Magazine story corrections: 

• In “Inside AU’s 2024 Orientation Program,” a previous version of the article said Jensen was an orientation leader for three years. She became an orientation leader this year. 
• In “Community Profile: Julia Ford,” a previous version of the article said Ford is a first-generation American. She is a first-generation college student, not a first-generation American. 

Dear Reader,

Thank you for picking up the 35th issue of AWOL’s magazine. Without your decision to read, watch and listen to AWOL’s work,
we would have no purpose as an American University student-run publication.

This semester, we have leaned into the fact that our country is facing a historic presidential election. The majority of our readership is students, many of whom are voting for the very first time. After stepping into the role of co-Editor in Chief, I knew we had an opportunity and a responsibility to publish content showing this historic moment in the context of our AU community that people will look back on for years to come. Because of this, we used the theme of democracy and American politics to guide the aesthetic of our magazine.

Our cover story, written by Kate Kessler, addresses the benefits and shortcomings of what it means to vote absentee in the U.S., which many AU students do. For those voting in Washington or interested in local politics, Ava Ramsdale wrote the story of Ballot Initiative 83, a legislative effort to implement ranked choice voting and semi-closed
primaries in the district.

Life is about more than politics, and therefore AWOL’s content covered more than politics this semester. Kyle Galvin wrote a story about the closing of the Child Development Center at AU. The Hum team produced a podcast on the caffeine intake of students on campus called “The buzz on caffeine.” Finally, our multimedia team produced a documentary about American University Student Government, called “Elected eagles: the state of AUSG.”

I am beyond grateful for the community I have found here, and I am so proud of the hard work that each member has put in this semester. Thank you all for being who you are.

The only constant in life is change. And while many things are changing in the near future, I find comfort in knowing that AWOL will be an important part of my life, and the university’s life, forever.

Please enjoy this edition. It is a great one.

Sincerely,

Grace Hagerman

Read the online version of the magazine here.