AWOL

AWOL is dedicated to encouraging both ourselves and American University to take a deeper look at complex issues that need thoughtful understanding. Our goal is to challenge and break down barriers that silence certain voices and to passionately support our community. We spark conversations on social, cultural, and political topics around campus. Our mission is to create a more curious, fair, and socially active campus environment.

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From grant to impact

1 month ago | awolau.org | Tom Langford |Lucas Powers

When Sensi Messner-Baker stepped into a classroom in northeast Washington, she said, it lacked the basic tools students needed to thrive. As a tutor with , she saw firsthand how a shortage of supplies and books hindered learning. Messner-Baker worked at a school in 2024 where most students were below the poverty line, she said. “So, within the classroom I tutored at, there were very little supplies,” she said.
Spring Issue 36 - AWOL

1 month ago | awolau.org | Alexia Partouche

Dear Reader,Thank you for picking up the 36th issue of AWOL’s magazine. We appreciate everyone who takes the time to engage with the work our staff produces. AWOL is dedicated to covering American University’s campus through a critical, subversive and irrepressible lens. Our cover story, written by Francisco Rodriguez, examines the different ways students get their information on campus, including the impacts popular social media accounts have on the campus news ecosystem.
How a Community Protests: GW Encampment memories remain after police clearing

Sep 18, 2024 | awolau.org | Caleb Ogilvie |Kalie Walker

Categories: While three protestors look back and praise the encampment, advocacy experts compare the encampment’s tactics to GW’s and MPD’s response 12:24 pm Editor’s Note: The AP Style Israel-Hamas Topical Guide is “calling the present conflict between Israel and the militant Palestinian group Hamas a war, given the widespread and ongoing nature of military operations in Israel and Gaza.” The guide also recognizes the antecedent context of a 75-year Israeli-Arab and Israeli-Palestinian...
Architecture restricts AU skaters and bus station benches

May 9, 2024 | awolau.org | Katherine Chang

American University and public bus benches use bars to restrict skaters and people experiencing homelessness, respectively. Hostile architecture is generally defined as architecture designed to curb certain activities or people from using a space, according to Maryland nonprofit the Neighborhood Design Center. Spikes to deter birds, bumps on a bench to dissuade skaters and an extra arm on a bench to keep people experiencing homelessness from sleeping.
DC’s fight for statehood continues after centuries of advocacy

May 6, 2024 | awolau.org | Kathryn L. Gilroy

Taxation without representation, race and lobbying central to statehood movement 9:54 am Citizens in Washington, D.C., have been fighting for statehood and representation in Congress for 219 years, but recently, the fight has expanded past the district’s borders. Nebraska State Sen. Danielle Conrad was first introduced to the D.C. statehood movement after talking with her colleagues working in the district. Conrad and her colleague Sen.
Missing medications

Apr 17, 2024 | awolau.org | Catherine Brennan

American University students who rely on stimulants to treat a variety of conditions face pharmacy delays, insurance requirements, stigma and a national shortage in getting their prescriptions after transitioning to college. Stimulant medications, such as Adderall, Ritalin and Vyvanse, are used to treat neurological disorders such as ADHD and narcolepsy.
On medical leave

Apr 16, 2024 | awolau.org | Lily Tierney

Chiara Beyer, an American University sophomore, missed three weeks of classes after being hospitalized for a kidney infection. “It was such a surreal experience,” Beyer said. “When you’re fainting multiple times a day and you’re trying to figure out what’s going on, but you’re also paying so much money to go to school. It’s very surreal.”While hospitalized, Beyer was diagnosed with COVID-19, which made her unable to return to AU as she had planned.
Rhythmic harmony

Apr 15, 2024 | awolau.org | Maegan Seaman

Every Sunday afternoon, drum beats can be heard echoing throughout Meridian Hill Park, called Malcolm X Park by locals, in northwest Washington. The park’s weekly drum circle began during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, stemming from a memorial service held in 1965 for the late Muslim minister and civil rights activist Malcolm X’s. The circle has continued for almost 60 years since. Musicians, dancers and people from all walks of life join together in or near the circle.
Chasing history

Apr 15, 2024 | awolau.org | Kalie Walker

A bid to turn Chevy Chase, a neighborhood in Northwest Washington, into a historic district has ignited debate among community members that it would lead to less affordable housing and perpetuate a legacy of exclusion. Living Chevy Chase, a group of homeowners, opposes the historic district bid. Jim Feldman, a founding member of the group, said many residents have put a focus on inclusion in the neighborhood. The application for a historic district detailed Chevy Chase’s exclusive history.
Multimedia: Pledges and promises

Apr 10, 2024 | awolau.org | Maegan Seaman

This semester, AWOL’s multimedia team investigated how students feel about Greek Life on American University’s campus. This investigation comes two years after AU’s Abolish Greek Life movement. The movement started with an Instagram account detailing national student statistics and testimonials. The organization then advocated for two student government referendums in Spring 2022, calling for the abolishment of social Greek Life and the start of social alternatives. The movement won on both motions.