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AU in the News

Showcasing AU programs, professors, students and alumni in the news
Week of August 11- August 17

Living with Roommates
One way for college students to make new friendships without cutting off old ones is to compromise with the roommate. Tiffany Sanchez, director of new student programs at American University, told The Washington Post that roommates can disagree and still have a decent living arrangement. “We ask students to imagine how it feels to be judged as someone you're not, so they won't do it to others,” she says. (8/14)

Energy Rush
Caffeine is appearing in more and more consumer products, from lollipops to sunflower seeds, thus making the drug even more addictive, The San Antonio Express-News reports. “People do become physically dependent on caffeine, meaning that if they consume it on a regular basis, as little as 100 milligrams a day, and they go a day or two without it they will experience physical, psychological behavioral disruptions (such as) headache, fatigue and difficulty concentrating,” says Laura Juliano, an assistant professor at American University specializing in caffeine research. “More than half the people who use caffeine report that they've tried to quit and are unable to do so.” (8/13)

Courting Voters
The double bind that both Democrats and Republicans face this year is recognizing that the American public has a near-record-low regard for Congress and its members, reports the Congressional Quarterly. “Attempts at bipartisanship have gone nowhere and were even cast as back-room deals,” says Dotty Lynch of American University, a longtime CBS News political analyst. “The presidential campaign rhetoric which will dominate this cycle will be harsh and make it harder to forge consensus, especially during the early primary phase.” (8/13)

Space Repairs
NASA has to decide whether or not astronauts will have to do a spacewalk in order to fix a chunk of deeply damaged tile on the underside of shuttle Endeavour, being that the latest damage could delay future shuttle missions and completion of the international space station, KTKA-TV reports. “Their attitude is: you fly, you fly with a known risk, you manage the risk as best you can,” said Howard McCurdy of American University. (8/14)

Muslim Charity Trial
In the trial of the U.S. Treasury Department vs. the Texas-based Holy Land Foundation (HLF), a Muslim charity labeled as a terrorist organization, prosecutors publicly named 307 individuals and organizations as “unindicted co-conspirators” (UCCs) relating to the HLF case, reports The Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Such a move, giving the parties no legal recourse, “appears to be an anomaly in United States law, in that it violates the Fifth Amendment guarantee that no person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law,” as quoted by professor Ira Robbins of American University from the Federal Courts Law Review. (8/13)

Padilla Conviction
After Jose Padilla's jury convicted him and two defendants of supporting terrorism after an 11-hour deliberation, the White House thanked the jury for a “just” verdict, and senior Bush administration officials said they were gratified by the jury's decision, reports The Bryan-College Station Eagle. “The short deliberation gives at least the impression that the jury basically had its mind made up and bought the government's depiction of Padilla hook, line and sinker,” said Stephen Vladeck, an American University law professor who has closely followed the case. (8/17)

AU in the News Archives