Eve are as innocent as can be before they eat the apple, and Cain can’t stand his brother Abel.

But the play is called a “reboot” for a reason.

Director Ben Cunis, a veteran Synetic company

WHERE: SYNETIC THEATRE WHEN: FEB. 9- MAR. 3 TICKETS: $45 - $55

member, with his brother Peter take the creation story to the next level, delving into deep philosophical questions about the eternal debate upon the question of perfection.

Seeing the damage done by human knowledge, who wouldn’t have second thoughts about that apple?

Scenes between Cain and Abel turned out to be the show’s fall from grace and concurrently its salvation. The Cunis brothers created an absurdist relationship between the first brothers of lore that would make Samuel Beckett proud. Farber and Ward do marvelously in creating real theater that provokes and engages the audience.

But its place in the greater structure of the piece is tenuous at best.

Most of its themes of love, jealousy, faith and reconciliation barely correlate to the main action of the show that focuses so heavily on a macrocosmic question: whether humanity should be perfect or human.

That’s the benefit of new plays: They can be reworked and reformed.

Synetic has a work of art and a potential classic on their hands, but it would behoove them to take advantage of the play’s infancy to tweak the few holes in the plot.

Synetic’s true talents shine, as always, in their choreography and physi-

cal theater.

The ensemble cast of six actors took on a number of forms each throughout the performance. Actors would be the animals through the first six days of creation and then become a whirlwind, sweeping up other actors to the point it appeared they were flying.

Choreographer Irina Tsikurishvili’s genius and Colin Jones’ wonderfully simple costumes, which appeared to be made of only rags and dust, aid in the image of this ensemble cast that sweeps the audience off its feet with their sheer acting prowess.

It is in this corporeal manipulation that Synetic thrives, and Synetic’s traditional, silent storytelling is supplemented by complex themes that do need some text. After all, only so much can be said in the movement of silent theater Synetic has honed.

One can only hope that Synetic does not lose their focus on the physical in the pursuit of performing more and more text-based material.

The company has found a real niche in D.C. and would be loath to let it drift away.

ZCOHEN@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

COURTESY OF CAROL PRATT-FOLGER THEATRE

The Gaming Table

By CASEY BRAND EAGLE STAFF WRITER

The romantic comedy is getting a makeover.

In Folger Theatre’s production of “The Gaming Table,” laughs are plentiful as men and women woo each other amid the backdrop of an 18th-century gambling house. The play, penned by Susanna Centlivre and published in the early 1700s, focuses on a group of men and women who are plagued by misunderstandings in their romantic pursuits.

“The Gaming Table” presents a cast of colorful characters that engage the audience. Each character has a unique set of interests and motivations, making the interactions between the characters especially entertaining.

The variation among the principle female characters distinguishes the play from others published during the same time period. The play at once allows women to be flirtatious, independent, scientific and cunning.

Despite the romance that drives the play, each woman maintains her own ideals and interests. A sig-

nificant amount of the play the theater ensures that is spent detailing the pur- the audience is engaged. suits of the women who Throughout the play, acface resistance from their tors traverse the single families and society due to aisle that divides the sets their independent natures. of seats, using it as an ex“The Gaming Table” tension of the stage. also depicts, with a touch Audience members can more seriousness, the ri- witness the sweat and spit gidity of class structures of the actors at close range, in the 18th century. When adding a new dimension to a character gambles more the experience. than she possesses, she The characters also nearly ruins her husband, exchange conspiratorial but is saved by a wealthy looks with the audience gentleman. Her attempts members at times. The to rise above her station subtleties of the perforare met with absolute fail- mance set it apart from ure. others. The play allows A notable element of even minor characters to the play is the physicality shine. of the actors. At times, the A play that relates not acting verges on unadul- only the trials of romantic terated slapstick, threaten- relationships but also striking to descend into a mad ing class differences, “The blend of exaggerated facial Gaming Table” is immeexpressions and physical diately relatable to modgags. However, the play ern times. Although not a remains grounded by the cheap ticket, it will charm quick, clever dialogue and college students especially the intriguing, if rather with its lighthearted take predictable, storyline. on love and relationships The play’s plot unfolds in the 18th century.

THESCENE@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM quickly and with a sense of joviality. Frequent asides to the audience add to the pleasantry WHERE: FOLGER THEATRE and increase the WHEN: JAN. 24 - MAR. 4 sense of audience TICKETS: $30-$65 participation.

The layout of

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/1

Die Antwoord puts on short, sweet rap show at 9:30 club bass that was pumping out of associated band member DJ Hi-Tek’s laptop.

WRITER People in the balcony were Trying to describe dancing and jumping just seeing South African rapas much as the people on ravers Die Antwoord in the floor. concert is like trying to deWhen the band played scribe color to a blind perwell-known songs like son: It’s near impossible.

“Beat Boy” and “Enter To call the group’s perthe Ninja”, the screaming formance a concert is to drowned out the music. undersell it. It was more Even cuts off their new alof a bizarre journey bum “Ten$ion” had through an alternate almost everyone universe, in which singing along. tiny girls in babyNinja took a literblue booty shorts al leap of faith into rap about drawing the moshing crowd Their overall popularity pentagrams with several times over lipstick and comthe hour-long set, aside, local D.C. fans muning with sexy completed by the ghosts. look of terror on his couldn’t get enough of the With Die Antface when certain woord, you have crowd members got South African group. to understand that a little too far into they’re in on the his famous Pink joke. The band is a Floyd boxers. construct, a combiThe thrashing nation of each memconcert-goers could ber’s “Zef” side, not have been less mixed with what the concerned with group’s two members Nin- ulously short one-hour set, things like safety. The “Zeja and Yolandi Visser deem leaving the crowd begging flings,” Die Antwoord’s their “next-level beats.” for more. hardcore fans, struggled For those not in the The night ended on all night to climb the metal know, “Zef” is a term used a lower note, with many barricades that prevented to describe low-class South complaining that they felt them from reaching the Africans who are consid- shortchanged, especially band. ered common, trashy or because the opening act Over the course of the culturally clueless. Die played for longer than the night, the number club Antwoord has taken this featured performers. After security guards posted word as their own, adopt- waiting three hours to see in front of the stage ining it as their personal phi- them, many people were creased from two to six. losophy. justifiably angry.

This seemed to be a source The man behind Ninja The opener, DJ Nacey, of pride for the band. is Watkins Tudor-Jones, played for an hour and a Overall, there was no founder and frontman of half, which felt like an eter- way the crowd could stay Die Antwoord. His alter- nity when Die Antwoord mad at Die Antwoord for nate persona is crude, was right around the cor- long. rude and hypersexual — ner.

“Next-level” is just about totally evident in his rap However, Nacey proved the highest Zef praise you lyrics. to be a talented, inventive can get, and these guys abTopics vary from DJ that justifiably earned solutely earned the title. bloody boobs to “Eye of his own full performance.

No one, when faced the Tiger” and just about The Baltimore native has with the opportunity to everything in between. recently garnered some enter this insane alternate Yolandi Visser, or Yo-Landi Internet buzz for his re- world that Die Antwoord Vi$$er, is the sole female mixes of M.I.A.’s “Bad creates, should ever pass in the group, but she’s Girls” and “Steppin’ Up.” it up. just as dangerous; what Watch out for him in the she lacks in her pint-sized near future.

THESCENE@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM height she makes up for Once Die Antwoord in energy and inexplicable took the stage, a seismic sex appeal. shift took over the crowd.

The raw of Die Ant- The very foundation of the woord lies in the abso- 9:30 club shook with the

BY DANA GOOLEY

EAGLE CONTRIBUTING

lutely defiant attitude of the band. Maybe Yo-Landi wants to wear contacts that make her look like an alien — so what? They’re Die Antwoord and they’re international superstars, at least in their own mind.

Their overall popularity aside, local D.C. fans couldn’t get enough of the South African group.

The band played a ridic-

AUDIOPHILE Looking for new music? DJs at WVAU share their thoughts on a range of recent releases.

HOSPITALITY HOSPITALITY It’s 2012, and girly indie pop is — let’s face it — a bit overdone. You probably haven’t listened to your Thao & The Get Down Stay Down record in a while, and you’re starting to wonder what ever happened to Victoria Bergsman. Well fear not, Blue Roses fans!

On their full length debut, Hospitality demonstrates that, while the genre may be teetering on the verge of exhaustion, there is still room for a band with an im-

SLEIGH BELLS REIGN OF TERROR A dark stage. A wild crowd. Enter the noise pop queen muse, Alexis Krauss and her trusty guitar-shredding bard, Derek Miller. While listening to this album you may daydream about scenarios abundant with blowtorches, cotton candy and street luge.

Just as provocative and noisy as ever, Sleigh Bells’ new album is a rip-roaring ride on the back of a rabid unicorn to a hellish place with lovely decorations. The hooks are fresh and flashy, the fuzz is deafening and the hits and thuds can be felt in the very deepest regions of your guts.

It may seem as though “Reign Of Terror” is just “Treats” round two, but there’s a distinct difference between them. The album features a new complexity amid all of the claps, chimes and balls-to-the-wall riffs and licks, and a new layer of fragility

TENNIS

YOUNG AND OLD On last year’s “Cape Dory,” Tennis created an album that sounded as sunny and breezy as an album about an extended sailing trip should. While a retread of that material would have been bland, Tennis are smart enough to not make a complete overhaul in their sound, but do enough to expand and liven the material on this follow-up. Having Black Keys drummer

pressive control of melody that isn’t afraid to get a little weird. Singer Amber Pampini’s keen pop sensibility guides “Hospitality” from irresistibly catchy uptempo strum sessions to lush twee ballads, complete with dueling male-female vocals.

Hooks aside, the hidden strength of “Hospitality” lies in its precise production, which lets the horns, violins and keys act as creative flourishes rather than overcomplicating hindrances. If you still care about the young folks, pick this album up.

RIYL: Camera Obscura, Laura Marling, The Golden Dogs

By MAXWELL TANI, “BAROQUEBACK MOUNTAIN,” FRIDAYS MIDNIGHT-2 A.M.

exists in the lovably destructive songwriting that wasn’t there before. Songs such as “You Lost Me,” “End Of The Line” and “D.O.A.” have deeper cuts and more intimate lyrics and melodies.

In comparison to Sleigh Bells’ first album, the overall musical atmosphere on “Reign Of Terror” seems to be much more sensual, wistful and abysmal. That isn’t to say that listening to this album won’t make you feel as though a frigid bucket of water has been dropped on your sleeping head (in a good way), but purely suggests that some tenderness can now be found among Sleigh Bells’ brutally combustible nature.

Turn up the volume and get ready to be immediately inclined to run through the glassware section of your local department store with a baseball bat, jubilantly smashing everything in sight.

RIYL: Phantogram, St. Vincent (maybe?), Cults

By BRENDAN PRINCIPATO, “THIS RADIO SHOW WILL RUIN/SAVE YOUR LIFE,” MONDAYS MIDNIGHT-2 A.M.

Patrick Carney helming the production certainly helps in this regard, as he beefs up the percussion (surprise) while adding touches of keyboards and distortion.

Even with this broadening of sound, the beach-y vibes are still welcome and fresh, especially on the aptly named opener “It All Feels The Same.” For a band that could’ve been remembered solely as a sailing gimmick, Tennis prove they have a few more ideas than expected.

RIYL: Best Coast, Cults

By CAMERON MEINDL, “RHYME AND REASON,” SUNDAYS NOON-2 P.M.

Check out more reviews from The Scene online by scanning the QR code to the right with your smartphone.

!"#!"#$!%SCENE%&'!()"*+%,!-.'".*%/0+%/10/

AUDIOPHILE

!"#$%&'()(#$*+,(#$-.+)/$01"##2"13$4566)($ Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis

Looking for new music? DJs at WVAU share their thoughts on a range of recent releases.

GRIMES VISIONS To describe your music as something like “post-internet” is both kind of stupid and absurdly pretentious. However, when you deliver a quality album to back it up, it’s something I can learn to forgive.

Grimes, Canadian electronic artist Clair Boucher, delivers an entire LP full of creepy and sensual grooves that, in to-

MEMORYHOUSE

THE SLIDESHOW EFFECT Awash in nostalgia, the dreampop of Memoryhouse’s first full-length album, “The Slideshow Effect,” may not be the deepest music you’ll listen to anytime soon, but it’s an enjoyable ride nonetheless. The vocals of singer Denise Nouvion are like honey, pleasing from beginning to end.

The tracks are typically washes of en-

/0

day’s electronically saturated age, feel far more original than they have any right to be. Clair’s voice seems to hang eerily over every track, with the words themselves being equally indiscernible and inconsequential.

It’s electro-pop made in the bowels of some terribly hip beast, and I can’t get enough of it.

RIYL: SBTRKT, Little Dragon, Zola Jesus, Austra

By RICHARD MURPHY, “LIONHEART JAMES,” THURSDAYS 2-4 A.M.

tirely reverbed-out guitar with a few riffs behind them, a formula from which the album rarely deviates. It’s cheery and somber in differing amounts, switching from both emotions almost effortlessly, even at times within the same song. Memoryhouse’s take on the genre may not be entirely original or unheard of, but it’s nice while it lasts.

RIYL: She & Him, Real Estate, Beach Fossils

By RICHARD MURPHY, “LIONHEART JAMES,” THURSDAYS 2-4 A.M.

%07899 1 '50s-'60s Bronx Bombers nickname, with "The" 5 South Seas tuber 9 Oceans 14 Like the team before @, on schedules 15 Not much 16 Hotel courts 17 Best Original Song Oscar winner from ...

Disney's "Pocahontas" 20 Little one 21 __-tzu 22 On the calmer side 23 ... Disney's "Aladdin" 28 Headache 29 WSJ headline 30 __ rock: music genre 31 Faux pas 33 Bars with hidden prices?

35 Evensong?

39 ... Disney's "Song of the South" 43 Wed. vis-à-vis Thu. 44 Reed of The Velvet Underground 45 Expel, as lava 47 Western treaty gp.

50 Periods prec. soccer shootouts 52 Before, poetically 53 ... Disney's "Mary Poppins" 58 French city mostly destroyed in 1944 59 Golf's Woosnam 60 Tyler of "Jersey Girl" 61 ... Disney's "Monsters, Inc." 67 Athena's shield 68 "__ chic!"

69 File's partner 70 Actor Milo 71 Holiday tubers 72 __-Ball -8:; 1 Brolly user's garment 2 __ Jima 3 '20s White House nickname

@/$A.1(<B$@.+&

4 1997 ecological protocol city 5 Gustatory sensor 6 Blood typing abbr.

7 Sight site 8 Bilingual Canadian city 9 John who explored the Canadian Arctic 10 Openly hostile 11 Showy extra 12 Like tridents 13 Marquis de __ 18 Three-sixty in a canoe 19 Coyote call 23 Grain beard 24 Suffering from vertigo 25 Legendary skater Sonja 26 "Ixnay!"

27 Sgt. Snorkel's dog 32 Covert __: spy stuff 34 Disney frame 36 Some mag spreads 37 Flat hand, in a game 38 __ Khan: "The Jungle Book" tiger 40 Elemental bit

!.#<$:((=>#$4566)($9")?(3

CDEFGHF$*1+I5&($J(3+.$9(1?+D(#K$L&DM

41 Judgment Day 42 Blow away in competition 46 Pint-size 48 Low-pH substance 49 Crudely built home 51 Switchblade 53 Tables-on-thestreet restaurants 54 "__-Ho": Dwarfs' song

55 Non-mainstream film 56 Prefix with mural 57 Civil rights activist Medgar 58 "Farewell, cara mia" 62 Metaphor words 63 Skirt line 64 Asian plow puller 65 Vague pronoun 66 Hawaiian strings

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

STAFF EDITORIAL

Opinion

!!

FIGHTING CRIME WITH INFORMATION More than 40 laptops have been stolen on campus this academic year.

This is certainly a disturbing trend. However, The Eagle is equally concerned with Public Safety’s response, which betrays the department’s passive approach to alerting students to trends in on-campus crime.

The logic should be clear: If students are alerted to on-campus crime through as many avenues of communication as possible, more students will take precautions. And with more precautions comes less crime.

We wish we could say that our report on these thefts was generated by the administration, and that Public Safety officials who saw a clear crime trend felt compelled to alert the student body through all avenues of communication available.

After all, when pulling access to the police blotter, Public Safety said it would inform students and The Eagle of all campus threats, disturbances and crime trends.

But this story came from the very students whose laptops were stolen.

It was only after The Eagle requested more information that Public Safety acknowledged the trend of thefts.

Even then, the department refused to provide any more detailed information on the crimes, even basic facts such as when and where they occurred.

Nevertheless, Public Safety described these requests for facts on the ongoing investigation to be “not pertinent.”

Those needing new laptops may disagree with that characterization.

Admittedly, Public Safety has issued three crime

alerts about laptop thefts — two in November and one in January — to the AU community, which get posted in public places like dorms.

Some may argue that this should be enough warning for the student body.

Is Public Safety really obligated to do more?

Legally, perhaps not.

But as students, AU is our home. We have a right to

DOUGLAS BELL | WRITER OF OUR DISCONTENTS

Bell laments the state of financial aid Many AU students, myself included, have long been worried about the rising cost of attending American University.

Which is why I was quite disturbed when I read an article in The Eagle last fall indicating that the Class of 2010 graduated with the highest average student debt of all D.C. colleges.

crime log does not adhere to the standard of excellence to which AU should be held. More can - and should - be done.

It is perplexing that Public Safety refuses to take advantage of The Eagle and other campus news

outlets to increase campus awareness of crime. We’ve written here before that the police blotter previously offered AU students this information in a readily accessible manner, and we continue to lobby for its reinstatement.

Blotter aside, simply proactively providing campus new sources with all relevant information concerning disturbances could provide students with more opportunities to protect themselves. Yet Public Safety has refused to do even this.

There is a puzzling arrogance in Public Safety’s insistence to control the campus’s access to information.

The department assumes that its position of authority entitles it to determine what students need to know. And it appears Public Safety didn’t consider that on-campus

residents might want to be alerted of nearby thefts in their dorms or on their floors through all means of communication.

40 laptop thefts later, we can all acknowledge one thing: This “we know best” attitude is unfounded, and students are suffering for it.

Public Safety can easily fix this lack of transparency by opening up access to information concerning on-campus crime. The current reliance on the crime log and poster alerts leaves much to be desired.

We urge Public Safety to be more proactive and to strive to inform the AU community of crime beyond the legally required minimum. ≠ $

ter exploits the biggest cop-out maneuver in the financial aid playbook: writing off students who did not demonstrate financial need.

The reality is that “demonstrated need” is a formulaic calculation generated by FAFSA that rarely reflects realistic need.

Demonstrated need does not reflect the cost of living in a student’s hometown or the volatility of the occupation(s) of a student’s parents.

My financial aid from AU includes $7,500 each year in federal student loans. My family then has to take out an additional $19,000 each year in federal PLUS loans just to meet their “expected family contribution.” That adds up to $30,000 for me and $76,000 for my family in debt accrued over my undergrad-

uate tenure at AU. I am fortunate to have received a substantial merit scholarship that covers the rest of my demonstrated need — a luxury that many AU students do not enjoy.

Nevertheless, I still feel every day as though my ability and my family’s ability to afford an AU education are hanging by a thread. And I am certain that there are other students in far more dire straits than I am.

It is insulting for administrators to dismiss students who borrow additional loans as not counting towards the student debt problem just because their demonstrated need was met. Clearly, if their actual need had been met, they wouldn’t need to take out any loans at all.

Whether it’s to a private

agency or the federal government, student debt is student debt. And whether the average is $20,000 or $35,000, these debt levels are an unconscionable burden on our futures.

There’s an old Scottish quote about those who “use statistics as a drunken man uses lampposts — for support rather than for illumination.”

We need AU’s administrators to stop making excuses about this problem just so they can make their department look better in the limelight. We need them to acknowledge that there is a problem. Then, we can work together with them to try and find ways to solve it.

Public Safety’s “we know best” attitude to access is unfounded, and students are suffering for it.

Student debt concerns met with excuses, not solutions But I was particularly incensed when, three weeks later, a letter to the editor written by Financial Aid Director Brian Lee Sang and Vice Provost Sharon Alston was published, claiming to set the record straight on this issue.

In their letter, Lee Sang and Alston broke down the percentages of how many students received some form of financial aid, how many students took out loans, etc. They sought to reassure us that fewer than 65 percent of students (the national average) took out loans, and that of those who borrowed federal loans, the average indebt-

feel as safe and aware of crime here as we do when we sleep in our parents’ homes.

A warning consisting of a few posters and a sparse

edness was only $21,146, rather than the $36,206 originally reported.

But I fail to see how this argument changes the fact that, compared to the other six four-year universities in the District, our overall student debt average remains the highest.

And this is based on data for the Class of 2010. I would not be surprised if realistically, the data for the Class of 2015 proves significantly more drastic as the poor economy and more-recent increases in tuition and fees gets factored into the student debt calculations.

Furthermore, their let-

EDPAGE@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

Douglas Bell is a junior in the School of Communication.

EDPAGE@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

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Trending Topics Homework

The highs and lows of the week, curated by The Eagle

Oscar Weekend

Three weeks ‘til spring break

Two weeks until mid-terms

This is public service announcement to remind AU students that crossword puzzles are awesome. Definitely up there with kittens and snow days.

The Oscars are this weekend. Meh. Keep on surviving Tuesday AU. You can make it!

AU memes have peaked.

You heard it here first, folks.

Norovirus! Avoid students from GWU. Well, more than usual.

OP-ED

High parking rates a problem for workers As a university committed to social responsibility and commitment to social justice, we have so many examples of unfairness on our campus.

The Student Worker Alliance has been fighting to change many of them, one of the most pressing being the issue of parking on campus.

All full-time workers at AU are charged the same parking fee of $1,476 per year, and, for the workers who make $24,000 a year, this is 6 percent of their salary.

For struggling workers who have to pay for housing, childcare, food bills, this parking fee is unnecessarily high.

The argument for high parking fees is that it will encourage people to take public transportation rather than to drive to work, but what President Neil Kerwin has ignored is that most workers do not make enough to be able to afford to live close enough to campus to take public transportation.

The Student Worker Alliance has been tirelessly advocating to Kerwin and other administrators for a scaled parking permit based on how much workers make.

After repeated letters and emails to him, Kerwin sent us back a letter addressing our concern and saying he would meet with us as early as possible in the spring semester.

However, last week at Kerwin’s social responsibility table talk, when our group brought up having a meeting with him, he looked completely appalled that we would ask for this and it seemed like he thought an open forum was a substitute for a constructive, personal meeting.

It is essential for us to meet with him before the budget meeting this summer because we need to solidify this into next year’s budget, rather than having another year where workers are being completely overcharged for what should be a provided service. A meeting is necessary because it is more efficient that back and forth letters and emails, and, with the budget committee meeting approaching, we don’t have that kind of time.

We strongly urge president Kerwin to keep his promise and meet with us in order to start forming a concrete solution to this severe problem. Then, we can truly be the socially responsible campus that he desires.

Ethan Miller CAS ’13 and Katy Giguere SIS ’15 are members of the student-worker alliance.

EDPAGE@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

The flaws of expert opinion CONOR SHAPIRO | SMARTER THAN I LOOK When I was in high school I had a smooth jump shot. I put up points as if I was competing with the U.S. deficit.

Packed gyms would chant my nickname, “Ball hog, ball hog!” Hell, I earned it. I passed about as much as a running back.

Some folks (mainly my Pops and I) had big plans for my future. I was going to get a Division-1 scholarship, hopefully followed by a stint professionally somewhere.

There was only one tiny problem (aside from the whole no passing thing). I didn’t play defense. I couldn’t guard a safe. Sure, I could score with the best of ‘em, but what good did it do me when I couldn’t contain anyone else?

Eventually, some of my competitiveteam coaches stopped playing me. I sat on the bench more than a judge. They evaluated my talent and relegated me accordingly.

Experts, coaches, judges and pundits are always grading us like meat in a grocery store, but how often do they make the right call?

Take the recent inexplicable rise of Jeremy Lin. If you haven’t heard of “Linsanity,” “Lincredible” or “That amazing Asian dude,” let me recap: Jeremy Lin is a

professional basketball player for the New York Knicks.

He’s a Harvard alumnus and finally got a chance to play some serious minutes after injuries sidelined his teammates. As soon as he was given an opportunity, he immediately transformed his team into a contender and is playing like a bona fide MVP. In barely two weeks’ time, he’s got more highlights than NSYNC’s hair.

He’s also Asian-American, which adds another element to the story many writers have discussed.

But the main question is, how did this happen? How is it possible that someone so obviously talented and impressive as Lin had been overlooked for so long?

This is a guy who played in the minor leagues. Another team cut him from their roster. But when you watch him compete, you recognize he’s usually the best player on the court (including in a win over Kobe Bryant’s Lakers).

Perhaps some of this has to do with the fact that he’s Asian-American. Maybe more than some. But if we put that aside for the moment, there’s another point that my Pops used to remind me of when I was Continued on Page 24

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QUICK TAKE

Every week on theeagleonline.com, the Quick Take offers concise views on issue of significance to American University. Read more at theeagleonline.com/front/quicktake

OP-ED

What’s in a name?

FRANCESCA MORIZIO | SPEAK MY LANGUAGE There’s a weird myth ently in any object or feel- Our entire foundation for in my family about names. ing that links to its name. communication is based There’s this idea that whatThink of that shiny red on a general agreement ever you name your child fruit we all gave our gram- that certain sounds are imbues the child with the mar school teachers and associated with certain elements of that name; the word “apple.” But man- things. names become important zana and pomme also sigWe think of words as in a way that’s more than nify that same object, as do concrete ideas, that we all just what you’re called. hundreds of other sounds. know exactly what someMy name, Francesca, “Apple” really has nothing one means when they say was given to me to match to do with that fruit; it’s “love” when in fact they my last name, Morizio, just the accepted sound for could mean so many difmostly to sound nice and that object. ferent things. I love my Italian. But it also means There’s also the idea dog and I love hockey but “freedom” or, specifiI don’t love it the same cally, “freedom from way I love a man. It’s France” in Latin. not even that “love” has Words are just (I’ve been to multiple definitions, Gaul and the police but that words mean haven’t arrested me, different things to difplaceholders for objects so I hope I’m living ferent people. I love the up to my name.)

Caps but not in the dieand ideas because we We think of hard fan way that some names as something don’t have a better way to people love that team. you give children or Words are really new products. When just abstractions, placecommunicate. a new As-Seen-Onholders for objects and TV item is clearly ideas because we don’t a mashed together have a better way to “made-up” word we communicate.

They have a tendency to take that the only way we are essential, of course, it less seriously because know what words mean but there is still wavering there just isn’t something is by knowing and under- and changing even in what right about what’s it’s standing what they don’t we hops is a concrete deficalled. mean. You can’t under- nition.

But here’s the thing stand a word in a vacuum; So the next time you’re about words in general: you have to know what it paper is late and your proAny name we give an ob- doesn’t mean before you fessor is giving you a hard ject is, in no way, connect- can begin to know what it time, simply tell them that ed to that object, except for does mean. We only know the sounds “paper,” “due the fact that someone ar- what a table is because it date” and “on time” don’t bitrarily chose to put that isn’t a chair or a stool. actually mean anything combination of sounds There’s some dense lit- because sounds are only with that object. erary theory at play here, randomly chosen to have There is nothing intrin- but the esoteric nature of the meaning you’re prosic in the object that you’re those essays doesn’t really fessor is choosing to use holding while reading this matter because they argue them for. that has any link at all to for the idea that words, lanThough the only de“newspaper” or “website” guage itself, is completely partments I think that if you’re online. Someone made up. We all chose to might fly in is Literature just chose to call it that and accept that words mean or Philosophy. And even it stuck. Yes, it might have what we think they do be- then, it would be a stretch. come about because of the cause we don’t have a betcombination of what it is ter way of communicating. Francesca Morizio is doumade of and what it con- We completely buy into ble major in CAS and Kotains, but do those words the idea that the sounds god.

EDPAGE@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM have any real connection we make indeed are the to what they represent? object to which they refer.

When it comes down it That’s weird to think to, there is nothing inher- about, even if it is true.

And not a sports bra in sight When is a bra more than a bra?

In a way, they are like pantyhose: They are among the first things you want to take off after a long day at work.

But, unfortunately, in spite of all of their efforts, over time, they have been associated with women seeking equality. Feminists were labeled “bra burners” even though no bra-burning event ever really occurred.

So then, why would the AU Athletics or the women’s basketball team decide to combine a celebration of Title IX and women and girls in sports with the equivalent of a sophomoric and tasteless boob-a-thon, as they did during the Bra-Decorating Contest that occurred during halftime at the Feb. 11 women’s basketball game?

Why would the sole occasion inviting young, prepubescent girls to meet women athletes and get their signatures be marred by

a half-time equivalent of a Betty Crocker Bake-Off or Boob-Off? Worse yet, many breast cancer survivors actually have gone through the trauma of the removal of one or more breasts, so who thought it was a good idea to have 20 or so individuals wearing at least 44DDs (at least over their clothes) reminding these women that they no longer need bras?

And what is funny about a bra with hands painted as if grabbing a woman’s breasts? Am I missing something here?

Prostrate cancer, too, is a serious problem. But if I heard the announcer correctly, if you are among the first 1,000 people at the next men’s game you can get a Jeff Jones bobble head. No mention of a jock strap decorating competition to highlight prostrate cancer.

Why not? If it’s funny to make fun of women’s breasts on a day devoted

to the positives associated with girls in sports, Saturday’s game taught them two very conflicting facts: It is great to watch real women’s athleticism, but as a girl you can look forward to being judged by your body and measured and evaluated by the size and shape of your breasts.

Maybe we can look forward to attendees at a women’s game being given some silly tchotchke: a poster of balls to the walls, a jock strap suitable for decorating. (Here I have to stop myself from giving away the number of ideas that immediately come to mind or even nut crackers.)

If decorating bras is for a good cause, why not celebrate testicles the same way?

Karen O’Connor, JD/Ph.D. Jonathan N. Helfat Distinguished Professor of Political Science, Founder and Director Emerita, Women & Politics Institute, SPA

Why do we trust “the experts?”

Continued from Page 23

younger, “These guys (my coaches), they just can’t evaluate talent. They couldn’t evaluate a menu for crissakes.”

He’s right. The movie “Moneyball,” is a case in point.

We entrust people to analyze and evaluate everything for us these days.

News shows have pundits to tell us how to process the news, food shows have critics to judge the dishes, fashion shows ditto, weight loss shows, sports announcers evaluate the game minute-byminute.

In fact, you’d be hard pressed to find any show besides a sitcom that doesn’t have a panel of ex-

perts. Even a movie I was watching on TV the other day was interrupted during commercial breaks for a few commentators to dissect the previous scenes.

It’s patronizing. And too often, these evaluators are unqualified, unprepared or, more maddeningly, unequivocally wrong. They’re also often superfluous.

Our professors at AU: How often do you think they accurately predict and/or mentor the most promising student in the class? Shouldn’t they? Do they take time to nurture and encourage a budding student, or are their evaluating skills abysmal too?

Some teachers seem more concerned with page quantity than content quality.

It makes me question

how often those in positions of authority overlook potential right before their eyes.

In my case, the coaches made the right call. I’ve seen the Eagles play and I’d be lucky just to shoot the technicals.

In Lin’s case, all the folks who snubbed him are being rightfully chided for neglect. Thousands of others in similar situations like Lin are being overlooked by managers/pundits with biases or lack of discernment skills.

At least, that’s my evaluation.

Conor Shapiro is a graduate student in the School of International Service.

EDPAGE@THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

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Breen, Ballance top AU swimmers at championships

By SAMANTHA RAPHELSON EAGLE STAFF WRITER

The AU men’s swimming and diving team finished fi fth of eight teams in the Patriot League Championships, while the women finished seventh.

The men’s team totaled 271.5 points and the women 213 points at the Feb. 17-19 championships in Annapolis, Md. Navy took home the title on both the men’s and women’s side, winning by margins of 391 and 241 points, respectively. Bucknell University was the runner-up in the men’s competition, and Colgate University took second place in the women’s contest.

The Midshipmen picked up their ninth straight title.

a fi fth-place finish in the 200 IM at 1:51:21. Wurm placed seventh in the 500 freestyle event at 4:32.33.

Ballance and Ong shined with top-four finishes in the 100 backstroke and 100 breaststroke, respectively. Wurm also registered a seventh-place finish in the 200 freestyle finals.

Ong was also strong in the 200 breaststroke, earning a fourth-place result (2:04.15), while Charlie Taffet came in 16th with a time of 2:08.57.

Breen top point scorer for AU women Leah Breen scored 32 points in the three-day championships, ranking 29th out of 103 swimmers.

Breen came in fi fth in the 50 free at 23.92 seconds after posting the second-fast-

RACHEL DEVOR / THE EAGLE

Laura Dawson scooped up one ground ball as AU kicked off the 2012 campaign by defeating Davidson 12-6.

Three Eagles net three goals in win

By TYLER TOMEA EAGLE STAFF WRITER

Leah Breen scored 32 points in the championships, ranking her 29th of 103 swimmers.

Ballance leads AU men Bobby Ballance totaled 42 points individually, placing 16th overall. Matt Wurm was right behind with 41 points in 19th place, while Ming Ong earned 38.5 points for the 23rd spot.

The 200 back ended up being the strongest event on the men’s side for AU, as three Eagles finished in the top eight and four in the top 16. Wurm led the Eagles in second place (1:48.24), and Ballance touched for a seventhplace finish (1:49.96), while Harrison Volaski was right on his toes at 1:51.71 in eighth. Ross Honig finished in 14th (1:54.70).

Ballance also gained

est time in the preliminary round (23.72).

Melissa Parker captured third place in the three-meter diving event with 267 points.

Shekinah Hoffman posted an 11th-place finish for the Eagles in the 100 butterfly (58.33), while Grace Ibrahim finished 15th in the 100 breast (1:09.36).

The women excelled on the final day, as Breen came in second in the 100 free in 51.53, while Alex Ramdin finished the race in 52.94, good for 11th place. Miriam Crispo and Hoffman finished 12th (2:09.60) and 16th (2:12.81), respectively, in the 200 butterfly finals.

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The AU women’s lacrosse team opened its 2012 season with a 12-6 victory over Davidson College Feb. 18 at Jacobs Field.

“The nerves were evident, but we were really able to turn it on in the second half,” AU Assistant Coach Jackie Proch said.

Lauren Schoenberger notched three goals and three assists, while Emily Maher and Emily Burton picked up three goals apiece to lead the Eagles (1-0, 0-0 PL) to the win.

“It’s great to have people that are reliable and consistent,” Proch said.

On the defensive side, Emily Stankiewicz scooped up three ground balls, while Kimberly Collins picked up two.

The Wildcats’ (0-1, 0-0 NLC) scoring came from three players, as Ann Fucigna, Erin Keitel and Emily Cooke each recorded two goals on the day.

The Eagles controlled the game from the start,

scoring the first four goals of the contest 13 minutes into the first half.

Maher scored two goals during the stretch, while Schoenberger added one along with Burton.

AU led 6-1 following Burton’s third goal of the first half and took a 6-2 lead at halftime after the Wildcats scored 13 seconds before halftime.

Leading 6-3 early in the second half, the Eagles ripped off six straight goals to secure the victory.

Schoenberger and Collins alternated scoring the first four goals of the run, with Maher and Bernadette Maher capping the 6-0 spurt.

Schoenberger contributed to four of the six goals, scoring two and assisting on two others.

“That’s the Scho we know,” Collins said. “She’s an amazing attacker and really dynamic.”

The Wildcats scored three goals over the game’s final six minutes for the 12-6 final.

The Eagles outshot Davidson 33-16 on the af-

ternoon, and won 12 of 20 face-offs.

“We’ve been working hard for four weeks,” Collins said. “The hustle was there, even if we know our stick skills weren’t.”

The Eagles have had no trouble taking care of Davidson on the field. With the win, AU has now defeated the Wildcats by a combined score of 54-20 over the past four seasons.

Last year, AU defeated the Wildcats 23-5, matching the program record for most goals scored.

The Eagles will next face Columbia University Feb. 25 at Jacobs Field, as AU plays four straight home games to start the year.

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Olsen runs strong at PL Championships

By ERIC SALTZMAN EAGLE STAFF WRITER

Bucknell University led the way at the Patriot League Indoor Track and Field Championships Feb. 19, as the Bison hoisted trophies in both the men’s and women’s competitions.

It was the second straight sweep for the Bison, who won both outdoor championships in 2011.

The AU men’s team finished seventh of eight teams, while the women’s team came in eighth at the championships, held in Lewisburg, Pa.

/2

PATRIOT LEAGUE STANDINGS

SCHEDULE

WOMEN’S LACROSSE

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

MEN’S BASKETBALL

!American

!American

Bucknell 10-2 PL, 20-8

0-0 PL, 1-0

12-0 PL, 20-6

Lafayette 0-0 PL, 1-0

Navy 7-5 PL, 14-12

Lehigh 9-3 PL, 21-7

Lehigh 0-0 PL, 1-0

Army 7-5 PL, 13-14

!American

Navy 0-0 PL, 2-1

Lehigh 7-5 PL, 14-12

Holy Cross 7-5 PL, 13-13

Colgate 0-0 PL, 0-1

Holy Cross 6-6 PL, 15-12

Lafayette 6-6 PL, 11-16

Holy Cross 0-0 PL, 0-2

Colgate 4-8 PL, 7-20

Army 5-7 PL, 12-15

Bucknell 0-0 PL, 0-3

Bucknell 3-9 PL, 5-22

Colgate 2-10 PL, 8-19

Lafayette 2-10 PL, 8-19

Navy 0-12 PL, 3-23

9-3 PL, 18-9

FEB. 22

Swimming and diving Eagle Invite at 3:15 p.m.

Women’s basketball @ Bucknell at 7 p.m.

FEB. 23 FEB. 24 FEB. 25

Men’s basketball vs. Bucknell at 7 p.m.

No games scheduled Women’s lacrosse vs. Columbia at noon Men’s basketball vs. Lafayette at 4 p.m.

Women’s basketball @ Lafayette at 3 p.m.

FEB. 26

No games scheduled

Dobbs shines as AU stays perfect in PL

By ARIEL FERNANDEZ

Olsen, Allen top runners on men’s side

The Eagles registered a strong team outing in the 3,000 meter run with two top10 finishes. Josh Olsen led the way with a sixth-place finish in 8:29.45, while Mark Allen finished shortly after in ninth place (8:32.26).

In the same race, Mark Leininger (8:23.76) and Tom Woermer (8.34.70) set new personal bests when they finished 11th and 14th, respectively.

To go along with his sixth-place finish in the 3,000 meter race, Olsen also took home second place in the 5,000 meter run (14:25.72), with Allen finishing sixth (14:34.16). Leininger finished 10th with a time of 15:02.32.

As a team, the men recorded 10 points and finished in 7th place. Bucknell (185 points) ended up edging out the Navy Midshipmen, who fell just short with 176.25 points.

For the indoor season, the AU men finished sixth of six at the Navy Invitational, ninth of 17 at the Maryland Invitational and seventh at the PL Championships.

Sullivan places 10th in mile

Julia Sullivan headlined the women’s side with her 10th-place finish in the mile.

The sophomore’s time of 5:05.87 was good for eighth all-time in program history.

Carly Birkhold crossed the finish line in 10:26.63 in the 3,000 meter run for 17th place.

Bucknell easily emerged victorious, finishing the event with 164 points. The Eagles failed to record a point at the championships.

Over the course of the indoor season, AU finished sixth of six at the Navy Invitational, ninth of 18 at the Maryland Invitational and last at the PL Championships.

The Eagles will have nearly a month off before they open the outdoor portion of their schedule when they head to Coastal Carolina University to participate in the Shamrock Invitational March 16-17.

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EAGLE STAFF WRITER

It was Senior Day for the AU women’s basketball team Feb. 18, but it was a sophomore who stole the show.

Alexis Dobbs scored a game-high 20 points, as the Eagles earned a hardfought 54-48 win over Army (13-14, 7-5 PL) at Bender Arena. With the win, AU continued to add accomplishments to an already special season.

The Eagles (20-6, 12-0 PL) reached the 20-win mark for the third straight year, while becoming the first Patriot League team since 1996-97 to start conference play with 12 straight victories. The 12game winning streak is the best in program history.

“Each year the program keeps getting better,” said Ebony Edwards, who contributed six points and three steals. “I’ve had winning seasons here, and it feels great.”

Seniors Tori Halvorsen (five points, 10 rebounds) and Lisa Strack (five points, three steals) joined Edwards prior to the game when the trio was honored in a Senior Day ceremony.

The game started out in AU’s favor, but it would be tough to put away a competitive Army squad on the afternoon. The Eagles opened the game on an 8-0 run, before the Black Knights scored 10 of the next 13 points to get themselves back in the game early on.

With Army playing aggressively both on the offensive and defensive end, the game was tight as AU led 15-14 with less than five minutes left in a low-scoring first half.

The Eagles closed the half with seven straight points, as Jen Dumiak’s 3-pointer just before halftime gave AU a 22-14 advantage.

Both teams turned up their play as the second half started, when Army increased their field goal percentage from 21 percent (6-28) in the first half to 43 percent (13-30) in the second half.

RACHEL DEVOR / THE EAGLE

After getting past Army, Tori Halvorsen and the Eagles are the first team to start 12-0 in the Patriot League since Holy Cross completed the feat during the 1996-97 season.

Strack’s jumper gave the Eagles their second double-digit lead of the game at 33-23 midway through the second half, but AU quickly got into foul trouble.

The Eagles picked up their seventh team foul with 9:06 left to play, but it didn’t come back to haunt them in the end.

“We need to learn how to play smart,” Strack said about the team’s foul trouble.

“They’re a very physical team. We are too, so it’s a team effort.”

After Dobbs knocked down a 3-pointer for a 46-30 lead with 6:30 to go, Army clawed back. The Black Knights cut the

deficit to six with less than three minutes left, but there wasn’t enough time for them to complete the comeback.

“It’s about executing and getting the job done against teams that are ready to stop you,” AU Head Coach Matt Corkery said. “I didn’t feel like we executed very well. We need to do a better job of late game press breaks and ball handling.”

The Eagles will next take on Bucknell University Feb. 22 in Lewisburg, Pa., as they inch closer to becoming the first team in conference history to finish 14-0.

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Sports

Women’s Basketball

Eagles 12-0 in PL following 54-48 victory 27 #$%&'()*+,%-.$(.)+!/*+!0/!

Women’s Lacrosse

AU kicks off season with 12-6 triumph over Davidson 25

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Eagles take down VT

By CHRIS HALL EAGLE STAFF WRITER

RACHEL DEVOR / THE EAGLE

Ryan Flores had his arm raised on Senior Day to remain unbeaten.

Second-half surge propels men’s basketball to win

By JOSH PAUNIL EAGLE STAFF WRITER

A strong second half powered the AU men’s basketball team to victory Feb. 18, as the Eagles defeated Army 74-50 in West Point, N.Y. The Eagles (18-9, 9-3 PL) outscored the Black Knights (12-15, 5-7 PL) 4425 in the second half.

“Coach Jones really emphasized on cutting down the turnovers and to step up on defense,” said Charles Hinkle, who recorded a game-high 18 points and seven rebounds. “Once we did that, things really started to click on offense.”

AU’s win keeps it tied for second place in the Patriot League with Lehigh

The No. 10 AU wrestling team marched to a 25-19 win over Virginia Tech on Senior Day Feb. 19 at Bender Arena, earning a strong victory that positioned them well for March.

The Eagles (8-7) honored seniors Corey Borshoff, Glenn Donatelli, Ryan Flores, Matt Mariacher, Ganbayar Sanjaa, Tanner Shaffer and Thomas Williams before the match began. The senior grapplers were a part of AU’s fi fth-place finish at last year’s NCAA Championships, a program record.

“I’ve been blessed to wrestle here,” Williams said. “All the support has been great [with our] coaches [and] all the students coming out to cheer.”

With both squads boasting multiple nationally ranked wrestlers, each team looked to build momentum heading into the postseason.

The action kicked off at 184 pounds, with the Hokies jumping out to a quick 3-0 lead as Angelo Malvestuto defeated Thomas Barreiro, 10-3.

But AU struck right back, as Daniel Mitchell pinned Nick

University and just one game behind Bucknell University. Two conference contests are left in the season for the Eagles, including one against the Bison Feb. 23 at Bender Arena.

The Eagles got off to a nice start, taking an early 11-5 lead five minutes into the game. Army then responded with a 10-0 run to take a 15-11 edge halfway through the first half.

The remainder of the half saw eight lead changes and three ties, with the Eagles able to take a 30-25 lead at the half.

Tony Wroblicky was a key contributor over the first 20 minutes for the Ea-

Vetterlein in the first period of the 197-pound match to make it 6-3 Eagles.

Up next in the heavyweight class, Flores controlled his match from start to finish.

The senior quickly earned a pin over VT’s Dan Norwood to give the Eagles a 12-3 lead heading into the lightweights.

The pin moved Flores, the top-ranked heavyweight in the country, to 14-0 on the season.

On the heels of back-toback wins for AU, Williams battled the Hokies’ Erik Spjut in a fantastic match that was the highlight of the day. At the end of three regulation periods, the score was 0-0 and neither wrestler was giving up.

In the second overtime period, Williams gutted his way to a one-point escape, giving him a narrow lead he never relinquished for the key win.

Virginia Tech bounced back with a solid victory at 133 pounds, when No. 6 Devin Carter defeated Borshoff to cut the AU lead to 15-8.

In the only matchup between ranked wrestlers on the afternoon, No. 20 Zach Neibert took on No. 16 Mariacher at 141 pounds. Mariacher was up to the challenge, earning a

gles, posting eight points and four rebounds on 4-7 shooting. The center finished the contest with 10 points and five rebounds.

The Eagles came out firing on all cylinders in the second half, as they used an early 12-5 run to open up a double-digit lead they never relinquished.

Leading 34-29 with 17:04 remaining, AU went on the run that saw them take a 46-34 lead.

The Eagles controlled the action from there, leading by at least 10 points for the game’s remaining 12 minutes. “[The run] was huge,” said Daniel Munoz, who recorded eight points and

crucial pin to give the Eagles a 21-8 lead.

“I felt good coming into the match,” Mariacher said. “I didn’t expect a pin, but it’s always nice. It was nice to get a win here in front of family and everyone.”

After AU’s Kevin Tao dropped a 7-4 decision at 149 pounds, Sanjaa, the No. 3 wrestler in the country at 157, picked up a major decision over VT’s Cameron Hurd. Even though American dropped the final two matches (Sean McCarty and Phillip Barreiro fell at 165 and 174 pounds, respectively), the 25-19 result was a solid victory for the Eagles.

“They’re hungry,” AU Head Coach Teague Moore said of his team. “And that’s a big part of the postseason.”

Listing a top four finish at nationals as the ultimate goal and emphasizing the importance of staying healthy, Moore said his team is ready for a strong postseason performance.

The Eagles compete in the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association Championships March 3-4, with the NCAA Championships scheduled to begin March 15.

a career-high 10 assists.

“It was a back-and-forth type of defensive battle, but that run really got our offense on the right track.”

One of the keys to the game for the Eagles was their season-best shooting percentage from the field (32-53, 60 percent), while holding Army to just 33 percent shooting from the floor (16-49).

AU also shot 50 percent from beyond the arc at 7-14, while the Black Knights misfired on 18 of their 21 3-point shot attempts.

The win by the Eagles sets up the showdown with conference-leading

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Bucknell Thursday at Bender Arena at 7 p.m.

The Bison had their 20-game Patriot League winning streak snapped Feb. 16, when they fell to Lehigh 56-53. They then lost two days later at Holy Cross 54-52 after scoring 10 first half points.

Following the game against Bucknell, the Eagles will take on Lafayette College Feb. 25 at Bender Arena, with the Patriot League Tournament set to get underway Feb. 29.

Both the Bucknell and Lafayette games will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network.

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