Students, faculty uncertain of path forward amid budget shortfall p.6
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Letter from the Editor: Capturing a Century in Ink
Moving hundreds of our old newspapers out of our former office, I found myself constantly distracted by our old stories. From how students marked previous presidential elections to the groundbreaking on the School of International Service building, I left, fingers stained in ink from newspapers older than myself, with an even more profound appreciation for the work The Eagle dedicates to capturing moments. While the frequency of our print editions has changed over time, the dedication of our staff and the power physical newspapers hold to capture history stays. The Eagle has printed newspapers for almost 100 years now, a process that ties us back to our founding and all the generations of Eagle staffers before us. Our
staff spends months preparing for the elusive print edition, from sitting down for multiple in-depth interviews or traversing the city to capture eye-catching photos, to craft this time capsule.
The print edition, a collection of stories throughout the semester, serves as a snapshot in time of life at American University and D.C. Through the dedication of our team to cover every corner of campus, people today and anytime in the future can read about the most important issues, whether that be the current budget deficit or dining inclusivity.
As we mark our centennial anniversary in 2025, I have faith that print editions for the next 100 years will continue this mission of capturing our campus at a moment in
time. If you pick up this edition next year or in 30 years, you’ll be transported back to life at AU this semester (hopefully without ink-stained fingers).
None of this would be possible without support of so many on and off The Eagle. I want to commend the dedication of all of our staff, both in print and in every other way they contribute to our essential work. To our new staffers this semester, you knocked it out of the park and I am thrilled to cheer you on along the way.
To Tyler Davis, for their dedication to running the news section and the ability to read my mind before I even text them.
To Izzy Fantini and Luna Jinks, along with their multimedia and copy editing teams, who spend hours ensuring this print edition is up to the highest standard.
To Sarai Batallas, for her vision in relaunching El Águila’s original reporting and the El Águila staff, for their hard work covering essential campus and local stories in Spanish.
To Delaney Hoke, Marina Zackwiewicz, Neev Agarwal, Rebeca Samano Arellano and Alexa Gelormini, for all of their leadership and guidance for the next generation of Eagle staffers.
To Heather, Courtney, Brett and The Eagle Advisory Board for all of their work preparing The Eagle’s 100th anniversary and being our biggest advocates.
To Amy Eisman and John Watson, for their continuous support in guiding us through our work.
To our readers, past, present and future, thank you for supporting us for 100 years. We look forward to serving you for the next century and beyond.
Abigail Turner Editor-in-Chief 2024-2025
Thursdays in Tenleytown graced by jazz of Ringo AK Star
by Olivia Wood, Administration Editor, and Sophie Milner-Gorvine, News Staff Writer
We first approach the musician, who goes by Ringo AK Star, in sundrenched Tenleytown as he sets up his saxophone. The instrument case teeters dangerously on the ledge above the Metro station escalators as he dips his reed in a plastic water bottle and smiles at us warmly. In a black jacket, baseball hat and blue jeans, he’s inconspicuous, but his music brings the quiet neighborhood to life.
The sound of Ringo’s alto saxophone echoes through the evening air every Thursday just outside the Tenleytown - AU Metro station. Tenleytown isn’t the only place that Ringo performs, but he finds something special in the unimposing suburban spread of this neighborhood.
“It’s a good area, people are so nice. People enjoy my music. I like that about this place. People respect you,” Ringo said. “I like the ambiance here. That’s the reason why I’m here, just once a week.”
Yet, it’s not really about the place for Ringo; his presence at the Metro station is mostly about playing his saxophone. He doesn’t necessarily see it as a performance, but rather a rehearsal.
“When I’m doing street performing it’s like I’m practicing. Instead of practicing at home I get to play in the street,” he said. Still, he practices for at least an hour a day at home as well.
Ringo’s love for music began at an early age and spans instruments — from the bass to the piano — but he especially loves the sax.
“My dad used to play the trumpet a long time ago,” Ringo said, laughing. “I would listen to him play. Maybe I picked that up from my dad.”
Ringo wanted this article to be about the music. He spoke of his biggest inspirations: John Coltrane, Boney
James and Sonny Rollins. Though he likes all kinds of music, smooth jazz holds a special place in both his taste and his repertoire.
The D.C., Maryland and Virginia area has been Ringo’s home for his entire life, and he now lives in Rockville, Maryland. Before the pandemic, he played with a band in Baltimore, but currently plays bass at a church every Sunday. Aside from freelance music, he works as an independent contractor for different companies in Virginia.
This interview wasn’t the first time that Ringo had interacted with American University student journalists. Years ago, one of his performances was interrupted by students with a similar idea to our own.
According to Ringo, these students recorded his music and then conducted an interview. They made a video and overlapped the performance with him speaking.
“When they played that back to me, I loved it,” Ringo said, adding that he’d even kept up with one of the students.
Many in the University community have probably passed by him, either consciously enjoying his music or continuing with their routine. Yet, even with busy days, consider pausing a moment longer, as Ringo preaches the power of music amidst the habits and occasional monotony of D.C. life.
“[Music] is good for the body and soul,” Ringo reminded us.
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Campus dining offers limited options to dietary restricted students
Students say kosher, halal and gluten-free options lack
by Izzy Fantini, Managing Editor of Multimedia, and Kadie Fishman, News Staff Writer
A lack of transparency on food preparations, along with the scarcity of food options for those with dietary restrictions, leaves affected students unable to consistently eat on campus.
The District Pickle, an on-campus deli that provided kosher options, closed, leaving students with limited alternatives. Students said the kosher nook in the Terrace Dining Room is their only option, but it’s not enough.
salads.
There are certified halal options outside of TDR, such as Halal Shack and Baba’s Pizza. Since there is no halal nook inside TDR, all the chicken in TDR has been certified halal, according to Deal.
Ezra Williams, a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences and a member of AU Chabad noted that the TDR provides options, but “it is just impossible” to eat at on-campus restaurants. He chose the All Inclusive Premium plan, the highest meal plan option, “expecting to be able to eat at a kosher restaurant.”
The District Pickle closed because the renovations in TDR allowed for “significant improvements for Kosher service,” according to Elizabeth Deal, the assistant vice president and deputy chief communications officer. Deal also said Eagle Express provides kosher sandwiches and
Aiza Arif, a sophomore in CAS, became dependent on dining options that did not include meat during her freshman year as a result of miscommunication with staffers about what is considered halal and a lack of visible certifications surrounding halal food. These issues caused her to forgo a dining plan sophomore year.
According to Deal, AU Dining had certification signage, but it was not posted until Nov. 12 at the cashier area in TDR.
AU Dining dietitians to dining workers have left them doublechecking their meals and seeking off-campus alternatives.
The University’s dietician, Juliana Sampaio, is a registered and licensed professional who passed a national exam on all dietary restrictions, according to Deal. Deal said employees who work in the Delicious Without and Avoiding Gluten station have gone through an additional training program.
“It’s a bunch of restrictions on [halal] students for what they can eat and a lot of the times they are like, ‘We’re going to take their word for it; if it is halal then it is halal,’ but then again you don’t even know because [AU] doesn’t even know what’s halal,” Arif said.
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Kayton Stanton, a freshman in School of Public Affairs, said she stays away from gluten because she has juvenile arthritis and gluten can cause inflam mation and flare-ups, mainly in her hands. Stanton recounted an experience in TDR where she got chicken that was labeled “avoiding gluten,” but the sauce it was in did contain gluten and ended up making her feel unwell.
Students said issues with a lack of education given by
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In face of changing expression policies, student leaders remain united
Lack of transparency leaves students unsure of sanctioned speech
by Sofia Thomas News Staff Writer
When American University President Jonathan Alger announced that the Jan. 25 directives were no longer in effect and University leadership would revise the expression policies, he shared that student feedback would play a vital role in shaping the policies. However, several student leaders expressed that their input still goes unheard.
“It’s incredibly frustrating to be told that your voice matters, especially as a student, and then have it be brought home that it does not matter,” said Grace Cosovich, President of the Sunrise Movement and a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Former University President Sylvia Burwell put the Jan. 25 directives into effect to address “recent events and incidents on campus” that “made Jewish students feel unsafe and unwelcomed” and to “support a sense of belonging on campus.”
Burwell’s announcement came after the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law and Jewish On Campus filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights asking them to investigate alleged violations of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Asher Heisten, a senator-at-large and sophomore in the School of Public Affairs, said Burwell’s announcement was “a complete blind side to [himself] and every single member of AUSG.”
During the 2024 spring semester, the administration faced criticism for the directives: SG held protests at Alger’s welcome reception and New Eagle Day, the University’s chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine delivered a letter to the President’s House demanding she protect student expression and the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression sent a letter to the administration urging the revision of the policies.
“AU has a long history of protests and that is something that we need to protect,” Heisten said. “By introducing Alger to that on his first day at AU, I think he recognized that and recognized the power of it.”
In his announcement that the University would revise the policies, Alger wrote “free expression and the creation of a safe and welcoming community for all are bedrock principles” of the University.
Arusa Islam, president of SG and a senior in SPA, said she thought Alger’s “strong belief in free speech and making sure that students can express that” motivated him to change the directives.
Alger previously worked in the national office of the American Association of University Professors on issues of academic freedom and served in the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights, working on free expression.
Following Alger’s announcement, the administration hosted a forum for student feedback. At the forum, Vice President, General Counsel and Board Secretary Traevena Byrd explained that when the University drafts a new policy, they will allow a 10 day period to collect feedback from students.
At a Sept. 9 forum, Chief Financial Officer, Vice President and Treasurer Bronté Burleigh-Jones said the administration would select two students to serve as representatives on the Facilities Working Group, which previously consisted of only faculty and staff.
groups, especially SJP, I’m not really hopeful in the slightest that listening to student voices is something that [the administration] intends to carry out,” Cosovich said.
Owen Camferdam, co-chair of the Young Democratic Socialists of America and a junior in SPA, said “having student perspectives at the table is a step up” but that more representation is necessary.
Camferdam said the wording of the policies creates a “gray area where the University knows they can more or less act with impunity.”
Despite student pushback to the verbiage of the Social Media and Facilities Use policies, including a unanimous SG referendum calling for clarifications in the policy, the policies went into effect on Oct. 4.
“My concern in situations like [the Social Media and Facilities Use policies] is that there is no reason for administration to listen to student input,” Heisten said. “We don’t have the power to say no to a new policy.”
Cosovich said she was unsure of the new policies and didn’t see them in effect until SJP’s Oct. 7 vigil, during which several AU Police Department officers carrying zip ties stood on the quad near the attendees.
“With the way I’ve been seeing what’s happening to other student
Heisten said the response to the vigil allowed students “to see some of the effects of what a restrictive policy can look like.”
“Enforcement is dependent on the type of space being used, and any violations of this policy may result in the termination or cancellation of events, denial of future use of university facilities, and disciplinary actions outlined in the student code of conduct,” said Elizabeth Deal, assistant vice president and deputy chief communications officer.
Cosovich said the Sunrise Movement faced pushback from the administration over the location of an Oct. 20 action outside of Bender Arena on Preview Day, including a meeting with University administration where they asked if Sunrise “could do [the action] a different day.”
Cosovich said since the administration did not state the planned action violated any rules. A few days later, Sunrise received an email from their faculty advisor, who was given suggestions from AU “about how to minimize [the action].”
Despite their concerns, several students expressed that the University’s actions created a more unified front amongst student groups.
“We’re only going to keep connecting with more groups because everybody’s getting frustrated by this,” Cosovich said. “It’s not just the groups that are the most outspoken that are affected by this. It’s every single group.”
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$68 Million Short
Students, faculty uncertain of path forward amid budget shortfall
by Gabrielle McNamee, Local News Beat Reporter, Kyle Galvin, News Staff Writer and Soumya Sahay, Investigative Reporter
American University is facing a $68 million deficit for the 2025 fiscal year, according to a community forum held on Sept. 25. The University’s shortfall was originally $33.6 million, yet its value increased by $35.2 million due to decreased student-generated revenue.
The deficit represents the negative difference between the University’s proposed spending and earnings for a fiscal year. The University plans new housing requirements and other changes as it addresses low enrollment and retention rates that contributed to the deficit. However students and faculty want more transparency from the University.
“It’s not transparent,” said John Bracht, president of AU’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors. “Some of the numbers are public, but not very many, and they’re very high level numbers, aggregates. They obscure a lot of things. There’s a lot of budget questions we have.”
Jonathan Alger and his cabinet announced enrollment out comes would continue to affect the bud get and require additional steps.
The drop in revenue stems from projected fall 2024 undergraduate en rollment, which the Univer sity administration projected would reach 6,995 students. Instead, the undergraduate class was 566 students short, marking a 7.5 percent deficit. Comparatively, fall 2023 under graduate enrollment fell short by only 1 percent. Total graduate credit hours also fell short by 8.6 percent, reaching 20,850 total hours.
In a statement to The Eagle, Elizabeth Deal, assistant vice president and deputy chief commu rolled part-time and this approach provides an accurate measure for our graduate programs.”
“It’s not transparent,” Bracht said. “Some of the numbers are public, but not very many, and they’re very high level numbers, aggregates. They obscure a lot of things. There’s a lot of budget questions we have.”
AU brought in $825 million in revenue after the 2025 Fiscal Year AU Budget Report first projected $860.4 million.
The 2025 fiscal year’s
Balancing the budget
In a memorandum sent to the University community in June 2023, administration cited both low graduate student enrollment and poor student retention as challenges for the 2024 fiscal year budget, yet said they were operating on “our investments in our people.”
Chief Financial Officer, Vice President and Treasurer Bronté Burleigh-Jones, former Vice President of People and External Affairs Seth Grossman and former Provost and Chief Academic Officer Peter Starr said the University budget was “significantly influenced by student enrollment and retention.”
Burleigh-Jones, Grossman and Starr said 92 percent of the University’s operating revenue comes from student-generated sources, including tuition, housing, dining and fees.
Comparatively, student tuition and fees make up 47 percent of George Washington University’s operating revenue, according to a 2022 financial year report.
On July 19, 2024, University President
partments and offices a 2 percent budget decrease, an October 2023 community forum reported. The University additionally withdrew an additional $10 million from enrollment and compensation reserves.
“We are taking a measured approach to using reserve funds, prioritizing the long-term financial outlook of the university while also meeting the immediate needs of our community,” Deal said. “Strategic use of reserves and ongoing
ity, and invest in student thriving.”
Board of Trustees Chair Gina Adams announced in April 2024 that the University would pause its 1 percent annual contribution to its reserve. Adams said it was still “critical” that the University continue to fund the reserve in the future for the “enduring financial health of the University.”
Despite this, at a Sept. 25 community forum the University announced addi-
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I believe the University can only overcome enrollment issues by investing in the ground game,” Bracht said. “The faculty-student engagement is the heart of the University. We need to invest there more than we need to invest in upper-administration.
tional funding withdrawn from the reserves.
According to Bracht, there is a lack of faculty consultation regarding budgetaryrelated decision making, leaving stakeholders feeling left out in policy adoptions. He questions how much of the budget is spent on “administrative bloat.”
“I believe the University can only overcome enrollment issues by investing in the ground game,” Bracht said. “The facultystudent engagement is the heart of the University. We need to invest there more than we need to invest in upper-administration.”
Deal said the University recognized “the importance of faculty-student engagement” and supported efforts to strengthen these relationships across campus. According to Deal, student seats on the Faculty Senate committee have been filed for “the first time in many years.”
As stated by Deal, AU Student Government is also restarting a committee dedicated to improving communication between students and faculty.
In preparation for a potential under graduate enrollment shortfall, the Uni versity requested a $5 million draw from reserves from the Board, according to Burleigh-Jones. With current enrollment projections, she anticipates requesting an additional $8.2 million, for a total reserve withdrawal of $13.2 million.
Acting Provost and Chief Academic Officer Vicky Wilkins told the at tendees of the community forum held on Sept. 25 that it’s unlikely the school can find its way into a balanced budget.
On Nov. 12, School of Education Dean Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy an nounced the University would restructure SOE following her departure in January 2025. According to the email sent to SOE ma jors and minors, the restruc turing was a result of the Uni versity’s budget.
“With a university-wide budget deficit of over $60 million, one of the first areas the University will likely cut is our education school,” Hol comb-McCoy wrote. “Dis cussions have occurred about whether the SOE may be re located to the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) again.”
Vice President and Chief
Communications Officer Matt Bennett told NBC4 Washington that there is no discussion about cutting SOE.
“Discussions about restructuring SOE’s administrative framework are ongoing and have been for some time as part of our regular evaluation of our academic offerings,” Bennett said.
University budgets, including the $1.74 billion 2023-24 financial year budget, are normally set for a two-year period. The 2025 financial year budget is the first oneyear budget since the 2022 financial year.
According to Deal, a one-year budget plan permits more flexibility and allows the University to make adjustments based on enrollment, market trends and optional needs.
Burleigh-Jones said that the University hasn’t decided on whether the 2026 financial year budget will be a one-year or twoyear budget and there is no consensus if budgets will permanently adopt one of the two time frame options.
University investment in students
Salvatore Cottone, SG senator on the Committee on Academic Budget and Benefits, said the University is prioritizing investment in the urgent needs of student communities.
Cottone said. “This new budget approach aims to implement the best financial strategy moving forward in light of these challenges.”
To “foster a stronger, more connected student community,” Cottone said the University is “having serious conversations to require sophomore students to live on campus as part of a new two-year residency requirement.”
Deal said the University has “sufficient capacity” to still accommodate juniors and seniors interested in living on-campus.
While new housing requirements may burden students financially, Cottone said the University is considering “adjustments to the current financial aid model” to reduce the financial strain of a sophomore housing mandate.
“Per U.S. Department of Education requirements, room and board charges are already part of the annual cost of attendance calculations that are used to determine financial aid awards,” Deal said. “Our financial aid approach and commitment to meeting students demonstrated financial need support the residency requirement.”
A sophomore housing requirement would mean all sophomores would be required to live in a campus residence hall, with the possibility of a fine if they chose not to, according to Residence Hall Association Northside Council President Roderick Purdy. He said there are many sophomores who currently live off campus who would “certainly not” like the idea.
“I know a few [sophomores] who actually live off campus now,” Purdy said. “Not only do they have their own privacy, but in some cases, it’s just as, if not more, affordable for them, so it’s less of a financial strain on them.”
Purdy said the current housing situation on campus is better suited to allow
coming residency requirement proposal should be subject to student-administrative dialogues.
The 2021 Campus Plan, a ten-year vision for the University’s developments, offers details on current plans to potentially house more undergraduate and graduate students.
Over the course of the next decade, AU plans to build more than 500 beds on University grounds, to encourage more students to live on campus beyond their freshman year. It will also allow for more flexibility in renovating existing residence halls to higher quality, and providing graduates with on-campus housing, according to the plan.
Such developments would be necessary for the University to successfully carry out the sophomore residency requirement, according to Purdy, including an examination of the actual supply of rooms on campus.
“If you’re making your students stay on campus, you have to make sure you have enough space for them,” Purdy said. “And frankly, I think the University would need to, first and foremost, make sure that there is in fact enough space for them.”
Proposed housing developments on campus are divided into priority and secondary sites in the 2021 Campus Plan. Priority sites include two proposed residence halls, one behind the currently under-construction Meltzer Center and one where the Osborn Building, located behind the Asbury Building, currently stands.
Secondary sites include potentially repurposing of the Beeghly Chemistry Building for housing space and two hypothetical residence halls attached to Letts Hall. The construction of these would require the demolition of the existing beds in Clark and Roper Halls, according to the
The graduate student experience
South Campus’ Clark Hall is currently occupied by the first-year advising department. But the building, once housing, still contains hallmarks of a student residential
A shower is present in the first floor bathroom, and the hallways and office space in Clark more closely resemble the layout of neighboring Roper Hall, currently home to Black Affinity Housing, than other office-oriented buildings on the south side of campus, such as neighboring McCabe and Gray Halls.
Now, seven years after FirstYear Advising arrived, the building may revert back to housing, likely for graduate students interested in living on campus, according to a meeting transcript obtained by The Eagle.
First-year advisors, who have been told Clark Hall will be closed to them come March, will integrate into the schools as the University administration realigns to focus on major-based advising.
Housing’s impact on revenue is “foundational” for the University going forward, Burleigh-
Jones said during the September 2024 forum.
According to Burleigh-Jones, bringing graduate students on campus is part of a strategy to fill residence halls stricken by lower undergraduate enrollment while fulfilling wishes of graduate students who would like to live on campus.
If you’re making your stu- dents stay on campus, you have to make sure you have enough space for them,” Purdy said.
“And frankly, I think the Uni- versity would need to, first and foremost, make sure that there is in fact enough space for them.
The process of putting those graduate students on campus, she said, started this academic year, by offering graduate students housing in Letts Hall, which is traditionally a freshman residence hall.
Emma Hua is a graduate student living in The Berkshire Apartments, located just south of campus on Massachusetts Avenue. She said whether or not graduate students would prefer on-campus housing depends on the type of student.
Hua lives at The Berkshire Apartments because of proximity and affordability. However, she said the benefits of living on campus for graduate students would be apparent — easier access to dining, the library and the University community, among other safety reasons.
“There are a lot of grad classes that take place at night,” Hua said. “It also would be easier for students to return home, basically not having to worry about commuting in the dark and worrying about their safety.”
However, besides getting one email about potential graduate housing, Hua was not aware that graduate students were living in Letts Hall, and there has been no announcement about potential housing in Clark Hall either. She said communication from the University on the subject has been “extremely ineffective.”
The University is also focused on improving its research appeal. AU’s Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education status changed from “R2: Doctoral Universities: High Research Activity” to “R1: Doctoral Universities: Very High Research Activity”.
Carnegie Classifications categorize institutions of higher education based on their function or mission, according to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. R1 and R2 categorize universities that conduct research, R1 denoting the highest levels of research activity for a university.
The American Council on Education changed its qualifications for an R1 rank in a new 2025 policy, allowing a university to meet R1 status by spending $50 million on research and development and by awarding at least 70 research or scholarship doctorates in
Once achieving R1 status, the University must work to maintain it, as losing the status is possible.
“We have to consider the investments we make in research, how we continue and build on those, so that we can be sure to maintain the external dollars that you need as part of the formula, and then also our production of PhD students,” Wilkins said.
On campus changes
Cottone said the University is also working to
tion” with students in the spring.
Cottone said that AU is also considering establishing an alcoholic venue on campus to offer students and staff a new social space on campus. Bender Arena has started selling alcohol this semester at wrestling matches in The Perch, a designated alcohol and snack vendor.
The University provided no official timeline for establishing an alcoholic venue, as Deal said there are “topics related to licensing and other legal requirements that require further work.”
Administration said improving the student experience is at the core of these University-wide changes, whether new housing or alcoholic beverages on campus. However, some community members of the University say these changes have
a year. According to a 2023 presentation by the Council, the University meets these requirements.
Deal said the University is “home to world class scholars,” and that growing research programs will increase the University’s ability to “attract and retain top faculty and students.”
“It’s a tribute to the faculty and a tremendous opportunity for the University,” Bracht said as president of AU’s chapter of AAUP.
“It’s an automatic bump in ranking. I think we’ll see a significant increase just because of the classification, we’ll probably see greater enrollments.”
During the Sept. 25 forum, Wilkins said the R1 ranking has been a big conversation on campus, but the University needs to keep in mind financial challenges.
improve present communities on campus with a plan to put The Bridge and The Davenport Coffee Lounge on GrubHub and campus dining platforms. Deal said the University is working with technology vendors and will share a “potential solu-
lost sight of what’s truly important to the community.
More faculty involvement in administrative decisions, better budget transparency and increased investment in students and staff are three of many recommendations made by the AAUP to the University in an attempt to elevate campus success, from their final report of the faculty senate working group on faculty engagement.
Brian Yates, a psychology professor in CAS and a member of the AAUP and decades-long stakeholder in the University, hopes that faculty and students will be factored into more University-wide decisions, and that policies made to boost the University’s budget are made with more “consensus.”
“I’m 74 — I could retire,” Yates said. “But I love teaching and I love academia. I’ve been thinking about it a lot … but now I feel like I’m engaged in a different way in academia, more fighting for the right to do this.”
Administration grapples with antisemitism and Islamophobia on campus
Students and faculty University response has fallen short
by Cara Halford Administration Beat Reporter
As American University’s administration contends with how to create policies to prevent antisemitism and Islamophobia on campus, students and faculty call for the protection of free speech and the equal treatment of all student groups.
Since the Oct. 7 attacks last year, AU has become one of many universities challenged with how to balance protests and differing responses to the Israel-Hamas war. According to data from the FBI, antisemitism and Islamophobia have both risen at unprecedented rates and hate crimes have doubled since 2014.
been “incredibly poor” and a “disservice to Jewish students, Muslim students and any other communities.”
As a means to address the University’s inaction, Bernat and former Senatorat-Large Connor Thompson worked to pass Resolution 19-020 this fall with the goal of addressing antisemitism as a systemic campus issue but also “to signal to the Jewish community on campus that we did want to work with them to solve problems that were deeply personal to them,” according to Thompson.
engage in divestment and “understand that their continued complicity in what’s going on in Palestine is having a direct tie on what’s happening here on campus.”
Ethan Kassar, vice president of AU’s chapter of Students Supporting Israel, said the BDS movement upholds Israel to a different standard than other countries.
Kassar said he wished that the University would do more to prevent hate speech at the start of the semester but in the past month he has seen improvements, as he feels university policies are now being applied equally.
student safety concerns, saying organizations “must not disrupt the operations of the University” or result in the “discrimination against or the intimidation or harassment” of any groups or individuals.
“There’s a lot of division right now, it can be really hard to connect and to have those conversations,” said Nkenge Friday, vice president of inclusive excellence. “There’s fear from some of our students, from our faculty, staff and even some administrators.”
Administrative actions and student and faculty responses
Antisemitism especially has become a concern on campus, as approximately 20 percent of the University’s student body is Jewish, according to AU Hillel. According to Friday, there are also counts of Muslim students on campus, although they are not publicly available, as she said both populations are difficult to accurately identify.
Kasey Bernat, a sophomore in the School of International Service and a senator-at-large, said he thinks the University’s response to any kind of antisemitism and Islamophobia on campus has
Kaden Ouimet, a sophomore in SPA, senator-at-large and an executive board member of the Muslim Student Association said he has been severely disappointed by the University’s response to both antisemitism and Islamophobia.
“That students are not able to publicly read the names of murdered children without a militarized police response reveals the extent to which the administration is deadset on repressing free speech,” said Kristie Dorr, an associate professor in critical race, gender and culture studies about an Oct. 7 vigil hosted by Students for Justice in Palestine, where students were confronted on the quad the by the AU Police Department equipped with zip ties.
Friday said she understands disappointment surrounding University policy and is trying to involve more student perspectives as the University moves forward under President Jonathan Alger. In the past year, The Office of Inclusive Excellence created a Climate Action Response Team, made
up of students and faculty to try and better inform policy making. The office has worked with Title IX to appoint student ambassadors to oversee claims related to discrimination.
Jason Benkendorf, the director of AU Hillel, said that although there is still work to be done, he thinks the administration has responded accordingly to protests and antisemitism.
“I appreciate that the administration has been engaged around these issues and has listened to Jewish students when they share the challenging experiences that they’re having on campus,” Benkendorf said.
In the future, Friday said she “foresees more listening sessions, more updates and perhaps a lot more work” to better meet students’ needs during this conflict.
It is essential that colleges like AU work to fight both antisemitism and Islamophobia simultaneously when creating policy, said Joshua Shanes, a professor at the College of Charleston and co-author of the Nexus campus climate guide.
“You can’t fight antisemitism without fighting Islamophobia and other forms of racism and vice versa,” Shanes said. “It’s really unfortunate when I see these things dividing minority communities because it's only by alliances that these things can more effectively be battled.”
The Senate has also called on the University to divest from and boycott Israeli-owned or associated companies with the CONDOR Resolution, as a part of a wider boycott, divestment and sanctions movement to “end international support for Israel’s oppression of Palestinians.”
Ouimet, co-author of the resolution, said the University must begin to
“We support our community’s commitment to local, national and global issues, and we encourage them to use their voices and express their beliefs by marching, protesting and engaging in civil dialogue,” said Elizabeth Deal, assistant vice president and deputy chief communications officer in a statement to The Eagle.
Deal also emphasized its responsibility to balance freedom of expression with
Michael Brenner, director of the Center for Israel Studies, said moving forward there must be more dialogue between different groups on campus.
“How can we expect Israelis and Palestinians to speak to each other internationally if we can’t even do that on our own campus?” Brenner said.
of environmental restoration in D.C. Efforts to restore Potomac River gain momentum but obstacles remain
foster culture
CSO by 93 percent in an average year.
by Conor Gillingham Life Staff Writer
Despite its iconic presence in D.C., the Potomac River remains plagued by pollution, making it illegal for residents to swim or fish.
While the river is far from clean, organizations like the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin (ICPRB) are working to change that.
“In D.C. they have these machines in the tunnel to store the water and release it gradually into the river which is a good first step in regards to that issue,” Nardolilli said.
The ICPRB and organizations like the Potomac Drinking Water Source Protection Partnership (DWSPP) also work to reduce the use of de-icing salts on the roads during the winter, because these salts are washed into storm drains through rain and melting snow, which in turn harms ecosystems.
The ICPRB is an agency that aims to protect the Potomac through cooperation with other organizations and spread awareness of the Potomac’s issues.
Organizations like D.C. Water work to solve the runoff issue by redirecting water to optimal points like the Anacostia River Tunnel Project, the first phase of their Clean Rivers Project.
As cities like D.C. expand, surfaces like roads prevent rainwater from filtering into the ground. ICPRB works to address how rainwater collects pollutants from streets and carries them into the river through storm drains.
“The problem with very old cities, especially on the East Coast, is that they had a combined sewage overflow system,” Michael Nardolilli, executive director of the ICPRB, said in an interview with The Eagle. “If [the cities] had a really heavy rain it would overwhelm the water treatment facility and so it would have to mix with the sewage and discharge directly into the river.”
The large amount of runoff inspired the construction of the Potomac River Tunnel (PRT), a deep-water sewer tunnel designed to capture combined sewage overflow (CSO). These tunnels are estimated to
“People using icing salts liberally change the salinity of the water and affect species especially,” said Willem Brakel, an adjunct environmental science professor at American University, in an interview with The Eagle.
Particularly sensitive species regulate the high salt levels that interfere with their ecosystem. However, excess salt damages the soil along riverbanks, affecting vegetation that plays a role in filtering pollutants.
“Salt has become a major issue as the overuse of it has created more salt water than freshwater, which has disastrous consequences,” Nardolilli said.
Higher salinity levels increase the presence of invasive species, which can destabilize the food web. This leads to declines in fish populations and affects species that depend on them, such as birds and mammals.
On Oct. 17 the ICPRB held a conference in Lorton, Virginia, where they discussed how invasive species like snakehead, combined with the increasing salinity in the water, create a threat to the Potomacs ecosystem.
These conditions lead to increased competition, declining fish populations and ecological imbalance.
“They have actually changed the name of the snakehead to the Chesapeake Channa to make it more appetizing and appealing on menus to make people order it in restaurants and eat it,” Nardolilli said.
The combination of stormwater
runoff, rising salt levels and invasive species have impacted local communities.
Increased salinity from road de-icing practices disrupts ecosystems, threatening fish populations and local wildlife.
The presence of invasive species compounds these challenges. Snakeheads aggressively compete with native fish, which can decrease native fish populations drastically.
This disruption affects not only the ecological balance of the river but also the communities that rely on fishing for recreation, income and sustenance.
“I think people have garnered a greater appreciation for the Potomac, especially in the pandemic,” Nardolilli said. “A lot of people went out on the trails and started to advocate for cleaning up the Potomac by helping to clean up the river.”
As fish populations decline, local fishermen face hardships and families that depend on the river for food now have limited options. The ecological decline can diminish the river’s appeal as a resource. Brakel emphasized that addressing these issues is crucial for healing the river and protecting the communities along it.
engagement.
The ICPRB and Potomac Conservancy have engaged communities in clean-up efforts and educational campaigns, fostering a collective commitment to protecting the river by building a strong community focused on cleaning up the river.
Key initiatives like the Clean Rivers Project have mitigated runoff, reducing pollutants entering the river with the construction of the PRT. Nutrient reduction programs targeting agricultural and urban runoff have decreased harmful algae.
Increased awareness can lead to greater community engagement,
“I believe these problems have increased awareness,” Brakel said. “We realize that communities that live near the rivers and streams, particularly disadvantaged communities, tend to bear the brunt of pollution.”
Increased awareness of this polluted state has resulted in a boost to the initiatives that clean up the water. The D grade that the Potomac River received from the Potomac Conservancy in
sustainable practices and advocacy for environmental policies. Nardolilli said communicating the significance of the Potomac River to D.C. residents can foster a culture that supports restoration.
“Even university students have resources at their disposal here in D.C.,” Brakel said. “Battery Kemble, in particular, is a 30-minute walk to the river where you’ll see that there’s a rather disturbed environment, given all the development. But still, it’s a pleasant area.”
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Students, professors process election tensions through political art
In political epicenter, artists reinterpret national conversations
by Alia Messina Life Staff Writer
Politically-focused artwork can be found everywhere in D.C., from Smithsonian museum exhibits to street murals and on American University’s campus.
Art is a medium of expression, used also to understand and cope with political tensions.
Juliet Bellow, an associate professor of art history at the University, said she views political artwork, as do many of her students, as “a kind of comfort in that [prompts the realization] that people have lived through chaotic, unstable, frightening moments in the past.”
In the context of European art from 1789 to World War II, Bellow said, “There was this belief that objects [including art] can transform our lives [and] the way we relate to one another.”
Bellow said that in some sense, this belief has diminished over time but held that political art can be appreciated both as a fundamental medium of expression and as a powerful tool for coping with tensions around politics and elections.
Katzen Arts Center, art is not confined to a picture in a frame on a wall.
“There’s a prevalence of political memes or imagery on Instagram and things like that,” Mahal said. “That’s totally art. People are lying if they think that’s not some form of art. Kamala
According to School of Public Affairs senior Sebastian Mahal, an employee at the American University Museum in the
running on the framework of ‘brat summer’ for example and integrating it into the Kamala HQ, TikTok, things like that.”
From social media memes to political art exhibits such as “Faces of the Republican Party” by Jeff Gates and “Ralph Steadman: And Another Thing” about famous political cartoonist Ralph Steadman displayed in the American
University Museum, political art is all around.
Living in D.C., students are at the nation’s political epicenter and witness political art in a unique context. There are a variety of exhibits and installations in D.C. that are especially thought-provoking and provide a contemplative backdrop to today’s politics.
The Hirshhorn Museum’s “Belief+Doubt” is an installation created by Barbara Kruger, and has been on display since 2012.
The text covering available surfaces asks open-ended questions about what structures of power influence and manipulate people, what democracy means and visitors’ beliefs and doubts.
In an interview with The Eagle, Assistant Curator at the Hirshhorn Museum Betsy Johnson said “We all need to question structures of power and the way we’re being manipulated. Barbara Kruger is someone who worked in news media, and in graphic design, and she thinks a lot about the messages that are coming at us.”
Outside the 14th Street Graffiti Museum, a mural features President Abraham Lincoln with rainbow tears that shed the word “VOTE.” The portrait was originally created alongside other street art by the Murals of Humanity and Uptown Main Street in 2020, in hopes of encouraging people to vote.
14th Street Northwest also features a graffiti-style portrait of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, created by muralist Lisa Marie. Norton, a leader for both the feminist and civil rights movements, has represented the District of Columbia as a congressional delegate in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1991.
Political art is powerful regardless of its form. From street art murals calling
for active voting to framed paintings in Smithsonian museums, all mediums can challenge and guide political beliefs.
The age of social media has also impacted the delivery of political art and activism.
“Chalk the Vote” 2024, is an interactive “chalk activism” initiative created by Chalk Riot, a women-owned mural house based in D.C. established in 2013 that relies heavily on social media for participants to share their message.
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House Speaker Mike Johnson Wanted to Blur Faces of Rioters in January 6 Footage: “We Don’t Want Them to Be Retaliated against and to Be Charged by the DOJ,” Jeff Gates
Trump Blocked a Bipartisan Border Bill That Would Have Given the GOP Much of What It Wanted. He Bragged He Didn’t Want to Give Biden Another Victory, Jeff Gates
Despite Trump’s Racist Remark, Calling Senator Mitch McConnell’s Wife, Elaine Chao, His “China-Loving Wife, Coco Chow,” McConnell Endorsed Him Anyway, Jeff Gates
Street Art Mural of Eleanor Homes Norton, Lisa Marie Thalhammer
Street Art Mural of President Lincoln, 14th St. Mural Gallery
“Chalk the Vote” started as a way to compel others to vote by posting pictures of political messages and drawings done with chalk on social media. It provides a unique way for undocumented and underage Americans who can’t vote with an outlet to express their political beliefs freely along with registered voters.
“It’s important to not replace real political action with an engagement with political art,” Mahal said.
Mahal also said that a downside of political art in the landscape of social media is the effect of people believing that simply engaging with political art is an act of activism when it’s only the start.
Mahal explained art can be a powerful tool for encouraging political action, but simply engaging with political art such as liking, commenting under or sharing political art on social media is “superficial” and ultimately does “very little” for social movements.
Both Part of Belief+Doubt, Barbara Kruger
Bellow told The Eagle that, regardless of the medium or current political climate, generations of artists and viewers will continue to use art in all its forms as a way to
make sense of politics and cope with the effect of politics on their lives.
Artists have been using art to make sense of and express their feelings and opinions about war, economic crises and politics since the beginning of humanity, and expression of these issues through art is not new, she added.
“All art is political, I think, whether the artist intended it to be or not,” Gia Bambocci, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences and American University Museum employee, said in an interview with The Eagle.
D.C. is home to politically-focused artworks in formal museums and casual street corners. Despite the political climate we are situated in, political art exhibits and pieces will continue to take on ever-changing meanings.
“I think that art has a particular quality, which is especially powerful in that it can make political change or lends its audience into some sort of perspective they might not have had otherwise,” Mahal said. “That’s what makes it an important medium.”
arts@theeagleonline.com
The Black Arts Collective creates outlet for Black students
From painting to songwriting, organization uplifts mental health
by Faith Starchia Life Staff Writer
With a mural depicting three Black women at the center of nature, surrounded by quotes about the beauty and empowerment of blackness, the Black Arts Collective left its mark in the ever-
Gifty Boanoh, who graduated from the School of Public Affairs in 2023, founded The Black Arts Collective at American University to create a community for members
of the African diaspora at a predominately white institution. The Collective celebrates all forms of art, from songwriting to upcycling clothing.
The Collective is now led by presi dent Isysis Shaw, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences, and Teo Nouvé, the vice president and a senior in SPA.
Shaw said one thing the Collective aims to do is showcase Black women at the center of art.
“Especially because a lot of things are western ized and hyper-focuses on whiteness in many ways,” Shaw said. “I feel like art is a way to break out of those boundaries.”
Nouvé said the club provides a muchneeded creative space since there is “a severe lack of space for Black artists at AU, and there’s a demand to create that space.”
Nouvé added that the absence of these spaces can be a great source of stress, and the organization is one solution to opening the door for Black students.
“For artists, a lot of what it means to be creative is to explore your mental health and be able to deal with some of those issues,” Nouvé said. “Some of the problems that come with both being an artist and being Black at AU is isolation, additional stress, feelings of not really belonging. So by having that communal space, I think it can alleviate a lot of those additional stressors.”
The Black Arts Collective, and Shaw herself, want to uplift their members’ mental health with events that are a “soothing spot” for students. This semester, the Collective held a sip and paint event, where could partner up and paint freely with snacks and drinks.
“It allows me to kind of work through things that I’m going through and be able to express myself in a different way, and have an outlet for myself,” Shaw said.
K.C. Lynch, a junior in
SPA and CAS and the Collective’s event coordinator, said they come together with a unique understanding of each other’s art.
“I know my club members are going to understand my work more than maybe other people would. It just allows us to be more honest with the work we make and more comfortable when we make it,” Lynch said.
The Collective has become a space for Black students to comfortably express themselves. Whether it be through music, fashion or painting, the Collective is first and foremost a community.
“For the Black students on campus, your voice is important, and that being able to have a space where you can try new things in a safe space where you feel like you won’t be judged is the most important thing,” Shaw said.
style@theeagleonline.com
Exploring the growing role of artificial intelligence in filmmaking
As industry experiments with AI, University film department watches from sidelines
As generative artificial intelligence continues its rampage through college campuses and classrooms, American University included, the new technology is also beginning to infiltrate the film world.
Film students, professors and makers on the University’s campus have been grappling with the new relationship between AI and the film industry and Professor Paul Fileri, who teaches Cinema Studies, lent The Eagle his conflicting perspective.
cause I’m somewhat interested in how someone will make use of this novelty,” Fileri said. “But I don’t have a desire myself to, you know, see an AI-produced world.”
One of the University’s up-and-coming filmmakers, Ace Roth, a senior in the School of Communication, explained their displeasure with artificial intelligence taking away a human’s role in film production.
“I’d rather pay a person and give them their due diligence,” Roth said. “I want every set that I work on to have a certain ethicalness that allows for real people to achieve the things they want to achieve while making movies.”
2024 has been an eventful year for AI and filmmaking. The found-footage-esque horror film “Late Night with the Devil” stirred controversy for using AI-generated diegetic title cards, though it is used briefly throughout the film and, in all honesty, is one of the film’s few interesting talking points.
“Oh, it’s just the credits or oh, it’s just the title cards… until you get to the whole movie,” Roth said when asked about “Late Night with the Devil” and whether it crossed
a line, or if any use of AI is unwarranted.
Though arguments favoring the use of AI in filmmaking point to its fiscal benefits, the film community appears generally unified against it.
“What, they couldn’t have hired one of their starving graphic artist friends for the cost of a few vintage widelapeled shirts,” Matt Zoller Seitz, TV critic for New York Magazine and Vulture.com, wrote in his review of the film for RogerEbert.com.
Aidan Kaplan, a senior in SOC, discussed the public’s puzzling perceptions of AI programs in the Digital Media and Culture course.
Kaplan said that despite the growth of AI applications, “a lot of people producing film and writing and images on the internet want the public to think that [AI programs] are really advanced.”
However, they are not yet that good at producing and still require a human element, Kaplan said.
Though AI is still in its infancy, it is a monumental shift in its implementation in the modern world. For now, though, the University is still focused on keeping it out of classrooms while stuck as a bystander watching its use in film production.
“As an observer here, a moviegoer or watcher, I'm curious about this, you know, a little bit of new media technology,” Fileri said.
movies@theeagleonline.com
SPORTS
Meltzer Center promises to enhance athletics, displaces students in the process
Construction forces community sports, varsity athletics to relocate
Construction of the Alan and Amy Meltzer Center for Athletic Performance — along with the renovation of athletic facilities directly adjacent — is underway at American University. Over the course of the school year, the project will displace several of American’s athletic programs, including soccer, track and field, club tennis and more.
The new athletic center aims to enhance facilities for athletes and offer more wellness options for students. While University officials hope it will become an on-campus hub, many non-athletes remain indifferent, seeing it as an investment that primarily benefits varsity athletes.
high school, according to head coach Sean Graham.
The construction doesn’t just affect varsity athletes; many club sports have been displaced.
Some students who don’t participate in athletics at AU, like School of Communication senior Lily Tierney, are unsure of how the Meltzer Center will benefit them and are upset about the amount of money going into it.
However, she said most people don’t know it was the result of a named fund, and that more communication would ease students' frustration.
“I don’t know if it’ll be worth it,” Tierney said. “I hope so, but going off of AU’s history, I feel like they overpromised, and will under-deliver.”
The University officially broke ground on the Meltzer Center in March and construction is on schedule with a completion date of the spring 2026 semester, according to Associate Athletic Director David Bierwirth. Reeves Field and the surrounding Greenberg Track are set to begin a $1.5 million renovation in December.
“We're creating an entirely new field — new irrigation, new turf, new drainage,” Bierwirth said.
According to Bierwirth, the University and its partner, DAVIS Construction, hoped to complete the renovation over the past summer, but there were delays due to other projects and permitting.
As a result, The University's varsity soccer programs do not have full access to Reeves.
Both men’s and women’s soccer are currently playing all home games at the Maryland SoccerPlex, about 40 minutes away from campus.
Track and field will not have access to the track during the spring, posing difficulties during their main season. They plan to divert practices to a local
Some, like the running club, will only be disrupted temporarily.
The club hosts its biggest annual fundraiser, Capital Relays, in the spring.
Without the track, it must find an alternative location for its fundraisers and practices, according to member Isaac Ager.
For other clubs, the creation of the Meltzer Center poses much bigger problems.
After the tennis courts were demolished for construction, AU’s club tennis team has struggled to hold practices. Private courts in the area have not been interested in renting their spaces out, so the team has resorted to using public courts.
The problem with this, according to the club’s president Jose Calvo, is that they can only book one public court at a time.
“We can’t have 90 people trying to practice in one court,” he said.
The club used to maintain a “social team” of players who wanted to play tennis, but not compete in matches. However, without sufficient court space, it was forced to cut these members to make room for the competitive players. Others quit because the club hasn’t been able to secure consistent practice times as they search for public courts.
women’s club volleyball.
Some teams, like women’s club basketball — which began this year — don’t have fixed practice times due to the lack of capacity. Players like senior Megan Gradijan said they would benefit from having new courts, especially to prevent varsity athletes from using the space during their allotted times.
According to Graham, the construction of the Meltzer Center has actually been “performancepositive” for his athletes, despite minor disruptions.
“It’s exciting … it’s been a minute since something’s been improved,” he said.
Men’s soccer coach Zach Samol believes a brief one-season disruption from Reeves is worth it for the end result.
“Everybody knows it’s not ideal,” Samol said. But he’s excited about what the “game day experience” will look like in the future, both with the renovated field and Meltzer Center.
“They were not interested in practicing off-campus with such an unsure schedule,” Calvo said.
According to Calvo, there’s no fixed solution for what the club can do moving forward. He said the University has no official plans to rebuild the tennis courts.
University officials and athletics staff say the Meltzer Center will benefit varsity athletes, club sports and non-athletes alike. They point to long-term benefits: more space, upgraded equipment and better support services for all.
According to Bierwirth, the building will offer more time and room for non-varsity athletic opportunities, aside from being concentrated in Bender Arena.
“Obviously the gymnasium itself will open up not only opportunities for volleyball and wrestling … but really the big win there is for recreation and club,” he said. “For that evening pickup basketball, clubs teams, clubs practices — things that we just can’t find enough hours in Bender Arena to host currently.”
The currently available court space hosts at least seven teams: men’s and women’s varsity basketball, men’s and women’s club basketball, women’s varsity volleyball and men’s and
Samol said the men’s soccer team has adapted well to playing away from home. Reeves will be completely renovated and ready for competition next fall, according to AU Athletics. With improved resources, the athletics staff believes the University could improve its
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The ball is in your court: Take SPA’s new course on ‘Sports and the Law’
Students take on current legal events that shape college athletics
by Elizabeth Marlow Sports Staff Writer
What exactly are sports? Some may argue sports are solely a business or just a spectacle of talent. The average fan might argue that their favorite sports are everlasting pastimes of unchanging rules. Rarely do fans pull back the curtain to analyze the institutions, laws and governing agencies behind the industry.
A newly offered course at American University does, examining the governance of various sports industries through a legal lens.
“Sports and the Law” was engineered by School of Public Affairs professor Kevin Boyle, who currently teaches the class.
Boyle said the course will become fulltime, despite it currently being a nonrecurring three-credit topic course in JLC496. There are no prerequisites or major requirements.
Students in the class this year got to hear from impressive guest speakers, including former Olympic athletes. One panel of speakers included highly decorated track and field and marathon greats like Billy Mills, Matthew Centrowitz Sr., John Carlos
and Bill Rodgers.
Assistant AU track and cross country coach Zach Prescott said the panel “was unreal … It blew my mind to have the caliber of athletes that [Boyle had], it was really impressive.”
Beyond their athletic achievements, the panel also focused on international Olympic boycotts, drug testing and protest policies. Mills and Carlos spoke about their experience as social justice activists and the platform their sport granted them.
Contacting these high-profile guests was a difficult process, Boyle said. “I must’ve sent 100 emails out to people … But I was kind of lucky because I did know a lot of people through track.”
As a former track and field athlete and coach, Boyle’s connections and personal stories provide students with a deeper understanding of the different levels of sports regulations and operations.
Regulatory laws and agencies have a large hand to play — from high school coaches facing liability for student injuries to preventing racial discrimination in the hiring process of a prospective NFL coach.
Sophomore justice and law major Drew Rusak said that the class has helped him
broaden his scope of study.
“Because I’m not a big sports fan, I wasn’t sure how much I was going to enjoy [the class], but I’m really enjoying the content, so I think I might try and incorporate entertainment and sports law into my major,” Rusak said.
One significant aspect of the course study is understanding ongoing NCAA legal procedures over college athletes’ rights to Name, Image and Likeness (NIL).
AP News reported on Oct. 7 that preliminary approval was granted for the NCAA’s nearly $2.8 billion settlement regarding missed NIL. The repercussions of such a settlement would have a lasting impact on Title IX protections and sports at smaller Division I athletic programs.
Students’ discussions centered around American University's athletic future after the settlement, but Boyle warns, “This is changing constantly. So anyone who can tell you the future is just guessing.”
“[But] that’s just one part of the class. And I could tell them where we’re at today, but I can’t predict the future.”
sports@theeagleonline.com
Column: Will men’s basketball end its mediocrity?
It’s possible, but the Eagles need to maintain confidence
by Cameron Harris Sports Staff Columnist
American University hired Duane Simpkins to take men’s basketball to a higher level. The way the season started last year — beating teams that they were expected to beat, like Siena, and losing to the better teams, like Villanova — was a good sign. It showed that the team knew how to win and wasn’t folding under the new coach.
Coming into conference play, the Eagles went over .500 and entered the conference tournament as the 4-seed. The Eagles' fan base had high hopes going into the first round of the Patriot League tournament against 5-seed Bucknell, who American already beat twice last year. While beating a team three times in a single season is difficult, nobody could have predicted the massacre that would ensue to end the Eagles’ season.
Coming into this year, the American men’s basketball team needs confidence, believing they can go far into the postseason. This confidence must continue through the whole season and not fade away as the season goes on. From the way the season ended last year, this was not the mindset of the players. It was embarrassing not only for the players and coaches but also for the fans who were anticipating an extended postseason.
These results can only happen if certain aspects of the game change within the team. One statistic, the only one where the Eagles fared worse than their opponents last season, was turnovers. The Eagles averaged just under 11 turnovers per game, which is not too alarming. However, they forced fewer turnovers on opposing teams, creating an opportunity for those teams to rack up points on the Eagles.
These goals have to be met, and strong leadership is needed on the team. Graduate student Matt Rogers, a 6-foot-9-inch forward who averaged over 16 points and six rebounds per game last season, is set to once again be the Eagles’ most productive player after being named the preseason Patriot League player of the year. Rogers will need to bring leadership skills along with his skills as a player. The Eagles’ other returning players, such as senior Elijah Stephens and sophomore Matt Mayock, need to bring leadership to this particularly young roster.
If small mistakes can be fixed as they occur throughout the season, the Eagles will find success in time for the Patriot League tournament. They are due for a successful season too. The last time the Eagles made the NCAA Tournament,
the iPhone 6 was the newest Apple product and its current players were in elementary and middle school. After 11 years, the Eagles should be ready to go back.
I expect the Eagles to be highly competitive this season and live up to, if not exceed, their preseason prediction of finishing second in the Patriot League. They will have difficult games throughout the season, but if the Eagles can confidently put up a fight in those games and retain that confidence no matter the results, they are in a position for a successful season.
sports@theeagleonline.com
JOSH MARKOWITZ/THE EAGLE
Skateboarding club teaches new members and sticks the landing
Despite construction displacement, group commutes and finds community in Palisades
by Matthias Jaylen Sandoval Sports Staff Writer
Every Friday afternoon, Kogod School of Business student Maxwell Brothers and College of Arts and Sciences student Benu Edwards, president and vice president of the American University Skateboarding Club, catch the bus to the Palisades
The club first started in the spring of 2022 when Brothers transferred to the University. At the time there was a small skateboarding community at the University, but there wasn’t an official club yet, which gave Brothers and Takumi Sajino, a senior in School of International Services, the idea to start one.
“I didn't really make many friends at first, except for skateboarding. I was just meeting people on campus, seeing them with the board. It was like, ‘Oh cool, someone I can talk to.’ And
then a professor I had, Juan Antonio Montecino, an economics professor also skates, so he became our faculty advisor,” Brothers said.
Since its creation, the skateboarding
to get out their energy. They're able to make friends,” Edwards said. “It means so much for so many people. I just want somebody that's coming from Kentucky that's got no friends here that's like, ‘Yeah, I don't know what I'm majoring in.’ But they’ve got skateboarding. And I want them to be able to see that. I feel like that would be awesome. It's about building a
As the club strives to be a strong home base for skaters, they are also hoping to find a designated space on campus where they can Before the construction of the Meltzer Center started, skaters on campus used the old outdoor basketball and tennis courts as a space to practice. Since the court was demolished, they have nowhere on campus where they are allowed to
Both Brothers and Edwards agreed that skateboarding cannot only be categorized as a sport or as an art form. For them, it’s simultaneously a sport and an art form, giving skaters an outlet for competition and culture. They want their members to engage in all forms of skating, whether they’re playing competitive games with each other or connecting
Brothers believed that introducing skateboarding into the Olympics solidified its standing as a sport. He also mentioned other groups like X Games and Red Bull, who also host other competitions for skaters. Though there is the sport element in it, Brothers emphasized the importance of expression for skaters as well.
influences that make us want to skate a certain way,” Brothers said. “People have a style that we look up to, that we try to emulate or learn from, or a selection of tricks that we think is really badass, and we want to adopt ourselves. And everyone has their own taste, just like with music or art. So that's why it falls into an artistic discipline as much as it falls into an athletic discipline because there is a physical and a creative and spiritual component too.”
Brothers and Edwards encourage interested students to follow the club on Instagram, and to join the club on Engage AU. Soon, they are hoping to host many different events open to anyone interested, such as a barbecue and skate-themed movie night.
“I can see that the club will live on. I have faith in my brethren. So that's a good thing, but at the same time, while I'm here, my work's not done. I'm trying to build with the help of the whole club and the [executive board], you know. Build the strongest foundation for the club, so it becomes an institution just like any other club on campus because they didn't exist before we came here. So it's leaving a legacy in a way,” Edwards
Editor’s note: Maxwell Brothers, president of the American University Skateboarding Club, is a staff guila. He was not involved in the pitching, writing or editing of this article.
sports@theeagleonline.com
“We all have our own
MATTHIAS JAYLEN SANDOVAL/THE EAGLE
MATTHIAS JAYLEN SANDOVAL/THE EAGLE
EL ÁGUILA
La Venezuela en la que se sufre censura, opresión política e incertidumbre
Una
by Carlos Alexei Márquez Arce and Maxwell Brothers El Águila Staff Writers
Venezuela actualmente enfrenta una crisis sin precedentes que ha resultado en la salida de más de un cuarto de la población de Venezuela. Países como Colombia, Perú, Brasil, Ecuador, Chile y Estados Unidos han recibido la mayor cantidad de migrantes y refugiados venezolanos, con más de 2.9 millones viviendo en países colindantes como Colombia, y más de 700,000 viviendo en los EE.UU.
En Venezuela, un país históricamente dependiente en la exportación del petróleo como ingreso primario, la muerte del presidente Chávez, junto con el derrumbe del mercado mundial de petróleo en el año 2014, comenzó una recesión que condujo a una hiperinflación de más del 800 por ciento durante el año 2016. Además, el país también experimentó una caída de casi el 35 por ciento en su producto interno bruto entre el 2014 y el 2018. Todo esto ha llevado a que la situación en la que el hambre, la desnutrición y la escasez de alimentos se convierta en un problema diario al que se enfrentan los venezolanos.
En el año 2016, el venezolano promedio perdió 19 libras (aproximadamente 8.6 kilos) por la inseguridad alimentaria y en 2020, se estimó que una tercera parte de los venezolanos no tenían alimento suficiente. El sistema de salud venezolano actualmente ya no puede brindar el mismo servicio a
sus ciudadanos, dada la escasez de doctores, medicinas, equipamiento médico y camas de hospital, lo cual es evidente en el incremento de las tasas de mortalidad y tasas de contagio de varias enfermedades.
La tensa situación política actual no permite que se resuelva la crisis económica ni que la crisis del sector salud mejore. Desde la llegada de Nicolás Maduro al poder en 2015, el estado de la democracia venezolana ha ido aún más en declive. Han existido reportes sobre elecciones fraudulentas, y de otras tácticas antidemocráticas que no sólo han dañado la independencia de los poderes legislativos y judiciales en Venezuela, sino que también han atentado contra el estado de derecho en el país.
Ante lo anterior, los venezolanos se han movilizado a lo largo de los años contra el partido socialista PSUV, el Partido Socialista Unido de Venezuela. Pero, estas protestas, o cualquier otra forma de oposición pública o en redes sociales está siendo censurada, reprimida, y en muchos casos, lleva a la desaparición y encarcelamiento de cualquiera que públicamente se oponga al régimen venezolano.
El caso de Rocío San Miguel, abogada y defensora de derechos humanos, evidencia lo anterior, ya que al intentar reingresar a Venezuela en 2024, fue detenida y recluida en uno de los centros carcelarios más severos de Venezuela. En este sentido, Carmen Helena Ruzza, maestra de español en American University, venezolana y estadounidense graduada de la Universidad de Central de Venezuela,
relató que “las actividades en redes sociales, un artículo con el nombre de uno, o el alzar la voz, no solo pone en riesgo a esa persona o a su familia, sino que también puede representar el no poder regresar a Venezuela por el temor a ser detenido, desaparecido o clasificado como terrorista ante el actual gobierno venezolano”.
A pesar de restricciones como esas, María Corina Machado, central opositora al régimen madurista, ha mostrado en años recientes que cualquier tipo de activismo democrático en Venezuela ya no sólo se necesita a un gran volumen de personas, sino que también necesita tomar un carácter estratégico para evidenciar los abusos del gobierno venezolano e inspirar a la gente a tomar aún más valor ante el régimen antidemocrático que persiste en Venezuela.
Ruzza agregó que figuras como María Corina Machado son muy “gallardas” (con una valentía excepcional) pues como ella lo describe: “a pesar de ser perseguida, ella sigue, desde la clandestinidad, y con los riesgos que implica para ella el seguir en Venezuela, instando a la gente a movilizarse”. A esto, Ruzza mencionó que hechos inéditos como el que la oposición venezolana se organizara para registrar las actas electorales a nivel local, regional y nacional, o el reciente derribo de estatuas de Chávez en Venezuela, “marcan un antes y un después importantes en la vida política venezolana”.
Aunque Maduro no asumirá su tercer mandato hasta enero del 2025, persisten muchas interrogantes sobre el futuro
de Venezuela: ¿Maduro realmente asumirá su tercer mandato a pesar del creciente aislamiento internacional que enfrenta? En el hipotético caso de que la oposición llegue al poder, ¿podrá la oposición consolidar al país? ¿Y, qué hay de los 8 millones de venezolanos que han emigrado a otros países?
Es importante recalcar que el desplazamiento internacional de los venezolanos, así como las motivaciones para salir de Venezuela, han cambiado en las últimas décadas. Valeria Boscon, exalumna de American University, y la profesora Ruzza, detallan experiencias migratorias distintas. Por ejemplo, Ruzza nos comentó que ella vino a Estados Unidos por motivos académicos originalmente hace 22 años como una venezolana nacida en Estados Unidos.
Por otro lado, Boscon relató que ella y su familia salieron de Venezuela en 2007 porque “la nacionalización del petróleo le complicó a la gente en las petroleras el continuar trabajando en sus áreas, sin no tener que trabajar bajo el gobierno venezolano y sus leyes opresivas”.
Cuando se le preguntó si consideraba volver a Venezuela, Boscon dijo lo siguiente: “En un mundo ideal, me encantaría volver, pero por el momento, me voy a quedar en los Estados Unidos. Aunque he pasado por mucho en Venezuela, todavía lo amo, y todavía amo mis orígenes y etnicidad”.
elaguila@theeagleonline.com
El cine latino brilla en Silver Spring con la 35ª edición del Festival de AFI
El AFI festival de cine latinoamericano ofrece una mirada en el mundo latino de cine
by Maxwell Brothers and Diana C. Rojas Hernandez El Águila Staff Writers
El 2 de octubre, el festival de cine latinoamericano mostró a la selección
uno de los luchadores es alguien de su pueblo. Clasificada como un drama deportivo, los personajes de la película enfrentan dificultades asociadas con vivir en un pueblo desconocido y olvidado y también con ser afrocolombianos, un grupo minoritario de Colombia, que ha enfrentado problemas particulares como la desigualdad, la discriminación y el sentido de ser abandonado
Ocho días después, en la noche de clausura del festival, se estrenó “Pimpinero: Sangre y Gasolina”. Esta película colombiana comienza con Juan Estrada (interpretado por Alejandro Speitzer), sus hermanos y novia Diana (interpretada por Laura Osma). Todos trabajan como ‘pimpineros’, contrabandistas de gasolina en la frontera entre Colombia y Venezuela, una región perjudicada por crisis económica. Juan descubre el lado más oscuro de este negocio cuando se ve forzado a trabajar con una nueva organización criminal y asumir las consecuencias.
Seguimos a Diana en su trayecto para descubrir la verdad sobre Juan y lo que realmente sucede en el mundo de los pimpineros. Ella convierte la película en una de suspenso y venganza, con suficiente suspenso y peligro para aumentar
Según Roberto Lopez, quien asistió a la noche
de clausura, “esta película es cruel, como lo ve, pero es la verdad”. La película demuestra las vidas, historias y sobrevivencia de personas que normalmente no se representan en la pantalla grande.
Festivales como este son importantes para que el público tenga la oportunidad de ver algo más real que los exitos de taquilla normalmente promocionados en cines. La realidad de las personas viviendo en la frontera de Colombia y Venezuela merece ser reconocida.
Una programadora de películas que primero asistió a este festival hace once años, Nicole Góes, dice que “muchas veces Hollywood nos representa como personajes secundarios, a los latinos–siento que es importante vernos al frente y siendo protagonistas en nuestras propias historias”. Ella resalta lo importante y especial de este festival que ofrece la oportunidad para que el público vea películas latinas y que las películas reciban la atención que merecen de una audiencia más amplia.
“Ya no solamente es la historia del inmigrante que cruza a Estados Unidos” también “son historias de éxito, de empresarios, de todo tipo”, dice Góes.
elaguila@theeagleonline.com
Nuevo contrato laboral promete mejores condiciones para el personal de limpieza en AU
Firmado el 27 de septiembre, el contrato incluye aumentos salariales históricos y mayores contribuciones del empleador
by Maxwell Brothers El Águila Staff Writer
El personal de limpieza de American University, que consiste de más de 120 empleados, ganó un contrato laboral que promete un aumento de los sueldos durante los próximos cinco años y un aumento de las contribuciones a sus cuentas de 401k y planes de salud. La semana del 27 de septiembre, la organización estudiantil Young Democratic Socialists of America organizó varias manifestaciones en favor del nuevo contrato. La más notable de todas fue una marcha el 25 de septiembre que consistió en más de 100 estudiantes, trabajadores y representantes del sindicato que firmaron una petición mostrando su apoyo para el nuevo contrato.
El nuevo contrato declara que cada miembro del personal de limpieza va a recibir un aumento de sueldo de seis dólares durante los próximos cinco años, lo cual para algunos empleados es un aumento de más del 30 por ciento sobre su sueldo actual. En una entrevista realizada el 31 de
octubre, Elias Salmeron, un trabajador de limpieza de casi ocho años en American University, compartió su perspectiva sobre el nuevo contrato y lo que significa para los empleados.
Salmeron no podía participar en las manifestaciones por su horario de trabajo, pero dijo que “las manifestaciones fueron muy importantes para ganar el contrato, y sin ayuda, no lo habríamos ganado. Hubo presión”, Salmeron continuó, “y la universidad percibió eso, que tuvimos apoyo de los estudiantes y de los trabajadores también”.
Salmeron notó que las manifestaciones y el apoyo de los estudiantes y de otra facultad no solo ayudaron a ganar el contrato, sino que también llevó un sentimiento de solidaridad y conexión con las otras comunidades en campus. “Están en la lucha con nosotros, y comprenden la situación económica que estamos viviendo los trabajadores”, comentó. “Es necesario que como trabajadores, tengamos un nivel de ingreso en la que nos permita sobrevivir y pagar el costo
de la vida”.
Aunque es prometedor para el futuro, actualmente nada ha cambiado desde que se firmó el contrato. “Todavía no he visto los efectos”, Salmeron dijo. La primera promesa que esperan los trabajadores es un pago retroactivo de un dólar por cada hora que el personal ha trabajado después de la firma del contrato el 27 de septiembre.
“Todavía estamos esperando, porque no nos han pagado todavía el retroactivo”, explicó Salmeron. “Supuestamente esta semana, pero todavía no ha aparecido”.
El retroactivo a que se refiere Salmeron es un pago que debe Aramark, la compañía de subcontratación del personal de limpieza, que “supuestamente tuvo que ser pagado cuando se firmó el contrato, y no lo han pagado todavía” .La lucha por una mejor calidad de trabajo no termina con este contrato. En el futuro, Salmeron espera que el personal de limpieza reciba más beneficios y que contraten más trabajadores. “Es bastante trabajo, y a veces, no tenemos el personal para hacer el trabajo", explicó Salmeron. “Si hay más personal, van a haber beneficios para los estudiantes también; van a estar en áreas limpias. Necesitamos más trabajadores”. elaguila@ theeagleonline. com
IZZY FANTINI/THE EAGLE
IZZY FANTINI/THE EAGLE
IZZY FANTINI/THE EAGLE
Lambda Theta Phi y Lambda Pi Chi representan a la comunidad Latine en la vida griega
Las organizaciones de vida griega Latines de American University siguen brindando un sentido de comunidad para los estudiantes hispanos
by Thomas Weaverling and Diana C. Rojas Hernandez El Águila Staff Writers
Nota de la Editora: Esta información fue recolectada en inglés y las citas directas incluidas en el artículo fueron traducidas del inglés al español.
Lambda Theta Phi, fundado en febrero del 2024, y Lambda Pi Chi, fundado en 1996, son las dos organizaciones que representan a los latinos en la vida griega en el campus de American University.
Lambda Theta Phi es la primera fraternidad latina en American University, con la sección de AU fundada apenas el pasado semestre en febrero. La misión de la organización es empoderar a los latinos a través de la hermandad, la erudición, la oportunidad y la protección de la identidad y la igualdad.
Los hermanos fundadores de esta sección son Dalvin Perez, Edwin Santos y Jeremy Acaba. Perez, dijo que él y Acaba tuvieron la idea de crear el capítulo en American University después de conocer a un hermano de la organización nacional en una conferencia en Chicago. Las letras de la fraternidad en la ropa del hermano le llamó la atención a Perez e inició una conversación.
“La misión me conmovió porque había estado intentando encontrar esta comunidad en la universidad pero no creía que la universidad tenía lo que hacen los Lambdas”, dijo Perez.
Con la ayuda de los hermanos de la sección de Lambda Theta Phi en Towson University en Baltimore, ellos lograron el establecimiento de la sección en American University. Perez mencionó que él, Acaba y Santos también son cofundadores de Latinos en Acción, una organización en campus que se enfoca en promover la comunidad hispana.
Perez habló de la organización y su meta de crear una comunidad llena de “individuos determinados, de mentalidad abierta, creativos y que quieren hacer una diferencia en la comunidad y en la universidad”.
“pequeño pero poderoso”. Como el presidente de IGC él quiere fortalecer la comunidad dentro de IGC y también unirse con las otras organizaciones griegas como las de Panhellenic porque “hay fuerza en la unidad”.
Perez dijo que algo único de Lambda Theta Phi es el saludo, lo cual es una tradición de la fraternidad. El propósito del saludo es dar honor a la historia de los hombres en la organización que van al ejército. “Es una forma de movimiento militante sincronizada e intensa que expresa lo que hemos atravesado y lo que representamos; como un hombre, un sonido”, dijo Perez. El saludo puede ocurrir en cualquier lugar como una reunión, un evento organizado por la fraternidad, o simplemente de paso.
en el 1996. La sororidad le da la bienvenida a todas las mujeres que tienen una apreciación por la cultura latina.
Lambda Pi Chi se caracteriza por sus valores de la Hermandad, la Comunidad y la Cultura Latina. El objetivo es ofrecer una red amplia y de por vida para facilitar el crecimiento personal y profesional de sus hermanas.
Lambda Theta Phi existe dentro del Intercultural Greek Collective (IGC), una organización que consiste de fraternidades y sororidades que se enfocan en construir la comunidad, el desarrollo de liderazgo, compromiso cívico y membresía de por vida. En el IGC de American University hay seis sororidades y fraternidades históricamente afroamericanas, una sororidad latina, una fraternidad latina y una sororidad asiática.
Perez también es el presidente de IGC y dijo que hay una diferencia de tamaño entre IGC y el Panhellenic Council, el otro grupo que monitoriza la vida griega social en campus, diciendo que IGC es
Perez contó que Lambda Theta Phi tiene un plan general para los próximos cinco años, especialmente una multitud de eventos diferentes que quieren organizar y promover. Sin embargo, él habló de la necesidad de una organización así en campus, diciendo “No quiero que mi organización se disminuya porque todavía no hay mucha comunidad Latina [aquí]”. Además, habló de la falta de atención que recibe su organización y la vida griega en general en la universidad. Perez dijo que no quería ideas equivocadas sobre Lambda Theta Phi. “Intentó construir una comunidad que destaque la cultura de nuestra en la fraternidad y lo que hemos heredado de nuestros fundadores”, Perez contó.
Aunque Lambda Theta Chi inició recientemente, Lambda Pi Chi ha representado a la comunidad latina en American University por casi tres décadas.
Lambda Pi Chi es la única sororidad con enfoque latino en American University. La sección Epsilon, que incorpora tanto American University como a Georgetown University, fue fundada
Amanda Bates, líder del comité de apoyo a ex alumnas, ha llamado a Lambda Pi Chi su hogar por casi 19 años. Ella describe la sororidad como un “lugar muy especial donde [...] puedes ser tú misma” y “no tienes que esforzarte por encajar.” Lo más importante para las estudiantes interesadas es familiarizarse con Lambda Pi Chi a través de sus eventos y sesiones de información. Bates explica que “ser una hermana es un compromiso de toda la vida”.
La sororidad brinda la oportunidad de involucrarse en eventos culturales, como el que organizó con la compañía de danza, Corazón Folklórico, este octubre. También hay oportunidades para activismo y servicio comunitario; una de las filantropías nacionales de la sororidad es la lucha contra el VIH. En diciembre, las hermanas van a participar en un 5k que recauda fondos para erradicar el VIH. La otra filantropía nacional está enfocada en promover la educación de niñas y mujeres que todavía están subrepresentadas en muchos campos laborales.
Cada sección de Lambda Pi Chi tiene la autonomía para responder a las necesidades y los deseos de su comunidad en particular. Las secciones customizan la experiencia de la sororidad y los intereses de las hermanas activas. La parte superior de la organización es la asamblea general, no la junta directiva. La sororidad es dirigida por las hermanas, y “todas las hermanas pueden votar y pueden tomar decisiones”, Bates dijo.
Uno de los beneficios más grandes de ser una hermana es la red de profesionales que se encuentra en la sororidad. “Cuando decimos que es como una red de toda la vida, no es broma. Puedes conseguir pasantías, cartas de recomendación, y orientación para diferentes trabajos”, Bates dijo. Las hermanas mayores de Lambda Pi Chi comparten sus triunfos con sus hermanas pequeñas.
Lambda Theta Phi y Lambda Pi Chi esperan seguir siendo una fuente de seguridad y comunidad para la población latina en el campus. elaguila@theeagleonline.com
GABRIELLE MCNAMEE/THE EAGLE
BELLA BARBOSA/THE EAGLE
La sororidad Lambda Pi Chi, Inc. y Gift of Life organizan un evento conjunto de muestras genéticas y fabricación de pulseras de amistad (09/21/24)
La primera fraternidad latina de AU presenta sus miembros fundadores (03/02/24)
OPINION
Opinion: You should reconsider working on campus
The mistreatment of student workers from a mistreated student worker
by Alana Parker Assistant Opinion Editor
The following piece is an opinion and does not reflect the views of The Eagle and its staff. All opinions are edited for grammar, style and argument structure and factchecked, but the opinions are the writer’s own.
In September 2022, I began working at American University as a first-year student, excited to earn money while having an extremely easy commute. My first year was great — I had a fair wage, a flexible boss and a positive experience that helped me build valuable skills. However, my second year brought challenges that subjected me to the University’s frequently discussed, but not necessarily widely known, unethical employment practices.
After being promoted to a supervisor role, I was eager to take on new responsibilities. But in January 2024, I encountered my first major problem: while others in my office received retention bonuses, I did not. New supervisors were hired at the same wage I made, and those under my supervision were paid nearly as much as me. When I brought this up with my boss, I was told there were no bonuses that year, which was untrue, as multiple of my co-workers had indeed received the semesterly raises we were all used to.
Despite my seniority and greater responsibilities, I felt left behind.
Things only got worse for me in May 2024 when my boss quit, leaving us without any communication from the department about whether we would have jobs in the fall. Many of my coworkers, including those relying on federal work-study, were left with no clarity or support from the University. This pattern of under-communication, along with frequent staff turnover, reflects the lack of coordination between departments that leaves student workers in limbo and contributes to the instability we experience in these roles.
Over the summer, I contacted my department multiple times for clarity, but the process was exhausting, unpaid and unresponded to. We were left with minimal communication from the people who were supposed to support and take care of us. The University failed to communicate clearly with me or the students I supervised. They also failed to prioritize the financial stability of the many students who relied on campus jobs, either for federal workstudy or simply to support themselves throughout the school year.
As time went on, communication and understanding from the University grew worse. At a September 2024 supervisor training meeting, an outside consultant announced new rules, including a sudden change to the scheduling requirements. I worked twice a week for two years, but now supervisors were required to work three shifts per week with no room for flexibility. Like many other student workers, I balance a heavy course load, an internship and extracurricular activities, so the sudden change made it impossible for me to continue. Despite reassurances over the summer that the schedule would not change, the outside consultant and my new boss made it very clear that there was zero flexibility in this new rule, and I quit on the spot.
This inflexibility in policies, especially around work schedules, is a widespread problem for student workers, particularly those with other timeconsuming commitments. University jobs have an incredibly bad habit of implementing rigid requirements that fail to consider the reality of students’ academic and personal lives. As a result,
students who rely on campus jobs are unjustly forced to choose between financial security or academic success.
This situation isn’t unique — my fellow student workers often face similar issues of being overworked, underpaid and disregarded by the University. These jobs are a crucial source of income for students struggling to cover the University’s ever-rising tuition, expensive D.C. rent and the basic cost of living. The unstable nature of these on-campus positions puts unnecessary pressure on students who already balance demanding academics.
The bottom line is that the University depends on student labor to keep campus running — whether you look at Resident Assistants, campus tour guides, baristas or fundraisers — we are all vital parts of the University. And although we are vital, the administration fails to support us.
Student workers nationwide are generally denied the same treatment as full-time employees. These discrepancies become an issue as some students, like RAs, may even be working the same hours as fulltime workers. Their hours reflect how students are generally exploited by being expected to perform critical tasks with incomparable benefits — like being responsible for students in a RA position — without proper support.
The University contributes to this never-ending, exploitative cycle of student workers by failing to provide equitable work environments. Students who need these jobs to make ends meet are often left in incredibly vulnerable positions where they are forced to accept poor working conditions in exchange for financial security.
American University must do better by its student workers. These jobs are supposed to support students, not push them to the brink of burnout. The University must provide fair wages, clear communication and flexible policies that prioritize students’ academic and personal lives. By treating student workers with the respect and consideration they deserve, the University can create an environment where students thrive both in their studies and work, but until then I suggest looking elsewhere for a job — preferably one that doesn’t exploit and disrespect you for simply being a student.
Alana Parker is a junior in the School of Public Affairs and School of Communication and the assistant opinion editor for The Eagle.
IZZY FANTINI/THE EAGLE
Opinion: Advising at AU is moving in the wrong direction
Cutting student-centered advising programs moves towards a depersonalized model
by Julia Cooper Staff Columnist
The following piece is an opinion and does not reflect the views of The Eagle and its staff. All opinions are edited for grammar, style and argument structure and factchecked, but the opinions are the writer’s own.
On Oct. 4, American University notified faculty and academic affairs staff that first-year advising will no longer run after this academic year. The University will be “integrating advisors who have worked only with first-year students back into the school-based undergraduate advising teams.”
Per a June 3 email, the School of International Service Undergraduate Advising Office began team-based advising, meaning students “will no longer be assigned to a particular SIS advisor, but rather can work with any member of the advising team.” Both of these shifts mark a concerning departure from individualized advising to a depersonalized model that does not prioritize student experience. While
general advice could be helpful, the experience of building a relationship with an advisor is incomparable.
A pillar of the first-year advising program is to prioritize student engagement by allowing “students to have consistency through their first semester and offers opportunities to connect with their advisor in class,” but the program undercuts this. With this shift also comes changes to AU Experience, which students previously took with their first-year advisor. Removing specialized first-year advising will lead to lower engagement with advisors, isolating students from their academics.
Restructuring SIS away from an individual model removes the same critical element of academic accessibility: developing a relationship with your advisor. Some SIS students may be lucky to keep working with their previous advisor or one staff member, but this model undermines consistency, as students may spend half of an advising meeting introducing themselves. Additionally, while current students can continue working with their old advisors, new students will be
left to fend for themselves, meaning the experience for SIS students is now based on pure luck.
The lack of consistency in SIS advising is emphasized by the end of first-year advising, despite its intentions of improving reliability. The University has not communicated what advising for first-year SIS students will look like. Are incoming first-years expected to read the biographies of team members and pick? Can they meet with the same advisor all year? These questions remain unanswered.
Advising is moving towards inconsistency and depersonalization, despite the University’s claims. Personalized advising, including having an individual and first-year advisor, drives higher engagement, aids with course selection and helps students navigate their career paths. To prioritize the future of its students, American
Opinion: Journalism is a dying but essential profession Society must value journalism to keep it alive
by Sara Shibata Staff Columnist
The following piece is an opinion and does not reflect the views of The Eagle and its staff. All opinions are edited for grammar, style and argument structure and factchecked, but the opinions are the writer’s own.
A few weeks ago, I grabbed dinner with a friend who had just landed a dream opportunity with The Washington Post. But, she then admitted that she may not pursue it as a career.
“We can’t make a living as journalists,” she said. Journalism, the spine of democracy, is dying. A yellow “dead end” sign came up ahead; we both walked right past it.
Worrying about the future is typical
college student talk, but it is dangerous for students to be terrified to pursue careers essential for democracy. Journalists have held the government accountable since the country’s founding. Yet today, the profession is becoming a dead end with job insecurity, unlivable wages and public distrust for the media.
Journalism is the number one most regretted major, with a whopping 87 percent expressing regret. These statements are not unfounded, with 3,087 job cuts in the industry in 2023 and fresh layoffs continuing in January 2024. America has also lost two-thirds of newspaper journalism jobs since 2005. If these numbers aren’t enough to scare off prospective journalists, the unlivable wage will deter most of them.
Around 60 percent of journalists in D.C. earn between $33,000 and $54,000, $40,000 short of a comfortable wage in the city.
These alarming statistics should never align with a profession so vital to our country. Without journalism, there would be limited access to reliable information. For example, reporting on the coronavirus pandemic provided transparency the American government lacked, saving lives.
Journalists give back to the community by exposing corrupt government activity. In San Juan County, Utah, a local journalist
retrieved $109,500 for the community — three times his annual salary — by publishing a story that exposed a law firm for overcharging the county. In the city of Bell, California, the Los Angeles Times exposed officials that cost taxpayers millions through their inflated salaries.
Despite the clear numerical evidence of the value of journalism, people fail to realize the risks of its demise as fewer than half of Americans say they are confident in the media. We must shift this perception of journalism to an appreciation for the critical role it plays
journalism to encourage aspiring journalists.
People need to understand the urgency of saving journalism that upholds the flow of knowledge in society, and it begins with valuing the profession and the major for its role in democracy and accountability.
Sara Shibata is a junior in the School of Public Affairs and School of
University ought to establish a reliable, individualized advising system across schools.
Julia Cooper is a junior in the School of International Service and the College of
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IZZY FANTINI/THE EAGLE
ETHAN MAHIMAINATHAN/THE EAGLE
Opinion: Conflicts of interest undermine trust in trustees
Board of Trustees business interests go against AU community values
by Urjita Mainali Staff Columnist
The following piece is an opinion and does not reflect the views of The Eagle and its staff. All opinions are edited for grammar, style and argument structure and fact-checked, but the opinions are the writer’s own.
University administrations and governing bodies play a significant role in developing campus communities, especially through the values they implement and set for student bodies. Board members are critical in the establishment of such values. At American University, the Board of Trustees is tasked with making fiscal and policy decisions for the University, as well as representing the school’s mission as its ambassadors. However, many of the sitting members on the Board hold vested interests that directly conflict with the values of sustainability and peace held by the school and student body.
Board members who directly contradict the established values, commitments and goals of its community are a significant concern amongst student movements. In their contradictions, the Board of Trustees limits, and at times undermines, the voices of the student body it is meant to represent. As
initiatives, but sustainability is often in the forefront of its operations.
energy sources, Enbridge’s maintenance of pipelines threatens local ecosystems and impedes upon the rights of local indigenous populations. Enbridge also established Line 3, an oil pipeline that has been met with national protest from climate justice activists and indigenous groups. Banister’s vested interest in a crude oil pipeline conflicts with the school’s commitment to sustainability and the student body’s resolve to address climate change.
all other governing bodies at the University, such limitations can rule out student input in critical decision making processes. AU has development-based campus-
committed to resolving conflicts and “wage[ing] peace,” a commitment that has been reflected in the student body.
Students often table on the quad advocating for climate action, an end to gun violence or supporting victims of domestic violence.
Sine’s affiliation with BlackRock highlights yet another conflict between trustee member interests and the values and mission of our school community. As students look to promote peace, the University’s Board seems to hold interest in tools that encourage violence.
More pressing, one member of the Board, Wes Bush, formerly served as the CEO of Northrop Grumman, the world’s third-largest weapons manufacturer. It is an industry that profits from the
partnerships highlights conflicts of interest that make it difficult, and at times unwise, to believe that our Board of Trustees serve as ambassadors of the community values this school claims to uphold.
Students feel these conflicts of interest when they call for divestment or climate action. While students attempt to develop our school into the leader of sustainability, change and justice that we know it can be, our Board of Trustees conducts policy in a different direction.
Banister is not the only trustee with ties to the fossil fuel industry. Meltzer is the CEO and Founder of the National Financial Partners Corporation, which has connections to offshore drilling and oil extraction.
There are clear divides between the values that the University claims to establish versus the values they directly support. These divisions spotlight the school’s potential lack of commitment to positive global change.
Sine is a co-founder of the Raine Group, a financial advisory group that works with BlackRock. BlackRock has invested several billions in weapons and arms that endanger people from Ukraine to Palestine, profiting from the very conflicts that students are protesting and striving to resolve. The company denies the core value of human dignity that the University prioritizes on its campus to the global community.
arguably the most influential governing body within our institution, it does not seem unreasonable to say that the members of the Board embody the true values our University prioritizes.
The Eagle. opinion@theeagleonline.com
American University, particularly the School of International Service, has
This is not to say that the University should not take donations nor that it should not have a board of trustees. However, the presence of these
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EAGLE the Satire: A bitter winter at Airlie Farms
Satire: AU was so down bad for you (to vote)
AU saved democracy, one CLEG major voter at a time
by Eric Steinberg Satire Columnist
The following piece is satire and should not be misconstrued for actual reporting. Any resemblance to a student, staff or faculty member is coincidental.
Students really felt like there was something in the air this election season, and as former President Donald Trump was edging Vice President Kamala Harris in Wisconsin, students were edging American University (about their voter status). It’s all AU talked about; they were obsessed. They wanted you (to vote)
just those wrist movements, you know, as they work their way down the ballot, filling out president and senator and then having to Google what the hell a city commissioner is. And then the way they lick the envelope to seal that mail-in ballot. It makes AU reminiscent of the days when voters were always on the poll. That always made AU excited … for the completion of one’s civic duty.
Weeks went by, but still, AU heard nothing back from any students. Maybe it was their first time; they were just shy cause they had never voted before and they didn’t know how to make the first move. AU kept trying. Who knows, maybe they could even be the determining factor in the highly coveted three D.C. electoral votes. But then, finally, after months of pining, students finally agreed to go out (and vote) with AU. In preparation, AU mowed the lawn, threw an ambiguous festival on the quad and even got Panera to bring back their soups. AU wanted the night to be perfect.
really want your
You know AU was down bad because they were ignoring every red flag in the book. They wanted you (to vote) whether you were uninformed, crazy or an Ohioan who saw the debate and thought maybe your childhood dog Buster never actually went to a farm upstate but was instead feasted on by your neighbors. It didn’t matter. AU still wanted you to tear through that ballot as fast as a car next to the Tenleytown Wawa. They would’ve taken any voter — AU loves to rack up a (voter) body count — but you know how much they love a good swing state voter. There’s just something about the way a Pennsylvanian fills out that ballot that gets the wonk bus going. It’s
And it was. Right as the night was ending, the voters lingered for a bit outside their dorm rooms. “I had a really nice time tonight,” they said, staring for a minute and brushing a piece of hair behind their ear before slowly leaning in to hand over an absentee ballot form. “Maybe we can do this again next year?” And with that, AU smiled (well, it would if it had a face), knowing it would see them again at the midterms, but for now, AU had finished (its job increasing voter turnout).
Eric Steinberg is a freshman in the School of Public Affairs and a satire columnist for The Eagle.
satire@theeagleonline.com
Food on Campus to Deteriorate, Famine Imminent: A Bitter Winter Returns Pitiful Yields.
There's a fresh coat of paint on Terrace Dining Room and a fresh plate of healthy organic rhetoric along with it. But campus isn't the only thing that has suffered in AU's budget crisis.
AIDAN DOWELL/THE EAGLE
AU’s budgetary plans prioritize future generations of students
In a $68 million deficit, AU’s administration neglects the root causes of low enrollment and retention rates
by The Eagle Editorial Board
The Eagle’s editorial board is comprised of its staff but does not represent every individual staffer’s views. Rather, it provides an insight into how The Eagle, as an editorially-independent institution, responds to issues on campus.
American University is facing a $68 million deficit for the 2025 fiscal year, a $35.2 million increase since the University’s public deficit announcement in February 2024. AU’s administration cites low student enrollment and poor student retention as the root of the deficit, yet moves toward solutions that may drive more students away from the University.
The $68 million deficit was heavily influenced by shortcomings in AU’s student-generated revenue. Ninety-two percent of the University’s operating revenue is sourced from students through tuition, housing and dining. However, there has been little to no communication with students about the budget deficit or its solutions. As a university dependent on its existing students, AU bears a significant responsibility to current student generations.
CROSSWORD
ACROSS
4 A campus institution bringing you most of the news and some of the views, for 100 years
5 Tenleytown metro musician, not to be confused with the famed Beatle
9 2023 movie that used AI-generated diegetic title cards
11 The smallest school on AU’s playground, and the only one that is currently petitioning to maintain independence
Administration’s lack of communication with students is not only exclusionary, but counterproductive, as it shatters trust in administration and discourages the enrollment and retention that the University relies on.
AU’s administration has independently drafted mass changes to academic programs, including restructuring the School of Education. The lack of communication surrounding these changes leaves students and faculty under the impression that their programs are being cut for the administration’s overestimation of revenue. The immediate shift to restructure programs, without including nonadministrative voices, is reflective of a lack of care for the futures of current students, faculty and alumni.
Meanwhile, the University is pursuing an “R1: Doctoral Universities: Very High Research Activity” status. One of the requirements of this classification is spending $50 million on research and development. While an R1 status would award the University more credibility and perhaps higher enrollment, AU is first and foremost a liberal arts institution. Shifting the budget to research and restructuring existing programs unnecessarily undermines the University’s history and humanitarian specialties.
The University continues to discourage student retention with potential changes to housing and financial aid.
The administration may require second-year students to live on campus, with the possibility of fines for those who live off campus. The second-year housing requirement reduces students’ financial autonomy on a campus that is unlikely to have adequate amounts of housing. While financial aid may be restructured to support students who cannot afford to live on campus for a second year, the premise of the plan is exploitative and controversial at best.
AU’s administration has displayed a pattern of isolating itself from students and faculty; however, current students and faculty must continue to demand direct investment from the University. Enrollment and retention are unlikely to rise as a result of the administration’s proposed restructuring, due to the perceived targeting of student finances and programs for an adverse goal of a drastically different reputation. Instead of prioritizing future generations of students who may admire this new reputation, administration must invest in current student and faculty needs, otherwise risking further drops in the University’s dwindling enrollment and retention.
