News

News

Georgetown U. fights norovirus outbreak

By Lindsey Anderson | October 9

An outbreak of norovirus at Georgetown University last week prompted AU health officials to warn students of the disease and to educate them on its prevention. Last week, almost 200 Georgetown students and two employees ended up in the hospital for the virus.

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Students hang Obama effigy in Ore.

By Katie Litvin | October 9

Students and administrators at George Fox University in Newburg, Ore., were outraged after four students hung a cardboard cutout of Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama from a tree two weeks ago, an act that also spurred discussion among members of the AU campus community.

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National Brief

October 6

The House of Representatives voted 263-171 to approve a $700 billion bill Friday that is meant to aid the ailing financial industry. The rescue package marks the greatest government financial intervention in the private sector since the Great Depression, according to The Washington Post.

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Hradsky to serve as dean of students

By Clint Rice | October 6

Dr. Robert Hradsky will start as the new dean of students and assistant vice president of Campus Life Oct. 20. Hradsky was one of several candidates for the position who went through a series of interviews and presentations in August, including interviews with students, Office of Campus Life staff and AU President Neil Kerwin.

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Metro Brief

October 6

Union Station celebrated its 100th anniversary Thursday and commemorated the occasion over the weekend with a series of free public events. These events included an exhibit of historic locomotives and passenger cars in addition to modern Amtrak equipment.

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News

New details of Va. Tech massacre released

By Kaitlin Scanlan | October 6

New details from the tragedy at Virginia Tech on April 16, 2007, were recently revealed in 59 pages of handwritten notes that chronicled the shooting deaths of 32 people on the campus in Blacksburg, Va. While no shootings like this have ever happened at AU, this tragedy sparked several additions to AU's security system.

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News

High schools cut AP classes

By Rachel Lynne Smith | October 6

AU's admissions process continues to evolve as high schools nationwide drop their Advanced Placement programs. The University of Chicago Laboratory Schools initiated their current wave of AP course cuts from the curriculum because professors felt their students might benefit more from a curriculum "that teachers say puts less emphasis on memorization and test preparation," according to U.

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SG Brief

October 6

The outgoing Undergraduate Senate unanimously certified the election results for the incoming senate at their last meeting Sunday afternoon. The new senate was sworn into office at their first meeting later that day. Student Government President Seth Cutter told the new senators he looked forward to working with them and encouraged them to remember their obligation to serve the student body.

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News

Kermit camps for Kenya

By Katie Litvin | October 6

AU alumnus and former NBA player Kermit Washington raised more than $25,000 as of Thursday, through his commitment to a five-day fast, in order to call attention to hunger in Kenya. Washington invited students to camp on the Friedheim Quadrangle Thursday night with him, he said.

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News

Calendar

October 6

Monday, Oct. 6 Opera - "La Traviata" 7 p.m. WHERE: The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F St. N.W. METRO: Foggy Bottom/GWU (blue and orange lines) INFO: The Kennedy Center is selling discounted tickets to students and young professionals between the ages of 18 and 35 as part of its Generation O program.

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Campus Brief

October 6

AU Queers and Allies began National Coming Out Week on Saturday. "National Coming Out Week represented the freedom that LGBT deserve to live openly and out," said Queers and Allies Executive Director John Marzabadi. Marzabadi said this year's Coming Out Week would pay homage to people of the past and present who have served, and want to serve, the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

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News

AU reacts to economic crisis

By Lindsey Anderson | October 6

AU will continue normal financial operations even as the university begins to react to the current economic crisis, President Neil Kerwin said in a memo e-mailed to the AU community Friday. The university refinanced $137 million of its tax-exempt bonds in the market and limited withdrawals from its short-term investment fund.

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International Brief

October 6

A seven-year-old Australian boy broke into an Australian zoo Friday, fed several animals to the zoo's 11-foot-long crocodile and bashed in the heads of three lizards with a rock, the director of the Alice Springs Reptile Centre told the New York Times. The boy threw several animals, including the zoo's treasured 20-year-old goanna, a turtle, bearded dragons and thorny devil lizards, into the crocodile's pen, The Times reported.

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University officials discuss ending SATs as admission criteria

By Bo Banducci | October 6

Four AU staff members attended a Seattle conference in late September during which Harvard University Dean of Admissions William R. Fitzsimmons presented the results of a study that showed the SAT is an imprecise indicator of college success. The study was meant to critically assess the way colleges implement test scores in their admissions processes.

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IFC approves TKE as new fraternity colony

By Nicole Glass | October 6

AU's Interfraternity Council recognized a new fraternity on campus, Tau Kappa Epsilon (TKE), which officially advanced from an interest group to a colony Wednesday. AU's TKE colony currently has 17 members, according to AU TKE President Josh Linder. Students from AU's Tenley campus started the process of founding a TKE colony during the last academic year, according to IFC President John Barber.

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Recycling program increases visibility

By Olivia Stitilis | October 2

In an effort to clear some confusion and increase efficiency, AU has adjusted its recycling initiative this semester by changing the recycling receptacles. The new containers, which arrived late this summer, are different colors and have slots to distinguish between those appropriate for mixed papers, bottles and cans.

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International brief

October 2

Cadbury Egg announced a recall of 11 types of chocolates made in Beijing and Hong Kong headquarters from stores in Australia, Taiwan and Hong Kong. The recall is a precautionary measure after testing "cast doubt on the integrity of a range of our products manufactured in China," Cadbury said in the statement.

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