News

News

Number of foreign students in U.S. falls

By Elyse Franko | October 23

The United States may soon lose its place as the top destination for international students, according to a report released Tuesday by the American Council on Education. Though U.S. universities still have the largest international student enrollment, some European and Asian countries are beating the United States in percentage growth of enrollment.

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Family Weekend features arts, song and service for visitors

By Bill Debaun | October 23

Cherie Booth Blair's speech was a part of AU's annual Family Weekend, which took place from Friday to Sunday. It offered a variety of events intended to give students and their families insight into the many different types of activities on campus. Friday's events included a myriad of open classes for families to get a taste of academic life on campus; an AU neighborhood bus tour that took families to important sites, historic and otherwise, around Tenleytown; and a historical walking tour of campus.

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Offbeat debates highlight tournament

By Stephen Tringali | October 23

Forty teams of college debaters from 12 schools gathered at AU Friday and Saturday to debate a variety of issues, some serious and some less serious, as part of an AU-sponsored event judged by the AU Debate Society. "Should conscription in the U.S. military be employed?" and "Are Vikings cooler than pirates?" were some of the cases debated.

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International briefs

By Kyra Smerkanich | October 23

Palestinian Prime Minister unharmed following gunfire attack Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh was not harmed after unidentified gunmen opened fire on his convoy while traveling through Gaza Friday, according to Reuters. Officials said they did not believe the attack was an assassination attempt, Reuters reported.

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Activist signs book

By Robin Bravender | October 23

Nobel Peace Prize laureate and environmentalist Wangari Maathai visited the AU bookstore Saturday to greet students and sign copies of her new memoir, "Unbowed." Maathai, a Kenyan native, received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 for her environmental activism in Africa.

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Booth Blair headlines Family Weekend

By Bill Debaun | October 23

Though the United States was the "first nation in the world founded on respect for human rights," its membership in two key international human rights documents would advance its position as a global human rights leader, said Cherie Booth Blair, wife of British Prime Minister Tony Blair, during her Family Weekend speech Saturday.

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Metro brief: Expansion of Metro to Tyson's Corner to begin next year at earliest

By Kyra Smerkanich | October 23

Plans to expand the Metro through Tyson's Corner to Dulles International Airport will be delayed for at least a year, according to The Washington Post. Construction, originally slated to begin later this year, has been pushed back to 2008 or later, The Post reported.

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UVM death elicits safety concerns

By Kyra Smerkanich | October 23

The disappearance of Michelle Gardner-Quinn, a senior at the University of Vermont who was found dead six days after she went missing, has led many to question the safety of students around college campuses, including AU. Gardner-Quinn disappeared from the downtown area near the University of Vermont Burlington and was reported missing after she missed a dinner she had previously planned with her parents, according to The Post.

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Race raises funds for 'Habitat'

By Ali Goldstein | October 23

Over 500 runners and walkers competed in the annual American Classic 5K Saturday to raise funds for Habitat for Humanity and encourage physical fitness on campus. The event was organized by Jason Eisen, Erin Bumgarner, Greg Rosenberg, Mark Stern and Chad Woodworth and assisted by the community service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega.

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Campus calendar

By Kendra Garstka | October 19

Thursday, Oct. 19 "Taking Your Product to Market: Clinical Research and Product Launch for Drugs and Devices" 9:30 a.m.-noon, WCL, room 603 Speakers include Lynn Shapiro Snyder and Robert Wanerman of Epstein Becker and Green. For more information, contact (202) 274-4075.

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Language forum examines effect of homophobia

By Robin Bravender | October 19

Homophobia is "a real phenomenon that affects real people's lives," said Bill Leap, a professor in AU's anthropology department, about the topic of a conference held Friday on the effect of homophobic language on people's lives and public policy. Leap defined homophobic language as "statements of disdain, disgust or hatred of persons who are homosexual or are assumed to be homosexual.

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National briefs

By Kyra Smerkanich | October 19

North Korea says U.S.-led sanctions are war declaration North Korea said it considers U.S.-led sanctions following last week's test launch of its first nuclear weapon a declaration of war, the Associated Press reported Tuesday. North Korea released a statement Tuesday saying "the [sanctions] resolution cannot be construed otherwise than a declaration of a war," the AP reported.

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Aramark staffers feel disrespected

By Andrea Chong | October 19

Many Aramark staff members say students this year have worse manners compared to students of previous years and express frustration over some students' inconsideration and lack of etiquette. At the same time, the campus as a whole is reaching out to build stronger relationships with Aramark staff.

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Professor addresses intentions behind new Facebook

By Elyse Franko | October 19

New Facebook features have been designed to increase the Web site's sale potential for the future rather than to improve student communication, said language and foreign studies professor Naomi Baron at an Honors Tea Talk Tuesday evening. Despite Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg's claims that Facebook is "a social utility that connects you with the people around you," according to the Web site, Baron said Zuckerberg's implementation of new features such as the Newsfeed and Mini-feed, as well as his decision to make Facebook available to non-students, only point to one concern - making a profit.

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Expansion of buildings underway

By Brian Kalish | October 19

Within the next five years, the School of Communication and the School of International Service will receive new homes, the Kogod School of Business will gain more space, Nebraska Hall will be converted into a residence hall and the Mary Graydon Center's first floor will be renovated.

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Festival encourages 'green' lifestyle

By Kaylor Garcia | October 19

The D.C. Convention Center buzzed with excitement last weekend as visitors poured in for the annual Green Festival, which looked past the traditional stereotype of anti-global warming sentiment and focused on more specific ecological issues such as healthier living, vegan eating and fair trade.

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Metro brief: Poll shows Virginia majority supports gay marriage ban

By Kyra Smerkanich | October 19

A new poll shows a majority of Virginians support a gay marriage ban, according to The Washington Post. The survey, conducted by The Post, found that 53 percent of voters said they would support a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, while only 43 percent said they would oppose the law.

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