News

News

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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News

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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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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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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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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Metro calendar

By Rebecca Kern | November 13

Tuesday, Nov. 14 "Hijacking the Development Debate" 12-1:30 p.m. Institute for Policy Studies, 1112 16th St. N.W. Robin Broad, a professor in the School of International Service, and John Cavanagh, director of the Institute for Policy Studies, will discuss why the theories of bestselling authors Thomas Friedman ("The World is Flat") and Jeffrey Sachs ("The End of Poverty") are wrong, and will present better ways to address poverty and unequal globalization.

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Metro site offers real-time schedule

By Allie Feras | November 13

The Metro is now offering real-time Metrorail information via the Internet and local railways will soon be adding a new security system proposed by the Department of Homeland Security, two changes that could affect AU students. Real-time Metrorail information is already available on the Internet and to Internet-enabled wireless phones, such as Blackberries and Treos.

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Summit highlights environment

By Bill Debaun | November 13

The Kennedy Political Union, in conjunction with other student groups, held two final events Thursday for its Environmental Summit, presenting an environmental issue panel discussion and a climate change parody performance. In the afternoon, KPU, the Community Action and Social Justice Coalition, the Class of 2009 and Eco-Sense presented a panel discussion titled "Bringin' SEXY Back: Environmental Issues Revisited.

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International students showcase their cultures

By Madalyn Wasilczuk | November 13

The International Student Leadership Team and the International Student and Scholar Services Office presented International Vibe, a night of food, performances and dancing in the Tavern Friday. Fanta Aw, director of International Student and Scholar Services, said the night was put on to introduce the new International Student Leadership Team, made up of both undergraduate and graduate students, and enrich the campus by presenting culture in a fun and educational way.

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National brief: Pledge of Allegiance banned from student trustee meetings at California college

By Jimm Phillips | November 13

Student trustees at a California college banned the Pledge of Allegiance from their meetings because they saw no reason to swear allegiance to God or the United States government, according to Reuters. The decision to ban the pledge from student trustee meetings at Orange County-based Orange Coast College caused controversy on campus, prompting Christine Zoldos, a political science major at the school, to recite the pledge during the board's meeting on Wednesday night.

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Kogod revamps logo to change national image

By Howard Perlman | November 13

The Kogod School of Business is undergoing a campaign to improve the aesthetic quality of its logo, Web site and brochures. In the "About Kogod" section of Kogod's newly refurbished Web site, Dean Richard M. Durand said the school hopes to further integrate its approach to interdisciplinary business education into all of its materials.

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Dems expected to alter higher education laws

By Peggy Wu | November 13

With the new Democratic control of the House of Representatives, the new stance on higher-education issues is anticipated to benefit the academic community through funding for academic research and federal funds for students, according to The Chronicle for Higher Education.

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Study shows independent voters on rise

By Peggy Wu | November 13

A recent study released by AU's Center for the Study of the American Electorate showed an increase in the number of voters registering as independents from 14.4 percent in 2002 to a record high of 16.7 percent. This increase in the number of independent voters will benefit the Democrats in the short run, according to Curtis Gans, the center's director and lead researcher.

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Citizens' role in media increases

By Kendra Garstka | November 13

Just when journalists thought the public couldn't get any more cynical about the media, citizens are now focusing on do-it-yourself journalism, said Pat Aufderheide, director of AU's Center for Social Media. "The audience has simply refused to stay the audience," Aufderheide said.

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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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Education schools face challenges

By Brittany Schell | November 13

AU's School of Education is no exception to the criticism from a recent survey showing that a growing number of educators think education schools do not give teachers enough background in their subject matter. Arthur Levine, the former president of Columbia University's Teachers College, surveyed school principals for the study, according to The Washington Post.

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SPA program trains leaders of tomorrow

By Cait Douglas | November 13

Four years after submitting their applications, the 28 members of the senior Leadership class are gearing up for their final semester together. They have planned community service projects and successful fundraisers, stepped into the real world with internships and will end it all this spring with their final seminar.

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