Spring Issue 38

The killers of 11 transgender people in Washington have yet to be convicted

Experts say trust in police could be the cause.

Sam Epner • May 7, 2026

On October 14, 2023, someone killed A’nee Roberson. An unknown person pushed Roberson into the street, where a car struck and killed her, according to the Metropolitan Police Department’s web page...

AU’s free speech policy changed three times in four years

Protests, a legal complaint and a new president sparked the changes.

Joseph Albushies and Elias Garcia • May 4, 2026

Content warning: This article contains violent messages against Palestinians and Jewish people. Discretion is advised. Over three months after Oct. 7, 2023, the administration of former American University...

AU’s arboretum had the same manager since its start. That changed in February.

The landscape architect who helped create the arboretum passed the torch to an arborist this semester.

Caleb Ogilvie and Marisa Alvarez • May 1, 2026

James Biddle was taking notes on American University’s arboretum before he even became its arboretum manager. Walking across campus to interview for the job last October, he admired how plants added...

Latin dancers form community across Washington

Some leaders and participants of dance spaces say the locations provide fellowship through movement.

Sara De Almeida, Staff Writer, Multimedia Contributor and PR Staff Member • April 27, 2026

In a small back room in Northwest Washington, during the frigid month of January, the air was thick with laughter. Purple and red lights illuminated the space, highlighting the drum, saxophone and cowbell...

Two eras of protest

Students protested the National Guard, sexual assault and war this year. Their protests looked different nearly 60 years ago.

Sela Quiniones, Staff Writer • April 27, 2026

Over 1,000 American University students took to Ward Circle during rush hour on May 6, 1970. They were protesting the fatal shooting of four student protesters at an anti-Vietnam War protest at Kent State...

Trump’s Takeover of Local Police Was New. D.C. Police Departments’ Rocky Relationship with Black Residents Wasn’t.

Despite an increase in fear, underlying problems in MPD’s policing of Washington’s Black residents already existed, data and advocate interviews show.

Will Sytsma and Stevie Rosenfeld • April 27, 2026

Five days after President Donald Trump took control of Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department, the abolitionist organization Harriet’s Wildest Dreams posted an Instagram video of a Metro Transit...

Into the archives

A trove of records provides a peek into the history of AU and beyond.

Clair Sapilewski, Staff Editor • April 22, 2026

Off of the main campus and north on Massachusetts Avenue, American University has a vault. Nestled in the shelves of the university’s Department of Archives and Special Collections are early-drawn...

A January of anti-ICE protests

A month of anti-ICE protests swept Washington after the killing of Renée Good.

Benjamin Austin, Staff Editor • April 22, 2026

Anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement protests swept Washington after an ICE agent shot and killed Minneapolis resident Renée Good on Jan. 7. Advocacy groups like Free DC, Code Pink and The Party...

What should you do if an active shooter’s on campus? Some professors say AU never taught them.

Faculty said there are weaknesses in emergency trainings and procedures.

Yuri Perelman and Rachel Novick • April 17, 2026

Editor’s note: For the safety of students and professors, AWOL decided to not name the specific classrooms and workspaces that professors raised safety concerns about because people could use the information...

Spring Issue 38

Letter from the editor

Caleb Ogilvie, Editor-in-Chief • April 17, 2026

Dear Reader, Thank you for picking up the 38th issue of AWOL. In this magazine, you’ll read about professors and students feeling ill-prepared to respond to an active shooter, Metropolitan Police...

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