News

News

Kerwin takes AU's questions

By Ethan Klapper | February 9

Despite difficult economic times, the university continues to remain in good financial health, AU President Neil Kerwin said at an informal question-and-answer session Sunday night. "Every indicator we have is very positive," he said. This was the worst economy he has seen since 1982, a year when enrollment at AU dropped by 6.5 percent, Kerwin said.

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Metro brief

February 9

Several inmates at the Prince George's County jail disabled locks to escape from their cells Friday, assaulting guards on the level below, according to The Washington Post. At least eight prisoners escaped from their cells, where the locks could be disabled with plastic utensils or deodorant caps, the Post reported.

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TDR faces sticky situation with peanut butter recall

By Katie Litvin | February 9

Bon Appetit, the company that manages on-campus food options including the Terrace Dining Room and the Tavern, will wait for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's approval to serve some peanut butter food choices. More than 1,000 peanut butter products were recalled nationwide starting Jan.

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AU open to new food

By Travis Mitchell | February 9

AU Housing and Dining Programs will hold three open forums this week as part of its plan to replace two underperforming campus food vendors and expand the diversity of university dining options. The meetings will be open to the entire AU community and will focus on the future of the Pura Vida and Chick-fil-A vendors.

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International brief

February 9

An elderly milkman pleaded guilty Friday to supplying marijuana to customers in the northwestern England town of Burnely, the Associated Press reported. Robert Holding, 72, entered the plea to charges that he regularly dropped off marijuana at the homes of certain customers, as well as milk.

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Campus brief

February 9

AU's Center for Environmental Filmmaking, in conjunction with Filmmakers for Conservation, are teaming up for the fourth annual spring film series, according to the School of Communication's Web site. In a series of events between Feb. 10 and Apr. 14, films from National Geographic and Animal Planet, as well as from SOC professors Chris Palmer and Larry Engel amongst many others will be presented.

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Metro calendar

February 9

Monday, Feb. 9 Book event: Jason Emerson Noon WHERE: National Archives and Records Administration, Constitution Avenue and Seventh Street N.W. METRO: Archives/Navy Memorial/ Penn Quarter (yellow and green lines) INFO: The author of the book "Lincoln the Inventor" discusses Abraham Lincoln, who was the only president to hold a patent.

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Driver takes AU for ride

By Hannah Konitshek | February 9

Some AU students who ride the shuttles to and from Tenleytown know the distinct appearance of dreadlocks and a cowboy hat sported by shuttle driver Junior Roberts. "I like western wear and have dreadlocks due to my Rasta heritage," Roberts said. His fashion gives him a look that causes many students to strike up conversations with him, which Roberts said he doesn't mind because he enjoys observing student life at AU.

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Profs sign onto Facebook

By Nicole Glass | February 9

Professors and administrators are catching the "Facebook fever" - they are using Facebook to communicate with faculty friends and sometimes students. Across the country, professors have gotten into trouble for using Facebook when students sometimes discover incriminating comments left by their professors.

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Students offered new off-campus resources

By Tamar Hallerman | February 9

AU Housing and Dining Programs recently hosted a series of forums and events for students who are interested in moving off-campus next semester. The goal is not to kick students off campus, but to provide enough resources for those who are interested, said Housing and Dining's Associate Director of Guest and Visitor Services Ed Gilhool.

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Supporters hope for D.C. vote

By Elizabeth Royall | February 9

Few AU students imagined that their choice in college could cost them their right to representation in Congress. On Jan. 27, however, the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the District of Columbia Voting Rights Act, which would give D.C. residents a vote in Congress, according to the legislation's text.

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Bender Library seeks to increase efficiency

By Laraine Weschler | February 9

Despite budget cuts in libraries across the nation, AU's Bender Library is still getting funding for their collections, according to University Librarian William Mayer. "We have a prominent place in [AU's] budget planning," he said. "The university recognizes the critical value the library brings and wants to support it.

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National brief

February 9

A miscreant hacked into an electronic road sign in Lubbock, Texas, early Friday morning to send his or her own message to passing drivers, KCBD-TV reported. The sign originally read "Frankford Exit Next Right," but ended up reading "OMG THE BRITISH R COMING THEY R WATCHING YOU," according to KCBD-TV.

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Metro brief

February 5

A D.C. man wearing only a T-shirt and boxers escaped from police custody Saturday by crawling through the ceiling of a restroom at a hospital, The Washington Post reported. Corey Harrison crawled through the ceiling to another room at the United Medical Center in Southeast D.

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Campus brief

February 5

After acquiring more than a million visitors per month from more than 500 campuses across the United States, gossip Web site JuicyCampus.com will be shutting down as of today. Juicy Campus was unable to provide enough resources for its growing user base in the current economic crisis, site founder Matt Ivester said in a press release posted on the site's blog.

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Metro may cut service

By Meg Fowler | February 5

AU students who travel around D.C. on public transportation could be faced with Metro service cuts next fall due to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority's projected budget gap for 2010. On Jan. 8, WMATA issued a press release in which the agency predicted a $176 million budget deficit - a gap of more than 13 percent that has resulted from recent decreases in revenue and increases in expenses for Metro.

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Ebadi advocates equality

By Diana Hill | February 5

"Democracy, freedom and equality are rights of men, if there is some left over it will be given to women," Shirin Ebadi, the first Iranian and female Muslim to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, said at a lecture Tuesday. Ebadi said that, though much reform is still required to reach a true democracy in Iran, the nation has awakened.

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