News

News

Metro brief

February 7

Presidential campaign finance reports filed last week revealed that D.C.-area donors contributed nearly three times as much to the Democratic presidential candidates as to their Republican counterparts, The Washington Post reported Sunday. Overall, the Democrats received $21.

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Taxi drivers strike on rotating schedule to protest meter switch

By Maureen McCarty | February 7

Private car companies stepped in Monday to compensate for D.C. taxi drivers' absence during the 12-hour strike against a planned switch from a zone to meter system. Cab drivers are prepared to strike one day a week on a rotating schedule until April, when the switch is supposed to go into effect, Taxicab Industry Group President William Wright said in a press release.

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Some AU facilities unavailable during inauguration event

February 7

AU President Neil Kerwin's inauguration ceremony and a subsequent reception will affect the university's class schedule and the availability of certain venues on campus Feb. 8. The inauguration will begin 11 a.m. in Bender Arena, while the reception begins 2 p.

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Campus brief

February 7

Edgar Meza last week resigned as executive chair of the Graduate Leadership Council, according to Kimberly Herrera, Student Activities adviser for the council. Meza, a graduate student in the Kogod School of Business, became head of the GLC over the summer break and was one of the people who met with finalists for the university's presidential search.

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Super Tuesday

By Laraine Weschler | February 7

While Tuesday's presidential primaries produced a clear front-runner for the Republican Party, they left the choice in the Democratic race more muddled, said Dotty Lynch, executive-in-residence in the School of Communication and political consultant for CBS News, during a panel discussion Wednesday.

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News

Police blotter

February 7

Thursday, Jan. 31 The McDowell Hall front desk reported that a person fainted inside the building. The D.C. Fire Department checked on the individual, who refused a medical transport. The Letts Hall front desk reported a female student was stuck in an elevator car on the north side of the building's fifth floor.

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Campus calendar

February 7

Thursday, Feb. 7 "Mission Improv-able's Super Thursday" 11 p.m. WHERE: Battelle-Tompkins Atrium INFO: AU's only campus comedy troupe will perform in honor of the month of February after all of the Super Tuesday excitement has ended. CONTACT: For more information, e-mail Grant Helms at grant.

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Colleges respond to pressure from federal lawmakers on standards

By Patricio Chile | February 7

Colleges and the agencies that accredit them are re-evaluating how they publicly disclose their educational achievements over fears of stricter federal regulations on colleges' academic standards. College and accrediting representatives at the Council of Higher Education Accrediting's annual meeting last week in D.

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New budget service available to AU clubs and organizations

By Christopher Cottrell | February 7

The AU Club Council recently introduced a new budget service called Program Assistance, which clubs can use to apply for additional funding on an event-by-event basis, AUCC Chair Kristen Lyon said at a budget workshop Monday. Each club is only eligible, however, for $500 per semester through the service, she said.

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International brief

February 7

Police in northern England allowed a burglar to continue his crime spree after he called their station and asked to be picked up, the Daily Mail reported Monday. Liam Tomlinson, 21, allegedly told police in a phone call Dec. 8 that he had broken into the clubhouse of Rossendale United FC, an English soccer team, and stolen three bottles of alcohol, according to the Daily Mail.

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AU to enforce D.C. seat belt laws

By Allie Feras | February 7

Public Safety will begin referring students to Judicial Affairs and Mediation Services for packing too many passengers into their cars, according to Public Safety Crime Prevention Coordinator Lt. Rima Sifri. "We haven't always counted people in the cars because it's never been a big problem," Sifri said.

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W. Va. bill may cut aid over alcohol use

By Ethan Klapper | February 4

Students who receive financial aid from the West Virginia state government will lose their state aid if they receive two or more alcohol citations, according to a bill introduced before the West Virginia State Senate. The bill, introduced Jan. 10, would stop state-funded financial aid for students who receive two or more citations related to open container laws, drunken driving, underage drinking, public drunkenness or contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

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Metro Calendar

February 4

Monday, Feb. 4 Lecture - "Reflections from South Africa: Libraries and Societal Change" Noon-1 p.m. WHERE: The Library of Congress, Mumford Room, James Madison Building (sixth floor), 101 Independence Ave. S.E. METRO: Capitol South (blue and orange lines) INFO: The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions' President-elect Ellen R.

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Fast-food marketing influences habits

By SANDRA FLORES | February 4

Parents are more likely to feed their children fast-food when exposed to fast-food marketing, according to a study conducted by Kogod School of Business professor Sonya Grier. Grier conducted the study to address the "research void" in the work being done to tackle obesity problem in the United States, which the Centers for Disease Control designated as an epidemic.

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INAUGURATION WEEK: Calendar of events

February 4

Monday, Feb. 4 Scholarship, Creativity and Professional Contributions Day Panel Presentation - "Ideas into Action: Faculty Share Their Professional Experiences" 1 p.m. WHERE: MGC 5 INFO: Washington College of Law Dean Claudio Grossman, College of Arts and Sciences professor Caleen Jennings, CAS professor Robert Jernigan, WCL professor Jamin Raskin and AU President Neil Kerwin will discuss academia as public intellectuals.

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Panelists: U.S. not prepared for vote

By Jen Calantone | February 4

Shortcomings in election administration have left many eligible voters disenfranchised, said Dr. Robert Pastor, co-director of the Center for Democracy and Election Management, during a panel discussion Thursday. The panelists, who spoke in the Butler Board Room, discussed whether the nation is ready for the 2008 presidential election.

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Global warming and politics meet

By Rachel Trainer | February 4

People need to look at global warming from both an economic and political view, according to Bracken Hendricks, co-author of "Apollo's Fire," a book about creating a clean-energy economy. "Things that weren't political are becoming political," he said at a panel discussion Thursday night as part of a three-day teach-in on climate change called "Focus the Nation.

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