News - The Eagle

News

International brief

February 12

A firefighter died after a 40-story Beijing luxury hotel, scheduled to open this year, burned down Monday near the end of the Chinese New Year's celebrations, CNN.com reported. The Mandarin Oriental Hotel was unoccupied at the time of the fire, but one firefighter died of smoke inhalation.

News

Senate urges bookstore change

By Lindsey Anderson | February 12

The AU Undergraduate Senate unanimously passed a resolution Feb. 1 encouraging the Campus Store to list the ISBNs of textbooks online rather than directing book buyers to the Follett Higher Education Group's Web site. The resolution seeks to alter the bookstore's relationship with Follett, its textbook provider, before its contract with the company expires in June, according to Class of 2012 Sen. Jared Alves, one of the bill's sponsors. Rather than merely directing students to efollett.com to purchase their books, the resolution encourages the university to list the ISBNs, authors and editions of textbooks.

News

Site gives students deals on food, clothes

By Marisa Kendall | February 12

A new Web site that offers discounts to local restaurants, retail stores and events is beginning to attract AU students with its deals. CityShopGirl.com, founded in October of 2008 by Kelly Collis Fredrick, lets users register for free to receive daily e-mail updates about promotions in the D.

TO ABSTAIN, OR NOT TO ABSTAIN? - Dr. Lindsay Marsh, author of "The Best Sex of My Life," came to speak to the AU community about celibacy. The Wellness Center sponsored the event. Marsh's viewpoints brought mixed reactions from audience members.

News

Speaker emphasizes sexual purity

By Justin Van Der Horn | February 12

A Wellness Center-sponsored abstinence education program that focused on sexual purity ended Monday night with students openly challenging the presented views. During the question-and-answer session, some students in the audience challenged what they described as religious overtones, exclusion of gay people and rhetoric pertaining to sex victims.

News

National brief

February 12

Police arrested a Middletown, Ohio, teenager after he allegedly ordered more than $37,000 worth of candy and charged it to his former high school, reported WLWT.com. Jad Holmes, 18, ordered more than 100,000 candy bars and lollipops from a candy manufacturer using the school's purchasing number, police told WLWT.

FROM THE PODIUM - In his second public speech in two days, AU President Neil Kerwin discussed improving alumni relations in the current economy Monday in the Mary Graydon Center.

News

Kerwin calls for alumni involvement

By Charlie Szold | February 12

Expansion of AU's national prominence and improvements in alumni relations are extremely important to the university's continued growth, President Neil Kerwin said during a Kennedy Political Union event Monday. "We need to find ways to engage alumni in the light of the university, we need to serve their needs as they progress through life, needs for career assistance, needs for lifelong learning," he said.

$ASK KERWIN - AU President Neil Kerwin held a question-and-answer session with about 30 students and campus faculty members Monday night. The president talked about a range of topics, including his day-to-day schedule and the university\'s economic situatio$

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.

News

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.

CHUNKY OR CREAMY? - TDR pulled peanut better off its menu after the FDA warned of a salmonella contamination in January.

News

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.

News

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.

News

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.

News

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.

News

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.

News

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.

News

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.

News

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.

News

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.