New AU Community Partnership Brings Famous Athletes to Campus
Famous professional athletes Josh Norman and Oguchi Onyewu were taking free kicks on the quad Friday, Sept. 29.
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Famous professional athletes Josh Norman and Oguchi Onyewu were taking free kicks on the quad Friday, Sept. 29.
Thrifting has quickly grown to be one of Gen Z’s favorite pastimes, but how did this decades old practice suddenly become so popular?
The American University Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) honored superbowl winning quarterback Doug Williams at their annual Icons of DC Event.
Wrestling has been historically dominated by white men, but that hasn’t stopped the wrestling community in the DMV from trying to diversify the sport.
American University has no shortage of successful Black alumni, and few encapsulate athletic and professional excellence like 2008 graduate Romone Penny.
The American University Women’s Soccer team is in the midst of a resurgence, and it is thanks in large part to the culture change brought about by head coach Marsha Harper. Harper is in her third year as head coach of the Lady Eagles soccer team, and the team’s improvement is more evident with each passing year. The proof is in the pudding, as the team went from winless in her first year as head coach to three wins and eighth in their conference this past season.
Carsten, Max, and Breon are three students of color competing on a predominantly white team in a historically white sport, but the trio has not let the sport’s noticeable lack of diversity deter them from achieving excellence. Despite their young age, the freshman trio has racked up an abundance of accolades. Carsten, the team's 197-pounder, started multiple duals this season and posted … wins in his first year wrestling for the Eagles. Before American University, Carsten competed at St.Francis High School in California, a notoriously difficult wrestling state. However, the high-level of competition seemed to only better Carsten’s wrestling, as he finished his high school career with a record of 18 losses and a staggering 123 wins, including a trip to the state finals. Carsten managed to achieve these feats while competing as a multi-sport athlete. During his high school career, Carsten competed in football, track, wrestling, and lacrosse. Carsten’s athletic excellence may come as a surprise to many, but his family is sure to disagree. Carsten’s father, Cedric, was a multi-sport athlete at Harvard University, splitting his time between the football and soccer fields. Similarly, Carsten’s brother, …, was an avid swimmer. If you thought Carsten’s background couldn’t get anymore impressive, guess again. Carsten is exceedingly well-traveled, having visited around thirty-five countries throughout his lifetime.
Carsten, Max, and Breon are three students of color competing on a predominantly white team in a historically white sport, but the trio has not let the sport's noticeable lack of diversity deter them from achieving excellence. Despite their young age, the freshman trio has racked up an abundance of accolades. Carsten, the team's 197-pounder, started multiple duals this season and posted six wins in his first year wrestling for the Eagles. Before American University, Carsten competed at St.Francis High School in California, a notoriously difficult wrestling state. However, the high-level of competition seemed to only better Carsten's wrestling, as he finished his high school career with a record of 18 losses and a staggering 123 wins, including a trip to the state finals. Carsten managed to achieve these feats while competing as a multi-sport athlete. During his high school career, Carsten competed in football, track, wrestling, and lacrosse. Carsten's athletic excellence may come as a surprise to many, but in his family, athletic excellence is the standard. Carsten's father, Cedric, was a multi-sport athlete at Harvard University, splitting his time between the football and soccer fields. Similarly, Carsten's brother, Corban, was an avid swimmer. If you thought Carsten's background couldn't get anymore impressive, guess again. Carsten is exceedingly well-traveled, having visited around thirty-five countries throughout his lifetime.
With the integral role sports play in American culture, athletes are often given an elevated platform to express their thoughts and opinions. At American University, the Black students are comprised of different athletes from multiple varsity teams. Students founded the club in the Fall of 2020 to help foster community amongst Black athletes in the wake of the George Floyd murder earlier that year. “The protests for George Floyd that happened throughout the summer made us more certain that this needed to happen,” former event coordinator and founding member of the club Morgan Brinson said about the group's inception. Morgan, a former Lady Eagle soccer player and current graduate student at Rice, had this to say about the organization’s impact on her time at American; “Our community as Black athletes were so small, we felt disconnected from one another. It was a way to bring everyone together and let them know we’re here for one another”. The group’s mission is “to “provide a safe and open environment for Black student-athletes to share their experiences inside and outside of their sport, empower them as people of color, educate [the AU] community on issues of social justice, and foster a culture of diversity, inclusion, and excellence within the American University athletics department”. The club fulfills its mission through organizing events for student-athletes, such as panels and game nights, as well as sponsoring different charity and fundraising initiatives. Just last year, the club used its platform to help raise over $1,000 for D.C. families in need! In the future, the club hopes to work in conjunction with the Black Student Union and the Caribbean Circle to establish a connection with the greater student body. To find out how you can help support the Black Athlete Coalition, you can follow them @aubacoalition on Instagram.
The American University athletic department is full of diverse and inclusive staff and athletes, and the women’s soccer team is no exception. American University graduate student, Asia Horne, is one of five Black women on the AU women’s soccer team. Starting at the age of 8, Horne recalls why she initially began playing soccer. She says, “[Soccer] was an outlet for me to get out all the stress, tension, and anger I was feeling at the time. It was a good release.” She tells us she’s been playing club soccer since the age of 11, and while “it’s always been very competitive”, she is “playing a lot more at AU, where every day revolves around soccer.” She adds, “[it became less of] a fun after-school activity that I did.”