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Campus brief: School of Communication class examines social change

By Mary Specht | June 27

Students in a new School of Communication class covered the impact a new baseball stadium will have on Southeast D.C. through an array of techniques, from a documentary to public service announcements. The goal of the class, Communication and Social Change, was to explore the effect of the proposed $585 million stadium on all residents using a variety of media, according to the course's professor, Charlene Gilbert.

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Library coffee kiosk coming soon

By Kate Oczypok | June 27

Bender Library's new coffee kiosk will be finished by the beginning of July, according to Diana Vogelsong, associate university librarian at AU. The Mud Box, given its quirky moniker by a student who won a naming contest last spring, is one of many projects the library has been working on for the next academic year.

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New security aims to keep viruses off network

By Mary Specht | June 27

A new virus protection system is being implemented to prevent infected computers from logging onto AU's network, EagleNet, and to remind users to regularly update their virus protection software. The introduction of the software is a response to high rates of infection among computers on the AU network, which have mostly affected students.

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Campus brief: No summer break for campus construction

By Mary Specht | June 27

As the Katzen Arts Center nears completion, AU prepares to tackle other major campus projects, including a new School of International Service building and the School of Communication's move from Mary Graydon Center to the McKinley building. While Katzen will open this fall, the SIS building is still only a concept.

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Ruckus downloading program rejected after trial semester

By Mary Specht | June 27

AU will discontinue Ruckus, a music and movie downloading program offered last spring, after a survey of 398 students conducted in April revealed many didn't support the service during its free trial period. The university is still considering several other legal file sharing programs with input from students, including the Residence Hall Association, which announced on Sunday it will recommend Napster.

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Laptops continue to disappear from unlocked dorm rooms

By Chris Nye | June 27

Seven laptop computers have been stolen from residence halls this summer, prompting Public Safety to discuss security with new students and present a proposal to the university that would make an anti-theft tracking system available for purchase at the campus bookstore.

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Metro brief: Police search for missing UMd. student

By Kate Oczypok | April 25

Arvin Sharma, a 22-year-old University of Maryland student, has not been seen since he left to spend a night out with a group of old friends. Now police are asking for the public's help with any information leading to Sharma, who was last seen at Club Lime, a popular nightspot in Southwest D.

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Ladner chooses Pura Vida for new coffee shop

By John Riley | April 25

A Pura Vida coffee shop will move into Mary Graydon Center, AU President Benjamin Ladner announced last Wednesday, because he said the company's socially responsible fair trade product suits AU's values. The choice represents "American University's institutional values and another opportunity to translate those values into a demonstrated public responsibility," Ladner said in a campus-wide e-mail.

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Scars of atomic bombing still felt today

By Emily Carone | April 25

A speaking tour of Japanese students and a survivor of the Hiroshima bombing made its way to professor Peter Kuznick's Social Forces that Shaped America class Friday to talk about the first atom bomb drop and the future of atomic weapons. The Chugoku Shimbun newspaper is sponsoring the speaking tour, which began in San Francisco and will end in New York this week.

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Stewart trial covered by SOC prof

By Sara Blatchly | April 25

Reporting on Martha Stewart's stay in prison stretched the journalistic skills of AU professor Alicia Shepard, who had to find creative ways to glean information about a celebrity she was not allowed to interview. "I stopped cars going to the prison and asked for interviews.

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Campus calendar

By Kate Oczypok | April 25

Monday, April 25 George Mason vs. AU Women's Lacrosse 3 p.m., Reeves Field For more information, contact the Athletics Department at x3000. Baja Fresh with the Gymnastics Team 5:00-9:00 p.m., Dupont Circle Baja Fresh Join the AU Gymnastics team for dinner at Baja Fresh in Dupont Circle.

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Pi Kapp gets charter

By Mary Specht | April 25

Members of the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity celebrated their exceptionally fast ascent from associate chapter to charter chapter with a black-tie banquet Saturday night at the National Press Club. Archon Brandon Blackburn-Dwyer kissed the framed charter and described a group of men who worked harder than most fraternity members.

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College Republicans question effect of bias in classes

By Mary Specht | April 25

Professor evaluations should include a question about political bias in the classroom, according to College Republicans who have written a letter to President Ladner about the need to ensure intellectual diversity on campus. "Unfortunately, as is the case with many other universities, American University professors favor and actively promote only their own viewpoints in the class," the letter reads.

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Police blotter

By Josh Goodman | April 25

Tuesday, April 19 An accident report was filed after an AU shuttle driver discovered that the shuttle had a broken mirror. When pressed for information, the driver said he did not know how the damage occurred. Wednesday, April 20 An informational report was taken from a library staff member.

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New program fosters sense of dorm community

By Kate Oczypok | April 25

After years of planning as part of President Ben Ladner's 15-Point Plan to improve the school, AU will begin its University College program for freshmen this fall. The program will feature seven four-credit pilot classes that will be available for General Education requirements.

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Campus brief: Bender Library helps students get through finals

By Mary Specht | April 25

Free coffee, cookies and Red Bull will be served at Bender Library's Final Perk celebration Wednesday from 8 to 10 p.m. The winner of the coffee kiosk-naming contest, which drew almost 400 entries, will be named at the celebration. The winner will receive a $300 campus store gift certificate.

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Campus brief: AU reaffirmed as Methodist-related institution

By Mary Specht | April 25

AU was reaffirmed as a Methodist-related academic institution by the University Senate of the United Methodist Church earlier this month. A team from the church visited AU last September to examine the University's connection to the Methodist Church, institutional integrity, financial management, course offerings and other criteria, according to Mark Schaefer, AU's United Methodist chaplain.

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