AU student detained by police at Capitol barricade
AU junior Michael Hoffman, an intern with the D.C. newspaper, The Common Denominator was questioned by Capitol Police Aug. 6 because they considered him a "threat."
AU junior Michael Hoffman, an intern with the D.C. newspaper, The Common Denominator was questioned by Capitol Police Aug. 6 because they considered him a "threat."
Construction on campus has continued on schedule and completed projects will serve to be great assets to the student body. "Katzen is the first domino," says Gager. Once Katzen is complete, other construction plans, such as plans for the Kreeger and Watkins buildings, which will no longer have a use after those departments move to Katzen, will commence.
AU President Ben Ladner held an informal town hall meeting yesterday evening in the University Club for students. Ladner answered questions from students who attended the meeting, which was moderated by Student Confederation President Polson Kanneth. University officials such as Vice President of Campus Life Gail Hanson and Executive Director of Housing and Dining Julie Weber were also present.
Hundreds of people, including Madeline Albright gathered at the Russian Embassy this week to mourn the deaths of more than 300 people who were taken hostage at School 1 in Beslan, Russia.
Marcy Fink Campos took over as the new director of the Community Service Center Aug. 9, replacing Karyn Casella, who left the position for family reasons after 10 years of service.
The Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender Ally Resource Center held its annual fall social last Thursday. "The social is a place for people to meet each other and hopefully find a home," said Dr. Mindy Michels, GLBTA director. The event, which featured free drinks and pizza, was held in Mary Graydon Center rooms 203 and 205.
National brief on Nader's exclusion from the Virginia presidential ballot.
The sassy and candid mind behind the HBO series, "Sex and the City," Candace Bushnell, spoke last Thursday about her adventures as a wide-eyed, adventurous young adult living in New York City. Bushnell created "Sex and the City" as a column for the New York Observer and was the Kennedy Political Union's first speaker of the year.
This year brings many changes for AU Abroad, including moving its offices onto the main campus and offering a wider selection of international universities where students may study. AU Abroad offers study abroad programs in international cities and organizes the overseas semester, according to its Web site.
Sarah Ahmed's two words that sum up her hopes for the Muslim Students Association this year are "knowledge sharing." Ahmed, the new president of the MSA for the 2004-05 school year, said she believes that the goals of her club should include providing services for Muslim students including lecture events, recreational activities and inter-religious activities with student groups.
In a change from last year, improved and increased enforcement of underage drinking laws will be practiced by the Metropolitan Police Department. This is part of an annual effort to let students know that underage drinking will not be tolerated, said Assistant Police Chief Peter Newsham.
AU is now ranked No. 86 in the nation, according to the political magazine U.S. News and World Report. The university improved from last year's 99th place ranking, while its cross-town rival George Washington University fell one spot from 51 to 52. Compared to schools in the area, including GW, Georgetown, Howard and Catholic universities, AU has the third best ranking.
AU recently joined Howard University, Georgetown University and George Washington University in an agreement with a new car rental service available to students, staff and faculty on campuses, according to Gwen Gass of the Auxiliary Services office.
The Watkins Gallery will present different art pieces in an exhibition called "What's the Story? Narrative Art from the Watkins Collection" over the next three weeks. "The main focus is Washington art history ... to tell the history of modern art in Washington," said Jonathan Bucci, curator of the Watkin's Gallery and an adjunct faculty teacher.
Brief news from campus: The AU Student Activities office received nearly 50 applications this past summer for the dual-person position of Program Advisors. Chris Tankersley and Katrina Fauss were hired, according to Karen Gerlach, Director of Student Activities, for their experience in the field.
A future documentary will focus on a group of AU students who went to Japan this summer to learn about the effects of the American decision to drop two atomic bombs on Japan in 1945. AU history professor Peter Kuznick helped organize the 12-day trip, during which 21 undergraduate and graduate students talked with survivors of the two bombs, attended commemorative peace ceremonies and visited historical sites.
This summer, as students tuned into the news in an attempt to pick their favorite candidate for the upcoming election, other AU students worked feverishly on the campaign trail to answer one question. Will President George W. Bush become a two-term president, or will John Kerry sweep the presidency?
Safety and security events from around campus for the past week, including fire and crime incidents.
In August, Director of Homeland Security Tom Ridge announced a new, unusually specific terror threat. Buildings in New York, New Jersey, and D.C. fell under the threat, including financial institutions in the District, such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
Power for Letts Hall began to fail Sunday night prompting technicians to completely turn off the electricity early Monday at 2 a.m. to assess the situation. Technicians concluded that the power transformer had worn out due to old age, according to Executive Director of Housing and Dining Services Julie Weber.