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Opinion: Identity politics in Student Government elections won’t save us, it never has

(03/31/23 12:00pm)

Historically, we have been charmed by “firsts” — the first Black U.S. president and vice president, the first woman appointed to the Supreme Court and, within our own American University community, our first Black male and female Student Government presidents. When we heavily indulge in these identities, our ability to recognize their shortcomings and effectively critique their work as representatives of the people falls short. This issue has been present within SG and will occur during the current election. 


Opinion: The rise of monkeypox and the unpredictability of our upcoming academic year

(08/03/22 1:05pm)

Picture this scenario: imagine a multi-country outbreak of a zoonotic disease occurring and case numbers starting to rise in the city where your college is located. You await an official University response that at least acknowledges the presence of said disease, only to receive emails thanking another million-dollar donation and negligence in drafting a contract with the AU Staff Union. No need to close your eyes to imagine this. This is our current reality. 






Opinion: Mid-Semester Residential Experience could enforce settler colonialism

(02/21/21 5:55pm)

In October, American University announced in its spring 2021 plan that students would have the option to apply for a temporary residential housing experience for half the semester. This program would welcome 1,250 full-time students to reside on campus from March to May 2021 in addition to the students already on campus for emergency housing, bringing the residential total to more than 1,500. The anticipated minimum cost for this experience, which includes housing, dining and health insurance, would be approximately $5,205.


Opinion: The pressure to be ‘politically correct’ and moral on social media is problematic

(01/02/21 6:02pm)

In honor of “No Nuance November,” I posed a question on my Instagram story to my followers, asking them about their unpopular opinions. The answers I received were interesting, to say the least, and different from what’s “socially acceptable.” They ranged from believing that working class Donald Trump voters are going to be an important part of the progressive movement, to thinking that golfing should be banned. 


Opinion: Normalize making folks with disabilities a priority.

(11/07/20 2:43pm)

American University announced its adjusted AU Forward plan two weeks before the move-in period for the fall semester and stated that it would offer fully online undergraduate and graduate courses with no residential experience. This caused an uproar from the student body, ranging from upperclassmen figuring out their off-campus housing arrangements to international students scrambling to cancel their expensive flights. The breaking news left us all in a period of uncertainty and cynicism for what this upcoming semester was going to be like in an online format, especially for those who express a need for accommodations.