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News

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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Teleservice jobs provide flexibility

By Elyse Franko | November 13

More students are contracting as independent telephone service agents, according to LiveOps, a teleservice made up entirely of work-at-home employees. Students can work from their dorms or apartments taking orders for national pizza chains, conducting political polls and doing similar phone-based work, said Elizabeth Gordon, a LiveOps spokeswoman.

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Campus briefs

By Brian Kalish | November 13

WAMU to hold reading, signing of NPR series' essay collection WAMU 88.5, AU's National Public Radio affiliate, will hold an essay reading and book signing of "This I Believe," a recently published collection of essays from the NPR series of the same name, according to a WAMU press release.

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SG Senate passes transparency bill

By Cassie Passinault | November 13

The Undergraduate Senate passed legislation yesterday, a bill on the establishment of open government. The bill was sponsored by College of Arts and Sciences Senator Peter Wahlberg and was established to facilitate better communication between the legislative and executive branches of Student Government and between the SG and the university community.

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Campus brief: WCL students help local college applicants

By Brian Kalish | November 9

Washington College of Law students are giving back to the community by helping students at nearby Woodrow Wilson High School with their college admissions essays until Nov. 9, according to a WCL press release. "The college application is one of the most important factors in the college admissions process, and those who don't show well in the essay are often passed over for admission," states a press release about the program.

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Metro brief: McCain resigns from Gallaudet board of trustees

By Jimm Phillips | November 9

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., resigned from Gallaudet University's board of trustees after protesting the board's decision to annul their appointment of former President-Designate Jane Fernandes, according to the Associated Press and The Washington Post. Gallaudet officials said they planned to announce McCain's resignation yesterday, along with that of former board Chair Brenda Jo Brueggemann.

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Foreign graduate enrollment rises

By Robin Bravender | November 9

International graduate student enrollment in U.S. universities declined after the Sept. 11 attacks but is rising again at AU and across the country. According to a study by the Council of Graduate Schools, foreign student enrollment in master's and doctoral education programs in U.

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SG plans non-stop shuttle pilot program

By Andrea Chong | November 9

To remedy problems presented to both the Student Government and the administration, AU shuttle buses will run on a trial system of non-stop service starting Nov. 21 as part of the Transportation Service Pilot Program, according to Seth Cutter, Senator of the Class of 2010 and sponsor of the Undergraduate Senate legislation which created the program.

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Democrats win both House, Senate

By Jimm Phillips | November 9

The Democrats won majorities in both houses of Congress in Tuesday's election, according to the latest election results reported by the Associated Press. The AU College Democrats and College Republicans held election night viewing parties Tuesday evening as election results began to pour in from across the nation.

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Iraqis react to guilty verdict

By Kate Winston | November 9

The timing of Saddam Hussein's death sentence was a blow to the independence of Iraqi courts, said Bilal Wahab, an Iraqi Fulbright scholar and AU graduate student. Wahab and fellow Iraqi Fulbright scholar Zina Abdul Latif spoke Monday at a forum sponsored by the School of International Service and Center for Global Peace.

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