By Gillian Lintz While not perfect, society has made leaps and bounds in the progression of body positivity and acceptance. Unfortunately, the entertainment industry has not exactly caught up yet. Most of the stars we see today, whether on TV screens, in movie theaters or on Broadway, seem to wear under a size 8, despite the fact that almost 70% of U.S. women wear a size 14 and up.  Children are growing up with an unrealistic idea of what the “right” body looks like, damaging their … [Read more...]

Not all changes made on campus over the summer were as exciting as a beefed up Rodney Raven and fresh asphalt on College Drive. Many upperclassmen returned to AU this semester dismayed by the elimination of freshman parking locations. One school of throught on our unfortunate new parking situation is that there are more first-year students than there are upperclassmen, so more parking spaces are needed for freshmen than for sophomores, juniors and seniors. While this is true, because … [Read more...]

It’s the timeless slogan slapped on our wristbands, t-shirts and bumper stickers: What would Jesus do? We use it for marketing, advertising and everything else under the sun, but do we actually practice the very words we preach?  When the answer is clear and painless, we happily allow this question to flood our minds and direct our actions. But would we dare allow ourselves to ask this question about a topic many find controversial, a subject often viewed as completely … [Read more...]

Guest Writer: Elisha Deluhery One of the only true glimpses a fan of the NFL will get into their favorite team’s franchise is the annual attraction of training camp. For years, franchises have happily opened their doors to fans in order to give them a raw sports experience unlike any other. During camps, football enthusiasts can find themselves mere feet away from their respective team’s roster, usually in a little-to-no cost endeavour, and in the dead heat of a professional operation. … [Read more...]

Guest Writer: John Hulstine Americans have witnessed a number of mass shootings in the recent past, bringing to mind the toxicity of nationalism and raising questions regarding the response of Christianity. Once President Donald Trump assumed office, numerous Christian leaders turned a blind eye, giving him a pass to controversial policies and statements embracing bigotry or which run contrary to Christian values. Whether it concerns the president’s policy on family separation, statements on … [Read more...]

Over the past few months, politicians have been announcing their candidacy for the presidency left and right. Ohio Governor John Kasich, former Massachusetts Governor William Weld and Maryland Governor Larry Hogan have announced that they will be running against President Donald Trump in the Republican primary election. Former Vice President Joe Biden, Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana, former Rep. Beto O'Rourke and Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren are just a few of … [Read more...]

Guest Writer: Isaac Derkach As a musical theatre major, it is expected of me to have some kind of summer acting work. Some go off to theme parks, others head for summer theatres and a few even land some purely musical gigs. Me? I get to spend my summers with some of the harshest critics and liveliest audiences. They are extremely demanding arts connoisseurs, but they pay well. There is no middle ground for them; you are either beloved or the scourge of the industry. Of course, I’m talking … [Read more...]

The surprising arrest of Julian Assange from the Ecuadorian embassy on April 11 has stirred renewed debate over his work, status and mythos. Assange has lived in political asylum inside the London embassy for nearly seven years, fearing extradition to the United States over espionage charges. The Metropolitan Police have reportedly arrested Assange on such a warrant from the U.S. Justice Department, this time over a charge of conspiracy to hack the Pentagon government computer … [Read more...]

Guest Writer: Timothy Blaisdell In recent years, the fine arts programs in many schools including AU seem to be undervalued resulting in budget cuts, downsizing and in some cases, being weeded out altogether. At the end of my freshman year, several faculty members from various departments were let go; four of them were from the School of Music, Theater and Dance. I am a music composition major, so these cuts directly affected me since these were professors I studied under. I fully … [Read more...]