Weekend edition Fall issue 7

the EAGLE

PHOTO: Rosie Black/AU Photo Collective

Volleyball continues winning streak p.5

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NEWS

theEAGLE JANUARY 2014 theEAGLE NOV. 4,30, 2014

Nation’s capital inching closer to marijuana legalization

By Cuneyt Dil Eagle Staff Writer

D.C. might join Colorado and Washington in legalizing marijuana when voters decide the fate of Initiative 71 on Nov. 4, the ballot measure to legalize possession and cultivation of small amounts of marijuana.

The measure came to public attention only in April, when the D.C. Board of Elections allowed the DC Cannabis Campaign to begin collecting signatures for the measure to be on November’s general election ballot. The campaign turned in more than double the required signature count — nearly 57,000 — by July 7 to place the measure on the ballot.

The new law would make it legal for a 21 year old to possess up to two ounces of marijuana for personal use, grow the plant and use or sell

CUNEYT DIL/THE EAGLE

Live-Blog: Polls open for D.C. voters

drug paraphernalia. The measure would not legalize the sale of marijuana.

Prospects of the measure passing are high. According to a September NBC4/Washington Post/Marist poll, 65 percent of likely voters surveyed said they would vote yes on Initiative 71. In addition, the top two candidates for D.C. mayor, Muriel E. Bowser (D-Ward 4) and David A. Catania (I-At Large), support legalization.

But it could take a year or longer before D.C. residents can enjoy legal marijuana.

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INTERESTED IN THE NEWS?

By Cuneyt DIl Eagle Staff Writer

Follow this post throughout the day for live updates on the election. Latest updates will be at the top. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

D.C. voters have a number of key issues to decide at the ballot box today: a new mayor, a new attorney general, two councilmembers at large and the option to legalize marijuana.

The addition of independent candidates David A. Catania and Carol Schwartz have made this race more competitive than year’s past. Yet councilmember Muriel E. Bowser (D-Ward 4) still boasts a double digit lead over councilmember Catania (I-At Large) in a latest Washington City Paper/Kojo Knamdi Show poll.

Haven’t registered yet? No problem.

D.C. residents are allowed to register the same-day at their nearest polling station.

To register, students must show proof of residence, which means they must provide some type of document with their name and current addresses, according to the D.C. Board of Elections Voter’s Guide.

Students can use a statement from an AU Housing and Dining that proves they live in D.C., according to the guide.

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SCENE

theEAGLE NOV. 4, theEAGLE JANUARY 30,2014 2014

BadBadNotGood headlining WVAU’s fall Capitol Punishment concert

By Jane Morice Eagle Staff Writer

WVAU will host the latest installment of its Capitol Punishment concert series featuring experimental jazz act BadBadNotGood on Nov. 14 in the Tavern.

Doors will open at 8 p.m for AU students with a valid AU ID in hand. WVAU’s Capitol Punishment series periodically showcases up-and-coming acts with free concerts.

The M&M Report:

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“Nightcrawler,” “Kill the Messenger” and “Broad City”

By Thore Siebrands / Flickr

This week on The M&M Report, Mark Lieberman and Devin Mitchell review the movie “Nightcrawler” with special guest Zach Ewell. After that, they discuss the movie “Kill the Messenger” and the TV series “Broad City.”

Read Tam Sackman’s interview with “Broad City” costar Hannibal Buress and JordanMarie Smith’s review of the “Broad City” duo’s performance at AU on

Nov. 1.

For even more extracurricular material, check out Tam Sackman’s interview with Jeremy Renner and Michael Cuesta.

Listen to every previous episode of The M&M Report.

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OPINION

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theEAGLE JANUARY 2014 theEAGLE NOV.30, 4, 2014

Staff Editorial:

T

AU’s terrible record on communication needs to change

he Eagle has been criticizing AU’s lack of communication with the student body for years.

Back in September, The Eagle raised concerns with the administration for not alerting students about Professor David Pitts.

Unfortunately, the University has continued with this trend, even as more dangerous situations have emerged.

The Eagle reported on Oct. 19 that a student at London’s King’s College, where nine AU students are studying, allegedly had ties with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria and had plotted a terrorist attack against the city. Shockingly, AU did not contact any of the AU students

studying abroad in London.

The Eagle contacted AU Communications to clarify what they were doing to make sure their students were safe. While we were given the answers to some of our questions, the department referred The Eagle to a link on its website to answer numerous questions.

This failure in communication was not an isolated incident.

In late September, a 41 year-old School of International Service student died after being hit by a bus off campus. Again, the school did not contact students in any way to alert them to this event. Students instead had to read about the tragedy in the Washington Post.

And, yet again, when The Eagle

asked for further information we were directed to three different people before finally speaking with someone willing to provide a comment.

The main problem is not the administration’s apparent refusal to talk to The Eagle, even though it is concerning. We work hard as student journalists and are prepared to dig for our stories.

But the general AU student body should not have to search for information on the well-being of their classmates, or the status of their own safety.

If the school really wants to foster a strong community on campus, they need to start caring about what happens to students off campus. It’s

disrespectful to students to assume that we will not be concerned about one of our classmates just because she is a non-traditional student.

And it’s simply dangerous to not inform students on potential attacks where they are living.

AU’s lack of communication is sending a strong but likely unintended message: that they just don’t care about their students.

If they are going to promote all of the good things the school has to offer, then they have to work on addressing the bad things as well.

edpage@theeagleonline.com

Column: More work, less busy-work please!

By Shelby Ostergaard Eagle Columnist

Mark Twain once wrote that you should “never let your schooling get in the way of your education.”

In other words, make sure that whatever you are doing in school doesn’t stop you from doing things that will help you grow intellectually. Twain is one of the many reasons I was excited to come to college. University! I remember thinking, finally, a place where my schooling and education will be the same! I was so excited for tough, intellectually challenging and rigorous classes.

Generally speaking, my classes at AU have not fit the bill.

At AU, I’m given boatloads of reading every night. Trust me, if I ever felt the need to drown myself in the academic word, I’d have plenty of options. But that’s exactly the issue. I never feel the need to.

For most of my classes at AU, I can follow along and participate perfectly in class discussions without reading a word assigned to me. For many of them, there’s almost an active incentive against doing the reading—if you read, you are sure going to be bored when the professor summarizes the reading for your next class.

Professors, don’t assign me something if I don’t need to read it. A rigorous, challenging course does not mean more reading. It means reading what the professor actually refers to in class. It means talking about the facts, arguments and discussions that the author had presented. It means creating a culture where students and professors can refer to these things on the fly, as something that everyone knows, because everyone is expected to

know it. It means asking students to make connections between the reading from last night and the reading from last week. Hard to do if they haven’t read either one.

Professors at AU either don’t require you to read or they give you a reading quiz. The class and the readings often feel separate.

One of my most challenging classes right now has less than 10 pages of required reading a week. But the professor will randomly call on students to discuss those readings.

They’re referred to constantly in class—to the point that I would

consider not going if I didn’t do the reading. The professor gives us supplemental readings to do if we are interested but the required readings are truly required.

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Professors, don’t assign me something if I don’t need to read it.

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SPORTS

theEAGLE JANUARY 30, 2014 theEAGLE NOV. 4, 2014

AU Women’s Soccer loses

11th straight game

By Vincent Salandro Eagle Staff Writer

AU failed to record a Patriot League victory for the first time in its 14 years in the league after its 11th straight loss. AU lost to the Colgate Raiders 1-0 on their Senior Day Saturday at Reeves Field.

The Eagles will not qualify for the Patriot League Tournament. It is also the first time since 2011 the Eagles have failed to reach at least the Patriot League Tournament semifinals.

The Eagles put together one of their best performances of the season only to be undone by a late penalty kick converted by Colgate senior midfielder Caroline Brawner.

The Eagles (3-15-0, 0-9-0 PL) played mostly on the counter-attack.

Despite conceding possession to the Raiders (13-2-2, 7-1-1 PL)

throughout the game, AU still managed to put together several dangerous scoring chances against Colgate goalkeeper Brenna Mason.

The AU defense was resolute as well, yielding only one goal from the 19 Raiders shots. Charlene Belanger anchored the defense with seven saves.

“I think ending on this note was very good, a very positive note considering we contested and stayed with the best team in the Patriot League this season,” head coach Anabel Hering said. “So to only lose 1-0 with a [penalty kick] was a great effort.”

The game began very evenly with both sides recording eight shots in the first half. AU had the better of the chances, but couldn’t take the

lead. In the 25th minute, sophomore defender Allie Day picked up a corner kick from sophomore midfielder Marley Jennings, but her effort was palmed into the crossbar

by Mason.

The Eagles almost took the lead again in the 39th minute after a cross by senior forward Lindsey Muri that struck the hand of a Colgate defender in the box, resulting in a penalty kick for AU. Senior defender Michaela Cowgill stepped up for the spot kick, but she hit the inside of the post, keeping the score 0-0.

physical play, but the Eagles matched Bucknell’s intensity to notch a hard-earned win.

The AU women’s volleyball “Bucknell is certainly one team added another win to of the more physical teams in our their undefeated Patriot League league,” AU assistant coach Ahen record on Nov. 1 in Lewisburg, Kim said in a press release. “They Pennsylvania defeating Bucknell were able to hold our hitting in four sets. down with digging and blocking,

The Eagles (20-5, 11-0) so for us to respond with digs and held a comfortable 18-11 lead in blocks of our own showed a lot of the first set, but Bucknell (4-17, competitiveness. It was enough to 3-10 PL) fought back to be within stay in the fight until our hitters one point before the Eagles got hot again.” scored six consecutive points to Three Eagles finished close out the set 25-18. with double-digit kills in the

The Bison continued to match. Junior Allison Cappellino pressure the Eagles, unlike the led the way with 19 kills; Kelly first time AU played Bucknell McCadden and Monika Smidova when AU breezed by Bucknell in finished with 11 each. Smidova straight sets 25-9, 25-12, 25-18. filled out her stat line by adding

Bucknell, who leads the 41 assists and 15 digs.

Patriot League in digs, took the The final set played out second set and nearly came away the way most expected the match with the third set through their

to go as the Eagles set the tempo and closed out the match with a 25-13 fourth set to beat the Bison.

The Eagles travel to face Navy on Nov. 5, before returning home for a two-game stretch.

“Being on the road is always an added challenge, so as coaches, we’re pleased to come away competing hard for a pair of wins,” Kim said in the press release, referring the recent wins against Bucknell and Lafayette.

“We have bigger matches coming soon, and experiencing these kinds of challenges should prepare us for a strong finish.”

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