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AU in the News

Showcasing AU programs, professors, students and alumni in the news
Week of December 1 - 7

Hanukkah at AU
With candles forbidden in the residence halls, American University is offering Jewish students other ways to celebrate Hanukkah without the risk of fires. The university allows public lighting ceremonies so students can enjoy the holiday without breaking any rules, reports The Washington Post. “The university isn't just telling us we can't have candles because they don't trust us,” said AU sophomore Cheryl Saferstein. "There have been tragic dorm fires -- it's a safety issue." Associate director of American University Hillel, Mindy Hirsch, added that the university is trying to turn a negative into a positive, bringing the campus's Jewish community together. (12/07/07)

Baby Boomers 101
Students at American University are getting a glimpse into their parents’ teenage years by taking a class called “Talking About my Parents’ Generation: Understanding Baby Boomers and How They’ve Shaped Us,” USA Today reports. The course, taught by communications professor Leonard Steinhorn, studies the history, psychology and sociology of the generation born between 1946 and 1964 and their portrayal in media. (12/04/07)

Facebook Reinstates Privacy Options
Although popular social networking Web site Facebook is giving its 55 million members the option to turn off a new marketing tool that tracks their activities at other Web sites, there is still concern about whether or not Facebook would use other technology to shadow Web activities, reports the Associated Press. "The move to allow users to turn Beacon off entirely may restore a small measure of control to Facebook's members, but it is by no means an adequate safeguard for ensuring privacy protection on this and other social networking platforms," said Kathryn Montgomery, a professor at American University. This story was picked up by more than 150 news outlets. (12/05/07)

Beloved Education Pioneer Remembered Fondly
“Where other schools saw kids who didn't pay attention, she saw kids who viewed the world in creative ways,” reporter Ellen Edwards of the Washington Post recalled of Sally Smith, the founder and director of the Lab School of Washington, one of the nation's premier places for students with learning disabilities, who died Saturday. “She gave them respect, she gave them hope and she gave them the tools to succeed.” Sally Smith’s death was mentioned in five other news outlets, including WRC-NBC4, NPR and the Washington Examiner. (12/04/07)

AU Alum and Athletes Give Back
When burn victim Patricia Scales told the tale of her troubled year following an attack where she was doused with gasoline and burned, resulting in numerous hospital visits and damage to her financial stability, American University alum Kermit Washington stepped in to help. Washington, who has been involved in numerous charitable programs, teamed up with members of the Washington Wizards and presented the woman with $20,000 to help her and her family with their mounting expenses, reports the Washington Post. “I've seen a lot of that kind of thing but today was something I'll never forget,” wrote reporter Ivan Carter. “Every now and then though, we witness things - some little, others big - that remind us of just how kind people can be, how the simple act of reaching out and doing something for someone else can change a life or lives so drastically.” (12/04/07)

Castro in Power Till Death?
As an ailing Fidel Castro was nominated for a seat in the country's national legislature, which would put him on the road to continue as the nation's head of state, it appears less likely he will ever turn over full power to his brother Ral Castro, reports the Miami Herald. “'The key thing is, what does that slate of Council of State candidates look like and is Fidel on that list?'' said AU School of Public Affairs Dean William LeoGrande, an expert on Cuba. ''It's conceivable they might have him stand down and have Ral be elected president in a formal way. That would really finalize the succession. But if Fidel wants to resume running the country, I would think he would keep formal hold of the position.'' (12/03/07)

Marriage and Responsibility
With the many benefits of marriage being extended beyond the exchange of vows and more and more Americans being unmarried with obligations such as parenthood and cohabitation, the validity of a marriage license is in question, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. The marriage license no longer draws reasonable dividing lines regarding which adult obligations and rights merit state protection, argued Nancy Polikoff, an American University law professor. (12/03/07)

AU in the News Archives