Staff Editorial: Board of Trustees makes genuine effort to lead
From the Newsstands: This story appeared in our December 2021 print edition. You can find the digital version here.
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From the Newsstands: This story appeared in our December 2021 print edition. You can find the digital version here.
D.C.’s indoor mask mandate was lifted on Nov. 23, although masks will still be a requirement in many settings. The Eagle Editorial Board commends American University for maintaining its mask mandate amid the city-wide change. The decision also raises questions about the future of coronavirus protocols on campus.
The American University Student Government’s postponement of an event that was announced just over a week earlier is puzzling. The State of the Union gala, a new event that was described as similar to a smaller-scale Founder’s Day Ball, was pushed to mid-January. It’s unclear whether the new date will impact the Founder’s Day Ball, which is typically held in February.
Thirty-seven American University desk receptionists sent a letter to administration on Oct. 11 and joined a growing group of campus employees asking the University for better working conditions. The demands, from reinstating a pay differential for night shifts to adequately staffing each shift, are basic requests to which the University responded several days later by scheduling open forums. The lack of communication from the University at multiple points in this issue is frustrating and perplexing as students are left to deal with the consequences of the University's inadequacy.
A national rise in anti-Asian hate crimes hit close to home as the American University community learned a graduate student, Patrick Trebat, was charged with the assault of a gay Asian man and his parents. The revelation that a student at AU was charged with something that makes specific communities on campus feel deeply unsafe, coupled with the fact that the D.C. Superior Court decided it was reasonable to allow him to take in-person classes, is unsettling to say the least.
American University adjunct faculty, graduate students and staff told the University that “change can’t wait” and asked it to “accept this challenge” in regards to COVID-19 safety concerns and unfair wages on Oct. 5.
Preparing for and moving into college is a difficult transition period for anyone. This semester’s added stress of returning to campus and modified in-person classes was felt by the entire American University community.
American University does not have control over individual acts of hate. It cannot effectively identify and weed out every person intending to do hateful things on our campus.
As students, staff and faculty settle into the fall semester, apprehension and excitement coexist.
The fall 2021 semester begins with a mask and a promise to be unlike any other semester at American University. Read The Eagle's back-to-school multimedia project for a look into academics, campus life, vaccine mandates and sports on campus this semester.
Editor’s Correction: This article has been corrected with the proper spelling of Fariha Rahman’s name.
Student newsrooms are more important than ever in a climate that distrusts and attacks journalism.
The recent significant updates on fall operations allow American University students to start to picture what the fall semester will look like. With the University deciding to hold almost all classes in-person and implementing a vaccine requirement, the outlook seems positive. Students are eager to get back on campus, but there must be extensive protections in place for student, staff and faculty safety.
The University’s unintentional exposure of student data is alarming. While the data exposed was not particularly sensitive, The Eagle Editorial Board is left wondering whether the University’s extensive collection of highly personal information is actually safe. AU holds a variety of sensitive data, from student financial information to medical records to social security numbers. The information made accessible through this error was AUID numbers and survey responses, which is not so damaging for students, but how can the student body feel safe in the knowledge that another mistake won’t result in the reveal of more personal data? This situation could easily have been much worse if a different set of data was exposed.
It shouldn’t have taken a series of shootings that killed six women of Asian descent for anti-Asian violence to be brought to the forefront of our national and campus conversations. The Eagle needs to take responsibility for this. As a newspaper, we should have pushed harder and sooner to cover this story. The hateful rhetoric that has manifested in countless acts of violence against the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community is something that demands attention.
Editor's Note: This article appeared in The Eagle's March 2021 virtual print edition.
American University made the decision to house students on-campus, despite the threat of spreading the coronavirus. The University is now housing students for the Mid-Semester Residential Experience, often referred to as the “mini-mester,” in addition to emergency housing already offered to students who need it. The Nebraska Hall COVID-19 cluster, however, reminds us that the threat of the virus is present and requires constant evaluation by the University.
American University students’ relationship with the AU Police Department has been tenuous since a student was forcibly removed from their apartment by AUPD in September 2019. The “wellness check” resulted in a protest led in part by Black Lives Matter DC and a lawsuit from the student. AUSG President Eric Brock’s proposal of a community advisory board to oversee AUPD is the latest attempt to reform the department after the fall 2019 incident. This proposal, while welcome and forward-thinking, still leaves many questions as to whether this board will actually be implemented at AU and what that process will look like.
Despite closing campus due to coronavirus concerns, American University’s athletic department made the decision to continue athletics in some capacity. The athletic department’s announcement of a shutdown on Feb. 5, however, indicates that the safety of athletes, staff and the surrounding community is likely threatened by the travel and the inevitable close contact in most sports. Despite this threat, communication remains scarce, and there is insufficient understanding of what safety measures are in place. The University has a responsibility to question its COVID-19 procedures for the athletic department during this shutdown brought on by an increase in cases.
Editor’s note: Various members of The Eagle’s staff are involved in, or recently disaffiliated from, social Greek life. None of those students participated in the editorializing, writing or editing of this editorial.