Thumbs Up Magnum photographer Eli Reed speaking on campus ... Eli Reed spoke and presented his work at the Wechsler Theater Wednesday. It's wonderful to see AU's oft-forgotten photography program reel in a big name from the field to speak.
Jonah Goldberg speaking and blogging on campus ... The conservative pundit Jonah Goldberg, pioneer of the phrase "cheese-eating surrender monkeys," spent Wednesday night on campus, first giving a speech sponsored by the AU College Republicans, and then watching President Bush's State of the Union address with students while blogging live for National Review Online.
Whether or not you agree with his views, the fact that someone like Goldberg would appear at AU for such a huge national event speaks volumes about AU's status as a political hub for young people.
Black History Month begins ... Black History Month kicked off on Tuesday with a speech by AU alumnus Todd Robinson and a performance by the AU Gospel Choir. "The Essence of Blackness" is a month-long celebration with events sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Affairs and other organizations.
Thumbs Down Shuttle shutdown ... The Park Bethesda to Tenleytown shuttle was discontinued Tuesday due to an expiring contract. The shuttle was never intended to be permanent, but the fact that it shut down was not communicated well to students. It's inexcuseable that students were not informed promptly.
Punxatawny Phil's shadow ... We've got six more weeks of winter, thanks to that damn groundhog and his shadow. On the bright side, since today is Feb. 3, at least we know we're not stuck in a Bill Murray movie.
Really loud radiators in McKinley ... The worst part is that even if you have no interest in paying attention in class, the jackhammer-loud radiator hum is too loud for you to fall asleep.
Delay in the campus showing of "Team America: World Police" ... SUB has really been struggling this year after an incredibly successful previous year. Even the good entertainment seems to go wrong. Tuesday night's showing of "Team America" was delayed by nearly an hour for unknown reasons. Much of the crowd had already given up and left before the film got rolling.
