The Eagle -- April 22, 2010

BABY MAMA Jennifer Lopez hits some ‘bumps’ along the way in her return to the big screen SCENE page 7

American University's independent student voice since 1925

the EAGLE WWW.THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

NEWS BUCKS BUY FOOD

page 3

EDITORIAL

ANDREW MERLUZZI / THE EAGLE

Issac Stone shows how Wall Street’s ways affect as far away as Alabama page 5

STAYING IN SCHOOL — AU’s freshman-to-sophomore retention rate has fluctuated over the past 10 years. This year’s retention rate jumped from 88.4 percent in 2007 to 2008 to 90.5 percent in fall 2009.

By JULIA RYAN Eagle Staff Writer AU is maintaining higher retention rates than ever before in the university’s history, according to statistics recently released

by AU’s Office of Institutional Research and Assessment.

AU’s freshman-to-sophomore retention rate was 90.5 percent from fall 2008 to fall 2009, a 2.1 percent increase from the 88.4 percent freshman-to-sophomore

retention rate from 2007 to 2008.

The retention rate five years earlier, from fall 2001 to fall 2002, was 87.3 percent.

Karen Froslid-Jones, the director of the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment, attributes the rise in retention to an overall stronger student population.

“Graduation rates and retention rates are often associated with student quality,” FroslidJones said in an e-mail. “As our student body [becomes stronger], more students opt to stay at AU and graduate.”

The university’s retention rate has been fluctuating for the past 10 years but has shown an upward trend overall, according to the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment.

AU admitted 43 percent of the 16,934 students who applied — more than 10 percent lower than last year’s admissions rate. There were 13 percent more students applying for AU than last year.

Historical comparisons The Office of Institutional Research and Assessment also celebrated the 40th year of the publication of the Reference Book by

SPRING AWAKENING AU field hockey team uses spring games to prepare for fall

publishing statistics from the first edition of the Reference Book in 1971.

The Office puts out an Academic Data Reference Book towards the end of every school year with numbers for enrollment, admissions, retention and graduation. It gives students and the rest of the AU community statistics about a wide variety of academic and campus-life issues.

The 1971 edition of the Reference Book showed a much different AU from the school it is today.

Graduation rates are much higher now than in 1971. The four-year graduation rate in 1971 was only 45 percent, compared with 71 percent in 2010.

In addition, total student enrollment has significantly decreased in the past 40 years — from 15,441 students in 1971 to 12,705 students today.

AU also admitted a higher perTotal Enrollment Admissions Rate Freshman-to-Sophomore Retention Rate Four-year Graduation Rate Average Class Size Total Teaching Faculty Average Faculty Salary

By STEFANIE DAZIO and JULIA RYAN

page 6

Eagle Staff Writers

PITCHLESS Nats’ starters need to go deeper in ballgame for team’s success

SCENE ‘OHM’ MY GOD Different methods and studios for people tired of the same old yoga page 7

TODAY’S WEATHER

HI 72° LO 45° Cloudy, with a slight chance of showers FRIDAY HI 69° n LO 47°

SATURDAY HI 66° n LO 54°

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

n

centage of students in 1971 than in 2010. About 75 percent of prospective students were admitted in 1971.

AU expects to enroll about 1,500 first-year students this fall and 300 transfer students, according to a memo to the campus community by President Neil Kerwin.

AU’s increased selectivity and decreased student population reflects the school’s improvement over the years, according to Froslid-Jones.

“AU has become an increasingly competitive institution that attracts high-quality students,” Froslid-Jones said. “As the overall quality of the institution increased, the interest in going to AU increased.”

Froslid-Jones said the university has become more selective n

see ENROLLMENT on page 3

January 1971 15,441 74.9% 77.6% 45.5% 26.6 357 $14,466

March 2010 12,705 53.2% 90.5% 71.2% 22.8 571 $92,619

AU wins third place in national recycling contest

SPORTS

page 6

VOLUME 84 ISSUE 49

AU retention rate at record high

AU brings EagleBucks to the Whole Foods in Tenleytown

A CASE OF GREED

APRIL 22, 2010

STEFANIE DAZIO / THE EAGLE

BEYOND THE BOUNDARIES — Concerned AU students ask questions during the Student Advocacy Center-sponsored panel on recent changes to the Student Conduct Code. The Code now allows AU to discipline students for off-campus behavior.

AU took third place out of 266 schools nationwide in the RecycleMania Competition with a cumulative recycling rate of 64.9 percent, according to Housing and Dining Programs.

California State University-San Marcos placed first with 71.82 percent, and New Mexico State University came in second with 69 percent.

AU’s recycling rate was the highest for all participating D.C. colleges.

Georgetown University came in second with 42.5 percent, and the Catholic University of America came in third with 33.2 percent.

This is AU’s first year participat-

ing in the 10-week competition that ranks schools based on the amount recycled per capita, the total amount recycled and other recycling rates, according to RecycleMania’s Web site.

“I think it is awesome that AU has placed third in the RecycleMania 2010 competition, especially with this being our inaugural year of participation,” Assistant Director of Operations for Housing and Dining Sophia Benedicktus said in an e-mail. “AU strives to be a sustainable institution and to be at the forefront of leadership as it relates to being green.”

AU adopted a zero-waste policy in February that may have contributed to its high ranking in the competition.

“In nature there is no waste. The

Changes to Conduct Code apply off campus Letts Hall elevators

By STEFANIE DAZIO Eagle Staff Writer AU students can be disciplined by the university for off-campus misconduct that does not necessarily violate local, state or federal laws beginning June 15, according to recent changes to the Student Conduct Code.

AU revised its Conduct Code to give the university the power to take disciplinary action “when, in the judgment of university officials, a student’s alleged misconduct has a negative effect on the university’s pursuit of its mission or on the well being of the greater community.”

The Student Advocacy Center hosted a forum on Tuesday to discuss the changes with a panel of administrators, including Vice President of Campus Life Gail Hanson, Assistant Vice President and Dean of Students Rob Hradsky and Department of Public Safety Chief Michael McNair.

The changes come as AU is looking to pass its 10-year Campus Plan.

Local Advisory Neighborhood Commissions have been putting pressure on AU to revise its policy on off-campus conduct, saying that they will not support the Campus Plan without the Conduct Code changes.

The campus plan must be approved by the D.C. Zoning Commission, with which ANCs hold a “fair amount of clout,” Hanson said at the panel.

An ANC written report and recommendation holds “great weight”

with the Board of Zoning, but the Board makes the final decision, according to D.C. Municipal Regulations.

“It’s very difficult to get those approvals if the Advisory Neighborhood Commissions in your area believe that you are not good citizens,” Hanson said. “Our ANCs have made it pretty clear that unless we put into our Code some discretionary authority to adjudicate misconduct off-campus ... they were going to withhold an endorsement of our campus plan.”

Currently, AU can only discipline students cited by police or if their behavior is clearly endangering or

threatening AU staff, administrators or students. Since the Code says all violations of local, state and federal laws are also violations at AU, students can be punished for their off-campus behavior, according to the Code.

Hradsky said at the panel that the majority of undergraduates living off campus do not cause problems. He said there were about a dozen complaints this year, mostly about rental houses, including one with multiple and repeated violations.

“But now, we’ve hit a wall,” Hanson said. “We’ve used everything in our disposal and in some instances, it’s not been enough. There have been a n

see CONDUCT on page 2

Conduct Code Jurisdiction “Generally, the university will take disciplinary action for on-campus infractions of the Code. However, the university may take disciplinary action for off-campus infractions of the Code when a student’s behavior threatens or endangers the safety and well-being of the campus community; when a student is the subject of a violation of local, state or federal law; or when, in the judgment of university officials, a student’s alleged misconduct has a negative effect on the university’s pursuit of its mission or on the well being of the greater community. [Revised and effective June 2010]” “Examples of Prohibited Conduct include: violations of local, state, or federal law; intentionally or recklessly destroying or damaging the property of others; disorderly conduct or interfering with the rights of others; illegal gambling or gaming, as defined by state or federal law; willfully failing to comply with the directions of university officials, acting in performance of their duties; attempting to engage in any prohibited conduct.”

Information from a brochure distributed at the Student Advocacy Center forum.

n

see RECYCLE on page 3

in need of overhaul, could take months

By ALLIE MOONEY Eagle Staff Writer Facilities Management and Housing and Dining Programs are working together to take the first steps in addressing a rash of elevator outages affecting Letts Hall South this semester.

Both elevators in Letts South have experienced 22 separate problems since Jan. 1 of this year, but budgeting and extensive planning will delay any immediate large improvements on the system.

“Housing and Dining Programs has made several attempts to address the Letts elevator issue by notifying Facilities Management of the problem,” Sophia Benedicktus, assistant director of Operations for Housing and Dining, said in an e-mail.

Facilities Management is looking into fixing the elevators, which they said have several problems.

“There’s some major components that need work,” said William Suter, the director of Facilities Management.

Facilities Management must complete the engineering of the project before knowing what impact the renovation will have on the building.

The office must design plans and then select a contractor who will bid to restore the elevators.

This planning process could take as long as seven months, meaning no one will be working in Letts elevator shafts for some time, according to Suter.

Elevators are in much higher demand in dorms than in other types of buildings, according to Suter. This causes the elevators’ components to wear out faster than elevators with more typical usage.

Suter has worked at AU for 16 years and has seen replacements of cables, main computer software and door controllers, but he has yet to see complete renovation of the elevators.

Elevator renovations cannot be contracted until a comprehensive package is created, which would detail all the repairs and changes to be made to the elevator system.

“Sometimes we get surprised, and we have to re-think things,” Suter said.

“So right now we have money programmed out to do that study and to write the contract documents.”

The project to physically repair the elevators could take about nine n

see ELEVATORS on page 3

the EAGLE

APRIL 22, 2010

THUR 22 Comedy - Sarah Silverman 6:30 p.m.

WHERE: Borders Books & Music, 18th and L streets N.W. METRO: Farragut North (red line) INFO: The stand-up comedian and star of “The Sarah Silverman Program” will read and discuss her new memoir, “The Bedwetter: Stories of Courage, Redemption, and Pee.” COST: Free CONTACT: For more information, call 202-466-4999.

news 2

FRI 23 THU 27

SAT 24

SUN 25

MON 26

TUE 27

Exhibit - “Thrive! Our Planet, Ourselves” 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.

WHERE: U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. S.W. METRO: Federal Center (orange and blue lines) INFO: Visitors learn from local experts how to incorporate plants into everyday life in honor of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. COST: Free CONTACT: For more information, call 202-225-8333.

Author Event - Alexander McCall Smith 8 p.m.

WHERE: George Washington University’s Lisner Auditorium, 730 21st St. N.W. METRO: Foggy Bottom-GWU (blue and orange lines) INFO: The author of the popular series “The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency” will read and discuss his work before a book signing.

COST: $25-35 CONTACT: For more information, call 202-994-6800.

Concert - Climate Rally All day WHERE: Between the U.S. Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial METRO: Smithsonian (blue and orange lines) INFO: Celebrate Earth Day with performances by Sting, John Legend, the Roots, Jimmy Cliff, Mavis Staples and Passion Pit. COST: Free CONTACT: For more information, call 202-485-9880.

Performance - Will on the Hill 7:30 p.m.

WHERE: Shakespeare Theatre Company - Harman Hall, 610 F St. N.W. METRO: Gallery Place-Chinatown (red line) INFO: Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., Major Garrett of Fox News, D.C. Financial Officer Natwar Gandhi and other Washington insiders perform in Peter Byrne’s “The Play’s the Thing!”

COST: $50 CONTACT: For more information, call 202-547-1122.

Dancing - Salsa Lessons 7:30 p.m.

WHERE: The Barking Dog, 4723 Elm St. Bethesda, Md. METRO: Bethesda (red line) INFO: Learn beginner and intermediate salsa steps.

COST: $5 CONTACT: For more information, call 301-654-0022.

AU students tutor children at local charity

By MITCH ELLMAUER Eagle Staff Writer

Courtesy of EAGLE ENDOWMENT

EAGLES AWARDED — The Eagle Endowment was awarded to the Latino Youth Conference, the AU Community Service Coalition and The Eagles for DC at an awards ceremony Friday afternoon. From left to right, Althea Avice de Guzman, Nate Bronstein, Stephen Bronskill, Chris Golden, Rick Say, Shaini Cara and Sasha Bloch.

Grants awarded for service

By NICOLE GLASS Eagle Staff Writer The top prize in the annual Eagle Endowment awards was given to the Latino Youth Conference in a ceremony last Friday.

The Eagle Endowment is an Office of Campus Life-sponsored award that gives a $1,000 grant to an organization from the AU community for public or community service.

Two other prizes were awarded to student groups. The Latino Youth Conference, represented by Marguerite Seldin-Jimenez and Althea Avice de Guzman, won a $1,000 grant. A grant of $700 went to the AU Community Service Coalition, represented by Stephen Bronskill. The Eagles for DC, represented by Toby Kearn, won a $300 grant.

Seldin-Jimenez, an AU graduate and representative of the Latino Youth Conference, said winning the award validated the organization’s community service work even more.

“Winning the Eagle Endow-

n

from CONDUCT on page 1

couple of houses this year that have been horrible. We need to reserve the right to do something.”

ANC commissioners and a member of the AU community have repeatedly complained about a college house on Ellicott Street; although it was unclear whether this was the house Hradsky was referencing. Residents of the house, some members of the unofficial

POLICE

BLOTTER APRIL 14 An unsecured motor scooter was taken outside of Hurst Hall.

A resident reported medication pills taken from his room in Leonard Hall. The resident did not state whether he secured the room when he left it.

A wallet and laptop computer were taken from a locker in Bender Arena.

The lock was discovered missing from the locker.

While on routine patrol, the Department of Public Safety observed a student walking with a person with no

ment has made [our work] all the more special,” Seldin-Jimenez said.

“It is humbling on a campus where so many people are doing so much exceptional work to have the Latino Youth Conference get selected to join the family of previous award winners.”

The Latino Youth Conference won the endowment for serving the D.C.-Metro area and for providing a conference to explore higher education for native Spanish speakers, Sasha Bloch, coordinator of the Eagle Endowment for Public and Community Service, said.

The Latino Youth Conference is a free, all-day conference on leadership and education for Latino high school students, their families and high school guidance counselors. AU has held this conference since a group of AU students founded it in 1999. It continues to be a student-run organization, sponsored by the Latino and American Student Organization.

The AU Community Service Co-

alition took second place for uniting campus groups for community service and supporting worthy causes across the D.C.-Metro area.

The Eagles for DC earned a grant for coordinating groups of people in one-time service commitments.

The Latino Youth Conference is using the funds from the Eagle Endowment to create and print workbooks for all Latino Youth Conference participants including information in both Spanish and English about the college application process, financial aid and how to help parents become better advocates for their children.

“Several Latino Youth Conference parents, who spoke very little English and had come down from a day laborers’ center in Pennsylvania, told me that this [conference] was the first time they received this kind of information about how to help their children in school — in Spanish,” Seldin-Jimenez said. “It has been a really humbling experience to think we can begin to reach out to parents

and help empower them to become better advocates in their children’s schools.”

The Eagle Endowment is a student-led initiative intended to provide funds to students who have helped the D.C. community through service and leadership, according to Bloch.

The Eagle Endowment currently has more than $100,000 to give away and provides grants of up to $1,000 to AU community service organizations.

Bloch said each of the groups was recognized individually by the Eagle Endowments for its achievement this year.

“The event on Friday was an absolute success!” Bloch said in an e-mail.

“Although there were not a ton of people there, the energy in the room was high and contagious.”

AU fraternity EI, refuted claims that their house was as unruly as characterized by neighbors, The Eagle previously reported.

Hanson said recent behavior has become particularly unruly.

“Reasonable people would agree that their behavior is egregious. It’s really, really loud,” she said. “It’s screeching cars and slamming doors and underage drinking and drunken dis-

orderly and urinating on people’s front lawn and breaking fences and breaking windows and any manner of misconduct.”

Under the new changes, DPS will be able to report off-campus misconduct, including illegal behavior, even if the Metropolitan Police Department does not respond to a complaint. McNair said most instances concern laws that aren’t regularly enforced, includ-

ing public urination.

“No MPD officer in [the 2nd District] is going to take the time to write somebody a ticket for being on somebody’s grass, urinating in public, when they’ve got murders and armed robberies and all those other kinds of things to solve,” he said.

known AU affiliation on Jacobs ballfield. When asked for identification, the non-student verbally provided a false name and false date of birth. The student later indicated he did not correct the information because he did not want to get the non-student in trouble. The non-student was barred from AU property for false identification.

A female complainant in the Berkshire Apartments received a phone call and then a voice mail message threatening to harm her.

behind, snatched her iPod out of her hand and ran down Nebraska Avenue toward Van Ness Street. The victim did not resist. No injuries were reported. Crime Alerts were distributed throughout campus informing the community about the incident.

A complainant reported discovering her phone missing while running errands.

lower the noise level.

A laptop computer was taken from an unsecured locker. The computer contained personal information and was password protected.

DPS responded to a report of an injured person. The individual signed a medical refusal form.

APRIL 16 A bicycle was taken from a bike rack. The complainant is uncertain as to whether he secured the bike to the rack.

A victim reported walking from the main campus towards Tenley Campus. Two males approached from

APRIL 17 DPS responded to an intrusion alarm which activated inside the President’s Office Building. A door was found open. There were no signs of forced entry. All appeared normal inside. The area was secured and the alarm was reset.

A neighbor reported AU students were playing loud music at a party in their backyard. The Metropolitan Police Department had the students

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

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

APRIL 18 DPS and the D.C. Fire Department responded to a report of an injured person. The individual refused medical treatment.

Medication was taken from a residence hall room. The complainant reported this is the second instance in which medication was taken.

APRIL 19 An unsecured motor scooter was taken from a bike rack.

In a city where almost half of all students who leave school prior to graduation drop out before the 8th grade, volunteers working with For Love of Children, a local children’s charity, have helped to send hundreds of underprivileged children to college.

Jessica Kurtz helps a local public high school sophomore improve her math skills every Thursday afternoon. The sophomore hopes to go to college some day.

Kurtz, a graduate student in the Washington College of Law, and two other AU students are among the volunteers with For Love of Children, an organization that tutors children in D.C., helping them break out from poverty and make substantial contributions to their communities.

FLOC was founded in 1965 by a consortium of churches on behalf of abandoned and abused children living in D.C.’s “Junior Village,” a neglected and under-staffed orphanage, according to FLOC’s Web site.

FLOC originally offered a variety of social services to neglected children and low-income families throughout D.C., according to Amber Shollenberger, FLOC’s Recruitment coordinator.

In 2005 the organization refocused to provide education and mentoring services to students in D.C.’s public schools, she said.

Morgan Haycock, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, joined FLOC in February. She tutors a fourth grader at the Marie H. Reed Learning Center in Adams Morgan, as part of FLOC’s Neighborhood Tutoring Program. Last year, the program served 412 students across D.C., according to a FLOC newsletter.

The Neighborhood Tutoring Program offers “one-on-one, backto-basic education for students that

want it,” Shollenberger said. In February, Haycock began teaching her student first-grade math.

FLOC offers different programs to elementary, middle school and high school students. The elementary school tutoring is a highly structured curriculum that aims to provide at-risk youth with basic academic skills, according to FLOC’s Web site.

The high school program aims to help older students access and prepare for secondary education, according to Shollenberger. FLOC also operates a summer camp in Harpers Ferry, W. Va., that teaches leadership skills.

Kurtz tutors a high school sophomore at FLOC’s headquarters in Columbia Heights. FLOC offers two tracks: reading and math. Kurtz’s student comes for math help. Although the student is in higher-level high school math classes, she needed help with subtraction and multiplication.

“If they don’t get good instruction in the beginning, they fall behind in higher level classes,” Kurtz said.

Kurtz began volunteering for FLOC in the fall and hopes to continue next year, if her schedule allows.

The organization tries to keep tutors with their students as they move up through the school system.

Kim Smithman, a senior in CAS, volunteers during FLOC’s Homework Help Time, which provides students with a “safe and productive place to spend time before their tutors arrive,” according to the FLOC Web site.

She joined FLOC last October to fulfill an internship requirement.

“I would like to continue [volunteering] as long as I can,” she said. “There are countless ways that FLOC contributes to the D.C. community, and it is a great experience.”

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

CAMPUS BRIEF SIS TO HOLD GRADUATION RECEPTION IN NEW BUILDING Before fall classes begin in the new School of International Service building, it will host the SIS seniors in a graduation reception May 5, according to Joe Clapper, assistant dean for Facilities and Administration.

The grand opening will be Sept. 23 and will involve a guest speaker whose name has yet to be released, Clapper said.

The new building, designed to be LEED Gold certified by Architect Bill McDonough, will break several D.C. records.

It will have one of the top 10 solar panel displays, the only installation with three solar water heaters and the biggest installation of LED lights in the District, Clapper said.

The building will have 114 private offices, nine Ph.D. offices, seven program suites, two 40-person classrooms, three 30-person classrooms and one 25-person classroom, according to an SIS brochure. The building also houses a 150-person lounge and meeting room, amphitheater seating and a larger Davenport Lounge.

Clapper said he does not know if the books currently in the old building will make it into the new one, as there is not much shelf space in the new one.

A member of the Board of Trustees donated money toward a simultaneous translation room equipped with 100 wireless headsets in four languages.

The grand atrium features a rock sculpture, made out of rocks from the excavation.

McDonough said the building will never be fully completed. Future generations of students will have more input in changes to be made.

“This building is not anywhere close to what you’re about to make it into. It’s not lived in yet, it’s not loved yet,” he said. “Watch what happens when you constantly engage its positive potentials.”

-STEFANIE DAZIO

GO ONLINE to

www.theeagleonline.com For a photo gallery of the new SIS building

the EAGLE

APRIL 22, 2010

news 3

Tenley Whole Foods accepts EagleBucks

By MITCH ELLMAUER Eagle Staff Writer The Tenleytown Whole Foods grocery store will now accept EagleBucks as a form of payment, according to Housing and Dining Programs.

The university hopes this partnership will give students living off campus or in Nebraska Hall more opportunities to use their EagleBucks, said Aaron Long, AU’s Dining Programs Coordinator.

Whole Foods is the 23rd offcampus EagleBucks vendor. The university entered into negotiations with Whole Foods 14 months ago, according to Long.

To promote its partnership with AU, the store offered $23 EagleBucks gift cards to every 23rd customer who used his or her AU ID card in the store last week.

AU began expanding its EagleBucks program in 2007 when CVS became the first off-campus EagleBucks vendor, The Eagle previously reported.

The university generally looks for businesses that are nearby and popular with AU students, Long said.

There are only two checkout lanes that can process EagleBucks transactions.

Whole Foods had to install special machines and a telephone line to AU to process EagleBucks transactions, according to the Whole Foods customer relations department.

Courtesy of MEGAN YARBROUGH

ALL-NIGHTER — Students participate in Saturday’s Relay for Life in Bender Arena. The all-night event raised an AU record $48,000 for cancer research. This year was AU’s third independent relay. Prior to 2008, relays were held with the George Washington University and the Catholic University of America, among other D.C. schools.

Cancer donations hit record

By HELEN KILLEEN Eagle Contributing Writer The AU community raised over $48,000 for cancer research at the annual Relay For Life event in Bender Arena Saturday night.

From 7 p.m. on Saturday April 17 to 7 a.m. April 18, students and community members came together after weeks of fundraising to enjoy entertainment, prizes, food and music.

This year’s total of $48,000 in fundraising is a dramatic increase from last year’s $27,000, according to the AU Relay For Life Event Chair Lauren Walens.

“It was by far the best Relay AU has ever had,” Walens said.

The 2010 Relay for Life was only the third Relay that AU ran independently. Before 2008, AU held Relay for Life in conjunction with George Washington University and the Catholic University of America, among other D.C. colleges.

The night’s turnout included 584 students, staff, alumni and faculty members registered for AU Relay For Life online and another 56 participants registered at the door, ac-

cording to the event tally. Walens estimated that 400 of the 640 registered participants made it to the event.

Students planned AU’s Relay For Life with multiple committees, each responsible for a specific aspect of the event.

Heidi Davis, co-chair of the Entertainment Committee and a senior in the School of Communication and the College of Arts and Sciences, found the event challenging to plan, but she said she is looking forward to being involved in the future.

“Relay For Life is one of the most fun events on campus because it has a little bit of everything,” Davis said.

“It’s a great chance to hang out with friends while doing something that really matters.”

Members who are not graduating in May already have high hopes for next year’s Relay.

Andrew Lam, the online chair for the Relay Planning Committee and a freshman in the Kogod School of Business, said his first experience planning AU’s Relay was rewarding.

“I look forward to getting the campus and community of American University more involved in

Relay,” he said. “I think people don’t recognize the significance of what we do with Relay and the American Cancer Society and cancer, in general.”

The event had a great impact on Relay participant Kit Blanke, a freshman in CAS. “I found the event programming to be very moving,” Blanke said. “I particularly liked the way they encouraged the remembrance of specific people during the Luminaria Ceremony.”

Relay For Life’s motto is “Celebrate. Remember. Fight Back.” The Luminaria Ceremony represents the “Remember” aspect of the event.

During this ceremony, white paper bags representing survivors and those currently battling cancer, with lights inside are lit during a moment of silence.

Lauren Gardner, a sophomore in the School of International Service, said she was very impressed with the event.

“I thought it was a huge success.

It had a really great turnout, and I was amazed with how many people stayed from 8 p.m. till 8 a.m.,” Gardner said.

Relay For Life has personal significance for Gardner because eight of her family members have fought cancer in the past, and her grandmother is currently battling the disease.

“I’ll be abroad next fall, but I really want to be a part of the planning committee when I get back. I think they do a really great job,” Gardner said. “It’s like my mom always said, ‘We’re walking around with targets on our backs, we might as well fight for the future while we still can.’”

ERRANT CAR SLAMS POLE, LEADS TO POWER OUTAGE Nebraska Hall, the Katzen Arts Center and Ward Circle experienced a temporary power outage Tuesday night as a result of a vehicle hitting an electrical pole.

The vehicle hit the pole between Macomb and Newark streets around 10:30 p.m., according to Pepco spokesperson Clay Anderson.

Power went out for over 1,110 customers at 10:41 p.m.

Representatives from Pepco, Verizon and Comcast arrived on the scene shortly after the power outage, Anderson said.

Cable TV service in numerous residence halls across campus was also temporarily cut off because of the power outage. Most channels were back as of 12:40 a.m.

Back-up generators in Nebraska Hall provided power to elevators and at least one light in every room in the residence hall to ensure residents’ safety.

Police blocked the inside lane of traffic in Ward Circle during the outage because the traffic lights were not working. Streetlights were also out along portions of Massachusetts and Wisconsin avenues.

Power was restored to all customers by 12:10 a.m., according to Anderson.

-JULIA RYAN

The AU community can continue to donate to Relay for Life by logging onto www.americanrelay.org.

Students interested in being involved in next year’s Relay for Life should send an e-mail to americanrelay@ gmail.com. Event planning will begin over the summer.

see ENROLLMENT on page 1

over the years as the number of applications increased. Lower student numbers reflect a more focused effort to get higherquality students, according to Froslid-Jones.

Trends will likely continue into the near future, she said.

The administration will continue working diligently to ensure students have everything they are entitled to as an AU student, including good professors, challenging classes, comprehensive student programs and activities.

Increasing international students An increasing number of Chi-

AARON BERKOVICH / THE EAGLE

REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE — AU placed third out of 266 schools in the national RecycleMania with a cumulative recycling rate of 64.9 percent. The university’s recycling rate was the highest for all participating D.C. schools. The North side residence halls came in first place in the internal recycling competition with 10.75 pounds recycled per capita. n

from RECYCLE on page 1

byproduct of one organism is food for another organism,” Director of Sustainability Chris O’Brien said in an e-mail. “Our job with waste is to mimic nature by transforming the university’s byproducts into food for other entities. Our used paper, plastic and metals can be processed into new products — all it takes is for individuals to aim for the recycling bin instead of the trash can.”

AU recently began sending food waste from the Terrace Dining Room to a composting facility in Maryland, according to O’Brien.

n

from ELEVATORS on page 1

months to complete, according to Suter.

The renovations will take long enough that Facilities Management is coordinating with Housing and Dining to determine when the project will cause the least amount of disruption to students in the residence halls, he said.

“We then buy back the compost at a discounted rate when we need compost for our planting beds on campus,” said Stephanie DeStefano, a grounds operation coordinator, in an e-mail.

O’Brien said he hopes to work with the university in the near future to implement more composting initiatives on campus.

“Eventually, I would like to see us collect compostable waste from the rest of the university and conduct the composting right here on campus,” O’Brien said.

AU also hosted an internal recycling competition between North side, South side and Tenley Campus. North

side came in first place with 10.75 recycled pounds per capita, followed by South side with 8.66 pounds per capita and Tenley Campus with 3.93 pounds per capita, Benedicktus said.

Resident Assistants such as Abby Wihl of Anderson Hall put RecycleMania posters throughout the building and tried to engage residents in conversations about sustainability.

“I think the competition has also been a way to show that [AU] is already a fairly sustainably-minded community,” Wihl said in an e-mail.

Facilities Management would like to fix the elevator problem as much as the residents do, Suter said.

“It’s less of a pain in the neck for [Facilities personnel] because we don’t get trapped in the elevator,” Suter said. “But it’s as much of a pain for us to have problems on a regular basis, so we’re ready to get after this as well.”

Facilities Management plans to

complete some renovations in Anderson Hall this summer, followed by renovations in McDowell Hall next summer and renovations in Letts during summer 2012, according to Suter.

You can reach these staff writers at news@theeagleonline.com.

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

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

CAMPUS BRIEF

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

n

The installation of the new EagleBucks system was delayed because the staff needed more training, Long said.

The store needed to test whether the new EagleBucks machines would disrupt credit and debit card systems, according to a customer service representative from Whole Foods.

The EagleBucks system works the same way the credit card transactions do, but EagleBucks transactions cannot be processed on a regular credit card machine, The Eagle previously reported.

AU gets a commission for every EagleBuck that students and staff spends. This money helps keep costs down and allows for the expansion of the EagleBucks program, Long said.

AU also uses this revenue to invest in new technologies. The university is hoping to use the commissions it gets from EagleBucks transactions with Whole Foods and other businesses to finance the installation of new cash transfer machines. These machines will meet new industry standards that ensure greater protection from identity theft, according to Long.

AU is engaged in negotiations with another local business to expand its EagleBucks program, but he declined to specify, Long said.

nese, Colombian and German students are choosing to study at AU, according to the Reference Book.

Fanta Aw, the assistant vice president of Campus Life, said that increases in enrollment from German and Colombian students result from AU’s increased efforts to connect with educational institutions in those countries.

Both countries have expressed great interest in “international educational exchange,” according to Aw. The increase in Chinese student enrollment at AU is a reflection of national trends, she said.

“China and India are the top two countries sending the largest number of students to the U.S.,”

Aw said in an e-mail. “Much of the interest [from Chinese students] is due to the rising middle class in China and families wanting to invest in [an American] education.”

Froslid-Jones said that the numbers in the Reference Book indicate that AU has changed for the better over the years.

“Little by little, the changes we have made at AU have paid off so that now we see, 40 years later, a very different student body and student experience,” FroslidJones said.

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

Want to write for theEAGLE the EAGLE??

contact news@theeagleonline.com

the EAGLE

APRIL 22, 2010

advertisement 4

Get the Most

CASH BOOKS Buyback Hours AU Campus Store – MCG Building 3rd Floor Wednesday – Thursday April 28 – 29 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

412_SBB10

Monday – Tuesday May 3 – 4 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Friday, April 30 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

LA Quad Wednesday – Thursday April 28 – 29 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Saturday – Sunday May 1 – 2 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Monday – Tuesday May 3 – 4 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Powered by efollett.com

EARTH DAY ON THE NATIONAL MALL THE CLIMATE RALLY: SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 11 A.M.–7 P.M. STING, JOHN LEGEND, THE ROOTS, AND MORE...

EARTH DAY 40TH ANNIVERSARY EVENTS: THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 11 A.M.–7 P.M.

Take Metro’s blue or orange line to the Smithsonian Station or the yellow or green line to Archives-Navy Mem’l–Penn Quarter Station

EDITORIAL

APRIL 22, 2010

JOE WENNER n Editorial Page Editor EdPage@TheEagleOnline.com

The perils of free market authority THE STONE TABLET

ISAAC STONE In a classic episode of “The Simpsons,” the fictional town of Springfield finds itself with a surprising surplus of cash. When Springfield’s citizens gather to discuss how to spend the new bundle, a sensible verdict is reached. But a smooth-talking salesman bounds out of nowhere and announces that a “genuine, bona fide, electrified, six-car monorail” would really solve the town’s problems. So, the town inexplicably builds a monorail, with few people questioning why a small town needs a mass-transportation system.

As expected, the salesman is revealed to be a fraud. The monorail is a poorly designed wreck, with the salesperson having scammed the town for millions of dollars.

Fortunately, everything turns out well. But the point made by the episode — the ease with which people give authority to the undeserving — is especially relevant given the past decade of deregulation. For example, a scheme that disturbingly parallels Springfield’s monorail happened in Jefferson County, Ala. In 1996, the county’s faulty sewer system was overflowing, angering the Environmental Protection Agency. The federal government required Jefferson County to comply with the Clean Water Act. Like the people of Springfield, the geniuses on the County Commission decided to build something they did not need and could barely afford — in this case, a state-of-the-art sewage treatment plant that put the county in debt.

And soon enough, a salesman appeared, ready to take the people of Jefferson County on a wild ride.

This salesman — or team, really — was comprised of three people.

The first was Charles LeCroy, a managing director at JPMorgan Chase. Having nowhere else to turn, the county commissioners decided to put blind faith in Wall Street and LeCroy was only too happy to oblige.

The second was Larry Langford, mayor of Birmingham, Ala. Despite Langford’s only previous financial

venture being a bankrupt amusement park, he was elected county commissioner. Upon meeting Langford, LeCroy convinced him that the county’s woes could be their gain.

In 2002, LeCroy suggested the county switch its interest rates from fixed to adjustable, while also utilizing the same synthetic rate swaps that caused similar turmoil in Greece. Jefferson County could pay off its interest at a fixed rate, while allowing Wall Street to give the county variable amounts each month to pay the variable-rate interest owed to bondholders. Yet the bank decided to give the county a different set of interest rates than the ones the bondholders received.

Langford willingly signed off on the bond swap deal, despite having no idea what was going on.

“I needed somebody to be able to tell me what all that stuff was,” he told The New York Times. “And even when they told me, I still don’t understand 99 percent of it.”

In order to make this deal, LeCroy required a crony to operate on a local level: Democratic Party chair Bill Blount.

“For years,” reported Matt Taibbi in Rolling Stone, “it was standard practice to reach out to a local sleazeball like Blount and pay him a shitload of money to help him seize the deal.”

Once LeCroy was successful in pelting the county with ever-increasing monthly fees, the bank would make millions, which LeCroy would use to pay Blount, who would buy gifts for Langford. It worked until 2005, when, according to the Securities and Exchange Commission, Blount and LeCroy were arrested for “[assuring] J.P. Morgan Securities the largest municipal auction rate securities and swap agreement in history.” Rampant deregulation has allowed the financial heads to think they can do whatever they want. And they can — at taxpayer’s expense.

Congress needs to show serious effort for reform. Thugs on Wall Street should be treated just as they would anywhere else. In a country that prides itself on capitalism, our wealth should be used to create, not destroy.

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

*@#!3*%!

EAGLE RANTS

I’m tired of non-greeks saying all greeks are stupid, judgmental alcoholics. Does anyone else see the hypocrisy of judging others and calling them judgmental in the same sentence? Maybe we don’t hang out with you because you never give us a chance.

It’s scary that I learned more about women’s equality watching Glee on Tuesday night then anything that Women’s Initiative has done all year.

I’m glad its 4/20 and I’m all for legalization, but seriously, some of us have finals and papers to finish up and couldn’t participate, and you running around laughing and shouting around the hall DOES NOT HELP. It is damn cold in the Mudbox. How am I supposed to type up this paper while shivering?!

To theater students: You do not own Katzen.

Love, An Art Major I found it amusing that in the midst of the EcoSense campaign to ban bottled water and encourage people to drink tap water, the city of D.C. advises the public of a sewage debacle/water contamination episode. Ah, irony.

Who thought it was a good idea to have all these events going on in the amphitheater? North side doesn’t appreciate it.

Sorry for all the mixed feelings I sent you this and last semester. I just have been unsure of whether or not I like you and I have come to the conclusion I want to be in a relationship with you. I hope you have feelings for me too.

Oh hey, maybe you could not PRACTICE YOUR VIOLIN DURING QUIET HOURS I HATE PEOPLE. So, let me get this right. There are

24-hour quiet hours in my dorm now, but it’s OK to have a loud concert in the amphitheater outside of my dorm at the same time? Thanks, AU. Can you please leave our room once in a while? I cannot deal with your constant presence.

I’M SO HAPPY GLEE IS BACK. The Madonna episode was so good!

Did anyone else see the “IntraJewish Dialogue” event on Today@ AU? “Only open to Jews.” Seriously? I thought we were past this.

There are not nearly enough spoiled kids riding through college on daddy’s dime at this school. I for one would like to see an even greater amount of complaints related to 20 year old girls who have never worked a day in their life angered by the man putting them down. That or more on how the caf lacks skim milk for your lattes. Either or.

To the kid complaining about tree huggers getting mad about his plastic water bottles, way to ruin it for the other sane conservatives you want to have stand up with you. Wasting resources doesn’t make you conservative, it makes you a toolshed.

Wow, can I throw a temper tantrum and ruin newspapers, only to have other people clean them up, and then get my event covered on the front page?

Dolphins are not gay sharks, you deviant.

While I recognize the importance of filling out the Census, I’m pissed that it had to be done during a meeting that caused me to miss the end of Desperate Housewives on Sunday.

On the other hand, I’d never filled out the Census before, which was cool to do. Boring, but cool.

CHARLIE SZOLD n Editor in Chief Editor@TheEagleOnline.com

Student Government recap Writing a holistic critique of anything is a difficult undertaking. There is a tendency to focus on the negative, to lament the way things have become and to yearn for times past. Such feelings are entertaining to read, and perhaps even more fun to write. As a result, the critic is tempted to ignore the positive and focus of failures, scandals and incompetence.

This temptation is perhaps more present when evaluating this year’s Student Government. To be sure, there have been enough crises since late August to completely occupy an evaluation. Events like the Handverger impeachment trial, election disqualifications and the ultimate cancellations might have led some to expect us to fill our editorial with SG criticisms and nothing more.

But such a critique would be both unfair and unwarranted. To let these scandals capture attention that other areas of SG success deserve would merely discredit the hundreds of hours that our classmates dedicate to the organization.

Ultimately, the purpose of such a critique should not be to simply publicly point out flaws. Rather we must focus on ways mistakes can be avoided in the future, while giving equal acknowledgment to accomplishments.

Save for the Founders’ Day Ball, the departments reporting to the vice president actually had an extremely successful year. As models of consistency, both the Kennedy Political Union and the Student Union Board succeeded in bringing thought

provoking political guests and popular music acts to campus.

Just last week KPU brought together three former chiefs of staff to Bender Arena. In terms of music, 30 Seconds to Mars this Friday promises to be a great show — we can only hope singer Jared Leto doesn’t get laryngitis.

Women’s Initiative has had an equally impressive year.

Each of their major events — Breastival, Vagina Monologues and most recently, Take Back the Night — are all extremely well attended. Originally slotted for major budget cuts, Women’s Initiative escaped last Sunday’s Senate meeting only $1,000 removed from their funds. Hopefully, this allows them to continue putting on events that the student body clearly supports.

However, accomplishments were not limited to these three departments of the SG. President Andy MacCracken’s executive branch made strides in multiple areas. The significance of the combination AU ID-Smartrip cards should not be underestimated, as it is the most progress made toward the perpetual goal of a student metro discount.

Moreover, MacCracken has demonstrated a genuine concern for student input during his tenure. Perhaps this was made most clear when he held town hall-style meetings on changes to the shuttle system.

It seems fellow SG officials have caught MacCracken’s fervor for student input. The recently launched SG Listening Campaign embodies this new active effort to seek out the views of the AU student body.

We hope that what began with MacCracken’s admirable deference toward students becomes a regular practice from SG, ultimately creating an SG that is consistently in tune with student attitudes.

While not quite a success, improvements to the AUTO program were nevertheless a needed change for a program that by the end of fall semester was running on empty. Still, there continue to be delays in registering and retraining drivers that affect numerous groups on campus. Despite the chaos surrounding AUTO’s changes, the SG was able to make vast improvements to the Bike Lending campaign, increasing its visibility and the ease of access. Current SG executive must continue these types of improvements within AUTO to make the complete fleet of vans available to students by Fall 2010.

However, there remained several events that — no matter how they are spun — can be labeled anything other than disappointments. The most obvious was clearly Founders’ Day. As The Eagle has previously editorialized, the future director of Founders’ Day and vice president must adhere to clear, public deadlines to avoid a similar fiasco.

Equally concerning were the multiple problems surrounding this year’s election.

The multiple conflicts of interests, candidate suspensions and recantations of suspensions seriously hampered the SG’s reputation as a serious organization. Yet the reason these difficulties arose is the same reason behind the hap-

hazard nature surrounding recent executive suspensions and impeachment trials — a tangible lack of clarity within the SG bylaws.

Without significant bylaw reforms, the student officials run the risk of repeating this past year’s scandals that overwhelmed the SG’s accomplishments. Too many scandals will, and to a certain extent all ready have, given the organization a lukewarm reputation. And despite the skill of AU students, The Eagle believes that the SG must seek outside experts — professors and lawyers, perhaps from the Washington College of Law — to assist in the document’s overhaul.

Some may claim that this is a drastic solution. Yet the SG must admit that during each scandal — the impeachment, the election and the suspension — few involved could identify the proper application of specific procedures, creating a ubiquitous atmosphere of confusion. If the SG is to be an effective institution of student advocacy, each member must understand their roles — a goal that becomes much more reachable once the bylaws are clarified.

Like every year in the SG, both accomplishments and mistakes were made. But as students, we have the opportunity to learn from our errors and those of our peers. It is when we don’t learn from our actions that students groups — like the SG — become truly insignificant.

Pondering AU’s new sexual assault policies The administration’s Sexual Assault Working Group released the revised Student Handbook policies regarding sexual assault and misconduct procedures. These policies aim to clarify the language used to define sexual misconduct and better codify the university’s response toward it. Changes include more specific guidelines regarding sanctions against individuals

and groups and a concise examination of what constitutes consent within the context of a potentially intimate situation.

The motivation behind these changes is laudable — certainly, AU students deserve a “safe, healthy, living and learning environment,” as the new procedures state.

We hope that the release of these policies contributes to

the continued development of constructive dialogue on what is an extremely relevant issue to both students and community members. Next semester, when there is more time to better examine these complicated issues, we look forward to leading a discussion about these changes and all changes to the Student Handbook. Plans to publish a special issue partially devoted

to the changes with feedback from administrators, experts and students are underway and will be developed over the summer. Topics that affect students broadly deserve careful consideration and vetting, and we eagerly await your voice.

To access the new policies go to http://www.theeagleonline.com/policies/.

CORRECTIONS FOR APRIL 19

In “Women’s Initiative takes $1,000 cut in funds,” Jenny Kim was misidentified as the Senator for the Kogod School of Business. Kim is actually a Senator-At-Large.

A photo caption accompanying “‘Fiddler’ stays true to tradition” incorrectly stated that the National Theatre’s production of “Fiddler on the Roof” runs through May 9. The show runs through May 2.

In “Eagles tame Wildcats in final home game” Emily Burton was misidentified as sophomore. Burton is a freshman.

The Eagle regrets these errors.

the EAGLE

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

SUBMISSION AND EDITORIAL POLICIES • Send letters and guest columns to: Editorial Page Editor, The Eagle, 252 Mary Graydon Center, 4400 Massachusetts Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C., 20016 or EdPage@TheEagleOnline.com. Letters and guest columns must be received by 7 p.m. on the Thursday before the Monday publication, should be typed and must include the writer's name, year, school and telephone number.

• All submissions become the property of The Eagle. Unsigned letters will not be published.

The Eagle reserves the right to edit letters and guest columns for length and clarity. Letters will be limited to 300 words.

• The Staff Editorial represents the majority of the Editorial Board, which is composed of the Editor in Chief, the managing editors for content, a representative from the Campus News, Metro News and National News desks and at

least three elected staff members. All members of the Editorial Board have the same weight during Editorial Board meetings each Sunday and Wednesday. Letters and guest columns are the opinion of the writer.

• The Eagle has a commitment to accuracy and clarity and will print any corrections or clarifications. To report a mistake, call the Editor in Chief at (202) 885-1402 or e-mail Editor@TheEagleOnline.com.

• The Eagle is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press, which syndicates to a national audience, and McClatchy-Tribune wire service.

• One copy of The Eagle is free per student. For additional copies please contact The Eagle in 252 Mary Graydon Center.

News Assistants Sports Editor Assistants Editorial Page Editor

Managing Editor for News Managing Editor for The Scene Managing Editor for Web Design Editor Design Assistants Photo Editor Photo Assistant Student Life Editor Administration and Local News Editor

Charlie Szold Meg Fowler

Ethan Klapper J.D. Butler and Andrew Merluzzi Phillip Ochs Aaron Berkovich Julia Ryan Stefanie Dazio

Joe Wenner David Menasche

Arts and Entertainment Editor

Yohana Desta

Music Editor Scene Assistants Webmaster Web Content Editor Assistant Web Editor Copy Editors

Caitlin Moore

Katherine Riddle

Sam Lindauer Kate Greubel, Tyler Tomea and Tom Schad

Editorial Assistant

Multimedia Editor Editor in Chief

Anna Scalamogna and Allie Mooney

Michael Richardson Stephan Cho, Maggie Hollander and Kelly Holliday Jake Paul Sarah Parnass Kira Kalush Rachel Karas Chris Cottrell and Ali Goldstein

Editor in Chief

202-885-1402

Editor@TheEagleOnline.com

News News@TheEagleOnline.com

Arts & Entertainment TheScene@TheEagleOnline.com

Sports Sports@TheEagleOnline.com

Editorial & Opinion EdPage@TheEagleOnline.com

Photography Photos@TheEagleOnline.com

Design Design@TheEagleOnline.com

Web WebEditor@TheEagleOnline.com

Business

202-885-3593

Business@TheEagleOnline.com Business Manager

Kushan Doshi

Classifieds

Finance Manager

Ian Delehanty

AdBox@TheEagleOnline.com

Sales Director

Ursula Chavez

Public Relations

Public Relations Coordinator Ad Reps

202-885-1414 (x3) 202-885-1410

PublicRelations@TheEagleOnline.com Alex Wells Leela Chengappa and Ben Levy

Fax Line

202-885-1428

Web site

www.theeagleonline.com

6

SPORTS

APRIL 22, 2010

SAM LINDAUER n Sports Editor sports@theeagleonline.com

PHILLIP OCHS / EAGLE FILE PHOTO

JUMPING FOR JOY — In a match against Colgate University from last October, Emily Stovicek (3) and Rachel Carney (2) celebrate a goal. The women’s field hockey team went on to win the Patriot League Championship and finished play with a 12-9 record.

Spring preparation pivotal for field hockey Fall success traces back to spring games

By ANDREW TOMLINSON Eagle Staff Writer Win or lose, AU field hockey’s slate of spring games are important to the development of the team and to the creation of a new team dynamic, as well as a time to have a bit of fun.

The field hockey team finished their fall season with another Patriot League Championship and a berth to the NCAA Tournament.

Much of that success came from preparation the team had done the

spring before. It is in the spring when the team works to get ready for the fall, some team members said. “[Spring games] are important because we just lost the seniors, so we are a new team,” Christine Fingerhuth said. “Everyone gets to play, so everyone gets to develop, and that gets us ready for the season. We are getting new players, but we have already developed a new system.”

While the games are important for the whole team, spring games are more important to a few players. Fingerhuth, for instance, was a starter last season, so she is just trying to get acclimated to the new line up. Hannah Weitzman, on the other hand, has been the team’s back-up goalie for three years and is in position to be next year’s start-

er. A strong spring was important to her development.

“My technique is good, [but] you can be really good at drills and just fall apart in games,” Weitzman said. “Since I haven’t had too much game experience. This spring was important for me because I needed the hours, as well as the different opponents. I am confident for next season.”

The players are not the only ones who value the team’s spring season. AU’s coaching staff also finds that the time the team spends in the spring is important to the fall success. They said that there is a relation between a good spring season and a successful fall. “[The spring has] a huge impact on the season. We spend the spring without our senior class so it gives the team time to mesh and develop

new roles,” Associate Head Coach Sarah Thorn Krombolz said. “We spend a lot of time working on tactical things we want to develop for the fall.”

Even with all of the time spent on the team’s future, there is still time for a little bit of fun. This year’s spring schedule ended with a home tournament at Jacobs Field. The final game of the tournament featured a contest between the current team and AU alumni.

At 30-minutes long, it is not a full game. The Eagles enjoy the game and note that, while they play to win, it is a lot more fun than playing a regular opponent.

“You are talking the whole game,” Fingerhuth said. “When someone does something really funny you can just laugh with them because you know them. It

is not like you are playing another team and you hate them.”

What is unique for the current AU team is that they get to see some of the girls that helped get the Eagles to where they are today.

It was the first time AU has been able to host an event like the alumni game and it is a tradition that Krombolz said they hope to maintain. Weitzman found the event particularly fun.

“It was cool. A lot of these girls are from last season, so they are not too distant from me,” Weitzman said. “Some of these other girls I have never seen play before, or I saw them when I was looking [at AU] in my senior year of high school.”

Weitzman would go on to say that while the alumni game is fun, they still must treat it like a real

game.

“We can’t just joke around with this game, we have to prove we are serious,” Weitzman said. “It is fun, but it is serious fun.”

For the record, the alumni and current roster tied 0-0. To break the tie the game went to a stroke off where the current Eagles beat the former Eagles.

Despite the players being invested in the whole spring schedule, Krombolz said winning the spring games, or the alumni game for that matter, was not important.

Instead, it is the team’s development and improvement that is important. The goal of the coaches and team is to get better with every game, which in her eyes, they did.

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

Nationals’ starting pitchers Time will provide perspective need to give bullpen break to baseball’s steroid problem NATS WATCH

SAM LINDAUER Try to guess which of these games the Nationals won over the last few days, just based on their starters innings pitched: 7, 9, 0, 8 and 2. Pretty easy to figure out which of these games ended in victory.

The importance of getting deep into games for the Nats is very real, as it is to some degree for all major league teams. So far this season, Nationals’ starters have been at both sides of the spectrum. One day John Lannan will throw seven innings and look like a real, bona fide number one starting pitcher.

On another day, their number two pitcher, Jason Marquis, will look like someone who does not belong in the MLB. His start on Sunday lasted exactly zero innings. He allowed seven earned runs without getting an out.

Games like this hold more importance to a team than just one win or loss. Consistently short starts like Marquis’ can lead to serious problems for the team down the road. Marquis’ start is the most extreme example of not going far into the ballgame but it serves as a good case study. Because he had to leave the game early, the Nationals had to count on Miguel Batista

- something most Major League teams have learned is not ideal.

After that the team had to use another three relievers. This kind of workload over the course of the year can make for a disaster down the line.

Short starts equate to early appearances by relievers. Too much work early in the season exhausts bullpens. If everyone in your pen is fatigued early in the season, the team is in for trouble. Bullpens in the MLB are pivotal to any sort of success. Since starters hardly ever pitch complete games anymore, a strong, rested bullpen is needed to win games. Having to trot out an unproven pitcher because your top relievers are burnt-out from picking up the pieces in a blowout game makes for a mess.

Nationals’ Manager Jim Riggleman recognizes the need for his pitchers to stay in the game for as long as they can.

“That’s the key,” he said. “You get six or seven innings and you get great matchups the rest of your night in the bullpen.”

Taking a look at the most successful teams in baseball, their starters will go at least six innings just about every game.

“At the end of the year, the teams that get seven innings or six plus from their starters are going to be in the playoffs,” Riggleman said.

“And those who get five innings are not.”

The Nats have not been outright bad these last few days, merely inconsistent. So while, they got zero innings from Marquis and only

two from Scott Olsen, the Nationals three other starting pitchers proved how important it is to go deep into the game. Lannan went seven innings in an 5-3 win over Milwaukee, Livan Hernandez threw a complete game shutout against the Brewers the next day and Craig Stammen went a strong eight innings against the Rockies on Monday.

“That’s what the starter is all about,” Nationals’ catcher Ivan Rodriguez said after catching Hernandez’s shutout. “Give us some innings; get us deep into the ballgame.” The Nationals bullpen has some strong components that would benefit from a string of good starts. Tyler Clippard has proven to be one of the team’s go-to-guys in the pen. Brian Bruney, who was acquired this last offseason, has an incredible arm and, when healthy, can provide strong late-inning relief. But if Clippard is going to have to come into games in the fourth or fifth inning, isn’t that just a waste of talent?

Looking ahead in the season is difficult to do, if not impossible.

But predicting that a rotation that would average around five innings a start would yield a depleted bullpen, takes no crystal ball. As the manager said, if the Nationals ever want to be a playoff team down the line, a seven-inning start cannot be an aberration or cause for celebration, it should just be business as usual.

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

SIDELINE SCHOLAR

BEN LASKY Cincinnati Reds pitcher and former All-Star Edison Volquez has been suspended 50 games for testing positive for performance enhancing drugs.

I have one thing to say. Who cares?

Steroids in baseball is one of the most overblown issues in the history of sports. The fans certainly don’t care.

Let’s look at some of the players who have been caught. Giants’ fans rooted for Barry Bonds as he took his place as the all-time home runs leader.

Yankees fans see Alex Rodriguez and Andy Pettitte not as steroid or human growth hormone users, but guys who just helped them win their 27th World Series title last year. Fans in Los Angeles still wear dreadlocks to games even after Manny Ramirez was suspended a year ago. The truth is fans like to root for their star players no matter what they’ve done.

In 2001, the San Francisco Giants brought an average of about 38,000 people out to games which they played. the highest attendance in baseball, according to ESPN.com. In 2009, the Dodgers were the biggest draw with close to 40,000 fans per games they played. The number of fans attending games has risen even after Congress’s Mitchell Report, which implicated a large number of players for steroid use.

Steroids and HGH have played a part in the increase in home runs since the 1950s and 60s. The problem is we have no idea how big of a part that is. Home runs have increased for many reasons. Steroids are just a small piece of the pie.

One of the reasons that home runs have increased is because ballparks are much smaller than they used to be.

The Phillies played in Shibe Park from 1938 to 1970, where it was 515 feet to center field. Today the Phillies play in Citizens Bank Park where it’s only 401 feet to center. Obviously, more home runs are going to be hit because it takes a shorter distance for them to go out. It’s like that all over baseball. Parks used to be so big that it was nearly impossible to hit balls out.

Another factor is expansion. Baseball consisted of 16 teams from 1901 to 1960 with eight teams in both league.

Before the 1961 season two American League teams were added. The next year the National League added two.

For the 1969 season, two teams were put in both leagues. Two more teams were added to the AL in 1977. The NL added two teams in ‘93, and finally, one team joined each league in 1998.

All of a sudden there are 30 teams instead of 16. Because of this, overall talent in baseball has gone down over the years because the league needs more players. Think about it, if there are fewer teams that means there are less roster spots, meaning only the most talented players make the teams.

There is no way Jason Marquis would be in the majors in the ‘60s. Inferior pitching leads to more home runs.

These are just two of the many reasons why home runs have increased

over the years. Steroids have definitely played a role, but not in a way that can be measured.

In 2009, Sabermetrics god, Bill James wrote an article about steroids and the Hall of Fame. In the article, James makes the argument that 50 years from now we will see players like A-Rod and Bonds not as cheaters, but as pioneers.

In the case of Barry Bonds steroids allowed him to stay at a high level of performance long after he was supposed to. In essence, steroids make people younger and slow the aging process. Everyone wants to stay young for as long as possible, right?

The reason people have a problem with steroids is that they’re harmful to players’ health and if professional baseball players take harmful substances, so will younger athletes who want to become professional baseball players. But what if 50 years from now there are steroids or forms of steroids without the health problems? What if steroids are a regular part of people’s lifestyles in order for them to live longer? According to James, if that happens, people will look back at players today who took steroids and say “so what?”

There is a lot about baseball that can be criticized. The argument can be made that it’s wrong for three or four teams control most of the money in the sport. That may be true. Nonbaseball fans complain that the sport is boring. Steroids, however, may not be as big of an issue as sports radio hosts would have you believe.

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

APRIL 22, 2010

THE EAGLE'S ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT SECTION

Nearby yoga studios offer variety of styles WHOLISTIC HEALTH

KELLY BARRETT

Courtesy of CBS FILMS, INC.

BABY GOT BACK — Romantic comedy staple Jennifer Lopez returns to the screen in “The Back-Up Plan,” opening Friday. Despite Lopez and co-star Alex O’Loughlin’s admirable efforts, the film’s characters fall flat.

New Lopez rom com needs ‘back-up plan’

By MELISSA CHAVEZ Eagle Contributing Writer THE BACK-UP PLAN

B-

Think of Jennifer Lopez’s newest film “The Back-Up Plan” as a mash-up of “Baby Mama” and “Knocked Up,” but not nearly as funny. While it is better than some of the more recent romantic comedies, the two main characters are hardly intriguing enough to keep the plot afloat. It is only the underused supporting cast and outlandish situations the couple face that help carry the film.

The film focuses on a single woman named Zoe (Jennifer Lopez) whose biological clock is ticking — and fast. After failing to find Mr. Right to start a family with, she decides to go ahead and become a mother anyway. On the very same day she has an artificial insemination procedure done, she climbs into the same cab as Stan (Alex O’Loughlin), a handsome cheese farm owner — “He’s a pilgrim?!,” Zoe’s friend Clive (Eric Christian Olsen) exclaims with horror — who dreams of opening a grocery store that only uses sustainable local farm goods.

After fighting over who should get the cab and then both losing it, the pair ride the subway together in silence. As they exit, Zoe is ready to forget him, but it seems Stan does not share the same sentiments. After bumping into each other repeatedly, the two finally decide to go on an impromptu date. After sharing first kiss horror stories, they lean in — right when Stan’s phone rings. Moment interrupted, Zoe flees the scene.

It doesn’t take long, however, for her to be convinced by her Nana (Linda Lavin) to give it a try with the guy who just might be the one.

With Stan proving to be that perfect man Zoe’s always dreamed

of, it is to her horror she finds out she’s actually pregnant. After a bumpy start, Zoe and Stan try to navigate those nine months with troubles ranging from dresses not fitting to buying a stroller to throwing up at inopportune times. All of this involves Zoe getting more and more excited while Stan becomes more freaked out by all the future costs, which winds

It will definitely have girls in the audience swearing off ever giving birth. up with him having a breakdown while making pancakes in the middle of the night.

However, Zoe and Stan are blandly written characters, only made interesting by the actors portraying them who try in vain to give them depth. The script paints them to be almost too perfect to be real and portrays their love as unquestionable despite not having been fully developed.

While Zoe is eager to have a baby, it seems she has not even thought about what that would entail. Stan is presented as the good-looking, knight in shining armor that plans the most perfect dates. And despite being continuously betrayed by his ex-wife, he is ready to jump into a relationship with Zoe with no hesitation.

It is the supporting cast that really shines whenever they make their brief appearances. From the pet store employees Clive and Daphne (Noureen DeWulf) to Melissa McCarthy’s Carol, the leader of the zany single mom support group, they all add their own crazy style despite their

small parts. It is also Mona (Michaela Watkins) who injects humor at just the right moments. A mother herself, she is the one who delivers the realities of pregnancy to a naïve Zoe, her longtime best friend, with blunt honesty and sharp wit.

Lopez seems to be using the film as a vehicle back onto the big screen. While not as funny as her previous endeavors, she tries to make the best with what she has and breathe sweetness into the otherwise dull Zoe. O’Loughlin plays the stereotypical perfect man with a certain charm that had girls in the audience sighing dreamily. It will most likely be Lopez’s star power and O’Loughlin’s striking looks that draw crowds to the film. The film itself acknowledges this; Lopez’s famous rear end gets special notice when Zoe laments how her butt used to look hot pre-pregnancy. To prove it to Stan, she whips out a picture of her bikini-clad bottom. Girls also gets a little eye candy in the form of a bare-chested O’Loughlin as he rides around on his tractor.

His abs are so distracting that Zoe, in a daze, crashes her car into a tree.

For those wary about labor, there is a childbirth scene that petrifies both Stan and Zoe. While not as scarring as the one in “Knocked Up,” it will definitely have girls in the audience swearing off ever giving birth and have the boyfriends who were dragged to the film thanking God they aren’t female.

The film is perfect for those wanting to see a breezy romantic comedy with a few laughs and “aw” moments. Everyone else should simply fall back on to their back-up movie.

“The Back-Up Plan” opens everywhere Friday.

You can reach this writer at thescene@theeagleonline.com

Top 10 ways to be entertained for summer without going outside End boredom with sunny distractions

By MICHAEL W. RICHARDSON Eagle Staff Writer Even though the weather gods that control D.C. have seemingly gone off their medications temporarily, it’s likely they’ll calm down soon and usher in that oppressive heat and distracting sunlight that outdoorsy people call “summer.”

(EDITOR’S NOTE: This climate theory has yet to go up to peer review.) And though we don’t have to worry about ash clouds or earthquakes, sometimes enjoying the outside world can be boring.

So here are our picks for entertainment that do a great job of explaining what summer is like, just short of stepping out your front door.

“Generation Kill” Say what you will about the D.C. heat — we’re all probably better off than those stuck in a Middle East desert with a partially covered Humvee to give them shade. David Simon’s miniseries about recon marines during the invasion of Iraq is so realistic that you’ll soon find yourself talking like uber-eloquent elite soldiers and sweating just watching them run across the sand of southern Iraq, engaging in a battle dictated more by bureaucracy than conflict. We would likely run for the pool.

“Life of Pi” The hero of this book would kill to see a beach. That’s because he’s stuck on a small lifeboat with a tiger, a hyena, a zebra and an orangutan. Eventually it’s just him and the tiger (for obvious reasons), and he quickly has to figure out how to survive both the elements and his new hungry friend. Yann Martel’s book is more philosophical fable than adventure story, but its simple plot is enough to keep you turning the page. Enjoy it on a beach, with the benefit of dry land.

“Brushfire Fairytales” Sure it may seem an obvious choice, but few acts have turned a seasonal feeling into their own brand like Jack Johnson has. His n

see TOP TEN on page 10

While it may seem like the new trendy exercise, yoga came about over 5,000 years ago. Since then, it has evolved into many different unique forms of exercise and meditation.

So how can you decide which style is for you? I wanted to use my last column here at The Eagle to tell you about a few different popular styles (bikram, hatha, restorative and ashtanga) and some local studios where I tried them. This is obviously not an exhaustive list, but a great place to start if you’re a newbie.

Bikram Over the past two years, my yoga of choice has been Bikram yoga (sometimes called “hot yoga”). The studio I frequent is Bikram’s Yoga College of India at 4908 Wisconsin Ave. The studio has supportive instructors, fair student rates ($60 a month for unlimited yoga) and offers a perfect location for AU students. Bikram is a fixed sequence of poses practiced in a room heated to about 100 degrees, so I may have already lost the interest of some of you. But don’t rule it out until you have tried it at least three times. I know a lot of people that have taken one Bikram class, been scared off by the heat and never returned. The heat isn’t easy for anyone to handle at first, but it’s essential for loosening up your

muscles and preventing injury. I found that after I committed to a regular Bikram routine, my sleep cycles normalized (I know this because they get out of whack again whenever I stop going), my ability to focus improved and my cravings for junk food lessened.

However, if you don’t want to do the same sequence over and over again each class, you might want to try another style.

Hatha Hatha yoga was the first style I ever practiced, as it is the most basic yoga out there. Hatha is a good one to start out with because it teaches you proper breathing as well as some of the yoga lingo and basic poses. The format of the class varies by instructor, their interests or even sometimes on student input. A studio where I recently took a great Hatha Flow class was Yoga District in Dupont at 1635 Connecticut Ave. The studio is rather small, but you might like that if you want a cozier feel. Personally, I felt a bit cramped in the studio, and even on the mat, I felt like the wood floor was extra hard and creaky. However, I love the studio’s environmental friendliness (example: they provide free filtered water to refill your bottles). I also enjoy how the studio offers a variety of yoga types at different hours. This might be a good place to start if you aren’t ready to commit to one style of yoga quite yet, or just like having the freedom to switch it up from day to day or week to week. Their prices are also very fair. $70 will get you an unlimited monthly pass although you’ll need to pay a $100 initiation fee as well.

Restorative Another style of yoga I tried at Yoga District was restorative.

This is the kind that you might first think of when you hear “yoga,” as there are quite a few of those meditative “ohm” sounds.

It is great if you want to close your eyes, move your body infrequently and focus on quieting your thoughts. They currently offer this style of yoga on Friday afternoons, which is perfect for unwinding at the end of a busy week. However, I found the noisy Dupont traffic outside to be distracting at that time of day, defeating the purpose of relaxation. This yoga is great for destressing, and would work as an excellent occasional supplement to your usual yoga or other exercise routine, but I don’t think I would ever practice restorative on a regular basis.

Ashtanga Ashtanga yoga, another fixed sequence style, is just about as strenuous as Bikram, but in different ways. The room is kept at a normal temperature, but you use the first 20 minutes to warm up by performing a sequence of poses in rapid succession, one flowing into the next, several times. In this sense, I found Ashtanga to be slightly more challenging than Bikram, where the room heat and first breathing exercise is enough to warm you up. I also found that the Ashtanga poses require a lot more upper arm, shoulder and chest strength, whereas Bikram poses require more abdominal and leg strength. Of course, in both you are able to modify the poses to n

see YOGA on page 10

Photo by C. TAYLOR CROTHERS

BONNAROO THE DAY — The Bonnaroo festival has been offering one of the most expansive musical experiences in America each year. This year’s festival boasts hundreds of acts, from acts that could fill stadiums to local indie favorites.

Southern hospitality opens arms to Bonnaroo bands

By YOHANA DESTA Eagle Staff Writer If you’re a student in D.C., then it’s likely you weren’t able to drag yourself all the way to California for the epic music festival that is Coachella. But never fear, with summer 2010 rolling around there’s a music festival of equal legendary status coming up, and it’s only a bus ride away — yes, that’s right, Bonnaroo.

Bonnaroo is a major music and arts festival that takes place every year for four days on a massive campsite in Manchester, Tenn.

Some of the biggest names in rock and hip-hop have graced its stages, and this year is no exception. Here are just a few names to get excited for: Jay-Z, Kings of Leon, Stevie Wonder, Gossip, Jeff Beck, Phoenix, The xx, Black Keys, Regina Spektor and Kid Cudi. Plus, if you missed Coachella, a number of the same bands are performing at Bonnaroo as well. It’s an opportunity for music lovers to really get their fill without having to go halfway across the country.

Bonnaroo prides itself on its variety of performers, so fans of

comedy should get excited because Conan O’ Brien is slated to take the stage. Still on his “Legally Prohibited From Being Funny On Television Tour,” Coco will perform his schtick for the masses at Bonnaroo before moving on to his regularly scheduled tour stop in Atlanta, Ga. In addition to O’Brien, funnymen like Aziz Ansari, Bo Burnham, JB Smoove and Greg Giraldo are scheduled to bring in the laughs to Bonnaroo’s comedy tent. Comedic rock duo Tenacious D are also on the lineup, melding the festival’s love for music and comedy.

As with all music festivals, Bonnaroo has a number of different tents and activities to keep fans entertained if they don’t feel like watching a certain performer.

Each morning on the Solar Stage, there will be free yoga so fans can get limbered up for the day. Audience members can visit the Troo Music Lounge, a relaxation station for fans that have been baking in the hot Tennessee sun. There’s also a Silent Disco, where fans all wear headphones and dance to discostyle music. For those 21 and older, there’s a tent converted into a beer brewery, also known as Broo’ers

Festival.

Of course, the festival would be nothing without a huge crafts fair and market that will feature craftsmen, artists and vendors, as well as official Bonnaroo merchandise in order to commemorate the fourday musical extravaganza. But if you really don’t feel like buying art, you can just stop by the Poster Art Exhibit which features limited edition, hand-screened poster art featuring acts of the last few decades.

Many of the artists themselves will be there, as well as work that features some of the performers from this year’s festival.

The festival takes place June 10 through June 13. Tickets are sold through their Web site, www.bonnaroo.com. If you’re traveling from D.C., the festival is easily accessible through Greyhound buses which will take you right to Manchester.

The word Bonnaroo itself is New Orleans slang, meaning “a really good time.” And for the past eight years, Bonnaroo has delivered nothing less than that.

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

the EAGLE

APRIL 22, 2010

the scene 8

Three directors prove cinema still has future THROUGH THE LENS

DONNY T. SHELDON

Photos by JOHN BRAMLEY

THE BIGGEST LOSER — Based on Andy Diggle’s graphic novel of the same name, “The Losers” tells the story of a team of betrayed black-ops who go on the hunt for vengeance. Heavy on action and humor, the film boasts an impressive cast of actors who are as over-the-top as they are entertaining.

Winning cast adds to ‘Losers’

By BRYAN KOENIG Eagle Staff Writer THE LOSERS

B

Big guns, bigger explosions, crazy villains, fast-paced shootouts and a steamy love interest — it’s all an action fan can ask for. “The Losers” delivers even more.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Chris Evans, Idris Elba, Columbus Short and Oscar Jaenada are an elite team of black-ops agents who are burned by the enigmatic Max (Jason Patric). Once in exile, they are approached by Aisha (Zoe Saldana), who promises them intelligence and aid in their quest for retribution. Naturally, a bloody barrage of bullets and vengeance ensues. It’s bedlam of the best variety with violence, humor and a playful self-awareness of absurdity. Still, it always stays just the right side of acceptable.

From the first moments, “Los-

ers” sets a runner’s pace, sprinting energetically through a plot that needs no explanation and really shouldn’t be thought through too much. The Losers are good, Max is bad — that’s about all we really need to know. And that knowledge fuels a whirlwind international tour from South America to the Middle East and on to the United States. It doesn’t really matter where we are; all the audience cares about is that things go boom and we can laugh as they do — both of which offer a constant and enjoyable payoff.

While many action movies simply throw a bunch of likable guys on screen and pray that they’ll have chemistry, the Losers actually do. Each plays a unique role in the group dynamic, and each has their own personal brand of bravado and humor.

Morgan is a leader that’s better at getting his team into trouble than out of it. Evans is the techno whiz — an over-the-top but ever-loveable dork who playfully feigns telekinetic powers. Jaenada is a world class who sniper can shoot

the security guards harassing Evans from half a mile away. Elba carries enough knives to make Rambo and Crocodile Dundee jealous, and Short is thoroughly fun as the driver, pilot and demo-

Never to be taken lightly, the Losers are always bad ass and often funny. litions expert of the team.

Never to be taken lightly, the Losers are always bad ass and often funny. No one character truly steals the screen, although Evans and Morgan certainly make their best efforts to stand out.

Director Sylvain White has come a long way from “Stomp the Yard,” his last directorial effort. “The Losers” knows better

than to take itself too seriously.

The violence is always fun, even though the stakes are life and death — not that we ever have a doubt who will emerge victorious. What we don’t know is how funny “Losers” manages to be, often turning to comedy spurred by ridiculous and fun action, as well as the ever palpable chemistry between the cast.

Based on a graphic novel of the same name by Andy Diggle, “The Losers” does, at times, have a true comic book feel. Usually a good thing, sometimes it does come too close to comic book and too far from movie, although it never makes the break entirely.

Shots sometimes change at a dizzying pace, but it’s done in a fashion usually effective for building speed and energy into the scene.

A fun action flick, “The Losers” has the guns, bombs and beautiful women in all the right places. The cast sparks lightning, and you don’t want to miss it.

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

Check out the Eagle’s new blogs at

http://blogs.theeagleonline.com

I’ve been ranting, raving, reviewing and, as of recent, trashing “Avatar” for four years now, but my time has finally come to an end with The Eagle. Before I bid this fine publication farewell and we enter the second decade of the 21st century, I want to take a look back at the past 10 years and spotlight a few directors I think you should all trust in the future.

A few months ago there was a lot of discussion in the media, mostly on film blogs and in arts magazines, about what films were the best of the past decade.

There were ample “Lord of the Rings,” “The Hurt Locker” and Pixar film mentions, yet I think the top honor belongs to David Lynch’s 2001 noir masterpiece, “Mulholland Drive.”

I won’t even try to muster a plot summary of the film, but trust me — if you haven’t seen it, do it. If there is one contemporary director that truly trusts his audience, it’s Lynch. He consistently weaves intricate cinematic webs riddled with bizarre allusions, haphazard interplays of reality and fiction and disjointed plot pieces.

After a first viewing, his work is undoubtedly difficult to fully grasp, yet this complexity is what renders his films’ feverish dreamscapes so alluring. Lynch paints vivid worlds with this fantasy-driven palette without any apparent concern for cohesion or logic. After viewing the film several times (I simply refuse to believe anyone who says they understood “Mulholland Drive” after one screening), detours into the catacombs of Lynch’s characters’ troubled psyches are anything but superfluous. They converge and weave together in strange, sublime manners, culminating in truly breathtaking directorial master plans.

After “Mulholland Drive,” I’d say the next best film of the past decade was Romanian director Cristian Mungiu’s 2007 abortion drama, “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days.” The film is currently regarded as the centerpiece for the Romanian New Wave — JeanLuc Godard’s “Breathless” to the

French New Wave, if you will.

The Romanian independent film industry is booming and producing some really fascinating work. Films surfacing under this umbrella cinematic movement typically feature an extremely minimalist style with austere, handheld cinematography, no music or sound design and extremely long, often infuriating cuts. Thematically, these films tend to tackle political issues laden within 1980s Romania prior to the fall of communism and the country’s adjustment to free market capitalism ever since. Another great and recent example includes Corneliu Porumboiu’s “Police, Adjective,” a gem of a

[These films] pose fascinating challenges to the viewer and arouse suspense ... cop caper film that quietly snuck into D.C.’s E Street Cinema for a fleeting one-week run.

Although these films are anything but aesthetically pleasing, they pose fascinating challenges to the viewer and arouse suspense through completely nonmanipulative means. There is no overt musical score pounding your ears into submission. It’s as close to pure, carnal anxiety as you’re likely to come by anywhere these days.

Although these aforementioned films of mind-twistery and inaccessibility may read slightly tortuous on paper, Lynch, Porumboiu and Mungiu are three directors you should follow in the coming years. They will not make the ride easy for you, but they are worth trusting.

They are three of the few modern directors who refuse to serve the viewer a film on a platter made of formulaic convention. Their work is sophisticated and not particularly easy to digest at first, but it is the type of challenging, ambitious filmmaking that will leave you speechless and wanting more.

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

Dance/Metro DC discovers ‘Dance is the Answer’ Events offer sampling of styles to city

By OLIVIA STITILIS Eagle Staff Writer Do you love watching different types of dance? Have you always wanted to go outside your comfort zone and try a hip-hop or African dance class? Then “Dance is the Answer,” simply put, is the answer for you.

Presented by Dance/Metro DC, “Dance is the Answer” is a 17-day special event that started April 15 and runs through May 2. In its fourth year, “Dance is the Answer” features numerous performances, classes, lectures and workshops around the District, Maryland and Northern Virginia. The event presents the perfect opportunity to add a bit more dance to your life, whether you’re a dancer or not.

Dance/Metro DC’s “‘Dance Is The Answer,’ [was] created in 2007 and held during National Dance Week, [and] creates a heightened awareness of dance and movement activities in the D.C. Metro area,” according to the event’s Web site.

The event is held with the hope of inspiring and informing the D.C. community about the different types of dance the city offers and explains how one can take advantage of performances, and classes.

Beyond local companies, “Dance is the Answer” also attracts national

and international performers.

“Dance is the Answer” showcases more than 100 companies, venues and artists including the Washington Ballet, the American Dance Institute and Choreographers Collaboration Project among many more, according to the event’s Web site.

This coming weekend is jampacked with diverse workshops and productions that are sure to attract a broad range of dance enthusiasts.

Some of the classes offered this weekend include beginner ballet, Vegas jazz, Bollywood fusion and belly dancing.

Montgomery College’s Rockville Campus will be hosting the Montgomery College Spring Dance Concert on April 23. A swing dance party will take place April 24 at Glen Echo Park’s Spanish Ballroom in Glen Echo, Md. Though some events and classes are free, the costs can vary depending on the venue. If you plan on checking out more than a few aspects of “Dance is the Answer,” look into buying a DancePass. These passes offer special discounts not only for “Answer” events, but also for other dance-oriented events throughout the rest of the year.

For more information about “Dance is the Answer,” including complete listings and locations of shows, classes and workshops, visit www.danceistheanswer.org or call 202-779-1190.

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

APRIL 22, 2010

CLASSIFIEDS

9

KUSHAN DOSHI n Business Manager 202.885.3593

Visit the scene’s blog at http://www.theeagleonline.com/behindthescene

Photo by SØREN SOLKÆR STARBIRD

VIDEO KILLED THE RADIO STAR — Despite the decrease of music videos in rotation on television, musicians like Vampire Weekend, Lady Gaga and OK Go have taken the initiative to put their elaborate and inventive videos on the Internet.

Vampire, Gaga reinvent music video for Internet

By MAGGIE HOLLANDER Eagle Staff Writer Some might say that earlier this year — when MTV officially took the word “music” out of their logo — is the day the music video died.

Although Web sites such as YouTube allow fans to watch a music video as many times as they want, music videos no longer define an artist. In fact, they seem to have very little impact on our lives compared to a decade ago when Britney Spears was doing full-fledged routines rather than just sitting there, naked.

There are many of factors that have led to this decrease in the importance of music videos, but as usual, it pretty much just comes down to the Internet. Yes, that technology we love has already destroyed the purpose of CDs or even buying music at all, so it’s not surprising fewer people feel like sitting down and watching music videos with friends. MTV’s killing of shows like “Total Request Live” in favor of “Jersey Shore” also made it more difficult to find music videos on television.

But while this art form may be dying, some musicians have tried to keep the music video alive. In 2010 alone, we have seen some great videos.

OK Go has always made music videos that beg to be watched.

The online success of their treadmill video for “Here It Goes Again”

was huge, reaching over 50 million views on YouTube alone. But when their music label prohibited them from allowing their videos to be embedded, they did something big for their new song “This Too Shall Pass.”

In a partnership with State Farm, the band created a two-story Rube Goldberg machine. The massive “machine” smashes a television set, pushes a car, sprays the band members with paint and so much more. In this video, OK Go outdid themselves, and in the midst of the success, split from EMI Records to create their own label. Way to go, OK Go! Lady Gaga’s video for “Telephone” was obviously out of control. A nine-and-a-half-minute piece so raunchy that to access the original you need to confirm your birth date on YouTube, Lady Gaga’s video is complete with ridiculous outfits and a storyline to fit. Gaga is put in jail, where she wears sunglasses made of cigarettes and makes out with another woman until she leaves with her partner in crime, Beyonce. After this, the two commit mass murder at a diner and proceed to dance in American flag outfits.

While some may not fully understand this video or its point, the fact of the matter is that Lady Gaga has created something unique. This, at a time when so much in the music business is just recycled and reused, is a definite accomplishment — even if you may think it’s kind

of nutty.

Vampire Weekend is another band that has consistently put together funky and fresh music videos — without much recognition.

“Giving Up The Gun” is not an exception. The video features their friend Jenny (who also appeared in their video for “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa”), in an entirely white room playing tennis. Jenny takes down samurais, fencers and a host of other opponents — the best of which are familiar faces. Joe Jonas makes a cameo as well as a drunk Jake Gyllenhaal. Her toughest competitor, however, is a made-up version of herself. But our hero Jenny triumphs through it all after some advice and encouragement given to her in French by none other than Lil’ Jon, who got a famous mention in Vampire Weekend’s song “Oxford Comma.”

The video — which, in theory, may sound like a hot mess — works extremely well with the music and tells a feel-good story complete with laughs without any real words.

Not counting Lil’ Jon’s on-screen French captions, of course.

Maybe music videos don’t have the same effect on us that they used to, but there is definitely a place in this world for a good music video.

The strive to make something bigger, better and more creative is something we need to see more of in today’s music industry.

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

‘Middlesex’ observes family unit through intersex lens POPPIN’ CULTURE

KATRINA CASINO “Meehdlesex? What ees Meehdlesex?” This is the question I was asked one day at work when I left the book I was reading out on the register. I had taken the plunge to read “Middlesex,” a 500-plus page behemoth, for two reasons. First, I couldn’t possibly read “The Virgin Suicides” one more time.

“Suicides” and “Middlesex” are author Jeffrey Eugenides’ only two novels, and the latter had always seemed too daunting. Which brings me to my second reason: HBO is adapting the novel into a miniseries produced by Rita Wilson and writer Donald Magulies.

Anyway, my manager was standing at the register giving me a sideways glance as I explained that “Middlesex” was both the novel’s title and setting.

He did not seem to believe me. Giving me a grin, he persists, “So Meehdlesex, it has no meaning in English?” I am confused at this point. I think to myself, “Does ‘Middlesex’ have any specific translation? Any origin that I should be aware of? Why is he being so coy about this? Was I doing something wrong by reading at wo... — oh my god he thinks it’s porn.”

“Middlesex” is not about this at all.

Originally published in 2002, HBO is now using the novel as the basis for a new show for the network. Despite the fact that the Pulitzer Prize-winning book was released eight years ago, the impact of its content is still timely for today’s viewers. The sopho-

more work of Eugenides, “Middlesex” is about a lot of things. To some readers, “Middlesex” is about family dynamics. To others, it’s about secrets and alienation. Some read it as a tale of immigrant assimilation into American culture, while others feel that its most important social message regards the construction of gender and the silence of the intersex community.

Essentially, “Middlesex” is a story of growing up intersex in the 1970s as part of the third generation of a highly inbred Greek family. Basically, it’s complicated.

“Middlesex” is based loosely on the events of Eugenides’ life and was written after he read the “Memoirs of Herculine Barbin” and was unsatisfied with the work’s lacking discussion of the emotions that are tied to being intersex. Cal, the narrator of Eugenides’ incredibly in-depth story, takes the reader on a beautifully detailed journey of his grandparents’ immigration, his parents’ romance and his own childhood — living as a girl until the age of 14 — with the tragedy and bravado of an epic Greek allegory played out on the streets of Detroit.

As a narrator, Cal is patient and omniscient, privy to the thoughts, feelings and twisted motivations of his ancestors, explaining their triumphs and tragedies since before even his own birth. But this is more than just the narrative of a family line — it is one family experiencing almost a century of history. From the Turkish invasion of Greece to the race riots in America, Eugenides does an outstanding job of working the lives of a fictional family into the context of real history. He weaves truth with emotional connection and consequence with such skill that the reader almost insists that he or she is reliving the narrator’s own personal experience.

In addition to being startlingly

relevant (I bet you never thought you’d be able to relate so closely to a third-generation intersex ex-pat living in Berlin), the novel is also clever and hilarious but mostly in a subtle, nuanced fashion. Eugenides’ humor reveals itself through his attention to detail, pointing out subtleties that echo true life so loudly and accurately that one can’t help but laugh at the starkness of the truth.

So it turns out that when I said that “Middlesex” meant nothing, I was lying. Actually, what I meant was that “Middlesex” means everything.

It might even be the Great American Novel. Not because of any tried-andtrue formulaic narrative about how hard work brings success or about the triumph of the individual, but instead because “Middlesex,” in the realist sense, is about what it’s like to be an American. It represents the struggle it takes to be not someone but anyone — frustrated, lost and searching for any identity while coping with the realization that the American Dream is an illusion that has long since passed.

And who better to capture that than HBO? This is the company that told the uncharted stories of the lives of polyamorous Mormons in “Big Love,” explored the concepts of death and change with “Six Feet Under” and presented women’s sexuality in an empowered and unabashed way with “Sex and the City.” HBO thrusts into the spotlight the underbelly of culture, not only the storylines, but also the lives of the people we rarely consider.

The network does so with unbridled creativity, outstanding originality and an unapologetic nature that prevents it from ever having to shy away from anything new or controversial.

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

the EAGLE

APRIL 22, 2010

n

The Week in Fun: Know Your City

laid-back, surf bum attitude leaks into each song, until even the most jaded listener can’t help but feel their feet sink into the sand. This album contains the essence of his sound.

THURS 22

THU 27 FRI 23

SAT 24

Learning from Light: The Vision of I.M. Pei 6:30 p.m.

WHERE: Goethe-Institut Washington, 812 Seventh St. N.W. METRO: Gallery Place-Chinatown (red, green and yellow lines) INFO: If you’re looking to catch a glimpse of what makes the D.C. International Film Festival so unique, this may be a good introduction. Though a documentary about architecture may not sound fun, director Bo Landin thoroughly examines Pei as he researches and designs Qatar’s Museum of Islamic Art. COST: $10 CONTACT: For more information, visit Filmfest D.C.’s Web site at www.filmfestdc.com.

Jakob Dylan 7:00 p.m.

WHERE: 9:30 club, 815 V St. N.W. METRO: U Street/African-American War Memorial/Cardozo (green and yellow lines) INFO: It’s easy to achieve fame when your father essentially defined the genre you fit in, but Dylan has shown that he has enough talent to buoy his own career with a more polished sound and a less-ravaged voice than his father.

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

Jennifer Coolidge 9:45 p.m.

WHERE: Arlington Cinema ‘N’ Drafthouse, 2903 Columbia Pike, Arlington, Va. METRO: Pentagon City (blue and yellow lines) INFO: You may not know her name, but you would definitely know Coolidge’s face. The actress has had notable roles in everything from Christopher Guest’s mockumentaries to her memorable part as Stifler’s mom in “American Pie.�

Catch her stand-up act on Friday night.

COST: $25 CONTACT: For more information, call the Arlington Cinema ‘N’ Drafthouse at 703-486-2345.

SUN 25

MON 26

TUES 27

Still Bill 8:00 p.m.

WHERE: Busboys & Poets, 2021 14th St. N.W. METRO: U Street/African-American War Memorial/Cardozo (green and yellow lines) INFO: Bill Withers was a music icon, but his social importance went beyond just the hits. Following a screening of the film featuring interviews as diverse as Dr. Cornel West and Raul Midon, local D.C. artists will contribute to a live show featuring some of Withers’ hits.

COST: $17 CONTACT: For more information, visit Busboys & Poets’ Web site at www.busboysandpoets.com.

Ladies-Only Intro to DJing 8:00 p.m.

WHERE: Black Cat, 1811 14th St. N.W. METRO: U Street/African-American War Memorial/Cardozo (green and yellow lines) INFO: Let’s face it, hipsters: we all want to be a disc jockey. They are simply better than us. Luckily, assuming you lack a Y chromosome, you can learn the basics of DJing — including an introduction to equipment and the beats that follow — from two established female DJs. COST: $7 CONTACT: For more information, call the Black Cat at 202-667-7960.

8 1/2 7:00 p.m.

WHERE: AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center, 8633 Colesville Rd. Silver Spring, Md. METRO: Silver Spring (red line) INFO: Fellini’s landmark film takes the navel-gazing premise of a director searching for a new muse and transforms it into a cinematic masterpiece. Though a musical re-imagining starring Daniel Day Lewis just recently came out, the original is still considered a classic.

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

make it to the 6 a.m. class (hah!), the only other time you can go is the weekend. An alternative if you love Ashtanga would be Studio Serenity in Adam’s Morgan (2469 18th St. N.W.), which I have been told offers a great community vibe as well. Classes at Woodley run about $60 for four classes. Studio Serenity is cheaper with classes as low as $8 a pop.

So if finals have left you overwhelmed, give yoga a chance to

sweat, stretch or relax away the stress. And if you’re already a seasoned yogi, take some time to explore a new style. You never know what your body is just waiting to show you.

n

from YOGA on page 7

suit your abilities. Unlike Bikram where the class thrives on group energy, the Ashtanga class I took allows you to go through the sequence on your own at a certain point. So if you prefer being able to work more independently, you may like Ashtanga. The only problem I found about the studio that I practiced at, Woodley Park Yoga (2625 Connecticut Ave.) was its limited schedule. Unless you can

from TOP TEN on page 7

Namaste!

3ULQW 0XVLF 0XVLF /HVVRQV ,QVWUXPHQW 6DOHV 5HQWDO 0XVLF $FFHVVRULHV 7HO )D[ LQIR#PLGGOHFPXVLF FRP

Smoothies & Frappuccinoes

50 OFF c

With purchase of any drink With this coupon. Not valid with other offers.

Expires 4-16-2010.

the beating sun, is just as troublesome to the viewer. “Rabbit at Rest�

The final book of John Updike’s four-part series, “Rabbit At Rest� concerns our hero Harry “Rabbit� Angstrom at the twilight of his career. He is now retired in sunny Florida, but the good weather isn’t preventing his life from falling apart, starting with his marriage. The book is about the possibility of redemption from sadness, but its beautiful description of the Florida sun should be enough for some readers. “xx�

The languid beats of The xx’s debut album have gotten them plenty of press, but it’s the feel-

ing behind them that make the album so compulsively listenable. They seem to understand the basics: slow beats, sexy crooning and the kind of flow that makes you want to put up your feet and lay in the sun. “If You’re Feeling Sinister�

Belle & Sebastian’s “If You’re Feeling Sinister� is their most consistent album, and the one that offers the most of their trademark twee-pop. The songs may be infected with a sadness that may keep it from a summer mix tape, but its curt dissection of the modern id is as beautifully mournful as a sunset on a nice day.

You can reach this staff writer at mrichardson@theeagleonline.

“12 Angry Men�

The outside heat of “12 Angry Men� makes the inner conflicts of these jurors that much more affecting. The characters are sweating because of the heat in the courtroom. But it’s their intense debates over the merits of not just the case they’re handling, but the entire system of justice, that will make the viewer feel as if they were under the bright examination lights. Tempers flare so brightly that no number of open windows will cool the fires of passion. “Pet Sounds�

To say nothing of the massive influence this album has given musicians of all stripes, “Pet Sounds� is the embodiment of the surf sound that define the Beach Boys. Its elaborate harmonies and rhythms have influences from all over — from African tribal music to pop music from Britain — but songs like “Wouldn’t It Be Nice� are pure Americana. “Dog Day Afternoon�

After the rising heat gets a whole crowd to watch an ongoing bank robbery, robber Al Pacino famously eggs them on, joining along and chanting, “Attica! Attica! Put your fucking guns down!� Inside, the situation gets hotter for the noble robbers as the cops begin to close their noose around the bank. But the craziness of the outside crowd, encouraged by

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

<RXU QHLJKERUKRRG PXVLF VWRUH DQG PRUH

:LVFRQVLQ $YH 1: :DVKLQJWRQ '& ZZZ PLGGOHFPXVLF FRP

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Do The Right Thingâ&#x20AC;?

Spike Leeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Do The Right Thingâ&#x20AC;? can fairly be called one of the best of his movies. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s his most limited in scope (telling the story of a single city block during a heat wave) and his most accessible â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the racial troubles that serve as Leeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s muse are presented in a way that is urgent rather than abrasive. As a heat wave gets worse and worse, the troubles underlying this diverse neighborhood boil over into a cathartic final conflict as refreshing as turning on the air conditioning.

the scene 10

Need classes this Summer?

Spend a summer in dynamic, innovative San Francisco! â&#x2013; Two 6-week sessions starting May 26 and July 6, or one 12-week session â&#x2013; Undergraduate classes in general education, language, business and many more

â&#x2013; Small class sizes (professors will know you!) â&#x2013; Residence halls, library, fitness center, and support services available â&#x2013; Reduced summer tuition and housing rates

University of San Francisco 2130 Fulton St., San Francisco, CA 94117 415-422-6563 > summeratusf@usfca.edu www.usfca.edu/summeratusf

50 OFF c

With purchase of any drink With this coupon. Not valid with other offers.

Expires 4-30-2010.

Megabytes CafĂŠ

Educating Minds and Hearts to Change the World