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News

Dems plan to slash student loan rates

By Peggy Wu | November 20

With control of the House and Senate, Democrats plan to make college more affordable by cutting the interest rate on student loans in half, raising the tax deductibility of college tuition and increasing the Pell Grant's maximum amount, which would affect students across the country, including those at AU.

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National briefs

By Jimm Phillips | November 20

12 dead after nationwide severe weather outbreak Severe weather killed 12 people over a three-day period last week as a storm system swept from the South to the Northeast, according to the Associated Press. One of the hardest-hit areas was in Riegelwood, N.

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Public voices opinion on future Mall renovations

By Jimm Phillips | November 20

Speakers and audience members highlighted ways the facilities and appearance of the National Mall can be improved at a National Park Service-sponsored symposium Wednesday, addressing the lack of restrooms and the deterioration of the Mall's lawns. "We're all here today because this is important to our citizens, our nation and to the National Park Service," said Vikki Keys, National Mall and Memorial Parks superintendent.

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AU team disputes study on Frisbee

By Emily Blanck | November 20

Members of the AU men's Ultimate Frisbee Club team say they do not fully agree with a study conducted by University of Washington professor Michael J. Norden, which says that the quality of a school is best judged by the quality of their Ultimate Frisbee team.

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Campaigns target youth on HIV/AIDS awareness

By Jimm Phillips | November 16

Groups, both nationally and at AU, are using awareness campaigns to inform young people about HIV/AIDS prevention as a new study says young people in the United States are at a persistent risk for HIV infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

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Tenley program provides spring entrants fall option

By Brian Kalish | November 16

Many students walking down Nebraska to pick up burritos at Chipotle ignore the buildings to their left that make up the Tenley Campus. What they may not know is that some freshmen begin their AU college careers there with the Washington Mentorship Program.

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Exercise improves quality of sleep

By Kyra Smerkanich | November 16

Aerobic exercise can improve the quality of sleep, according to Ken Diaz, a presenter with the Jacobs Fitness Center and department of recreation and fitness who gave a presentation Wednesday educating students about the benefits of exercise and sleep. Diaz said there are two types of sleep.

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D1 Athletes more likely to graduate

By Rebecca Kern | November 16

A recent NCAA report found that Division I college athletes have a higher graduation rate than non-athletes, but although this trend is not true for AU athletics, changes have been made to increase AU's student athlete graduation rates. Based on the NCAA Graduation Success Rate from the class of 1999-2000, AU's student athletes had a lower graduation rate than non-athletes, with athletes graduating at 56 percent compared to non-athletes at 71 percent.

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Metro briefs

By Jimm Phillips | November 16

WMATA chooses new general manager The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority's board of directors chose John B. Catoe Jr., the deputy chief executive of the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority and a D.C. native, as its new general manager, according to The Washington Post.

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Campus brief: WCL students to hold mock trial in Maryland Judicial Center

By Brian Kalish | November 16

Students in the criminal trial advocacy sections at the Washington College of Law will hold a mock murder trial in front of current and retired judges Nov. 18 at the Montgomery County Judicial Center, according to a WCL press release. The mock trial is the final exam for the law students in these sections because "they simulate the preparation of a real criminal trial," Liz Boals, assistant director of the WCL trial advocacy program, said in an e-mail.

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UN necessary to fight terrorism

By Lauren Fullbright | November 16

The United States should not go it alone when it comes to fighting terrorism, said Gillian Sorensen, former assistant secretary-general of the United Nations in a speech in Hughes Hall Monday. Sorensen told AU students that the United States must work closely with the United Nations to find solutions to international problems.

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Blue Crew rallies school spirit, grows in numbers

By Andrea Chong | November 16

AU Blue Crew, the recently launched student fan group aimed toward a stronger focus on the university's athletic teams, has grown in number and spirit in the past three months, with more than 580 members, as opposed to the previous 25-member Screaming Eagles, according to Vice President for Finance Ryan Spilhaus.

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Campus calendar

By Kendra Garstka | November 16

Thursday, Nov. 16 "Comparative Research on Environmental Politics: Experiences from the Field in East Asia and the EU" 12:45-2 p.m., Gray 130 Lecturer Miranda Schreurs is associate professor of government and affiliate professor of law at the University of Maryland.

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Band Leaves "Trail of Dead" at 9:30

By Chris Moreno | November 16

On Tuesday night the 9:30 club came alive with the performances of two raucous powerhouses, And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead and The Blood Brothers. The bands showed the audience what it means to be showmen in the world of loud, fast, rock music.

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Media outlets may help voters lean left, panelists say

By Elyse Franko | November 16

The rapid spread of political slip-ups through outlets like YouTube and Internet news sites may account for the Democrats' win in the midterm elections, according to panelists at Tuesday's American Forum, "The Midterms and the Media." Republican bungles like George Allen's now-infamous "macaca" comment and Rush Limbaugh's attack on Michael J.

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Health Center to offer free campus HIV tests

By Carolyn Phenicie | November 16

The Student Health Center will offer free, anonymous HIV testing tonight from 5 to 7 p.m. as part of a city-wide program to get all D.C. residents tested for HIV. "In conjunction with the D.C. Department of Health Administration for HIV Policy and Programs, the Student Health Center is piloting periodic, free, anonymous HIV testing," said Dan Bruey, director of the Student Health Center, in an e-mail.

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Metro brief: Six life terms for younger Md. sniper

By Jimm Phillips | November 13

Convicted sniper Lee Boyd Malvo, 21, was sentenced Wednesday to six consecutive life terms for his role in the six Montgomery County, Md., murders. The crimes were connected to the October 2002 D.C.-area sniper attacks, according to The Washington Post and NBC4.

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