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Critical. Subversive. Irrepressible.

AWOL

Critical. Subversive. Irrepressible.

AWOL

Critical. Subversive. Irrepressible.

AWOL

Campus Life

Behind the screen: social media fuels political divides for DC students

Behind the screen: social media fuels political divides for DC students

Students report fear and hate on campus due to politics online.
Sage Collis, Staff Writer March 12, 2025

Sophia Joseph, a senior at American University, published an open letter on Sept. 17, 2024, responding to an Instagram post by the American University College Republicans. The AUCR Instagram post said,...

Shayna Caruso, left, and Gabriela Rupp read written remarks to a crowd of 40 students in the Katzen rotunda. 20 more audience members watched on Zoom.

Education students feared loss of their school while massive gift was in the works

AU administrators secretly planned a large private donation to the School of Education for months, even as students and the public believed the school could be dissolved.
Ben Ackman and Ava Ramsdale March 3, 2025

On the evening of Nov. 12, 2024, 40 students stood in the Katzen Arts Center rotunda, listening to two juniors in the School of Education read an email the then-SOE Dean Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy sent that...

Finding the jungle in the urban jungle

Finding the jungle in the urban jungle

Despite obstacles to access, students explore outdoor life in the district
Stevie Rosenfeld, Staff Writer December 20, 2024

American University is in a city abundant with nature. Students can step off the metro and walk onto the green of the National Mall. The red line takes Washingtonians to both Fannie Mae, one of the district’s...

Community Profile: Julia Ford

Community Profile: Julia Ford

Finding community through coffee.
Stella Camerlengo, Staff Editor December 13, 2024

Julia Ford is the Manager of The Davenport Coffee Lounge, a student-run coffee shop at the School of International Service. A low-income student and first-generation college student, she hopes to see The...

AU alumna and journalist Tara Palmeri speaks at the School of Communication

AU alumna and journalist Tara Palmeri speaks at the School of Communication

Palmeri reflected on her career and the importance of maintaining authenticity in an age of disinformation.
Stella Camerlengo, Staff Editor December 12, 2024

On Oct. 17, journalist and American University School of Communications alumna Tara Palmeri returned to her alma mater to share insights from her career covering politics, offering advice on navigating...

A new place for AI at AU

A new place for AI at AU

AU has a new fund for generative AI research, but students and faculty say information on the new AI fund has been scarce.
Ben Ackman, Multimedia Producer December 6, 2024

American University’s College of Arts & Sciences announced a fund for researching generative artificial intelligence over the summer, but the AU community knows little else about it. According...

"A hidden gem"

“A hidden gem”

The Child Development Center served the AU community for decades. What happens now that it’s gone?
Kyle Galvin, Staff Writer December 4, 2024

Lawrence McCarthy arrived home on June 17, not knowing he had just left his last shift at American University’s Child Development Center. McCarthy said he had been working at the center for 35 years;...

Inside AU's 2024 Orientation Program

Inside AU’s 2024 Orientation Program

First-years and orientation leaders reflect on issues with new four-day orientation format.
Sydnee Patak and Layla Younis December 4, 2024

On the first day of orientation, first-year Maya Hope Giermek went to get breakfast at the Terrace Dining Room. She stopped when she saw the line. It spanned from Bender Library, up the stairs through...

$16,182: AU's Wage Gap

$16,182: AU’s Wage Gap

New data sheds light on pay disparities at American University.
Benjamin Austin, Staff Editor December 3, 2024

Male faculty are paid more on average than female faculty at American University, according to data released by the provost’s office in September 2023. A significant portion of the gap is due to men...

Elected Eagles: The State of AUSG

Elected Eagles: The State of AUSG

A new undergraduate senate has said they’re trying to bridge the gap between the student body and their representatives.

What is the American University Student Government? What do they do? Do they hold real power? Are they truly representative of the AU student body? What does the student body think? These are some of the...

Arming AUPD in the Crosshairs

Arming AUPD in the Crosshairs

As American University considers arming its campus police, community members and experts weigh in on safety and budget concerns.
Will Sytsma, Staff Editor November 22, 2024

Editor's Note: This article includes mentions of police brutality, particularly against BIPOC and disabled people. It also includes mentions of gun violence. Ben Austin contributed reporting to this...

The Hum: The buzz on caffeine

The Hum: The buzz on caffeine

Is caffeine consumption at AU a boost of energy or a risky habit?

This semester, the Hum team interviewed students about caffeine consumption on American University’s campus. The episode explores how much caffeine students consume and why they decide to drink coffee,...

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