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News

Metro calendar

By Lauren Gardner | February 6

Monday, Feb. 6 Skyline 6:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The National Theatre Metro: Metro Center (Blue, Yellow, Red lines) Skyline creates original music and also performs popular covers. Each singer brings his or her unique influences to bear on the sound, producing music with a blend of rich vocal textures and soaring leads, accented with thumping bass and vocal percussion.

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Protesters demand presidential resignation

By Dave Colon | February 6

On a Saturday so foggy the top of the Washington Monument was barely visible even to those standing on the National Mall, World Can't Wait, an organization seeking to create a political situation that would drive President Bush from office, gathered protesters near the monument and marched to the White House to denounce the Bush administration and call on the president to step down.

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Athletes find balance

By Brian Kalish | February 6

A recent conference concluded that college athletes struggle with the stresses of performing on the field as well as in the classroom, but many AU students do not feel the same way. The Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics was founded in October 1989 in response to more then a decade of highly visible scandals in college sports, according to its Web site.

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Stanford initiates maternity leave policy for grad students

By Katherine Stump | February 6

Stanford University instituted a policy that gives time off and paid leave from school responsibilities for female graduate students who give birth during their coursework, a policy that many at AU call progressive. Gail Mahood, associate dean for graduate policy at Stanford, told the Chronicle of Higher Education that the university has implemented the policy to deal with the fact that women's critical professional years often coincide with peak childbearing years, which has made it difficult to retain top female talent, especially in the science fields.

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NCOR conference attracts hundreds

By Tiffany Heimbuch-Maybee | February 6

Community members and students coming together for the National Conference on Organized Resistance were on campus over the weekend to convene on their mutual platform of activism. The conference has taken place on the AU campus every winter since 1998 when it was founded by AU students Nisha Anand, Amanda Moeckel, Leila Spears and Kadd Stephens.

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News

Harassment common at most schools

By Ebonie Branch | February 6

According to a study conducted by the American Association of University Women, 62 percent of college students have been sexually harassed, and 35 percent of female students and 29 percent of males reported they were physically harassed. Despite the national trend, members of AU's administration said it has not dealt with as many accusations of sexual harassment, and students say it is not a serious problem plaguing AU.

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Civil rights activist dies, leaves legacy of courage

By Kelly Kerr | February 6

Coretta Scott King, widow of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., died Tuesday at 78 of ovarian cancer, according to the Associated Press. King had a public viewing in the Georgia state Capitol rotunda Saturday and will have another viewing in the Baptist church where her husband was a minister today.

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News

Journalist tells students to seek truth

By Josh Goodman and Kyra Smerkanich | February 6

Investigative journalist Bob Woodward, best known for the story he broke about the 1973 Watergate break-in for The Washington Post, told AU students to "focus, rewrite, re-interview ... and always try to suck out the truth," at the Kay Spiritual Life Center Thursday.

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News

National briefs

By Ryan Grannan-Doll | February 6

Metro revamps 'Doors closing' The new voice of the Metro will soon serenade riders with an updated rendition of the familiar "doors closing" after a contest chose Randi Miller, a 44-year-old real estate manager, according to The Washington Post. Miller will record new voice messages for the Metro system, which are to be played 33,017 times per day across the rail network, according to The Post.

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Bono advocates increased public input

By Lauren Gardner | February 6

The American public can increase aid to Africa by telling politicians that they want their money spent for the cause, said lead singer of U2 and Nobel Peace Prize nominee Bono said Friday night at The Nation's Capital Distinguished Speaker Series. According to Bono, the American "no problem we can't fix" attitude is vital to changing the amount of aid donated to Africa.

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Students may pay higher interest rates

By Kendra Garstka | February 6

College students may face higher interest rates on their student loans due to the Budget Reconciliation Bill, which is now awaiting approval from President Bush. The bill passed the House on Feb. 2 with a vote of 216 to 214. In December, it passed the Senate 51 to 50 with Vice President Dick Cheney casting the final vote.

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Freshmen learn AU alcohol policies early to combat high drinking rate

By Kelly Moynihan | February 2

In order to counter the dangerous drinking habits of freshmen, AU begins letting students and parents know about its dry-campus policies before classes begin. Freshmen orientation programs are now the starting point for alcohol education and its consequences.

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ACLU files suit against D.C. for police behavior

By Olga Khazan | February 2

The American Civil Liberties Union filed three lawsuits against the District on Jan. 19 after allegations of false arrests and excessive use of pepper spray towards protesters during last year's inaugural parade. The lawsuits claim that D.C. police violated the rights of peaceful demonstrators by indiscriminately arresting large groups of bystanders and drenching protesters with pepper spray through a chain-link fence.

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Metro briefs

February 2

Bono to promote service at D.C. speech Bono, Nobel Peace Prize nominee and lead singer of the group U2 will speak at the Washington Hilton and Towers Friday night about living a more involved life. The speech is part of the 12th annual Nation's Capital Distinguished Speaker Series held by the American Society of Association Executives & the Center for Association Leadership.

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Speech receives mixed reactions

By Kyra Smerkanich | February 2

President George W. Bush said America must reduce its dependency on foreign oil and continue its presence in the Middle East in his State of the Union Address, which elicited mixed reactions from the AU community. "America is addicted to oil," Bush said on Tuesday.

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Police blotter

By Kate Oczypok | February 2

Tuesday, Jan. 17 Disorderly conduct was reported off campus and the Metropolitan Police Department was called to the scene. Wednesday, Jan. 18 Harassment by phone was reported at the Sports Center. An unknown suspect was making threatening phone calls. A student was stuck in an elevator in McDowell Hall.

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Survey: AU students' alcohol usage higher than national average

By Kelly Moynihan | February 2

670 freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors responded to AU's Core survey, which was distributed in February 2005. The purpose of the survey was to raise awareness about alcohol on AU's campus. On average, AU students' rates of usage are slightly higher than national averages.

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