The Eagle — April 8, 2010

OFFICE HUMOR Despite casting two comedy superstars, ‘Date Night’ loses laughs amid a dramatic plot.

SCENE page 5

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APRIL 8, 2010 VOLUME 84 n ISSUE 45

WWW.THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

NEWS BUCK STARTS HERE SPA student wins Truman Scholarship for graduate degree in public service page 4

EDITORIAL

TAX FOR HIPSTERS Following the bag tax’s example, Ian Hosking proposes a tax on hipsters page 3

SCENE CITY SECRETS ‘City Island’ takes apart the pieces of a Bronx family with much to hide page 5

SPORTS STREAKING Lax keeps up their winning ways on Saturday page 8

BUILDING BLOCKS Women’s b-ball team looks to improve on last season’s success page 8

TODAY’S WEATHER

HI 85° LO 51° Possible thunder storms throughout the day FRIDAY HI 59° n LO 41°

SATURDAY HI 64° n LO 44°

the EAGLE 252 Mary Graydon Center 4400 Massachusetts Ave. N.W. Washington, D.C. 20016 Newsroom: 202-885-1402 Advertising: 202-885-1414, x3 Fax: 202-885-1428 E-mail: editor@theeagleonline.com Classifieds: adbox@theeagleonline.com

AUID-SmarTrip program expands

By NICOLE GLASS Eagle Staff Writer Housing and Dining Programs will start issuing SmarTrip-enabled student IDs this Monday, allowing students to partake in a pilot program to get data on student Metro ridership.

Housing and Dining will distribute 300 of these hybrid cards on a first-come, first-served basis. All non-graduating students are eligible to participate in the program by picking up an AUIDSmarTrip combo card on Monday, Wednesday or Friday of the week of April 12 from the main office in Anderson Hall, according to a press release from the Student Government.

SG has worked with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority since last June to provide a Metro discount for AU students. The pilot program will provide data on student ridership that is necessary to determine the cost of subsidizing a possible student discount. The pilot program will be in effect from April until October, according to SG President Andy MacCracken.

A 20-card pilot program has already taken place to make sure the cards work, he said.

“We’ve so far had a 100 percent success rate,” he said. “We’re moving forward with an expanded pilot program.”

MacCracken said that the sixmonth pilot program will provide valuable ridership data that includes usage during final exams, summer and the first few months of school.

“We’re looking at very diverse types of usage and that will, all combined, bring us one step forward — and hopefully a large step forward — toward the Metro discount,” he said.

AU is debating whether or not to provide these cards to the incoming class of 2014 in August — an idea MacCracken opposes.

“If 1,500 cards suddenly stop working for whatever reason, which we didn’t catch originally, [it will be a disaster],” he said. “So that’s why we’re doing it with this expanded pilot program for the next several months.”

Another issue of debate is finding someone to subsidize the cost of the discount. WMATA cannot prioritize groups, Mac-

Cracken said. All current Metro discounts are subsidized from sources other than the WMATA. Federal funding covers senior citizens’ discounts and the D.C. government subsidizes public school discounts.

“If we wanted to subsidize the [Metro fare] by 25 percent and every AU undergrad bought into it, it would cost roughly $300,000 to do,” MacCracken said. “That’s a large amount of money.”

Although AU may cover the costs of the subsidy, some question whether AU should be spending money on a discount, MacCracken said.

“Is that money best invested in a discount for the Metro, or should we be using that to bring in more tenured faculty or to invest into the classroom or more academic programs?” he said.

“We need to build new residence halls — is that where the money should be going? It’s just an issue of priorities as an institution.”

Anyone other than WMATA can subsidize the costs of the discount, including wealthy individuals.

“If someone who is really rich and really excited about getting

Four charges added for one AU protestor

By ASHLEY DEJEAN Eagle Contributing Writer Matthew Halbe’s charge of crossing a police line was dropped on Tuesday, while Michael Dranove faces four new charges in addition to defacing government property.

Halbe, a junior in the School of International Service, and Dranove, a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences, attended their court appointments this week for the charges stemming from their arrest at the “Funk the War: Bad Romance Street Party” protest on March 19.

Halbe’s court hearing was Wednesday. Dranove’s hearing is currently scheduled for May 5, though he attended his arraignment on Tuesday.

Halbe arrived at the D.C. courthouse at 8:30 a.m. and waited half an hour before the doors opened, he said.

When the time came to process his

paperwork, he caught a break. “[The clerk] said that the police didn’t submit any paperwork for me,” Halbe said. “My case was completely dismissed, [and] they’re not prosecuting me.”

He said this made him feel both relieved and validated.

“If the police felt strongly enough about my infraction, then they would have done the work just to process the paperwork,” Halbe said.

Dranove had a different experience at his arraignment. The charges the clerk read him included three counts of assaulting a police officer, one count of carrying a weapon and one count of destroying government property.

“They told me [before] that defacing government property was my one charge, and I get there and the clerk couldn’t believe it either. [She said] ‘You’re charged with one, no wait two, no three accounts of assault of a police

Students start renters’ rights group, Web site Many are not aware of protections

By MITCH ELLMAUER Eagle Contributing Writer A group of students launched a class project, the Students for Renters’ Rights, at the end of March with a mission to educate students about their rights as tenants.

The project is for the class HNRS-302 The Politics of Human Rights, an honors colloquium that teaches the theoretical and legal foundations of human rights. The class challenges students to put theory into practice by managing a human rights campaign. The group is composed of seven students: Jon Baker, Ellie Ezzell, Jon Freimark, Brian Goodrich, Jennifer Kim, Aaron Luce and Quinn Pregliasco.

The group aims to educate AU students and others about “their rights as renters in Washington D.C.,” according to its Web site.

They have published a “Renter’s Bill of Rights,” which outlines some

basic tenants’ rights. These rights include the right to sign a fair lease, the right to negotiate a fair rent and the right not to be discriminated or retaliated against.

Students for Renters’ Rights hopes to get 500 students to sign its bill of rights. A week and a half into the campaign, they already had about 150 signatures, according to Goodrich and Pregliasco, who are juniors in the School of Public Affairs.

Students for Renters’ Rights will also cooperate with Housing and Dining Programs in compiling a resource guide for students living off campus. The group is in the process of writing a portion of the guide. They hope that the guide will have a lasting effect on the student body, according to Goodrich and Pregliasco.

“A lot of students don’t know what their rights are,” Pregliasco said.

Students for Renters’ Rights posted a survey that tests students’ knowledge of tenants’ rights. The scores were “really shocking,” according to Goodrich. The average score is a 55 out of 100 points.

“I didn’t even get a perfect score when I took the survey,” Goodrich n

see RENTERS on page 4

PHILLIP OCHS / THE EAGLE

HEY, CHECK THIS OUT! — SG President Andy MacCracken has worked tirelessly this year to introduce combination AUID-SmarTrip cards for students. A test program was recently expanded from 20 IDs to 300. Above, MacCracken shows off his own hybrid-card.

AU students into the Metro system more, then if they come in and offer the school half a million dollars to create a subsidy, then we would have a Metro discount

You can reach this staff writer at nglass@theeagleonline.com.

CULTURES COME TO CAMPUS

officer,’” Dranove said.

Dranove’s lawyer told him that Tuesday’s court date would be procedural, so Dranove was shocked when he heard the charges.

“It was actually kind of funny,” Dranove said. “I had no idea that they were charging me with assaulting a police officer. They just keep pulling things out of nowhere.”

He said he is considering trying to get a trial by jury because he believes the residents of D.C. will be sympathetic to his case. His first trial date is currently set for May 5.

“I’m going to ask at that trial to have [it] postponed until September because I’m going home for summer vacation. My lawyer says that most likely the court will accept that.”

You can reach this writer at news@theeagleonline.com.

tomorrow,” he said.

AARON BERKOVICH / THE EAGLE

Jess Warren, student in PR Portfolio Group class who helped organize fundraiserfor Arlington Academy of Hope, places her hand print on sign Wednesday

SG VP still signs the checks, but little else

By JULIA RYAN Eagle Staff Writer Student Activities decided last Wednesday that Student Government Vice President Alex Prescott will keep his position in the SG for the rest of April, but his role will be significantly diminished as members of his cabinet take over his primary responsibilities.

Prescott was suspended in a vote of 12 to 4 at a meeting of the Undergraduate Senate on March 27 for his failure to plan the Founders’ Day Ball this year, The Eagle previously reported.

Prescott said most of his eventplanning responsibilities will now be handled by Senator-at-large Jenny Kim, Eagle Nights Director Riley Fujisaki and other members of his cabinet.

Prescott said he will still officially be vice president, and he will retain signing power over expenses, but he will not be allowed in his office except to sign off on expenses.

Prescott said he can still guide the members of his cabinet as they try to plan events this month, but he has no power over their decisions.

“I’ve offered my aid unofficially,” he said. “But I can’t play any supervisory role.”

Student Activities told Prescott

that he would still be compensated for the month of April, despite the cutback in his role as vice president.

Student Activities Program Adviser Andrew Toczydlowski said Student Activities stepped in to address the concerns of the four current SG executives about a recently passed SG by-law regarding suspensions.

The executives were not sure how to proceed with Prescott’s suspension because the by-law did not give concrete rules about when to give suspensions to SG members, according to Toczydlowski.

Student Activities wants to make sure that funds set aside for now-canceled SG events like the Founders’ Day Ball are still used to benefit AU students, Toczydlowski said.

“We felt that in both the interest of time and our vast programplanning experience, it would be easier for us to step in and guide the vice president’s cabinet in bringing a lot of fun and exciting events to fruition this month,” he said in an e-mail.

Class of 2010 Senator and acting-Speaker of the Undergraduate Senate Steve Dalton said he trusts Student Activities and the Senate in their decisions about the vice president.

“While some members of the Senate, myself included, were wor-

ried that Student Activities might step in and start dictating new punishments or overturning old ones I think everyone — including Alex Prescott — has come to terms with what was decided by a threequarters majority of the Senate,” Dalton said.

Dalton also said it was best for Student Activities to take over the vice presidential office, rather than current SG Secretary Colin Meiselman, so there is no ambiguity about who is officially in charge of the vice president’s responsibilities.

The SG constitution states that if the vice president is unable to serve either through removal or by design, the secretary will temporarily take over as acting vice president. Student Activities chose to overrule the constitution and kept Prescott as vice president.

“If Colin Meiselman became the acting vice president, then I think people would wonder why Alex Prescott would still have his signing power,” Dalton said. “However, since Meiselman is not taking that position, then obviously someone needed to have signing power over the account.”

Meiselman said he feels that Student Activities did not make the right decision about the redistribution of responsibilities. n

see VP on page 4

the EAGLE

APRIL 8, 2010

Transgender man shares stories, photos

our bodies, how we all seem to have a way of changing them, a way of owning them,’” Cameron said.

Cameron started photographing trans-men and women in 1993 though he initially didn’t know how to use a camera. Despite this, he was passionate about his work and held his first exhibition the following year. In 1996 he published his first photography book of transgender men.

“I knew there was a lack of photographs that spoke to us [transgender people] about who we could become [and] what was possible for us,” Cameron said. “When you’re thinking about doing this, it’s so big, and it’s such a big change.

Back then we had no visuals [and] no idea how powerful hormones are.”

Cameron appeared on National Geographic’s TV Series “Taboo” in 2006 in the “Sexual Identities” episode.

After his debut on National Geographic, Cameron had an incident in which he narrowly avoided being attacked.

After Cameron left a store, a drunken gay man told him, “You don’t belong here. You’d better leave,” he said.

Cameron believes the man was part of a larger group that planned to attack him.

“He said it in a way that was PHILLIP OCHS / THE EAGLE really nasty, but I understood also COMING INTO FOCUS — Loren Cameron gave a presentation in Ward on Tuesday night that he was taking a risk,” Cameron about growing up as a lesbian and his journey to becomeing a transgender man. He also said. “I asked him why and he said ‘you really don’t want to be here showed his photography of trans-men and women very soon. You need to leave.’”

When Cameron started driving wonder would people still question away in his Jeep, five men came runwhat we’re doing with our bodies,” he ning around the corner and jumped said. into a car to chase him. Cameron Cameron, a transgender pho- pulled into a driveway a few blocks tographer, gave a presentation of away to avoid them and stayed there his work on Tuesday night in the all night. In the morning he could see Ward building and shared his story their tire tracks covering the beach of growing up a lesbian and becom- where he normally camped. ing a transgender man, as well as the “It’s a reality for us that the more

By ASHLEY DEJEAN stories of those transgender people he out we are, the more at risk we are,” Eagle Contributing Writer photographed.

Cameron said.

“The stories talk about who we Cameron previously came to camLoren Cameron, a transgender are as people and what we’ve gone pus in April 2008 to share his photoman who photographs other trans through and what our fears are and graphs of transgender people in the people, wonders if a number of trans- our triumphs as well as our pitfalls,” Mary Graydon Center. gender individuals are actually inter- Cameron said.

The event on Tuesday was sponRoberto Edwards, a large land- sored by a number of on-campus sex.

He himself found out about his owner in Chile, asked Cameron to organizations such as the GLBTA mixed chromosomes in the ‘80s, but create the project of his dreams, the Resource Center, Queers and Allies, says most of the trans community do most comprehensive work of trans- Women’s Initiative and KPU. not have their chromosomes tested gender nudes to date. The project because of the cost. took Cameron five years to finish.

You can reach this writer at “If this was proven to be an inter“[Edwards] said, ‘I’m just trying news@theeagleonline.com. sex situation and was chromosal ... I to show how many ways we celebrate

Cameron discusses life behind camera

news 2

Give your thumb a rest: students can share rides with Zimride

By NICOLE GLASS Eagle Staff Writer Students reacted positively to the February launch of AU’s branch of the Zimride rideshare program, according to Curtis Rogers, national account manager of Zimride.

The Web site, zimride.american. edu, is a way for AU students to find rides with other AU students online.

Students can coordinate sharing a ride if their route is the same or similar, saving them money and helping the environment, Rogers said.

After signing up with their college email addresses, students can post their travel routes and indicate whether they are offering or requesting a ride. Students who post a route similar to that of another student will get matched up and can decide whether they want to share a ride and split the cost of travel, Rogers said.

“Zimride is a place for you to post where you’re going on the weekend,” he said. “If your friend doesn’t need a car you can basically do a rideshare with them or you can … go ‘zimriding’ with them, so you avoid the cost of gas and have one less car on the road.”

Since the launch of AU’s Zimride

program on February 18, 923 students have signed up, 89 one-time travels have been posted, and over 7,000 rides have taken place, according to Rogers.

More than 300,000 college students use Zimride nationwide in over 40 colleges.

Chris O’Brien, director of the Office of Sustainability, said he got the idea to launch Zimride at AU after he saw the organization’s booth at the “Greening of Campus” conference.

“We want to help members of the campus community save money on gas and vehicle maintenance while reducing their carbon footprint and building social networks with their colleagues and classmates,” he said.

Zimride is a safe way to travel because only members of the AU community can use it. Users are identified by their real names, and users can choose to upload a photo of themselves, O’Brien said.

Anyone with an AU e-mail address can create a free user account on Zimride, including students, faculty and staff.

The Zimride Web site was created in 2007 after one of its founders discovered the value of ridesharing in Africa.

“One of our founders was traveling through Zimbabwe, and he realized that before the people there would travel anywhere they would fill their vehicle,” Rogers said. “So he realized that a very underutilized resource in the United States is the empty seats in cars.”

The “zim” in Zimride is taken from the country name Zimbabwe in honor of the founder’s trip there, he said.

The company is trying to market the program through e-mails and Web site updates. Zimride will try to further promote the site by holding contests and giving out gas gift certificates, Rogers said.

Rogers has used Zimride himself.

One weekend, he needed to drive three hours to Texas to go to a wedding. He posted his route on Zimride and found a girl who was going the same way.

“We road-tripped for about three hours, I dropped her off, and she paid me gas money,” he said. “We talked the whole time - so it was a lot more interesting than driving by myself.”

You can reach this staff writer at nglass@theeagleonline.com.

President Neil Kerwin and Board of Trustees Chairman Gary Abramson invite you to attend a question-and-answer session on Monday, April 12, 2010 5:00pm – 6:00pm Ward 2

Keep America beautiful for your chance to

THURS 8

FRI 27 9 THU

SUN 10

Author Event - Roxana Saberi 7 p.m.

WHERE: Politics and Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave. N.W. METRO: L1, L2 or L4 bus from the Van Ness Metro (red line) INFO: This Iranian-American journalist talks about her threemonth detainment in Tehran’s Ervin Prison and her book “Between Two Worlds: My Life and Captivity in Iran.”

COST: Free CONTACT: For more information, call 202-364-1919.

Comedy - She-Ha 2: When Laughter Attacks 8 p.m.

WHERE: The Improv, 1140 Connecticut Ave., N.W. METRO: Farragut North (red line) INFO: Local female comedians take over this comedy club.

COST: $10 CONTACT: For more information, call 202-296-7008.

Performance - Garth Fagan Dance 8 p.m.

WHERE: Center for the Arts, George Mason University, Route 123 and Braddock Rd., Fairfax, Va. METRO: Vienna/Fairfax-GMU (orange line) INFO: The Tony-winning choreographer of “The Lion King” performs unique and gravitydefying dance with his famous troupe.

COST: $22-44 CONTACT: For more information, call 888-945-2468.

MON 11

TUES 12

WED 13

Event - Annual Cherry Blossom Rugby Tournament 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

WHERE: Rosecroft Raceway, 6336 Rosecroft Dr., Fort Washington, Md. METRO: Southern Avenue (green line) INFO: This annual competition sports men’s teams from the United States and abroad. Teams include clubs, high schools and college organizations.

COST: Free CONTACT: For more information, call 202-558-5527.

Exhibit - “Turner to Cezanne: Masterpieces from the Davies Collection, National Museum Wales” 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

WHERE: Corcoran Gallery of Art, 500 17th St. N.W. METRO: Farragut North (red line) INFO: A collection of 19th and 20th century art, including works by Van Gogh, Renoir, Daumier, Monet, Picasso and Corot.

COST: $8 for students CONTACT: For more information, call 202-639-1700.

Photography - Susana Raab’s “American Vernacular” 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.

WHERE: Irvine Contemporary, 1412 14th St. N.W. METRO: McPherson Square (blue and orange lines) INFO: This collection showcases Raab’s photography of the overlooked places, people and events of ordinary American life.

COST: Free CONTACT: For more information, call 202-332-8767.

For today’s police blotter visit

www.theeagleonline.com the EAGLE

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EDITORIAL

APRIL 8, 2010

JOE WENNER n Editorial Page Editor EdPage@TheEagleOnline.com

JEN CALANTONE n Editor in Chief Editor@TheEagleOnline.com

Tax the hipsters: an ironic proposal IMPORTANCE OF IGNORANCE

IAN HOSKING Hipsters may be the District of Columbia’s greatest public threat and it is time for solutions. With their self-consciously ironic approach to fashion and culture, hipsters inflict a toll on themselves and society. The task of discouraging this toxic trend will not be easy, but with the students of AU already strongly in favor of the necessary measures, there is hope.

A tax on skinny jeans seems an excellent starting point. Bystanders are not the only ones made uncomfortable by these ill-fitting pants, for the severe tightness of the fabric constricts the wearer’s blood flow, which dramatically elevates the risk of a deep vein thrombosis in the leg (a potentially deadly affliction). In order to protect the hipsters from their own dangerously poor fashion sense (and to save those around them from an eyesore), almost everyone will agree that there must be a large tax (say $5) on the narrow-legged apparel to discourage its purchase.

After all, the students of AU and public-minded people everywhere applauded a similar effort to reduce the use of shopping bags in D.C., despite the usual ignorant critics. There is no meaningful difference between taxing bags and pants either. As the bags damaged the environment, the skinny jeans harm the community and more importantly, the individual wearer. A tax on one but not the other can only be opposed on shallow aesthetic grounds.

Do not forget the retailers and enablers of hipsterdom. Urban Outfitters has been mass-producing non-conformity for far too long without consequences.

Like tobacco companies, they sell a dangerous and potentially deadly lifestyle to their tragically cool customers, so it is only fair for Urban Outfitters and similar stores to be taxed like the tobacco

giants. If those costs are passed on to determinedly trendy consumers, all the better.

Of course, this approach to public health and happiness has its nay-sayers. Some critics point out that there is a conflict of interest when the government aims to lower the consumption of a good but raises more revenue if consumption is higher. When the government tries to reduce the number of plastic bags or tacky neon scarves, these rabblerousers wonder how effectively the state can accomplish its goal when success means thinning its own wallet.

Most vocal are those troublemakers who reject the entire notion that the government should use taxation as a means of controlling the behavior of its people.

Unwilling to submit to political authority over their own personal choices, this breed of nogoodniks refuses to acknowledge the government’s role in determining lifestyle choices. Cigarette taxes, bag taxes, soda taxes and hipster taxes are all off limits to these agitators, and the only justification they offer is freedom. Fortunately, there are very few of these hooligans at AU. The popular attitude at AU and elsewhere will ultimately win the battle against hipsters (and all other public nuisances). Here, there is no objection to the government making value judgments about lifestyles and behavior. The absence of any principled opposition to the use of taxes to influence individual decisions has been well-documented by this publication. Hipsters, like cigarettes and plastic bags, are a public concern requiring government intervention. Smokers, shoppers and hipsters should only be free to make their own decisions when the publicly condemned “bad” choices are made more costly.

And those people who disagree?

Tax them too.

Ian Hosking is a sophomore in the School of Public Affairs and a proudly ignorant columnist for The Eagle. You can reach him at edpage@ theeagleonline.com.

Comparing Israel and North Korea THE STONE TABLET

ISAAC STONE When I was in Israel two years ago, I came across a rather bizarre sign. As anyone who has walked through Jerusalem knows, the city is a haven for tourist traps. These stores are usually little enclaves, selling things preferred by the American tourist, such as lowgrade clothing and bumper stickers with the name of your favorite sports team written in Hebrew. What specifically caught my eye was a white bumper sticker reading, in blue letters, “Don’t Worry America — Israel Is Behind You!” Though our group was 100 percent Jewish and unquestionably pro-Israel, we all found this statement a little ridiculous. “Shouldn’t it be the other way around?” we asked each other in jest. Logically, it would be, given that the tiny Jewish state is eyeball-deep in U.S. aid and defense resources. Yet as absurd as it sounds, this 50 cent bumper sticker manages to say so much about current Israeli foreign policy — that despite constantly being on the receiving end of aid, they are not afraid to position themselves as the dominating force in the relationship.

On March 11, an official from the Netanyahu administration approved new settlements to be built in East Jerusalem during Vice President Joe Biden’s visit to Israel. This substantially peeved off Biden — whose goal during the visit was to encourage peacemaking communication between Israeli and Palestinian leaders — as well as the rest of President Barack Obama’s administration, who have been requesting a settlement freeze since the start of the presidency.

It came as no surprise that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-leaning government has strongly disagreed with Obama. It was not surprising that Israel would continue expansion into East Jerusalem; a few weeks earlier, Netanyahu quietly announced annexation of Rachel’s

Tomb, located in the West Bank city of Bethlehem. What was surprising was Israel going directly against America’s orders while the Vice President was in the country.

All this recalls a similar disagreement between another large, powerful country and one that it supplies with large amounts of aid: the 2006 divide between China and North Korea. In July of that year, North Korea tested nuclear missiles after China had agreed to U.N. Security Council Resolution 1718, imposing sanctions on Pyongyang. On North Korea’s part, this was seen as a slap in the face to the country that provides roughly 90 percent of their energy imports and 80 percent of their consumer goods. So then why did they go directly against China’s orders?

Like Israel, North Korea was eager to show their independence to the world. They hoped to cast off their reputation as a hatchling in the nest of China’s mother bird. Like the U.S. in 2010, an insulted China took on a tone of punishment, blocking shipments of military aid and demanding a nuclear halt on the part of the DPRK. Yet just as Israel has provided the United States with a necessary democratic ally in the Middle East, North Korea has given China a strategic buffer against invading forces. The key in their relationship was not long-term punishment, but for China to reassert their dominance.

For the past decade, U.S. leaders have not questioned when it came to Israel’s policy, allowing the country to do exactly what it chooses.

Obama realized that in order to make a stronger push for peace, the United States needs to show some tough love.

Prime Minister Netanyahu is correct when he asserts that Jerusalem is not a settlement, and that Israel has every right to defend herself. But first they need to realize who is truly behind whom.

Isaac Stone is a sophomore in the School of International Service and the College of Arts and Sciences and a liberal columnist for The Eagle. You can reach him at edpage@theeagleonline.com.

Courtesy of MCT CAMPUS

Ensuring renters’ rights

A class project inspired a group of AU students to form Students for Renters’ Rights. Now, an extended effort is needed to ensure the continued pursuit of their admirable goals.

Far too often, the relevance of assignments we complete at this university can be called into question. Granted, much of our course material is assigned with the goal of benefits in the long term. But it’s always encouraging to witness a project that provides students with an immediate realworld payoff. The Students for Renters’ Rights is exactly this kind of project.

Formed this March as part of an assignment for HNRS-302, The Politics of Human Rights, Students for Renters’ Rights aims to inform and educate AU students about their rights as tenants.

While their efforts are grounded in the theoretical foundations of human rights, the founding students have been able to apply abstract principles to a topic that directly affects thousands of AU students. And with the ever-de-

LETTER TO THE EDITOR Fight cancer, participate in Relay for Life During my freshman year of high school, the doctors discovered that my grandpa had multiple aggressive brain tumors. Although my grandpa fought his hardest, he passed away on Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2004, just a few months after being diagnosed. Shortly before he died, my grandpa on my dad’s side was diagnosed with Renal Cell Kidney cancer, not a very promising diagnosis. Only a few months later, my grandma Barbara — his wife — was diagnosed with lung cancer.

They were both still in their 50s.

My grandparents were determined to kick the cancer and they fought long and hard. For three years, my family fought alongside them - driving them to appointments, doing our best to keep them in good spirits, trying to stay positive ourselves and staying by their bedsides when the cancer landed

the EAGLE American University’s Independent Student Voice MISSION The Eagle, a student-run newspaper at the American University, serves the student readership by reporting news involving the campus community and surrounding areas. The Eagle strives to be impartial in its reporting and believes firmly in its First Amendment rights.

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creasing amount of on-campus housing available to upperclassmen, awareness of renters’ rights is now especially relevant to the average AU student.

Moreover, it seems that we could all use an education in the renting process. Students for Renters’ Rights has compiled a quiz to see how much students really know about the rights they hold as tenants. Results have reaffirmed the need for the group — the current average score is a dismal 55 out of a possible 100 points.

Students’ lack of knowledge on the subject should not be entirely surprising. The process of moving off campus is often a haphazard trial-by-fire, as students enter the procedure with little experience in securing their own housing. Such a hit-or-miss strategy often leads student tenants into

precarious situations with little recourse available should conditions sour. This was especially evident in 2008, when it was revealed that a number of AU students fell victim to the neglectful practices of the Student Housing Association, a D.C. property management company. Due to the limited knowledge of their student occupants, the company had been able to rent apartments without a license and routinely ignored tenant complaints.

In an effort to prevent such events from occurring, Students for Renters’ Rights is working with Housing and Dining Programs to complete a resource manual for students about to move off campus. If done right, this guide would be a much needed step toward arming AU students with the knowledge needed to ensure a successful ex-

perience as renters.

But if this group is to reach its full potential, its founders and AU officials must continue their efforts long after HNRS302 ends. The Eagle encourages Housing and Dining to incorporate the goals of Students for Renters’ Rights into its long-term operations. This group could act as a permanent support center for students who encounter difficulties with their off-campus living arrangements — an expansion beyond the extent off-campus housing fairs.

This continued and lasting program would further ensure Students for Renters’ Rights meets its admirable goal. And until all AU students are appropriately aware of their rights as tenants, the group’s efforts must continue.

them in the hospital.

But cancer didn’t care how hard we were fighting. The summer before my senior year, cancer took my grandpa. My grandma was unable to attend his funeral because she was currently being cared for at her home, where my family had practically lived for the past several months, with the hospice’s amazing help. A week later, my grandma lost her fight as well.

From the time I entered high school to before I began my senior year, cancer took three of my grandparents away. I have had people tell me that “all grandparents die.” And that’s true. But not like this — not from a three-year-long, unimaginably awful battle with cancer. And not, for that matter, before they even turn 60.

But, out of all of the horror, came an opportunity for me to make a difference. It seems as if everywhere I turn, I find someone going through what our family was forced to experience.

One in three people will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime.

And chances are, the other two people will know someone who is diagnosed. If you think cancer doesn’t affect you, think again.

Anyone who has been affected by cancer can tell you what a terrible disease it is. But not everyone has someone to drive them to appointments. Not everyone has someone to lean on for support.

And not everyone can afford the live-saving care they deserve. In fact, in the D.C. metro area, nearly 57 percent of cancer patients report having skipped cancer treatment because they do not have a way to get to the hospital.

This is where the American Cancer Society comes in. They provide cancer patients, and their caregivers, with the resources and support they need and deserve.

AU is constantly lauded as having one of the most service-oriented and active student bodies. But, I ask you, if that is the case, why are less than 400 students signed up for this year’s Relay For Life? Relay For Life is an opportunity to take action, remember and celebrate the

lives of all those affected by cancer.

It is a night to cast aside the sorrow accompanied by the disease, and bear witness to the resourcefulness, courage and spirit of anyone who has ever been forced to battle cancer. And it is also a chance to fight back. All proceeds raised by Relay For Life are donated to the American Cancer Society and its unyielding effort to combat cancer through research and patient support.

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the EAGLE

APRIL 8, 2010

GLBTA program eases AU college decision

By ANNA SCALAMOGNA

ACROSS THE SPECTRUM — An AU admissions program through the GLBTA Resource Center reaches out to prospective LGBT students applying to AU. Current students can serve as advisers in the program, named Spectrum, and can share their AU experiences by hosting prospectives overnight.

Stewart looked for similar programs at other universities but was unsuccessful in finding any. The positive experience he had with the program when applying made him want to coordinate the program now. He wanted to give other prospective queer students the ability to feel comfortable when visiting campus or just looking for information.

“Being able to just see other queer students, speak with them about their experiences and even visit them on campus, meant a lot to me and gave me insight that nonqueer students would not have been

able to convey,” Stewart said.

AU also reaches out to admitted students through programs such as the university college and the honors program, Schlicker said.

She also said that AU offers online chats and will also invite prospective students to visit campus on an overnight program or a freshman day open-house program.

You can reach this writer at news@ theeagleonline.com.

from RENTERS on page 1

said.

In 2008, The New York Times reported that the Student Housing Association, a D.C.-area property management company, was cited for a number of housing violations against AU students, including habitually ignoring tenant complaints and renting apartments without a license.

To help clarify tenants’ rights, Students for Renters’ Rights has posted a number of resources on its Web site.

These resources include a guide to tenant-landlord laws, the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs’ housing regulations and overviews on different types of housing discrimination.

The Web site also provides links to other renters’ advocates and government agencies charged with protecting tenants’ rights.

Students for Renters’ Rights will be tabling in the Mary Graydon Center on Friday afternoon.

You can reach this writer at news@ theeagleonline.com.

By NANCY LAVIN Eagle Contributing Writer

PHILLIP OCHS / THE EAGLE

Few understand tenant rights n

SPA student receives Truman Scholarship Only 60 students across the nation can say that they are among the Truman Scholars of 2010, and AU student Kelsey Stefanik-Sidener is one of them.

The Truman Scholarship, given to undergraduate students pursuing careers in public service, awards each of the winners $30,000 for graduate school. Stefanik-Sidener was chosen as one of 60 Truman Scholars for the 2010 year from a pool of 576 applicants nationwide, according to the Career Center.

Stefanik-Sidener, a junior in the School of Public Affairs, was notified of her win last Monday by a phone call from AU President Neil Kerwin.

“I was so ecstatic, I barely knew what to say,” she said.

Stefanik-Sidener has been active in health services and issues since she was 7 years old, when she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.

She used this personal experience and her history of activism as a focus in her Truman Scholarship application.

The application included detailed outlines of plans for graduate school and careers in health services and an in-depth policy memo on corn subsidies in relation to health and nutritional issues.

At AU, she founded “Minds over Meters,” an organization devoted to increasing campus awareness and support for diabetes issues. As a

Eagle Contributing Writer When Matthew Stewart applied to AU he wanted to know more about the university than just what was said on the tour. He utilized AU’s Spectrum program through the GLBTA Resource Center to gain an insider’s perspective on what it is like to be an LGBT student on campus.

Now Stewart, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, is the student coordinator of the Spectrum program, which gives AU applicants a chance to talk to current LGBT students.

Spectrum allows prospective students to stay for an overnight visit or tour with a current LGBT student, according to Matthew Bruno, AU’s GLBTA Resource Center program coordinator.

“It lets students know what the GLBTA climate is at AU and what resources to look for, not just at AU but also at other universities,” Bruno said.

The University of Pennsylvania and Dartmouth University are two of only a few other colleges that provide outreach specifically to gay applicants, according to Inside Higher ED, a Web site about higher education. While prospective students are not asked to identify their sexual orientation, UPenn looks for admitted applicants that indicate gay issues are important to them either in their essay or in the groups they joined in high school.

Applicants to AU are also not directly asked to identify their sexual orientation but can choose to disclose this information through their application or by contacting an admissions representative, according to Kristen Schlicker, acting associate director of Admissions.

The prospective students are then matched with a Spectrum adviser. These advisers are current AU students who have undergone special training, which includes learning specific LGBT terminology and knowledge about LGBT issues.

“I felt like the mere existence of an outreach program specifically for queer students was a huge deal and set AU apart from any of the other universities I was looking at,” Stewart said.

news 4

The Renter’s Bill of Rights As a tenant in Washington, D.C. I have the right to ...

- sign a fair lease - pay a fair security deposit - live in a clean, safe and well-kept property - enjoy the property and live with privacy - inhabit the property until the lease expires - not be discriminated against - not be retaliated against - seek legal action if my rights are violated Legal services for tenants: Landlord Tenant Resource Center Phone: 202-508-1710 Address: 510 4th Street N.W., Court Building B, Room 115 Volunteer attorneys provide free legal information to both unrepresented landlords and tenants who have residential housing disputes in D.C. D.C. Bar Pro Bono Program: Legal Information Help Line Phone: 202-626-3499 Open 24/7 This information help line is an automated system of pre-recorded messages giving basic information in both English and Spanish on a number of legal topics, including finding an attorney and the availability of free legal services in D.C. Tenant’s Advocacy Coalition: TENAC Web site: www.tenac.org Phone: 202-628-3688 D.C. Office of the Tenant Advocate: 202-719-6560 Information from the Students for Renters’ Rights Web site, rentersrights.community.officelive.com.

A PICTURE’S WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS. take photos for theEAGLE. contact cszold@theeagleonline.com.

part of the group, she coordinated AU’s first-ever team in the American Diabetes Association’s Walk to Fight Diabetes and raised over $1,000.

Stefanik-Sidener also acted as the Student Government’s director of Student Health and Services for the fall 2009 semester. She organized H1N1 informational sessions and a town hall meeting concerning the services of the Student Health Center. “[The work] gave me some wonderful experiences in collaborating with other campus leaders and offices — especially the Student Health Center and the Wellness Center — and challenged me to find new ways of communicating health information to the student body,” she said.

Stefanik-Sidener has also participated in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s Walk to Cure Diabetes for 13 years and has raised more than $55,000 in that time.

She began the Truman Scholar application in April 2009 and was selected as one of four AU nominees that fall. After submitting the lengthy application, StefanikSidener was chosen as one of 200 nationwide finalists at the end of February.

Finally, after a rigorous interview before a panel of public servants and former Truman Scholars, Stefanik-Sidener received the honor on Monday, April 29.

“It was certainly an extensive and sometimes stressful process, especially since I was abroad during the

most labor-intensive parts of it, but it was also extremely rewarding,” Stefanik-Sidener said of the application process. “It challenged me to begin charting my career path and to explore complicated problems in public health.”

Professor Margaret Marr, director of the School of Public Affairs Leadership Program, served as Stefanik-Sidener’s mentor and sponsor during the application. Marr said Stefanik-Sidener’s ability to listen and take in suggestions was truly remarkable.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if I hear that, down the road, she has become head of the Department of Health and Human Services,” Marr said.

Stefanik-Sidener is, in fact, looking for that type of career. She hopes to obtain a master’s degree in public health and a law degree, and she aspires to work at the Department of Health and Human Services, the American Diabetes Association or a non-profit organization.

With “Truman Scholar” to add to her résumé, Stefanik-Sidener said she hopes for new public health opportunities such as internships, networking and career advice.

“I see it as an incredible opportunity to use my interest in health to make a difference in the lives of Americans, and I am excited to get started,” she said.

You can reach this writer at news@theeagleonline.com.

‘Tenleytown Rats’ blamed for car thefts; burglaries double in N.W.

By MITCH ELLMAUER Eagle Contributing Writer At recent community meetings, residents and commissioners from Advisory Neighborhood Council 3E expressed concern about a rise in burglaries and home invasions in Northwest D.C. While the overall crime rate has dropped, burglaries have doubled in recent months in the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department’s Second District, according to Lt. Alan Hill. There have been over 50 burglaries in American University Park and Chevy Chase in the past two and a half months, according to MPD’s Web site.

The MPD’s Second District contains most of Northwest D.C., including the neighborhoods surrounding AU, Georgetown University and George Washington University. Some burglars have been targeting students living off and on campus.

The Department of Public Safety issued a crime alert after four burglaries occurred on AU’s main campus in one night, targeting five AU students, The Eagle previously reported.

On March 22 between 6:20 and 8:00 p.m., there were two break-ins in Anderson Hall and three break-ins in Letts Hall.

Four laptop computers, an iPod, a television and a number of electronic

n

from VP on page 1

“I am frustrated but not surprised Student Activities did what they did,” Meiselman said in an e-mail. “In my two years working with Student Activities it has become blatantly clear that most of the policies they enforce are arcane and hold student organizations back.”

games were stolen from the rooms.

The Department of Public Safety has not apprehended any suspects and has referred the burglaries to MPD. However, AU’s overall crime rate is not unusually high for this time of year, according to Crime Prevention and Rape Aggression Defense coordinator Lt. Rima Sifri. On-campus crime typically falls to its lowest point during the summer months. AU’s burglary rate remained steady between January and February and spiked in March, mostly because of the five break-ins on March 22, according to Logistics and Compliance Coordinator Adam Cooper.

Students at other universities have also been victims to the recent rise in burglaries. On March 23, four masked men woke a Georgetown student when they entered her bedroom. The suspects fled the house; however, the student and her roommates discovered that $3,000 worth of property had been stolen, GU’s student newspaper The Hoya reported.

There were at least three other burglaries near Georgetown’s campus that week, according to an MPD public service announcement.

Police are adding four or five plainclothes police officers to patrol the north end of the Second District, according to Hill.

The MDP has made several bur-

glary-related arrests in the Second District, including someone with an extensive history of burglaries, according to Commander Matthew Klein. However, burglaries have continued.

Police believe that different groups in Northwest D.C. are committing the burglaries.

“There are different methods of break-ins,” Klein said. “Which leads us to suspect there are probably different groups doing this.”

In a March police report to ANC 3E, Hill announced the arrest of several members of a juvenile gang responsible for a string of car break-ins in Tenleytown. Residents and police have nicknamed the criminals the “Tenleytown Rats.” Some of them might be involved in recent burglaries, according to Hill. However, both juveniles and adults have committed the robberies, Hill said.

In many cases, burglars enter through unlocked windows or back doors. Police have advised residents to make sure their doors and windows are locked and to not leave valuables in plain view. Public Safety recommends that students in the dorms report lost keys immediately and lock their doors.

Meiselman also said he does not believe it is necessary for Student Activities to play such a large role in the Student Government because other colleges do not have student activity offices that “micromanage” like Student Activities. Student Activities should take a step back and let the students play a bigger role in their own or-

ganizations, he said.

“I like and respect many of the members of Student Activities, but it is not their job to run student organizations,” Meiselman said. “It is their job to advise and then let students make their own decisions.”

You can reach this writer at news@theeagleonline.com.

You can reach this staff writer at jryan@theeagleonline.com.

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Megabytes Café

APRIL 8, 2010

THE EAGLE'S ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT SECTION

Time-wasting blogs to distract from final exams Finals are coming up. So get ready for long sessions in the library, leaning over your computer in the same position for hours on end, risking permanent change in your spinal cord’s alignment. The books stacked next to your computer will threaten to topple over and take you out of your misery. And you will drink enough coffee to ensure the economy of Colombia stays afloat for the next few months. So let’s get working on those end-of-semester papers.

Wait, hold on. OK, I’ll start in five minutes. I just need to check out a few more cat pictures.

We at The Eagle do not condone procrastinating — an abhorrent practice if there ever was one. But if you’re so inclined, here are some of our picks for the most ridiculous blogs to peruse while waiting for your motivation to kick into gear.

Photo by MYLES ARONOWITZ

BLIND DATE — Comedians Tina Fey and Steve Carell star as a boring married couple thrust into a dangerous case of mistaken identities in their new film “Date Night.” Despite their own hilarious television shows and generally awkward brands of humor, the movie falls short of comedic expectations.

Fey, Carell star in bland ‘Date’

By YOHANA DESTA Eagle Staff Writer

DATE NIGHT

B-

The good news is that funnyman Steve Carell and comedienne Tina Fey have wonderful onscreen chemistry. The bad news is that their latest action comedy is not as hilarious as one would have hoped. This is not to say that the movie is bad, it’s just that when you put two of the most famous comedians of our time together, you expect to see more comedy than car crashes. “Date Night,” directed by Shawn Levy (“Big Fat Liar,” “Night at the Museum”), lived up to the action aspect, but it was low on the laughs.

The film centers around married couple Phil and Claire Foster, played respectively by Carell and Fey. The couple live in New Jersey with their two young kids leading pretty normal lives. They go to work, spend time with the kids, go to book club meetings and go on the occasional date, which is always at the same restaurant where

they order the same things. Out of sheer desire for a bit of excitement, the two decide to go to a hip seafood restaurant in Manhattan called Claw. Predictably, the restaurant is completely packed.

However, when a couple named Tripplehorn miss their reservation, Phil makes a ballsy move and takes the reservation.

While enjoying their dinner (where Will.I.Am makes a little cameo), they are interrupted by a mobster duo (played by Common and Jimmi Simpson) who accuse them of being the Tripplehorns and of stealing from mobsters.

They try to go the police for help, but the no-nonsense detective (Taraji P. Henson) puts them off.

From there, things go south and the Fosters embark on a search to find the real Tripplehorns.

On their way to find the Tripplehorns (played by a hilarious James Franco and Mila Kunis), the Fosters need someone to help them while the police look for them. Out of desperation, they go to Halbrooke Grant (Mark Wahlberg), a past detective with enough technology to fill up Best Buy. Wahlberg is hysterical as the always shirtless, perfectly muscled

Halbrooke, a ladies man with an obvious dislike for Carell’s character. His part in the film always guaranteed a few laughs, but it was not enough to propel the film forward.

The goofy twosome makes a lot of jokes in the middle of the nightmare, but the film is clouded down with the gravity of their situation. Their humor is more anxious side than mocking and joking. The film focuses too much on the everyday problems of marriage, especially after the Fosters have a book club meeting with a couple that they know, played by Kristin Wiig and Mark Ruffalo.

When they discovered the two were getting a divorce, it gets their attention and prompts them to do something exciting for once.

But the movie isn’t all about marital struggles and slumps — it’s about action, too. There are guns, fast cars and a pretty epic car chase through the streets of Manhattan. JB Smoove (“Curb Your Enthusiasm”) makes a hilarious appearance as a taxi driver caught up in the chase. Another funny scene is when Phil admits to having a momentous crush on Cyndi Lauper — at any stage in

her life. In addition, Phil forgets Will.I.Am’s name and calls him a number of things, from Sam I Am, to the King of Siam.

Still, while the chemistry of Carell and Fey is marvelous on screen, it does not translate to the jokes. Perhaps Fey and Carell have too similar of style to work together, but this film just isn’t the vehicle to display the comedic prowess they both possess. It is obvious that there was a lot of ad-libbing on both their parts, which shows the true and awkward nature of their comedic styles. Perhaps this is in part because the script, written by John Klausner (“Shrek the Third”), is just not their style at all.

“Date Night” isn’t a bad movie.

But considering the all-star cast, the film had endless possibilities to be a real knockout in every way. But hey, if you still need to see some action comedy, just save your money from “Cop Out” and go see this movie instead.

“Date Night” opens everywhere April 9.

You can reach this staff writer at ydesta@theeagleonline.com.

Allergic to food or just intolerant?

WHOLISTIC HEALTH

KELLY BARRETT Growing up, we are told not to be picky eaters and to try different foods. But the reality for some is that picky eating is a matter of life or death. Or so they might think.

A few months back, I had a conversation with a chef I know. He was talking about how many more of his diners lately have been making special requests for their meals based on what he claims to be largely fabricated “food allergies.” At the time, I didn’t feel it was right for him to make this assumption. Why would people claim to have a food allergy if they didn’t really have one?

Since then, I’ve begun to wonder

more about this. Are more people inventing a tale of a food allergy simply based on their taste preferences or a false self-diagnosis? Or are more people developing allergies to food more often?

Perhaps it’s a little bit of both.

Some experts believe that the incidence of food allergies is increasing in part due to all of the vaccinations children receive early in life, making them less able to fight off diseases and allergic reactions than previous generations. It could also be tied to the decreasing rate of breastfeeding, which can help to prevent immune system-related issues, which is what an allergy is.

However, it is still very likely that people are misdiagnosing themselves with a food allergy when, in fact, they don’t actually have one.

A friend of mine recently started experiencing a strange abdominal pain, and she tried to pinpoint what exactly she was eating when she experienced it. She started read-

ing things online and decided she had a gluten allergy. Months went by with the random pain persisting while my friend attempted to cut gluten out of her diet. Finally, she asked her doctor to test her for the allergy (she made sure to include gluten in her diet leading up to the test, as you must do for an accurate result), and it came back that she didn’t have the allergy after all. She was spending time worrying about something that didn’t exist while a potentially serious but unrelated problem was being left ignored.

Though it is possible to develop a food allergy later in life (my father had his first allergic reaction to shellfish when he was 21) food allergies among adults aren’t all that common, and when they do occur, it is typically related to genetics — meaning if no one in your family is allergic to a food, you are less likely to be. Between 2 and 4 percent of adults are allergic to some food — usually dairy, fish, soy, wheat or

nuts.

However, regardless of the likelihood that you could have a food allergy, if you do start experiencing symptoms like itching in your mouth, difficulty breathing, anything that you would ordinarily think to use Pepto-Bismol to get rid of or skin reactions like hives after eating, you might want to see an allergist who can help set the story straight. Getting tested will give you peace of mind and allow you to figure out what is really going on, keeping you from needlessly shaping your diet around a problem that doesn’t exist. The solution is typically just to avoid that food and carry an epi-pen in case you accidentally eat it.

If you test negative for food allergies but are still finding that certain foods are causing stomach pain, heartburn or headaches, it is very likely you have a food intolerance, which is very common, isn’t n

see ALLERGIES on page 7

Rockers earn ‘Stripes’ in documentary

By YOHANA DESTA Eagle Staff Writer There’s nothing more essential to a music fan than the rock documentary. Over the years, fans have wanted to get every piece of the musician that they can, and films provide the perfect way to give fans that inside look behind the glamour and into the grit. You get to see rehearsals, tears and music performed live. Even in these days, when barely anyone buys CDs any-

more, rock docs are still alluring for all fans of any band. Everyone from the Rolling Stones to Beyoncé has one, and now the White Stripes have one, too.

Titled “Under Great White Northern Lights,” a play on the title of the White Stripes’ first live album “Under Blackpool Lights,” the film is a raw look at the rock duo’s tour of Canada in 2007. In pure White Stripes style, the majority of the concerts are at small, out-of-theway locations, performing for hun-

dreds of thousands of screaming fans who have never seen them before. The film is saturated in red filters — since red is the band’s favorite color motif — and many parts are shot in black and white.

For White Stripes fans, it will be one of the first times they’ll get to see Meg White in her element, singing her haunting ballad “In the Cold, Cold Night” onstage, as well as interacting with Jack and people they meet along the way. Everything she says is subtitled since she

is so soft-spoken, even eliciting a teasing reprimand from Jack.

“Nobody can hear a goddamn thing you say!” Jack says backstage when Meg is afraid to speak loudly in front of the cameras.

It showed the brother-and-sister type relationship that they have, a point that they have pushed on people since their divorce in 2000.

Even though the White Stripes have a huge discography and Jack has been performing in multiple n

see ROCK DOCS on page 7

1

Failblog Even if you’re tired of the word “fail” as a catch-all for any misfortune of our fellow people, it’s hard not to get a twinge of schadenfreude for the truly unfortunate problems people can manage to get into. Whether it’s an unfortunate choice in ad copy, a skate trick gone wrong or any other possible hardship, Failblog is a compendium of all the ways we can examine the fallibility of human kind.

2

PostSecret PostSecret is not a well-kept secret, but its combination of poignancy, humor and sadness make it a kind of aggregator for the emotions of a generation. The bits of small truths we get can tell a lot about a person, and not just because it’s a secret they wouldn’t tell their closest peers but would disseminate to the Internet anonymously. It captures a tone that one might imagine coats the submitter’s entire life, and can act as a lonely moment of connectedness in a seemingly less-connected world.

3

Hipster puppies A corgi wearing Ray-Bans assures us that he has that particular record on vinyl, and a caption for a pug in a keffiyeh explains, “The summer after his senior year, Mr. Chow traveled Europe by train for a month, and now aggravatingly insists that ‘It’s barthelona.’” Whether you’re a fan of our lovable canine friends or just have an excess of distaste for our less lovable hipsters, this site manages to skewer a whole social group while remaining adorable. It’s “Stuff White People Like” re-imagined by your dog haircovered aunt.

4

Awkward Family Photos For every time you were forced to squeeze in tight with all your cousins in front of a fake Christmas tree, it’s reassuring to know that none of those photos turned out as bad as these. A tribute of sorts to the Norman Rockwell school of American traditionalism, the pictures on this site manage to subvert what we think of the family unit and how they relate to each other. Oh, and they’re hilarious.

5

People of Wal-Mart People of Wal-Mart can sometimes reek of condescension — it’s wrong to feel superior to someone just because you shop at a slightly more high-end convenience store. But if you can get over that, People of Wal-Mart will put images in your head that can’t be scrubbed away, even by bleach on sale two-for-one. Whether it’s fashion nightmares or men and women who need to be forcibly pulled away from the deep-fat fryers (also on sale), feeling superior has never been easier.

6

This Is Why You’re Fat There is a picture on this site of a cup completely made of bacon, filled to the brim with melted cheese. I’ll let that sink in.

There are probably a select few in this world who would find that appetizing, and they are the reason that cardiologists seem happier than the rest of us. But for normal people, the treats featured on this site bounce back and forth between sounding delicious and revolting.

7

Unrelated Captions The Internet loves captions, and this may be the logical ending to this trend. After all those Lolcats, fake motivational posters and any other use of this meme, it’s nice that someone has essentially made it all meaningless. They’ve created a Web site that pairs irrelevant captions with random pictures, and makes them just as funny as the sensical ones on other Web sites. It really makes you think, although it probably shouldn’t.

8

Selleck Waterfall Sandwich The problem in describing these blogs is that words don’t really do them justice. Sure, I could describe this Web site, which consists solely of collages of Tom Selleck, a landscape featuring waterfalls and a picture of any variety of delicious sandwiches.

But that wouldn’t capture its absurdist style and the reason for flipping through picture after picture of these three disparate items. Just go ahead and laugh.

9

Garfield Minus Garfield Jim Davis’ Garfield strips have become a slightly edgier Family Circus over the years. There’s only so much humor one can squeeze out of a lasagna-crazed cat. How do you make it funnier?

Take out the cat. In the altered strips of Garfield Minus Garfield, all other characters are removed leaving only hapless owner Jon and his inane statements to himself. Removed from context, these bits of wisdom carry depressing chunks of alienation and angst that have no punch line. The result is a Saturday cartoon as drawn

by Samuel Beckett.

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Indexed The Internet is mostly populated by nerds. Sorry guys, but it’s true. How else can we explain the popularity of xkcd or this blog, Indexed. When you learned about Venn diagrams in elementary school, you probably thought they would never be fun.

And that is why you don’t have a well-read blog. Indexed combines the fun of graphing (!) with the passions of creator Jessica Hagy, which, on any given day, can include politics, math, biology or just typical social interactions. The result: 3x5 index cards that can safely encapsulate the monotony of the daily drudge — with jokes!

the EAGLE

APRIL 8, 2010

the scene 6

‘Train’ plot falls off wagon

By ANTOANETA TILEVA Eagle Contributing Writer THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN

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The conflict at the heart of French drama “The Girl On The Train” is the plucked-from-the-headlines, real-life story of a gentile girl who claims to be the victim of a violent, anti-Semitic attack on the Parisian Metro. Yet the movie is about a lot more — and a lot less.

For one, it provides no answers whatsoever on lead character Jeanne’s motivation for inventing the crime. The audience is only given her sheepish admission of “I don’t know ... I wanted to be loved, and the opposite happens.”

Instead, director André Téchiné takes us inside the summer of a French teenage girl, complete with the angst of being unable to find a job to pay for her Italian vacation (oh, such woe) and the requisite boy drama. In fact, throughout the entire movie, the only undercurrent of threat emanates from her relationship — the made-up crime is entirely out of left field, with no foreshadowing for its development.

Jeanne (Émilie Dequenne) lives with her mother (Catherine Deneuve), and seems to have few interests besides her headphones and roller-blades. That is, until she meets the inscrutable and intense wrestler Franck (Nicolas Duvauchelle). The

whirlwind courtship leads the couple to become caretakers of a warehouse full of questionable wares for the summer — the problem of no money for an Italian vacation solved. After a violent incident, however, Franck and Jeanne’s relationship implodes. Even though up to that point, Franck’s deadpan delivery, intense stares and questionable background make his motives mysterious at best and threatening at worst, it turns out that he had gotten involved in the shady dealings for her sake.

Rather selflessly, he just wanted to give Jeanne a summer vacation, and after the incident, the burden of consequences falls entirely on him, while Jeanne comes out unscathed.

This is what makes her invention of the hate crime that follows next all the more bizarre — she wastes no time in grieving or processing what happened with Franck.

Instead, her outlandish reaction to the death of her relationship and her ruined summer, is to fabricate a story emulating the anti-Semitic attack stories she had seen covered on the news. Her story, however, is full of holes — therein lies the race relations commentary of the movie.

The media are quick to jump on it — the president even calls Jeanne to offer condolences because this is such a “hot” issue. The matter is all the more convoluted because Jeanne is not Jewish and claims to be mistaken as such because she has the business card of a Jewish lawyer in her bag.

Her story unravels within a mat-

Courtesy of STRAND RELEASING

TRAIN WRECK — ‘The Girl on the Train’ is the latest work from director André Téchiné. The film explores themes of youth, deception and race relations. However, the script fails to offer much insight into the actions of the main character and leaves the audience feeling like they’ve missed something. ter of days because it is that tenuous and outlandish. The interesting part, however, is that neither her mother nor any of the other characters in the movie actually buy it from the very start. Jeanne names “dark-skinned” inner city youths as her attackers, making this all the more perverse. By playing the victim, she victimizes a minority group.

Dequenne plays Jeanne’s role with an endearing youthful naiveté and Deneuve’s performance as an impossibly patient, bemused moth-

er is also superb. The cinematography is also excellent — Jeanne’s rollerblading is a nice allegory for her floating through life. Had this been a summer vacation story, it might have been more successful.

But by not really engaging the story of Jeanne’s lie, it leaves the viewer wanting.

You can reach this writer at thescene@theeagleonline.com.

Disaffected youth infect indies THROUGH THE LENS

DONNY T. SHELDON If there’s something a film produced by the contemporary indie genre must possess, it’s a lost soul. I realized this the same weekend that I realized I had a problem when I could say I had seen three movies in theaters in the span of 24 hours. Oddly enough, however, I felt that I saw three variations of the same story with wildly different results in success — the same story that’s becoming the status quo for “indie” film. And by “indie” I mean in terms of style and tone, not

budget.

The first film I saw was an advanced screening of Nicole Holofcener’s new film “Please Help,” which I’ll put on the back burner for now, as the review is coming up in a week or so.

Just know that it was about a bunch of wary, young-to-middle-aged women grappling with issues of identity.

Next up was Noah Baumbach’s “Greenberg,” a consistently entertaining yet consistently aggravating dark comedy about 40ish-year-old Roger (Ben Stiller) house-sitting his wildly successful brother’s mansion in Los Angeles. Finally, I capped off my movie binge with Bradley Rust Gray’s “The Exploding Girl,” a wispy, breathy tale of Ivy (Zoe Kazan) who’s home in New York for the summer between semesters at a liberal arts school upstate.

Both “Greenberg” and “The Exploding Girl” toss their introspective

protagonists in identity limbo for a precise length of time with a clear end date on the horizon. Roger and Ivy rediscover their new, yet familiar surroundings, rekindle old friendships and juggle a potential romance to boot. It’s a textbook fish-out-of-water scheme, yet this sense of returning to old stomping grounds and facing the past in a new, enlightened manner is becoming increasingly essential to the indie genre. Indie audiences love themselves a meandering protagonist who likes good, older music (Roger digs The Cure), wears funky clothes (Ivy frequently dons an ironically granny-chic gray jumper that looks better suited for a retirement home) and has trouble identifying with the rest of their contemporaries (Roger’s married-with-children friends and Ivy’s party-hard, pot head pals).

It’s becoming a familiar plot sche-

matic, but also a masturbatory one. As the credits began to roll at each screening, I decided to take a peek at whom else was in the theater with me, and I can’t say I wasn’t surprised with the results. Hipsters galore. They moped out of the theater like Ivy did as she meandered around Williamsburg in Brooklyn. I even saw that cool Western plaid shirt I couldn’t bring myself to spend the $70 for at Urban. I guess it’s good that they’re educating themselves cinematically, but are these patrons only really there to watch themselves on screen? Sure, film is traditionally a self-reflexive experience, but it seems now more than ever that hipster sensibility, exterior and interiorly speaking, is really shaping the very rubric of the contemporary indie film.

You can reach this columnist at thescene@theeagleonline.com.

Ford, Johnson let ‘Perfect’ ‘Times’ roll on new albums

“Let The Hard Times Roll” David Ford Wrong Records

“Perfect View” Libby Johnson Original Signal

PERFECT VIEW

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LET THE HARD TIMES ROLL

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Sounds like: A timid Ingrid Michaelson

Sounds like: An acerbic Oasis meets an English Sage Francis

As depicted in the cover art and themes of her newest album, Libby Johnson has always been a traveler.

Between moving from the countryside to New York and back again, balancing life as a troubadour artist and activist, she finally finished recording “Perfect View” in early 2010. It seems like the four years since her previous album, “Annabella,” were just the right amount to age this gem.

Opening with the album’s title song, Johnson evokes a Sufjan Stevens kind of appeal. The melodies and lyrics seem simple enough, but it’s all about how they grow on you and really make you feel a kind of tenderness of nostalgia. Johnson’s voice is so beautifully understated that it’s really moving, and she keeps the song going by throwing in subtle nuances as it progresses. “Being Your Stranger” and “You’ve Got Your Own Magic” mimic this style — a subdued presentation that scores big on sentimental value. She sheds her somberness and melancholy in songs like “Rare and Beautiful” and “Coming Up For Air” where she stays true to her folk rock roots with a much-needed vigor.

Perhaps it was the four-year gap between this and the release of Johnson’s last album that really makes this one all the more charming. She channels the wistful weariness that came with all of her major life changes into her songs, leaving us with a wonderfully splendid amalgam of indie folk that was well worth the wait.

David Ford was the lead singer of the British band Easyworld until 2004, when he decided to pursue a solo career. Now a 30-something with three studio albums to his credit, Ford seems to be more self-aware than ever. The songs on his latest album show a neurosis that’s unlike his previous, more somber works like “Songs for the Road.” Incorporating a twang-y kind of old-school folk with a British rock attitude, he proves that a little boldness and versatility can make listening to music a lot of fun.

“Panic” is as solid an opener as there ever can be for a man like Ford.

It’s here where he becomes equal parts singer and preacher. A music box plays in the background to belie the fierceness of the song, building to a steady crescendo as thumping percussions, organs and other instruments cue in with each new verse.

This serves as a good preview for the rest of the album, as Ford is so unpredictable with what he serves up in each new song. “Surfin’ Guantanamo Bay” and “Nothing at All” are roughand-tumble segments that show off Ford’s ruggedness, while “Hurricane” and “Stephen” are sweet, Howie Dayesque ballads.

This album takes you on a veritable journey through the life of Ford.

If music is a reflection of self, than this album is a memoir. Each song is highly becoming of what he projects as his personality, and it makes an excellent milestone for his storied career.

— S.C.

— STEPHAN CHO

CLASSIFIEDS

APRIL 8, 2010

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KUSHAN DOSHI n Business Manager 202.885.3593

The Week in Fun: Know Your City THURS 8

FRI 27 9 THU

SAT 10

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists 8 p.m.

WHERE: 9:30 club, 815 V St. N.W. METRO: U Street/African-American War Memorial/Cardozo (green and yellow lines) INFO: On tour supporting his new album “The Brutalist Bricks,” Ted Leo is bringing his pop-punk ethos with a political edge to the nation’s capital. Catch him at the 9:30 club when he plays with Obits and the Screaming Females.

COST: $15 CONTACT: For more information, visit the 9:30 club’s Web site at www.930.com.

Hirshhorn After-Hours 8 p.m WHERE: Independence Avenue S.W. and Seventh Street S.W. METRO: Smithsonian (blue and orange lines) INFO: The Hirshhorn series of afterhours events tend to draw thousands of people to the oft-forgotten modern art museum, but this upcoming show is certain to demonstrate why people keep coming back. The show features street dancers The Step Fenz, while DJ Brian the Wizard provides music for the event.

COST: $18 CONTACT: For more information, visit the Hirshhorn’s Web site at http://hirshhorn.si.edu/afterhours/.

Dime-A-Dozen Final Concert 8 p.m WHERE: Kay Spiritual Life Center METRO: Tenleytown/AU (red line) INFO: Come to the final show of the year for Dime-A-Dozen, AUs co-ed a capella group. The group will be performing songs by Lady Gaga, the Beach Boys and Regina Spektor, so come and enjoy your favorite tracks redone in the group’s signature style.

COST: Free CONTACT: For more information, call Dime-A-Dozen at 610-5858887.

SUN 11

MON 12

TUE 13

Trans-Siberian Orchestra 7:30 p.m WHERE: Warner Theatre, 1299 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W. METRO: Metro Center (red, blue and orange lines) INFO: As the weather continues to warm, it may seem an odd choice to spend a Sunday enjoying Christmas songs. But the Trans Siberian Orchestra’s combination of Prog-rock influenced carols and epic light shows make it a hard opportunity to pass up.

COST: $51-$61 CONTACT: For more information, visit the Warner Theatre’s Web site at www.warnertheatre.com.

Taste of the Nation 7:30 p.m WHERE: National Museum Building, 401 F St. N.W. METRO: Gallery Place/Chinatown (red, green and yellow lines) INFO: How’s this for a deal? Not only do you get to sample a smorgasbord of the finest food and wine D.C. has to offer, but the proceeds go directly to Share Our Strength’s fight to end hunger both in D.C. and across the rest of the country.

COST: $85 CONTACT: For more information, visit Share Our Strength’s Web site at http://strength.org/washington/.

East of Eden 9 p.m.

WHERE: AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center, 8633 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring, Md. METRO: Silver Spring (red line) INFO: James Dean may have only appeared in a handful of films in his short career, but each cemented him as one of the most captivating performers of his era. His turn in this adaptation of Steinbeck’s classic novel “East of Eden” perfectly represents the generational conflicts of the time.

COST: $10 CONTACT: For more information, call the AFI Silver Theatre at 301495-6720.

Photo by PHIL CARUSO

A BRONX TALE — A film focused on both the small moments and the large, “City Island” explores the lives of a family with much to hide. The movie evokes laughs from the family’s untruths, but the real star is the city itself, which is rendered in loving detail, making the setting an entire character in and of itself.

Small family issues enlarged in ‘Island’

By BRYAN KOENIG Eagle Staff Writer

CITY ISLAND

Simple can be grand and, in the case of “City Island,” it is spectacular. It is a film beautiful in its simplicity and wonderful in its humanity, showcasing all the flaws and shortcomings and wonderful secrets that constitute what it means to be human — all for a raucous amount of heartfelt laughter.

“Island” is nearly perfect in its level of minute detail, expertly homing in on the bull’s-eye, postage-stamp universe of City Island, a Bronx suburb in New York City. It is so incredibly specific that it couldn’t possibly be more universal.

Actor Andy Garcia is Vincent Rizzo, a hard-working family man born and raised in City Island. Like every member of his family, he has a secret — perhaps even several. Under the guise of poker games, Vince has been taking acting lessons.

Every member of Vince’s family operates with their own unique and enthralling guise, each hiding a different kind of secret. Vincent’s wife Joyce, played to perfection by Julianna Margulies, feels unappreciated and suspicious of her husband. His son, Vince Jr. (Ezra Miller), is se-

Self-diagnosis may harm health n

from ALLERGIES on page 5

life-threatening and is usually related to how much of the food you ate. Or you could be experiencing a reaction to the pesticides on a fruit, an additive or even bacteria, which is a more concerning issue, but entirely unrelated to an allergy.

Personally, I’ve developed lactose intolerance over the past five or so years. I can eat a little cup of yogurt or have milk in my cof-

fee. But eating things like full-fat ice cream is not a fun experience.

I deal with it by using soymilk in my cereal and asking for no cheese on sandwiches or salads. I also get headaches sometimes after eating dark chocolate (I have the most unfortunate food intolerances ever), so I keep that in mind before I enjoy.

Bottom line: don’t invent an allergy and don’t try to diagnose yourself. If you are concerned, see

A

a doctor. But if your symptoms are mild, it is much more likely you are just a little intolerant to that food.

If that’s the case, feel free to be a picky eater. Just know that your life doesn’t necessarily depend on it.

Cheers to picky eating (when necessary).

You can reach this columnist at kbarrett@theeagleonline.com.

cretly a chubby-chasing “feeder.”

His daughter Vivian (Dominik Garcia-Lorido) was kicked out of school and is earning a living as a stripper. Each member is oblivious to the secrets of everyone else, all struggling with their own deception and all running in circles around one another, never touching and forever in motion.

And all this chaos is just the status quo. It’s disrupted when Vincent’s bigger secret, an excon named Tony (Steven Strait) who, along with everyone else, doesn’t know he’s really Vincent’s son, comes to live with them under the guise of helping Vince out as a handy man. Like the rest, this particular secret is deliciously toyed with as the characters grasp in the dark, totally oblivious that they are inadvertently stumbling towards each other.

In “Island,” writer/director Raymond De Felitta channels the best kind of Shakespearean comedy with drama, intrigue and an incredibly powerful and funny catharsis. Until they reach that point, the plot is ripe with the down-to-earth humor of the inconsistencies and secrets of everyday people hiding the reality of themselves behind their everyday lives. Each character knows only their own reality, and every level of the comedy of secrets is achieved at their hilarious expense.

This is very much a charac-

ter-driven story about family. It is a family of people who barely know each other, and slowly catch one another in their gravity and secrets, all to the delight of the audience. They are quirky and dysfunctional and thoroughly confused by their own lives. And we love them for it.

Each is grounded, real and spectacularly quirky, and made all the quirkier by how real they are and how well we know them.

Adopting Bronx accents that never sound forced, the characters are completely at home in City Island and in the very same environment that completely mystifies them in the best possible way. Every actor puts out a finely tuned, thoroughly convincing performance.

Garcia in particular is superb as a man who doesn’t think he has an acting bone in his body.

Yet he aspires to become something he is not, never realizing that this is the mark of an actor.

“City Island” never grates, never panders and never fails to be funny. The theater regularly erupts with laughter to humor that never feels the need to descend into mindless stupidity.

The plot is engaging and vivid with all the right kinds of humorous interconnectivity. Everybody lies and nobody knows it except for a smiling audience.

You can reach this staff writer at bkoenig@theeagleonline.com.

ERIC LEE / SONY PICTURES CLASSICS

JACK THE RIPPER — Rock documentaries have a special place in the film canon, representing the intersection between different art forms. Big names like Martin Scorcese have contributed to the genre, but the new documentary “Under Great White Northern Lights” about the White Stripes has earned a place among this panthenon. n

from ROCK DOCS on page 5

bands, it is the first time fans get to see a real look at what goes on between the two of them, and we get to see the audience from the band’s perspective.

But for those who know his workaholism, fans know that this is not the first rock doc that Jack White has been in this year. “It Might Get Loud” was released last fall which featured Jack, as well as the legendary Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin and The Edge of U2. The three vastly different but insanely talented guitarists got together to discuss guitars and what influences them. The movie is more for aspiring guitarists than anyone else, but it also gives sneak peeks into the lives of each of these men. It goes back into their past and shows how they got into making music. If you watch, you’ll see the mysterious Headley Grange mansion where Zeppelin record parts of “Led Zeppelin IV,” that The

Edge spends hours experimenting with techno and echo effects for his guitar and that Jack White’s favorite song is Son House’s “Grinnin’ Your Face.” To see these three legends jamming together is almost otherworldly and amazing for fans of any of these three men.

As far as legendary rock documentaries go, one would be remiss to not mention “Woodstock” or Bob Dylan’s classic documentary “Don’t Look Back.” “Woodstock” celebrated a re-release last fall with additional performances and extended scenes. The pull of the counterculture has never quite gone away, and in this documentary you’ll see legendary performances by the likes of The Who, Janis Joplin and the iconic Jimi Hendrix performing an electric guitar rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Joan Baez, then-girlfriend of Bob Dylan, provided peaceful trilling sopranos for the concert, adding a much-needed

touch of calm to the musical frenzy.

In Dylan’s “Don’t Look Back,” fans get more of a look at the man behind the music rather than the music itself. Baez makes an appearance, as do many other friends of Dylan. You get to see him in the rehearsal process, in the interviewing process and backstage before a concert. Dylan shares his philosophies and his dry wit, all to the awe of those who surround him. This is Bob Dylan in his most raw and influential stage of his career — the clad-in-black, frizzy-haired, chainsmoking, sunglass-wearing Dylan.

Aside from all these iconic films, rock docs have come a long way since the beginning. If you like a band, it’s likely that there’s a film that will take you behind the scenes, closer to them than ever.

You can reach this staff writer at ydesta@theeagleonline.com.

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SPORTS

APRIL 8, 2010

ANDREW TOMLINSON n Sports Editor 202.885.1404

Prince Albert to power Cards in division race OVER THE WALL

SAM LINDAUER With the season underway, we are looking at each division in the MLB. This week, we preview the NL Central.

PHILLIP OCHS / THE EAGLE

FIGHTIN’ EAGLES — Freshman Chiara Speziale fights for the ball in a game earlier this season. AU won its third game in a row, with a 19-12 victory over Lafayette College on Saturday at Jacobs Field. The win improves its overall record to 5-7 and 3-1 in Patriot League play.

Women’s lax extends streak

By KATE GRUEBEL Eagle Staff Writer The AU women’s lacrosse team extended their winning streak to three with a 19-12 victory over Lafayette University on Saturday at Jacobs Field.

Unselfish play by AU allowed senior Amanda Makoid, sophomore Lauren Schoenberger and freshman Samantha Marshall to each score three goals. Three more players were also part of the Eagles’ balanced offensive attack, scoring two goals each. Sophomore Emily Stankiewicz collected four points with two goals and two assists.

AU quickly commanded the momentum of the game on the breezy afternoon with back-toback goals by Schoenberger. Each time Schoenberger swiftly scored from in front of the cage off passes from teammates. Eagles Marshall, Makoid and sophomore Paige Lin rained in three more goals shortly after, giving AU a 5-

0 lead halfway through the first.

Lafayette retaliated with consecutive goals in under a minute after a timeout. AU midfielders Stankiewicz and Makoid responded with one goal each less than a minute later, to bring the score to 7-2. Throughout the period, the Leopards were unable to match the speed of AU sophomores Emma Larkin and Bernadette Maher, who repeatedly ran the ball the length of the field to set up looks at the net.

The two teams traded goals for the remaining 14 minutes of the first half. With less than two minutes to play in the first, AU collected two unanswered goals. The score at the end of the period, 134, reflected the fast momentum and confidence that characterized the team’s play from the first whistle.

“We wanted to carry out momentum from last Saturday’s win against Lehigh with us into the game,” Head Coach Katie Woods said. “We jumped out to a quick

start which I think in the end proved to be very helpful.”

AU returned to the field secure in their lead, drawing Lafayette fouls that generated consecutive goals from AU freshman Kimberly Collins and senior Lisa Schaaf.

Afraid that the first period would repeat itself, the Leopards came out hard. This new momentum led to three unanswered Lafayette goals and brought the score to 13-7 before AU called a timeout at the 16-minute mark.

With their lead cut to six, the Eagles increased their defensive pressure. A revived Leopards attack drew fouls that resulted in three goals to make it 13-10, the smallest Lafayette deficit for the rest of the game. This time, AU answered with three goals of their own by freshman Emily Burton, Schoenberger and Maher.

With the score at 16-10, Lafayette pulled out the last of their energy to score consecutive goals on AU goalie senior Frankie Solomon. The comeback was not

enough and the Eagles answered with three goals, the last of which went in at the buzzer.

AU out shot the Leopards 4323, recording 27 of their shots on goal in the first period. The Eagles’ intensity on the ball and their defensive pressure proved too much for Lafayette, who had 21 turnovers during the match.

The AU parents on the sideline, cowbells in hand, were as excited about the win as the players themselves. “[The fans are] always enthusiastic and always cheering, which is really helpful,” Woods said.

“They pretty much come with us everywhere.”

The Eagles kick off a two game road trip with a match againstundefeated conference leaderNavy on Wednesday.

You can reach this writer at sports@theeagleonline.com.

Sullivan takes first in 800-meter run

By BEN LASKY Eagle Staff Writer The AU men’s track team competed against Navy and Colgate on Saturday, ultimately finishing in third.

Conor Sullivan came in first place in the 800-meter run. The time was a personal best for Sullivan, who recorded a time of 1:53.55 and broke his own time from earlier this season. His posting from earlier in the year was the best time in the Patriot League.

Zach Wright placed second in the high jump, jumping 1.94 meters. Wright has had a solid rookie season and his performance on Saturday came up just short of tying his career high of 1.95 meters.

Jeff Brannigan finished in third place in the 1500-meter run with a time of 3:52.38. He was one of three Eagles to finish in the top 10 in the meet. Craig Brown came in fourth place in the run with a time of 3:55.51 and Josh Olsen came in fifth with a personal best time of 3:57.14.

AU had four athletes place in the top 10 in the 5000-meter run.

Mark Allen came in fourth with a time of 14:54.50. Garret Martucci came in seventh place with a time of 15:20.87, while Ryan Williams came in eighth with a time of 15:28.24. Finally, Mark Leininger came in 10th with a time of 15:35.57.

Matt Farrow competed in the 400-meter dash and the 200-meter dash. His time in the 400-meter was a 50.26. Meanwhile he posted a final time of 23.29 in the 200-meter, which is the ninth

fastest in AU history.

Next up for the men’s and women’s track teams is a meet at the Bison Outdoor Classic in Lewisburg, Pa., from April 9 to 10. It will be the second to last meet before the 2010 Patriot League Outdoor Track and Field Championships, which take place April 31 and May 1.

You can reach this writer at sports@theeagleonline.com.

St. Louis Cardinals: After winning the Central division last season, the Cardinals made the smart move to bring back outfielder Matt Holliday. Keeping the left fielder on the team to provide a bat that will protect Albert Puljols, will be critical for the team’s success. The top of the pitching staff remains one of the best in the league, with Adam Wainwright a 19 game-winner and former Cy Young award winner Chris Carpenter.

There isn’t a player in all of baseball who is more important to the success of his team than Pujols is to the Cardinals. Cardinal fans should expect him to have a productive season in the 2010 campaign. Another thing to remember about Pujols, is that he is a very good defender, a fact that is forgotten because of his offensive prowess. It’s hard to say that just one player is the reason a team will win the division, but Albert Pujols isn’t just any player.

Chicago Cubs: The hapless Cubs finished second in the division last season, but their 83-80 record made them look like anything but a competitive team. Chicago has embodied the frustration that has plagued the team for years. First there is Alfonso Soriano, the high-paid outfielder who has failed to live up to expectations. Soriano has proven he has a mix of power and speed in the past, but has not been playing enough to show off his skills lately. Former rookie of the year, Geovany Soto, had a bad sophomore slump last year.

Soto’s offensive numbers were practically cut in half from 2008 to 2009. If he keeps under producing, fans can forget about the playoffs.

As for the pitching staff, no one is more baffling than Carlos Zambrano.

On one hand, he is among the top starters in the National League, but on the other hand, he has had tons of injury problems and attitude issues.

Dealing with his antics is just part of being a Cubs fan. For the upcoming season, being a Cubs fan may also mean settling for second again.

Milwaukee Brewers: When people think about the Milwaukee Brewers, two players seem to come to mind — Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder. These two are both incredible offensive players and are a lot of fun to watch wallop fastballs over 400 feet. The Brewers’ problems start just after these two players, with the rest of the squad. Rickie Weeks and Carlos Gomez are not exactly striking fear into the hearts of pitchers across baseball.

Milwaukee’s starting pitching is about as unthreatening a pitching staff

could be. Their opening day starter was 24-year-old Yovani Gallardo. Last year he managed a record one game above the .500 mark. Who do they have backing him up? Randy Wolf.

That’s right, Randy Wolf is a number two starter. Braun and Fielder provide a good base to build a team around, but the Brewers need a lot of pieces to move up in the division.

Cincinnati Reds: While the Brewers appear stagnant for the time being in the Central, the Cincinnati Reds look to be moving up in the division. This offseason, the Reds made a big splash signing lefty phenom Aroldis Chapman to a big contract. Like the Stephen Strasburg situation with the Nationals, the team was put in an awkward position.

Do you get fans in the seats to see the incredibly talented young star-in-themaking, or do you send him down to the minors to work against some pros before throwing him out to the best in the world? Much like the Nats, Cincinnati made the right decision and sent him down.

The veteran presence of guys like third baseman Scott Rolen and shortstop Orlando Cabrera may help some of the team’s young stars. This core of young players will make the Reds the team to beat in a few seasons.

Houston Astros: The Astros are in that gray area, where the future doesn’t look bright, while the present does not look promising either. The team has only two legitimate power threats, Lance Berkman and Carlos Lee. Berkman has been showing that he has some health problems, which should make things go from bad to worse in Houston. Lee is a solid run producer, but to think he can single handedly carry this lineup is silly. Immensely talented Astro’s ace, Roy Oswalt, has been rotting away with the Astros for years. Not too long ago they were in the World Series and everything looked great for the team, but now it seems as if the team will never get back there.

Pittsburgh Pirates: It’s easy to get caught up in the hoopla of Cubs’ fans praying for a winning team, but Pirates fans are likely to be praying harder, as they haven’t had a winning season in a long while. The operating strategy in Pittsburgh seems to be to develop a talented player and then ship them off when it makes least sense. Top candidates to continue the tradition of getting rid of players fans grow to love are Garrett Jones, who led all rookies in home runs last season, and center fielder Andrew McCutchen, who many believe has all the tools to become a great player for a team that is not the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Prediction: Cardinals will continue to rein supreme, but keep an eye on the Reds. Cincinnati is not that far off from challenging for a playoff birth and division crown.

You can reach this writer at sports@ theeagleonline.com.

AU women’s basketball looks to build off of successful season

By TYLER TOMEA Eagle Staff Writer Heading into this year’s hoops season, the AU men’s basketball team garnered all the attention because of their back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances.

Two straight Patriot League tournament titles and a near upset of the nationally ranked Villanova Wildcats will naturally thrust a program into the spotlight.

But with the AU men’s squad hurt by the graduation of its top players last year, the historic season put forth by the AU women’s team flew under the radar.

Head Coach Matt Corkery was promoted to his current position on May 19, 2008, after serving as AU’s associate Head Coach during the 2007-2008 season. Corkery took over for Melissa McFerrin, who guided the Eagles to the 2008 Patriot League regular season championship and picked up right where she left off.

Corkery has compiled a 4122 record while at AU and was named Patriot League Coach of the Year this past season. His focused, confident demeanor on the sidelines has paid off in a big way for his team.

“He had a huge impact on the way we performed,” rising senior Liz Leer said of Corkery. “He always was focused on the next game and he brought our energy and excitement to the next level.”

A firm believer in the “defense wins championships” philosophy, Corkery and his team executed their defensive gameplan flawlessly on most nights. The Eagles led the Patriot League both in scoring defense and blocked shots.

“We take a lot of pride in defense, and we feel that’s something you could do well every night,” Corkery said. “I think that was really key for our success.”

Things did not always go so smoothly for the AU women, as they split their 18 non-conference games.

“The difference was injuries,” Corkery said. “We were playing with a lot of injuries in November and December. We got healthy in January.”

But for schools not from the power conferences, conference play is the true barometer of a successful season.

“Conference play is completely different from non-conference play,” Leer said, who was a first

team All-Patriot League selection.

The Eagles ended up making a huge statement in the first game of Patriot League play. Their conference opener saw them take on the Lehigh Mountain Hawks, the preseason favorites in the PL.

“I think we had a team willing to give up personal accolades for the good of the team.”

– Matt Corkery

AU defeated Lehigh 69-65 in overtime, thanks to 32 points from Michelle Kirk. This game showed that these two teams were the class of the conference, and that the NCAA tournament bid would go to one of these two clubs. Also, it showed the playmaking ability of Kirk, who would go on to be

named the Patriot League player of the year.

Despite his team winning its first seven conference games, Corkery decided to tinker with the starting lineup and swapped Lisa Strack for Ebony Edwards.

“I think it was a situation where Lisa had been doing a lot of things coming off the bench,” Corkery said. “After we [moved her], there [was] a little bit of an adjustment period for both her and Ebony. Both of the players did it very willingly.”

Highlighting the team’s chemistry and cohesiveness, the starting lineup change did not derail a successful season. The Eagles won six of their seven remaining regular season games after the switch, with the only loss coming on the road against Lehigh.

“I think we had a team willing to give up personal accolades for the good of the team,” Corkery said.

AU entered the conference tournament at 20-8, with a 13-1 conference record. They were not done there though and continued to set milestones. The 13 PL victories set a record for most conference wins in program history.

It was also the first time ever that

two AU players had been named to the All-Patriot League first team (Kirk and Leer). It was only the fourth 20-win season ever in AU women’s basketball history.

“We didn’t pay attention to records we were breaking or anything like that,” Leer said. “But at the end of the season, it’s great to look up at those things.”

Entering the conference tournament as the number 2 seed, the Eagles won their quarterfinal and semifinal games by a combined 53 points, the largest margin of victory in the first two rounds in PL Tournament History. These two victories set up a rubber match between Lehigh and AU. Lehigh defeated AU 58-42 in the final, as the Eagles fell one victory short of reaching the “Big Dance.”

“It was incredibly disappointing,” Corkery said. “We had a great opportunity to win that game and a great opportunity to head to the NCAA Tournament.”

The Eagles’ final record stood at 22-10 and 13-1 in the conference, as a loss to the Old Dominion Monarchs in the WNIT ended their campaign.

Despite two losses to end the season, Corkery and crew are

putting together a program that has the tools to be regularly competitive at AU. He has the trust of his players and leads a team that has fun playing with each other.

“This year I think was one of the best years I ever experienced at AU,” Leer said. “As a whole, we wanted to have fun and we needed to do that in order to win.”

If you didn’t pay attention to the team this year, you need to do so next year. Ohemaa Nyanin and Nicole Ryan will graduate, but the team will return five of its top six scorers.

While this year’s postseason just wrapped up, the Eagles are already preparing to make a significant impact next year.

“Our expectations are very high for next year,” Leer said.

“It’s driving us all throughout our postseason workouts.”

With a wealth of talent returning, the Eagles hope to be playing on ESPN in March, on a national stage and no longer under the radar.

You can reach this writer at sports@theeagleonline.com.