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INTERNATIONAL BRIEF

April 10

A Venezuelan television network has banned U.S. cartoon "The Simpsons" from the country's airwaves, claiming the show was a potentially bad influence on children, Reuters reported yesterday. Venezuela's broadcasting regulator Conatel chose to replace the show with reruns of "Baywatch Hawaii," according to Reuters.

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College Republicans offer scholarship

By Maureen McCarty | April 10

The AU College Republicans will begin to offer the $5,000 Ira Jersey College Republican Scholarship at the end of this semester, club President Will Haun announced Tuesday. Students will need to hold a 3.2 grade point average, complete a minimum of 30 credit hours per academic year and maintain an active role in AU's College Republicans chapter in order to be eligible for the scholarship, said Jersey, a 1993 AU graduate and former member of the chapter.

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SG Arts Council launches with spring festival

By Ethan Klapper | April 7

The Student Government's Arts Council worked with various on-campus arts organizations to create their launch event, the Spring Arts Festival, which they held last week. The week's events included everything from a Department of Performing Arts production to choral performances and a networking opportunity with a Warner Brothers talent agent.

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U.S. dollar weak; students go for broke abroad

By Marisa Kendall | April 7

The falling value of the U.S. dollar against other currencies has made it increasingly expensive for AU students to study abroad. Europe is currently the most expensive region for American students to visit; the exchange rate in countries that use the euro is now .

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New Kogod major mixes business, music

By Jen Calantone | April 7

The Kogod School of Business unveiled a new degree program March 31 that will allow for students to follow a career path into the music business, according to Jesse Boeding, director of undergraduate programs in Kogod. After meeting with administrators from both Kogod and the College of Arts and Sciences, the accredited business and music programs combined into one curriculum - the Bachelor of Science in Business and Music - that will allow a student to graduate in four years, study abroad and have internships, Boeding said.

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SG proposes senate, executive reform

By Rebecca Kern | April 7

A series of proposed amendments to the Student Government Constitution would make the SG comptroller and secretary appointed positions. The Undergraduate Senate held its first reading yesterday of the Commission on Reform's proposed amendments to the constitution, which the commission claims would improve the executive branch's efficiency and reduce the size of the senate.

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Class launches campaign for HPV awareness

By Rachel Trainer | April 7

People should be able to speak out openly about sexually transmitted infections without the current stigma that is associated with them, according Giovanna Chesler, a School of Communication professor who helped create a Web site where people who have contracted STIs can submit their stories.

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SIS building architects promote green design

By Laraine Weschler | April 7

The key to responsible building is not lessening the negative impact, but making sure people and the environment benefit from the project, said Simon Nicholson, an instructor in the School of International Service who is on the building committee for the school's new building, during a panel discussion Thursday.

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AU to switch e-mail to Google

By Allie Feras | April 7

The Office of Information Technology will move all AU e-mail accounts to Google before New Student Orientations begin in June, according to Chief Information Officer Dave Swartz. The change will give students access to Gmail, Google Talk, Google Calendar and Google Docs - applications that the current LotusNotes system does not support, Swartz said.

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Briefs

April 7

METRO WMATA considers new ad options Engineers at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority are mulling over the addition of new, interactive advertisements in D.C.'s stations and trains in a struggle for much-needed revenue dollars, The Washington Post reported Sunday.

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Pope to speak at Nationals Park, CUA

By SANDRA FLORES | April 7

Forty AU students who contacted the Rev. David John Paul Mott, AU's Catholic chaplain, will attend Pope Benedict XVI's April 17 Mass at Nationals Park. Benedict will also address Catholic educators and the Catholic University of America the same day. Both events are "invitation only," and people will need to have papal tickets that dioceses distributed among local parishes upon request, according to Zenit, a nonprofit news agency that reports on the Catholic Church.

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Registrar develops waitlist system

By Ethan Klapper | April 3

AU students will now be able to place their names on an automated waitlist for closed course sections during registration, the Office of the Registrar announced Tuesday. Students will be able to place their names on the waitlist on my.american.edu, according to an e-mail the Office of the Registrar sent to students The system will create a waitlist as soon as an open section closes for the first time.

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WMATA will need $489M to fix Metro

By Ethan Klapper | April 3

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority needs nearly half a billion dollars in funding to maintain its current level of service, General Manager John B. Catoe Jr. announced last week. The needed $489 million would fund 44 different improvements spread throughout the Metrorail, Metrobus and MetroAccess paratransit service systems, according to a WMATA press release.

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Murdoch says print media matters to youth

By JAE CHOI | April 3

Newspapers remain the most important source of information for young people despite their waning popularity, News Corporation Chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch told students and faculty yesterday at Georgetown University. "I think [newspapers] are the best training ground for young people," he said.

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Students provide tax services to community

By RACHEL TRAINER AND ALLYSON MORRIS | April 3

Kogod School of Business students are currently volunteering to help local taxpayers file their returns. Through the Internal Revenue Service's April 15 tax filing deadline, 26 Kogod students will volunteer their time to help people file and get the most out of their tax returns through Community Tax Aid Inc.

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Students' concerns unclear, activism needed, panelists say

By Rachel Trainer | April 3

The setup of typical polls and surveys makes it difficult to determine what exactly is the biggest problem college students face today, School of Communication professor Dotty Lynch said during a panel discussion last night on student activists and their role in the presidential election.

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New scooters to help decrease response times

By Brian Kalish | April 3

AU Public Safety's recent purchase of three T3 scooters will help decrease officers' response times, according to Public Safety Chief Michael McNair. The three scooters and extra batteries cost the office $34,000 and replaced one patrol car.

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