WAMU to hold reading, signing of NPR series' essay collection
WAMU 88.5, AU's National Public Radio affiliate, will hold an essay reading and book signing of "This I Believe," a recently published collection of essays from the NPR series of the same name, according to a WAMU press release.
The "This I Believe" series features the on-air readings of viewers' essays. It began in 1951 under the direction of Edward R. Murrow. It was brought back in 2005, according to the NPR Store's Web site.
Murrow sought "to point on the common meeting grounds of beliefs, which is the essence of brotherhood and the floor of our civilization" through the program, according to the press release.
The book signing and essay recording will occur at 3 p.m. Nov. 18 in the Kay Spiritual Life Center.
WAMU 88.5 is licensed to American University and its studios are located in Tenleytown. It is estimated to have 575,900 listeners in the D.C. metro area, according to its Web site.
AU center study shows election turnout highest since 1982
AU's Center for the Study of the American Electorate released a report estimating the 2006 midterm election turnout would be the highest turnout since 1982, according to an AU press release.
The study excluded California, Oregon and Washington because those states did not have final counts as of the study's release. In 1982, voter turnout was 39.7 percent and in 2006 voter turnout is estimated to be 40.4 percent of eligible voters. In 2002, 39.7 percent of eligible voters turned out to the polls.
Virginia had the largest increase in turnout, according to the press release, with an additional 14.2 percent voting compared to 2002. Virginia's total turnout in 2006 was 43.8 percent of eligible voters. Louisiana saw the greatest decrease, 11.4 percent, compared to 2002.
Citizens cast 31,703,311 votes for the Democratic candidates for the House compared to 28,749,023 in 2002. The Republican candidates received 29,920,240 votes in 2006 compared to 32,771,580 in 2002, according to a press release.
The Center for the Study of the American Electorate is a non-partisan group that joined AU's Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies in fall 2005.
-B.K
