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Campus briefs

October 12

Alcohol Awareness Week targets students nationwide National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week will take place at 1,000 universities nationwide, including AU, Oct. 19 to 25. The events at AU will include a guest speaker Wednesday and a mocktail competition, according to Rachel Schwager, a sophomore in the School of Communication and member of Delta Gamma.

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Metro brief: Ehrlich firings may have violated rights

By Kyra Smerkanich | October 12

An investigative committee has concluded that Maryland Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., R, may have violated the constitutional rights of some mid-level staffers when he fired them, according to The Washington Post. The committee, headed by attorney Ward B.

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Campus calendar

By Kendra Garstka | October 12

Thursday, Oct. 12 Table Talk Lunch Series: "Rainforests and Illegal Logging: Any Way to Stop It?" Noon, Kay Spiritual Life Center lounge A buffet lunch will be provided. A $5 donation is requested from faculty and staff; lunch is free for students. R.S.V.P.

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Soil near Kreeger tests for high arsenic levels

By Lauren Gardner and Kyra Smerkanich | October 12

In the last 30 days soil on AU property tested for 106,000 parts per million of arsenic, which means approximately 10 percent of the soil is arsenic, but the finding should not pose a threat to the community, said Gary Schilling, Spring Valley project manager for the Baltimore District of the U.

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SG results announced

By Cait Douglas | October 12

The Student Government fall elections brought out a record number of students to vote for the Class of 2010 Class Council and Undergraduate Senate with over 1,400 voting. The Class of 2010 elected Eugene Johnson as their president, with Alexx Bant winning vice president.

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Eco-Sense panel addresses oil dependency, politics

By Tracy Kania | October 12

Those who have the money to contribute to political campaigns have a greater voice than those who do not, oil companies being one of the most powerful, according to Tyson Slocum, the director of Public Citizen's Energy Program and a panelist at a forum hosted by Eco-Sense Tuesday.

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Life of average intern lacks glamour

By Lauren Gardner | October 12

College students from across the nation flock to Washington, D.C., every year to either attend the District's universities or to participate in semester-long programs there. Many of the students who choose to study in the District are political science junkies who come to Washington with a common goal - interning on Capitol Hill.

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National briefs

By Kyra Smerkanich | October 12

White House rejects North Korea talks The Bush administration rejected the notion of holding talks with North Korea on Tuesday and said it will not be intimidated by the recent nuclear missile tests the North Korean government allegedly launched Monday, according to the Associated Press.

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Special report: one year later

By Jimm Phillips and Kendra Garstka | October 9

One year ago tomorrow, former AU President Benjamin Ladner was removed from office after a nine-hour meeting of the AU board of trustees. During fall 2005, the campus was alive with protests as students and faculty voiced their disapproval of the university's leadership.

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Ladner scandal timeline

By Kendra Garstka | October 9

MARCH The board of trustees' six-member Executive Committee receives an anonymous whistle-blower's letter, alleging then-President Benjamin Ladner had used university money for personal expenses, including a French chef, expensive vacations and family parties.

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AU students brave rain to fight HIV/AIDS

By Allison Young | October 9

Despite the chilling rain that fell Saturday morning, AU students gathered in Freedom Plaza to support the 25th annual Aids Walk Washington. Many campus organizations formed teams to participate in the walk, including the Class of 2009, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.

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No action from Senate committee

October 9

The board of trustees and Student Government President Ashley Mushnick have not heard from the Senate Finance Committee since submitting a final report after the board's June meeting, according to Mushnick and presidential Chief of Staff David Taylor. The final report detailed the governance reforms enacted by the board and also addressed the committee's requests for further documentation from the university, according to Taylor.

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National brief: Clinton brokers healthy snack deal

By Kyra Smerkanich | October 9

Former President Bill Clinton and the American Heart Association announced they have entered into a voluntary agreement with various food companies to make schoolchildren's snacks healthier, according to the Associated Press. Snacks will have less fat, salt and sugar in an effort to cut down on the number of cases of childhood obesity, according to the AP.

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Q & A with Neil Kerwin

October 9

The Eagle: What is your most vivid memory of the Ladner scandal? Neil Kerwin: There were a whole series of memories that come back. The call I got indicating that I would be serving as acting president was memorable, as you might imagine. I remember vividly the convocation that occurred quite soon after the transition from the former president to me.

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AU lends muscle to campaigns

By Howard Perlman | October 9

AU students are participating in numerous political campaigns, such as the November midterm elections, to gain valuable political experience that can be applied to future career plans. Jordan Landry, who graduated in 2006 from the School of Public Affairs, said student involvement can be crucial to a campaign's success.

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Podcasts, blogs bring journalism to "citizen media"

By Peggy Wu | October 9

The second edition of a two-part American Forum titled "The Future of News is Here, Now What?" explored the changes in "new" media after 15 years of online news and its effect on today's generation Thursday. The forum addressed how a new generation of podcasts, online blogs, "Youtubing" and online news has fostered a shift in the traditional print, television and radio media.

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Faculty, staff on Facebook prompt some users to increase privacy settings

By Kelly Barrett | October 9

Students are beginning to learn they are not the only people in the Facebook community, as many staff members and administrators are also members of the site, and many have been for over a year. Freshmen initially learned of staff members being on the site at their summer orientation, during a Housing and Dining presentation by Director of Residence Life Rick Treter.

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