The Eagle — Nov. 2, 2009

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Cultural relativism is incoherant and should be avoided at any cost page 5

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TODAY’S WEATHER

AU will expand its resources for students by opening a women’s center in fall 2010 and an online veterans’ network launching this January.

The Women’s Resource Center will have a variety of components, such as a library of books relating to women’s issues and a counseling center, according to Student Government President Andy MacCracken.

The veterans’ network will provide veterans who are new to AU with resources and support from other veterans.

The SG has been working on getting a women’s resource center since early 2006, according to MacCracken. He said the resource center is guaranteed at least one staff member and will most likely have office space on the second floor of the Mary Graydon Center in the same hallway as the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Ally Resource Center and the Disabilities Support Center.

Sarah Brown, the director of Women’s Initiative, said that she is overjoyed at the prospect of a women’s resource center.

“I am incredibly excited for the opening of the Women’s Resource Center,” Brown said. “I was a freshman when this idea really gained momentum and it will be great to see all of the hard work of my peers and myself materialize into something tangible that will benefit the entire AU community.”

Brown said that while the members of Women’s Initiative provide a great deal of support to women at AU, it is imperative that there be a staff office addressing women’s issues so the AU community can have a “full-time advocate for issues affecting women on campus.”

Brown also stressed that a women’s resource center would provide more extensive women’s counseling services than the student-run Women’s Initiative.

“Just having a space for students to go and feel welcomed and comfortable is extremely important,” Brown said. “While the Women’s n

see RESOURCES on page 2

City considers marriage bill

By MEG FOWLER Eagle Staff Writer After approving legislation to recognize same-sex marriages made outside the District earlier this year, the D.C. City Council is now tackling the issue of approving same-sex marriages made within the city.

The council’s Committee on Public Safety and the Judiciary is scheduled to hold a hearing Monday, Nov. 2, to discuss the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Equality Amendment Act of 2009, a bill to permit same-sex marriage in the city of D.C. At-Large D.C. Council Member David Catania first proposed the bill on Oct. 6. Over 250 people — AU students among them — plan to testify both for and against the bill at this hearing.

Canyon Bosler, a sophomore in the School of International Service and the College of Arts and Sciences, signed up to testify at the hearing after encouragement from groups for which he has volunteered, including D.C. Clergy United for Marriage Equality and the D.C. Marriage Coalition, he said.

Bosler, who plans to go to seminary after graduating AU to get a Masters in Divinity as a Unitarian Universalist Minister, wanted to emphasize at the hearing that the bill pertains to religious freedoms as well as civil rights issues.

“The fact that only certain marriages will be recognized by law is a problem for us because it is infringing on my right ... as a future minister ... to marry couples as I see fit,” Bosler said. n

see MARRIAGE on page 2

SARAH PARNASS / THE EAGLE

LIFE OF PROTEST — Every day, rain or shine, John Wojnowski stands in front of the Vatican embassy, holding a banner that accuses the Vatican of hiding pedophiles. For the past 12 years, Wojnowski has shared his views with anyone willing to listen. He claims he was molested by an Italian priest in 1958 at age 15.

D.C. man protests Vatican inaction

By SARAH PARNASS Eagle Staff Writer “What is important is the stupidity of the church, the malevolence.”

That is the message of a 67-yearold man who stands outside the Nunciature of the Holy See — or the Vatican Embassy — near the Naval Observatory on Massachusetts Avenue, nearly every day.

Whether in the rain under his stocky black umbrella or in the warm rays of the D.C. sun, John Wojnowski has stood on that street corner for the past 12 years. Each day after 4:30 p.m., he attaches one end of his white banner to a signpost and holds up the other end. Once unfurled, the banner’s red letters shout Wojnowski’s mantra, “VATICAN HIDES PEDOPHILES,” accompanied by the URL for his Web site, www.vaticanhidespedophiles. com.

Though Wojnowski appears soft-spoken in-person and claims extreme shyness once prevented him from ever speaking to women, his Web site presents a harsher picture.

“This impudent degeneracy [the Catholic Church], that has the gall to threaten, shame, ridicule and insult the long suffering crippled victims of its ignorance, MUST BE EXPOSED,” it reads.

Some might say his words are harsh, but the story he said is behind them could, perhaps, explain Wojnowski’s roughness.

It is a real human story, filled with many emotions and memories. It is Wojnowski’s story, as he

told it.

In a small village in the mountains of Italy in 1958, the town’s pastor invited a 15-year-old boy to the church to work on his Latin studies.

Wojnowski described himself then as an impish boy with an intellectual curiosity that has followed him throughout his life.

The boy and his pious older brother went to the village church.

When the priest saw that the boy had not come alone, Wojnowski said the priest separated the brothers, leaving the elder in a room with an assignment and taking Wojnowski into a private chamber.

In that room, the priest allegedly laid a hand on Wojnowski’s knee and convinced him to expose himself. Wojnowski said that the priest then sexually assaulted him.

“The reason I’m doing this is because I was molested myself,” Wojnowski said.

After that, Wojnowski said he only remembered finding himself on the ground in front of the church, stricken.

The abuse caused something to change inside him, both psychologically and physiologically, Wojnowski said. He became withdrawn and depressed, he said. Even his height was stunted by the trauma, Wojnowski said. Yet, for nearly 40 years, Wojnowski said he did not fully remember the event.

“I was so traumatized, so shocked that it was like literally being hit by lightning,” Wojnowski said. “Immediately, I blocked it out, repressed the memory.”

What Wojnowski said triggered his memory years later when he was living alone in the United States was news coverage of the scandal in the church that broke out in 1997.

In the world of psychology, it is still debated whether such phenomenon is possible. One study of college women by Michelle Epstein and Bette Bottoms of the University of Chicago and La Rabida Children’s Hospital found that victims of childhood sexual abuse forgot their incidents more completely than those who experienced other trauma. A study combining the work of academics from the State University of New York, Emory University and the University of California, however, purported that all “recovered memories” could be explained by flawed treatment programs and an individual’s inability to distinguish between fantasy and reality.

Yet Wojnowski was reluctant to focus on the recovery of his memory.

“You understand, we are fighting the [Catholic] Church,” Wojnowski said.

In August 1997, Wojnowski contacted a priest about the abuse he allegedly remembered. He said he was referred to counseling for which the church would pay, but he received no other reparations.

Wojnowski pursued the matter further, even writing to the Nunciature, he said. After his letters and phone calls were ignored, Wojnowski took up his post where he stood this Halloween, on the n

see CHURCH on page 3

‘Doc’ site offers SHC alternative

A CRACK AT THE LAW

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By JULIA RYAN

Cool and sunny during the day, cloudy later.

Eagle Staff Writer

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AU adds resource centers

By JULIA RYAN

MORAL CLARITY

NOVEMBER 2, 2009 VOLUME 84 ISSUE 20

YIPIN LU / THE EAGLE

Jasmine Tyler, a representative from the Drug Policy Alliance, discusses new legislation introduced to Congress, which would equalize the sentencing for crack and cocaine drug offenses, in Butler on Oct. 29.

AU students looking for specialized medical advice outside of the Student Health Center will have more options when ZocDoc.com, a free Web service that helps people book appointments with doctors in their area, expands service to D.C. On ZocDoc.com, a person can search for a doctor by location and what type of insurance the doctor accepts. Users can also read detailed information about doctors, as well as reviews from patients.

ZocDoc was started in 2007 in New York City to help people set up dentist appointments, but later expanded to help people set up appointments with more specialized doctors like dermatologists, psychiatrists and allergists, according to ZocDoc.com.

ZocDoc’s move to D.C. was a re-

sponse to the growing demand for accessible health care in the D.C. area, according to Karsten Vagner, director of communications for ZocDoc. D.C. was the first choice in ZocDoc’s recent poll of what city ZocDoc should offer service in next.

Vagner said ZocDoc’s expansion to D.C. is logical given the nature of the city and its people.

“Washington, D.C., is a transient city with many people who are only staying for a short amount of time, like college students,” Vagner said. “But the average wait time for scheduling a doctor’s appointment in the D.C. area can be up to 30 days. With ZocDoc, people could schedule an appointment within 24 hours.”

The Web site will be expanding to other major metropolitan areas in the near future. ZocDoc recently n

see ZOCDOC on page 4

the EAGLE

NOVEMBER 2, 2009

news 2

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TUES27 3 THU

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FRI 6

SAT 7

The Day that Changed My Life Forever: Violence Against Women in Guatemala 6:30 - 8 p.m.

WHERE: School of International Service Lounge INFO: Gladys Monterroso, a lawyer and professor, speaks about her experience as a victim of domestic violence and about the injustice against women in the Guatemalan justice system.

CONTACT: For more information, email Amanda Martin at amarting@ ghrc-usa.org.

Men’s Basketball vs. Randolph Macon College 7:30 - 9:30 p.m.

WHERE: Bender Arena INFO: The Eagles will take on Randolph Macon College for an exhibition game.

CONTACT: For more information, email Kathryn Tortorici at tortorici@ american.edu.

Kennedy Political Union Presents: Iran’s 2009 Election — The Student Perspective 8:15 - 9:30 p.m.

WHERE: Mary Graydon Center, University Club INFO: This student-run panel will focus on first-person accounts and analysis by AU undergraduate students as well as Georgetown University students who were in Iran before, during and after the election.

CONTACT: For more information, e-mail Will Hubbard at kpu@ausg. org.

Greek 101 8 - 10 p.m.

WHERE: Ward Circle Building, Room 1 INFO: Current members of the AU greek community will be holding an information session for students interested in joining a sorority or fraternity.

CONTACT: For more information, email the Office of Greek Affairs, at greeklife@american.edu.

Climate Education 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

WHERE: The Main Quad INFO: EcoSense will be spreading awareness about climate change and other environmental issues through pamphlets, posters and original artwork on the quad.

CONTACT: For more information, e-mail Michael Thompson at mthompson@nrdc.org.

Kickball for Kidneys 1 - 4 p.m.

WHERE: Tenley Field INFO: A kickball tournament for members of the AU community and the general public will be held on Tenley Field to benefit the National Kidney Foundation.

CONTACT: For more information, email the Office of Greek Affairs at greeklife@american.edu.

ing new resources and services.

Hanson is also helping to establish an online veterans’ network at AU. The Veterans’ Network will be a “group of people to be a principal resource to the over 100 veterans on campus.� The network will have information for current and prospective veteran students, as well as important links and online resources.

MacCracken said a veterans’ network could help student veterans learn about AU and adjust to college life. “A student veteran’s experience is much different than the life ex-

periences of the average AU student,� MacCracken said. “Many veterans are older than the average freshman, and the veterans are coming from a very different environment.�

MacCracken said a physical Veterans’ Resource Center could be a possibility in the future but for now, the SG is focusing on shortterm ways that they can build support for AU veterans.

MacCracken is working with the administration to have a veterans’ reception on Veterans Day, Nov. 11. The Kennedy Political Union may collaborate with the SG

for the event to bring in a speaker, according to MacCracken.

He said he would make it a priority to address the needs of the growing AU veterans community. “We’ll be working on identifying what resources can be offered and when we can make these resources available,� MacCracken said. “I’ll be working with AU veterans throughout the rest of my term and promoting awareness of veterans’ issues.�

Tenley CafĂŠ diners still carry trays

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

By MEGHAN SWEENEY

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Initiative office provides this as best as we can with the space the Student Government provides for us, we do share an office and some important issues are more easily discussed in a safe space where you can close the door if need be.�

Gail Hanson, AU’s vice president of Campus Life, worked with the AU administration on planning and acquiring finances for the Women’s Resource Center. Hanson said the Women’s Resource Center would focus more on bringing together women’s resources already available to students than on creat-

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The process of signing up to testify was very simple, according to Bosler. “Basically ... you just email or call the secretary of the city council, and she’ll put you on the list because anyone who wants to speak can speak,� Bosler said.

Travis Ballie, a senior in the SIS and the Kogod School of Business, signed up to testify at the hearing after learning about the opportunity from both Bosler and the D.C. Marriage Coalition, for which Ballie has volunteered, he said.

Ballie wanted to tell D.C. Council members the importance of the issue of marriage equality has in his decision of whether to stay in D.C. after graduating from AU. “I hope that the council members will realize that this is ... about how we are presenting our city to attract high-skilled workers and the many undergraduates in the area,�

Ballie said.

Support for the Bill Ten council members, including the two Independents, are co-sponsors of the bill, according to the City Council Web site. Out of the 13 members of the D.C. City Council, 11 are affiliated with the Democratic Party, and two are independent of party affiliation.

President of AU College Democrats Bo Hammond, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences, did not know that this bill was being considered in the D.C. City Council but said that he supports it. “[AU College Democrats] will absolutely support [the bill] and campaign for it, and we’ll campaign for candidates who believe in equal rights for every American,� Hammond said.

Besides the unity of the Democratic majority in Congress and the City Council, the success of

past legislation is a good sign for this bill, according to Ballie. The D.C. Council passed a bill earlier this year to recognize the union of same-sex couples married in other states and Congress did not veto that decision. “When that bill was passed ... that was a test-legislation to see if Congress would interfere in later bills,� Ballie said. “Thankfully, they did not, and signs showing that Congress will not interfere this time around. I feel ... confident about our stand here.�

Opposition to the Bill: Congressional Intervention Despite hopes that Congress will not intervene, some members of Congress plan to oppose the bill, according to The Washington Post.

Representative Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, told the Post that he would oppose the bill. However, it is unlikely that Congress will interfere because the health care battle will overshadow D.C. local issues in Congress. Congressional Republicans are also not unified on the issue of how much they should speak out on gay marriage, Chaffetz said.

David Lindgren, secretary of AU College Republicans and a sophomore in SIS, said gay marriage is a very sensitive topic for Republicans. “Positions vary across the Republican Party, especially considering the different types and varying backgrounds that the Republican Party represents,� Lindgren said in an e-mail. “I am against gay marriage, but I’m still on the fence on how far the government should go to protect traditional marriages and prohibit gay marriages.�

Opposition to the Bill: Stand for Marriage Initiative

The most verbal opposition to the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Equality Amendment Act of 2009 comes from the group Stand for Marriage, D.C., which is comprised of a coalition of religious and community leaders.

Stand for Marriage, D.C., organized a demonstration called “The People’s Rally,� to verbalize support for new legislation that would potentially define marriage in D.C. as being between a man and a woman.

More than 100 people gathered at the Freedom Plaza in downtown D.C. on Oct. 25 to support this cause.

The legislation, named the “Defense of Marriage Initiative,� was filed Sept. 1 by Stand for Marriage, D.C. If passed, the initiative will appear on the 2010 ballot as a referendum for D.C. residents.

The initiative says: “Only marriage between a man and woman is valid or recognized in the District of Columbia.� Should it make it to the ballot, D.C. residents would vote either “yes� or “no,� according to Stand for Marriage, D.C., which organized the protest to verbalize its cause.

David Lindgren, secretary of AU College Republicans and a sophomore in SIS, supports the initiative because it gives the people of D.C. a direct say in this issue. “I’m concerned about ... elected officials’ intervention with this issue because a select few with an agenda should not be legislating on an issue that people heartily disagree with,�

Lindgren said.

Stand for Marriage, D.C., also emphasizes the voting rights of the people as the issue surrounding its initiative.

Bishop Harry Jackson, a member of the Stand for Marriage coalition and senior pastor of Hope Chris-

Eagle Contributing Writer

tian in Beltsville, Md., defended the initiative in a press release on the Stand for Marriage Web site. “The D.C. City Council has stated that their intention is to redefine marriage,� Jackson said. “This redefinition of marriage will permanently impact D.C. businesses, schools, social activities and the family unit without the voice of the residents being heard. The initiative ... would allow the people of the District to decide this important issue, not a 13-person panel.�

However, Hammond disagreed with the idea for the initiative to be put to a citywide vote. “I don’t think the majority expressing the rights of a minority is ‘democracy’ or the ‘voice of the people’ at all,� Hammond said. “That’s ridiculous.�

Ballie also feels the initiative represents a false premise by giving the choice to the people because he too does not believe that the majority should decide the rights of a minority, he said. “The process D.C. has in protecting groups from discrimination is one of the strongest in the country,�

Ballie said. “We should be proud of that as D.C. residents and not put crucial human rights issues up to a majority vote.�

The Council will continue with the hearing Monday. City council member Phil Mendelson, D-At Large, Chairman of the Committee on Public Safety and the Judiciary, told the Post that the hearing will be the forum that Stand for Marriage, D.C. is seeking. “The folks who argue for an initiative say they want to have a public debate, and that is what this hearing is,� Mendelson told the Post.

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

Tenley CafĂŠ has yet to lose its trays as AU attempts to make itself a more sustainable school.

The system at Tenley CafĂŠ will not work with plates only, according to Chris Moody, the executive director of Housing and Dining. “The conveyer belt system at the Tenley CafĂŠ is very different than the one in the Terrace Dining Room,â€? Moody said. “The existing conveyer belt system at Tenley CafĂŠ still requires the use of trays, but the desire is to continue to move towards a tray-less environment once the necessary changes can be made.â€?

The university hopes to replace the conveyer belt in Tenley CafĂŠ over the summer, so it will be in place for the beginning of the next school year, according to JoDe Nowland, director of Auxiliary Services. The current conveyer belt relies on the use of trays to dispose of unclean dishes and silverware. To replace it, the university must first

design a new conveyer belt that will fit Tenley CafÊ’s needs. “Since many students at Tenley are from other countries, having trays at the Tenley dining room sends the wrong message about the United States: wastefulness,â€? said Drew Veysey, president of EcoSense.

Some students said they are disgruntled Tenley is able to keep its trays for the remainder of the year. “We suffer to be green while one campus has trays,� said Will Sanders, a freshman in the School of International Service.

Steve Smith, a sophomore in the School of Public Affairs, agrees with Sander’s assessment. “It’s unfair that one campus has trays,� he said. “They need a uniform policy one way or the other.�

AU will still advertise as a tray-less school despite the fact that Tenley CafĂŠ has trays, Nowland said.

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

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the EAGLE

NOVEMBER 2, 2009

news 3

Speaker explains Foreign Service

SCARING AWAY CANCER

Cummings shares tales from abroad Courtesy of SIG EP

Tom McNutt, Mike Fowler, Erik Roos and Aaron Gold (L-R) of AU’s chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon made over $1,000 in the “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” fundraiser hosted by the American Cancer Society on Halloween.

SG Senate approves AUTO commissioner

By KATHERINE SEATON Eagle Contributing Writer The Student Government Senate approved Nicholas Russotto as AUTO Commissioner Nov. 2, after the position was left empty for the first part of the semester.

Former commissioner Cory Ward resigned Aug. 25 due to time constraints and personal reasons.

Russotto spoke to the Senate after SG Comptroller Alan Chang chose him from a pool of applicants. The nomination came from Russotto’s impressive administrative and communication skills, Chang said.

The senators in the SG seemed to feel the same way.

“Despite his lack of experience in the realm of lack of AUTO certification, I think that he will be a great AUTO commissioner,” said Anthony Dunham, proxy for Sen. For Class of 2012 Forrest Young.

Russotto is a sophomore double majoring in music and business in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Kogod School of Business.

He also works as an organist and

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street corner in front of the Vatican Embassy.

Though his words are strong and his opinions divisive, Wojnowski has developed a following over the years.

Originally, Wojnowski said passer-by met his message with shouts of “loser.” Now people honk or wave congenially as they drive by, showing their support for the man and his banner.

“It’s true,” Wojnowski said of his sign. “If it was not true it would be a lie, slander, defamation, libel. Right?

And the Vatican would do something [legal] about it.”

Wojnowski alleges that rather than engage in a legal battle with him or acknowledge his accusations, the Vatican has sent young priests as agents in a scheme to force him off of his street corner. The first such confrontation occurred when a priest who did not reveal his name approached the pro-

harpist for St. Ann’s Roman Catholic Church in Tenleytown. Russotto attributes his administrative and communication experience to his position at the church.

“As assistant organist and assistant director of music, the majority of my time is managing a budget, delegating to underlings and or being assigned tasks from my superiors,” Russotto said.

Now that Russotto has been sworn in as the new AUTO commissioner, he plans to get to work this week. His first plan of action is to find an AUTO program director and a billing director to help him in creating AUTO a more student-accessible program, he said.

“A program director is someone who can help with the bigger picture of things and is someone who can effectively articulate my vision and assist in big picture stuff,” he said. “The billing person needs to make sure that people are being billed correctly and needs to know the agile fleet system better than I do.”

Russotto’s main goal is to make

the program “first and foremost accessible,” and to “make it easier for people to be certified,” he said. He wants to ensure there are enough vans to bring people to trains stations and airports and to get further communication from the student body, either through town hall meetings or surveys, he said.

After hearing students’ opinions on the AUTO program, he may have to implement changes like “making it an hourly system instead of a mileage based system,” he said.

Russotto said he is going to move quickly once he gets swipe card access to his office and receives all the information he needs from Chang.

“I feel that it has to be communicated to the student body that AUTO is under new management, and I don’t want to keep that status quo any longer,” he said. “I want to get this off the ground as quickly as possible.”

testor and gave him four reasons why he should give up his battle, according to Wojnowski.

“1. The molestation happened in Italy,” Wojnowski’s Web site reads. “In Italy, there is a statute of limitations so I was out of luck. 2. The molestation could have been my own fault. 3. To protest would be bad for me because I will be crushed by the ridicule and by the shame. 4. U.S. law is too harsh on pedophiles and should (or will) be changed.”

Wojnowski also said the Archbishop Sambi — the Papal ambassador to the United States — had personally insulted him in Italian.

Wojnowski had videotaped the ambassador walking by, but the audio was unclear.

Sambi could not be reached to either refute or confirm Wojnowski’s accusations. Others at the Vatican Embassy refused to offer any infor-

mation about Wojnowski, even so much as when he usually shows up each day.

AU Catholic Chaplain Father David Mott said he receives occasional inquiries about Wojnowski but never knew much about him until he looked online. “[Wojnowski]’s not a big deal,” Mott said.

Mott also said he had recently received new information about Wojnowski.

“He’s paid,” Mott said with a smile, though he would not say by whom or where his information had come from.

Wojnowski predicted this reaction; he said the Vatican thinks he is being paid by the Jews.

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

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

By LINDSEY ANDERSON Eagle Staff Writer Barbara Cummings’ car was bombed, she had a run-in with the Dalai Lama and she “faked” language skills during her 27 years with the U.S. Foreign Service.

Cummings spoke about internships, careers and life in the Foreign Service to an audience of 20 or so students Thursday, Oct. 29, in the Mary Graydon Center.

The Kennedy Political Union and Delta Phi Epsilon, AU’s recently revived foreign-service fraternity, sponsored the event.

When she was 27 years old, Cummings worked for the Foreign Service in Athens. It was a time of tag-team assassinations by the Greek terrorist group Revolutionary Organization 17 November (17N). In their mode of operation, one person would steal a motorbike and ride in front of a target’s car, while the other would follow in a car and shoot the target, Cummings said.

One day, someone on a motorbike and someone in a gold Mercedes trapped her, 17 N-style, while she was driving. Cummings was nervous when they continued to follow her convertible after multiple turns, she said. She drove toward the Marine house and they stopped following her, she said.

Cummings reported the event, but the security officer just said, “Well, you’re a pretty girl.”

Soon after, she saw the reflection of flames in the window across the street from her Athens home. Her building was on fire.

Cummings said her brain split in two: one side thought quickly and the other thought slowly and rationally. She did not put her hand to the door or get low on the ground, as elementary fire drill code would dictate.

“I didn’t have time for that,” she said.

Thick, black, sooty smoke greeted her. It was not like the white smoke in the movies where characters just put a towel over their head and walk through, Cummings said. She went back into the room and called the Marines. They are young, sometimes 19 years old, but they will help you, she said.

“These guys read comic books, but they will save you,” Cummings said.

She walked onto the balcony and closed the door to breathe better. On the concrete five stories below, people on the street were saying, “Don’t jump!” to deter her from escaping from such a height.

STUDENT N I G H T CHARACTER

COMMITMENT

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“I’m not going to jump,” she said to the AU audience. “I get that.”

Eventually, a fireman looking “just like Darth Vader” arrived and escorted her out of the building, Cummings said. He asked her “DID someone have a car?” and “WAS it a convertible?”

Cummings was confused by his use of the past tense. It wasn’t until they walked onto the street that she realized why he used ‘did’ and ‘was.’

Her car had been bombed, starting the fire in the building.

The car looked like a big briquette, she said.

The officers asked her if she smoked, she said.

“What could I smoke that would do that?” she thought.

The next morning, Cummings was in the newspaper with soot on her face and her hair wild.

“It made me realize you can pretty much get through anything,” she said.

Cummings also spoke to the AU students about internship possibilities with the Foreign Service and the job application process.

“We won’t send you [as interns] any place that they’re blowing up cars because your parents will hunt us down,” she said.

To enter the Foreign Service, an applicant must pass the Foreign Service exam. Cummings said her department offers exam prep courses.

For the next two fiscal years, there is funding for about 750 Foreign Service officers, a significant increase from past years, Cummings said.

“So good timing, well done, well done, if you’re interested in going to Foreign Service,” she said.

Cummings was in her third year of law school — even though she did not want to be a lawyer — when she took the exam.

“I discovered if I didn’t do something quick — Eek! Eek! — I was going to be a lawyer,” she said.

The exams are in February, June and October and cover math, history, English and personal questions, Cummings said.

She did not realize the Foreign Service was competitive until she began applying, she said.

“I call myself the ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ of the Foreign Service,” she said. “I just happened to know the questions they asked.”

After the exam, applicants answer personal narrative questions about themselves, then are selected for a full day of oral assessments.

“I said ‘if it’s not fun I’m leaving halfway through so I don’t have to pay for a full day of parking,’” Cummings said.

But she was surprised with the interview, discussion and exercise where applicants presented projects and tried to encourage other applicants to fund them.

Applicants find out that day if

they pass. And Cummings did.

But she declined her first job offer to attend a performance by former host of ‘The Tonight Show’ Johnny Carson. She had tickets to see Carson perform in a few weeks, and she could not pass up the opportunity.

“It means nothing to you — you’re a generation behind me — but it was like nirvana,” Cummings said. “And after that I felt like a complete American and I could join the Foreign Service.”

She took the next job offer that she was offered. Cummings worked in Albania after the end of the Cold War, then in Peru and Rome. In each country she learned to speak each language, but was not fluent and generally “faked it.”

One day in Peru, Cummings had to attend a meeting. She walked around the embassy all day practicing a difficult sentence: “It would be better if the prisoners were located in ...”

One of the men in the meeting dominated the entire session, but once, he turned to her and she perfectly said, “It would be better if the prisoners were located in ...”

“Right,” he said, and continued on. Cummings did not care — her sentence had been flawless.

While she was in Rome, George Clooney owned a house there, she said. A fan of his, Cummings would talk of jumping over Clooney’s wall to see him.

“Where am I going to be in a situation where I am this close and have diplomatic immunity?” she would say. “I’m going over the wall.”

Though she never did take the chance, another opportunity to see Clooney arose.

Clooney, Lech Walesa, Mikhail Gorbachev, the Dalai Lama and other famous figures were gathering for an annual event held Nobel Peace Prize recipients in Rome.

But Cummings only cared about Clooney.

After the ceremony, she tried to approach him to tell him her staff wanted to meet him — when really she wanted to meet him — but paparazzi blocked her way.

The Dalai Lama walked by right as she made her approach.

He could not go to the luncheon after the ceremony, since China would be angry if he met with leaders from some of the countries. As he walked by, he accidentally bumped into her.

“He put his hand right on my breast and he looks at me like he’s 5 years old and goes ‘Sorry,’” she said, with a devious smile.

“I went for the actor and I bagged the monk.”

Cummings is currently the State Department diplomat-inresidence for the Mid-Atlantic region at Howard University for 2009-2010.

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

WASHINGTON WIZARDS VS. MIAMI HEAT WED., NOV. 4TH AT 7PM Every Wednesday home game is Student Night! $10 upper level ticket with valid student ID. To purchase your Student Night ticket, visit Verizon Center box ofce or a local Ticketmaster outlet on Wed., Nov. 4th.

1 ticket per ID. Offer good while supplies last.

Text “student” to 71855 to receive reminders about upcoming Student Nights.

For accessible seating, call 202.661.5065 TTY 202.661.5066

F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , v i s i t W W W. WA S H I N G T O N W I Z A R D S . C O M

the EAGLE

NOVEMBER 2, 2009

Embassies offer students sweet deal

By MARISA KENDALL Eagle Staff Writer Each year, scores of AU students don their Halloween costumes after class and set out with the goal of getting candy from as many foreign countries as possible.

Many students roamed the campus in their crazy getups all day on Friday, scaring — or perhaps simply bewildering — those in normal clothing. A boy covered head to toe in a full-body, neon green spandex suit walked casually through the Letts-Anderson quad while Quail Man chatted with a princess nearby. A student in a homemade wizard costume awkwardly greeted a young man wearing a short dress and hot-pink wig outside the Mary Graydon Center. A “guido” carrying a huge bottle of steroids on his shoulder shouted “How you doin’?” to everyone he passed. Max from “Where the Wild Things Are” drove through Ward Circle in a yellow Jeep.

These students celebrated the festivities early this year because embassies accepted trick-or-treaters on Friday instead of Halloween, which fell on a Saturday. The change was because the embassies are closed on weekends, according to Lisa Rutanen, an information officer at the Embassy of Finland.

Rutanen said the amount of trickor-treaters who stop by is about the same every year, regardless of the day of the week Halloween falls on.

“I think usually we have gotten a pretty good amount toward the late afternoon,” she said.

The Embassy of Finland, located on Massachusetts Avenue, welcomed trick-or-treaters all day until 4:15 p.m., Rutanen said.

Dc.metromix.com, a D.C. enter-

n

from ZOCDOC on page 1

posted another poll on its Web site asking users what city it should expand to after the District, with choices including Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and Philadelphia.

Daniel Bruey, the director of the Student Health Center, said while students on the AU health care plan are required to use the SHC for primary care, students

tainment Web site, listed the Embassy of Finland as one of the “sweet spots” to trick-or-treat on Embassy Row. The Republic of Korea, Greece and Ireland also made the cut.

Francesca Cavalli, a freshman in the School of International Service, said she received tours of some of the embassies she visited. At the Embassy of the Republic of Korea, a staff member offered to show her around the building.

“She loved my princess outfit,” Cavalli said.

Sarah Davey, a freshman in the School of Public Affairs who went trick-or-treating with Cavalli, said her favorite part of the experience was “just how welcoming they all were.”

One of the friendliest embassies was the Embassy of Turkey, she said.

Staff members waved at Cavalli and Davey from across the street and then took pictures with them.

However, the Korean Embassy offered the best treats, as they handed out Korean cookies, candy and caramels, Davey said. The other embassies all gave out typical Hershey’s products.

Misela Baisamen, a counselor officer for the Embassy of Finland, said she enjoys the Halloween festivities as much as the students.

“That’s so much fun,” she said.

“And it’s really nice to see the costumes, and it makes the day a little bit different.”

Students often have similar costumes, such as nurse outfits, Baisamen said. However, her favorite trickor-treaters are those who have the most inventive costumes.

“I think actually people make a lot of effort in the dresses [or buy them from a store],” she said. “But you rarely see somebody who doesn’t wear

anything or just wears a wig. Usually everybody has a whole costume.”

Not all students who tried were able to trick-or-treat successfully, however.

Paul Merveilleuh Du Vignauh, a freshman in SIS, said he and his friends left late to go to the embassies, so they decided to hail a cab to make the commute faster. When they could not find a cab, they went to CVS and bought candy instead.

“It is the same thing, except that it is not free,” he said.

Merveilleuh Du Vignauh said he wanted to go trick-or-treating because, being from France, he wanted to see what Halloween was all about.

“I heard it so much in my life that I wanted to experience it myself,” he said.

Eileen Falk, a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences, wanted to go trick-or-treating but had a class at 3:35 p.m.

“So I was not able to go, which is really unfortunate, because it was something I was looking forward to,” Falk said. “Even before I came to American, it was something I’d heard about on tours.”

Instead of going out to get candy, Falk got ready with her friends and then went to class dressed as a zombie. Her outfit, complete with fake blood splattered across her face and ripped clothing, drew some attention on campus, she said.

“Some people gave me some weird looks. Two girls started whispering about me and walked in the other direction,” Falk said. “Some people jump when they see me. But it’s fun, I mean, it’s the spirit of the season.”

with private insurance are free to use services like ZocDoc to seek outside medical care.

Bruey said the SHC has a number of advantages for AU students regardless of what kind of insurance they have.

“The advantages for students using the health center include convenient, low-cost, quality care, health promotion and prevention programming focusing

on the needs of college students and assistance in navigating immunization requirements and health insurance,” Bruey said.

Bruey also pointed out that students can, in most instances, schedule same-day appointments with the SHC or schedule appointments with the SHC online.

Some AU students saw ZocDoc as a welcome alternative to the SHC. Though she has never been

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

news 4

Frank talk from U.S. rep THE POLITCAL SCOOP

By GRAHAM VYSE Eagle Staff Writer A little after 4 p.m. last Thursday, Oct. 29, just hours after House Democrats unveiled their bill to reform health care in America, Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., arrived at the Library of Congress looking tired.

He made his way to the Members of Congress Room, took a seat and waited for his cue.

Frank, who chairs the House Financial Services Committee, had come to the Library of Congress at the invitation of the progressive group 21st Century Democrats.

They had invited him as part of the kick-off event for their 2009 Youth Leadership Speaker Series.

According to the 21st Century Democrats Web site, Frank was slated to give a talk on “the need to hold Wall Street accountable.”

But when he took the podium and addressed the small group of students and Democratic Congressional interns in the room, Frank hardly touched on the topic at all.

What he offered instead was an unapologetic defense of something President Barack Obama — and most Americans — profess to hate: partisanship.

“I am a partisan Democrat,” Frank said flatly. “This denigration of partisanship is a great mistake.”

Frank even went so far as to explicitly question the president on

this issue.

“The one time I was troubled by President Obama’s rhetoric during the campaign was when he said he was going to govern in a post-partisan matter,” Frank said.

He then argued that working across the aisle often weakens bold legislation.

“Bipartisanship is never a good thing,” he said. “It’s a means to an end.”

Frank did concede that effective lawmakers mix idealism and pragmatism and admitted his willingness to compromise in order to get the votes necessary to pass bills.

Lawmakers must be idealistic as well as pragmatic in order to get things done, he said.

The congressman cited former independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader as someone who does not understand this concept.

In fact, he mocked Nader for “luxuriating in the purity of his own irrelevance,” drawing laughter and applause.

Frank’s brutal sense of humor was on display throughout the talk.

He had the group doubled over with laughter when explaining why he likes the word stimulus better than the phrase “recovery plan.”

“Most people would rather be stimulated than recovered,” he deadpanned.

Frank also roasted some of his Congressional colleagues who, unlike him, use the micro-blogging Web site Twitter.

“Senator McCaskill is a very nice person,” he said.

But then came the punch line: “I

looking for RANTS?

don’t care what she had for lunch.”

Frank’s humor was largely intentional, but his audience was most visibly amused when the congressman’s cell phone rang unexpectedly during his talk — and he answered it.

“Hi,” Frank mumbled, looking sheepish, “Oh, there are votes? I thought we were done. I’ll be right over.”

With that, he took a few more questions and quickly left the building.

At least one person present at the event was struck by Frank’s unusual take on partisanship.

Chris Allport, a freshman in AU’s College of Arts of Sciences, said Frank was a little radical on the issue. Still, he agreed with the congressman’s general sentiments.

“I think partisanship is a good thing,” he said.

The 21st Century Democrats certainly are pushing for partisanship on their liberal agenda, but the group’s executive director Ruth Cox said partisan strength is not enough.

“Having a Democratic majority is not enough to have a progressive majority,” she said. “You need progressive Democrats.”

Cox and her colleagues are intent on building a farm team of liberal activists and candidates.

This is the kind of talk that makes conservative Blue Dog Democrats balk.

But it’s just what Barney Frank wants to hear.

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

GO ONLINE. www.theeagleonline.com

to the SHC, Katherine Beckett, a senior in the School of International Service, said if she needed medical attention she would rather find a doctor off campus.

Beckett also said ZocDoc could be useful for students who want a good doctor but do not know where to find one.

“I don’t often go to the doctor unless I’m really sick, but if I did need a doctor I would prob-

ably use something like ZocDoc,” Beckett said. “As a college student unfamiliar with Washington, D.C., it’s hard to find good doctors or hospitals in the area.”

Lauren Olson, a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences, said she would most likely use ZocDoc if she needed to find a certain kind of doctor quickly.

“ZocDoc could save time and be really convenient,” Olson said.

“This is better than having to get my doctor at home to refer me to someone in D.C. It’s good to know that I can find a specialized doctor if I need one.”

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

EDITORIAL

NOVEMBER 2, 2009

GRAHAM VYSE n Editorial Page Editor EdPage@TheEagleOnline.com

JEN CALANTONE n Editor in Chief Editor@TheEagleOnline.com

Justice Department must be reformed, de-politicized ON THE LEFT HAND

PHIL CARDARELLA When John Ashcroft became Attorney General of the United States in 2001, he announced the Department of Justice’s initiative against “public corruption.” However, evidence has developed that the Department of Justice has been the source, not the opponent, of this corruption. Specifically, a study has come out that demonstrates that the Bush Administration’s Justice Department, under both Ashcroft and Gonzales, committed political profiling on local Democrats. This is a violation of the individual’s freedom to speak and associate and cannot be allowed to stand.

Political profiling refers to the fact that the DOJ investigated and indicted local figures who were tied to the Democratic Party significantly more than other parties. In fact, according to the study done by Dr. Donald Shields, professor at the University of Missouri, those tied to the Democrats were investigated and indicted at least seven times more than those tied to the Republicans.

One might argue that Democrats are just more corrupt than Republicans. Actually, the statistics don’t support that argument. When examining statewide or federal investigations, the numbers follow the national percentages for how many people affiliate with each party. Dr. Shields explains that the reason one can only see this persecution on the local level is because it works to disrupt the grass roots base of the Democratic Party and avoid the attention of the national media. These investigations and indictments, while not convictions, are still slanderous for political figures. Our society, which is supposed to believe in “innocent until proven guilty,” associates these actions with guilt, thus ruining the reputations of the local figures. But the worst part is that many figures do not have the ability to fight these attacks. These legal suits can take months — or even years — to settle, which can become very costly. Those that don’t have the money never get a chance to defend

their innocence and are forced to settle.

In addition to Dr. Shield’s study, the best evidence of this misconduct came in a few years ago. In August 2007, Alberto Gonzales resigned from his position as Attorney General of the United States. This resignation came after allegations that he was aware of and took part in the politically-based firing of U.S. Attorneys. While Gonzales refused to admit there was any truth to the allegations — claiming instead to have a remarkably faulty memory — two of the U.S. attorneys that were controversially dismissed, John McKay and David Iglesias, spoke out against both Gonzales and the White House. During investigations, the two testified that the Bush Administration’s political strategist, Karl Rove, was behind their firings. Iglesias wrote later in his book, “In Justice: An Insider’s Account of the War on Law and Truth in the Executive Branch,” that he specifically was fired because he refused to begin investigations against Democratic officials strategically before the 2006 elections. Their testimony only gives further backing to the theories of Dr. Shields, who was also brought before the House Judiciary to testify about his findings. Together, this evidence makes a very strong case that the Justice Department has committed political prosecutions for the past eight years.

Unfortunately, the investigations were swept aside for the 2008 elections. It is saddening that such an important topic was given less time before Congress than baseball players using steroids. The need for transparency in the Justice Department is apparent and steps must be taken to avoid the re-occurrence of such horrendous violations of our first amendment right, whatever the affiliation of the victims. As Dr. Shields said, “it should be in the best interests of Republicans, Democrats and Independents to see that reforms are enacted.”

While this injustice might fall upon just a few today, allowing it to continue in the future will jeopardize all.

Phil Cardarella is a sophomore in the School of Public Affairs and a liberal columnist for the Eagle. You can reach him at edpage@theeagleonline.com.

Cultural relativism is an incoherent doctrine.

Let’s abolish it now ON THE OTHER HAND

ALEX KNEPPER Cultural relativism is an objectively incoherent doctrine.

Let me define potentially ambiguous terms at the outset: by “cultural relativism” I mean the idea that it is wrong to cast judgment upon the culture of another nation or ethnicity. By objective, I really do mean objective: it is not up for dispute; the facts demonstrate it in the same way that they demonstrate that AU is located in Washington, D.C. Cultural relativists are caught up in a sort of maddening “thissentence-is-false” paradox: by declaring all values relative to circumstance and undefinable by any outside standard, they have themselves erected a singular criterion of judgment. And proponents of such a doctrine will find that they are forced to declare cultures backwards that do not recognize its validity.

Indeed, one is hard-pressed to find a more ethnocentric culture than Islamic civilization. And yet, what is heard from the lips of the relativists? Eruptions of anger over the fact that Islam declares itself the one proper path? Of course not. It’s nothing but self-flagellation; criticism that the West cannot accept that a belief in Islamic cultural superiority is just “part of their culture.” But this is completely incoherent.

Equally bizarre, cultural relativists are usually the quickest to combat the purported evils of sexism, racism and homophobia in America. But what on Earth is a cultural relativist doing judging how society

looks at homosexuality or the role of women? American culture is a culture just like any other. Indeed, the only culture that seems not to get a free pass is one’s own.

Looked at through this lens, it is easy to see that cultural relativism is merely a benign form of imperialism, one that falls prey to the same sociological phenomena its proponents so decry: by internalizing the concept that foreign cultures are “the other,” unequal and wholly patronizing standards of judgment are used to assess them, rather than the same ones that are used to evaluate one’s own culture.

And because the cultural relativist is able to cast aside nagging questions about whether other cultures truly can be backwards in some respect, he is able to play the role of parent or superior, in his own benign, patronizing little way. The real message of relativism is not “Don’t judge him; his standards are different,” but rather, “Leave that benighted fool be; he doesn’t know what he’s doing.”

Unless he wants to live in philosophical limbo, then, the cultural relativist thus has three choices: (1) Evaluate American culture by the same criterion of judgment and proclaim, “That’s their culture, stop judging it!” when someone criticizes sexism or homophobia; (2) start criticizing Islamic culture with as much vigor as Robert Spencer and Ayaan Hirsi Ali for its intolerance, sexism and homophobia, or (3) admit the incoherence of the doctrine and concede at long last that there are clear standards of judgment that can be applied to all cultures.

There are no other alternatives.

Alex Knepper is a sophomore in the School of Public Affairs and a classical liberal columnist for The Eagle. You can reach him at edpage@theeagleonline.com.

Courtesy of MCT CAMPUS

Questioning new resource centers Next year, AU will open a women’s resource center and a veterans’ network.

Students certainly will benefit from these creations but are they entirely necessary?

Since 2006, AU’s Student Government has talked about creating a women’s resource center. The SG has also discussed starting an online veterans’ network. Next year, both projects will be completed. The Women’s Resource Center will open its doors in January 2010. The Veterans’ Network will launch next fall. The SG and the university should be commended for making good on a long-term promise. However, the creation of these centers raises questions about which special subgroups warrant their own universityfunded resources.

Sarah Brown, the director of Women’s Initiative, said AU needs a women’s resource center because our campus needs “a full-time advocate for issues af-

fecting women on campus.” The center, to be located in the Mary Graydon Center, will combine the resources of the Wellness Center and Women’s Initiative.

It will also house a library of books on women’s issues and a counseling center.

Skeptics might question the necessity of yet another university-funded project that only benefits women. All of AU’s male students will be paying into the same fund that will create and maintain this center, but they won’t reap the same benefits as women will.

There are already several university-funded institutions devoted exclusively to women’s needs issues. Think Women’s Initiative. Think the Women and Politics Institute. There are

also places where women and men can go for health-related issues. Think the Wellness Center. Think the Student Health Center. Do women really need another place to go to get their needs met? Maybe.

Even if the new Women’s Resource Center does go above and beyond what AU’s current women’s groups do, a question of principle still lingers. How many more special subgroups deserve university funding?

Wouldn’t there be a way to address everyone’s needs without further segmenting this campus? Maybe not, but these are questions worth asking.

Certainly, if any special group deserves its own resource center, AU’s veterans do. One can argue that veterans may have

very specific needs that aren’t easily addressed in the Student Health Center or the Wellness Center. In fact, one wonders why a physical women’s resource center is more of a priority than a physical veterans resource center. Student Government President Andy MacCracken said a veterans’ center is a possibility for the future, but it’s not even a sure thing. Are AU’s priorities where they should be?

There will be many students on this campus that will benefit from the creation of both the Women’s Resource Center and the Veterans’ Network. But students should ask questions about the purpose of any new campus project, especially when they’re funding it.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

in the past few years, our diverse student population still faces a devastating achievement gap. The county is in need of dedicated educators who believe in the potential of each and every student and are passionate about serving their community.

The achievement gap is pervasive in Prince George’s County. For the past three years, African American and Hispanic middle school students have not made adequate yearly progress on standardized math and reading tests. Elementary, middle and high school students who qualify for free or reduced lunch have not made adequate yearly progress on reading tests for two of the past three years. Many of our students struggle daily with the reality that graduating from high school and attending college simply will not come as easily for them as it does for students in more affluent communities.

Everyday, I wake up and confront this achievement gap alongside my students. Nothing could have prepared me for the challenges I face as a first year teacher. I arrive at school

early and leave late, and any free time not spent teaching is spent planning lessons, grading papers and thinking about the best way to reach my students. They count on me to be in the classroom every day and to believe in their abilities even when they don’t. I have never worked so hard, but I have also never been so inspired and motivated by the work I do. I’m not alone in my efforts. I am part of a cohort of 81 individuals who share my passion and dedication. Education needs more people who are willing to dedicate their time and energy towards closing the achievement gap and ensuring a better future for our children.

The Prince George’s County Teaching Fellows (PGCTF) Program is a unique initiative of Prince George’s County public schools designed to recruit, select and train outstanding midcareer professionals and recent college graduates to become teachers in the schools in our community that need them the most. PGCTF is currently recruiting for the 2010-2011 cohort and will continue to recruit through March. I urge AU students to answer

the call to service and join the community of teaching fellows who are committed to raising student achievement in Prince George’s County.

We’re a community and it takes a community to raise student achievement. Accept this challenge and teach.

Apply now via www.pgcteachingfellows.org.

Education offers opportunity Most AU students share a commitment to service and a desire to have a positive impact on the world around them. But what does it really mean to make a difference and how do you go about doing it? That was the question I struggled with when I graduated from the School of International Service in 2006. I always recognized that my education and degree were a privilege that many Americans are not given, but I finally understand that my greater privilege comes from what I am able to do with that education.

It wasn’t until a couple of years after graduation that I realized the opportunity to serve others could be found not just in countries around the world but right in my own community. Now, as a teacher in Prince George’s County public schools, I feel the impact and significance of my work every day.

What I do matters. It matters because although Prince George’s County schools have seen tremendous growth

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In “Catholic Univ. goes ‘solar’ for greener campus,” published Oct. 28, The Eagle incorrectly stated that AU buys renewable energy certificates for 25 percent of its total energy used.

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6

SPORTS

NOVEMBER 2, 2009

ANDREW TOMLINSON n Sports Editor 202.885.1404

AD anticipates growth in the athletic dept.

By ANDREW TOMLINSON Eagle Staff Writer

FELIX PENZARELLA / THE EAGLE

SETTING IT UP — Junior Deborah Frantz sets up for a spike in AU’s 3-0 win over the Navy Midshipmen. The win is the fourth in a row for the Eagles. With the win, AU stays in the hunt for the Patriot League playoffs and their season may come down to their Nov. 6 match against the Army Black Knights.

AU wins four in a row

By TYLER TOMEA Eagle Contributing Writer The AU volleyball team continued their winning ways last Thursday with a 3-0 victory against Navy, giving the team its fourth win in a row.

The Eagles defeated the Midshipmen 25-18, 25-14 and 25-12.

With the win, AU extended its winning streak to four games, tying its longest of the season.

The Eagles have defeated their opponents by a combined score of 12-1 during the streak. Junior Angelina Waterman led the Eagles with 13 kills while senior Ann Recht registered seven block assists in the victory.

“We’re really getting a good grasp of our attacking and we certainly did a good job of shutting down Navy’s offense as well,” said Head Coach Barry Goldberg.

Navy came out of the gate

strong, scoring the first three points of the first set. The Midshipmen led 12-9 until an AU timeout sparked the Eagles. After the timeout, AU went on an 111 run and took control of the set that would lead to a 25-18 win.

AU started off the next set poorly again, this time falling behind 4-1 early on. But the Eagles chipped away and scored four consecutive points three different times in the set. AU closed it out with three consecutive points. An attack error by Navy’s Maida Kalic gave the Eagles a 2514 victory.

The third set was deadlocked 5-5 before AU scored five consecutive points and set their sights on their third straight shutout. The Eagles maintained a comfortable lead throughout the third set, as the Midshipmen never got within three points after the Eagles jumped out to a

10-5 advantage. With AU leading 18-12, the Eagles recorded seven straight points for an easy 25-12 victory. Back-to-back kills by Waterman and Recht ended the third set.

In addition to her 13 kills, Waterman added three block assists, four digs and one ace. Recht had nine kills and sported a .615 hitting percentage, while junior Magdalena Tekiel and Claire Recht both had six kills in the victory. Krysta Cicala had 30 assists to set up the offense.

On defense, junior outside hitter Cassandra Ricketts chipped in four block assists while Waterman added three. Senior libero Cynammon Burns finished with 13 digs with Ricketts and Waterman chipping in four apiece.

As a team, the Eagles finished the match with a .378 hitting percentage and recorded 39 kills against only eight errors. They

held Navy to a -.023 hitting percentage and forced 23 Midshipmen errors.

With the win, AU improved to 13-11 on the year and 7-3 in Patriot League play. The team is currently in third place. The loss dropped Navy to 6-19 on the season and 1-9 in the League.

“Offensively and defensively, I think we did pretty well,” said Goldberg. “When we started to get the ball to the middle, the outside opened up a lot better and I thought it was a good combination.”

The Eagles will play host to both Holy Cross on Nov. 6 and Army on Nov. 7. The match against Army will be especially tough as the team is undefeated in conference play.

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

Amid one of the most successful fall seasons in AU sports history, Athletic Director Keith Gill has seen significant growth in the athletic community and sees even more coming in the future.

During his tenure, Gill has seen the men’s basketball team go to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history and then repeat the feat the next year. On top of unprecedented basketball success, the university is poised to win as many as five Patriot League Championships in just one sporting season. Women’s field hockey, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, women’s volleyball and cross-country are all vying for Patriot League Championships in their respective sports.

“I would hesitate to say it is the most successful because we haven’t won anything,” Gill said of the fall athletic season. “We are certainly in a good position, and if everyone were to win that would be pretty sweet.”

While he could not point to any one thing that was behind the success, Gill did not take much personal credit. With athletes also having to meet AU academic requirements as well as athletic requirements, he said they end up with a group of dedicated individuals.

“I think we have a hard working group of coaching and players,” Gill said of the fall lineup. “It is there that it all really starts.”

AU attracts a very specific type of athlete, according to Gill. AU does not seek out athletes, because according to Gill, they find AU. The quality of education, as well as the relative success and setup of the department, is what attracts AU’s players, Gill said.

To add on to the academic success, Gill said he wants to increase the athletes’ overall GPA as well as their graduation rate. All athletic teams combined currently have a 3.3 GPA, and 89 percent of the athletes at AU eventually graduate.

While both are above national averages, the graduation rate is a whole 17 percent higher.

“Our academic achievement has gone up from semester to semester thanks to the Office of Campus Life,” Gill said. “Athletes know when they come here that we expect them to graduate and contribute [academically].”

Despite the success and growth AU athletics has had, it is not the utopian department Gill would eventually like to achieve. He would like a better partnership with the university as a whole, getting the individual schools involved. His main initiative — on top of “winning a bunch of games” — is to increase school spirit.

“It takes time to [build spirit, and] we know Rome wasn’t built in a day,” Gill said. “We would love for the spirit to be so high here that if someone was wearing another [university’s] shirt they would get heckled beyond belief.”

There have been some small signs of increased spirit at AU. Attendance at events has doubled from where it was a few years ago, Gill said. The department knows that students have busy schedules, but AU Athletics is going to go to different means in order to keep the spirit growing.

While there may not be a lot of room in students’ schedules, the department does value its prominence at AU. The department generally understands that it is not the first priority of many students — but knows that people do care. On top of expanding their own stature, AU Athletics wants to help grow the stature of AU as a whole, he said.

“We have got to do our part to get people engaged,” Gill said. “We have got to make it interesting for people, and that starts by winning championships and a lot of games.”

Looking forward, Gill said it should be a good winter for AU sports fans. The wrestling team has two returning All-Americans and is the best dual-meet team in the nation. To go along with the upcoming season, Gill is also expecting both men’s and women’s basketball to compete for the Patriot League title.

“I am the eternal optimist,” Gill said. “I still have expectations that [men’s basketball] will have a good year and I think women’s basketball will be solid.”

Overall, Gill said he could not be happier with the direction the department is headed as a whole.

While he said he knows there is room to grow in many areas, there is a lot of success to boast about. And even though AU will not be getting any new programs soon, current programs are improving everyday.

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

W. Soccer clinches seed Men’s soccer AU sinks Navy 3-0 in season finale

By MIKE DEFABO Eagle Contributing Writer The AU women’s soccer seniors shined, sinking Navy 3-0 in their last game at Phil Reeves field on Saturday to clinch the second seed in the Patriot League tournament.

The final score was telling of the Eagles’ dominance, but the score halfway through the second half was not. Brooke Shepard’s

frustrated yell after pushing one just over the upright summed it up best. The Eagles were outplaying the Midshipmen. AU finished the game with 19 shots on goal while limiting Navy to three.

In the 66th minute, Kelsey Brasher battled for the ball in the box then kicked it back to Michelle Montillio who pounded it home from 20 yards out.

Brasher, the team leader in points and scoring, got a goal of her own at in the 80th minute, the seventh goal of the season from number seven. The Eagles worked the ball down the field to Brasher who crossed up a defender and shot left-footed to beat the goalkeeper.

“I really just wanted to get one more goal at Phil Reeves field,” Brasher said.

Then, off of Brooke Sheppard’s corner kick, Erin Stebbins sent one into the netting to put the icing on the cake. But the cake tasted bittersweet for the seniors since this was their last game at Phil Reeves field.

Before the game, seniors Kelsey Brasher, Olivia Heditsian, Alex Kitrilakis, Erin Koch, Kely McLaughlin, Mary Riegler and Erin Stebbins were honored with a ceremony on the field. During their careers, the seniors have produced 34 wins (14-7-8 in the Patriot League) and have made two appearances in the Patriot League Tournament.

Head Coach David Bucciero said it was great to see Brasher and Stebbins get rewarded for all their hard work. The coach also recognized it was a team effort.

“It wasn’t just [Brasher] and Erin [Kock] but all the seniors who stepped up,” Bucciero said.

He will need them to step up again next week when the Patriot League Tournament starts. The Eagles will play either Bucknell, whom they defeated 3-1 this year, or Colgate, whom they lost to 10. However, Bucciero said he has no preference in which team they play.

The win in the final game of the season bumped the girls over the .500 mark to 10-9 and 5-2 in the Patriot League which is the third-best conference winning percentage (.714) in AU history.

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

FH take PL regular season title

By ALEX ALBA Eagle Contributing Writer On a chilly Sunday afternoon, the AU field hockey team easily defeated the Lehigh Mountain Hawks by a score of 8-1 at Jacobs Field, to clinch the team’s seventh straight Patriot League Regular Season Championship.

The Senior Day win improved the Eagles overall record to (9-8; 4-1 PL) and clinched AU a spot in the postseason. As for the game, the most notable statistic was AU’s 23 shots and eight goals compared to Lehigh’s five shots and one goal.

Both teams came out of the gates aggressively in the first half. AU and Lehigh penetrated each other’s defense to try and put their team up first. In the third minute, Lehigh’s Morgan Christopher scored off a rebound making the score 1-0 in favor of the Mountain Hawks.

The Eagles answered right back nine minutes later, with a goal deflected into the cage by AU sophomore Melissa Casale. AU junior Christine Fingerhuth gave the Eagles the lead in the 27th minute, spinning around a defender and shooting the ball toward the right post for the goal.

In the final seconds of the half, AU was awarded a penalty shot from out of bounds, which Melissa Casale capitalized on to score her second goal of the game, putting the Eagles up 3-1.

The momentum carried on for the Eagles into the second half, as they held the Mountain Hawks without a shot for more than 15 minutes.

As for their offense, the Eagles continued to apply pressure with consistent attacks. In the 38th minute, the Eagles increased the lead to 4-1, when AU senior Savannah Graybill scored at the left post off teammate

Anne Van Erp’s shot. AU would score four goals in five minutes to increase the lead to 8-1.

“Anytime you score eight goals, you have to give credit to the offense.”

– Sarah Thorn Krombloz

AU’s defense was as important to the win as the offense, as they held the Mountain Hawks to only two second-half shots. The victory earned AU home-field advantage for

next Friday’s Patriot League tournament.

“This victory was satisfying,” Associate Head Coach Sarah Thorn Krombolz said after the game. “Anytime you score eight goals, you have to give credit to the offense, but the defense did a good job of intercepting and preventing Lehigh from having continual attacking opportunities.”

AU’s Melissa Casale, who had a hat trick, said, “After losing last week, it felt really good to come back.”

Now that the season has ended, the Eagles will host the Patriot League conference tournament at Jacobs field next Saturday. Fortunately, the Eagles will face Lehigh, which after today, seems to be to AU’s advantage. Game time will be announced later this week.

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

falls to Holy Cross 2-0

By TOM SCHAD Eagle Contributing Writer The AU men’s soccer team suffered its first loss in Patriot League play this weekend, losing to Holy Cross 2-0.

The loss breaks a nine game winning streak by AU and puts the team 2nd in the Patriot League behind Bucknell University.

Coming off a convincing 3-1 victory against crosstown rival Georgetown, AU was looking to get out to a quick start against the Crusaders of Holy Cross. However, the game was widely bogged down at midfield for the duration of the first half and neither team was able to create many dangerous opportunities. AU and Holy Cross registered two corner kicks apiece, and the Crusaders outshot the Eagles 5-3 in the first half.

The second half was not much different, with possession and scoring chances sporadic for both teams. But with 10 minutes remaining, Holy Cross defender Tom Van Grinsven turned a penalty kick into an unassisted goal and put the Crusaders up 1-0.

AU battled back but was unable to stop the relentless Holy Cross attack, as Crusader Pat McCann crossed the ball to forward Kyle Miller for yet another goal. The Eagles could not manufacture any goals in the closing minutes and left Worcester disappointed.

The loss puts AU at 9-4-2 on

the season and was their first loss in the previous 10 games, dating all the way back to Sept. 19 against William and Mary. Junior Daniel Shannon had a productive outing, registering six shots against the Crusaders, but only one went in for a goal. Goalkeeper Matt Makowski had five saves coming off his Patriot League Goalie of the Week honors earlier in October.

Remarkably, the shot discrepancy between the two teams was minute, as the Crusaders registered only two more shots than AU. Unfortunately for AU, Holy Cross destroyed the Eagles in terms of shots on goal, ending the match with a 7-1 advantage in this category. This shows that AU is having no problem penetrating opponents’ territory, but accuracy on shots may be a mild concern.

The loss, while a small blow to the Eagles, is far from detrimental. AU has two difficult yet winnable games in the upcoming week against No. 10 Virginia and Patriot League foe Colgate. A win at home against the Raiders, coupled with a Bucknell loss or tie versus Lehigh, would put AU in first place heading into the Patriot League tournament.

The Eagles will attempt to upset the Cavaliers in Charlottesville this Tuesday, followed by a crucial game at home against Colgate next Saturday at 1 p.m.

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

NOVEMBER 2, 2009

THE EAGLE'S ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT SECTION

‘Ben 10’ fails to make grade

By MICHAEL CONTE Eagle Staff Writer BEN 10: ALIEN FORCE VILGAX ATTACKS

F

Just when you think one holiday season of video games can’t possibly be any better than the last, the industry seems to prove that statement false. One only needs to look at the releases in the past few weeks alone. “DJ Hero,” “Tekken 6,” “Grand Theft Auto IV: Episodes from Liberty City” and “Forza Motorsport 3” are only a few of this season’s titles pretty much guaranteed to be top quality. But they all pale in comparison to one monumental game, the absolute cream of the crop, the only game anyone was willing to send us a press copy for: “Ben 10: Alien Force Vilgax Attacks.”

Never has a game been quite so lousy with so few redeeming qualities. It would be difficult for even a younger child to have fun with it. The game is endlessly repetitive and consists of combat with uninspired platforming and puzzles to create one mindnumbingly boring experience.

“Ben 10’s” one redeeming feature is that you actually get to play all 10 aliens from the show and switch between them at will.

While they don’t add much variety to the combat, occasionally puzzles will require you to switch to the nimble alien to climb stuff or the powerful alien to break

stuff — but that’s about as complex as the game gets. Plus, the aliens look kind of cool.

Nevertheless, “Ben 10” is an assault on the senses. The game is pretty ugly, running at a smooth 60 frames per second due to having almost no geometrical detail on anything to go along with the soupy textures. The voice acting is passable, but the music can’t decide whether it wants to be overly repetitive or so bad as to make you mute the TV. The game is supposedly extremely faithful to the show, but the cutscenes are slow, ugly and boring, even for a children’s cartoon.

“Ben 10” represents the industry’s unfortunate tendency toward quick cash-ins with little effort or polish because of the lucrative market of “casual gamers” who don’t care about that sort of thing. Do they want thought provoking gameplay or a well-told story? Nope. As long as they can mash buttons and watch a big colorful alien beat up a bunch of bland, repetitive enemies in the universe of some licensed property, they’ll be happy.

So when players get tired of all the various new and exciting games destined to become classics this holiday season, let it be known that “Ben 10” is there in case they want the feeling of having wasted their time and money in one of the worst ways possible, or if they need a gift for a much younger fan of the show.

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

Risotto makes a tricky dish CHEF SECRETS

2 tablespoon butter 1 1/3 cups Arborio* rice 1 quart chicken or vegetable stock or broth 1 bunch arugula, well rinsed and roughly chopped

WILL KOPER If you’ve ever had a good risotto, you’ll know that it can be one of the greatest dishes on the face of the earth. If you’ve ever tried to make risotto, you’ll know it’s one of the toughest things to make well. If you’re still a little shaky in the kitchen, you might want to skip this one and go back to reading the sex column. But if you’ve been able to take everything I’ve thrown at you so far and feel up to the challenge, then you’ll find your efforts handsomely rewarded.

The two most common mistakes in making risotto are burning the rice when you sautée it and adding too much broth too fast. If you just take your time and keep stirring, everything will be OK. The recipe this week is meant for a nice, crisp fall day. It has all those warm spices that are perfect for the season: the butternut squash adds a sweet velvety component and the arugula adds a nice peppery finish. That being said, there are a million variations and as long as you keep that ratio of three parts broth to one part rice, you’ll be able to make risotto any way you want it.

Butternut Squash Risotto with Fresh Arugula 1 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced into 1/2-inch cubes 1 tablespoon olive or canola oil 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes 6-7 leaves fresh sage, roughly chopped Salt and pepper to taste 1/2 small yellow onion, diced very fine 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 tablespoon olive oil

For this recipe, you absolutely must use Arborio rice or it won’t be risotto.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

Toss the squash with the oil, sugar and spices and spread the pieces on a baking sheet or roasting pan. Roast the squash for about 20 minutes, using a spatula to stir and flip the pieces every five to 10 minutes. When they are done they will be fairly dark brown (like molasses) and they should almost melt in your mouth. Turn off the oven and crack the door, but leave the squash inside so it stays warm.

Melt the butter with the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Heat the stock in a separate pan over high heat. When the butter is melted, add the onions, garlic and a dash of salt. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly.

Turn the heat down to low on the stock when it starts to boil.

When the onions are completely translucent, add the rice and lower the heat just a little bit. Be sure to keep the rice from getting stuck to the bottom of the pan.

Keep stirring.

When the rice starts to get translucent (almost quartz-colored), add about a 1/2 cup of stock. Keep stirring. When all of the broth has absorbed into the rice, add another 1/2 cup. Keep stirring. Repeat this process until all of the stock has been added.

Add the arugula one handful at a time, letting it wilt into the rice.

Taste the rice and add salt and pepper as needed. If the rice still tastes a little starchy, add a little bit of water and cook for another minute. When the rice is tender, remove it from the heat, stir in the squash and serve immediately.

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

Audiences ‘flip’ for Orley

By HAELY JARDAS Eagle Contributing Writer Halloween may be over, but for those who aren’t quite ready to lay off the paranormal activity, there’s an interesting act coming to the D.C. Improv this weekend.

His name is Flip Orley, and he’s not just any comedian: he’s also a hypnotist. Orley’s stage consists of a row of 21 chairs for his guests who are invited to take a seat if they wish to take part in the show. People have come to love his show so much that anyone who wants one of those seats on the stage has to run. Then comes the fun part.

“It works on some people and doesn’t on others,” Orley said about the basic ideas and theories of hypnotism. “It’s not what you think of when you hear ‘hypnotism.’ The people on stage don’t become zombies and they remember everything that happens.”

Orley is very careful to make sure that the people he brings on stage are very comfortable and don’t ever regret their decision to join. Orley said at a normal hypnotist show people go up on stage and then walk away going, “I wish I had never done that,” but at one of his own shows, he aims for people to walk away glad they have participated.

Just as there are several schools of thought when it comes to comedy, hypnotism has a few of its own as well.

Some people believe hypnotism is when a person is put into a trance and told to bark like a dog or quack like a duck and the whole audience laughs at

them. Orley describes that kind of approach as “mean,” and although there are plenty of people who do enjoy that type of comedy, it’s not what he considers to be funny and not the way he runs his show.

When Orley hypnotizes his audience, it’s less like they are in a trance and more like they have loosened up.

“You won’t lose your ‘filter,’” Orley said. “It’s not like you’re going to say or do anything you wouldn’t normally do.”

One of his favorite games to play with his audience is to place his hypnotized guests into a talk show where he is the host and the guests are a hillbilly family whose trailer home has just been destroyed in a tornado.

Orley’s show promises to be unpredictable and entertaining, especially with a D.C. crowd. “The D.C. Improv is the best in the country,” Orley said.

“All the comedians I know love it and the crowds are great.”

Orley will be at the D.C. Improv Wednesday, Nov. 4 through Sunday, Nov. 8. For tickets, call (202) 296-7008 or visit www.improv.com.

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

Courtesy of GLEN CLARK

FLIPPING OUT — Comedian Flip Orley believes in a new kind of entertainment where hypnotism is more than a laugh at the expense of the show’s participants.

Rock twins show ‘sentiment’

By KATRINA CASINO Eagle Staff Writer If anyone believes that indie bands are all clones of each other, producing stagnant, whispery rock-pop, Tegan and Sara are proof that indie music can be an ever-changing genre. Eleven years after their first release — an acoustic folk-pop journey through their heads — Tegan and Sara are releasing “Sainthood,” a genre-blending work seamlessly blending rock, pop, punk, electronica and experimental with their signature harmonies and deceptively simple lyrics — and pulling it off.

Though it’s hard to imagine how one band could (successfully) traverse all these genres without their discography seeming confused and disjointed, Tegan and Sara have managed to evolve palpably with each album.

Each of their six releases builds from the progress of the last, taking what worked and stacking on it new layers of creativity. “Sainthood” is no exception.

On the heels of 2007’s “The Con,” “Sainthood” borrows the structure and feeling of its predecessor and adds on elements of musical maturity and self-realization. While “The Con” was the Quin twins’ first foray into layered instrumentals and a subsequently complicated sound, it remained a deceptively light album with indie rock sounds conveying a darker message.

“Sainthood” embraces the darkness that the duo has always transmitted with their words. As is usually the case, Sara leads this venture into obscurity and self-blame. “Night Watch” is a tense, arrhythmic lament over the impossibility of permanence, with Sara singing, “I’ve got grounds for divorce/It’s in my blood this divorce ... I deserve this anguish on my house.”

As tends to be the case, songs penned by Sara, the more eccentric of the two, tend to take some getting used to. “Sentimental Tune” at first listen is little more than what it claims to be: a pretty confession and resolute promise backed by jovial guitar strumming and upbeat snares. Upon further examina-

Courtesy of TEGAN AND SARA

QUIN TWINS — Canadian duo Tegan and Sara, who started off as an acoustic, indie folk-pop duo 11 years ago, have released their newest album, “Sainthood.” The two have evolved into a genre-crossing powerhouse. tion, “Sentimental Tune” peels back its layers, revealing further instrumentation in its brief but poignant orchestral solo. The cello’s lines add a heart-tugging depth behind Sara’s vocals, convincing the listener of everything she says.

If Sara is esoteric, then Tegan is accessible; she’s the crowd-pleaser.

Sainthood’s first single, “Hell,” belongs to her and is a heavy, crunching rock tune, decorated with simple-but-fun guitar lines. Tegan’s catchy lyrics work perfectly with her ability to build a song to its climax. As usual, it’s Tegan’s songs that get audiences jumping and screaming. “Northshore” is Tegan’s brief, punky, back-and-forth argument with herself, as she pleads “Don’t stare/Don’t glare/Don’t heal/Don’t mend/Don’t take/Don’t send/Don’t

love me, don’t love me, don’t love me, don’t love me.”

“Paperback Head” is the girls’ first successful attempt at co-writing. The heavy bass creeps around the background, taking something of a Sara tone, but the guitar riffs that fill the space in the choruses are more reminiscent of Tegan’s work. Although successful in its intentions, “Paperback” is one of the weaker tracks on “Sainthood,” proving that the girls still have a ways to go in the development of their sound.

Although the Quins may have their differences in songwriting tactics, it is this duality that is responsible for their signature Tegan and Sara sound. More than a collection of diverse songs, “Sainthood,” like “The Con,” stands strongest as an album. Starting with

“Arrow,” an idiosyncratic warning sign and request for love and that works its way to “Someday,” an unyielding promise to a fleeting feeling, “Sainthood” is a perfect expression of Tegan’s and Sara’s fears and resolutions set to the quirky, catchy signature sound that has followed the girls throughout their genre-spanning career.

“Sainthood” is not an album exclusively for old fans, though it certainly is a reward for them. The diversity on this record, as well as Tegan and Sara’s foray into the ever-growing field of electronic instrumentation, is enough to catch the attention of new audiences and keep it interesting for loyal fans.

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

‘Adding’ formula makes perfect ten

By DAVID PRITCHARD Eagle Contributing Writer The best works of theater are thought-provoking and entertaining, balancing theme and spectacle to excite audiences while also moving them to contemplate what they’ve seen and to leave the theatre with something they didn’t have when they entered.

“Adding Machine: A Musical,” playing at Studio Theatre, is a prime example of that. The performance is both delightful and disturbing, subverting musical conventions and ultimately making for a must-see theatrical endeavor.

The piece, written by Jason Loewith (who also directs this production) and composer Joshua Schmidt, is an adap-

tation of the 1923 play, “The Adding Machine,” by American expressionist playwright Elmer Rice.

The story takes us through the life, death and afterlife of Mr. Zero, as he struggles to overcome his status as a working drone in an accounting firm.

When Zero is replaced by an adding machine, he snaps and kills his boss. Everything begins spiraling out of control as Zero faces demons both past and present in his struggle to find a “square deal” in a life and death that are seemingly stacked against him.

From the start, things are not as they should be. The first song — a dissonant and amelodic quartet — sets the tone for what is anything but a conventional “musical.”

There is nothing catchy here — no

number to stick in the heads of the audience when they leave; however, that seems to be the point. Schmidt waters his musical garden from a well of modernism; there are echoes of Schoenberg, Stravinsky and a whole host of other big names from that era.

This alone does not comprise the music, though. Many other styles prevalent in 1920s music, such as gospel — as in “The Gospel According to Shrdlu” — make this a veritable revue of the music of the time. The music is immaculate; it never feels forced and tells the story almost as well as the script does.

But this would all be for naught without a solid group of performers.

The music was atonal, arrhythmic and immensely complex, but in the hands

of this capable ensemble, it seemed simple. Mrs. Zero’s first song, “Something to Be Proud Of,” finds actress Joanne Schmoll effortlessly moving through rapid, complex rhythms as though it were second nature, making for an impressive display and potentially the show’s highlight in terms of technically demanding performances.

It would be hard to pick a “show stopping” number, however, as the cast was a true ensemble, working together in such a way that no performer truly stood out as the “best.”

David Benoit, playing the maligned Mr. Zero, is perhaps the only notable exception to this.

He never would have survived if a single breath or word had been out of n

see ADDING on page 9

the EAGLE

NOVEMBER 2, 2009

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NOVEMBER 2, 2009

the scene 9

‘Michaels’ bring ‘wet Politics shouldn’t make or break relationships hot’ comedy to D.C. AU THREESOME

By SAM LINDAUER Eagle Staff Writer Michael Ian Black and Michael Showalter have established themselves as comedy gods among fans of cult hit “Wet Hot American Summer” and TV shows such as “Stella” and “The State.”

The duo now star in their own show, “Michael and Michael Have Issues,” on Comedy Central. The Michaels showed off their stand-up chops at Sixth & I Historic Synagogue on Wednesday night.

To kick off the evening, Black greeted the audience with a venue-appropriate “Shalom” before introducing the opening act, Kumail Nanjiani. In addition to his stand-up work, Nanjiani is a co-star and writer on “Michael and Michael Have Issues.”

The set was hilarious, considering the dubious nature of comedy openers. While an opener for a band can be bad without being embarrassing, a bad comic can dampen the atmosphere. In his refined act, Nanjiani discussed the terrifyingly old roller coaster on Coney Island, how lame it would be if the Jurassic Park ride at Universal Studios went OK and the Midwest drug craze called “Cheese” (it’s Tylenol PM and heroin).

The packed synagogue loved Nanjiani, but went crazy when the Michaels were introduced. Appearing on stage at the same time, Black and Showalter displayed how in synch they are with each other. It is hard to tell if they are performing a written bit or if they are talking to each other off the cuff.

The two started off by talking about their tour and how the GPS in their car seems to transform from a cheerful helper in the day to a possessed machine at night. They described it as

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place in “Office Reverie” or “In Numbers,” two immaculate ensemble numbers employing contrapuntal dissonance to mesmerizing effect. Just watching it was exhausting. However, it was thoroughly engaging as well.

Not once did the performance cease to be interesting and compelling,

turning into Buffalo Bill from “Silence of the Lambs,” which resulted in their purchasing a basket to store the lotion to make it happy. After discussing the past stops on the tour (Detroit: “Wonderful people, horrible place”), the act shifted back and forth between the two personalities.

Black dominated earlier on in the show, as he ranted hilariously about his children’s Halloween costumes and their unoriginal choices of pirate and princess garb. Another year, he had been even more upset when his son announced himself as Frankenstein, despite being dressed as the creature Dr. Frankenstein had created. His daughter further failed him when she dressed as a mermaid. She had the fish tail but was wearing a bathing suit top.

Despite Black’s request that his daughter lose the top for authenticity, she went out as an inaccurate mermaid.

“There is no TJ Maxx underwater,” Black griped. He compromised with his wife so his daughter could wear the top so long as he was permitted to follow her, telling every person giving out treats, “This costume’s bullshit.”

Whereas Black played up his persona of the slightly pompous fame whore, Showalter talked about his one true love — his cats. After mourning the loss of his cat, Showalter recounted a harrowing story about trying to adopt cats from a pet store chain. His story progressed from the madness of the interview process for prospective pet parents to typical Showalter craziness, where his interviewer became a walrus dressed as an admiral (if you have to ask, maybe Michael and Michael are not for you).

Interspersed between the Michaels were clips from a local morning talk show that the two were forced to be

even though a few jokes in the script seemed ill-placed and a little unnecessary. Even these were minor speed bumps that hardly detracted from the overall quality of the piece.

Most notable about “Adding Machine: A Musical” was the way Loewith presented the audience with a more ambiguous picture than was

on to promote the tour. To make the best of a bad situation, Black and Showalter were obnoxiously chipper, knowing they could use the footage in their set. These were the highlight of the night. Smiling like mad through their interview, the Michaels were hilariously happy to be on live TV at the crack of dawn. There was a clip of the pair joining a cooking segment where Showalter stared awkwardly at the camera in the background. In another, they had managed to get into the weather report. For some reason, the good people on Fox’s “Morning Beat” neither minded nor understood that they were part of the joke.

The two ended the evening by showing off an improv game created

by Showalter, where he would play music and then act out a monologue that would work with it. Showalter began as an angsty teenager telling off his dad, talking about how he wants to take his photos and get in his truck and drive. On its own, this was funny, but the punch line came when Black did basically the same monologue with only minor changes. They went back and forth doing the same monologue with increasingly miniscule changes, thus ending the show with the audience howling with laughter.

Black and Showalter displayed the controlled chaos that can result only from years of work with each other.

No one but these two can find the humor in ugly holiday sweaters and Ambien with Cool Whip. Their brand of crazy-yet-restrained humor may not be for everyone, but if you accept the madness, it makes for a great time.

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

initially painted in the original play. As the show progresses, Mr. Zero’s innocence comes into question.

The audience must grapple with more than simply an oppressive society; one of the main issues was just how much of Mr. Zero’s plight was a result of his not getting a “square deal,” and how much of it was his own fault.

BUSTER DARKHOLE, MAXWELL HILLCREST and AMBER SPARKLES Q: “I had a question for the sex column ... I have this crush on another guy. My problem is that I’m pro-life and he’s prochoice. While he and I can’t have children, it’s more the idea that if we had children he would be OK with killing them. Is this enough to kill a relationship?”

-Anonymous for Life A: Before I, Buster, turn this over to my two other capable columnists, let me just say that it is a relief to find another prolife gay on this campus. I am in a relationship with this guy who is pro-choice, and as much as we go at in the bedroom, we go at it even more on politics. He and I have even more fundamental differences than abortion, but we find common ground sometimes or just agree to let it go. I don’t think I will ever change his mind and he won’t change mine. In the end, it’s the feeling I have for him and not his political stance that attracts me to him. So a short answer to your question is no. Go out to dinner with the dude and discover more about him.

Here’s the group consensus: you need to reassess your priorities if you are so fixated on this

This is key, as it raises a question that it never answers and forces the audience to consider the issue of victimization. Is society truly the devil, or are the members of society also part of the problem? Is Mr. Zero denied what he is owed, or is he simply presumptuous in his sense of entitlement? This question, obviously a pertinent one in the 1920s,

one political issue that it would stop you from even going on a date with this guy. It is important to be able to talk through ideological differences. It is unlikely that you will find someone who thinks exactly the same way as you do on all issues. Even if you did, the relationship would probably be boring. I mean, it would be like missionary every night — BORING. Even outside of romantic relationships, it is important to be able to accept and learn from those who think differently from you.

That said, with the issue of abortion there are both political and moral issues. Political issues are generally more superficial.

Sometimes political opinions are more indicative of moral attitudes. While a person should be open to constantly shaping the sense of morality, these attitudes can be much more deeply ingrained and harder to shake.

When considering a long-term relationship with someone, it is important that you think similarly enough that you will be able to make important life decisions together in the future.

In your case, however, you are getting way ahead of yourself by fixating on this issue before you have even gone out with the guy.

It would be impossible for you to assess the potential of a relationship before you have started going on dates with him. It’s like trying to figure out what his penis looks like without seeing it.

This is a perfect example of AU’s mentality: find one political issue, and all of a sudden there is a problem.

Let’s focus on getting with the

guy and understanding who he actually is. People are not defined by one issue; they have multiple opinions and it will be your job to discover each of them.

Deal-breakers should be only things that you’re definitely not willing to settle on. While many people have different deal-breakers, we all get behind a few. How he treats you and how you treat him should be with the utmost respect and admiration. The reason for getting into a relationship matters, too. Dating someone who likes you for your money would be a deal breaker. Trying to date someone who is not attracted to someone of your sex is also not a good idea. In the end, though, it’s all about your judgment — life can’t be too easy, after all. ... It’s Buster once again. Sorry for the dry commentary from my colleagues. The major issue here is whether this guy could make you happy (or whether you could feel happy with him). And that is something that will take time to discover. Before you flip the fellow around and go to town, find out more about him and what you find attractive. If this issue is so dear to your heart, then the answer is no. But if you can move past this one issue, then give him time. Since you can’t have kids, the personal attachment to abortion is about as thin as hair, and you can’t abort “gaybies,” anyway.

is also very powerful today.

The fact that it is so aptly presented, with stark, angular aesthetics that captivatingly defy convention, makes this musical a must-see for anyone who enjoys theater, music and insightful social commentary that is more even than heavy-handed in its accusations of not just the machine, but the man

who oils it as well.

“Adding Machine: A Musical” runs through Nov. 8 at Studio Theatre. Student rush tickets are available for $19 the day of the show when presented with valid student ID.

5TH ANNUAL BAR MITZVAH PARTY! SPONSORED BY THE JEWISH STUDENT ASSOCIATION

Come out with your friends and dan

ce the night away at our fifth annual Bar Mitzvah Cel ebration!

Hor’devours , DJ and a whole lot of chuzpah!

Saturday November 7, 2009 Co-Sponsored by: Peace & Empowerment, One Voice, AEPi, Hillel, AUSFI, Banghara, AU In Motion, EcoSense, Student Government and GLBTA

Tavern 8pm-Midnight Paid for by the American University Club Council

Please ask us questions at authreesome@theeagleonline.com.

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

the EAGLE

NOVEMBER 2, 2009

the scene 10

Courtesy of KARIN COOPER

SPOTLIGHT — Opera-goers were treated to a night of mixed-up mayhem on Oct. 24, when “Ariadne auf Naxos” and “Zerbinetta” were mashed up and performed side by side in a multi-faceted performance. Set in the modern world, the opera was performed by a cast of talented singers at the Washington National Opera, who were joined by several celebrity castmembers on opening night. The show runs through Nov. 13.

‘Ariadne’ brings humor to opera

By SARAH ANNE HUGHES Eagle Contributing Writer Opera audience members were met with more than just impressive singing as Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Antonin Scalia joined the cast of the Washington National Opera’s “Ariadne auf Naxos” on Oct. 24.

Along with Del. Eleanor Holmes-Norton, D-D.C., Professor Martin Ginsburg and arts philanthropist Adrienne Arsht, the Justices played dinner party guests of the “the richest man in town” at WNO’s opening night of Richard Strauss’ early-20th century opera.

The large cast of “Ariadne” contained few weak links. There was no apparent star in the opera.

Rather, many singers were given their moment in the spotlight, giving the audience a good sampling of the different voices in the cast.

The opera opens with a com-

poser and his teacher preparing for the debut performance of the composer’s new opera, “Ariadne auf Naxos.” The opera is being performed at the party of a wealthy art gallery owner as a diversion between dinner and a fireworks display, which is set to begin promptly at 9 p.m.

“Ariadne,” the opera within the opera, tells the story of a princess who has been left on an island by her lover. She is waiting for death to come and relieve her from her misery; instead, the god Bacchus comes and takes her away.

The composer is lost in a world of his own creation, conducting silently to himself, disconnected from the world around him. The teacher is lamenting the fact that the opera, a serious and dramatic work, must go on before “The Fickle Zerbinetta and Her Four True Lovers,” a musical comedy.

To add insult to injury, Major Domo, who acts on behalf of the wealthy patron, informs the performers that “Ariadne” and “Zerbinetta” must be performed simultaneously. That is, the two casts must combine their performances into one cohesive show.

Those involved in “Ariadne” consider this to be the worst kind of insult. They do not see how it is possible for a serious work of art to go on next to a silly comedy like “Zerbinetta.” On the other side, performers from “Zerbinetta” see this as an opportunity to save the audience from the boring opera and give them what they really want: a laugh.

The second act, which brings the mash-up of “Ariadne” and “Zerbinetta” to life, was fertile ground for humor, but also for serious reflection from the audience on the definition of art. Are the

comedic, lighter moments of the performance, provided by Zerbinetta and her crew, as worthy of the label of art as the dark, dramatic passages?

Irne Theorin played Ariadne with the dignity and commitment one would expect from a traditional opera singer while adding in moments of levity that the ridiculous situation called for. Theorin’s dark tone matched Ariadne’s desolate state, but wasn’t too heavy for the brighter moments of the music.

Perhaps the most stirring performance came from Lyubov Petrova who played Zerbinetta.

Petrova sang difficult runs and ear shattering high notes while performing minor acrobatics on a prop piano to the delight of the audience. She gave the most enjoyable performance of the night, which was appreciated with a great

‘Parks’ hires freaks, geeks Jones, Pratt bring comedy to ‘Recreation’

By YOHANA DESTA Eagle Staff Writer If anyone could turn the Parks and Recreation government department into the setting of a hysterical sitcom, it’s SNL alum, Amy Poehler.

“Parks and Recreation” follows the life of Leslie Knope (played by Poehler), a Parks and Recreation deputy director in fictional Pawnee, Ind. Knope is a feminist, often citing Hillary Clinton and Madeline Albright as her heroes. The show, written by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur — also creative writers for “The Office” — follows in the same mockumentary style as the popular sitcom, but has far different comedic style.

Chris Pratt, who plays the loveable but irresponsible Andy Dwyer, and Rashida Jones, who plays the sensible Ann Perkins, described its style in an interview with The Eagle.

“There’s not much to compare it to,” Pratt said. “There’s no laugh track, and Amy has different comedic sensibilities than Steve Carell. It’s not funny to watch her be uncomfortable like Carell, but it’s so goddamn endearing when she smiles.”

However, the characters on the show are far different from the people who actually portray them.

“I pull out certain elements of my own personality,” Jones said. “I’d like to think I’m not such a doormat.

Honestly, I’d also like to think that everybody is a little bit cooler than their characters.”

For Pratt, it’s all about loosening up.

“I just allow the reasonable and sensible things to fall by the wayside,” Pratt said. “I got the idea that this guy was a total slacker and a musician. I stayed up all night drinking before the audition, then went into

Courtesy of CHRIS HASTON

DOWN AND OUT — As a Harvard grad, Rashida Jones, pictured above, center, could have chosen any career. Luckily for NBC, she decided to go into acting, moving from her role on “The Office” to “Parks and Recreation.” it hungover and sleepy and I got it — they thought I was great.”

For Jones, being on a television show, let alone a comedy, was quite random. As a Harvard graduate who studied religion and philosophy and daughter of music mogul Quincy Jones, Jones could have been anything she wanted. Acting just happened to be her calling.

“I did some theater early on and was smitten by it,” Jones said. “My

first role was in ‘Freaks and Geeks’, and I loved it.”

For those who are doubtful of her comedic chops, Jones has also been in “The Office” and “I Love You, Man.” “I love actresses like Goldie Hawn and Debra Winger; they create comedy in realistic elements,” Jones said.

“My character is so naturalistic so I try to bring a depth to her because all the other characters are so crazy.”

For Pratt, acting comes naturally as well, especially comedy. Although his body of work may not show it — ranging from “Everwood” to “The O.C.” to “Jennifer’s Body” — Pratt is a natural comedian. (How else could he have landed leading funny lady, Anna Faris?)

“I was on ‘Everwood,’ which was a really dramatic TV show, and when I left, I left to do movies,” Pratt said.

“But then ‘Parks and Recreation’ came along, and it was cooler than any movie I could have done.”

On the show, Pratt’s character lives in a pit outside the home of his ex-girlfriend (Jones), whom he still loves and obsesses over.

“I actually have to get in the pit a lot, but I’m game for that kind of stuff, like pratfalls,” Pratt said. “I’m lucky to do physical comedy with Amy’s over-the-top stuff. But that pit really is dirty and stinky.”

However, things are changing for both Pratt’s and Jones’ characters in the current season of “Parks and Recreation.”

“Now Andy’s found a job and he’s found a way out of the pit!” Pratt said. “I would be spoiling it if I said any more.” Jones laughed, chiming in about her and Pratt’s characters.

“I think maybe Anne and Andy might get back together, it’s not an impossibility,” Jones said. “I think that there’s more comedy when they’re apart, but it’s funny both ways.”

Although the critics were unsure at first, many now love the show and Jones and Pratt are both grateful.

“It takes time to settle into what characters are and what their comedic dynamics are,” Jones said about the show getting picked up. “I think it takes about 10 episodes. You watch early episodes of ‘Sex and the City’ or ‘Seinfeld’, and it’s nothing like what people love about it.”

Even though it started off being compared to “The Office,” “Parks and Recreation” has now become its own show with its own brand of humor. You can catch new episodes Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. on NBC. You can reach this staff writer at ydesta@theeagleonline.com.

amount of applause.

Even though this version of the opera debuted in 1916, the struggle between patrons and artists is alive and well today. Using this reasoning, director Chris Alexander didn’t hesitate to set “Ariadne” in the modern world.

“In these difficult times we artists are in a constant ‘to be or not to be’ situation and very much at the mercy of those who are able to sponsor our work,” Alexander said in an interview from the program.

To find a real life example of this theme, the audience only had to look to the stage. It was clear that the cast was playing to the special guests, bringing them into the action of the opera. At one point, Zerbinetta took a seat in Scalia’s lap causing a good deal of laughter from the audience. Ginsburg played less of a role in the ac-

tion, but what her presence signified was clear.

Whether or not one believes that performers should have to put up with entertaining those who pay the bills, the bills will always exist. Without patrons, performances could not exist; what good would art be if it could not be appreciated by others?

“Ariadne auf Naxos” runs through Nov. 13. WNO offers discounted tickets through the Generation O program. People between the ages of 18 and 35 can sign up for e-mail alerts from WNO’s Web site to receive the benefits of the program. All tickets can be purchased by calling (200) 295-2400 or visiting www.dc-opera.org.

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

Indie duo take act ‘on the road’

By MORGAN WHEATON Eagle Contributing Writer “We have a member of the band who couldn’t be here today,” Ben Gibbard said into his microphone as silence fell over the 9:30 club. The audience, there to see Gibbard and Jay Farrar promote their new album, “One Fast Move,” whispered nervously. Gibbard paused for dramatic effect, strummed his guitar and said, “His name is Jack Kerouac. But he is here with us in spirit.”

Although a mid-set shout out to the infamous 1950s beat author might seem strange, it fits Gibbard, a selfproclaimed Kerouac fan, perfectly.

A fan so large, in fact, that Gibbard teamed up with Jay Farrar of Son Volt to support the new Kerouac documentary, “One Fast Move or I’m Gone: Jack Kerouac’s Big Sur.” Although the project was originally intended to become a soundtrack for the film, it eventually blossomed into a full-length album of the same name.

Taking almost all of its lyrics directly from the Kerouac novel “Big Sur,” “One Fast Move” creates an accurate musical representation of the author’s despair in the face of alcoholism.

Farrar and Gibbard, backed by Death Cab for Cutie bassist Nick Harmer, Superchunk drummer Jon Wurster and Son Volt multi-instrumentalist Mark Spencer, played on Tuesday as part of their five-city tour.

John Roderick, lead singer of the Seattle-based indie band The Long Winters, opened the show. Roderick, who lent his vocals to the title track of Death Cab’s “Transatlanticism” album, walked onto the stage carrying a cup of tea and he announced that he was suffering from a cold. This didn’t seem to affect his seven-song set.

Roderick first burst into an energetic rendition of “Pushover” from “Putting the Days to Bed.” He poured his energy into the song, as his catchy, stop-and-go lyrics and acoustic solos crushed the crowd. Before beginning his next song, Roderick asked

the crowd for requests, settling on “Seven,” a shout from the balcony. His interactive approach to playing translated well with the audience which, by end of the set, was offering ways to wear his new haircut.

Around 9 p.m., Gibbard and Farrar took the stage. Dressed in flannel shirts and motorcycle boots, both singers looked as they had stepped straight from the Beat Generation themselves. Gibbard launched into the first song of the album, “California Zephyr.” It became clear from the start of the organ-heavy track that Gibbard is a changed man, sounding more like part of The Band than Death Cab. Jay Farrar followed by performing his song “Lowlife Kingdom” with less stage presence than Gibbard. Whereas Gibbard interacted with the crowd, Farrar preferred to stand still, eyes almost completely closed as he sang.

The set continued with the singers trading vocals as they performed the entire album. Gibbard added his own touch with an acoustic rendition of “Couches in Alleys,” a song he originally performed with Styrofoam. With Farrar on the keyboard, Gibbard’s ode to Kerouac became otherworldly.

However, Farrar eventually stole the show with “Breathe Our Iodine.”

As Gibbard and the rest of the band left the stage, Farrar and Mark Spencer remain, bathed in red light. The blues song, which sounds relatively weak on the album, translated better on stage than ever imagined. “Breathe our iodine!” Farrar yelled. The song came to an end, leaving the audience shouting for an encore. The band eventually returned, covering both Bob Dylan’s “Absolutely Sweet Marie,” and Tom Waits’ “Old Shoes.”

“So goodbye, so long,” Gibbard sang, bringing his dusty blues persona into Tom Waits’ “The Road Calls Me Dear.” A fitting end to the show, it seemed Gibbard was correct — the spirit of Kerouac was there.

You can reach this writer at thescene@theeagleonline.com