General Information
The Eagle is an award-winning student-run newspaper that publishes a print edition every Thursday during the academic year, except on days when the University is closed. The Eagle Online, www.TheEagleOnline.com, posts news and features between print editions.
Terms and Conditions
Editor-in-Chief
Zach C. Cohen
editor@theeagleonline.com
Walk-In Hours: Mondays and Thursdays 1-2 p.m.
(202) 885-1402
Business Manager
Jake Kelderman
business@theeagleonline.com
Walk-In Hours: Wednesdays 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
(202) 885-3593
News
Managing Editor for News
Alex Greco
news@theeagleonline.com
Walk-In Hours: Fridays 1-2 p.m.
(202) 885-1409
Student Life Editor (formerly Campus News Editor)
Samantha Hogan
campus@theeagleonline.com
Walk-In Hours: Mondays 2:50-3:50 p.m.
Administration and Local News Editor (formerly Metro-National News Editor)
Heather Mongilio
metro.national@theeagleonline.com
Walk-In Hours: Tuesdays 3-4 p.m.
Opinions
Editorial Page Editor
Rachel Lomot
edpage@theeagleonline.com
Walk-In Hours: Mondays 10:30-11:30 a.m.
The Scene
The Scene is The Eagle's arts and entertainment section. The Scene encompasses Music, Arts, and Entertainment, including reviews, interviews and features in those areas.
Managing Editor for The Scene
Yohana Desta
thescene@theeagleonline.com
Walk-In Hours: Thursdays 1:30-3:30 p.m.
Music Editor
Sean Meehan
Music@TheEagleOnline.com
Arts and Entertainment Editor
Hoai-Tran Bui
Entertainment@TheEagleOnline.com and arts@theeagleonline.com
Walk-In Hours: Thursdays 3-4 p.m.
Art
Design Editor
Allie Powell
design@theeagleonline.com
Walk-In Hours: Wednesdays 12-1 p.m.
Photo Editor
Jared Angle
photos@theeagleonline.com
Walk-In Hours: Wednesdays 7-8 p.m.
Graphics Editor
WANTED! Email if you are interested in applying for this position
webeditor@theeagleonline.com
Web
Managing Editor for Web
Sean Meehan
webeditor@theeagleonline.com
Walk-In Hours: Tuesdays 4-5 p.m., Thursdays 2:30-4 p.m.
Assistant Web Editor
Maya Kosover
webeditor@theeagleonline.com
Multimedia Editor
Willa Hine
multimedia@theeagleonline.com
Walk-In Hours: Wednesdays 10-11 a.m.
Ethics
The Eagle adheres to all accepted legal and ethical considerations regarding the First Amendment, including but not limited to libel and invasion of privacy. The Eagle is dedicated to the principles of ethical journalism as described by the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics. This includes reporting multiple sides to a story, presenting information in an accurate context and avoiding actual or perceived conflicts of interest.
As a student newspaper, The Eagle is also a learning tool, emphasizing the development of professional, managerial and social skills, as well as the practice of producing a quality, semi-weekly newspaper. However, The Eagle has a zero-tolerance policy for contributors who plagiarize or deliberately distort information.
The Eagle’s relationship with AU
The Eagle is fully independent of the School of Communication, other AU media groups, and all student government institutions, including the Student Government and the Graduate Leadership Council. The Eagle is editorially independent of the University in terms of all content, all financial appropriations, and staff and Board of Directors elections and appointments.
The University cannot designate an adviser to The Eagle, but the newspaper may voluntarily consult any University official and/or professional as it sees fit. In addition, the editorial staff may at any time vote to remove or replace the consultant, or to discontinue his or her services.
No one outside The Eagle staff may review the newspaper's content prior to publication.
Complaints, Corrections and Clarifications
The content of the newspaper and all editorial decisions are the ultimate decision and final responsibility of the editor-in-chief. Complaints can be made directly to the editor-in-chief by e-mailing editor@theeagleonline.com or calling x1402. If not resolved satisfactorily, complainants may then go to the personnel committee of the Board of Directors.
The Eagle is committed to promptly printing and thoroughly explaining corrections and clarifications, as well as entering them into the online versions of the articles. To report an error, e-mail the editor-in-chief (above) or Editorial Page Editor (edpage@theeagleonline.com).
Letters to the Editor, Opinion Pieces and Suggestions
The Eagle aims to serve as a forum for discourse and debate for the University community. As such, anyone in the AU community may write a letter to the editor (about 300 words) or opinion piece (about 500-800 words) on any topic to be printed in The Eagle.
Students who submit letters or opinion pieces must include name, year and school (ex: Anne Godlasky, senior, SOC and CAS). Anyone who submits a letter or opinion piece must include their phone numbers and e-mail address, which will not be published.
Letters and opinion pieces represent the views of the author and not The Eagle. The Editorial Page Editor and the editor-in-chief reserve the right to edit columns and letters to the editor for libel, length or style, but not for content. The decision to publish a letter to the editor or opinion piece ultimately falls to the Editor-in-Chief.
All submissions must be original to The Eagle and become the property of The Eagle. Unsigned letters will not be published.
Letters and opinions critical of The Eagle are published.
The deadline for letters and opinion pieces is 5 p.m. on Mondays.
Send letters and opinion pieces to EdPage@TheEagleOnline.com.
Eagle editors are always anxious to hear from readers about how we can improve, so please feel free to submit suggestions about The Eagle’s publication or operation. If you do not want your comments to be printed or posted, simply specify “NOT FOR PUBLICATION.”
Staff Editorials
The staff editorials and Trending Topics reflect the majority view of The Eagle's Editorial Board, which consists of the editor-in-chief, managing editors for content, representatives from the news desks, and other editors. Each member has an equal vote. The staff editorials represent the opinion of The Eagle, and not of any individual staff member(s).
Navigating the Site
The Eagle Online features all of the content included in the print edition, as well as occasional “web exclusives.” Lead and featured stories can be found on the homepage of The Eagle Online, but additional current stories are also available by clicking on the section links on the left of the page. Also, users can find past stories by clicking the search or archives tool.
Staff Elections
The Eagle Board of Directors elects the Editor-in-Chief and the Business Manager and approves The Eagle's annual budget. The board also addresses problems with and/or proposed amendments to The Eagle Constitution and By-Laws as they arise, as well as any personnel problems or grievances with the newspaper that must go beyond the editor-in-chief. The Board of Directors meets at least three times each academic year – once in the fall semester, and twice in the spring semester to elect the next Editor-in-Chief and Business Manager and to approve The Eagle’s budget.
The Editor-in-Chief and the Business Manager are elected by a majority vote of the Board each year. The qualifications for each position are a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.3. The Editor-in-Chief must have been an active Eagle staff member in good standing for at least one year prior to the election. The Business Manager must have completed certain accounting classes in the Kogod School of Business, as specified in The Eagle’s Constitution.
Upon election, the Editor-in-Chief appoints managing editors and section editors and the Business Manager recruits finance and advertising staff.
The Board of Directors is comprised of Eagle alumni, SOC undergraduate and graduate students, at-large undergraduate and graduate students and elected Eagle staff members who each have an equal vote. The current Editor-in-Chief and Business Manager, a Student Activities representative and a University Counsel representative also serve on the board but cannot vote.
Awards
In 2011, The Eagle won four Society of Professional Journalist Region 2 Mark of Excellence Awards. The Eagle won first and third place in Feature Writing; second place in Editorial Writing; and third place in Breaking News Photography.
In 2010, The Eagle editors Charlie Szold, Stefanie Dazio and Julia Ryan won a a Society of Professional Journalist Region 2 Mark of Excellence Award for general news reporting for "American University changes Student Conduct Code."
In 2009, The Eagle won two Society of Professional Journalist Region 2 Mark of Excellence Awards. The Eagle staff won second place for online news reporting for "Student Government impeachment proceedings" and third place for breaking news reporting for "Handverger argues innocence."
The Eagle won five Society of Professional Journalists Region 2 Mark of Excellence Awards for 2007. The Eagle won first place in Breaking News Photography; second place in Breaking News Reporting and Feature Photography; and third place in Editorial Writing and Best All-Around Non-Daily Student Newspaper.
In 2005 The Eagle's editorial staff won a Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence Award for excellence in editorial writing with the "Ladner Editorial Series."
In 2004 the Associated Collegiate Press recognized The Eagle as a Newspaper Pacemaker Finalist and The Eagle Online as an Online Pacemaker Finalist in its national competition.
The Eagle also placed second place in the Best of Show competition out of the participants at the annual summer college newspaper workshop in Washington, D.C.
Individual Eagle editors, writers and cartoonists have also won various journalism awards and scholarships for their work on The Eagle.
Nine Eagle staff members were winners of the Sigma Delta Chi Foundation of Washington, D.C. Scholarship: Rachel Karas in 2012, Stefanie Dazio and Sarah Parnass in 2011, Jim Phillips and Abby Wihl in 2008, Carolyn Phenicie in 2007, Marissa Newhall and April Seipp in 2006, and Simone Weichselbaum in 2002.
The Eagle is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press, U-Wire and Huffington Post College which syndicates to a national audience.
Joining The Eagle
Any AU student, including graduate, law and Washington Semseter students are welcome to contribute to The Eagle! Positions are regularly available in reporting, editing, copy editing, photography, graphic design, web management and more.
Former Eagle staff members have gone on to jobs and/or internships at The Washington Post, the Associated Press, USA Today, the City Paper, ESPN and more. It's a great opportunity to hone your skills and get involved with an award-winning student publication. New Eagle writers will be contributing writers. To become a staff writer, a writer has to contribute eight articles in a span of four months.
Mailing Address
The Eagle
252 Mary Graydon Center
4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW
Washington, D.C. 20016
One copy of The Eagle is free per student. For additional copies please contact The Eagle Main Office.
If you need information about advertising in the print editions of The Eagle, please call The Eagle Business Office at (202) 885-3593.
