Thank You, New York | Change Can't Wait
Surrounded by a treasure trove of books, manuscripts, and extraordinary collections dating to 4000 BC, American University hosted its final stop on the Change Can’t Wait Tour at the Morgan Library and Museum in the heart of New York City on March 13, 2024.
Appropriately held at an institution dedicated to advancing scholarship and knowledge, nearly 300 Eagle alumni, faculty, and university leadership gathered for a topic exploration entitled “More Than a Game: The Role of Sports in Society.”
The event featured four snap talk presentations by AU community experts. The speakers reflected on topics ranging from sports diplomacy to how sports have advanced equity dynamics, and they showcased how the AU’s changemakers are helping us understand the world.
Among AU’s leadership present were President Sylvia M. Burwell, Acting Provost and Chief Academic Officer Vicky Wilkins, and eight serving deans spanning AU’s schools and colleges. They were joined by members of the Board of Trustees and AU Alumni Board.
NBC News correspondent Emilie Ikeda, SOC/BA ’16, welcomed guests with a personal story about embracing change and being “comfortable in the uncomfortable” when her AU field hockey career was cut short due to a sophomore-year injury. Ikeda pushed the boundaries of what it means to be a teammate. She assisted with practice drills, motivated players, and served as President of the Student Athletic Advisory Committee—all in support of her team and personal growth.
The evening was also very much a celebration of AU President Sylvia Burwell’s leadership. Burwell, who will be stepping down from her role in June, received warm applause as she took to the stage. Announced in the days that followed, Burwell will pass the torch to Jonathan Alger, who assumes the role of the 16th President of American University on July 1, 2024.
Jeff Sine, Co-Chair of the University Campaign Committee, SIS/BA ’76, shared exciting news about the campaign’s Finish Line Committee—a student-run group charged with educating and engaging students to participate. Sine announced a $1 million challenge match to double the committee's philanthropic efforts. Sine then introduced the evening’s presenters.
More than a Game: The Role of Sports in Society
John Simson, Program Director, Business & Entertainment, Kogod School of Business
“As I was flipping baseball cards on the playground during lunch or after school, I never thought about the contractual arrangements required between the gum company and baseball player,” said Simson as he flipped cards on stage in front of the audience.
Simson spoke about privacy and NIL rights across industries. Simson, who has been in the music industry for more than five decades, was at the forefront of the battle for artists’ rights and their ability to be paid for their work online. As an entertainment lawyer, he advised clients on copyright and business issues in film, television, music, and the visual arts.
N. Jeremi Duru, Professor and Director of the Sport and Society Initiative, Washington College of Law
“Sport is a valuable tool in perilous times,” said Duru, who spoke of sports’ enduring role as a force for good. He cited the positive implications of the integration of the National Football League and Major League Baseball in the 1940s—it presented the idea that we all could work in the same offices, learn in the same classrooms, and live side by side in the same communities.
An expert on the Rooney Rule—the NFL ruling that a club must interview at least one person of color before hiring a head coach, among other positions—Duru believes in its potential to expand equitable employment across industries. As an employment and discrimination lawyer, he has spent much of his career working to expand coaching and management opportunities.
Jamie Erdahl, SOC/BA ’11, Host, Good Morning Football, NFL Network, and Reporter, CBS Sports
“I adapt to change,” stated Erdahl. A former basketball and softball student-athlete at St. Olaf College who transferred to and graduated from American University, Erdahl is an experienced sideline reporter and studio anchor who can attest to the changing media landscape. On stage, she shared her insights and the implications for sports television.
The way we watch live sports is continuously evolving—and you must be ready to pivot. That holds true for sports fans and professionals like Erdahl. In January, her New York-based show received its highest regular-season viewership since 2017. By March, however, the network made the decision to end the show’s run, noting it would later return as a Los Angeles-based program in a new format. Stay tuned.
Kash Siddiqi, Former Professional Soccer Player and Co-Founder, Football for Peace
“Football has the power to create peace,” Siddiqi noted, citing two inspiring examples: the Christmas Truce match of WWI, which had British and German troops laying down their weapons to play a game; and when soccer icon Didier Drogba helped end a five-year civil war in his nation—the Ivory Coast—after pleading with both sides to unite.
Siddiqi is expanding the reach of Football for Peace—his international organization that uses sports diplomacy to build peace and water security. Last fall, the first Football for Peace Center in the United States was announced as a partnership with AU’s School of International Service. The center serves as an incubator for SIS faculty and students to share their expertise in water politics and justice.
A Closing Call to Action
As he thanked guests for attending, Derek Jones, CAS/BA ’79 and member of the Campaign Committee and Kogod Advisory Council, called on the audience to act in three ways: champion AU’s work by spreading the word, get involved in various ways, and help AU cross the Change Can’t Wait finish line through financial commitments.
Click here to learn more about the impact of Change Can’t Wait, or to make a gift.
