The Eagle — Oct. 29, 2009

SLOW LANE Students take a day away from city life to enjoy buggies, home cooking and life in Lancaster, Pa. SCENE page 5

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NEWS DENTAL DANGER KPU speaker warns of the dangers of flouride and EPA’s inaction page 4

EDITORIAL

NEWT SHOULD RUN In 2012, Gingrich could prove that the Republicans aren’t anti-intellectual page 3

SCENE SWEET SYMPHONY AU choral director takes to the stage with Baroque at heart page 7

SPORTS FLYING HIGH Men’s soccer topples Georgetown Hoyas 3-1

SG subsidy funds club travel

By LINDSEY ANDERSON Eagle Staff Writer The AU Student Government is offering transportation subsidies of up to $500 per semester for clubs and organizations that cannot travel to events with AUTO vans.

Groups funded by Student Activities fees can apply for the subsidy to help cover travel costs such as rental car fees or airfare.

Under the AUTO program, student organizations can use AUTO vans to attend events less than 50 miles away. Students must rent cars or buses for events farther than 50 miles.

The subsidy aims to help student groups attend events outside of AUTO’s distance limits.

“We have a lot of student organizations that go away from AU and are representing us ... and we want to make sure they can get to those places and finances aren’t holding them back,” said SG President Andy

MacCracken. MacCracken approves the subsidy requests since the initiative falls within his control over the SG budget.

SG set aside $5,000 to $6,000 for the transportation subsidy initiative this year, MacCracken said. Nothing in the SG general budget was cut to make room for the subsidy program, he said in a follow-up e-mail.

A similar program last year allowed student groups to rent performance spaces in Katzen Arts Center and Greenberg Theatre as if they were external clients. This year, the university took over the arts space rental subsidy, making room for the transportation initiative in the SG budget, MacCracken said. With increased enrollment at AU, the SG budget also expanded by 5.8 percent, he said.

Ed Levandoski, the treasurer for AU’s Model United Nations, applied for the subsidy when he heard of the program. Attending a conference at the University of Pennsylvania costs

$2,000 in transportation alone, he said in an e-mail.

“Any amount from Student Government will allow us to compete in the competition with a lesser financial burden on the students,” he said.

The initiative is a pilot program, MacCracken said, and may be expanded in the future. Already, a few organizations, such as Model U.N., have applied for subsidies, he said.

Greek Life and Club Sports cannot currently apply for the transportation subsidy.

Right now, there is not enough money for all student organizations to receive a transportation subsidy, MacCracken said.

“If we see the clubs aren’t utilizing it as much as we expected, we will open it up [to more organizations] next semester,” he said.

To include Club Sports, SG may join with the Club Sports program in the future, possibly creating a matching program, MacCracken said. Un-

AU unlikely to follow suit on policy

By MELISSA MASON Eagle Contributing Writer This year, Tufts University in Massachusetts created a new rule prohibiting sexual activity in the residence halls while a roommate is present.

The new Tufts rule is found in the Tufts University document “Habitats: Guide to On-Campus Living.”

“You may not engage in sexual activity while your roommate is present in the room,” the guide states.

“Any sexual activity within your assigned room should not ever deprive your roommate(s) of privacy, study or sleep time.”

While roommates can still “sex-

ile” each other, the roommate being into the realm of an individual’s persexiled can refuse to leave the room. sonal choices, for institutions that This now forces the other roommate are similar to American University, to find another place for sex. in regards to their sexuality or their “I like that rule; I would not sexual behavior,” he said.

A m e l i a want to be in McDuffy, a juthe room while nior in the Komy roommate is god School of having sex,” said Hannah Smith, Business who a sophomore in has been sexiled, the College of said she agrees Arts and Sciwith the rule. ences, who has “I think it’s not been sexiled. appropriate,” she “But I would said. “I mean, I just leave; I don’t don’t mind you think it needs to wanting to do be a rule.” what you want – Rick Treter Rick Treter, to do, but I don’t Director of Residence Life director of Resiwant to be present to see it.” dence Life at AU, She would be does not support implementing similar regulations on okay with AU instituting a similar campus. Treter said he is shocked by rule, McDuffy said. the rule.

However, Treter does not think “It is not customary that we move such restrictions would be feasible

KELLY BARRETT/FILE PHOTO

VEGAN DYNASTY — Peta2’s ‘Vegetarian-Friendly College’ competition pits AU against nearby Georgetown University in the first round. Last year AU beat out Wesleyan University to take home the victory.

HI 64° n LO 55°

SATURDAY

By SARAH PARNASS

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at AU. This is the first academic year Tufts has instituted this rule. Tufts officials have probably been work-

Eagle Staff Writer

AU seeks vegetarian glory for second straight year

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

LOVE LOCKDOWN — Socks on the door handle usually mean only one thing — do not enter! Tufts University instituted a school-wide policy against ‘sexiling’ earlier this year. AU has no plans to implement a similar rule.

By SARAH PARNASS

TODAY’S WEATHER

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KELLY BARRETT / PHOTO ILLUSTRATION

AU in retrospect

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HI 71° n LO 50°

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

ing on the rule for some time, Treter said.

At AU, there are many layers a n

see SEXILE on page 6

Giving back: old-school style

There are many questions remaining in the last half of NCAA season

FRIDAY

women’s rugby team, said the team already had three games this semester that were outside the AUTO radius.

Travel is the team’s biggest cost even though Club Sports helps with rental car prices, she said in an e-mail.

“I hope that SG is really including Club Sports because we have the same financial needs as other clubs at AU,” Hermes said. “We do a lot of fundraising already to off-set costs and even something like a matching program would really help us be able to spend money on other things we need.”

The program is one aspect of a two-part initiative to increase transportation options for students, MacCracken said. The other half of the initiative aims to lower the Zipcar age requirement to 18-years-old.

Student groups should apply for the subsidy at least four weeks before their event.

“It is not customary that we move into the realm of an individual’s personal choices ...”

UP IN THE AIR

Mostly cloudy with periods of drizzle

der the program, if Club Sports wanted to set aside $1,000 specifically for transportation subsidies, for example, SG would match the amount with $1,000.

Nicole Davies and Rebecca Prowler, co-presidents of the club field hockey team, said Club Sports should also be able to apply for the transportation subsidy.

“We all use AUTO, so we should all have an equal chance to receive additional funds to cover transportation expenses,” they said in an e-mail.

“Club sports represent AU on the most basic level, so we should be able to represent AU in the best light when traveling to play other schools.”

The team often travels outside of AUTO’s 50-mile radius, they said.

Usually the team tries to use athletic vans, which are free to the clubs except for gas. If not, they rent vans, which cost about $85 per day, Davies and Prowler said.

Krysi Hermes, president of the

Tufts provides hope for ‘sexiles’

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OCTOBER 29, 2009 VOLUME 84 n ISSUE 19

Eagle Staff Writer Peta2 kicked off its annual “Vegetarian-Friendly Colleges” competition this month, and AU is once again among the top 32 universities across the country vying for the title spot.

This is the fourth year that peta2 — the youth-focused subsidiary of the animal rights organization, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals — has held the contest.

Last year, AU won the competition, outranking 46 other nominees with

dishes from vegan Korean barbecue to spicy seitan in miso broth with noodles, according to peta2.

In addition to those dishes, the Terrace Dining Room offers a full salad bar, at least one vegetarian pizza choice and a meatless Fire Wok option every day. These can be paired with any of the rotating features such as General Tso’s seitan, vegan macaroni and cheese or curried vegetables with rice.

AU’s rival in this first round of competition is Georgetown University. Georgetown ranked 10th out

of 46 schools last year, according to peta2. The organization highlighted Georgetown’s barbecued veggieriblet sandwiches, Asian sesame lo mein and vegan tacos.

Winners are determined through voting. Anyone is eligible to vote for any school.

Laura Lee, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, said she has been a vegetarian for the past two years.

“It’s pretty easy,” Lee said. “There’s a lot of vegetarian options [at AU].” n

see PETA2 on page 6

Here’s the scene: It’s May in D.C., the year 1968. Women in short dresses twirl in circles around the flowers on the Main Quad. Men with square glasses slouch on the sidelines, running fingers through their long hair. There’s tension in the spring air — murmurs about revolution and policy changes on campus — but this is a weekend of festivities and celebration.

The Annual Spring Queen reigns over all of this with two unlikely collaborators: the ugliest man and professor on campus.

It may sound surprising to our ears, trained as they have become to the politically correct rhetoric of the day, but from 1958 until sometime in the early 1970s (records from this era are sometimes incomplete), AU students elected The Ugly Man, and some years, The Ugly Professor too.

“It was crazy,” said former President of Phi Sigma Kappa and 1960 AU Ugly Man of the year, Bill Eggenschiller.

Each year, campus organizations and individuals submitted their nominations to the AU service fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega. Students then put pennies in the jars of the students and professors they felt deserved the title. At the end of the competition the money collected went to one of several charity ventures. For example, in 1971, the APO chapters at Howard University,

Georgetown University, George Washington University and AU teamed up to raise $1,000 for underprivileged orphans in Honduras.

Part of AU’s contribution to the fund — as well as Georgetown’s — came from the Ugly Man and Ugly Professor competition.

Eggenschiller said the contest itself reflected a student’s popularity.

“It had nothing to do with looks,” Eggenschiller said. “It had to do with how much support you got.”

School of International Service professor and AU alumnus Gary Weaver confirmed Eggenschiller’s statement that the contest reflected little on the winner’s appearance — perhaps because Weaver won the title of Ugly Professor himself one year.

“Ugly Professor meant most popular,” Weaver explained. “Nobody really voted for somebody because they thought they were ugly — I hope.”

An editorial that ran in The Eagle in Feb. 1968 would seem to support Weaver’s claim to popularity — it called him “one of the few people in SIS able to work with students, to understand them and to help them when they needed help.”

In addition to his impressive teaching career at AU, Weaver earned his bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate here.

At one point during his studies at AU, Weaver served as president of APO. The organization was a fraternity dedicated to service rather than social commitments, according to Weaver, who also said he did away with hazing during his time as president.

“Alpha Phi Omega had a reputation for doing work in the community and n

see UGLY on page 2

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OCTOBER 29, 2009

news 2

THURS 29

FRI 30

SAT 31

SUN 1

MON 2

TUES 3

Author Event: Sherman Alexie WHEN: 7 p.m.

WHERE: Politics and Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave. N.W. METRO: L1 or L2 bus from Van Ness (red line) INFO: Alexie reads from his collection of stories about ordinary men going through extraordinary life changes.

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

Exhibit: Athletes - The Sports Illustrated Photography of Walter Iooss WHEN: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. daily WHERE: Newseum, 555 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W. METRO: Archives - Navy Memorial - Penn Quarter (yellow and green lines) INFO: Swimmers, surfers and gymnasts get the spotlight in this exhibition of photojournalism.

COST: $20 CONTACT: For more information, call 888-639-7386.

Halloween on Screen: “Shaun of the Dead” WHEN: 9:45 p.m.

WHERE: AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center, 8633 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring, Md. METRO: Silver Spring (red line) INFO: AFI presents a Halloween showing of the 2004 cult-classic about a man who is in the middle of solving the problems in his life when he has to deal with a zombie invasion of his town.

COST: $10 CONTACT: For more information, call 301-495-6720.

Play: “Waiting for Godot” WHEN: 8 p.m.

WHERE: Prince George’s Public Playhouse, 5445 Landover Rd. Cheverly, Md. METRO: New Carrollton (orange line) INFO: The Classical Theatre of Harlem stages a version of Samuel Beckett’s play set in post-Katrina New Orleans.

COST: $10 CONTACT: For more information, call 301-699-2255.

Exhibit: “Man Ray, African Art, and the Modernist Lens” WHEN: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

WHERE: Phillips Collection, 1600 21st St. N.W. METRO: Dupont Circle (red line) INFO: The Phillips Collection presents a display of more than 100 photographs of African art by Man Ray and his 20th-century contemporaries, including Walker Evans and Alfred Stieglitz.

CONTACT: For more information, call 202-387-2151.

Comedy: Dane Cook WHEN: 7 p.m.

WHERE: George Mason University - Patriot Center 4500 Patriot Circle Fairfax, Va. METRO: Vienna/Fairfax- GMU (orange line) INFO: The popular comedian brings his unique brand of humor to the D.C. area to promote his upcoming Comedy Central show and his new CD “Isolated Incident.”

COST: $33 CONTACT: For more information, call 703-993-3000.

dents do not remember if they locked their door upon leaving the room. When they returned, the door was locked. There was no personal information on either computer. Both students indicated they will be contacting MPD to file a report.

proached from behind, grabbed her buttock and then grabbed her arm. The victim screamed. The suspect said, “I love you.” The victim walked toward the Tenley Campus. The suspect walked south on Wisconsin Avenue. AU DPS and MPD responded. MPD made contact with a suspect.

MPD apprehended a suspect for assaulting another female in a similar manner on Wisconsin Avenue. That assault occurred during the time the first incident was being investigated.

n

from UGLY on page 1

for charity and so forth, so [the Ugly Man Contest] was a way to promote service on the campus,” Weaver said. “Everybody knew what it meant: it was Alpha Phi Omega again trying to do good somewhere.”

Proceeds from the contest often served to aid people in other nations, but in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, conflicts at home emerged as more demanding of students’ attention, Weaver said.

“Everybody got so involved in the anti-war movement, the civil rights movement and that sort of thing that [APO] was no longer attractive to a lot of activist students who wanted to be more radically activist than being a part of this service organization.”

Nonviolent conflict erupted on campus when students demanding greater involvement with governance of the university “took over a number of buildings — the administration building, the Ward Circle building — and put a big banner on the front of the Mary Graydon Center that read ‘A New AU,’ which is ironic because this is the slogan for the [most recent AU fundraising campaign], but the new AU was really invented by a group of hippies way back in [1969],” Weaver said.

Both Weaver’s ruminations and the yearbooks from that era paint a picture of a cam-

pus in revolution: stone-faced police mixed with students in Ward Circle, class officers posing wrapped in little more than the American flag, a sign reading “ABSOLUTELY NO TEARGAS VICTIMS ALLOWED IN MGC.” “Every day, it was kind of a routine,” Weaver said. “[AU] got tear-gassed around 2 or 3 o’clock in the afternoon.”

Amid the atmosphere of turmoil that accompanied the ‘70s at AU, APO lost its charter and the Ugly Man Contest disappeared.

The service fraternity reorganized as a new chapter separate from the old in 1998, according to current APO President and Eagle Staff Writer Howie Perlman.

Though Perlman mentioned no intentions to revive the Ugly Man competition, he did say APO continues to integrate fun and service, as the fraternity did in the ‘60s.

APO’s participation in the Making Strides Walk for breast cancer awareness and fundraising on Oct. 31 is one example of this fun-service combination, according to Perlman.

“We will have a good deal of fun fighting this horror together,” Perlman said.

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

POLICE

BLOTTER

Oct. 21 Letters were taken from a sign at the northern entrance to the Kogod School of Business.

A laptop computer was stolen from a locker in the Washington College of Law. The victim is unsure whether or not he had secured the locker. When the victim returned, he noticed the combination lock open and hanging on the locker.

Oct. 22 A resident director reported a smell resembling marijuana emanating from an Anderson Hall room. After walking through the room, the RD indicated no one was in the room and there was no evidence of marijuana usage in the room. The RD secured the door.

A hot water pipe broke in a 7th floor women’s restroom in Leonard Hall. Water poured down from the ceiling in the lobby area by the main entrance doors.

Facilities Management and Aramark were notified.

An individual with no known

university affiliation was found sleeping on a bench outside the upper level of the Centennial Garage. The individual was barred and escorted from campus.

Oct. 23 DPS responded to a report of an injured student inside MGC. The student signed a medical refusal form. A friend indicated he would transport the student to a hospital.

DPS responded to a report of a highly intoxicated individual outside the McKinley Building. The individual, a student, was slightly coherent and on the ground vomiting. EMS transported the individual to a hospital.

Oct. 24 An unidentified suspect entered an Anderson room. When a resident of the room asked what the suspect was doing, the suspect began asking questions about a fraternity. The suspect stated he had to leave and left the room.

DPS responded to a report of smoke in Anderson and discovered two fire extinguishers had been discharged. No smoke or fire was discovered. A damaged ceiling tile was found.

Oct. 25 Two laptop computers were taken from the room of two residents in Capitol Hall. The resi-

Oct. 26 An individual was barred from the library for being belligerent with staff members when they did not comply with her requests.

Oct. 27 A 20-year-old female student was walking when a male suspect ap-

EDITORIAL

OCTOBER 29, 2009

GRAHAM VYSE n Editorial Page Editor EdPage@TheEagleOnline.com

JEN CALANTONE n Editor in Chief Editor@TheEagleOnline.com

Republicans need intellectuals in ‘12; Newt should run IN OUR OWN WORDS

GRAHAM VYSE About a year ago, New York Times columnist David Brooks wrote an incredibly insightful column called “The Class War Before Palin.” In it, he describes the anti-intellectualism that afflicts today’s Republican Party. He explains how politicians like Sarah Palin rail against educated elites and refuse to make an intellectual case for conservatism. “What had been a disdain for liberal intellectuals,” Brooks wrote, “slipped into a disdain for the educated class as a whole.”

Republicans should address this issue, because anti-intellectualism hurts America. But they should also change their tune, because it would win them votes.

Politics is about ideas. Campaigns are basically about arguments. One person who knows this is Barack Obama. His ability to convincingly communicate liberal ideology stems from his intellectualism. The president is a deep thinker. He is as adept at discussing the details and nuances of public policy as he is at discussing broad philosophical concepts. He can win the argument, because he understands every side of it.

What the Republican Party needs now is someone who is both brilliant and articulate. It needs an intellectual heavyweight who can step into the arena and beat Barack Obama in a battle of ideas. Which is why Newt Gingrich grabbed my attention Sunday when he told C-SPAN he may run for president in 2012.

A former history professor, Gingrich first came to Congress in 1978.

He rose to national prominence as the chief architect of the Republican takeover in 1994. Under his leadership, a GOP that had spent 40 years in the political wilderness found its way back to power. In the wake of that success, Gingrich served as Speaker of the House until the end of the Clinton era, effectively pulling the president’s agenda to the center.

There are obstacles Gingrich would need to overcome as a candi-

date. He would need to tone down the vicious partisanship he became famous for as Speaker. That would be difficult. This is a man who has John McCain’s fondness for compromise.

Nor does he have Barack Obama’s cool and conciliatory temperament when dealing with his political adversaries. Gingrich can be polarizing and even mean.

But he is brilliant. He is a serious thinker and probably one of the most articulate conservatives in America today. Nothing demonstrates this better than the work he has done since leaving the House.

Gingrich has made a new career for himself as a prolific author and ubiquitous Fox News commentator.

But he has contributed more to our national dialogue than cable chatter.

Over the past few years, he has produced movies on political and historical topics with his wife, traveled the country campaigning for education reform with Al Sharpton and appeared in public service announcements about the climate crisis with Nancy Pelosi. He has started a group called American Solutions that offers serious conservative policy proposals. In between all of that, Gingrich has found time to hit the lecture circuit and convert to Catholicism.

This is a man who has ideas and passion. He has a vision for America and the will to make it a reality. He understands conservative politics, policy and philosophy in a way that people like Sarah Palin never will.

Whether or not Gingrich would be a viable presidential candidate remains to be seen. The odds are against him. He is probably a bit too old. He is probably a bit too polarizing. It may be that his time has come and gone.

But he should still run.

In a presidential primary, Gingrich could do great things. He could raise the level of dialogue. He could get wonky and philosophical. And, in the aftermath of the Bush presidency and the Palin candidacy, he could prove conservatism can be intellectual again.

Graham Vyse is a junior in the School of Public Affairs and the editorial page editor for The Eagle.

You can reach him at gvyse@ theeagleonline.com.

AU cultivates capable political leaders who debate with civility THAT AMERICAN LIFE

ERIN CADY I love AU. I love the political atmosphere: most students know what’s going on in America — and even what’s being debated on the floor of the House of Representatives. I love that we are located in Washington, D.C., where history is being made every day, and with one relatively short Metro ride we can be a part of it. I love that we have classes in the city that are based on a practical, rather than theoretical approach, and where instead of learning about Congress or the Supreme Court you can go down for a class period and witness the action yourself.

All of these things are taken for granted by AU students; after all, this is our reality every day. The fact that David Gregory or Jared Bernstein, the vice president’s economic advisor, came to speak on campus is just another routine, albeit exciting, happening.

This simple truth is not at all commonplace among American colleges.

I have friends — intelligent friends — studying at all different kinds of schools in all different locations.

None of them have a political atmosphere similar or even half as intense as AU’s.

While this isn’t terribly surprising — after all, we are one of the most politically active campuses in the country — the lack of interest on some college campuses is astounding. In fact, a recent study noted that only 26 percent of students entering college express an interest in following politics.

One of my friends at Lafayette College in Easton, Pa., remarked to me the other day that nobody she knew

heard about Ted Kennedy’s death until about two weeks after. At AU, I think the time delay was about five minutes. Besides the fact that I could never go to a school where 74 percent of students have no clue what’s going on in the world, this statistic is incredibly disconcerting.

It is our generation that will sooner than later have to pick up the mantle and take over the leadership of this country, both by becoming the next generation of representatives and by constituting a significant block of the electorate. The fact that a majority of our peers across the country are content with remaining politically unaware does not bode well for us at all.

However, there is one bright hope for our future. After attending quite a few of the Kennedy Political Union’s speaker series, I’ve noticed that Republicans and Democrats often can come to a consensus on even the most controversial issues. Take this past weekend’s debate between Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele and Chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council Harold Ford, Jr. Although their health care debate became heated at times, it remained a civil conversation about the issues, with no shouts of “You lie!” or any other ridiculousness that seems to have become all too prevalent in politics today. I left the debate with a positive view of both Steele and Ford.

That, I think, is the point and purpose of AU: to educate the next generation of political leaders and activists.

It is not a hope, but a necessity for all of us to be able to sit down and have a civil conversation with members of the opposing party like Steele and Ford did.

Erin Cady is a freshman in the School of Public Affairs and an AU Affairs columnist for The Eagle. You can reach her at edpage@theeagleonline.com.

JOE CORCORAN / THE EAGLE

Colleges: stay out of students’ sex lives Tufts University recently prohibited students from having sex in their rooms when a roommate is present. Should school officials really be regulating this sort of thing?

This year, Tufts University decided to get involved in the sex lives of its students. The school implemented a policy prohibiting students from engaging in sexual activity in their residence halls while a roommate is present. If a student seeking to have sex asks his or her roommate to leave the room and the roommate refuses, the student must find another place for sex. Anyone who breaks this rule may lose the privilege to bring guests back to his or her room. The policy is designed to protect shy students who are inconvenienced by their roommate’s

sex lives. The idea is that these students shouldn’t under any circumstance feel they have to leave their rooms to accommodate their roommates.

AU’s Residence Life director, Rick Treter, doesn’t think our campus needs a policy like this.

“It is not customary that we move into the realm of an individual’s personal choices ... in regards their sexuality or their sexual behavior,” he told the Eagle.

This makes sense. Tufts’ policy seems intrusive and unnecessary.

We’ve all heard of a nanny states.

This policy makes Tufts look like

a nanny campus. It means well, but it may actually end up having many negative consequences.

One problem with the policy is that it discourages students from developing interpersonal skills that would make dealing with a difficult roommate easier. By not having a policy like this, AU encourages its students to fill out roommate agreements or simply talk to their roommates about these issues. Most people are reasonable. Most people are willing to work things out. And for those extreme circumstances where talking doesn’t cut it, AU does have

mediators that can step in and help. This should be perfectly sufficient for everyone.

College is about getting an education, but it’s also about learning to live more independently. Living more independently means taking personal responsibility in social matters. This is a life skill. Thankfully, AU is confident that its students can learn it on their own.

Our school stays out of our sex lives and lets us take responsibility for our own personal relationships. We should be grateful that we go to a university that treats us as adults.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

on the planet, is not a pollutant.

Moreover, polar bears are not dying in droves because of a lack of Arctic sea ice. Yet many, possibly including you, have been led to assume these as basic “facts” that any learned individual should know.

AU College Republicans hosted a screening of the film “Not Evil Just Wrong,” which tackles the tenets of modern environmentalism and questions the legitimacy of the science surrounding global warming hysteria. Climate change is a naturally occurring process, but it’s unfortunate that this phrase is so frequently interchanged with global warming. Our climate is changing — it is becoming cooler.

So why, as put forth in an article complaining against the College Republicans, should we operate on the assumption that significant anthropogenic global warming exists when emerging science contradicts that same assumption?

Before succumbing to this global warming hysteria, shouldn’t we at least be sure the science is true and not unfairly exaggerated? The person who wrote the letter, Anjali Bean, and her fellow disappointed

friends should appreciate and not attempt to quash the nuanced debate College Republicans encourage.

Why does Al Gore use a private jet when carbon dioxide releases from air travel are the supposed worst emissions contributing to global warming? Why must American families suffer up to a $3,000 increase in their energy bills if global warming legislation passes? Why was the hockey stick model touted so publicly by environmentalists to demonstrate warming trends and later dismissed as insignificant by the same group when it was found to be flawed? Advocates for action on global warming should answer these questions and not dismiss them simply because they challenge the sacred words of Al Gore.

The starkest underlying issue Ms. Bean and her disappointed friends have with the College Republicans resurrecting the global warming debate relates to cap and trade legislation affecting American workers. Ms. Bean wrote in her piece, “The heartwarming story of the factory worker from

Indiana who depends on oil to make his living is of course true, but missing the bigger picture completely. Transitions in industry have happened at many junctures in American history, and the country has managed to go on.”

Essentially, she wants American families to struggle and “just deal” with the negative impacts of cap and trade. Frankly, that’s quite easy for her to say indicating how out of touch she and environmentalists are with the American public.

Contrary to public belief, College Republicans do care about working men and women, unlike cap and trade advocates. Encouraging the passage of legislation that could harm American families is foolish and downright dangerous, especially considering the shaky and challenged assumptions the entire thing is predicated upon.

Honest and open debate, which the College Republicans encouraged with the screening of the film, should occur without environmentalists trying to sideline it in pursuit of an agenda.

College Republicans should show an informative, uncommon film

I have encountered many disappointed people as of late, and I do not know what to do about it.

They seem to want me to feel sorry for them because they are being challenged. You may ask, what is challenging these disappointed individuals? The answer is the resurrection of the global warming debate. Frankly, I do not know why they are so disappointed. They should view this as the Waterloo of the global warming skeptics, since any debate on the subject is an open-and-shut case.

Proponents for action on global warming fundamentally assume greenhouse gas emissions, like the pollutant carbon dioxide, gather in the atmosphere and trap heat that melts Arctic sea ice and drowns polar bears. No wonder these individuals are so disappointed; the gas they emit every time they exhale ends up killing cute, cuddly polar bears! Now, of course, this is pure foolishness. Carbon dioxide, an essential element to life

the EAGLE

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the EAGLE

OCTOBER 29, 2009

news 4

Adjunct profs. teach for joy, not benefits

COMMERCE IS GR-R-REAT!

By SARAH RUDNICK Eagle Staff Writer

YIPIN LU / THE EAGLE

Carlos Gutierrez, hosted by the AU College Republicans, came to AU Tuesday, Oct. 20., to make his speech, “The Republican Challenge.”

He spoke on the current state of United States. Gutierrez served as U.S. Secretary of Commerce under President Bush’s administration, from 2005 to 2009, and is involved in U.S.-Cuba foreign policy. Gutierrez also served as the CEO of the Kellogg Company.

Groups plan energy fund AU ‘recycles’ money for clean energy

By ANDREW GALL Eagle Contributing Writer EcoSense, Student Government, Alpha Phi Omega and the College Democrats have teamed up to move AU toward greater sustainability by creating a Clean Energy Revolving Fund.

The fund will enable students, alumni and anybody else with an interest in AU’s commitment to sustainability to donate to a fund that is specifically set aside to pursue clean energy projects on campus.

CERF will give “people with ideas and imagination the tools to protect the environment,” said Mike Mayer, a former undergraduate senator who sponsored a bill in the Senate supporting the fund.

The fund is called “revolving”

because the money AU saves from decreased energy costs will then be kicked into the fund to finance future renewable energy projects.

Drew Veysey, EcoSense president and SG Environmental policy director who helped write the Senate bill, praised the design.

“The money that is given to the Clean Energy Revolving Fund will be used over and over again,” he said.

The fund also incentivizes donors.

“Students will be more likely [to donate] if they can see what they’re giving to,” MacCracken said. “If you give 10 dollars to put in a solar panel, there are opportunities to see the product of your contribution.”

By passing this bill, AU is on its way to becoming the 55th college or university in the country to establish a CERF. Madeline Howard, a sophomore at Georgetown University, said she was jealous that AU was ahead of Georgetown and that it sounded like a “great idea.”

George Washington University has simultaneously taken on a similar initiative.

CERF adds to the growing list of sustainable practices at AU including a plastic bag recycling program in residence halls and the creation of the Office of Sustainability.

“CERF is great for the environment because renewable energy created on campus would reduce AU’s dependence on coal and dirty energy sources,” said Jennifer Jones, Environmental Policy deputy director for SG and EcoSense policy director. “Having renewable energy sources on campus would help AU reach [the university’s carbon-neutral] goal.”

AU recently received a B from the College Sustainability Report Card, up from the university’s Bin 2009 and a D+ in 2008.

“The big question on the table is where it goes from here,” MacCracken said. Fundraising will be a priority if the fund is to be a success and he said that the Student Government has “circulated a letter of interest and have roughly 20 student groups that we think will be active in fundraising.”

Furthermore, SG members have talked to the president of

the alumni association and believe they will gain traction from alumni donations too.

However, the details of the accounting practices for the fund still need ironing out, according to MacCracken.

“I hope that by the end of the semester an account can be set up to start receiving donations,” Veysey said. “My hope is that the CERF board will be in place to direct funds by the middle of next semester.”

Yet there is more AU can do to minimize the university’s environmental impact, Jones said.

“We need to get bottled water off our campus, bio-diesel in our shuttles, automatic double sided printing in the library, and much more,” she said. “American University has done a great deal to become more sustainable, but we can still do a lot more.”

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

Hirzy: EPA drags feet on flouride Department ‘scared witless’ says AU prof.

By HOWIE PERLMAN Eagle Staff Writer The Environmental Protection Agency ignores the dangers of fluoride in drinking water, according to Dr. Bill Hirzy, the chair of AU’s Chemistry Department.

Hirzy discussed conflicts within the EPA, an organization he worked for from 1981 to 2008, in a Kennedy Political Union event Tuesday, Oct. 26.

He served for three years as the president of Local 2050 of the National Federation of Federal Employees, which is a union for workers at EPA’s headquarters in D.C. After concerns arose regarding the safety of human consumption of fluoride, and despite the urging of many EPA personnel as early as the mid-1980s for the EPA to undertake a risk assessment of fluoride in drinking water, the EPA has still not made this risk assessment, Hirzy said.

“They are scared witless of having to find that fluoride is a carcinogen and setting a maximum contaminant level goal of zero because that would mean the EPA is going to be responsible for the end of the water fluoridation program,” Hirzy said.

“EPA knows that there will be enormous political flack for doing that.”

According to its Web site on

groundwater and drinking water, the EPA has enforced a four milligrams-per-liter drinking water standard for fluoride, explaining that consumption of water with greater concentrations that over many years can lead to bone disease.

The EPA has also set a secondary standard of two milligrams-per-liter to protect children under 9 years old, or any individuals with permanent teeth developing below the gums, from dental fluorosis. Dental fluorosis can cause these teeth to experience brown staining.

The presence of fluoride in toothpaste is not dangerous because people spit it out after they use it, according to Hirzy.

Hirzy said that a significant factor in the future health of the environment and protection of people from toxic substances is action on the part of current college students.

“My father’s generation was known as the ‘greatest generation’ for having saved civilization from fascism,” Hirzy said.

“It’s on you guys now to be the greatest generation too, for saving civilization, period, from the predations that we have done on Mother Earth.”

The event was co-sponsored

by EcoSense and AU Solidarity.

Drew Veysey, the president of EcoSense and a senior with a major in Environmental Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences, said that students should emulate Hirzy’s desire to recognize and guard against the risks of toxic substances that threaten the environment.

“Toxic substances are still an environmental hazard,” Veysey said. “They’ve been overshadowed by things like climate

MORGAN JORDAN / THE EAGLE

CONTAMINATION — Dr. Bill Hirzy, chair of AU’s Chemistry Department, worked for the EPA from 1981 to 2008. He says that despite pleas from department employees, the department still refuses to undertake a risk assessment of flouride in drinking water. change recently, but that doesn’t mean that toxics have gone away.”

The next KPU event will feature Barbara Cummings, the State Department diplomat in residence for the Mid-Atlantic region. She will discuss her career as a Foreign Service officer, and the preparation necessary for such a career. The event will be

held Thursday, Oct. 29 in Mary Graydon Center 4 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.

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

Adjunct professors at AU receive minimal benefits compared to full-time professors, according to Sarah Canadine Bayne, director of Employee Benefits and Communication at AU Human Resources.

Adjuncts typically are instructors at a university who have outside jobs and teach classes related to that field. Adjuncts are only allowed to work a certain number of hours so that they don’t become eligible for benefits. They make an average of $20,000 a year, less than full-time professors make, according to the Chronicle for Higher Education.

AU adjuncts fit this description, yet are eligible for “miscellaneous benefits,” Bayne said.

Jerrold Keilson, an adjunct professor in the School of Public Affairs, said he relies on his full-time job rather than his position at AU for benefits.

“There are [no benefits] ... For those adjuncts who rely on their adjunct appointments for their livelihood, to not receive health or retirement benefits is a real problem,” Keilson said. “In my case, it would be nice if we could receive some of the tuition benefits that full-time faculty and staff have for themselves and their children.”

There are miscellaneous benefits any professor may take advantage of, such as membership at the Jacobs Fitness Center and a credit union, Bayne said. Additionally, many adjunct professors are former full-time faculty members.

Full-time faculty members receive health, dental and retirement benefits. Part-time and adjunct faculty do not, Bayne said.

All AU employees have paid leave benefits under the D.C. Accrued Sick and Safe Leave Act. This allows professors to continue receiving their salaries even if they must take a leave of absence for illness, to take care of a sick family member or are victims of sexual and/or domestic violence, she said.

Keilson thinks it is more than just health benefits the adjunct professors miss.

“Frankly, it also would be nice if there were semi-private adjunct offices, maybe three or four adjuncts could share one office on a regular basis so we could schedule use and leave our books there, rather than the current arrangement, which is not very professional,” he said.

For adjunct professors working in the Ward building, there are a few desks available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Sometimes this system is adequate and other times it’s not, according to Keilson.

However, these matters are not enough to prevent Keilson from teaching.

“I get a real joy and lift out of teaching at AU ... So at the end of the day the issues such as office space are pretty inconsequential — I teach at AU because I want to and because AU wants me. So it is a very satisfactory relationship,” he said.

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

Catholic Univ. goes ‘solar’ for greener campus

By MEG FOWLER Eagle Staff Writer The Catholic University of America will install the largest solar-energy system in the D.C. metropolitan area, with over 1,000 solar panels on four campus buildings in November.

This addition to CUA’s power source comprises one part of a larger, campus-wide movement to gain greater environmental sustainability — an effort in which CUA still has a considerable way to go, according to CUA’s Director of Energy and Utilities Management, Brian Alexander.

By next year, the new solar panels at CUA will generate 350,000 kilowatt hours — about one percent of CUA’s total yearly energy consumption, according to Alexander.

“We gain by inches, but it works,” he said.

Sean Nelson, a senior in CUA’s School of Engineering, said the solar panels are a good start for CUA to “go green” and save energy.

“I think CUA is going to want to try and start a trend for the rest of the schools in the city,” Nelson said.

AU, too, is set to install solar panels on the roof of the new School of International Service building to provide part of its energy supply. The plans for the building have been in the works since 2006, and is scheduled to open in May 2010, according to AU Director of Sustainability Chris O’Brien.

The difference between AU’s solar array and the one at CUA is a question of financial ownership.

At the SIS building, AU will install, own and maintain the solar panels, according to O’Brien, whereas CUA will pay Washington Gas and Energy Services for the power it extracts from the new solar panels. Installation and upkeep of CUA’s solar panels will be done by WGES. “The economics were good; the terms of the deal were hard to beat,” Alexander said.

WGES must take up the costs for maintaining the solar panels, so the only direct cost for CUA is the cost of the energy the solar panels generate.

On the other hand, the AU solar panels will be paid for entirely by AU, so there will be an up-front cost for them with a long-term payback, O’Brien said.

“At the end of the day, it’s a better financial model for the university to be able to own our own energy generation assets,” O’Brien said.

Another way CUA is decreasing

its carbon footprint is by buying renewable energy certificates for 35 percent of its purchased energy, according to Alexander.

“I liken it to paying somebody to eat broccoli while you eat ice cream,” he said. “But energy consumption is a global issue, and we’re keeping 300 tons of carbon dioxide out of the air by doing [the renewable energy power purchase].”

AU participates in this initiative as well, and currently buys the certificates for the equivalent of 25 percent of its total energy, according to O’Brien.

Both universities are taking steps to gain Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certificates for campus buildings. CUA opened a new residence hall in January that was LEED-certified. Once the new SIS building is finished, AU can apply for its LEED certification, O’Brien said.

Jordan Rodondi, a sophomore in CUA’s School of Arts and Sciences, supports the decision to install the solar panels, she said.

“I think it’s good that they’re trying to conserve energy in different ways,” Rodondi said.

The environmental club has been doing various projects to raise awareness about the extent of CUA’s carbon footprint, such as petitioning the cafeteria to eliminate Styrofoam and to go “tray-less” on Tuesdays and Thursdays, according to Rodondi.

But this is not enough, according to Drew Veysey, President of AU’s EcoSense and a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Public Affairs.

Veysey cited many initiatives taken by EcoSense at AU, like proposing the Clean Energy Revolving Fund to the Student Government.

The fund is a self-regenerating fund for renewable energy projects on campus. “[CUA] has a lot of catching up to do,” Veysey said. “A year ago, they didn’t even have recycling.”

Alexander also acknowledged CUA’s need for greater environmental awareness, giving it a B- for its current level of environmental sustainability.

“We have done a lot of things that make economic sense, but we need to do visible things that excite people and make them aware,” Alexander said. “We have a large room for improvement.”

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

OCTOBER 29, 2009

THE EAGLE'S ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT SECTION

AU students take trip back in time

By NICOLE PULLEY Eagle Contributing Writer Earlier this month, International Student and Scholar Services hosted a trip to Lancaster, Pa., where AU students experienced the Amish culture and discovered a different way of life.

Sponsored by Road Trip USA, the day trip gave students the opportunity to interact with Amish people and learn about a culture not far from Washington, D.C. Visiting Amish markets, enjoying a scenic bus ride and eating a multi-course meal in the home of an Amish family made the journey both exciting and eyeopening for those who attended.

The idea for an annual trip to Lancaster was started more than five years ago by an AU alumni and has since gained so much popularity that it sells out every year. Christine Nichols, an international student advisor for ISSS, helped organize the event and recommended students take advantage of the cultural opportunities.

“Cultural minorities [are] what Road Trip USA is about,” Nichols said. “Students get to see cultures that they may not get to experience [otherwise].”

The Amish trip is a perfect example of this, as it encompasses religious, social and linguistic minorities. “[The trips] look at all different aspects of multiculturalism, and international students can see what America is like beyond what they see in the movies,” Nichols said.

The two-hour bus ride to Lancaster was smattered with breathtaking scenery of rolling hills, corn fields and white picket fences — quite a change from the bustling streets of D.C.

NICOLE PULLEY / THE EAGLE

AMISH PARADISE — AU students took a trip sponsored by Road Trip USA earlier this month to Amish country in Lancaster, Pa. Students stayed with families and enjoyed Amish activities like riding a horse and buggy and visiting Amish markets.

One of the stops on the trip was a visit to an Amish home where students ate a traditional meal served by the family that lived there. The homemade feast was delicious: corn, chicken, bread with peanut butter, green beans, mashed potatoes, apple

sauce, meatloaf, apple pie, carrot cake and iced tea made the menu.

The house had no electricity, so everything the Amish used to heat their homes, cook their food and milk the cows was run entirely on fossil fuels and air compressors.

Cell phones are becoming increasingly popular in the Amish community since they do not require a landline that uses electricity.

Instead, many Amish charge their cell phones at work.

After the meal, the family, dressed

Racial comedy not funny

By HILARY LEISTER Eagle Contributing Writer Most cultures around the world have been given certain stereotypes about their native attitudes, accents, occupations, habits and the like. The “Exotic Imports: Max Amini and Friends” comedy show that played this past Friday and Saturday at the Bethesda Theater flaunted the stereotypes and inside jokes of native Middle Easterners.

Unfortunately, audience members who didn’t hail from the Middle East were on the outside of the jokes and missed a majority of the punch lines.

“I think the entire show was one big reminder that this is not my culture,” said Jared Bieschke, 22, a Caucasian male. “Sociologically, I think it was interesting to see the comedians joke about their culture. But because I couldn’t really relate to any of the jokes, I felt like I didn’t belong there at all.”

After the curtain opened 30 minutes late, the show began with a belly dancer, Samira Shuruk, who grace-

fully shook her booty for almost 40 minutes before any comedy acts took the stage. Her dazzling bra and knife routines were quite impressive, but the act could have been condensed into a 15-minute routine.

After Shuruk’s dancing, comedians Tehran SoParvaz, Vincent Oshana, Remy, Monrok and Max Amini did their best to entertain the crowd.

SoParvaz, a half-black, half-Iranian D.C. native, hosted the show and did short comedy acts in between the main entertainers. His crude emphasis on race and unfunny stereotypes of “Hispanic janitors” and “Middle Eastern terrorists” left you anxious for the next act to take the stage.

Out of the four main performers, Monrok, the only female comic, was the most entertaining. She was like a version of MTV’s “Daria,” loaded with lots of sarcasm and very little enthusiasm for life. Her witty humor and cynical nature were quite enjoyable. She joked about the problems she faced growing up as a female Indian woman and her personal pet peeves in life.

“I really hate Halloween; it’s totally

a white person holiday,” joked Monrok. “White girls can go out dressed as anything they want. But Indian girls have only two choices: Pocahontas or Princess Jasmine. Also, I hate baggage claims at airports. It’s like waiting for a prize when you’re really just getting your own shit.”

The three main male performers, Remy, Oshana and Amini, all had similar material that was slightly insulting and focused too much on Middle Eastern lifestyles. Oshana had a few great jokes about late night McDonald’s runs and stereotypical female habits, but couldn’t stay away from excluding the non-Middle Eastern audience members.

“All of Glendale, Calif., is Persian — there are just SO many Persians there,” Oshana said. “You go to any Glendale gym and it looks like the training ground for Al-Qaeda. Then you go to the locker room and there’s hair everywhere! Seriously, there’s hair on the ceilings. How the hell does it get up there?”

The main performance of the night was headliner Amini from Comedy Central’s “Mind of Mencia”

and the upcoming film “Beer Pong.”

His set consisted almost entirely of jokes catered to the Middle Eastern audience members. Several heads were bobbing in hysterical laughter, but others just looked around in confusion. He had some great material about crazy dancers at D.C. nightclubs, but missed the mark when he started talking about gay men.

“Just because I have a flower on my shirt and my shoes flip up doesn’t mean I’m gay,” Amini said. “Some dude walked by my apartment the other day and just yelled ‘fag’ before running up the stairs. I started walking all macho-like after that to embrace my inner man. I felt like yelling after him, ‘I’m not gay man, I’m just Persian.’”

If you appreciate jokes about unwanted hair, Persian rug devotion and crazy Iranian parents, you might’ve enjoyed seeing this show.

Otherwise, you were probably better off going to the movies.

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

HELLO TO ‘OTHELLO’

KELSEY DICKEY / THE EAGLE

AU’s Rude Mechanicals will be putting on a 1950s business-themed version of Shakespeare’s “Othello” (starring a female version of “Iago”), at the Studio Theater in Katzen Arts Center on Thursday, Oct. 29, and Friday, Oct. 30, at 8 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 31, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

in traditional attire, sang an Amish song.

Students were able to sample homemade Amish pretzels and purchase food which they brought back to AU at a couple of markets that were selling baked goods, bonnets,

quilts and pumpkins. The most technologically advanced items in the stores were the calculators, which they used instead of a cash register.

A visit to the oldest house in Lancaster, which was much larger than the Amish house, showcased a barn that housed 42 horses and students got the opportunity to see the carriage house, which was filled with historic buggies.

Students were able to stop at a horse and buggy station, where visitors could take a ride through the streets of Lancaster. Since the Amish do not drive cars, their only means of transportation is walking, riding scooters or taking buggies. The buggies, complete with directional blinkers, share the roads with motor vehicles. It was an exciting experience as cars flew down the road past the buggies.

Road Trip USA excursions were originally exclusive to international students but have recently opened their doors to American students.

Make sure to sign up as soon as possible since the opportunity for crosscultural interactions and shared learning sells out quickly.

“It encourages interaction between international and U.S. students in a good, safe place to do it,” Nichols explained. “Some are shy, so it’s a place where they can get to know each other and build bonds that we hope grow into friendships.”

There are more upcoming events students can participate in, such as a trip to Maryland to meet the Piscataway Conoy Native American Tribe, as well as a visit to the Underground Railroad where students can learn about African American history.

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

Halloween hipsters most ironic of holiday celebrators POPPING CULTURE

KATRINA CASINO Did anyone else not realize that Halloween is in two days?

Perhaps I haven’t been paying enough attention to the candy corn sales at CVS; maybe I haven’t noticed the rush of girls frantically searching for various costume animal ears; maybe I just haven’t looked at a calendar — who knows? The point is that Halloween is, in fact, coming up this weekend, and no one wants to see you dressed up as that guy from “Scream.” Again. That movie happened about 15 years ago, and it’s finally time to put away the plastic scythe.

Nothing is less cool than an outdated costume. Think about the best get-ups you see every year and think about what makes them so great. More often than not, it’s their cultural relevance.

Popular costumes reflect popular culture, and the most clever outfits tell us what’s going on in society, whether it be about celebrities, politics or social trends.

So after scouring the Internet and pestering various friends, I’ve compiled a rundown of what could be a few of the most interesting (or laughably uninteresting) costumes you’ll see this year.

Lady Gaga This can very seriously go either way. Gaga-obsessed fans dressing up as their idol as a form of out-of-control celebrity worship are getting old. To be Gaga this Halloween, you’ve got to be aware of the crazy — it has to be a parody. Do you have a dozen or so Kermit the Frog dolls lying around? Perfect, you have a dress. Got a flesh-colored spandex bodysuit, or perhaps a pair of fishnets and a dress of plastic bubbles? Great, you’re Gaga.

Don’t be a slacker and just draw a lightning bolt on your face — if you’re going Gaga, you have to

go all the way, maybe even throw in a “Disco stick or treat!”

Kanye West and Taylor Swift The Kanye West VMA outburst this year was dying for parody. And yeah, memes hit the Internet in the style of “OK, (pop culture figure), I’ma let you finish, but (other pop culture figure) had one of the best (pop culture event)s of all time!”

But what fun is that if we can’t dress up? That’s right, no fun. So get out some stunna shades and a blonde wig (for the two costumes, respectively, of course) and have Kanye interrupt Taylor every time she tries to say “Trick or treat.”

Hipster Irony of irony of ironies. This costume seems to be most popular among a certain group: hipsters. This is due to the cultural phenomenon of hipster denial.

It’s hipsters who don’t realize (or don’t admit) they’re hipsters making fun of hipsters who don’t realize they’re hipsters. Here’s a hint, though: if you don’t have to go far for that pair of ultratight skinny jeans or oversized personality glasses, or if you find that you don’t have to worry about growing that ironic facial hair, you are already a hipster. It’s OK though; embrace it — Halloween costumes are a lot more convenient if you can wear them all-year round.

Joe Wilson Because politics can be pop culture too, this year promises a few of these Republican senators from South Carolina. This is partially because the costume is so easy — just dress up in a suit and yell “You lie!” every time anyone makes any sort of political statement. And we all know that’s not hard to come by at AU, so if you commit to this costume, make sure you’re up for an evening of belligerent yelling.

‘Sexy’ Anything A classic Halloween staple, I’m including this on the list just because the variation amazes me every year. Sure you’ve got the tight-fitting white zip-up dress n

see COSTUMES on page 6

the EAGLE

OCTOBER 29, 2009

the scene 6

D.C. club gets partisan

By JILL WHEELER Eagle Contributing Writer Last Tuesday night, Black Cat held the indie extravaganza also known as the Partisan Tour. The tour showcased four bands under the independent record label Partisan Records — Deer Tick; Dolorean; Chris Denny and the Natives; and Holy Sons.

The night started with a performance by Chris Denny and the Natives. Chris Denny’s Arkansas twang rang through the small room as he performed with a band compiled mostly of old high school friends, with the exception of their Canadian keyboardist. Denny sang songs from his old album, “Age Old Hunger,” as well as a few new songs from his upcoming album. The set was short and the audience thin since he was only the first act, but he put on a great show. He sang, “I’ve fallen in and out of believin’ and in and out of fame/but maybe that’s what keeps me sane/you can watch me shine.” And Chris Denny does shine.

Holy Sons and Dolorean are not to be forgotten. Both bands were laid back and grateful to be on the Partisan Label. While Holy Sons mostly stuck to just playing, Dolorean tried to interact more with the crowd. The lead singer gave a comical diatribe about why he’s not afraid to write love songs.

They both geared everyone up for Deer Tick’s crazy set.

What really set the stage for the headlining act, though, was Johnny Corndawg’s short performance while Deer Tick set up. He had the whole crowd laughing as he showed off the back of his guitar that reads, “Keep your body healthy through exercise.” He also reiterated the earlier sentiment about what a pleasure it was to tour with the guys before introducing the band.

Deer Tick never ceased to entertain. From the first note of their a cappella rendition of “Dirty Dishes,” the five members had the audience entranced.

Deer Tick, from Providence,

R.I., have recently been getting the recognition they deserve. Rolling Stone’s “Act to Watch” was started

by John McCauley and joined by Dennis Ryan on drums, Christopher Dale Ryan on bass and Andrew Tobiasson and Ian Patrick O’Neil on guitar.

The band excelled in their performance. Their set consisted of antics that ranged from pulling people on stage during a Chuck Berry cover to McCauley flipping over O’Neil while playing a riff in “Art Isn’t Real (City of Sin)” to the energetic finale of “La Bamba.”

While Tobiasson was able to play only two songs with the band — the opening number and a song he wrote called “The Dance of Love” — the band still delivered.

They were even joined by Chris Denny to do a cover of the Rolling Stones’ song, “Dead Flowers.”

To end the show, they played their last five songs one into the next, starting the finale off with one of their better-known songs, “Ashamed,” which separated the

Tickheads from the virgin listeners, and “These Old Shoes,” a quirky ballad written by a friend of Corndawg. By the time of the last song, “La Bamba,” everyone was dancing and singing along, including Denny, who had begun an alcohol-induced swing dance with other audience members in front of the stage.

The conclusion to all this is that Deer Tick are a band to watch.

They not only have the charisma to hook people live, but also the true range and talent to keep it interesting even on a record.

Partisan Records obviously has an ear for talent, as made clear by these four bands with great potential. Chris Denny’s talent cannot be ignored. As for Deer Tick, the band are a solution to anyone looking for a good show or just those in need of something new.

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

Hornby films about a girl

By ANTOANETA TILEVA Eagle Contributing Writer

AN EDUCATION

B

“An Education” is a coming-ofage story set in 1960s London. The screenplay, written by Nick Hornby of “High Fidelity” and “About A Boy” fame, features his trademark clever dialogue and unconventional characters, aiming to inject levity into what could otherwise be the age-old school versus fun movie dilemma.

The main character, Jenny — played with a disarming charm by Carey Mulligan — is 16-years-old.

She is intelligent, attractive and witty — think a ‘60s Rory from “Gilmore Girls.” She plays the cello, loves all things French and aspires to walk the hallowed halls of Oxford.

Her parents (Alfred Molina and Cara Seymour) are not your typical overachieving parents — in fact, Molina’s performance especially shines in the film.

While the entire family is bent on doing everything to get Jenny into her dream school, they are not the career-obsessed tormentors a la “Dead Poets Society.” Their droll humor and cheeky exchanges with their daughter make for some of the most entertaining scenes in the movie.

In one particularly amusing scene, Jenny’s father explains to her that Oxford wants “joiner-inners” and gives a hilarious analysis of one of her after-school activities and what the purpose of a hobby is in terms of college applications.

The banter between Jenny and her parents shows them to be, well — cool, which is yet another novelty in the coming-of-age film genre. It is precisely this coolness that introduces the conflict of why her parents, just like Jenny, fall for the ruses of a charming older man, twice Jenny’s age, David, played by Peter Sarsgaard.

Sarsgaard does an incredible

job, portraying his character as a mixture of a disturbing borderline sexual predator and charming but thoroughly confused rake.

“An Education” raises a lot of class issues; David is able to charm Jenny only because he is able to take her on whirlwind trips to Paris, fancy restaurants and chic jazz clubs. Middle class Jenny bemoans that she has never had any fun and writes off her pre-David life as boring.

Yet there are plenty of warning signs that David is a conman, albeit a very charming one. This begs the question of why Jenny chooses to ignore what is right in front of her; after all, she is too clever and wise for such things. It is precisely this plot element that seems to be a stretch, yet our belief in it is pivotal.

To loosely dismiss it all as “young love” and the folly of youth is almost too easy. Maybe it is precisely the glamour and wealth that makes Jenny and her parents go along with David’s elaborate web of lies.

One of the more poignant moments in the movie comes when Jenny demands to know why her dad, who is the old, wise and ever protective father, did not foresee the fallout. As she says, “Silly schoolgirls are always getting seduced by glamorous old men,” but that should not have been the case with her parents.

Therein lies one of the greater strengths of this movie — portraying the few options open to women in the 1960s. It seems that Jenny’s life paths appear to be limited to old-maidish schoolmarm or wife of a well-to-do man. In one exchange with her parents, Jenny sarcastically points out that apparently, education is merely an “expensive alternative to a dinner dance” and an end only in its enabling of one to become an educated housewife.

Ultimately, “An Education” asks which is more valuable: the school of life or formal education. The two are not evenly matched, however — David and his coterie are clearly not of ingénue Jenny’s ilk.

As he says, “We are not clever like

Do you want everyone to know just how busy you are?

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Submit your name, phone number, school and graduation year along with a 200-word description of how horrifically busy you worst week was. theEAGLE will select the winner and write a page-one story about their week!

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Deadline Nov. 5

busy@theeagleonline.com

‘Brütal’ battles, guitar improves inconsistency

By MICHAEL CONTE Eagle Staff Writer BRUTAL LEGEND

Courtesy of KERRY BROWN

Courtesy of KERRY BROWN

OLD SCHOOL — Director Lone Scherfig’s newest film, “An Education,” tells the story of a young girl who is swept away in the arms of an older man, leaving her to choose between a formal education or life as a wife. you.” They are, however, able to create their ridiculously fun and adventurous life precisely because of their questionably attained means, thus making the fun versus school dilemma not all that even.

Jenny’s English teacher asks her, “You can do anything, Jenny, you’re clever and pretty. Is your boyfriend interested in the clever Jenny?” The resounding “no” makes the end of

n

Are you AU’s busiest student?

Courtesy of EA GAMES

KING OF THE HILL — EA Games’ “Brütal Legend” takes on a formula similar to that of “Halo Wars” but emphasizes the storyline over the gameplay.

“Legend” pays homage to heavy metal, mixing guitar licks with fights.

Some characters even resemble metal musicians like Ozzy Osbourne.

from PETA2 on page 1

Lee also said the food options changed each day, allowing for variety in the vegetarian choices available at TDR. Despite her overall satisfaction with AU’s vegetarian dining choices, she said she did not vote in the contest last year and refused to vote this year.

“I didn’t vote because I thought the competition was silly,” Lee said. “The people who are voting have the most familiarity with their own school and don’t really have a basis for comparison.”

She also said the fact that voting is open to anyone — not just vegetarians or vegans — could skew the results.

“It doesn’t really mean anything to be the most vegetarianfriendly campus [by peta2],” Lee said.

Ryan Huling, senior college campaign coordinator for peta2, said there are many students out there who would disagree.

“As shown by AU’s victory last year, there is a tremendous amount of students out there who benefit from the school’s vegetarian-friendly options,” Huling said. “The contest really aims to highlight the efforts of schools who have gone above and beyond to meet the needs of students seeking vegan and vegetarian meal choices.”

Though School of Interna-

the movie fairly predictable. Nevertheless, the film has enough idiosyncratic and enjoyable elements to make it worth seeing if one can suspend disbelief in some of the more far-fetched plot developments.

“An Education” opens in D.C. theaters Friday, Oct. 30.

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

tional Service sophomore Meredith Lukow is not a pure vegetarian, she said she strives to lower her meat consumption in order to be “more eco-friendly.”

“It’s relatively easy for me to eat vegetarian food in TDR, although I do eat a ton of pasta to make that happen,” Lukow said.

If AU makes it to the final round of the competition, there is a possibility that it will face off with other schools, like the University of California, Santa Cruz, that could offer stiff competition with options like Boca burgers and assorted vegetarian pizza options.

Sacha Whedon, a sophomore in UCSC’s Kresge School, said that of the three dining halls on campus, the one she frequents — College 9/10 — has a lot of meatless options. “[Both vegetarians and vegans] can eat here pretty comfortably,” Whedon said.

Whedon said the school also sold Vegan-friendly baked goods including cookies, muffins and cakes.

Students who think TDR serves up better vegetarianfriendly fare can vote for AU online at www.peta2.com until Nov. 2. Peta2 will announce a nationwide winner Nov. 23.

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

B-

When “Halo Wars” tried to tweak the real-time strategy game formula to make it more playable with a controller earlier this year, it ran into a contradiction. Simplification made the game better by making it easier to control, but it also hurt the game due to the sacrifice of strategic depth and variety. “Brütal Legend,” a game first created as an homage to heavy metal music, goes even farther in favor of simplification and action over strategy with decidedly mixed results, but its presentation still makes it worth it for anyone who enjoys a good story or fast guitar riff.

The story focuses on Eddie Riggs (hilariously voiced by Jack Black), a roadie and true metal head who gets transported into a world where everything, from the demons and citizens to the epically evil architecture, looks “metal” in some way. He soon joins a rebellion against the evil forces oppressing humanity, building up an army and taking it on tour against legions of demons and other evildoers. The premise sounds a little ridiculous, walking a fine line between homage and parody; however, the story is solid and the dialogue is funny and well-written enough so that you won’t be skipping the cut scenes.

If “Brütal Legend’s” unique visual style doesn’t appeal enough, the audio more than makes up for it, using original and licensed metal tracks to great effect. If you’re not a big fan of metal, the soundtrack thankfully favors accessibility over obscure hardcore appeal. Even more remarkable is the inclusion of multiple metal musicians as actors: Ozzy Osbourne, Lemmy of Motörhead and Rob Halford of Judas Priest all have major parts and perform surprisingly well.

The most surprising thing about “Legend” is how a game that flaunts its premise far more than its gameplay actually manages to be a unique and engaging experience. The first hour or so is spent as a standard action game, with Riggs mashing up

n

from SEXILE on page 1

demons with an axe and setting them ablaze with guitar solos, but it soon becomes clear that “Brütal Legend” is really an RTS, albeit a highly unique one.

The game’s primary missions are “stage battles,” where one starts off with a stage that can build units and fight for “fan geysers,” which generate resources to build a “merch booth” over them (the metal theme does get ridiculous after awhile).

Players can advance their stage to build more powerful units and upgrades, fighting until the opponent’s stage is destroyed.

One can fly above the battlefield to set waypoints and give orders to units en masse, but is most effective when teaming up with his or her army in the fight, using guitar solos and special “double team” abilities to enhance power.

At its best, the system is fresh and engaging, combining thoughtful strategic elements with fast and chaotic action. At its worst, your armies are a pain to control and order around; one is so limited by the barely passable controls that more complex battle plans aren’t an option and the actions become mindless button-mashing. It doesn’t fully commit to its premise of favoring action with strategic overtones, teaching you to play as if it were meant to be a pure RTS until you learn the hard way otherwise. It doesn’t refine its controls as much as is necessary for a game with so many different elements.

There are three different factions in the game, all of which are available for multiplayer battles, which are naturally tougher than the single player campaign, and therefore multiply the game’s strengths and weaknesses. They demand far more strategy than “Brütal Legend’s” controls really allow, ironically making them much less accessible than traditional RTS games.

“Brütal Legend” has a great premise, a fantastic look, solid gameplay and, of course, an awesome soundtrack, but is far too inconsistent to be as fun as it could’ve been.

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

n

from COSTUMES on page 5

new regulation has to pass through before it can become official, Treter said. It can take more than a full academic year to get through those layers.

If a student complains of frequently being sexiled by a roommate, Housing and Dining cannot move the student to a new room.

There is not enough space on campus, Treter said, so there are no rooms available for students to move into because of sexiling.

“We believe that an issue of sexiling can be mediated,” he said. “We believe that a conversation between a student and their roommate, and a respect for the individual and for the space can be obtained.”

and stethoscope to be a sexy nurse, but can you hold a candle to last year’s sexy Sarah Palin? I guess you could go shirtless under a yellow raincoat and put on a red hat to be a sexy firefighter, but how can I even be fazed by that when last year in Dupont Circle I ran into — no lies — sexy Jesus.

So although the idea of sexy anything as a costume is more often than not trite, there’s always a little room to be cheeky or facetious or even offensive.

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

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

So don’t waste time, you’ve only got a few days! Run out and get your disco stick and stay safe this Halloween.

7

CLASSIFIEDS

OCTOBER 29, 2009

KUSHAN DOSHI n Business Manager 202.885.3593

Sinfonia revives Baroque

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Horror films resurrected by ‘Paranormal’ Halloween perfect for freaky flick THROUGH THE LENS

DONNY T. SHELDON With Halloween just around the corner, my annual craving for cinematic horror has been off the charts. The past few years I have found that I am forced to quench my appetite at home with old reliable flicks like “Rosemary’s Baby” or “The Exorcist” — certainly not at the theater.

Call me crazy, but I struggle to find the entertainment value in watching a character strapped to a chair and forced to carve off his or her limbs rather than be showered by a vat of acid looming above his or her head. For me, that feels like a sadomasochist twist on Looney Tunes — not my bag. These grotesque cinematic outings like “Saw” and “Hostel” have pervaded the 20th century horror genre. But with the unforeseen success of a minimalist horror in “Paranormal Activity,” I’m pleased to report that there is substantial hope for the future of the genre. With scathing reviews from critics and a severely disappointing showing at the box office last week, it looks like the “Saw” franchise is finally passé, and I have no one else to thank but “Paranormal Activity” writer and director Oren Peli.

“Paranormal Activity” is as bare-bones horror as they come.

Shot on simple equipment over a few weeks in a singular location with unknown actors, the film is quite the aesthetic antithesis of “Saw.” For the squeamish, it’s the same story in the gore department. You will not find severed limbs, mutilated corpses or exposed organs in this madhouse.

Instead, Peli offers his audience a slow-cooked stew of psychological terror as we see a couple

slowly descend into a state of crazed paranoia. Watching the two main characters speculate as to what is haunting their humble middle-class abode is an exhausting, albeit rewarding venture, for its success is not dependent upon ultra-stylized violence or shock value, but rather a palpable sense of realism. By refusing to show the true demonic culprit terrorizing this couple or indulge the torture porn enthusiast viewer, Peli has rendered himself something of a horror revisionist.

Peli’s success with “Paranormal Activity” is sure to be copied in two routes: styling and marketing. I’m a sucker for expert uses of minimalism and I hope Peli’s horror contemporaries try their hands at the method, but I’m anticipating more traffic on the latter route. “Paranormal Activity” employed a genius scheme of viral marketing that entailed cyber press via social networks and most importantly — a trailer solely composed of night-vision camera footage of audiences watching the film at an advanced screening.

After basking in torture porn violence for the past few years, American horror audiences have become incredibly used to seeing terror spelled out in slashed tracheas and coiled intestines. If someone is going to be decapitated, you can bet your bottom dollar that you will see the weapon slowly chisel through the flesh and every drop of blood you can imagine.

With “Paranormal Activity,” however, not very much is spelled out at all. In fact, the terror is embedded in the mind of the viewer. This wild sense of anxiety makes for excellent horror, especially when it is achieved through such minor effects as the crack of a door or the ruffle of a bed sheet. It’s real, and it’s really scary. I hope horror directors take note of what Peli has done here with “Paranormal Activity” and consider what could happen to the genre if we put the chainsaws and butcher’s knives down for a hot second and let audiences use their imaginations again.

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

To say that Daniel Abraham’s symphony is just another group performing Baroque music is not only a bold understatement, it is also an insult to Bach Sinfonia’s merits.

In addition to being the director of choral activities and an associate professor of music at AU, Abraham is also the artistic director of the highly lauded Bach Sinfonia orchestra based in Maryland. And if his unmistakably exuberant season opener has anything to prove, it is that if the spirit of the 18th century were to ever fade into antiquity, he would be there to revive it.

“The Story of the Baroque Concerto Grosso” is an exploration into the origins of that idiosyncratic time in history that came right after the Renaissance, a creative outbreak that still holds its influence to this day. While the delightful collection of ensemble pieces may seem daunting to a lot of newcomers, they are quite capable of pulling one through the looking glass into the musical landmark that is Baroque. For anyone who is not an expert in classical music but is hoping to introduce it into their life, the Bach Sinfonia can be seen as an educational endeavor.

While it can be technical and abstruse at times, it is never heavyhanded.

Opening on Oct. 24 with Arcangelo Corelli’s “Concerto Grosso in D Major, Op. 6, No. 7,” the ineffable Baroque style became apparent from the frenetic swiftness of the violas working in almost unlikely harmony. This was further punctuated by the mercurial shifts in tempo from each movement to the next.

Oddly enough, with less than 20 performers, the Bach Sinfonia is able to achieve an admirable level of grandeur — perhaps a testament to the ingeniousness of the conductor. With stock-still composure and muted body gestures, Abraham belies the incredible feeling of triumph that is conjured in this near-perfect

Courtesy of BILL PETROS

BLACK AND BOW TIE — Daniel Abraham’s touching Baroque performance showed the mastery of his abilities as a composer. Also a professor and choral director at AU, Abraham’s Maryland-based symphony performed classics such as Muffat’s “Dulce Somium” and “Concerto Grosso in D Major” on Oct. 24. revival.

The choice to segue into George Muffat’s “Dulce Somnium” could not have been a more jarring one.

Whereas Abraham’s rendition of Corelli was uplifting and flavorful, his take on Muffat was weepy and pensive — a song that is constantly pining away, hoping to rise above the dirge.

The simple gestures of the individual instruments became profound in the tonal context of its accomplices, shown in the untarnished way that they were able to build off of one another beautifully.

Abraham is able to wring powerful emotion from the simple sheet music to make it touching and thoughtful.

From Handel to Locatelli, the breadth of the Baroque influences covered by the program was reinforced by the constancy of one el-

ement: sincerity. While chemistry between performers in an orchestra is mostly crucial, sometimes it just isn’t enough. When observing the Bach Sinfonia for the first time, there is an immediate sense of the shared consciousness between the performers and how much they thrive on intuition.

During some of the more fastpaced songs, performers were able to smile, laugh and even give subtle facial cues across the stage. The performance was clearly a production of love, as one can only imagine how many neck-breaking rehearsals it must have taken for this to become a conditioned habit.

The sincerity between the players was most evident in their performance of Antonio Vivaldi’s “Concerto Grosso in B Minor,” which also happened to be the last song on the list. It was then that

the violins adopted a more avantgarde attitude by frantically shifting from well-crafted solos to harmonious duets with flawless timing.

Taken separately, it would seem that the disjointedness of these elements would be its own pitfall. But Abraham has an uncanny ability of bringing it all together to make the whole thing sound great.

There are upcoming Bach Sinfonia performances in the spring with focuses as diverse as woodwind quintet pieces of the 1800s and Bach’s complete choral works. With a solid opener like “The Story of the Baroque Concerto Grosso,” it’s clear that these performances can be both culturally enriching as well as entertaining.

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

Spinto decorate city with ‘paisley’

By YOHANA DESTA Eagle Staff Writer The Rock ‘n’ Roll Hotel takes its title quite seriously. Upon entering, one is swamped in darkness and deep colored lighting. All around are pictures of rock legends such as Jimi Hendrix and the Ramones, while screamo-rock music blasts from a jukebox in the corner. There are no chairs — just a bare dance floor, a bar and a small stage lit up with purple spotlights. The crowd was standing around with drinks in hand, waiting for New Orleansbased band, the Generationals, to take the stage.

At 9:30 p.m. on Oct. 24, the band took the stage, looking more like everyday mall rats than potential rock stars. Lead singers Ted Joyner and Grant Widmer, dressed in a plaid shirts and red sweater, respectively, humbly step into the spotlight while drummer Tess Brunet took a swig of beer and settled into her kit. Keyboardist Katie Clark stood quietly in her frothy black tutu.

After a quick “Hello,” the Generationals launched into their set, bobbing their heads and filling the room with retro pop-rock. Their first song was “Exterior Street Day,” a light, riff-rock melody matched by lead singer Grant Widmer’s smooth voice.

Next was the stellar, summery song, “Nobody Could Change Your Mind.” Then guitarists Grant and Ted switched places, with Ted singing vocals.

The next song, “When They Fight, They Fight,” probably made for best song of the performance, starting off sounding like MGMT, then crossing into a Temptationsera vibe, complete with clapping and echoing vocals.

Widmer’s voice was fantastically high: think of the Gibb brothers of the Bee Gees. It completed the retro vibe of the song. “When they fight, they fight. And when they come home at night they say, I love you, baby,” Widmer sang in his androgynous soprano.

A few more songs by Widmer followed, and as the band’s set came to an end, Widmer introduced the next performer, Pepi Ginsberg.

Ginsberg and her backing band took the stage with the singer dressed in oversized plaid, leather leggings and saddle Oxfords.

“Hi, I’m Pepi Ginsberg,” she said quietly into the mic, hidden mostly behind her electric guitar and fluff y brown hair. With that, the band started jamming, each member of so into his or her own performance that you did not know who to look at. But then Pepi started singing, and everyone focused on the tiny chanteusse, whose voice

was a jazzy, folksy mix and seemed to consume her tiny frame.

Whenever she was not singing, Pepi was hopping around on stage, rocking out with her guitar and dancing with her bassist. Her songs were serious, but the music was heavy on riffs and reminiscent of summery days, such as during “Mercury Tide,” which Pepi quietly said was about going down to the sea. One of the cheerier songs was “East is East,” a song with reggae overtones that had drummer Matt Scarano thrashing wildly like a brazen Keith Moon.

After their set, Pepi shyly brushed her hair over her eye and said a quiet “Thank you,” and left the stage while the audience applauded.

As soon as Ginsberg was off, Delaware natives The Spinto Band took the stage. Guitarist Thomas Hughes, dressed in a long sleeved white polo shirt tucked into khaki pants, grabbed the mic, took a swig of his Pabst Blue Ribbon, and said, “Hello, we’re the Spinto Band!”

The packed crowd cheered as they kicked off their performance with pop-rock number “Pumpkins and Paisley,” with all three guitarists singing vocals. As the song progressed, all members of the band started dancing, headbanging and acting like robots, while the crowd sang and danced along. Next came

the raucous “Summer Grof ” sung by guitarist Nick Krill.

The way Spinto Band interacted with the crowd was fantastic to watch. The six-piece band completely filled the stage and remained dancing and jumping through each song, making for a dynamic performance. Tiny guitarist Thomas was reminiscent of a small Chris Martin, shaking and dancing all over. The constant dancing was exciting, prompting the audience to dance and headbang along with them.

As the night came to an end, the band played one of their earlier songs, the heartbroken love ballad, “Oh Mandy,” with guitarist Krill crooning. But to end things on the rowdy note they started with, the Spinto Band finished the set with “Trust vs. Mistrust,” with all the members singing and dancing to the track pop-rock number.

In indie rock fashion, this concert was loud, exciting and full of poetic lyrics that lingered long after the concert ended. The Generationals, Pepi Ginsberg and the Spinto Band marked some of indie’s finest musicians and are sure to be generating a new group of fans with this fun-loving tour.

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

The Week in Fun: Know Your City THURS 29

FRI 30

SAT 31

SUN 1

MON 2

TUES 3

Exhibit: “Trust Us for Just Us” WHEN: 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

WHERE: Marsha Mateyka Gallery; 2012 R St. N.W. METRO: Dupont Circle (red line) INFO: In his latest watercolor collection, William T. Wiley explores various cultural issues such as global warming and advances in technology.

COST: Free CONTACT: For more information, call the Marsha Mateyka Gallery at 202-328-0088.

Play: A Streetcar Named Desire WHERE: The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts; 2700 F St. N.W. METRO: Foggy Bottom-GWU (orange and blue lines) INFO: Cate Blanchett stars in a production of the Tennessee Williams classic about a disturbed woman who moves in with her anxious sister and her violent brother-in-law in New Orleans.

COST: $25 CONTACT: For more information, call the Kennedy Center at 202-4674600.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch WHEN: 7 p.m.

WHERE: Warehouse Theater; 1021 Seventh St. N.W. METRO: Mt. Vernon Square/7th St.Convention Center INFO: An East German songwriter seeks a sex change operation in order to marry his American lover.

COST: $25 in advance, $35 at the door CONTACT: For more information, call the box office at 866-811-4111.

Music: Mayday Parade WHEN: 4 p.m.

WHERE: 9:30 club; 815 V St. N.W. METRO: U Street/African-American Civil War Memorial/Cardozo (yellow and green lines) INFO: Alternative rock band Mayday Parade perform with The Academy Is..., Set Your Goals, the Secret Handshake and You Me at Six. COST: $15 CONTACT: For more information, call the 9:30 club at 202-265-0930.

Music: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band WHEN: 7:30 p.m.

WHERE: Verizon Center; 601 F St. N.W. METRO: Gallery Place-Chinatown (red, yellow and green lines) INFO: The Boss will be playing his newest single “Wrecking Ball” along with other well-known classics.

COST: $32.50 and up CONTACT: For more information, call the Verizon Center at 202-3977328.

Exhibit: Uncharted Sky-Sculpture

by Novie Trump WHEN: 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

WHERE: McLean Project for the Arts; 1234 Ingleside Drive, McLean, Va. METRO: 23 A or C bus to Old Dominion and Beverly Road from Ballston (orange line) INFO: Northern Virginia artist Novie Trump’s clay sculptures reflect her extensive knowledge of archeology and her interest in ancient myths and tales.

COST: Free CONTACT: For more information, call the McLean Project for the Arts at 703-790-1953.

8

SPORTS

OCTOBER 29, 2009

ANDREW TOMLINSON n Sports Editor 202.885.1404

End of FB season answers questions SIDELINE SCHOLAR TYLER TOMEA Complaints about the BCS are being heard across the country, which can only mean one thing: college football is entering the stretch run. Several questions will be answered as the season draws to a close, but many will also emerge. It is gearing up to be a tight race to the finish, one no one will be able to predict.

Are the Florida Gators still unbeatable?

PHILLIP OCHS / THE EAGLE

LOOKING UP — Junior forward Mike Worden goes up for a ball in a home match this season. AU has been on a roll going 7-0-2 in their last nine games. They will look to remain perfect in the Patriot League with a match against the Holy Cross University Crusaders. The Eagles are 5-1-1 on the road and 9-3-2 on the season overall.

Men’s soccer triumphs 3-1 over Georgetown

By SCOTT ECKL Eagle Contributing Writer The AU men’s soccer team is now unbeaten in its last nine matches, as it grinded out a 3-1 win on the road against Georgetown Wednesday afternoon.

Their victory over the Hoyas got AU back on the winning track, as their last match ended in a tie against Lehigh last Saturday. The first goal was scored by Georgetown, but that was the only blemish on AU’s record.

They would score three unanswered goals to take the lead and the win.

Georgetown’s Jimmy Nealis scored the first goal of the match in the 19th win, giving the Hoyas a 10 advantage. The goal was AU’s first goal allowed in two matches. Despite the Hoyas’ fast play and intensity, AU came back strong, seeming to be energized by the fact that they were down. AU’s offense would dominate the play from that point on.

The Eagles got on the board with a goal by senior Karsten Smith, who headed the ball on a corner kick from senior Cameron Petty. Smith, who was named to the All-Patriot League First Team last year, recorded his second goal of the season. The

goal tied the score at one in the 28th minute. Petty got his second assist of the year.

They took the lead four minutes later from a goal scored by junior Mike Worden from another crossing pass, this time by senior Nidhal Charfi, who had a career day. Charfi’s pass to Worden led to a breakaway goal and a 2-1 AU lead. Worden recorded his fourth goal of the season, a career high, which ties him for the most on the team with fellow junior Daniel Shannon. After the tally, Worden trails only Shannon for the team lead in points with nine.

Charfi scored the third and final goal in the 54th minute, assisted by Shannon and junior David Menzie.

Shannon recorded his fifth assist of the year, which added to his teamleading 13 points on the season.

As a freshman, Shannon also led the team in goals and points. Menzie recorded his fourth assist, trailing only Shannon in that category for the team lead and now has eight points, third on the team behind Shannon and Worden. Menzie finished second on the team last year in points, with eight. Despite AU’s top point leaders netting most of the production, the story of the day was Charfi.

The senior, who transferred from the University of Florida last year and played in ten games last year, had his career day at AU. With a three-point day, Charfi is fourth on the team for the lead in points with seven. He recorded his second goal and third assist on the season. Charfi’s spark off the bench provided a pleasant surprise for the AU club. He was integral part of getting AU their ninth win of the season.

“It was a great performance, especially going down 1-0 to a very good team on the road,” Head Coach Todd West said. “[We fought] back in a battle and ended up winning a very big game, that was a huge win on the road.”

AU is now 9-3-2 on the season overall and 5-1-1 on the road. In their last nine games AU has not lost recording seven wins and two ties.

The Eagles have outscored opponents 17-5 during that stretch.

AU continues their season against Holy Cross on Saturday, resuming conference play looking to stay undefeated.

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

Competition heats up in UEFA qualifying matches

By ELLIOT JEFFORDS Eagle Contributing Writer The playoff games determining the final four Union of European Football Association’s qualifying spots in next summer’s World Cup in South Africa have been set. All four games are going to be close, since when it comes down to just one game anything can happen.

Ireland competed hard all through qualifying and just missed out on an automatic berth. The team played some of the most competitive one-goal games in all of European qualifying.

France is riding a wave of good play, as they have scrambled over the last four match dates to secure the playoff spot, despite playing horribly in the first half of qualifying. Ireland will take this tie 2-1 after some tough physical play, with not many goal-scoring opportunities.

Bosnia-Herzegovina vs. Portugal:

Like any good team, Portugal is saying they are not going to overlook their opponents. Still, Portugal can all but book their plane tickets to South Africa. With arguably the best player in the world, Cristiano Ronaldo, leading the charge, it will be difficult for the soft Bosnian back line to stop the attacks from coming fast and furiously.

In a lopsided tilt, Portugal wins 4-0.

Ukraine vs. Greece: Both of these teams are equally deserving of the qualifying spot that they are going after. Greece won the European Championships in 2004 and has been tough competitors in all of their big games since. Greece finished just one-point back of the Swiss in their qualifying group and could have easily swung one of their draws to a win. Ukraine looks to be coming on strong, however, as they beat England for the first time in qualifying at home on Oct. 10.

This could easily go either way, but Ukraine will pull out the win and take

it 3-1 thanks to stellar play in the harsh Eastern European conditions.

Slovenia vs. Russia: Russia found themselves at the top of their group — that is, until Germany stormed in to Moscow and stole a 1-0 decision with 10 men. Russia is young, fast and showed they can put it all together during the European Championships in 2008. If they do make it through to South Africa, this team will be on many teams’ radar as a team that could be a dark horse and make a deep run. Slovenia comes in as a relative unknown, despite only allowing four goals over the course of qualifying. Russia doesn’t disappoint, as they easily glide to a 41 aggregate win and begin preparing to spend their summer on the sunny beaches of South Africa.

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

Many predicted this University of Florida team could be the best in history. Although they are undefeated, they have not looked as dominant as some believed they would be. They defeated the Tennessee Volunteers by only 10 points after the Volunteers’ Head Coach Lane Kiffin angered the Gators and their fans with his offseason remarks.

Florida narrowly survived against the Arkansas Razorbacks, needing a Caleb Sturgis 27-yard field goal with nine seconds left to remain undefeated. This past weekend, the Gators led 16-13 against the lowly Mississippi State University Bulldogs entering the fourth quarter. While the orange and blue would go on to win 29-19, it was a sloppy win with Tim Tebow throwing two interceptions that were returned for touchdowns.

Florida is unbeaten, but teams have shown there are chinks in their armor.

Does anyone want to win the Heisman Trophy?

The Heisman Trophy is one of the most prestigious awards in all of sports. Eight weeks into the season, no one has emerged as a clear front-runner. The expected three-man race between Sam Bradford, Colt McCoy and Tim Tebow never materialized.

Bradford hurt his right shoulder in two separate games and is out for the season. McCoy and Tebow are still serious contenders, but they have not put up the stats they were expected to have.

The University of Alabama Crimson Tide running back Mark In-

gram and Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Jimmy Clausen are the current favorites. That said, however, Ingram failed to reach 100 rushing yards last week and Clausen plays for a two-loss Notre Dame team.

Despite all of the games that have been played this season, there hasn’t been that spectacular Heisman moment people expect every year.

Which team will crash the BCS party?

The Utah Utes crashed into one of the top bowls in 2004 and 2008, defeating the Pittsburgh Panthers and Alabama. The Boise State University Broncos did it in 2006, defeating the Oklahoma Sooners thanks to a couple of trick plays.

This year, the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs and Boise State are the teams with the best shot of playing in a BCS bowl.

TCU is ranked No. 6 in the current BCS standings. They passed their first test this past Saturday, when they went on the road and thumped the BYU Cougars 38-7.

Their season could come down to a Nov. 14 home game against No. 19 Utah.

Boise State is ranked No. 7 in the BCS standings, but their strength of schedule hurts them significantly. Their win over Oregon to start the season was impressive, but that will be the only ranked team they will play all year. Being in a weak conference severely hurts their chances of crashing the party; TCU will have to lose in order for that to happen.

How long can the University of Iowa and the University of Cincinnati stay undefeated?

At the start of the season, the University of Iowa Hawkeyes were not considered a serious threat to win their conference. A win over the Penn State Nittany Lions in Happy Valley changed that and catapulted them onto the national scene. Their eight wins have been ugly, but who cares about style points when you’re undefeated?

They should be 10-0 heading into a pivotal showdown with the

Ohio State Buckeyes. The game will be played in the Horseshoe and could determine the Big Ten title, a Rose Bowl berth and maybe even more.

The Big East is a conference more known for its basketball than its football. But the Univercity of Cincinnati Bearcats boast a 7-0 record and a top 10 national ranking. They did not skip a beat this past Saturday, trampling the Louisville Cardinals 41-10 despite being without star quarterback Tony Pike. Pike will likely sit out against the woeful Syracuse Orange this weekend, but should be ready for two important Big East clashes against West Virginia University and Pittsburgh.

Which one-loss team has the best chance to reach the BCS National Championship Game?

As usual, the University of Southern California Trojans lost to an inferior Pac-10 opponent.

This time it was the University Washington Huskies, coached by former USC offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian. They have slowly made their way back up the rankings, coming in at No. 5 in the BCS standings. They have impressive wins over Ohio State, the California University Golden Bears and Notre Dame on their resume. A win this Saturday over No. 10 University of Oregon in hostile Autzen Stadium would help them all but solidify their Rose Bowl birth.

The Louisiana State University Tigers are ranked No. 9, but their schedule provides them with a great opportunity to jump right back into the picture. They have two important November games, one against No. 2 Alabama and the other against the No. 24 Mississippi Rebels. If they win those two and defeat Arkansas in the season finale, they will earn a spot in the SEC Championship game.

LSU’s likely opponent would be Florida, meaning a win could propel them to the BCS National Championship Game. LSU must beat four tough teams but if they can do it, they could be one of the teams playing on Jan. 7.

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

Athletes thrive at AU despite chaotic lives

By MIKE DEFABO Eagle Contributing Writer Think you’ve got it bad as a student? Do you trouble waking up for an 8:30? Are you stressed out over research papers and midterms?

Have you bee missing you parents?

You might get some sympathy from the frat guy down the hall, but don’t expect any from AU athletes.

Most athletes would love to have just two early classes each week.

They are forced to overload mornings with 8:30s and 9:55 classes to free up afternoons for practice. For AU athletes, 9 a.m. is sleeping in and snoozing till noon is unheard of.

The girls’ lacrosse team, for example, lifts three days a week at 6:30 a.m.

“We’re sore pretty much at all times,” said sophomore mid-fielder Bernadette Maher.

Depending on the sport, athletes might have to wake up as early as 5:15 a.m. to lift — about the same time some college kids roll back to campus after a night out.

A weekend tournament or away game could eat away crucial study time. For a Saturday game, teams leave campus on Friday night.

Game day is booked with morning breakfast, a walk through on the field, team lunch and finally the game.

“Sometimes we don’t get home until two or three in the morning on Sundays,” men’s soccer striker Mike Marino said.

Robert Grell swims distance, freestyle and backstroke. But as a pre-med major, his grades are what he’s trying to keep afloat. One week this semester, Grell had four exams — Organic Chemistry, Cell Biology, Linear Algebra and Differential Equations — plus three lab reports,

as well as practice.

“Most people study until 3 a.m. wake up at seven and study some more before the exam,” Grell said.

He studied until the little hours of the morning like most, but then he had to wake up at 6 a.m. for practice. He’s not sure how he did on the exams, but said he had better put in 100 percent at practice.

Despite that, however, he has historically earned a better GPA in season than out of season. Grell’s success in the classroom may be due to the athletic department’s policies that emphasize studies over athletics. First-semester freshmen must attend eight hours of study hall per week. If they hope to get exempt second semester, they must earn a 3.0 GPA or better.

Athletes do get an academic leg up on others students with a special academic advisor for athletes and priority on class scheduling.

There are other advantages to playing college sports as well. Many athletes say sports eased the transition from high school to college.

Fall sports teams arrive at AU two weeks before the regular freshman.

“When most kids were moving their stuff in Welcome Week, I was already settled,” said Marino.

Perhaps the biggest advantage for timid freshmen is that their teammates become an instant group of friends. Athletes commonly say sports teams are like their own fraternities.

“Coming into college I had 27 automatic friends,” lacrosse goalie Kaska Komosinki said. “Twentyseven family members.”

On top of all this, many also get some kind of scholarship package.

Most athletes are on some type of scholarship. Food is paid for on away games, as are tutors. To go along with all of this they also

receive several freebees from the Athletic Department, in the form of sweat pants, sweatshirts and other items of clothing.

Sophomore Kevin Bunch played one season for the Club Basketball team, but still prizes his red basketball shorts.

“You can’t buy this [stuff ] in stores,” said Bunch pointing to the blue and white AU logo.

However, sophomore forward on the men’s basketball team Riley Grafft said he gives away a lot of his apparel.

“You can only have so many AU T-shirts,” he said.

Taking into account all of the positives, as well as the negatives, many athletes said they wouldn’t trade this opportunity.

“Everyone has moments that make you say ‘I can’t do this,’” Grell said. “Then you take a step back and realize that you could never do this alone.”

Most athletes would agree that their experience is different than most college students, but they also say they still feel like a regular student.

“It would be fun to go out and experience the D.C. nightlife more often, especially when we watch other students going out on the weekends,” said freshman soccer player Erika Robbins. “We do have time off when we can go out and be responsible, but in season we are dedicated to our team and have fun together in other ways.”

It means trading bar crawls for bear crawls, hangovers for hang clean lifting sessions and six packs, for well, six packs.

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