Legal News

College rankings prompt debate

U.S. News and World Report ranked AU 84th in its annual National Universities Rankings released Aug. 20th. AU's standing on the U.S. News list puts it above Catholic University at 121st and Howard University at 96th. The George Washington University and the University of Maryland-College Park ranked above AU, both with a ranking of 53rd. Georgetown University ranked 24th.

SAT, ACT requirement waived for Early Decision

Early Decision applicants this fall can opt to exclude their standardized test scores from their AU applications, according to Greg Grauman, acting director of Undergraduate Admissions. The decision to make reporting ACT or SAT scores optional follows a national trend emphasizing academic performance rather than standardized tests, according to the Undergraduate Admissions Web site.

AU weighs in on health care debate

With impending graduation and the requisite loss of parental health insurance for many, President Barack Obama's new health care plan has produced varied responses from AU students. Some students, like David Lieberson, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences, see the new plan in a positive light. "There ...

PBS blog calls SOC 'hotbed'

AU's School of Communication is a "hotbed for new forms of journalism," according to PBS blogger Mark Glasser. Glasser's post, "Why is American University Becoming Center for New Journalism," posted June 18, was met with praise by many members of SOC who hailed the school as being one of the top schools to learn about and work with new media.

Handverger's impeachment referred to SG Senate

Aug. 30 » The Committee on Rules and Privilege referred Student Government Comptroller Matt Handverger's impeachment to the Undergraduate Senate Sunday.

Impeachment charges filed against SG comptroller

Aug. 29 » BREAKING NEWS: Impeachment charges were filed Friday against SG comptroller Matt Handverger. A special session of the Senate Committee of Rules and Privileges will be convened Sunday to determine the validity of the charges leveled against Handverger. As of now, it is unclear who filed the impeachment charges, and what the charges against the comptroller are.

AUTO commissioner resigns

Aug. 28 » Citing time constraints and personal reasons, AUTO Commissioner Cory Ward resigned Tuesday.

Apple Store will not open in tunnel

Aug. 27 » Due to issues in negotiations between AU and Apple, the Apple Store slated for the tunnel will not be opening.

AU community mourns campus regular Sen. Edward M. Kennedy

The AU community remembered Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., on Wednesday after he died late Tuesday from a battle with a brain tumor.

Metrorail boosts underground cell phone service

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority will expand cell phone service in its 20 busiest underground stations by Oct. 16.

Shuttle adds new routes, green policies

Effective Friday, AU Facilities Management will implement three new shuttle routes -- the red, white and blue routes -- that aim to create greater efficiency for students.

August 27, 2009

Fixing our flawed shuttle system

Most people on campus know the AU shuttle system is immensely imperfect. Buses regularly run late and arrive off-schedule. Students stand squeezed together on shuttles packed over capacity. When drivers cannot fit any more bodies on board, they leave disappointed students waiting on sidewalks.

"Fan can" critics wasting their time

Unnecessary outrage is annoying. It wastes time. It wastes energy. It wastes newsprint. But from time to time, newspapers needed to address it. So here's the latest craziness: More than 25 colleges in this country have filed official complaints with Anheuser-Busch, the parent company of Budweiser, ...

'District 9' mirrors domestic destruction

Up in my hometown outside of Philadelphia, the threat of storms is taken very seriously. Residents treat looming remnants of tropical storms like the promise of nuclear apocalypse, stocking up on enough bread, milk and other perishable goods to last them well into 2019 -- just in case. The rain that accompanies these storms is comparable to that of a soaking in the Sea World Shamu splash zone, yet time after time and storm after storm, the public response is dependably overdramatic.

Individual liberty means freedom to buy, sell sexuality

I have never been a fan of Rhode Island. It's the runt of our country and last of the original colonies to accept the Constitution. Plus, I was rejected by Brown. Communists. Yet Rhode Island has one redeeming quality: legal private prostitution. The Supreme Court of Rhode Island decided that prostitution can be legal in the privacy of a home.

Memo to liberals: don't despair on health care

"There is nothing more difficult to carry nor more doubtful of success," Niccolo Machiavelli wrote, "than to initiate a new order of things." Therefore, it shouldn't be surprising that the candidate of change is having trouble selling the American people on his largest plan for reform. Americans have ...