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News

Area colleges welcome storm victims in Katrina's wake

By Lauren Gardner | September 8

Colleges and universities in the D.C. metro area and across the country are opening their dormitories and classrooms to students from Gulf Coast-area schools affected by Hurricane Katrina. AU, Georgetown University, the George Washington University, Howard University and the Catholic University of America have developed unique assistance plans based on how each school can best allocate its resources.

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Students stranded by Park Bethesda shuttle cuts

By Ryan Grannan-Doll | September 8

Housing and Dining Programs dropped Park Bethesda shuttle's Sunday service and cut operating hours on other days because the building was not meeting its target revenue, according to director Julie Weber. To meet the target, the university reduced the shuttle budget when it chose a new shuttle service provider June 1.

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AU students plan relief week for hurricane victims

By Mary Specht and Jess Reamy | September 8

More than 100 students from colleges closed by Hurricane Katrina's destruction have enrolled at AU to salvage their semesters, greeted by special accommodations and a week of events to raise donations for disaster relief. When the hurricane hit, classes had not yet started at Tulane, where most of AU's transfers expected to start school.

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High tech laundry, higher prices

By Mary Specht | September 1

New laundry machines installed in all campus dorms will raise the price of a load by 35 cents but will ensure more reliable service and provide a Web service to notify users by email or text message when their laundry is done or when a machine becomes available, according to Director of Housing and Dining Julie Weber.

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Campus brief: Bon Appetit wins award

By Mary Specht | September 1

Bon App?tit, the company that supplies food to the Terrace Dining Room, has won an award from the Ecological Society of America for its environment-friendly practices. Bon App?tit, based in Palo Alto, Calif., runs more than 190 cafeterias in office buildings, universities and other venues, according to an AU press release.

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Campus calendar

September 1

Thursday, Sept. 1 Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Ally Resource Center Fall Mixer 7:30 - 9:30 p.m., Mary Graydon Center, room 203 Meet the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Ally Resource Center staff, make new friends and reconnect with old ones.

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AU Library ranked 12th worst in U.S.

By Kate Oczypok | September 1

Bender Library was ranked 12th on the Princeton Review's "This is a Library?" list, which named the 20 worst libraries among national colleges and universities based on students' assessments of library facilities. "I think the ranking is inaccurate," said Pat Wand, University Librarian.

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Metro brief: Newborn panda undergoes physical

By Kate Oczypok | September 1

The still unnamed male panda cub born this July at the National Zoo underwent his fourth physical Tuesday since his birth. The cub, born seven weeks ago, weighed approximately six pounds at his most recent examination, according to The Washington Post. "He was crawling on the table today, and we had to keep a hold on him," said Lisa Stevens, assistant curator at the National Zoo in a previous interview.

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New virus protection installed with few software conflicts

By Mary Specht | September 1

About 2,800 installations of a new virus protection program have gone smoothly except for some software conflicts, according to Eric Weakland, director of network security in e-Operations at AU. More than 1,200 students had help installing the program from personnel at e-Operations help desks in Mary Graydon Center and Tenley Campus.

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Ladner on leave to limit "distraction" from start of year

By Mary Specht | September 1

The Board of Trustees announced Tuesday night that it chose to suspend President Benjamin Ladner to avoid "a distraction as we began the new academic year" and to expedite the investigation, according to a statement released to The Eagle from board chair Leslie Bains.

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Hurricane Katrina devastates South, disrupts students

By Kate Oczypok | September 1

The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, one of the biggest weather disasters in United States history, has disrupted the lives of thousands across the Gulf Coast region including hundreds of college students trying to salvage their semesters at other schools.

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Police blotter: The Best of the Worst of the Summer

By Josh Goodman | September 1

The Police Blotter Presents: The Best of the Worst of the Summer May 11 A student who was barred from having contact with a priest on campus violated that order by contacting the priest via text message. The student was barred from all AU property. May 19 A shuttle driver reported that two individuals were consuming alcohol aboard his shuttle bus.

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Freshman class: By the numbers

By John Riley | August 22

U.S. News and World Report's annual rankings of national colleges, released today, placed AU 85th, one higher from last year's ranking. In 2004 the University jumped to 86th from 99th the year before. Each year an increasingly competitive freshmen class raises AU's profile.

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Problems plague Army Corps cleanup project

August 22

The Army Corps of Engineers will no longer attempt to use an airframe tent to cover its Lot 18 workspace after continued problems with the tent's deflation. Work on the site will continue under the current metal frame tent. The Corps has worked to remove debris from the area behind campus, designated as Lot 18, since June 2004 when a sealed container of lewisite, a chemical warfare agent, was found there.

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Coffee on campus

By April Astor | August 22

Davenport Lounge in the SIS building has a definite indie vibe. Students lounge on large comfortable couches, play chess and listen to the music playing. The student-run coffee shop offers a unique place to relax and chill out. The Mud Box is a new addition to the library.

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AU Board of Trustees investigates Ladner's spending

By Mary Specht | August 22

The Board of Trustees will be the only group privy to the results of its investigation into President Benjamin Ladner's alleged use of university money for personal expenses, including a personal French chef, presents for his children and other personal expenses, unless the board chooses to release the information to the public, according to David Taylor, Ladner's chief of staff.

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AU history professor plans to run for U.S. Senate

By Kate Oczypok | August 22

Professor Allan Lichtman, chair of the history department at AU, plans to run for the Democratic Party nomination for a Maryland U.S. Senate seat while continuing to teach. "I feel that students will be excited about [my campaign]," said Lichtman, who has taught at AU for 32 years.

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