Written by DCist Contributor Sarah Stonesifer The Diamondback – University of Maryland: >> Hartwick Towers, an off-campus apartment building, was the scene of a fire on Friday, Oct. 12. The fire has come under scrutiny by both students and city officials, as the building is not equipped with sprinklers and fire alarms did not function during the fire. Students were left on their own to find alternative housing until they were let back into their…

Written by DCist Contributer Josh Kramer The Eagle – American University: >>AU students lamented losing their Hollywood Video this week, which is holding a giant closing sale and selling all of its movies. It’s unclear what will become of the space, conveniently located next to the AU shuttle bus stop and the Tenleytown-AU Metro station. >>Sgt. Zachary Tellier, a 1998 AU graduate, was killed by enemy fire while fighting in Afghanistan on the 29th of…

Compiled by DCist Contributors Josh Kramer and Sarah Stonesifer The Eagle – American: >> AU is fine-tuning their free HIV testing program to accommodate students’ schedules. They’ve also switched from an anonymous testing program to a confidential one. The changes aim to bring the school in line with the District government’s HIV testing initiative. >> The American University bus drivers were approved by the Undergraduate Senate to have their own union, a debate that had…

By DCist Contributor Sarah Stonesifer The Eagle – American: >> At American University, officials decided that an official record will be kept along with possible judicial action after students receive their “second medical transport due to alcohol consumption.” So remember kids, the first case of alcohol poisoning is free. >> There was an attempted robbery in an American University dorm last Saturday, but the suspect was quickly apprehended and identified. The Hoya – Georgetown: >>…

Now Departing Union Station, Trans Fat I’d watch out on the red line over the next few days if I were you. Courtesy of today’s Examiner, we learn that both B. Smith’s and Capitol City Brewing Company are booting Trans fat out the door, and he is going to be pissed off. There’s no telling what some Trans fat will do, all newly-jobless and lacking a hydrogen atom, he may cause some bedlam by wantonly…

Last Monday, the Post profiled ousted American University president Benjamin Ladner. Gina Maria Schulz, who served as “Personal Assistant to the First Lady” — yes, Ladner’s wife — described the man as such: “He was the most ethical man I ever met.” Ladner himself has this to say: “I do feel I’ve done what I’ve done with intentional integrity.” How the Post’s reporters didn’t break out in hysterics is beyond us, given the emerging news…

D.C. being the place that it is, big protests such as those that took place this last weekend are a dime a dozen. Complaints of excessive use of force by police officers are just as recurrent, with protestors often charging that overzealous police officers step in to make arrests too quickly and offer few apologies or admissions of wrongdoing thereafter. This weekend seems to have been different in that regard — WJLA is reporting that…

Last week the American University student paper The Eagle ran a decent story on the chess culture at Dupont Circle. The article discusses some of the personalities and conventions of the chess players who have met at the circle since the permanent boards were installed in 1968. Here’s a taste:If Dupont Circle is the heart of D.C., then the chess crowd is that mysterious force keeping it pumping. Ten stone tables follow the circle’s gentle…