The District - AWOL

Homeless activists call for D.C. Department of Human Services Director’s resignation

Protesters say the director neglected her duties by allowing for inhumane conditions in the District’s public housing and homeless shelters.

McKenzie Beard • September 16, 2020

Activists and community members gathered in front of the home of D.C. Department of Human Services Director Laura Zeilinger on Saturday, calling for her resignation over the quality of services provided...

District of Columbia debt lawsuits on the rise amid COVID-19

Margaux Renee, Staff Editor • April 28, 2020

WASHINGTON — Since the first cases of COVID-19 were reported in Washington in early March, the resulting recession has sent entire industries reeling, leaving 93,000 Washingtonians unemployed. Nationwide,...

AWOL Issue 27: The Quarantine Issue

AWOL • April 25, 2020

Dear reader, AWOL is pleased to bring you our 27th issue and the spring 2020 edition of our magazine. Given the global pandemic, we are publishing this semester's issue in digital format. All of our...

DC Council to vote on COVID-19 consumer protection measures Tuesday

In its legislative meeting tomorrow, D.C. council will consider additional provisions to protect district residents amid COVID-19, including increased consumer protection measures.

Margaux Renee, Staff Editor • April 6, 2020

In an effort to further address the critical needs of residents as coronavirus cases spike in D.C., the city council will vote on the COVID-19 Response Temporary Amendment Act of 2020 this Tuesday.

Washington November DACA Protest

Natalie Harder • February 13, 2020

Photojournalist and student Natalie Harder covered Washington's DACA protest on the steps of the Supreme Court in November 2019. Luz Chavez is a student at Trinity Washington University and also a protected...

With the fate of DACA unclear, undocumented students seek legal help

Zach Vallese, Fall 2019 Podcast Director • February 13, 2020

Luz Chavez didn’t know she was an undocumented immigrant until the week before applying to colleges. As a student in Montgomery County, her dream schools were American University and the University of...

Women’s March on Washington 2020

Kaela Roeder • February 10, 2020

Thousands of protestors gathered for the Women’s March on Washington on Jan. 18, demanding justice on reproductive health, climate change, and immigration. After facing criticism on the lack of...

Sustainability: The New Fashion Trend

How fashion industry members in D.C. are working to create sustainable clothing.

Ziyi Yuan • January 15, 2020

This story first appeared in the Fall 2019 print edition of AWOL. Joelle Firzli, a trilingual fashion researcher and writer, is the CEO and curator of the sustainable fashion retailing brand...

Mental Borders: Mental Health Challenges in the Latinx Immigrant Community

Immigration status plays a large role in mental health, but barriers often prevent needed treatment.

Savanna Strott • January 15, 2020

This story first appeared in the Fall 2019 print edition of AWOL. Tatiana Murillo came to the U.S. from Nicaragua at 11 years old with hopes of better opportunities and a chance to “be somebody”...

At Their Most Vulnerable: The Rise of Crisis Pregnancy Centers

Public hospital closures in historically Black neighborhoods in Washington, D.C. have left the most vulnerable communities at the mercy of fake abortion clinics

McKenzie Beard • January 15, 2020

This story first appeared in the Fall 2019 print edition of AWOL. It’s a quiet Tuesday afternoon in Capitol Hill and a woman stands in front of a brick building painted white with a forest green trim....

Deaths in the District, Part I

The beginning of an investigation into the effects of environment on opioid overdoses in the District

Braeden Waddell and Grace Vitaglione • January 15, 2020

This is the first part of an AWOL investigation which examines the effects of environment on deaths caused by opioid overdose, with a focus on the D.C. area. The second part of the series will focus on...

Ratastrophe D.C.: City rodent complaints reach record high

Braeden Waddell • November 21, 2019

Rodent complaints in the District have officially surpassed last year’s total for a whopping 6,036 rat reports as of Tuesday evening. Conflicting reports from local media outlet WTOP and the official...