The Eagle April 2017

the EAGLE

SPECIAL APRIL 21,EDITION 2017

THEEAGLEONLINE.COM THEEAGLEONLINE.COM

Left in limbo

Immigrant students, alumni face uncertain future under Trump, p.7

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theEAGLE April 21, 2017

theEAGLE

INDEX

NEWS

3 President Kerwin reflects on his career 4 AU promotes the Peace Corps; AU Archives collects Women's March posters 5 A look at AU's safe escort service 6 Immigrant students struggle to find security

LIFE

8 The best hikes in DC 10 Why and how to eat locally 11 A glimpse into faculty's new books

SPORTS

12 Inside AU Athletics' strategy

13 Transfers leave men's basketball vulnerable

OPINION

15 Column: Magazines take on new political content; letter from the editor 16 Op-ed: SG president Devontae Toerriente looks back; Staff editorial CONTACT US EDITOR-IN-CHIEF (202) 885 - 1402 editor@theeagleonline.com NEWS news@theeagleonline.com LIFE life@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) 855 - 3593 business@theeagleonline.com CLASSIFIEDS adbox@theeagleonline.com

MISSION The Eagle, a student-run newspaper at American University, serves the community 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.

POLICIES The Eagle has a commitment to accuracy and clarity and will print corrections or clarifications. To report a mistake, call the Editorin-Chief at (202) 885 -1402 or email editor@theeagleonline.com.

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 Unsigned letters will not be published.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 clairty. Letters and columns may be published in print or online. Letters and columns are the opinion of the writer and not the Editorial Board.

FRONT COVER PHOTO: OWAIN JAMES / THE EAGLE

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SILVER SCREEN EDITOR

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Ivy Kaplan

Jenny Evans

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Riddhi Sarkar

Anusheh Khan

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Courtney Rozen

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Ellie Hartleb

Jack Reilly Dilpreet Raju

LIFE

NEWS STAFF WRITERS

Arielle Weg

Katherine Saltzman

Adena Maier

MANAGING EDITOR

Anna Donohue

Cordilia James

FOR SPORTS

Brianna Crummy

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

Vincent Salandro

Sarah Katherine Dolezal

Gabe Bichinho

MANAGING EDITORS

STUDENT GOVERNMENT

ASSISTANT WEB EDITOR

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Anthony Holten

Owain James and

Maria Carrasco

SENIOR STAFF WRITERS Shannon Scovel

Taameen Mohammad

Lydia Calitri

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GREEK LIFE BEAT REPORTER

Matt Holt

Max Hernandez

Emaan Khan

Anagha Srikanth

DESIGN EDITORS

ADVOCACY BEAT REPORTER

Zach Ewell

Sasha Jones

Nora Turner

Deanna Mudry

Carl Moore

OFF-CAMPUS EDITOR

ASSISTANT EDITORIAL PAGE

Emily Martin

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ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

Nickolaus Mack

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NEWS

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Kerwin leaves his mark as president

By Ivy Kaplan Student Life Editor When President Neil Kerwin first stepped foot on AU’s campus as a student, Bender Library was nonexistent and AU was the site of multiple anti-Vietnam war protests.

This May, Kerwin will step down from his position as president after 12 years, leaving behind 42 years of service to the University as a whole, as well as a transformed institution for his successor, former Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell.

Kerwin received his bachelor’s degree in 1971 from AU. Only four years later, after attending graduate school at the University of Rhode Island, he returned to the University in 1975 as a faculty member in the School of Public Affairs. He then continued to ascend the institutional ranks as the dean of SPA, provost, interim president in 2005 and president in 2007.

“I did take the presidency over in a time of kind of crisis for us, and the institution responded beautifully,” Kerwin said in an interview with The Eagle. “From the Board of Trustees on down, there was a lot of reflection, self-evaluation and recognition that we needed to change certain aspects of the governance.”

accomplishments, ranging from ones that were academic to strategic, as well as the expansion of the physical campus.

All of these achievements stem from the University’s 10-year Strategic Plan, which has been in place since 2009. “[The plan] consists of 10 goals that we call ‘transformative goals’ and six that are called ‘enabling,’ things that you have to do to make the other 10 happen,” Kerwin said. “I think we’ve been very true to that plan over the years.”

Another highlight of Kerwin’s presidency includes the heightened academic reputation of the University within D.C. and the nation at large.

This is exemplified by the University’s most recent 2016 acceptance rate of 25.7 percent, the lowest in the school’s history, as well as its improvement in the U.S.

of Business, renovations on the School of Communication, the creation of the new Tenley Campus and the establishment of Cassell Hall and East Campus.

After working with him during the academic year 2013-2014 as SG president, 2015 alum Patrick Kelly said that Kerwin’s leadership undoubtedly contributed to this strengthened academic recognition.

“I think it’s hard to say that American has become the school that it is over the past 10 years without crediting Neil Kerwin for that. It’s impossible to do that,” Kelly said. “There’s a correlation between American’s growth over the last decade and Neil Kerwin’s leadership.”

Challenges with student input While Kerwin’s time as president has

Coming into the role Prior to taking over as interim president in 2005, AU underwent a period of uncertainty with its leadership after Kerwin’s predecessor, Benjamin Ladner, was caught misusing University money.

After approximately seven months on paid administrative leave during which Kerwin was named acting president, the Board of Trustees determined that Ladner would not be returning to AU, ushering Kerwin into his place as the University president.

“I had felt when I took the job that there was a considerable gap between what this institution was accomplishing and how it was understood outside,” he said. “We’ve closed that gap considerably.”

Dr. Gail Hanson, former vice president of campus life and a long-time colleague of Kerwin, echoed the excitement that surrounded Kerwin’s transition, especially due to his background at AU. “When he was appointed it really energized alumni of the University. There was a greater sense of pride,” Hanson said.

“Because he was such an experienced American University leader, he knew the place broadly and deeply and there was no learning curve for him. He could begin working right away.”

Sarah McBride, the 2011-2012 Student Government President and a 2013 SPA graduate, said Kerwin’s passion for AU was extremely evident in his work.

“He’s someone who really lives and breathes AU,” she said.

An institution transformed During his time as president, Kerwin achieved a large number of

Kerwin’s absence from daily campus life and believed that Kerwin prioritized the University’s reputation over student voices.

Jeffries denounced Kerwin’s response to an altercation between herself and an AU staff member during a post-election campus protest and flag burning. At the protest, the staff member attempted to grab a burning American flag from Jeffries’ hands, escalating into him grabbing her and pulling her up the stairs of the Mary Graydon Center, Jeffries said.

After the altercation, Jeffries and her mother met with Kerwin to discuss further University action. Jeffries said she felt her requests went unacknowledged by Kerwin.. His actions contributed to her decision to transfer to Temple University this coming fall, Jeffries said.

“I felt that during the meeting he was very arrogant and standoffish,” Jeffries said in an email to The Eagle. “He seemed more concerned about expressing his negative views towards the flag burning instead of listening to understand the intentions and messages behind it.”

Regarding his condemnation of the flag burning, Kerwin said he knew his response wouldn’t please everyone, especially due to the intensity of the heated presidential election.

“I think that the immediate aftermath of the election was difficult on this campus,” he said. “I attempted to address some of that in a memorandum. It didn’t make everybody happy. I’m quite aware of that, but the effort was to show that this still had to be an institution that allowed for multiple voices to be heard.”

What’s to come

JILLIAN O'DONOHOE/ THE EAGLE

In his 12 years as University president, Neil Kerwin has worked to raise the academic standards of AU, and to expand the scope of the school.

News & World Report’s national rankings of colleges to number 74 in the nation, compared to number 87 in 2005 when Kerwin took over.

As president, Kerwin shifted the evaluation of financial aid from being primarily merit-based to focusing more on financial need, allowing students in economic hardship to obtain an AU degree.

“I certainly wouldn’t have been able to complete AU without financial aid, and so as an alumni it meant a lot to me to keep AU within reach for students from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds,” Kerwin said. “I think our numbers indicate clearly that we’ve succeeded in that.”

This is seen in current financial aid statistics, which indicate that the portion of need-based financial aid given out by the University has more than doubled within the past six years, increasing from 34 percent in 2009-2010 to 80 percent in 2015-2016.

The University also underwent many physical changes during Kerwin’s tenure.

These changes include the opening of the Katzen Arts Center, the construction of the new School of International Service, additions to the Kogod School

featured many achievements, it hasn’t been without its fair share of turbulence.

Throughout his tenure, multiple national issues have become relevant at AU, including sexual assault, racism, fossil fuel divestment, rising tuition and tense political disagreements.

Kerwin said he has faced these issues head on in order to stay true to the values of respect and inclusion within the institution, dealing with them directly as opposed to leaving them unresolved.

“I felt that several years ago, I needed to be much more aggressive than I had been in inserting my voice into those conversations,” Kerwin said. “We undertook a program starting a couple years ago to restate those values and to create a series of programs to make it almost unavoidable on this campus for people to confront difference and how to not only value the difference, but to live productively with it.”

Kerwin also stressed that he has strived to engage with students when confronting these issues, giving them numerous opportunities to share their opinions and make their voices heard.

However, this perspective has not gone unchallenged by students such as sophomore Ciera Jeffries, who criticized

Upon stepping down from the presidency, Kerwin will be taking a year of sabbatical leave before returning to AU as a faculty member in the School of Public Affairs.

After 42 years of working for the institution, Kerwin found it difficult to sum up what his legacy would be.

“Talking about personal legacy in a job like this is in some ways misleading, because whatever I do, it pales in comparison to what the thousands and thousands of people do every day,” Kerwin said, referring to AU students, faculty, staff and alumni.

He also stressed that he hopes the University will continue to enroll as diverse of a student body as possible, fulfill an obligation to give back to D.C. and continue to hold itself to high standards.

“I’ve enjoyed the work immensely,” he said. “There have been moments that have not been as pleasurable as others, but the job is more of a privilege than an effort and the people that I’ve come to work with, the students that I’ve interacted with and taught over the years, the faculty that I’ve been a part of, the staff that I’ve been a part of and the alumni that I’ve been a part of have all done remarkable work for us and I just hope they’re always motivated to keep doing it.” ikaplan@theeagleonline.com

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AU is leader in Peace Corps participation AU named top medium-sized producer of Peace Corps volunteers

By Sarah Katherine Dolezal News Staff Writer AU alumna Katherin Sibel spends her days speaking Guarani, the national language of Paraguay. That’s where she’s stationed as a Peace Corps volunteer, managing several women’s agribusiness projects and social development programs within the Latin American community.

In February, the Peace Corps named AU a top provider of volunteers from medium-sized schools. Sibel, who graduated from the School of International Service in 2015, is one of 54 from AU serving in the Peace Corps right now.

“As a volunteer, I find myself doing various activities throughout the weeks with different peoples and groups in the community,” Sibel said in an email. “This ranges from planting in gardens and farms, trash cleanups, teaching English and other skills needed with Paraguayans of all ages.”

Twenty-two of the 54 representing AU are education volunteers, and 13 are health volunteers, Emily Webb, Public Affairs Specialist at Peace Corps, said in an email. Others are serving as agriculture, youth development, or community and economic development volunteers.

Although AU has historically

produced high numbers of Peace Corps volunteers, in February 2016, without a clear explanation as to why, Peace Corps decided to end its master’s international degree program, which AU offered through SIS. Over the last two years, the Peace Corps and SIS developed a new certificate program, the Peace Corps Prep, to give undergraduates a pathway to the Peace Corps, Stephen Angelsmith, Director of Peace Corps Programs at SIS said.

“The new certificate program is a series of courses, that at the end of graduation, you will also earn a Peace Corps Prep certificate,” Angelsmith said. “It’s a social organization to prepare students for international service.”

Twelve undergraduate SIS students started the certificate program in February, while about 35 students applied. Ideally, the students should apply at the beginning of their sophomore year. However, all grade levels are encouraged to apply since much of the course work in SIS already crosses over into the certificate’s requirements, Angelsmith said.

Having the certificate is not a guarantee for acceptance into the organization, but going through the series of courses at SIS will greatly improve a student’s chance for being accepted, Webb said.

Angelsmith, who served in

Turkmenistan 10 years ago and is now a returned volunteer, said the certificate is a shared experience of coursework and service. Furthermore, the new curriculum provides SIS undergraduates with professional skills and intercultural competencies to possibly join the Peace Corps after graduation, Angelsmith said.

Designed for SIS undergraduate students, he said the certificate will broaden students’ education and experience so that they may implant creative, individual development projects across the globe.

However, not all faculty and students are fond of the Peace Corps.

AU Professor Daniel Esser said that he and many of his students have mixed opinions about the usefulness of the program. Some see value in the grassroots approach of the Peace Corps’ mission, while others see the Peace Corps as more beneficial to the volunteer than the host country, he said.

Esser said that he’s seen little evidence that Peace Corps volunteers substantially help with development efforts for other countries. By design, the program is not at all sustainable, he said, because the volunteer arrives, works on a project, and then leaves. There may be exceptions, but not much, he said.

“The stereotypical volunteer is a Democrat, middle-class white person,” he

said. “And at twenty-two years old, we’re sending fairly skill-less volunteers.”

Angelsmith said he is aware of what dissenters say about sending over wealthier volunteers, as opposed to those in lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Since the Peace Corps is unpaid, people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds may not be able to volunteer because of the loss of income over two years, Angelsmith said However, he said the Peace Corps offers benefits that fray the costs of being away from home.

“Peace Corps volunteers are not being paid a salary at home, but you have health insurance and student loans can be deferred,” he said.

Another aspect for future volunteers to consider is how much time they are away from family and friends, Angelsmith said.

Sibel, who will be closing service on Dec. 7 of this year, said that social media has helped her stay connected with family and friends at home, if internet service is available.

Her advice for new Peace Corps volunteers is to take full advantage of being immersed in a new culture and country.

“Get to know the people, and get into the language, culture and community vibe," Sibel said. "The more vulnerable you are in sharing with the community that is hosting you, the more at home you will feel.” sdolezal@theeagleonline.com

AU aims to archive artifacts from Women’s March on Washington

By Brianna Crummy News Staff Writer Inside AU’s Archives and Special Collections lie posters from Vietnam protests, pro-choice marches, antiApartheid rallies and gay rights movements. And now, the department will be home to posters from this January’s Women’s March on Washington.

The archives began a collection in late March of the different signs students held while participating in the protest. Initiated

by University Archivist Susan McElrath, the request for posters from the Women’s March was sent out as a way to “bridge the gap between the materials we have related to student protests in the 60s to this other collection looking at student protests on a broader scale,” she said.

AU’s Student Historical Society teamed up with the archives to help publicize the collection of posters. McElrath said the organization set up an event in the Mary Graydon Center to make students aware of the collection as well as to provide a place for them to drop off their signs.

Nana Gongadze, the publicity designer and recruitment manager of the group, was eager to assist in the archives’ effort.

“The Women’s March was such a historic demonstration,” Gongadze, a freshman in the School of Communication, said. “We definitely believe that we should have some historical record of AU students’ attendance.”

The outreach for the protest signs is

unique in that the archives are typically not active in their search for materials, McElrath said. Since donations can be made at any time, the owner retains the rights to their pieces, and the donor must ultimately sign off that they are willing to allow their materials to be used by others.

If someone wishes to get their donations back, the request would be evaluated by the archives staff on a case by case basis.

“The archives, unlike libraries, have to be more conscious of the fact that when we bring something in, we need to know as much about it as we can so that we can give it the proper care,” McElrath said.

Since the signs have been collected, the archives now have representation of the different motivations for people at the Women’s March, which can be added to their social justice collection.

“The visual diversity of the signs say a lot about the nature of [the] Women’s March,” McElrath said. “It’s sort of a coalition and an umbrella that dealt with a lot of things.”

The AU Archives are comprised of two different types of materials. The first are the archives themselves which “chronicle more than one hundred years of the University's history,” according to the department’s site.

The collection includes documents, films, videos, sound recordings and photographic images from a wide range of categories. There are University publications, records related to buildings and grounds and oral history collections, to name a few. These are typically gathered

ZACH EWELL/ THE EAGLE

Signs such as these are being collected by AU's Archives and Special Collections.

The department began collecting signs in March.

from the University or put in the archives at the end of their necessity.

The second type of materials are the special collections which hold materials of different themes and events from history; this is where the Women’s March posters would be featured. Other pieces similar to these are held in the Patrick Frazier Political and Social Movements Collection. According to its description, “this collection contains broadsides, flyers, handbills, photographs and posters and covers all of the major political and social movements of the 1960s and 1970s.”

McElrath said the collection features posters from the Vietnam War protests, pro-choice marches, anti-Apartheid and gay rights movements, all of which are events AU students have participated in over time. The signs from the Women’s March would add another piece of history to this collection.

“Because we have a social justice theme in special collections, that was why we went out to collect the posters,” McElrath said.

At this point, the Archives have five

posters from student donations and they will be collecting posters through the end of the semester, McElrath said.

Aside from the poster collection, the Archives will be moving its central location from the second floor of Bender Library to the Spring Valley Building.

McElrath said the relocation will allow for staff members to work in a consolidated space and collections will all be stored in the same location. The new space will allow for a reading room which gives them a place to work with classes.

Another benefit is the climate controlled exhibit space.

“The new space will put everything in one room which will be really nice,” McElrath said.

Although they will no longer be on main campus, they still encourage students and faculty to use their resources at the newly centralized location. Access to these materials can be found online in their digital repository, online exhibits and their blog. bcrummy@theeagleonline.com

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theEAGLE April 21, 2017

ERICA VELTMAN/ THE EAGLE

AU's Department of Public Safety offers a safe escort service to any University owned property. However it does not offer the service to any non-University off-campus locations, such as the popular Berkshire apartments on Massachusetts Avenue.

Inside AU Public Safety’s escort service Rise in local crime poses risk for students living off-campus

By Emaan Khan and Nora Turner Greek Life Beat Reporter and Advocacy Beat Reporter Lucca Vaselli, a senior in the School of Communication, was on his way back home from a latenight gym session around 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 22. Walking down Massachusetts Ave., he quickly talked to a friend, and started again toward his apartment at The Avalon at Foxhall building.

With his head down and headphones in his ears, Vaselli noticed three men swirling around him on the bridge into his building. Thinking nothing of them at first, his fear quickly heightened when they pointed a gun to him and demanded, “wallet, passport, phone.”

Vaselli gave the attackers everything he had, and they fled. Running back to his apartment where no one was home or at the front desk, he ran down the hall to a friend to call for help.

This incident is one in a string of crimes in local neighborhoods over the last few months. The area saw at least five robberies in January and four in February, not including an unarmed carjacking in Tenleytown that occurred in early March.

The increase in crime has put students on edge, particularly those living off-campus, leaving some to wonder what AU services are available to help keep individuals safe as they navigate the AU area at night.

Escort system AU’s Department of Public Safety offers an aroundthe-clock escort system, in which officers can walk with a student or drive them upon request to any University-owned property. Students can also use the Blue Light Phones on campus, located at blue pillars that read “EMERGENCY,” if they need to call the dispatch center for Public Safety, said Kelly Alexander, AU’s director of public relations who speaks on behalf of the department of public safety.

“The University Police and Department of Public Safety offer the escort system to ensure that students feel safe traveling around campus,” Alexander said.

Rima Sifri, a Public Safety police lieutenant and crime prevention coordinator, oversees and manages the programs that promote student safety. She said that the on-campus escort system includes the WAMU building at 4401 Connecticut Ave., offices at 4200 Wisconsin Ave. and the Spring Valley building at 4801 Massachusetts Ave. This does not include The Berkshire or Avalon at Foxhall apartments on Massachusetts

Avenue, two popular locations for AU students living off-campus.

DPS does not offer an off-campus escort system.

Alexander said she is not familiar with the exact reason why the University does not have an off-campus escort system, but said that a lack of resources, manpower and equipment prevent AU’s police department from creating its own service of this kind. Instead, Alexander encouraged students to use the buddy system in order to stay safe when walking home at night.

Sifri said that some students have also tried to create a similar service, but that the University cannot create such a system because of liability concerns.

“There have been some students who have proposed a student-run escort system, and we found that in terms of risk management and liability, it just wouldn’t be feasible,” Sifri said. “So that’s why we don’t have it.

We can’t have student employees doing that. You want to make sure it’d be safe.

Avantika Shenoy, a junior in the School of Public Affairs, lives off campus with a few other girls from her sorority.

“It’s terrifying living off campus,” she said. “These robberies are happening a street or two away from our house.”

AU falls behind other D.C. universities in offering this kind of service. Both George Washington University and Georgetown University offer an off-campus escort service to their students.

GW’s system, called 4Ride, offers free rides to students around the Foggy Bottom campus.

Similarly, Georgetown has a Saferides system, which provides students, staff and faculty with free rides around the Georgetown and Foxhall neighborhoods.

Georgetown’s service begins at 8 p.m. and runs until 2 a.m. on weeknights and 3 a.m. on weekends.

The Georgetown University Police Department also offers individual escorts for students in the same region if Saferides is not in service and they feel unsafe.

Alexander still encouraged students to call Public Safety if they are in a compromising situation, though it is not clearly stated by the department that a request for an escort during such an occurrence would be fulfilled.

“The goal is to ensure that you’re safe,” Alexander said. “So, if you come into a situation where you feel like you need an escort, I would still say call Public Safety and tell them what you’re in need of, and they’ll do their best to help you.”

For community members who commute to campus, Sifri said that the Rave Guardian Campus Safety app is another option. The app allows students to set a timer

when they leave a location and turn it off when they reach their destination. When they set the timer, Public Safety is notified and can track the person’s location virtually until they reach their destination. If the user does not deactivate the timer before it expires, campus police are automatically notified.

“That will help people going to The Berkshire and The Avalon,” Sifri said. “That timer on the app allows the information to pop up in dispatch and we keep an eye on you virtually.”

Sifri warns students to be alert and aware of their surroundings and if a situation feels dangerous or risky, to find a safe place.

“We want to help them get through it,” Sifri said.

“We’re here to help, and we’re here to give you options.”

Student-run escort options The recent rise in crime prompted Avantika Shenoy, a junior in the School of Public Affairs, to join AU Safewalk, a Facebook group that offers a buddy system for students who commute to and from campus.

AU Safewalk currently has 183 members. The page’s description tells students to post when they need a walking buddy or when they’re available to be a walking buddy. As of April 5, the last post was made on Jan. 6.

However, Ray Scheinman, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences and the founder of AU Safewalk, said that anonymity is important to the group. This is why not many posts are made in the group. She said that it is difficult to provide safe spaces while maintaining anonymity, as people are afraid to speak up when they need help.

“I live off campus, and I stay on-campus pretty late, until 3 a.m. in the library sometimes,” Sheroy said.

“Getting home at that time, I don’t want to spend money on Uber and the shuttle doesn’t run. I just thought that having a community would help me go back home.”

But Shenoy said that the rise in crime around the AU area has made living off-campus on River Road a stressful experience.

“It’s pretty terrible,” Shenoy said. “I live in a house with five other girls [and] it’s definitely scary living offcampus. These robberies are happening a street or two away from our house. One of my friends got mugged recently. Walking alone right now is not the best thing to do.” nturner@theeagleonline.com and ekhan@theeagleonline.com

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theEAGLE April 21, 2017

Straddling borders: a search for identity Immigrant students search for support at AU

By Anagha Srikanth Senior Staff Writer When transfer student and School of Public Affairs senior Laura Hoyos first arrived on campus, she couldn’t find a space to discuss the topic of cultural identity and immigration. As an immigrant from Colombia, she had always been forced to confront stereotypes about identity. Under the Trump administration, she felt that need even more strongly.

“When you have an administration that’s so blunt and so open to sharing misinformation about immigration and about undocumented people, what that creates is more confusion,” Hoyos said. “When it comes to immigration and undocumented individuals, what you need the most is proper information.”

On Jan. 25, President Trump took a step towards making good on his campaign promise to build a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border by issuing an executive order. The order also sought to increase the powers of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to find and deport undocumented immigrants.

These policies and the anti-immigrant rhetoric surrounding them prompted Hoyos to take a stand against recent immigration uncertainties. She worked with other students and the national media and culture organization Define American to establish a chapter of the group at AU in December 2016.

“Before we even have immigration reform we need to change the way that we look at immigrants,” Hoyos said. “And the way that we do that is through storytelling.”

On March 5, the organization hosted its first event at AU, a screening of MTV’s documentary "White People" followed by a reception. The documentary seeks to explore white privilege in the U.S. and was directed and produced by Define American founder and immigration rights activist Jose Antonio Vargas.

In the days following the screening, the group published a video on its Facebook page compiling interviews from AU community members answering the question, "What does it mean to be an American?" Hoyos said she found the responses encouraging, despite preparing herself to hear unfriendly language. Students mentioned diversity and emphasized the insignificance of race and religion in defining nationality.

“To receive those kind of answers that were pro-immigration, pro-diversity, I was

like ‘Wow, this makes me feel comforted,’” she said. “In doing this work I have felt very proud of the community I’m in, in terms of the students.”

Whitney Huang, a sophomore in CAS, moved to D.C. from Ecuador nearly two years ago to attend AU. Her legal status is “complicated” -- she has family in both countries and is a U.S. citizen through her father, who lived here with a visa but has now returned to his home country.

"We want students [who are immigrants] to know that they’re not alone, that they’re not the only ones going through those feelings of fear and anger,” she said.

Life as an immigrant While Define American seeks to advocate for all immigrants, part of its focus is on raising awareness about and for undocumented Americans. Julián Gómez, a 2015 AU alum and the campus engagement manager for Define American, is an undocumented immigrant who has lived in the U.S. since he was 2 years old. When applying to colleges, he called their admissions offices to inform them of his legal status.

Gómez said the process was so difficult for some schools, such as Syracuse University, that he was unable to submit an application.

“It’s a pain, having to call schools,” he said. “For me, it wasn’t that difficult, but for other students, especially if they’re not publically ‘out’ yet as undocumented, that’s hard.”

Students are required to enter their citizenship status on the Common Application and the Coalition for Access, Success, and Affordability, the two application platforms used by AU, Associate Director of Admissions Jeremy Lowe said. However, he said in an email, there is no citizenship requirement for admission to AU. Gómez said that upon his arrival at AU, the main obstacle he faced was financial aid.

“Unfortunately, undocumented students do not have access to most financial aid (at most colleges), because right off the bat, they can’t get any federal aid since they can’t file a FAFSA,” he said. “Most private scholarships still require FAFSA, and so that means that a bunch of other scholarships are off limits as well.”

Gómez graduated from AU in May 2015 with $90,000 of debt at high interest.

As a beneficiary of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), he was able to work while he was at school but said he had a hard time finding a job on campus

TAAMEEN MOHAMMAD/ THE EAGLE

Since President Trump's election, there have been multiple rallies throughout D.C. in support of both undocumented immigrants and those affected by the administration's travel ban.

theEAGLE April 21, 2017

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because so many were federal work study positions. these identities.”

“Many students can’t afford to travel off campus regularly [for work],” he said.

Huang added that the University could be more understanding of the difficult “And that’s another obstacle.” circumstances facing students.

Even as a legal resident, Hoyos said she has faced her own set of challenges. She "I feel like in a way they might not be comfortable getting in between what stuimmigrated to the U.S. from Colombia at the age of 8, and while she was able to dents are feeling or what they’re doing,” she said. “But, the fact that we are part of the travel here legally, her parents were not. university and the campus, that automatically makes it their responsibility.”

“I didn’t feel the privilege of being documented because at any point my parents During the election, Huang struggled to focus on school, feeling overwhelmed by could be deported,” Hoyos said. “That fear was something I lived with up until five the political atmosphere. years ago.”

“During the election, especially regarding immigrants, it was a very hard time for As a first generation college student, navigating the college experience was people, especially Hispanics,” she said. “That was a very harsh thing to go through.” lonely at times, Hoyos said.

“You have responsibilities and family challenges that people your age don’t deal Help at AU with,” she said. “I’m the only person that speaks English in my house, so that means when my mom needs to make a doctor’s appointment that I need to make it for her, Kerwin’s memo directed students to AU’s existing resources for students conthat means if my younger brother -- who does cerned about their immigration or legal status speak English -- gets in trouble in school, I’m including: the one who’s speaking to his principal.”

• The Office of International Student "We want students [who are immigrants] Hoyos said such challenges, in addition

and Scholar Services to know that they’re not alone, that they’re to the typical stressors experienced by college • The Washington College of Law’s students, required a level of attention and care

Clinical program not the only ones going through those that she found lacking at AU. She felt isolated • The Counseling Center feelings of fear and anger." when she first arrived at AU as a junior and • Faculty Staff Assistance Program was disappointed that the University didn’t • Center for Diversity and Inclusion -Whitney Huang, CAS '19 make more of an attempt to reach out to her.

• Kay Spiritual Life Center “When I first came to this university I felt very alone and very lost, and I think what hapThe Washington College of Law and the pens when you feel that way is that instead of American University Office of International being proactive and saying, ‘I’m going to ask for help,’ you retreat inside yourself Student and Scholar Services offer support, referrals for legal assistance and other imbecause you’re feeling angry and lonely and confused,” she said. migration resources for students.

The Immigration Clinic program at WCL is run by students serving as lawyers unSanctuary: what’s in a word? der the supervision of a practicing attorney. The clinic provides legal counseling and recommendations for members in the community seeking advice or help on immigraIn a memo written by President Neil Kerwin and published on Feb. 10, he said tion questions, said Amanda Frost, a law professor and Director of WCL’s Doctor of AU will not label itself a sanctuary campus, but will actively oppose President Juridical Science program.

Trump's immigration ban.

“Our policy as a clinic is if people in the community want counseling, we are able In the same memo, Kerwin said in the event that the DACA program is susto do that,” Frost said. “It doesn’t mean we are able to take a case and handle them as a pended or ended and authorization to work is rescinded, the University will assist client, but we are able to take stats and details and provide some advice.” currently registered DACA students to find replacement resources.

Though the immigration clinic primarily serves low-income immigrant residents The memo also assured students that AU will not disclose private information in the DMV area, it is available to provide referrals and legal advice for students or AU about “students, faculty or staff to law enforcement officers unless presented with a community members seeking help with immigration concerns. warrant, subpoena, court order or other legal requirement.”

The clinic also organizes public “Know Your Rights” meetings which provide Lowe said the Office of Admissions has never been asked to release information information about what an individual's rights are if they are stopped by immigration regarding the legal status of applicants and admitted students. In the event that the authorities and how to respond as well as safety plans for family members in case of University is legally compelled detainment. In March, to release such information, its the clinic led a teach-in policy is guided by the Family with two student atEducational Rights and Pritorneys and an AU law vacy Act (FERPA), said Vice professor to discuss the President of Communications rights and possible legal Terry Flannery. options for noncitizens “We would make every efliving in the U.S. fort to notify a student before As the Define Amerireleasing educational records, can chapter grows, Hoyos while complying with a legal said she hopes the club order,” Flannery said in an will provide a lasting email. space for people to learn Despite this promise, about the immigrant however, Hoyos remains experience. concerned.

“I want people to be “AU constantly wants to able to come to us, come pride itself on being a very to our meetings and ask diverse campus, and diversity uncomfortable quesis not only about where you tions,” she said. “That’s come from, it’s about whether the only way things are you’re documented or not, going to change.” what religion that you’re practicing, your sexual orientation Katherine Saltzman -- diversity entails a lot of contributed to this story. different things,” Hoyos said.

“If you want to pride yourself asrikanth@ MAHOGANY DAVISON/ THE EAGLE [on diversity], then you need to theeagleonline.com At AU, students have rallied behind undocumented students as well as those affected by the ban. The organization No create a safe space and protect all Lost Generation hosted a rally to show its support for students on February 3.

PHOTO BY OWAIN JAMES/ THE EAGLE

LIFE

10

MELANY LOVE ROCHESTER/ THE EAGLE

Chris Giradot sells baked goods at AU's weekly farmer's market. Patrons say they enjoy purchasing locally grown foods because it supports the livelihoods of farmers in the area.

MELANY LOVE ROCHESTER/ THE EAGLE

AU's farmer's market appears on the quad every Wednesday, and offers the community a variety of locally sourced produce and baked goods.

Eat delicious, eat local

The District provides many options for students who want to eat locally grown foods

By Elisabeth Holmes Life Staff Writer Bright green and leafy, fresh kale sits in a wooden basket next to shiny red tomatoes.

Brown, hearty potatoes sit in a bucket below by soft, fuzzy peaches. Every fruit and vegetable has its own history -- some travel thousands of miles to end up on a plate, others only have to be brought to a local farmer’s market. Locally grown foods can be found in D.C in many places including farmer’s markets, restaurants and even food delivery services.

Farmer’s markets At a farmer’s market, farmers can directly sell their crops and goods to consumers.

There are over 123 farmer’s markets in the D.C. area, according to the Washington Post.

The USDA surveyed 1400 Farmer’s Markets in 2013 and 2014 and found that 64 percent of the managers of these markets reported an increase in customer traffic. Additionally, over the last decade many farmer’s markets have implemented Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) incentives, which allow low income families to access locally grown fresh produce.

Kip Kelley is the owner of Full Cellar Farm, located in Jefferson, Maryland. The farm sells its vegetables, herbs, flowers, pastured chicken, pork and eggs at FRESHFARM farmer’s market, which includes the DuPont Circle market. Kelley said that consumers should consider how fresh their food is when thinking about buying from farmer’s markets.

“When you’re getting something from a farmer’s market especially, you’re getting something that is less than 24 [hours] out of the ground or harvested,” Kelley said.

“Where else can you go to get that? In any other scenario it’s maybe best three days.”

In addition, Kelley said students should buy from farmer’s markets because it supports the local economy and local jobs.

“You’re supporting a local farmer who’s going to support a local hardware store who might support a local dentist. It’s less money leaving the direct area,” said Kelley. “That money is going toward them [the farmers] and their families, but they also hire a lot of local folks too, so you’re supporting jobs.”

Students can work at the weekly farmer’s market held on the AU quad on Wednesdays.

School of Public Affairs sophomore Shayna Levitan is a student working at the farmer’s market and finds local foods to be empowering.

“I think the coolest part about eating locally is that there is a story behind the product that you can be proud of. What I mean by this is that because you know where your food is coming from, you feel more confident regarding the treatment of workers,” Levitan said.

Levitan prefers eating locally because she can guarantee that workers are being treated well, which isn’t always the case when buying from non-locally sourced foods.

Farm-to-table restaurants A “farm-to-table” restaurant directly communicates with the farms from which they get their ingredients. DC Harvest is a farm-to-table restaurant on the H Street Corridor.

“Farm-to-table is not a legally defined term,” said owner and chef Arthur Ringel.

“We source as close as possible whenever possible.”

DC Harvest gets its produce, animal proteins and cheeses from within the Chesapeake watershed area. The produce is seasonal, which affects the menu throughout the year, Ringel said.

“Our only dish that we have had on the menu that is the same since we opened two and a half years ago is our vegetarian quinoa cakes,” Ringel said. “This past winter, we did a lot of root vegetables, now we have lighter vegetables like mushrooms, fennel, English peas and asparagus.”

Ringel said she supports locally grown foods because they are healthier, taste better and great for the consumer’s local economy.

“The shorter time it [takes to get] to your mouth means that the food is closer to full ripeness, and there is less time in transportation,” Ringel said. “You’re going to keep the money in the neighborhood and support your local economy. The farmers you are supporting, they are going to be your patrons and possibly your neighbors.”

Local food deliveries Galley Foods delivers pre-made meals with produce and protein that is locally grown and raised within 300 miles of D.C. “We source as local as possible and organic whenever possible. A lot of our protein comes from farms like a 150 miles away,” said Alexe Lawrence, marketing director for Galley Foods. “Our menu changes everyday. We offer six different options and then as the summer does come in, we get more of the fresh corn and fresh tomatoes that are locals from farms in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey and Virginia.”

Their meal options change daily and support a variety of dietary needs.

“It’s important to get back to basics and support the local small businesses and farmers that are in your towns and states and be able to give back in that way and support them through purchasing food,” Lawrence said. “Just knowing where your food comes from automatically makes you eat better and makes you make more thoughtful purchases.”

Though D.C is an urban area, it is still possible to find locally sourced foods in the city. One can support the local economy and jobs while also eating delicious, nutritious options by buying locally grown foods. eholmes@theagleonline.com

E

11

theEAGLE April 21, 2017

Professors in print: AU's notable authors A wide range of topics provide students and staff with much to read

By Dilpreet Raju Life Staff Writer AU’s literary scene has a lot to look forward to this year, including a slew of new books by AU professors.

These books span a wide spectrum of topics, ranging from the political far right youth in Germany all the way to childhood development issues facing the U.S.. The Eagle has compiled a great reading list from three of AU’s five schools, the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Communication and the School of Public Affairs, just in time for summer reading.

College of Arts and Sciences “Extreme Gone Mainstream: Commercialization and Far Right Youth Culture in Germany” Dr. Cynthia Miller-Idriss, associate professor of education and sociology Dr. Cynthia Miller-Idriss’ new book tells the tale of how the far right have branded themselves and, now, the youth generation of Germany. The ultimate commercialization of this belief has only expanded the far right’s impact. The politicized clothing began by capitalizing on the symbols affiliated with Nazi Culture and providing teens with a way to attach themselves to the hate-filled movement.

Miller-Idriss said that the book’s inception came from one of her previous works, “Blood and Culture: Youth, Right-Wing Extremism, and National Belonging in Contemporary Germany”, which explored Nationalism in Germany. Her trip back to Germany in search of a cover photo for the first book wound its way into an investigation into youth style and the extremist political ideologies that the attire expressed.

“The role that material culture can play in helping to constitute identity -- it happens for young people, it happens for older people - the kind of products you purchase tie into the kind of person you are or want to be,” Miller-Idriss said.

Miller-Idriss believes the phenomenon at hand “is part of a much broader shift, a generational change, in how subcultural identities are experienced.”

Her examination of employing fashion as a means

MAHOGANY DAVISON/ THE EAGLE

Dr. Cynthia Miller-Idriss' inspiration for her book came after a visit to Germany and investigates youth style and politics.

to express political beliefs goes deep into the subcultural shift of today’s far right movement.

Specifically, a style-choice considered as simple as a T-shirt became an “identity-based billboard,” she said.

Miller-Idriss investigates through the thick and thin of the growing extremism that troubles many schools across Germany. “Extreme Gone Mainstream: Commercialization and Far Right Youth Culture in Germany” will be available for purchase in late 2017.

School of Communication “Mightier Than the Sword: How the News Media Have Shaped American History” Rodger Streitmatter, professor of journalism “Mightier Than the Sword” has now been published in a third edition, two decades after its initial release in 1997.

The new edition could not have come at a better time, considering the intense and “exciting,” as Streitmatter puts it, period it is for journalism.

Streitmatter’s interest in today’s media culture lies in the 2016 presidential election, something he thinks he could write about in a future book or edition of “Mightier Than the Sword.”

“I think it would be interesting to do an analysis and write a chapter on the 2016 election .. I do think it would have to be very different from some of the other chapters [in the book].”

Streitmatter does not just examine journalism however, he digs deeper into how the changing streamline of news information has altered and impacted the history of America itself.

“The news media is a powerful institution and we should take note of that and students should be aware of that,” Streitmatter said.

News outlets are currently under fire from President Trump and his administration and the cable-cutting movement, the public’s transition to web services rather than traditional cable news and tv providers, has gone in full swing – meaning that news information has spread to many avenues. Social media, online news and cable news are all competing to gain the public’s trust and audience.

“Now, I’d have to talk about Breitbart, for example, and news venues that frankly I just don’t know much about,”

MAHOGANY DAVISON/ THE EAGLE

This is the third edition of Rodger Streitmatter's book "Mightier than the Sword," first published in 1997.

Streitmatter said. “They seemed to have just happened during this election cycle.”

Streitmatter takes readers on a journey from America’s independence all the way to the Obama administration and asserts that the media has, is and will continue to be a powerful institution in America. “Mightier Than the Sword: How the News Media Have Shaped American History” is available for purchase online today.

School of Public Affairs “Cradle to Kindergarten: A New Plan to Combat Inequality” Co-Authored by Taryn Morrissey, Associate Professor of Public Administration and Policy In her new book, Dr. Taryn Morrissey examines America’s childhood development status only to find that it is in more than just a small rut, it is in disarray.

In “Cradle to Kindergarten,” Dr. Morrissey and a team of three other authors work to craft a new way for America to solve this increasingly concerning problem for all families with young children that are struggling to afford programming and other youth development resources.

“There are wide disparities between high-income kids and low-income kids and what they’re prepared to do,” Morrissey said. “If all children were given an equal playing field in kindergarten, just think of all the possibilities.”

Morrissey said the U.S. has more trouble with this issue than other countries.

“The U.S. has particularly stark disparities in access to preschools,” Morrissey said. “Other developed nations have much higher preschool attendance than we do, especially among low-income kids.”

Morrissey’s book journeys through a well-crafted plan to not only fix the status of youth development but to correct the future disparities caused by this issue – outlining a plan to create more opportunity for America’s youth.

“Cradle to Kindergarten: A New Plan to Combat Inequality” is available for purchase online today. draju@theeagleonline.com

MAHOGANY DAVISON/ THE EAGLE

Dr. Taryn Morrisey co-authored her new book with Ajay Chaudry, Christina Weiland and Hirokazu Yoshikawa.

SPORTS

12

AU Athletics lays out future plans

How the major University department is gearing up for its next phase

By Gabe Bichinho and Vincent Salandro Assistant Sports Editor and Managing Editor for Sports

While AU’s sports teams may receive a good deal of praise from the University, the department that oversees them, Athletics and Sports and Fitness, has for years lacked a specific plan for how it will push its multi-million dollar program to the next level.

Led by Athletic Director Billy Walker, the department released its first strategic plan last summer to outline its goals for advancing the program in the next five years. The plan focuses on areas to enhance the distinct experience of AU student-athletes, by pledging to improve tools for academic success and on-field performance.

Now one year into the plan, the arrival of a new university president and stagnation in recent funding could impact the feasibility of completing those plans. “[Academics and athletics] are not mutually exclusive, we know that those are complementary and our coaches buy into that, our staff buy into that and hopefully our athletes buy into that as well,” Walker said. “That’s all a part of what we’re saying in the strategic plan, our vision and our mission and our core philosophy. We want to make sure American is branded as American and that we’re unique and valuable.”

Smaller budget, new president could limit growth The Athletics and Sports and Fitness department’s total budget this year was $14.1 million, yet that still only made up 2.2 percent of the University’s total budget. And that number pales in comparison to other schools in the Patriot League. Boston University’s athletic department had the highest budget in the league last year at $31 million, and Lafayette University, which has the second lowest budget ahead of AU, still had a $17 million budget last year.

This smaller budget limits the scope of the department’s strategic plans for improving campus athletic facilities and funding for student athletic programs.

No member of the AU athletic department is directly involved in the budget meetings, but instead make their requests known to the budget committee, Associate Athletic Director and Business Operations Director Josephine Harrington said.

The department’s allocation of the University budget is divided into two accounts: operating and institutional.

Operating accounts, $8.8 million of the athletic department’s budget, are spent on day-to-day costs such as team equipment and employee salaries. The other portion of the budget, institutional accounts, totals $5.26 million and is spent on student-athlete scholarships, which this year included 234 varsity athletes.

The department’s strategic plan introduces the goal of providing “state of the art facilities,” starting with replacing the turf on Jacobs Field, which has exceeded its usable 10 year life cycle. Additionally, the department plans to add field turf to the Universityowned field on the 4500 block of Massachusetts Avenue.

The department’s biggest undertaking is a plan to build an extension onto the back of Bender Arena to relocate the intercollegiate weight room and wrestling room from its current home in the Jacobs Fitness Center, though Walker admits it may not be feasible to finish the project in the remaining four years of the plan.

“We know where we’re at and we’re realistic on what we can and can’t do,” Walker said of the university’s athletic facilities. “That’s why the things that we’re trying to upgrade are things we can do and that can make a huge difference.”

Long term projects like these may have their timelines adjusted by the arrival of new University president Sylvia Burwell. Walker said the department will have talks with Burwell to see how the athletic department’s facility plans fit with her larger university vision.

“She seems very down-to-earth, relatable, and very excited to support athletics,” Walker said of Burwell. “I’m anxious to start working with her and start moving forward, still, towards greater goals.”

Athletics searches for new revenue sources To help finance all these endeavors, the plan also includes goals to expand revenue generating opportunities by identifying new donors and sponsors for the athletic department.

Money from AU Athletics’ donor group, Eagles Club, makes up the majority of revenue taken in by the department, Associate Athletic Director and Director of External Relations David Bierwirth said. Membership in Eagles Club has increased by 40 percent in the four years since Walker began serving as athletic director in 2013.

While donations have increased over the past two years, ticket sales have fluctuated.

Men’s basketball has particularly suffered. In 2013-2014, when the men’s basketball team won the Patriot League and reached the NCAA Tournament, average attendance at home games was 1,681 people. This season, the average attendance was 604. Meanwhile average attendance at women’s basketball games over the same four year period increased from 350 to 399.

The department is aiming to combat the low attendance by increasing its social media presence and by partnering with student groups such as the Blue Crew and Greek Life organizations, Bierwirth said.

“We’re not asking for 7,000 undergraduates to be here,” Walker said. “But if we have 1,000 of them [undergraduates], it would be unbelievable in there [Bender].”

Department looks to improve student experience Under the Athletic Achievement section of the strategic plan, the department stated the initiative to “continue to increase athletic scholarships to more fully fund our intercollegiate programs.”

Full funding means that an athletic program receives the maximum number of scholarships permitted for that sport by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Basketball and volleyball programs at Division I universities receive “headcount” scholarships, in which all scholarship recipients receive full academic scholarships. Other teams at AU receive less than the maximum number of scholarships permitted for their sport, and the money behind these scholarships is divided up across their rosters.

At AU, the field hockey program receives the monetary equivalent of 12 full scholarships to allocate across its 21 member roster. Meanwhile the swimming and diving program receives no scholarship money.

CARL MOORE/ THE EAGLE The athletic department would like to grow the number of scholarships for underfunded teams, either through budget requests in the University’s bi-annual budget or through privately endowed scholarships, which requires around $1 million, Walker said.

“Realistically, more of those scholarships are going to come from the institution, but we’re going to keep attacking it from both ways.”

In the Athletic Achievement section of the strategic plan, the department pledges to work to offer as many resources as possible for student athletes in varsity, club and intramural sports.

This included increasing funding for club and intramural sports and hired an additional athletic trainer.

The department also recently added Brian Levenson as a mental health performance coach to its staff. To help with athletes’ physical health, AU introduced the Eagle Energy nutrition program at the beginning of 2016, and will begin working with a licensed nutritionist next fall.

The department will evaluate progress made towards the goals in the strategic plan at the end of each academic term, Walker said. The plan will be evaluated based on developments in each area of the plan and the department will determine which areas need more focus in the following academic term.

“One of the steps when you’re doing the strategic plan is planning the last step, which is assessment,” Walker said. “Each of the point of contacts for each of the areas [in the strategic plan] will take their area and start doing an assessment and bring it back to me and we’ll see how we’re doing and adjust from there.” gbichinho@theeagleonline.com and vsalandro@theeagleonline.com

13

theEAGLE April 21, 2017

Transfers leave men's basketball in tough spot What the Eagles are losing Delante Jones made an immediate impact in his freshman season. Starting 28 out of 30 games, Jones was named the 2015-16 Patriot League Rookie of the Year. He scored 18 points or more eight times in his award-winning season, including a 23-point effort against Navy. With Jesse Reed leaving, it appeared as if Jones was destined to lead the Eagles in scoring for his remaining three years.

His sophomore year, ERICA VELTMAN/ THE EAGLE however, saw little improvement Delante Jones announced on March 15 that he would be transferring from AU. He is to his game. Jones’ inability to one of four players who are prematurely leaving the team. create off the dribble allowed defenses to run him off the three point line, and his stats were

By Matt Holt relatively the same as his freshman season -- if not a little Senior Staff Writer bit worse.

Brennan told WTOP before the season that it would When Lonnie Rivera, Delante Jones and James be a difficult one for Jones. “To be honest, I think he’ll Washington signed their National Letters of Intent have a tough year as people know about him and he’s our to play basketball at AU in 2014, there was a genuine leading returning scorer,” Brennan said. “But he’s one buzz around the program. Jones and Washington were of the hardest workers and one of the more coachable 3-star recruits, and Rivera had international basketball guys I’ve been around. He’s made a lot of strides in the preseason.” experience with the Puerto Rican national team.

Regardless of a sophomore slump, Jones was a big, Serbian center Andrija Matic would fill the void of athletic guard who was one of the most gifted athletes an intelligent, tough big man that The Eagles lost when Tony Wroblicky graduated after the 2013-14 season. on the roster. Out of the four transfers, he is the biggest Kevin Panzer, a senior transfer for the 2014 season, loss to the team.

Rivera did not make much of an impact his freshman could not play consistent minutes -- whether it was year.

Stuck behind experienced players like Vasic, Reed, due to injury or poor play -- and the Eagles made a run to the Patriot League championship with 6’5 forward and Charlie Jones, Rivera appeared in only 23 games and averaging about 10 minutes a game.

Marko Vasic at center.

His sophomore season was riddled with injury, but The recruiting class of 2019 had the tall order of there were flashes of what Rivera could do as a versatile replacing John Schoof, Jesse Reed and Darius “Pee-Wee” Gardner -- cornerstones of the program that brought a player who was able to defend multiple positions. He Patriot League championship back to Bender Arena in started nine games, and averaged five points and two 2014 and finished runner-up the following year. This rebounds in 17.4 minutes a game.

The graduation of Charlie Jones this year would have class would be the next generation to challenge for a Patriot League championship.

And now, sans Washington, all of them are gone.

“Four of our men’s basketball players will not be returning to AU next year,” Brennan told The Eagle in a statement. “Delante Jones and Lonnie Rivera have decided to transfer to study and play elsewhere, Andrija Matic is leaving school early to pursue a professional career overseas, and Alex Paquin graduates this spring and has the opportunity to return home to Canada to continue his education with two years of eligibility remaining.”

Lonnie Rivera and Delante Jones announced their transfers on March 15 and 16. Soon after, Matic and junior guard Alex Paquin, who ia not a part of the 2019 recruiting class, announced they would be leaving the Eagles as well.

Matic announced via Instagram on March 22 that he would be leaving AU, and Paquin’s transfer was reported

by Pete Yannapoulos, a Canadian basketball analyst.

These transfers leave just seven returning players on the Eagles’ roster.

“We’d like to thank all four for their contributions to American University, and we wish them success as they embark on this new chapter in their careers.”

Brennan said in the statement. “I’m extremely excited about our returning players and the progress they have made so far this spring. Coupled with the incoming freshmen class, I feel we have a group that is capable of being competitive in the league, and helping us return to championship-caliber play.”

meant an opportunity for Rivera to get more playing time. Although Jones was the quintessential glue guy, somebody who would do all of the overlooked “little things” for the team to win games, Rivera could have filled that role for the Eagles and made it his own.

Out of the sophomore class, Andrija Matic probably had the most disappointing season. His freshman campaign saw him play in all but two games. His stats were modest -- 4 points and 2 rebounds a game in 15 minutes a game. But with each game, he seemed to gain confidence, and looked more and more comfortable in the Princeton offensive strategy. “[Matic] was thrown into the fire last year,” Brennan told The Eagle ahead of the 2016-2017 season. “He was able to do everything we asked, score in the low post.

He’s going to be a big part of what we do going forward.”

His sophomore season was an entirely different story. From playing in 30 games his freshman season, he only played 17 out of 30 games this year, averaging 6.8 minutes per game. With the emergence of freshman big man Mark Gasperini and the solid play of Matt Cimino, Matic found himself on the outside looking in.

Alex Paquin came to the Eagles with Gardner and Schoof ahead of him, which was one of the best backcourts in the Patriot League. Opportunities were hard to come by his freshman and sophomore seasons -- the emergence of sophomore James Washington and Delante Jones limited Paquin’s minutes. He appeared in 25 games last year, and showed a desire to attack on offense.

Freshman Sa’eed Nelson, a member of this year’s Patriot League all-rookie team, played 37 minutes a game, and with Jones averaging over 30 minutes a game as well, Paquin was relegated to short stints off the bench.

Uncertainty clouds AU’s program. With the loss of these four players, the Eagles will have to rely heavily on their next recruiting class and transfers. The Eagles struggled this season, finishing ninth in the Patriot League. This was supposed to be a building year, getting younger guys valuable experience to compete for the Patriot League title in the coming seasons. Those building blocks are gone, and now Brennan and his staff will have to start from scratch. mholt@theeagleonline.com

ERICA VELTMAN/ THE EAGLE

Alex Paquin, center, is departing from the team, along with three others, leaving just seven returning players on AU's roster.

OPINION

14

The politicization of Teen Vogue

By Julia Gagnon Staff Columnist Shortly after the most recent chemical attacks on Syria I was listening to the unceasing stream of consciousness from CNN’s political pundits as they attempted to explain the significance of this event.

Amid these aggressive exchanges between experts I decided to research more clear and concise explanations of the day’s events.

My searches produced a piece recently published on Teen Vogue’s website. In this article, Executive Director of Amnesty International USA Margaret Huang lays out the the global and domestic

importance of Syria’s chemical attack without condescension or pretension.

She emphasizes the importance of intervention without disregarding the moral and ethical implications of military action. It has depth, dimensions and heart.

This article is part of a larger recent shift in Teen Vogue’s content to showcase more political and social justice issues.

This trend of politicization of the magazine’s content did not start with this article and it will not end with its release.

The uncertainty and urgency that lives within America’s current political climate is hard to ignore and Teen Vogue is just one example of how previously politically neutral organizations have begun to launch their own opinions into the dark void of political discourse.

Teen Vogue’s newest content promotes the contrasts that appear within the notion of womanhood and dispels the antiquated idea that women who are political and powerful do not care about their appearance.

This notion that women can have all these qualities is powerful and important and one that I think every woman should support with their personal and professional lives.

However, it is important to note who these agents of social change are and who they have historically been.

Much of Teen Vogues shift in messaging

began with its editorial change in May 2016 when Elaine Welteroth, the magazine’s former Beauty and Health editor, became the second African-American editor of a Conde Nast publication, which owns Teen Vogue, in its 107 year history. Welteroth described her vision for the magazine as a way to promote activism through education and exploration of information and ideas. Driven by Welteroth, this recent politicization of content has led to a nearly 124 percent spike in online readership.

The magazine has continued to release pieces that critically discuss hot-button issues including myths surrounding the sexuality of enslaved women and healing after sexual assault.

The first instance of Teen Vogue breaking from its traditional fashion inspired profile was in its August 2015 issue, which featured three unknown models of color. This created waves in the fashion industry, as featuring unknown models was usually not done, unless at least one of them was white. As more issues were released more changes were made in the appearance of the magazine’s content, from its articles to its models. It was clear that this magazine was not only producing content for women, but more specifically for women of color. While this celebration of the complexities of womanhood across

all identities is beneficial for all women it is important to understand who are the women leading this change in thought and how we are supporting them.

As a white woman I can be excited about the politically and culturally active stance that Teen Vogue has taken, but it is also important for me to recognize the source of this change. Fifty three percent of white women still voted for Donald Trump and I cannot pretend that I was not socialized among that same ideology - a mindset that operates in fear and selfprotection against enemies that I have been told are bad because they don’t look like me. It has never been imperative that I understand social justice issues- my safety and my community have never and will never depend on it.

I cannot tell the story of female empowerment through Teen Vogue without recognizing who led it and who has been leading it throughout historyblack women. The burden of social change is often placed upon their shoulders and as white women we must understand when to listen and when to help.

Julia Gagnon is a sophomore in the School of Public Affairs and a columnist for The Eagle. jgagnon@theeagleonline.com PHOTO BY OWAIN JAMES/ THE EAGLE

Letter from the editor: A year well spent

By Kate Magill Editor-in-Chief

I had a lot of concerns when I took on the position of editor-in-chief of The Eagle last April. When I accepted the role after a great deal of thought, I worried about my ability to lead an entire staff, making the wrong decisions under pressure and about being overworked.

Twelve months later, I’m not sure that I always made the best decisions or had a flawless leadership style, and I know I’ve been overworked. But I am sure that taking on this job was the right decision.

Serving as editor-in-chief was every bit as tiring and, at times, frustrating as former editors warned me it would be, however it was also the most rewarding experience of my time at AU. The job affirmed my passion for journalism and allowed me to help improve the student organization that gave me a voice and

a home in college. Most importantly, it brought me to a group of hardworking and caring people, who I consider myself unbelievably lucky to have led.

Together, this amazing bunch of people took on a tumultuous year of news with me, covering everything from the presidential inauguration to local crime to a new University president. We revamped our culture section to go from “Scene” to “Life” to bring in new content. And we pushed ourselves to be more dogged reporters, going after difficult stories and working to hold those in power accountable.

I asked The Eagle staff to try a lot of new things this year -- to dig deeper for stories, to push ourselves to have a larger digital presence and to work to make our paper as vital as possible to AU’s campus life.

Our staff, which has grown in both its physical size and its talents this year, not only took on these endeavors, but did so in ways I never could have imagined.

Every day staff members amazed me with new ideas and approaches to stories and projects. They engrained in me the notion that no one accomplishes anything alone.

None of the goals I set for The Eagle could have been achieved without these people, a few of whom I’d especially like to shout out.

Courtney Rozen, thank you for bringing your passion and diligence into the newsroom every day. Your own dedication to your job helped keep me dedicated on days when I wanted to give up, and the empathy and care you show to all of your reporters is something I try to emulate as a leader. I have every

confidence that you are going to bring all of these talents to your role as editor-inchief next year, and it is because of this that I know I am leaving the paper in the best possible hands.

Arielle Weg, thank you for showing me what it means to set, execute and accomplish a goal. You wanted to rebrand our Scene section into something new, and you’ve done so successfully. I’m so proud of all the work you’ve accomplished to push our paper in new directions.

Chris Young, thank you for jumping in head first as our adviser this year. You came to AU at a time when our campus was on unsettled ground, and you’ve helped guide our staff through the hardest days. Thank you for your unflinching support and advocacy for not only The Eagle, but all of student media.

And finally, thank you to my right hand gal Haley Samsel. Thank you for being my sounding board for new ideas, my griping buddy on long days and for showing me the humor in even the darkest moments.

Without you, I would never have been able to do this job. You’ve furthered The Eagle as a digital publication and as a student organization in more ways than I can describe, and I am forever grateful for that.

These people, along with so many others, raised the standards of The Eagle this year, making us more present and vital on campus than ever before. Together we were able to accomplish new feats and to produce content that left a real impact on the community.

There is still more I’d like to see from

The Eagle in the future. I want to see it fully take hold of being a multi-platform digital publication and I want to see the staff tackle more investigative pieces. I want to see the organization continue to diversify the content we produce, bringing in voices from all corners of our community, and I want to see our staff continue to grow and evolve to be even more welcoming and inclusive to all students.

Our work as journalists and as a student group is never over, and so I hope that The Eagle’s future leaders take on some of these goals. I know the paper’s next leaders, beginning with Courtney, will work tirelessly to accomplish not only these objectives but so many more.

Four years since joining The Eagle, I’ve lost track of the number of hours I’ve spent in the windowless office in MGC 252, or the number of stories I’ve edited and pestering phone calls I’ve made to sources. What stands out to me now is the impact we can make as student journalists, the knowledge I’ve gained in reporting and in life and the friendships I’ve formed.

The Eagle provides a home to so many students, and as I get ready to say goodbye to this group and think of how much in life is still uncertain, I am sure of how grateful I am to have found my place here at The Eagle.

Kate Magill is the 2016-17 editor-in-chief of The Eagle.

PHOTO BY TAAMEEN MOHAMMAD/ THE EAGLE

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theEAGLE April 21, 2017

A reflection on Black leadership

By Devontae Torriente Contributing Columnist

As my term as your student body president comes to a close, I can’t help but think about what this time has meant to me.

What I found most interesting, and painful, about the year is the role my race played in everything I did. When I was campaigning for the position, I tried to avoid being the “Black candidate.” I did not want to be known as the Black guy who only focused on race.

I was a multifaceted candidate with an understanding of many different issues on our campus and I did not want to be pigeonholed or stereotyped. But the fact of the matter is that even while I tried to avoid being the Black candidate, I could not avoid being the Black president.

I started my term on a sour note.

Former Student Government Secretary

Faith Rokowski resigned early in the year and accusations that I was responsible followed shortly after. It was a story that quickly spiraled out of control and became a source of tension.

I was met with comments and criticisms laced with racist undertones; I was told that I was “aggressive,” that I was a “bully” because I expected basic competence, and my work was constantly being devalued by many people in Student Government.

People lied and manipulated the issue to achieve their vengeful ends, reinforcing all the things people say they hate about SG. Ultimately, it detracted from what we were all there to do - our jobs - and resulted in lost time we can never get back.

Race played a significant role in that entire situation, even though I didn’t notice it at first. It was an instance of white mediocrity run amok. This was a situation in which I made clear to Student Government members that the level of work being produced was unacceptable and simply would not suffice. This year, we communicated vital information about the presidential search process, the University budget and other big-ticket items that were a priority for all students, and that required a certain quality of work.

As the Black president of a predominantly white organization, at a predominantly white school, it was much easier for people to make me out to be the big, bad, aggressive Black guy than it was to tell the truth and work on finding a solution. I was placed squarely in the Sunken Place, which represents how

the system silences those of us who are marginalized. In short, I was held hostage and there was nothing that I could say or do about the racism I faced because of my position.

Too many of the problems I faced during my presidency mirrored pages taken out of “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “Native Son” or any work that depicts how anti-Blackness manifests on an institutional or societal level. What I was forced to endure was an attempted high-tech lynching by those directly involved and those who chose to enflame the situation by making it a spectacle in Undergraduate Senate discussions, on social media and to their friends. It was completely unacceptable, but ultimately it hinged on what people wanted to believe.

I say all of this because there is a conversation about race and leadership on our campus that people don’t seem to want to have. I’ve learned that being the Black president of a predominantly white organization and student body comes with a unique set of obstacles to overcome, and we won’t be able to effectively challenge and remove these structural shortcomings if we don’t address them.

We need more people of color, Black people and, more importantly, people who recognize how racism manifests in leadership positions to prevent it from rearing its ugly head the way it did this past year. Essentially, we need more people who are willing to call out and combat racism in Student Government and beyond, and I’m confident that will be the case with the

incoming leadership of the organization.

I’ve spent my entire AU career fighting for all of us to have a more nuanced understanding of race and structural barriers. From providing input on and teaching the new AUx courses, to helping change the Conduct Code to account for identity-based motivations in sanctions and creating the Student Involvement Fund to invest in student leaders, this has been and will continue to be my life’s work.

Despite every instance of racism I faced this year, this is only some of what I did as your president. Even in light of the more challenging aspects of my term, I still wholeheartedly believe that my time as president has been one of the most meaningful experiences I have ever had.

I hope that after all is said and done, my leadership has changed our community for the better and will empower students from marginalized backgrounds to continue to lead even amidst the obstacles in their path.

With that said, I could not have done any of this alone. I have been fortunate enough to have a great team, a strong support system and a passionate student body to sustain me throughout the year.

From the bottom of my heart, I thank you all for the experience of a lifetime.

Devontae Torriente is a junior in the School of Public Affairs and the 2016-17 AUSG president.

PHOTO BY OWAIN JAMES/ THE EAGLE

Staff editorial: We need answers, Public Safety The Eagle makes the case for why all students deserve a safe ride home

By The Eagle Editorial Board Every year, AU takes on another class of intelligent, capable students who seek to make their new home in our safe campus community. Eagle Summit orientation sessions and prospective student tours heavily push the idea of AU’s neighborhood being a safehaven bubble from the general D.C. metropolitan population. However, this is juxtaposed by the fact that AU’s oncampus residence facilities are simply unable to accommodate all students due to physical space limitations.

This problem manifests most prominently in the droves of upperclassmen and even underclassmen who are ‘forced’ to move to off-campus housing, at locations such as the Berkshire apartments and the Avalon at Foxhall. This is important as we look at the methods, intentions and limitations of AU’s “Safe Escort” service. Currently,

Public Safety defines the AU community in terms of property that the University owns rather than the people who populate that property. These places are the only ones that AU police will escort students to if they feel unsafe. Even for the hundreds of students who live in nearby off-campus housing such as the Berkshire or the Avalon at Foxhall, they are not entitled to a safe ride home.

The Eagle finds this fact troubling when put in context with the recent increase in local crime that has affected students in these off-campus areas, as students are left with few options to get home safely if they find themselves in an insecure situation. Further, when The Eagle interviewed University officials and questioned Public Safety’s decision not to provide such a service, we were given incomplete responses that revolved around the subject of tight budgets, and that a financially feasible option for providing safe rides/escorts home has not arisen.

But, what kind of lackluster response

is this from an institution that advertises itself as a hotbed of innovative solutions?

This is especially unbefitting when other D.C. schools, including Georgetown University and George Washington University, have implemented solutions to this exact problem. Brainstorming among our own staff, The Eagle thought of potential solutions, such as rerouting a shuttle bus to take students down Massachusetts Avenue during nighttime hours. Do we have to wait until profound tragedy strikes before the campus community is allowed to sit down and brainstorm how to solve an important community issue? Shouldn't we be proactive rather than reactive?

Philip Morse, the Executive Director of Public Safety, is a figure who has been largely absent from these discussions that pertain to the job he is paid to do.

While our staff is appreciative of Director of Public Relations Kelly Alexander, who is designated to speak on behalf of AU Public Safety, this is a letter from a group within the community directly to Morse

and his department. When you are ready to discuss with the campus community how the AU police department plans to deliver on the security they promise to students, the AU community -- all of the AU student community, both on-campus and off -- is here, ready to speak with you. The Eagle calls upon the University administration to acknowledge this issue, inform the campus community and make strides toward our own wonky AU solution.

-E edpage@theeagleonline.com