AY 20-21, Issue II | September 12, 2020
Protestors gather around and in the Reflecting Pool to listen to speakers
Lizzy Tarallo/The Eagle
This is the latest edition of our newsletter covering our work from Aug. 29 - Sept. 11. To read any of these stories and more, check out our website or our coronavirus website, which covers news related to the pandemic. 

Want to join The Eagle team this semester? Staff applications are open from now until September 21st! To join, fill out the application.

By Isabel Wolff
Top Stories:

  • On Aug. 28, AU students and faculty came together at the March on Washington, where thousands of protesters heard from leaders like Martin Luther King III, the Rev. Al Sharpton and family members of Black people killed by the police in the last decade. 

  • The University is now projecting a $104 million to $116 million loss for the 2021 fiscal year, up from May’s projected loss of $100 million. 

  • AU's December commencement ceremony will now be held online on Dec. 13 to recognize summer and fall AU graduates. Whenever it is safer for large crowds to gather, the University still plans to host an in-person event for all 2020 graduates. 

  • In a Letter from the Editor, Editor-in-Chief Sophie Austin apologizes for the egregious error The Eagle made on Aug. 28 in misnaming Tamir Harper, the Editor-in-Chief of The Blackprint, and outlines steps The Eagle will take to improve.

  • Women's basketball players at AU and across the Patriot League are standing up for social justice. Some AU student-athletes are involved with the Patriot League Social Justice Coalition, the Patriot League Anti-Racism Commission and AU Athletics' Anti-Racism Education Collective.  

  • One new coronavirus case was confirmed in the American University community during the first week of the semester, according to the COVID-19 weekly case tracker, which was relaunched by the University on Aug. 31. As of Sept. 7, there have been no new cases reported. We will continue to update the AU Community each week as numbers change. Besides this, the AU Student Health Center is administering free COVID-19 testing for students that are remaining in the D.C. region for their studies. 

The Eagle Explains: Why I created this column
By: Isabel Wolff, Assistant Online Managing Editor
It is important for me to address, in more detail, why I created this new part of the newsletter. I recognize that, as an organization, The Eagle needs to do better, which is evident in missteps that we make in our work across the board. However, we’ve made and continue to make the internal changes to improve. 

These are some of the reasons why I created “The Eagle Explains.” Just as our news managing editor is transparent in our “On the Record” column, this column is an opportunity for managing and section editors to be transparent about how we operate as a news organization. So much for us has changed since March, and it is reflected in our work. In this column, our editors will be given a chance to explain why they are making these choices for their section and how things are changing.  

I value honesty to the utmost degree, and I expect others to be as honest as possible as well, which is one of the reasons why I am on staff. Eagle staffers must hold each other accountable. I believe we all have the ability to learn from our mistakes because we are students, and we will continue to learn and grow after we leave AU. There are so many other steps The Eagle hopes to make to improve our work and become a better organization now and in the future, and “The Eagle Explains” is a small part of the puzzle. 
News:

  • The AU student activity fee was reduced by 30 percent for the fall semester, lowering from $88.50 to $62, due to the lack of in-person events.

  • The University Library and AUSG have been hosting an online Ballot Week Initiative this week (Sept. 8 - Sept. 13) to help students register to vote, check their voter registration and request absentee ballots for the Nov. 3 general election. 

  • Students who rely on on-campus work are transitioning to remote positions with the University this semester, and a few in-person jobs are still being offered for those in the area.

  • Sophomore Christian Damiana is running for an Advisory Neighborhood Commission 3D seat, where he hopes to improve transportation and encourage involvement between the student community and the ANC.

Life:

  • For some AU students, sustainability is more than just a term; it is a lifestyle. Since the COVID-19 pandemic caused many stores to close and kept shoppers at home, sustainable living became easier for many, as they became increasingly familiar with the clothes in their closet.

  • Cooking is a great way to unwind after spending the day on Zoom. Emily Walsh provides a list of six dietary restriction- and budget-friendly recipes to try.

  • In Clare Mulroy’s latest Activist Spotlight, she highlights alumna Mia Van Allen of the Color of Music Collective. 

Sports:

  • Lee Clarke writes in his latest sports commentary: "The NBA playoffs are in full swing, but obviously, not every team is good enough to be a part of the games down in Florida. The Wizards (25-47) are one of these teams, as they failed to nab the 8th-seed during the eight-game regular-season stint that led up to the playoffs."

  • In Alec Branch’s latest Sports Commentary, he says: "If Washington was a good team, this would be the perfect year to try to sneak their way back into the playoff mix. But with few offseason answers to a passing offense that was abysmal last season, not much should be expected on that side of the ball."

Opinion:

  • In our first staff editorial of the fall semester: "For too long, survivors on campus have struggled, often silently. The time to change feels like now, but it will be interesting to see if AU is just putting a bandage on a wound that affects everyone on campus.”

  • In light of Labor Day this past Monday, the AU Staff Organizing Committee wrote: "Community is impossible to build and sustain when its members regularly leave for better opportunities or because they have burned out. A truly strong community gives power to its most vulnerable members."

  • The Seagle describes the University’s breakup with Blackboard by writing: “Though the split between AU and Blackboard has been officially announced, the two confirmed that it was going to take a while to disentangle their lives.”