News

News

Public Safety emphasizes discretion with Facebook

By ERICA LEMASTER and Samantha Tyrka | March 23

AU students must educate themselves about the risks that accompany membership on profile sites such as Facebook.com, according to Michael McNair, director of Public Safety at AU. McNair warned students that they must be wary of the type of information they post on their Facebook profiles.

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Evacuation plan for AU improved

By Jeanette Kimmel and Susanna Reid | March 9

With the large number of fire alarms being pulled each year in residence halls, students are choosing not to leave their rooms when an alarm sounds. While this poses a problem for false alarms, the implications would be far more serious in the case of other disasters like bomb threats.

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Campus calendar

By Kate Oczypok | March 9

Thursday, March 9 Table Talk Lunch Series Noon, Kay Spiritual Center Lounge. "Is Global Poverty Inevitable?" Speakers include Richard Newfarmer, senior economist, World Bank; and John Cavanagh, executive director, Institute for Policy Studies. Free lunch provided for students; faculty and staff are asked to make a $5 donation.

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Metro brief: Md. electricity rates to rise

By Kate Oczypok | March 9

Electricity rates for Maryland residents will soar this summer, according to the Maryland Public Service Commission. The commission, which oversees state utilities, announced yesterday that customers served by Potomac Electric Power Co. (Pepco), Baltimore Gas and Electric Co.

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Guards report security lapses at Homeland Security headquarters

By Mary Specht and Brian Kalish | March 9

Security officers entrusted with guarding the Department of Homeland Security's headquarters on Nebraska Avenue across from campus have raised questions of safety at the base. Any attack that could happen at the base has a likely chance of affecting students due to proximity of the base to the school, former guards said.

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Campus brief: New evaluation form approved

By Kate Oczypok | March 9

Faculty senators approved a streamlined and less ambiguous Student Evaluation of Teaching form at last week's Faculty Senate meeting. Scheduled to debut in fall 2006, the shorter form features a more consistent response scale, clearer separation between the course and faculty assessment sections, and more carefully worded questions, according to American Weekly.

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On v. off-campus housing debated among AU students

By Dan Jacobson and Malorie Sellers | March 9

The rising demand for on-campus housing along with rising costs may send more students looking cheaper alternatives off campus for the next year. According to Julie Weber, executive director of Housing and Dining, more than 2,700 students currently live on campus, and an anticipated 3,100 will apply for 2,850 on-campus spaces next fall.

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AU: No divestment policy for companies tied to Darfur

By Lauren Gardner | March 9

AU does not have a policy on divestment from companies with ties to the Darfur region of Sudan unlike some universities that have recently implemented such policies, according to David Taylor, chief of staff to Interim President Neil Kerwin. The finance and investment committee of the board of trustees oversees and works with the office of finance and the administration on the university's investment portfolio.

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Park B. changes affect hundreds

By Kate Oczypok and Brett Shear-Heyman | March 9

Many AU students are unhappy with the rising prices and changing lease terms of Park Bethesda, AU's off-campus apartment building that was recently handed over to a private management firm. Students will still be allowed to lease apartments through Housing and Dining Programs but terms will change.

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Fraternity hosts Miss Wheelchair '05

By Laraine Weschler | March 9

Miss Wheelchair America 2005 spoke to the AU community on Monday about overcoming her disabilities to become an advocate for others. Juliette Rizzo spoke as a part of Pi Kappa Phi Push America campaign to raise awareness and help people with disabilities.

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On-campus room draw begins this month

By Brian Kalish | March 9

Students can either live in their current room next year or move to a new hall of their choice, as the 2006 room draw process which began March 6 and will continue through March 31. The steps necessary for room draw are available online courtesy of Housing and Dining.

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National briefs

By Kate Oczypok | March 9

DeLay wins renomination in Texas Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Texas) won the Republican nomination in his House reelection bid Tuesday, beating three challengers in his first election since he was indicted and forced to step aside as majority leader, according to The Washington Post.

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Professor promotes book on Sri Lankan conflict

By Rachelle Douillard-Proulx | March 9

Student and faculty gathered in the Battelle-Tompkins atrium to hear SIS Professor John Richardson speak about his book, "Paradise Poisoned," about Sri Lanka's civil war on Tuesday. The night included a panel, moderated by SIS Dean Louis Goodman, which discussed Richardson's book.

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SIS Career Center holds advising meetings in Dav

By Kendra Garstka | March 9

In an effort to reach more students, the School of International Service Career Center is now holding weekly advising hours at the Davenport lounge. The program, which started Feb. 9, has become so successful that it is being extended from March 16 to a later undecided date, said Olya Vinnik, SIS career advisor.

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State legislatures pass Plan B laws

By Rebecca Kern | March 6

The Food and Drug Administration's inability to decide whether the emergency contraceptive Plan B, also called the morning after pill, should be available without a prescription, hassled state legislatures to monitor the availability of the drug, according to The Washington Post.

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South Dakota abortion law will challenge Roe v. Wade

By Brittany Schell | March 6

South Dakota recently approved legislation to ban nearly all abortions and awaits Republican Gov. Mike Rounds' signature, a move many AU student leaders oppose. The bill would make it a crime for a doctor to perform an abortion unless it was necessary to save a woman's life, but there would be no exceptions in cases of rape or incest, according to The Washington Post.

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National brief: Upcoming NASA missions cut

By Ryan Grannan-Doll | March 6

Upcoming NASA missions will be delayed or cancelled due to recent cuts in the agency's new budget, according to The New York Times. The affected missions are planned scientific research missions. Delays come after promises that "not one dime" of funding would be taken from President George W.

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