One of the reasons why I love this time of year is watching every music elitist out there sum up the best of 2011 with their own appraisal of new music that graced the year. As I was perusing the top countdowns (from Pitchfork to MTV), I noticed one disturbing trend: Tyler, the Creator in [...]
The draws to American University are pretty self-explanatory. The location to the city offers opportunities as different as politics and nightlife. Top-notch programs in Political Science and International Relations foster the next generation of leaders. And the best part? Humanities-crazed students can avoid math and science programs with ease. Even the campus itself, enclosed by [...]
“This show is brought to you by the letters H and R and the number 57,” drawls Jimmy “June Bug” Jackson as he strolls toward the stage. “Let’s give it up for our guest drummer, Emily!” He situates himself behind his tarnished brass drum set, where a recent SPA alumus sat moments before. June Bug [...]
Associate Physics Professor Nate Harshman is a theoretical physicist who focuses on particle physics and quantum information theory. He has published over 20 articles in scientific journals, has written for the Chicago Tribune, and has appeared on the Discovery Channel for a segment on science in pop culture. Harshman sat down with AWOL writer Ean [...]
By Claire Dapkiewicz
At American University, students have formed a bold new coalition in response to insulting rumors that students do not live in the DC Metro area, but simply study in their adopted city. The coalition will prove that AU students are capable of escaping campus, thriving in Washington, DC and contributing to the city’s culture. Motivated [...]
By AWOL
Appalachia’s coalfields resemble the landscapes of dystopian science fiction. Each week, the explosive equivalent of a nuclear bomb is detonated in these mountains, leaving only black, jagged crags of upturned earth. The small communities surrounding these mining operations have suffered under corporate hegemony and oppression since the turn of the century; the region still struggles [...]
By Allison Butler
Many extracurricular activities at both the high school and college level are modeled after government structures: from Model United Nations, to Mock Trial, to Youth and Government and, most notably, Student Government. AU’s student government has three branches—student media even mimics the traditional role of media as “watchdog.” Without a doubt, the skills students gain [...]
By Joe Gruenbaum
On Saturday April 7, 1991, Richard Berendzen got a haircut. He stopped by the office for a few hours, then he met his wife for lunch. “Ed Carr called,” she said. “He wants you to call him back as soon as possible.” Ed Carr was the new Chairman of American University’s Board of Trustees, and [...]
By Emily Martin
It was in my first SOC class at AU three years ago that I first heard the story of Troy Davis, an inmate on Georgia’s Death Row. Convicted of murder solely on the basis of eyewitness testimony, Troy had always maintained his innocence. Despite growing international support from high-profile public officials and organizations, Troy was [...]
By Sarah Palazzolo
Worn plastic tents and hand-painted banners on ripped slabs of cardboard dominate the scene. Enthusiastic protesters blend in with the homeless, who camp on benches in the square—not to fight the system but because they have nowhere else to go. A group of five or six long-haired, flanneled protesters perform yoga next to a crowd [...]
By Linda Nyakundi
The president’s message was simple enough, but just to make sure that it reached the 535 members of Congress sitting before him he repeated it more than seventeen times: his bumper-sticker ready message, “Pass this bill now.” That bill was the American Jobs Act, the president’s $447 billion stimulative response to anemic job growth that [...]
By Linda Nyakundi
We can no longer argue the fact that the Occupy Wall Street movement has arrived. This past weekend marked its largest efforts yet, not only with a massive march to Times Squares but also with global protests echoing the message first voiced at Zuccotti Park. It seems that the nation agrees with that message against [...]
By Lori McCue
Miss Representation, a documentary on the media’s misrepresentation of women, came to AU on Thursday as part of the React to Film College Action Network. Written, directed and produced by actress and activist Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the film explores how the exploitation of women in mainstream media directly contributes to the under-representation of women in [...]
By Ethan Miller
There has been a lot of excitement around the “Occupy” movement in the last two months. With slogans such as “we are the 99%”, the “Occupy” movement has attracted a wide range of people to its cause, from union members to the elderly, moderates to radicals and unemployed people and students. Students have especially found [...]
By AWOL
The Seven Billion Club The United Nations Population Fund stated the world’s population reached seven billion people on Halloween of 2011. Such a milestone marks both an awesome occasion for the celebration of humankind and a chilling indicator of the global need for food, water and shelter. Despite these concerns, on November 3, NPR blogger [...]
By AWOL
Have something to say? Say it in AWOL. The Bulletin Board is designed to give a voice to AU clubs and organizations, but it’s open to everyone. We accept submissions of 250 words or less: send articles, press releases or diatribes to awolau@gmail.com MOCK TRIAL: WHAT IS IT? Do you know what it’s like to [...]
By AWOL
ANONYMOUS MAKES A NAME FOR ITSELF For members of a group that has adopted the moniker “Anonymous,” the world’s most powerful computer hackers have certainly taken on a higher profile role lately. Regarded as nothing more than a bunch of Internet pranksters until recently, a series of high-profile hacktivist attacks and public statements forced many [...]
