AY 2020-21, Issue XXIV | March 26, 2021
Spring Digital Print Edition Cover
Sam Fishman/The Eagle
This is the latest edition of our newsletter covering our work from March 19 to March 25. To read any of these stories and more, check out our main website or our coronavirus website, which covers news related to the pandemic. 

The Eagle is proud to present our Spring 2021 digital print edition. Stories include American University's future amid reckonings with racism, student experiences in the face of the coronavirus and the effects of weight cutting in the wrestling world. 

By: Isabel Wolff (iwolff@theeagleonline.com)
The Eagle Explains: The effects of weight cutting in wrestling
By: Owen Dunn, Sports Staff Writer (odunn@theeagleonline.com)

For our print edition this semester, I wrote about the weight cuts many NCAA wrestlers endure. As a former high school wrestler, I recognize the hardships of weight cutting. At my high school, wrestling drove kids to a lifestyle of skipping lunch every day to go sneak into the random country club saunas of Baltimore because we were so afraid to miss weight. And while that may seem intense, I had a suspicion that collegiate wrestlers took even more drastic measures to make weight. 

To understand collegiate weight cuts, I talked to American University wrestler Patrick Ryan. Ryan has one of the most intense weight cuts on the roster- wrestling more than 20 pounds below his off-season weight. In our 20-minute conversation, Ryan and I talked about the NCAA rules put in place to regulate weight cutting and how weight cutting affects his temperament, work productivity and general lifestyle. In awe of how much planning goes into being a wrestler at AU, I found myself asking twice as many questions as I had planned. One of the most pertinent questions I had to ask Ryan was if he had the choice to end weight cutting. Despite the drastic measures he takes, he said that he ultimately wouldn’t put a stop to weight cutting due to how ingrained it is in the sport’s culture. 

After talking to Ryan, I wanted to look at weight cuts from a scientific perspective. To do so, I reached out to Dr. Trina Ulrich, a professorial lecturer in AU’s Department of Health Studies. Her quotes were the key to this article; her explanation of the side effects of dehydration and malnourishment was concise and readable. She spoke from both an educator and health professional’s perspective, which was very valuable for the piece. 

The purpose of this article wasn’t to make the reader feel bad for wrestlers; my goal was to illuminate what wrestlers do to lose weight and why they do it. 

Nobody can fully understand what wrestlers like Patrick sacrifice by cutting weight, but hopefully my article offers a glimpse into their lifestyle.
COVID-19 Update:
  • On March 22, 17 COVID-19 cases were reported by the University for the week of March 15. There have been a total of 109 cases reported for the spring semester. Fifteen of the previous week’s cases were reported from students living off-campus, and one case was from faculty and staff. One case was reported among students living on campus. The total number of positive cases reported so far this semester has surpassed last semester's total of 41 confirmed cases. There have been more than 14,300 tests completed so far this semester, and over 2,900 tests were done last week. 
News:
  • For the cover story of our print edition, Nina Heller and Fariha Rahman reported on the University’s confrontation with issues of race from the past and its approach to the future.

  • Then-Undergraduate Senate Speaker Ishita Jamar recently alleged sexism and racism she faced in the role. Jamar later resigned to run for SG president.

  • Delaware State Senator and AU alumna Sarah McBride spoke at a virtual event hosted by Kennedy Political Union in partnership with AU PRIDE and Visible on Monday. McBride spoke on how she combines her passion for LGBTQ+ rights with policy and advocacy. 

  • Women's Initiative hosted an event with climate activist Jamie Margolin on March 2. Margolin spoke about her experience as a climate activist and her new book "Youth to Power."
Life:

  • From Print: “'It’s a real collaboration between the teachers and students.'” With individual music lessons moving online due to the pandemic, students and instructors have found ways to adapt while still maintaining some sense of normalcy.

  • Silver Screen: "The Truffle Hunters" is a new film that explores the life of Italian men hunting for the elusive white Alba truffle. 

  • Club Feature: KOLLAB, the KOGOD Organization of Latinx Leaders Across Business, offers Latinx students and allies personal and professional development opportunities in a new network. 

  • The statue outside of Z-Burger designed to honor frontline workers during the pandemic signifies that the artists have been delivering burgers to healthcare workers, a service they've been doing since last year. 

  • Club Feature: the Ethiopian and Eritrean Student Association has fostered service, engagement and celebration for their cultures virtually through collaborations with other Black affinity groups, language lessons, fundraisers and panels.

  • “I chose my stage name one day when I was in the studio and I started doing this chant ‘it's your girl... kiki dot d.’” Kiki.D, an AU senior and rapper is making a name for herself in the music industry as her EP "Solid" released last fall.

  • Last Saturday, Washington DC History and Culture honored the legendary Motown artist Diana Ross with a music history program highlighting her artistry and legacy. 
Sports:

  • AU wrestling met the end of its season in the first round of the NCAA DI Wrestling Championship this year. With freshmen comprising one-third of the roster, AU wrestling is optimistic about the future.

  • In their first home game in over 500 days, the Eagles women's soccer team fell to West Point 5-0 on Saturday.

  • The men's soccer team came back from a scoreless first half to defeat the Loyola Greyhounds 2-1 in overtime on Saturday.

Opinion:

  • Our latest Staff Editorial: "[The on-campus COVID-19 cluster] reminds us that the threat of the virus is present and requires constant evaluation by the University." 

  • Print staff editorial: "Changing the name of Hurst Hall is just the beginning and is the least the University could do to start building on the work of the slavery working group."
El Águila:

  • Silver Screen: La representación en “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” muestra la inquietante historia entre los productores blancos y artistas negros en la industria de la musica.

  • Opinión: Mientras los estudiantes acuden en masa a DC para el minisemestre, dos estudiantes reflexionan sobre la experiencia de acudir a clases desde casa.