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Campus briefs

April 5

TDR Employees win Bon Appetit Award Terrace Dining Room employees were honored by Bon Appetit, receiving the company's Great Expectations Award, according to American Weekly. "The award says that we will be an example for each of [Bon Appetit's] accounts on the East Coast," TDR General Manager Yvonne Matteson told American Weekly.

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New study ranks NYU as top 'dream college'

By Dyane Jean Francois Fils | April 5

Prospective college students chose New York University for the third consecutive year as their "dream college," according to a survey by the Princeton Review. Although AU is not always their first choice, several students said the university's proximity to Capitol Hill, Library of Congress, international embassies and other resources made it a good place to spend their undergraduate years.

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Cherry blossoms bloom, tourists flock to Tidal Basin

By Elena Isella | April 2

D.C.'s annual Cherry Blossom Festival began this past Saturday, attracting tourists, locals and AU students who went to the National Mall and Tidal Basin to enjoy the sights and celebrate the beginning of spring. Akina Hiramoto, a senior in the School of International Service, has visited the festival twice since the cherry blossom trees began to bloom.

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News

Campus briefs

April 2

AU to host fourth annual 'Night' rally A march around campus and a candlelight vigil will take place on April 10 as part of AU's fourth annual "Take Back the Night" event, meant to raise awareness about sexual abuse and sexual assault, according to an event press release.

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SG rejects AU's 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy

By Courtney Albon | April 2

In a decision made last Sunday, the Student Government rejected AU's policy that allows the military to recruit on campus. The controversy is centered on the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, which prohibits gay enlistees from disclosing their sexual orientation.

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Metro calendar

By Rebecca Kern | April 2

Monday, April 2 Washington Nationals' Opening Day 1:05 p.m. RFK Stadium, 2400 East Capitol St. S.E. Metro: Stadium-Armory (blue and orange lines) Cheer on D.C.'s baseball team at its season opener against the Florida Marlins. All fans will receive a red "W" insignia baseball hat as well.

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Embassy hosts gala to celebrate anniversary of EU

By Dyane Jean Francois Fils | April 2

Fifteen students from D.C. universities, including AU, organized a gala celebrating the 50th anniversary of the European Union, which took place Saturday night at the German Embassy. Dressed in formal attire, approximately 250 students from American, George Mason, Georgetown, John Hopkins and George Washington universities came to celebrate this anniversary of the EU.

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SOC creates ambassador program to represent school

By Howard Perlman | April 2

The School of Communication has begun recruitment for its SOC Student Ambassador Program. These students will "serve as the representative voice for all SOC students," said Jonnel Clothier, the director of graduate and undergraduate advising in SOC and overseer of the program.

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National brief: Google under scrutiny over New Orleans maps

April 2

Members of the House Committee on Science and Technology's subcommittee on investigations and oversight grilled Google over the company's replacement of post-Hurricane Katrina satellite images of New Orleans with images taken before the storm, according to The Associated Press.

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Act raises price of birth control for college health care providers

By Kaylor Garcia | April 2

Colleges nationwide are paying higher prices for birth control, specifically oral contraceptives, after the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services decided to impose the regulations of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 onto birth control, according to a notice released by the American College Health Association.

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Rally, resolution support Women's Initiative

By Kaylor Garcia | April 2

Contrary to recent rumors that Women's Initiative would be removed from the Student Government's bylaws, the Undergraduate Senate unanimously passed a resolution to "recognize the vital role... [the] organization plays in improving the lives of men and women at AU.

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Hit-and-run driver confesses to police

By Jimm Phillips | April 2

Two AU students injured in a hit-and-run near Tenley Circle continue to recover after the driver of the vehicle involved in the incident identified himself to police. Mohammed Niaz told police during a sworn statement that he had been driving the car at the time of the incident, according to Stephanie Mardell, one of the students injured in the incident and a senior in the School of International Service and the College of Arts and Sciences.

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Metro brief: Metro fare increase derailed

April 2

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority General Manager John B. Catoe rejected a Metro fare increase plan, NBC4.com reported Friday. The plan, which the Metro Board of Directors proposed late last year, would have reduced the agency's estimated $116 million budget deficit by raising fares for riders who use the system during rush hour periods, exit at some downtown stations, or use paper fare cards, according to NBC4.

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Speakers explore imprisoned mothers with children

By Kendra Garstka | April 2

When Tonie Rhones left for prison, her daughter was only 15 years old. When she got out 11 years later, Rhones' daughter was 26 and had two children of her own. While serving her sentence, Rhones did not see her daughter once. Now that she is out of jail, Rhones is working on re-establishing their relationship.

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Wellness Center concludes fitness challenge

By Courtney Albon | March 29

Monday marked the completion of the five-week Wellness Center "Get Fit Be Well" Incentive. One hundred and twelve students participated in the program whose goal was to promote health and wellness in AU students "The program was created as an incentive for students to be energized about making changes in the areas of health and wellness.

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Sex assault reporting may violate law

By Brittany Aubin | March 29

AU's handling of sexual assault reporting may be in violation of the Clery Act, a national law regulating campus crime reports, according to JoAnna Smith, the president of Women's Initiative and a junior in the School of Public Affairs. Passed in 1990, the Clery Act requires universities and colleges to publish an annual statement listing the crimes reported that year on campus and in the surrounding areas.

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Metro brief: Webb aide arrested with gun in Senate office building

By Jimm Phillips | March 29

Philip Thompson, executive assistant to Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., was arrested Monday after security screeners at the Russell Senate Office Building found a handgun and ammunition in Thompson's briefcase, according to The Washington Post. Thompson appeared in D.

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