News

News

CAS professor writes on disease, family

By Rocio Gonzalez | April 6

Judging by his work, one might not expect College of Arts and Sciences professor Richard McCann to be the funny, sarcastic person he is in real life. "His personality is much different than the voice of his book ['Mother of Sorrows']," said Glenn Moomau, a professor in the College of Arts and Sciences' literature department and McCann's colleague.

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Festival gets extra pep next weekend

By Anna Tuman | April 6

The AU Screamin' Eagles Pep Band will perform at the Tidal Basin during the last day of National Cherry Blossom Festival - April 12 - after a long and competitive process. "We're thrilled to [be] performing at the National Cherry Blossom Festival," said Carl Seip, Pep Band president and AU affairs columnist for The Eagle.

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News

National brief

April 6

Police are charging a Newark, Ohio, man with drunken driving after he crashed a motorized barstool, MSNBC.com reported Tuesday. Kile Wygle was hospitalized after wrecking the barstool, which was powered by a lawnmower engine, MSNBC reported. He told the police the barstool could travel as fast as 38 miles per hour.

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Campus brief

April 6

South Korean Ambassador Han Duk-Soo made a visit to the School of International Service last week to honor tradition and confirm the strong relationship between AU and South Korea, according to a university press release. Han visited the three cherry blossom trees that were given to the school in 1943 by Syngman Rhee, the first South Korean president.

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International brief

April 2

Several hundred French workers trapped five executives in their Grenoble, France offices in protest of proposed layoffs, CNN.com reported. About 500 employees of a Caterpillar factory took part in the blockade to protest 700 proposed layoffs, according to CNN.

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Mercury found on campus

By Marisa Kendall | April 2

The U.S. Army Corps is currently making plans to remove a small amount of mercury uncovered next to AU's Department of Public Safety building Feb. 19 as part of an ongoing excavation and search for buried chemical weapons on and near the university's main campus.

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MacCracken wins presidency

By Ethan Klapper | April 2

Andrew MacCracken was elected Student Government president Wednesday night, garnering 43.8 percent of the vote. MacCracken, a sophomore in the School of Public Affairs, will take office at the end of the month. He'll be joined by Vice President-elect Alex Prescott, a junior in the Kogod School of Business, Secretary-elect Colin Meiselman, a junior in SPA and Comptroller-elect Matthew Handverger, a sophomore in SPA.

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Campus brief

April 2

Kyrie Bannar, a junior in the School of Public Affairs and the College of Arts and Sciences, received the prestigious Harry S. Truman Scholarship, according to an AU press release. Bannar will be the 16th AU student to receive the award and the ninth in nine years.

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National brief

April 2

A 13-year-old boy allegedly bit 11 students at a Des Moines, Iowa, middle school between Feb. 10 and Mar. 13, the Des Moines Register reported. The boy's father told police that his son was biting people because he had seen the movie "Twilight," according to the Register.

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Campus calendar

April 2

Thursday, April 2 Concert: The Atrium Series 1 p.m. WHERE: Battelle-Tompkins Atrium INFO: Students can attend a free performance of "Two by Two: The Duos of Bela Bartok" during this Department of Performing Arts-sponsored event. CONTACT: For more information, visit american.

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News

Journos emphasize peace

By Lindsey Anderson | April 2

Soon after the start of the Iraq War in 2003, many Americans turned to artists like Bob Dylan and John Lennon as a way of condemning the invasion's waste and corruption, according to Henry Schwarz, director of the 2009 "Cry Havoc! Poetry of War and Remembrance 1968-2008" symposium at Georgetown University.

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Police blotter

April 2

March 25 A community member ingested a possible poisonous substance in Letts Hall. Public Safety officers responded and made contact with the community member. D.C. Fire Department, Emergency Medical Services and the Metropolitan Police Department responded.

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New Web site unveiled

By Julia Ryan | April 2

Members of the AU community gathered on Monday in the Katzen Arts Center to celebrate the unveiling of AU's newly redesigned Web site, which combines new technologies with user feedback to create a dynamic site that brings out the best aspects of AU. President Neil Kerwin made the opening remarks, in which he thanked the AU community for coming together and making the site a collaborative effort.

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Campaign sign banned

By Tamar Hallerman | April 2

The Board of Elections told former Student Government presidential candidate Mike Mayer to take down a campaign banner hanging from the side of the parking garage next to Bender Arena Monday. The 15-foot canvas drop-cloth, which Mayer and a few of his friends hung up late Sunday night, had "Mike Mayer for President: Vote Tuesday" written in paint.

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Metro brief

April 2

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority officials plan to send the broken rail that caused Friday's derailments to a laboratory for testing, Assistant General Manager for Rail Dave Kubicek told The Washington Post Monday. The broken track, which caused two derailments between the Bethesda and Friendship Heights stations, will be sent to a laboratory that examines airplanes after crashes, Kubicek told the Post.

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Clooney urges action

By Olivia Stitilis | April 2

AU's Distinguished Journalist-in-Residence Nick Clooney Monday night shared his thoughts on his and his son's (actor George Clooney) efforts in Sudan and how they plan to continue their efforts despite the many obstacles they have encountered. The School of Communication Undergraduate Council, SOC Graduate School Council and STAND, a student-led initiative of the Genocide Intervention Network, kicked off SOC Week March 30 with the event, "Journey to Darfur with Nick Clooney.

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Feds issue Jan. 20 apology

By Jack Weingart | April 2

Federal law enforcement officials provided answers and apologized March 25 to the thousands of ticket-holders who were excluded from President Obama's inauguration ceremony on Jan. 20 despite waiting in line for hours. U.S. Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan and U.

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