RESEARCH Historian takes detailed look at Challenger disaster pg 16
The ranch that Eddie Staub ’78 built pg 28
PROFILE
Lessons learned from a champion racehorse pg 64
ESSAY
FALL 2009
The Truth About A-Rod The most hated woman in sports tells all
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The big bang Loud and proud—it’s how the Auburn Tigers head into their first season under new head football coach Gene Chizik. After a disappointing 2008 season and the controversial exit of 10-year head coach Tommy Tuberville, the Tigers hope to show the “Chizik Nation” some fireworks when they start the 2009 season on Sept. 5 at home against Louisiana Tech. Story on Page 24. Photograph by Jeff Etheridge
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Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g
Air classic Samford Hall appears placid just before students arrive en masse for fall classes. While the east side of campus retains its classic charm and grace, west campus is undergoing a radical change with the August opening of the Village, an eight-building complex of student residences and the first new campus housing in more than 40 years. Story on Page 20. Photograph by Jeff Etheridge
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luxury living on the trail SEE OUR LUXURY MODEL HOMES by INTERNATIONALLY-KNOWN DESIGNER From Auburn fans to golf lovers to retirees, National Village has several luxury living options for you directly on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. Come see spectacular new model homes designed by Kay Green, one of the nation’s top interior designers, and tour the available homes at National Village in Opelika. Owning one of these three-bedroom to fivebedroom homes gives you access to world-class golf, miles of walking trails, access to fitness room, pool and dining at the Auburn Marriott Opelika Hotel. Come see why Golf World readers named Grand National the number one public golf location in the country. Auburn/Opelika was also named “One of the Top 10 Retirement Locations for Golf” in the country. Now you can call it home at National Village.
LAKE HOMES PRICED FROM THE $400s and GOLF COTTAGES STARTING IN THE $190s Tour the furnished models and the available homes at NATIONAL VILLAGE by calling 334.749.8165 or stop by for a visit. Located in Opelika adjacent to Grand National on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. Homes open seven days a week. www.nationalvillage.com
All information is believed to be accurate but is not warranted.
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On the cover Sports Illustrated’s Selena Roberts takes on big-time sports. Photograph by Alex di Suvero.
Fall 2009 F R O N T 6 From the Editor
24 Tiger Walk
Guts, nerve, ambition, spunk: Call it what you will, Auburn alumni have the courage of their convictions.
Your guide to Tigers football. Also: Goodbye to Richard Quick, hello to Nick Clinard and congrats to Ed Dyas ’61.
8 The First Word
Where you get to say what’s on your mind. 10 College Street
In our campus news section: Another tuition hike, Bo Jackson’s life lessons and physics with David Letterman.
Ted Roof on defense
B A C K 47 Alumni Center
Check out our fall calendar of events; buy a Toomer’s Corner brick; and find out what’s up with Auburn clubs. Also: Mini-features on alumni who fight cancer with cookies and scope out the weight-challenged.
Chicago rocks the house
16 Research
The problem with treating juvenile sex offenders like adults. Also: the tao of Fat Albert, swine flu and more. 18 Roundup
What’s happening in your college? Check it out.
About 60 boys and girls live at Eagle Ranch, a Chestnut Mountain, Ga., home for kids needing a fresh start. For more, see Page 28.
49 Class Notes F E A T U R E S
28
36
Missed: Writer Paul Hemphill ’59
Killing the Messenger
64 The Last Word
How a simple story on Alex Rodriguez turned Major League Baseball on its ear and landed Selena Roberts ’88 in the middle of a media frenzy. Again. by sally ann flecker photographs by alex di suvero
42
The Village, AU’s newest housing
Defining Moments
Fueled by his father’s death, a handful of chance meetings (or, perhaps, divine appointments) and sheer determination, Eddie Staub ’78 creates a haven for troubled north Georgia adolescents. by john vardeman photographs by shannon allen jackson and the residents of eagle ranch
20 Concourse
It takes a Village: Auburn’s new campus housing units put old-fashioned dorm rooms to shame. Plus, student singers hit Carnegie Hall.
58 In Memoriam
Amy Gesenhues ’95 finds inspiration in a Kentucky Derby champion’s staggering win against all odds.
Cold Comfort
Megan O’Neill ’98 swims with the penguins, chases humpback whales and tracks icefish across the seas of Antarctica, all in the name of teaching science to teenagers. by suzanne johnson photographs by jeff etheridge
Learning to Mine That Bird
a u a l u m . o r g Auburn Magazine
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F A L L
2 0 0 9
From the Editor
Guts and glory
Betsy Robertson
BETSY ROBERTSON
Suzanne Johnson
Editor, Auburn Magazine
EDITOR
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
There’s Auburn University, and then there’s the school of life: Both venues mold us into who we are as professionals, friends, parents, caregivers and caretakers, daughters, sons, leaders and followers. The alumni featured in this issue have forged varying career paths, but each of their stories has a common theme: To a person, the individuals you’ll meet within these pages have guts. Our cover subject, Sports Illustrated writer Selena Roberts ’88, this spring shined the light on New York Yankees icon Alex Rodriguez’ steriod use with her hard-hitting reporting and biography of the celebrity baseball player. It’s not unusual for journalists to field criticism when their versions of the truth differ from those of their subjects or their readers, but Roberts’ coverage of the sports industry’s lows has drawn some singularly nasty reader reaction: “ARod” accused Roberts of stalking him; Kansas City Star columnist Jason Whitlock questioned Roberts’ understanding of athletics; and sports fans lobbed personal potshots, taking to the Internet and airwaves to call her names unfit for polite company. Roberts says she’s developed a thick skin over a 20-year career covering the business she fell in love with as a child. Sports “was everything in my life growing up,” Roberts told Charlie Rose
AUBURN MAGAZINE (ISSN 1077– 8640) is published quarterly; 4X per year; spring, summer, fall, winter, for dues-paying members of the Auburn Alumni Association. Periodicals-class postage paid in Auburn and additional mailing offices. Editorial offices are located in the Auburn Alumni Center, 317 South College St., Auburn University, AL 36849-5149. Phone (334) 844–1164. Fax (334) 844–1477. E–mail: aubmag@auburn.edu. Contents ©2009 by the Auburn Alumni Association, all rights reserved. ADVERTISING INFORMATION Contact Betsy Robertson at (334) 844–1164. POSTMASTER Send address changes to 317 South College St., Auburn University, AL 36849–5149.
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in a June interview. “I can remember everything in my life based on where I was, at what game ... Those are the moments in my life that I cherish.” A warrior of a different sort, former Tigers baseball player Eddie Staub graduated in 1978 determined to make life better for kids whose circumstances might one day relegate them to society’s fringes as dropouts, addicts, abusers or criminals. Armed with little more than faith in God and his own will, the Georgia resident bought some land and built a ranch—a place that, over nearly three decades, more than 600 boys and girls have called home. We also have high school science teacher Megan O’Neill ’98, whose commitment to her students has led the Fairhope resident to travel where few others have ever gone: to the very bottom of the Earth, off the shores of Antarctica, on an eight-week scientific mission. There are other examples of sheer moxie inside, ranging from a 28-year-old cancer-survivor-cum-entrepreneur to a writer whose uncompromising dedication to his craft resulted in a 16-book legacy. They are your classmates, and each one is making his or her mark. Enjoy.
Shannon Bryant-Hankes ’84 ART DIRECTOR
Stacy Wood WEBMASTER
Jeff Hall UNIVERSITY PHOTOGRAPHER
Jeff Etheridge EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS
Michael Hansberry ’10, Rebecca Lakin ’10 DESIGN ASSISTANTS
Nayeon Kim ’10, Lauren Wright ’09, Laura Jordan ’10 PRESIDENT, AUBURN UNIVERSITY
Jay Gogue ’69 VICE PRESIDENT FOR ALUMNI AFFAIRS AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AUBURN ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
Deborah L. Shaw ’84 PRESIDENT, AUBURN ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
Nancy Young Fortner ’71 AUBURN MAGAZINE ADVISORY BOARD CHAIR
Kay Fuston ’84 AUBURN MAGAZINE ADVISORY BOARD
betsyrobertson@auburn.edu
LETTERS Auburn Magazine welcomes readers’ comments, but reserves the right to edit letters or to refuse publication of letters judged libelous or distasteful. Space availability may prevent publication of all letters in the magazine, in which case, letters not printed will be available on the alumni association Web site at the address listed below. No writer is eligible for publication more often than once every two issues. No anonymous letters will be accepted. Auburn Magazine is available in alternative formats for persons with disabilities. For information, call (334) 844–1143. Auburn Magazine is a benefit of membership in the Auburn Alumni Association and is not available by individual subscription. To request a membership application, call the association at (334) 844–2586.
John Carvalho ’78, Susan Dendy ’79, Ed Dickinson ’70, Christian Flathman ’97, Tom Ford ’67, Mary Lou Foy ’66, Eric Ludgood ’78, Cindy McDaniel ’80, Carol Pappas ’77, Neal Reynolds ’77, Joyce Reynolds Ringer ’59, Allen Vaughan ’75
There’s nothing quite like being here.
Don’t spend your valuable time - and gas! - sitting in traffic on game day. Enjoy football the way it’s meant to be. Make the most of your weekend and stay right here in the Auburn area. Auburn-Opelika has plenty of hotel rooms available for every budget, and the Tourism Bureau is the only place to find the one that’s right for you. Log on now for the area’s only source of accurate and updated hotel availability, and register for your chance to win a FREE Homecoming weekend, including accommodations, tickets, and a fan prize package!
W in a FR E E H o m ec w eekeonm i n g d!
334-887-8747 | 866.880.8747 | aotourism.com | info@aotourism.com AU Alumni fall 09.indd 1
7/14/2009 10:20:35 AM
L E T T E R S
T O
T H E
E D I T O R
The First Word THE TOPIC Readers write about summer road trips,
Iron Bowl victories, class reunions and general Auburn fandom. Auburn Magazine welcomes letters to the editor. Send us your thoughts via e-mail to aubmag@auburn.edu, or write to Auburn Magazine, 317 South College St., Auburn University, AL 36849. Back in the USSR
In the summer of ’77 I was privileged to tour Russia and Poland with the Auburn University Singers. The memories are priceless: major landmarks, including Red Square, the Kremlin and Chopin’s birthplace; a train trip across the Russian countryside; a Polish disco (featuring, to our surprise, a stripper!); and a Polish Methodist church, where those of us who chose to worshipped with oppressed believers. For those of us in Singers, the strengthened friendships and bond created by shared experiences—whether funny, touching or difficult—remain to this day. —Carol Barrett Hogan ’79, Carrollton, Ga. Tea, crumpets, Kicklighter
My most memorable summer as an Auburn student: As a freshman in History 101, my professor, Joe Kicklighter, encouraged his students to join him for a summer study program in English history and literature at Oxford University in England. The program was actually sponsored through the University of Alabama, but every year, Dr. Kicklighter and several Auburn students joined the group. In the summer of 1983, I went. Things got off to a rough start. After an overnight flight from Atlanta to London, another Auburn coed and I were left at the airport by one of the Alabama professors. Sleep-deprived and jet-lagged, we were forced to navigate British accents, pounds and train schedules to find our way to Oxford. We managed to get there, but the route we picked turned what should have been a one-hour train ride into a three-hour one. When we finally found our way to our dorm, I was ready to turn around and go back home to south Alabama. Instead, I stayed—and had a wonderful, memorable summer. I learned to love Britain and British history with Dr. Kicklighter as teacher and leader. —Patricia Vick Moody ’85, Auburn, Ala. Thanks for the memories
Thank you from a Golden Eagle: It has been over two weeks since I returned home from the reunion for the classes of 1958 and 1959. This was the first time I had attended a reunion at Auburn. My wife was amazed at how we started conversations with classmates that we really did not know personally. That did not matter; we were all members of the classes of 1958 and 1959 and had
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an enormous amount of common memories and experiences. As we introduced ourselves and introduced them to our spouses, we immediately had a lot to talk about. I wish there was something I could do to encourage the class of 1960 and others to attend their reunions when the opportunity comes. There is not a committee that notices how we have aged— come, enjoy your old friends, make new friends and have your love for Auburn reinforced. War Eagle! —David W. Caraway ’59, Columbus, Ga. Big news
My favorite Iron Bowl memory revolves around the 1949 game inasmuch as I was more than just a student spectator. It was the last game of Auburn’s nine-game 1949 football season. Some 44,000 avid fans filled Birmingham’s venerable Legion Field—the “Football Capital of the South”—to witness the second game of the cross-state rivalry that had resumed in 1948 after a lapse of some 40 years. Auburn’s defense turned the Tide into a trickle, and Johnny Wallis ran an intercepted pass for a first-quarter touchdown. Auburn’s second score occurred on an 11-yard ram by Bill Davis following a Travis Tidwell-led 70-yard drive. Jim McGowen’s 85-yard quick kick was a momentum enhancer late in the game. But a last-minute TD by Bama’s Eddie Salem set up the gut-wrenching final seconds that saw his extra point attempt sail wide of the uprights to seal the Tigers’ 14-13 win. Now for “the rest of story.” As Auburn was the “home team,” I worked as the official statistician in the press box. Chaos and confusion reigned as the extra point attempt failed, and sports writers and radio broadcasters clamored for statistics. I had to run outside the press box and scream a few “War Eagles” before settling down and totaling the numbers. It was a long while later before the Auburn student section moved their celebrating to downtown Birmingham. Sometime around midnight I ran into Plainsman editor Ed Crawford and business manager Bruce Greenhill in the lobby of the old Tutwiler Hotel, and we concocted a scheme to publish a special edition. Neil Davis, the owner, publisher and editor of the Auburn-Opelika weekly newspaper, provided space for the Plainsman staff, and his employees actually did the typesetting and printing. We rousted him out of bed before dawn, and he readily agreed to our plan. The paper hit the streets at noon Monday with my bylined lead story headlined in the largest typeface yet used by the Plainsman: TIGERS DAM TIDE 14-13!!! Buoyed by euphoria, I remained sports editor through the 1950 football season. The Tigers went
0-10-0 in 1950: Earl Brown was fired; Ralph “Shug” Jordan became head coach. The rest is history. —Stuart X. Stephenson Jr. ’50, Birmingham, Ala. Dancing with Aubie at 90
There is not a bigger Auburn fan than Mary Ferguson, who just celebrated her 90th birthday and danced the night away with her favorite Auburn friend, Aubie! This spunky Buffalo, N.Y., girl found herself believing in the Auburn spirit when her husband was transferred to Columbus, Ga., in 1953. It all began by volunteering to work at the Auburn vs. Georgia game, then played at Memorial Stadium in Columbus. They were immediately hooked on the “orange and blue.” Mary will tell anyone who will listen that, because of the education her children and grandchildren have received from Auburn, they have been able to achieve at their respective professions. In her Auburn family, she has two judges, a school principal, a corporate president and vice president, an interior decorator, a tax attorney, an engineer, an accountant, a banker, a financial planner, a physical therapist, a computer programmer, a nurse, a public relations account executive and a soon-to-be dentist. At her birthday celebration, the Auburn Creed was read by all the family as a tribute. Words from this creed speak to Mary’s philosophy of life and the way she has influenced her family. You would never know she is 90, because she is a real Tiger! —Deborah Ferguson Quattlebaum ’74, Ozark, Ala. Photos wanted
Do you have a photo of an old building in Auburn—perhaps a home or other structure of historic significance, lost to time, whether on or off campus? AU alumni Ann Pearson ’63 and Ralph Draughon Jr. ’58, along with AU supporter Delos Hughes, are collecting photographs for a book to be titled Lost Auburn. If you have a photo to share, contact Pearson at stonylonesome@earthlink.net or (334) 821-3660. Corrections
The Auburn Magazine staff works hard to accurately report, proof and fact-check our stories, but we tripped over our shoelaces in the Summer 2009 issue. The obituary on longtime Auburn baseball coach Paul Nix ’57 was inadvertently accompanied by a photo of Tigers football and baseball standout Lloyd Nix ’59, who we’re pleased to say is very much alive. Also, former football coach Chet Wynne was misidentified, and, last but not least, a clarification: The 1969 Iron Bowl score was 49-20 after Connie Frederick ’70 scored his 84-yard faked-punt return. The game ended 49-26.
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COLLEGE STREET Q and A PARTICULARLY DURING HARD ECONOMIC TIMES, PUBLIC FUNDING FOR THE ARTS TENDS TO COME UNDER FIRE. THOUGHTS?
We are turning out graduates who will seek jobs and a high quality of life, which includes opportunities for enrichment, education and entertainment. Unless we can imagine life without books, music, heritage sites or theater, it is important that we talk about where we are and where we want to be in the future.
Anne-Katrin Gramberg Dean, College of Liberal Arts
Budgets hit hard, but enrollment steady Diminishing state education allocations and rising costs continue to wreak havoc with Auburn University budgets, resulting in tuition increases for students, salary freezes for employees and double-digit budget cuts across campus for the second consecutive year. At its June 19 meeting, the AU board of trustees approved an average 6.1 percent tuition increase effective this fall at both Auburn and Auburn University Montgomery. The tuition hikes accompany one-time budget cuts of $15 million for the coming fiscal year, which begins in October, plus another $15 million in permanent budget reductions. Auburn faculty and staff will also forgo raises for the second year in a row. Auburn president Jay Gogue called the measures necessary due to the fact that the university is facing the most drastic cuts in state appropriations in the institution’s history. Tuition at Auburn will rise to $3,120 per semester plus fees for in-state students taking 10 to 15 hours of classes, representing an increase of about $186. At AUM, tuition will rise to $2,820 per
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semester. Out-of-state students will pay about $9,360 at AU and $8,460 at AUM. Across the state, the University of Alabama system raised tuition by 9.4 percent, bringing its in-state student tuition to $3,500 per semester plus fees and outof-state student tuition to $9,600. In June 2008, the university addressed $42 million in budget cuts caused by dwindling state funding, and absorbed another 9 percent cut mid-year. The tuition increase of 12 percent for 2008-09 covered about a third of the state shortfall. So far, the tuition increases and state budget instability have had little impact on Auburn’s enrollment, said enrollment management dean Wayne Alderman. “We have not had a decrease in applications, even though that’s what I was expecting,” he said. “We might see a drop-off in retention (in the coming year). If your family is having financial problems, you might transfer to a closer campus.” Auburn administrators are taking extra care to educate students and parents about various financial aid and scholarship options, Alderman added.
MORE ROOM FOR ENGINEERS Construction has begun
says Larry Benefield,
on the second phase
dean of the Samuel Ginn
of the Shelby Center for
College of Engineer-
Engineering Technology,
ing. “The College of
which includes a new
Engineering is pursuing
mechanical-engineering
a vision to become one
facility and an advanced
of the top engineering
research lab. The first
programs in the country,
phase of the building
and the cornerstone of
complex opened last
that vision is the Shelby
year and houses the
Center for Engineering
departments of comput-
Technology.”
er science and software
engineering as well as
phase is scheduled to
systems engineering.
be completed by fall
2011. The building
“The completion
The center’s second
of the Shelby Center
complex, located on
will enable Auburn
Magnolia Avenue and
engineering to create
forming part of the
a superior learning
central campus’ north
and research environ-
perimeter, is named for
ment that keeps pace
U.S. Sen. Richard C.
with today’s emerging
Shelby, R-Alabama, and
engineering fields,”
his wife, Annette.
N E W S
AUBURN UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES
C A M P U S
Flashback 100 years ago
75 years ago
50 years ago
25 years ago
10 years ago
Fall 1909
Fall 1934
Fall 1959
Fall 1984
Fall 1999
Alabama Polytechnic Institute wrecked Georgia Tech’s football team by a score of 8-0. It was a hard-fought game for API in the first half as Georgia Tech “braced up and showed a stone wall,” according to the campus newspaper, The Orange and Blue. Although the two schools haven’t played much in recent years, they were early gridiron rivals, first meeting in 1892.
Atomic energy was a hot topic: A sciencetraining program on the subject was held on campus, sponsored by the Oak Ridge Institute of Nuclear Studies and the National Science Foundation. The National University Extension Association put together the traveling exhibit not long after the breakthrough cyclotron particle accelerator was patented.
The School of Engineering welcomed its first female instructor, Ann Schiewe, who taught aeronautical engineering. Auburn’s aeronautical engineering department (now aerospace engineering) was formed in 1928, although the university’s research in the field dates to before the Wright brothers achieved manned air flight in 1903.
Rock-jazz fusion band Chicago lit up the stage at the coliseum, packing them in for a sold-out show on Nov. 9. The University Program Council sold more than 6,000 tickets in the first four hours. Enrollment at Auburn in fall 1984 was 18,888; in fall 2008, it totaled 24,530.
Auburn said goodbye to the quarter system, and students began synchronizing their internal clocks in anticipation of a new semester calendar the following year. Also, officials broke ground in October for the new Earlon and Betty McWhorter Center for Women’s Athletics. The new facility replaced the old Auburn Sports Arena, which burned in 1996.
Above: Four Auburn University students prepare to get friendly by donning their nametags and filling up Mason jars with beverages. During “Hey Day,” a longtime Auburn tradition, students wear nametags and greet everyone they meet with a big “Hey!” It’s just one way to ensure that AU remains one of the friendliest campuses around.
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S T R E E T
ASIAN INFLUENCE Having studied Spanish for five years, Holleigh Patterson figured it would be a cinch serving as a volunteer instructor at Auburn University’s Summer English School, a College of Education outreach program that helps non-native speakers learn better English. But when the junior English-education major from Vestavia Hills stepped into her summer classroom at Auburn’s Richland Elementary School for the first time, she couldn’t help but feel like an outsider herself: All of her new students were Korean. “I had no idea,” said Patterson, who that day witnessed firsthand the shifting local demographic spurred in part by the opening of South Korea-based Kia Motors’ new $1.2 billion factory, located a stone’s throw from the Alabama border in West Point, Ga. The plant is expected to employ about 2,500 workers when fully operational this fall, and satellite suppliers in the area may hire thousands more. Of the 100 students enrolled in the College of Education’s English-as-a-second-language program this past summer, 98 were Korean and two Chinese. Now in its second year, the Summer English School represents a valuable resource for international students making the transition to a new culture. “These kids are competitive, and they like to win,” said English teacher and volunteer Brenda Coleman, a doctoral candidate in Auburn’s Department of Educational Foundations, Leadership and Technology. “They are eager to learn, and they ask some wonderfully probing questions about why our language works the way it does.” Program director Jung Won Hur, assistant professor of educational media, said most of the students attending this year’s summer camp already have some English-language skills. The program is designed to also help participants improve their reading and writing proficiencies, and develop confidence in their English communication skills.
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Grant-to-Lee surrender letter now on view Outnumbered and exhausted, Confederate Army commander Gen. Robert E. Lee exchanged a series of notes across battle lines with Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant in April 1865. The two agreed to meet in Appomattox, Va., on April 9, ending the Civil War. As the meeting closed, Grant gave Lee a letter outlining the terms of surrender. A handwritten copy of that letter was made the next day, April 10, for posterity’s sake. The document, which might have been copied by Grant himself or one of his assistants, was donated to Auburn University’s special collections in June as a gift from alumnus James L. Starr ’71. “Before the days of copy machines, it was common practice to produce more than one handwritten copy of important documents,” says Dwayne Cox, head of the Auburn Libraries special collections and archives department. “We’re working to determine if the letter was written by Gen. Grant or by one of his assistants. Regardless of who put pen to paper, it is an item of great significance to the Auburn collections.”
Grant’s terms included the parole of all officers and enlisted men in Lee’s army. “Parole” meant the promise of a prisoner of war not to take up arms again against his captors. The letter also called on Lee’s soldiers to surrender their artillery and other weapons, but excluded officers’ sidearms, private horses and other personal items. Finally, Grant allowed officers and men to return to their homes, “not to be disturbed” by U.S. authorities, provided they observed their parole and the laws of their localities. Historians consider the latter provision an attempt on Grant’s part to preclude treason trials. Scholars generally believe Grant’s terms of surrender to be magnanimous. Officials plan to eventually scan and post the letter online in Auburn’s digital library, along with all of the university’s Civil War manuscripts, probably during the Civil War sesquicentennial in 2011. For now, the 1865 copy of Grant’s letter to Lee is on display in the Ralph Brown Draughon Library’s special collections section.
Air Eagle Flying in and out of the Auburn area will soon get a little easier: The Auburn-Opelika Robert G. Pitts Airport has broken ground on a new terminal and flight line, a project inspired more than 20 years ago. Owned by Auburn University, the airport serves as a training facility for aviation students.
Change, with tradition JAY GOGUE ’69
N E W S
Refreshed... Renewed... Renovated! AUBURN UNIVERSITY’S HOTEL
President, Auburn University In many ways, Auburn is a much different place than it was even a decade ago, especially when it comes to the facilities and resources available to students. Construction and renovation are signs of a vibrant and dynamic campus, and you can’t turn around at Auburn without seeing something new. A perfect example is the new Village residence halls on the north side of campus. The Village will take advantage of expanded learning communities, where 20 to 25 students share classes and activities centered on a common theme. Although they don’t involve new buildings, these virtual communities help students transition to university life and achieve greater academic success. Another component of the Auburn experience is the quality of its faculty, which is why we recently identified raising funds for 81 endowed professorships as a key strategic initiative for the university. Professorships reward faculty for exceptional merit. These funds offer a huge
C A M P U S
OFFERS FIRST CLASS HOSPITALITY,
morale boost by providing salary enhancements to faculty who stimulate young minds and contribute to building programs that enhance the university. As part of this initiative, professorships can be established for $150,000, half the normal amount, from now until Sept. 30. Auburn will match the annual spendable funds, up to $7,500, into perpetuity. Auburn alumni have given myriad gifts. Recently, two endowments were established for the College of Business and another for the Ginn College of Engineering. The details of dozens of additional endowments are being worked out at this time. The benefits of adding endowed professors to the faculty will lead to a much greater emphasis on another component of the Auburn experience: internationalskills development. More than ever before, the world that our students will enter after leaving Auburn is interconnected and interdependent. Our courses will expose them to what it takes to be successful in today’s competitive, global economy, and we will continue to offer more opportunities for study abroad, foreign-language training and learning about the world. While much has changed at Auburn, one constant throughout its history has been the passion alumni and friends have for their alma mater. And that brings our mission to help students achieve their hopes and dreams closer to reality as we focus on the instruction and academic environment that is so vital to their future. War Eagle!
jgogue@auburn.edu
A GREAT LOCATION AND UNPARALLELED SERVICE.
NOW YOU CAN GIVE BACK AND GET THE BEST IN THE BUSINESS FOR YOUR BUSINESS.
Imagine your next business meeting or retreat: Come to Auburn Stay, meet and dine with us Walk to Toomer’s Corner Walk to campus and reminisce Golf at AU Club And, come back again. a u a l u m . o r g Auburn Magazine
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S T R E E T
Home on the Plains U.S. News and World Report magazine has caught on to what AU folks have known for a long time—that Auburn is a great place to live, attend school and raise a family. The magazine selected the city of Auburn as a Top 10 choice among American cities based on quality of life in its 2009 “Best Places to Live” rankings. The magazine called Auburn a “diamond on the eastern Alabama plains.”
Meet the Prof Michael Bozack
AUTHOR, AUTHOR Bozack’s Street Smart Advice
to Christian College Students (VMI, 2009) is a new book that provides tips, valuable to both parents and their college-age students, on how students can succeed throughout their college years by balancing their spiritual, social and academic lives. The book contains observations from Bozack’s years of teaching and offers a myriad of strategies to help students in achieving academic success and managing their personal and academic lives both inside and outside the classroom.
Professor of physics, College of Science and Mathematics BACKSTORY Bozack joined the Auburn faculty in the late 1980s and is known around campus for teaching an introductory physics course inspired by the “Late Show with David Letterman.” As an experimental surface physicist, his research involves studying the behavior of electronics in harsh environments. THE LETTERMAN CONNECTION Bozack’s “Foundations of Physics” class acquaints students with Newton’s laws of motion, plus the properties of light, electrical currents, magnetism and radioactivity, among other topics. “If you watch Letterman, he has a bunch of crazy things he
does,” Bozack says. “He throws things off the top of the building and watches them explode when they hit the ground. I’m the guy who lies on the bed of nails; I try to teach students how to do a correct body slam, how to best shoot a basketball and do karate.”
A SHOCK OF HAIR Bozack is researching the growth of “tin whiskers”—filaments resembling tiny hairs—that grow over time on tin surfaces. When a tin whisker touches a neighboring surface, it causes a short circuit. No one knows why it happens, and Bozack wants to figure it out.
Fun with numbers BO DELIVERS: Entrepreneur and former pro athlete Vincent “Bo” Jackson ’95, Auburn University’s second Heisman Trophy winner, addressed new graduates during spring commencement ceremonies in May. Jackson, who has two children enrolled at Auburn, talked about the importance of stepping out of one’s comfort zone in order to succeed. He lives just outside Chicago in Burr Ridge, Ill., with wife Linda ’92 and operates several businesses, including a baseball training facility, a food-services company and a bank.
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Auburn professor Chris Rodger thinks math is fun, and he’s trying to convince Alabama schoolchildren and teenagers to believe it, too. He’s reaching students through their teachers, working with local school districts to make sure their math curricula not only meet state and national standards, but also keep their students engaged. Rodger has been a chief proponent of “Team Math,” a program funded by the National Science Foundation and various Auburn University departments. Through Team Math, Rodger has spread the gospel of arithmetic in 15 local school districts, mostly in west Alabama and in the Auburn area.
“Much of my activity with teachers in west Alabama and in the counties around Auburn arose from a desire to increase their content knowledge, but over time I realized that many elementary teachers lack confidence in their (own) ability to do mathematics,” says Rodger, whose official title is Scharnagel Professor of Mathematical Sciences. Rodger essentially acts as a street preacher for his discipline, roaming the countryside and preaching the importance of obtaining math literacy to all who will listen. Auburn recognized Rodger’s work by awarding him the 2008 Award for Excellence in Faculty Outreach.
C A M P U S
A five-person committee is expected to begin reviewing applications Aug. 18 for a position on Auburn’s board of trustees. The open position will represent District 6, which includes Bibb, Chilton, Greene, Hale, Perry, Shelby, Sumter and Tuscaloosa counties. Applicants must reside in one of those counties and be younger than age 70. The District 6 position has been occupied for 14 years by Pelham entrepreneur Paul Spina ’63. Spina rotates off the board in September. In a July 6 letter addressed to “members of the Auburn family,” Alabama Gov. Bob Riley said trustee candidates should be “leaders who are forward-looking, service-oriented and dedicated to furthering Auburn’s instruction, research and extension missions.” Riley added: “Our goal is to select the very best and most capable individual for the open board seat. We will continue to have an open and inclusive process involving all Auburn constituencies.” A committee composed of Riley or his representative plus two members of the Auburn Alumni Association board of directors and two current trustees will interview candidates and select a nominee who must then be confirmed by the state senate. The committee members are: Nancy Young Fortner ’71 of Brownsboro, association president; Bobby Poundstone ’95 of Montgomery, association board member; Sarah Newton ’74 of Fayette, president pro tempore of the AU trustee board; and trustee Gaines Lanier ’74 of Lanett. The July 11 death of District 1 trustee Jack Miller creates a second open position which, at presstime, had not been addressed publicly by Riley. The board consists of one representative from each congressional district (as they were drawn in 1961), plus a trustee representing Lee County, three at-large trustees and the governor, who serves as an exofficio member.
J oni Mab e , Ar m y El vis , 2007, gl itte r mosaic in mixed media
SOUGHT: A FEW GOOD TRUSTEES
Art Changes Lives
N E W S
Elvis & FriEnds Recent WoRk by Joni Mabe
octobeR 10, 2009 – JanuaRy 9, 2010 in Gallery C also on view
ELVIS AT 21 NEW YORK TO MEMPHIS
P h o t o g r a P h s b y a l f r e d W e rt h e i m e r
octobeR 10, 2009 – JanuaRy 9, 2010 in Bill l. HarBert Gallery
J u l e c o l l i n s s M i t h M u s e u M o f f i n e a R t at a u b u R n u n i v e R s i t y 901 south college street • auburn, al 36849 • www.jcsm.auburn.edu • 334.844.1484
a u a l u m . o r g Auburn Magazine
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C O L L E G E
S T R E E T
Homecoming Russian professor George Mitrevski leaves this fall for a nine-month Fulbright appointment in his native Macedonia. He’ll study an electronic collection of Macedonian texts and teach English in the city of Bitola.
Research
SEXUAL HEALING
Challenger tell-all tackles truth, lies and cover-up The shared tragedy of Jan. 28, 1986, became one of the most iconic moments in America’s collective memory. After three days of delay, NASA’s space shuttle Challenger lifted off from Kennedy Space Center at 11:38 a.m. carrying seven crew members, including America’s first teacher in space, New Hampshire’s Christa McAuliffe. A minute later the shuttle exploded, killing all aboard in front of 500 witnesses, including 18 of McAuliffe’s students, her parents and millions of television viewers. Twenty-three years later, Auburn University history professor James R. Hansen has produced a compelling book recounting why the accident occurred. Truth, Lies and O-Rings: Inside the Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster (University Press of Florida, 2009) was co-written by Allan McDonald, the engineer for Morton-Thiokol Inc. who warned NASA that the shuttle’s solid-rocket motor could explode upon ignition.
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Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g
In the first recounting by anyone directly associated with the decision to launch Challenger, the authors write about officials ignoring—and then covering up— the warnings McDonald offered and the price he paid to expose the truth as both NASA and Morton-Thiokol cast blame in his direction after the accident. According to Hansen, in the years after the explosion, McDonald tried to avoid publicity—first, because he was testifying in investigations, then because he was concentrating on redesigning the solid-rocket motor for a safe return to space. He retired in 2001 and decided it was finally time to tell his story. A former historian for NASA, Hansen has written more than half a dozen books on the history of aerospace, including the only authorized biography of astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first person to walk on the moon.
Justice is supposed
adolescents who have
to be blind, and when
been convicted of
juvenile offenders are
sexual offenses.
involved, there are no
Braille road maps point-
making sure the kids
ing the way toward pun-
understand sex-offender
ishment and reform—
laws, developing basic
particularly in sex-crime
cognitive skills to exam-
cases. That’s why one
ine their thinking
Auburn professor is
for errors, deconstruct-
making it his mission to
ing their behavior to
help people see straight
learn the risk factors
when sex-offender laws
that led to their of-
threaten to ruin the lives
fenses and, finally, writ-
of underage offenders.
ing a letter of apology
to their victims.
After the Alabama
Treatment entails
legislature mandated
in 1999 that juveniles
public tends to hold
Burkhart says the
who commit sex crimes
preconceived notions
receive treatment, psy-
about sex offenders
chologist Barry Burkhart
while failing to under-
joined forces with mem-
stand the difference
bers of the University of
between rehabilitating
Alabama School of So-
juveniles and adults.
cial Work and the state
Programs and laws designed to deal with adult criminals may end up undermining treatment for adolescents, many of whom come from abusive situations. “The difference between a 14-year-old brain and a 44-year-old brain is considerable. They are not at the same level of ability to
Department of Youth
anticipate and modify
Services to develop a
their behavior based
therapy plan that treats
on their anticipation
underage offenders dif-
of consequences,”
ferently than their adult
Burkhart says.
counterparts.
rehabilitated more than
The result: the
To date, ABSOP has
Accountability-Based
640 adolescent sex
Sex Offender Program,
offenders in Alabama,
a four-phase assessment
with a 95 percent suc-
and treatment regime
cess rate.
designed to rehabilitate
—Michael Hansberry
Plane air The air you breathe onboard an airplane might actually be safer than that circulating in other enclosed environments, such as classrooms or theaters, when it comes to catching the H1N1 flu, also known as swine flu. Commercial aircraft draw half their air from outside, then purify it with HEPA filters, says Auburn mechanical-engineering professor Tony Overfelt, who studies air quality. It’s still a good idea to wipe down seatbelts and lap trays with sanitizing wipes, he says.
C O L L E G E
S T R E E T
hey, hey,
HEY
Long before Bart Simpson took underachievement to a new level, 1970s cartoon character Fat Albert shuffled into our homes with a “hey, hey, hey” and important messages about self-esteem, values and creativity. Octavia Tripp, assistant professor of elementary education at Auburn, recently participated in an academic program at Howard University on the lessons to be learned from “Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids,” the iconic Saturday-morning animated series that aired from 1972 to 1984. Comedian Bill Cosby developed the program and voiced the character of Fat
Albert, a lovable, overweight AfricanAmerican kid whose group of friends was known as the “Junkyard Gang.” Episodes used a light touch to tackle serious social issues such as racism, gun violence and child abuse. “There are some strong moral tones in it,” Tripp says. “At the end of each episode, there was a lesson to be learned.” The show’s themes, drawn from Cosby’s childhood experiences in Philadelphia, were discussed during the “‘Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids’ Character Education Partnership Summit” in May in Washington, D.C.
EUREKA The tree limbs,
gasification technology
branches and leaves
available through Auburn
that litter our yards
University, those limbs
after thunderstorms
and branches could be
might one day power up
used to power as many
our homes—or at least
as 500 homes.”
that’s the premise be-
hind a new environmen-
using a special mobile
tal partnership between
gasifier to help evaluate
Auburn University and
converting Fultondale’s
Alabama Power Co., the
green waste into electric-
city of Fultondale, and
ity. In conjunction with
the Alabama Depart-
their work, AU forestry
ment of Economic and
faculty will install track-
PANDEMIC, YES; CATASTROPHE, NO
Community Affairs.
ing devices on the city’s
trash trucks to record
develop a plan to convert
how much biomass they
First the bad news: yes, there is a worldwide flu pandemic. Now the good news: the sky is not falling. Auburn professor Robert Norton, who teaches bacteriology in the College of Agriculture, says the world has been treating the swine flu outbreak as a pandemic for much longer than the World Health Organization, which didn’t officially give the disease the “pandemic” moniker until mid-June. The New York Times reported June 12 that the disease, which at that time had spread to 74 countries, probably reached pandemic status weeks earlier. Further spread is considered inevitable, according to WHO director general Margaret Chan. But the term pandemic, despite its ominous sound, only describes the disease’s spread, not its severity, Norton says. Experts still characterize the disease as mild. “It is capable of causing serious disease, but generally speaking, the H1N1 virus is much less virulent (compared to seasonal flu) in terms of causing death,” he says. “To put this in perspective, a normal year of seasonal influenza in Alabama claims an average 300 deaths, primarily the elderly and the very young,” Norton says. “Taking this into account, this outbreak is not a serious one.”
the “green waste” of
deliver to the landfill.
Researchers will
Auburn scientists are
Fultondale, a northern
The Auburn Uni-
suburb of Birmingham,
versity Bioenergy and
into a source of clean,
Bioproducts Center was
renewable energy.
established in January
2007 as part of the AU
“Green waste” refers
to dropped leaves, grass
Natural Resources Man-
clippings and the like.
agement and Develop-
“Fultondale, like other
ment Institute. It brings
communities, sends tons
researchers from differ-
of green waste to the city
ent disciplines across
landfill each year,” says
the university together
Steve Taylor, director of
with policymakers,
Auburn’s Center for Bio-
other institutions and
energy and Bioproducts.
industry groups through-
“By using innovative
out the region.
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C O L L E G E
S T R E E T
Roundup COLLEGE OF
Agriculture A national association of agricultural, environmental, natural and life sciences colleges and teachers recently named Auburn University agricultural economics professor Bill Hardy as the top postsecondary ag educator in the country. The North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture presented its prestigious Teacher Fellow Award to Hardy during the organization’s annual meeting in June. Hardy has been teaching at Auburn for 37 years. He was selected for the NACTA honor based on his teaching philosophy; evaluations submitted by students, alumni and administrators; and a self-evaluation regarding his availability to students, teaching innovations and departmental/institutional activity. Hardy received his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from Virginia Tech and his law degree from Jones School of Law. … Auburn native Paul Patterson ’85 has returned
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to his hometown as the college’s associate dean for instruction. He formerly was a professor and dean of the Morrison School of Management and Agribusiness at Arizona State University. COLLEGE OF
Architecture, Design and Construction The School of Architecture and the McWhorter School of Building Science are joining forces in a new way this fall as they reintroduce the master’s degree program in design-build. The program features distinct tracks in design and construction, offering an intensive 12-month experience to graduate students who are on either a constructionmanagement or designleadership career path. The degree program includes significant collaborative opportunities in the studio and classroom, and will be team-taught by faculty
Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g
from each discipline. For more information, see www.cadc.auburn. edu/design.build. COLLEGE OF
Business It’s not just a job; it’s a venture. Thirty activeduty military men and women are pursuing Auburn MBA degrees from as far away as Africa and Afghanistan using interactive distance-learning software. The students— officers in the U.S. Air Force, Army, Marines and Navy—log into a streaming-video service provided by the College of Business and use digital classroommanagement software to “talk” to professors and peers. Air Force Capt. Niklaus Pleisch, a finance officer assigned to Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and deployed in Afghanistan, says he chose Auburn for the quality of the businessadministration curriculum, the affordable tuition and the university’s military-friendly reputation. He plans to use his degree to advance within the Air Force and prepare for a civilian career. “I’ve heard many fellow soldiers tell me their programs do not offer streamingvideo options, so it’s difficult for them
to get the same material that the on-campus students get,” Pleisch says. “The material and delivery from Auburn has exceeded my expectations for a distance program.” COLLEGE OF
Education Kimberly C. Walls ’82, professor and musiceducation program coordinator in the College of Education’s curriculum-and-teaching department, has received the 2009 Distinguished Graduate Faculty Lectureship Award. Jointly sponsored by the Auburn Alumni Association and the AU Graduate School, the award recognizes research excellence and carries a $2,000 prize. Walls studies applications of technology in music learning. She designed and leads Auburn’s graduate distance-learning program for musiceducation professionals; has chaired the committees of 71 graduate students; and served as her department’s graduate program officer for four years. … U.S. News and World Report this year ranked the College of Education’s rehabilitation-counseling program No. 17 nationally, while the doctoral programs in kinesiology were No. 28 in rankings formulated by the American Academy of Kinesiology and Physical Education.
SAMUEL GINN
SCHOOL OF
COLLEGE OF
Forestry and Wildlife Sciences
Engineering Virginia Davis, assistant professor of chemical engineering, has won a prestigious National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development award, which recognizes outstanding junior faculty members and supports their research and outreach activities with funding for five years. The NSF granted Davis $400,000 for research that explores how miniscule nanomaterials can be assembled into newer, more advanced materials, including macroelectronic devices, sensors, electro-optical devices and antimicrobial coatings. As part of the award, Davis will continue to mentor and educate future scientists and engineers, including by conducting “nanocamps” for middleschool-age girls.
Assistant research professor Lori Eckhardt has been named director of the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences’ new Forest Health Cooperative. Eckhardt studies emerging forest-health issues dealing with insects, diseases and invasive organisms; her work is now focused on describing factors associated with pine decline in the Southeast and management techniques to help mitigate the effects. The Forest Health Cooperative’s goal is to determine how to manage for a healthy forest and not exacerbate insects or disease.
Graduate School Lori Elmore-Staton ’00, a graduate student in the Department of Hu-
C O L L E G E
Getting the blues Liberal arts freshmen at Auburn are bonding over books: Incoming students read The Sharpshooter Blues, a novel by Lewis Nordan ’73, and participated in online discussions over the summer. This fall, they’ll attend lectures and talk about the novel.
man Development and Family Studies, recently was awarded Auburn’s Overall Outstanding Graduate Student Award. She received the top honor out of 20 students recognized for their scholarship. Elmore-Staton oversees two federally funded grants in concert with Alumni Professor Mona El-Sheikh, whose research examines the role of family functioning in children’s development. To view a complete list of top graduate students, see www.grad.auburn.edu. COLLEGE OF
Human Sciences Alumni Professor and human development researcher Mona ElSheikh of the College of Human Sciences, along with child psychology expert Joseph Buckhalt of the College of Education, will receive more than $3 million over the next five years from the National Institutes of Health to study sleep deprivation in kids. Nationally, about 30 percent of children indicate they have chronic sleep deprivation, which can lead to learning difficulties and behavior problems, the pair say. … Consumer affairs associate professor Ann Beth Presley was selected as one of 24 members of this year’s Attingham Trust Summer School class. The
program offers academics, museum curators, architectural historians and conservationists the opportunity to study the architectural and social history of some of Great Britain’s most historic homes, gardens and landscape settings. COLLEGE OF
Liberal Arts The online Encyclopedia of Alabama, a statewide project based in the history department, has welcomed more than a million page views since it launched last September. The Web site was developed through a partnership between Auburn University and the Alabama Humanities Foundation, and offers more than 750 articles on Alabama’s culture, geography, natural environment and history. Author and Alabama native Harper Lee and her classic novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, combined to rank as the most popular pair of articles. Both were written by Auburn University Montgomery English professor Nancy Anderson and retired Auburn history professor Wayne Flynt. Also among the most-visited pages on the site were an article on Alabama agriculture by Auburn agronomyand-soils professor Charles Mitchell ’73 and an article on Alabama’s climate by geology and geography professor Philip Chaney.
Libraries Auburn University Libraries has launched a new digital treasure: the Eugene B. Sledge Collection. Sledge, a 1949 Auburn graduate, served in the Pacific during World War II and later wrote With the Old Breed, a memoir of his U.S. Marine Corps experiences. Filmmaker Ken Burns drew extensively on the book during the making of his World War II documentary “The War,” which aired nationally on PBS in 2007. An HBO series, “The Pacific,” based in part on Sledge’s memoir, is scheduled to air next year. Sledge, who died in 2001, donated dozens of letters, documents and photographs to Auburn. To view the collection, see http:// diglib.auburn.edu/ collections/ebsledge/. SCHOOL OF
Nursing In celebration of its 30th birthday, the School of Nursing will present its first Distinguished Alumni Awards to a pair of graduates from both the Auburn and Auburn Montgomery campuses. The presentations will be made to two alumni during the schools’ Ninth Annual Blue Jean Ball on Sept. 25 at Pat Dye’s Auburn Oaks estate in Notasulga. Proceeds from the event benefit student scholarships and faculty and
program support for both the AU and AUM nursing schools. For information, call (334) 844-7390. HARRISON SCHOOL OF
Pharmacy A new Auburn-designed, first-of-its-kind pharmacy in Meridian, Miss., is serving as a model facility that could be built in communities across the United States. Pharmacy professors Kenneth Barker and Betsy Flynn led a team responsible for creating the recently opened facility for Vital Care Inc., which will help pharmacists offer complex medications that are normally administered only in hospitals. The idea, dubbed “home infusion,” is to dispense medications—including intravenous antibiotics and nutritional formulas, chemotherapy,
and cardiac drugs— for use at home by nurses, caregivers or patients themselves. The 16,000-square-foot Vital Care pharmacy is used for preparing, dispensing and administering medications while serving as a demonstration model for franchisees. The building has a sterile preparation area, compounding area and a pharmacy for limiteddistribution medicines, such as those used in clinical trials. It also has four treatment suites for patients who need to take their medication in the facility rather than at home.
S T R E E T
lege of Engineering co-hosted the national Boosting Engineering, Science and Technology conference in June. During the meeting, representatives from each of the 35 BEST competition sites gathered on campus for the second-largest robotics competition in the United States. The event engages more than 12,000 middle- and high-school students each year with the goal of inspiring teenagers to pursue careers in engineering, science or technology. COLLEGE OF
Veterinary Sciences and Medicine Mathematics The Southeastern COLLEGE OF
The College of Sciences and Mathematics and the Samuel Ginn Col-
Raptor Center will host birds-in-flight programs on Fridays this fall before home football games in the Edgar B. Carter Educational Amphitheater on Raptor Road off Shug Jordan Parkway. “Football, Fans and Feathers” programs are scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. on Sept. 4, 11, 18 and 25; Oct. 16 and 30; and Nov 6. The Friday, Nov. 27, show begins at 9 a.m. prior to the Iron Bowl. Tickets are $5 at the gate, and registration is not required. Tickets are $3 each for school groups of 25 or more, and children under 3 are admitted free. For directions, see www. auburn.edu/raptor.
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C O N C O U R S E
L I F E
JEF F ET H ERI DG E
CONCOURSE SWEET SUITES ON CAMPUS
Interview Jacob Watkins Senior, economics THE 4-1-1 After serving two years on the Student
Government Association cabinet, Watkins, 21, of Fairhope was elected this year’s SGA president. He supports the new student activities and wellness center on campus, a plan approved this spring with a 74 percent majority despite some students’ apprehension over fee increases. “Health and wellness is important in our society, and we need to be able to offer a place where students can exercise and stay in good shape,” Watkins says. “It will save students $50 or more a month in fees for gyms outside the university. It will also aid in our goal to centralize student living.”
IF YOU WERE U.S. PRESIDENT, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR FIRST PRIORITY? “Higher education is so important in our economy, and all students should be able to afford college. Tuition is rapidly increasing because of the cuts we are receiving from the state, and I believe it is important to keep education affordable.” WHAT’S THE BIGGEST CHANGE YOU’LL MAKE AS SGA PRESIDENT? “Nighttime safety, including security, night transits and lighting, among other things. In the fall, we plan to start a late-night, off-campus transit system. This will help safely get students home from establishments in the downtown and surrounding areas. We have also been working with security and police to increase their presence in certain spots around campus. We hold a safety walk every semester to determine areas on campus we need to improve.” NAME YOUR TALENT “I can do a triple back hand-
spring, back-tuck layout. Can you believe it?”
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S T U D E N T
Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g
Auburn students arriving on campus this fall are doing something not one of their AU peers has done in more than 40 years: moving into a brand-new residence hall. The Village, the university’s largest single-phase construction project in history, opened in August. The eight-building complex, located on the west side of campus, will house more than 1,600 undergraduates—moving Auburn closer to its administrators’ goal of becoming a campus where students learn and live. “Auburn had gradually gone away from being a residential campus as we’ve closed older facilities and have not replaced them,” says Kim Trupp, director of housing and residence life. “We had been wait-listing hundreds of freshmen every year, and it’s not a good thing for recruiting.” Auburn’s social sororities will occupy three of the buildings; members of the Honors College will occupy one building; and the remaining four buildings will house male and female freshmen and upperclassmen. These are not your mother’s dorm rooms: The Village’s two-, three- and fourbedroom apartments boast kitchenettes and the ever-elusive two-person bathroom.
That’s right: no need for shower totes and flip-flops. In keeping with the university’s interest in establishing and promoting the formation of “learning communities”—groups of students with common academic interests who live in the same building—the new residence halls also house six classrooms with study areas and offices for counselors, tutors and graduate teaching assistants. Living in the Village is more expensive than other student dorms, Trupp says— about $2,800 per student, per semester, for a four-bedroom, two-bath “super suite.” The cost covers upscale amenities such as individual-room heating and cooling systems. Naturally, there are plenty of “green” touches: Birmingham-based Williams Blackstock Architects designed the buildings with plenty of windows for natural light, reducing the round-the-clock need for electricity. Sheltered bike racks encourage students to leave their cars behind, and pervious pavement outdoors allows water to sink into the ground instead of draining into the stormwater system. —Michael Hansberry
4-D vision Think all Auburn students look alike? Four of them do: Ohatchee quadruplets Elizabeth, Sarah, Will and Caitlin Haynes enrolled as freshmen in August. The siblings each earned scholarships but plan to pursue different majors: Will is studying business; Caitlin and Sarah are pursuing coursework in human development and family studies; and Elizabeth is working toward a public relations degree. They are believed to be the first quadruplets ever among AU’s student body.
C O N C O U R S E
Salute! U.S. Navy Ensign Lauren Nevels, who graduated summa cum laude from Auburn in May with a nursing degree, has been named the top Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps midshipman in the United States. Nominated by her Auburn University NROTC unit, Nevels was selected for the Adm. James L. Holloway Jr. Award in recognition of her military and scholastic excellence. More than 50 collegiate NROTC units from around the country were eligible to submit candidates for the award; a midshipman is a beginning commissioned officer in the U.S. Navy.
“This award is such an unexpected honor,” said Nevels, 21, who hails from Germantown, Tenn. “I am so appreciative of all the people who have poured so much into me—the Auburn NROTC staff that trained me to be a naval officer, the nursing and medical staff that have helped me along the way, and especially my dad, who gave me encouragement every step of the way and is always so proud of me.” Within NROTC, Nevels was a member of the Trident Society, the sail team and Officer’s Christian Fellowship, and served with the medical personnel during Navy and Marine Corps training evolutions. She also founded and served as president of Auburn’s Nurses Christian Fellowship. “I was impressed with Lauren from the moment we met,” said Capt. Dell Epperson, commanding officer and professor of naval science at Auburn. “She is confident, poised, articulate and has a natural leadership quality that epitomizes the best of what we look for in a naval officer. She will represent the best of the Navy and Auburn University in any future endeavor.” Nevels received the award in June. She headed to Guam in July, where she now works as a nurse at the island’s naval hospital.
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C O N C O U R S E
Food for all Auburn students and faculty last spring headed up the inaugural European University Hunger Summit in Rome. The two-day event assembled students and faculty from around the world to address the problem of world hunger. Universities Fighting World Hunger, affiliated with the World Food Programme and based at Auburn, is an alliance of more than 80 colleges worldwide.
CARRY ME HOME When Ainsley Carry traveled to campus to interview for a job at Auburn University, he found classroom-centered administrators and an active student body—so he accepted the position as AU’s new chief student advocate and moved from Philly to the Plains. Carry began serving as vice president for student affairs in June following a national search to fill the position. He comes to Auburn from Temple University in Philadelphia, where he was associate vice president for student affairs and dean of students. Carry considers himself a product of the Southeastern Conference, having also worked previously at the University of Florida and the University of Arkansas. “The two things that impressed me most about Auburn are the highly engaged, involved student body and top-level leadership that is academically focused and committed,” Carry said. “There is obviously a real passion felt for the university here; even the Auburn Creed speaks to me, signifying as it does a very special place.” Carry is responsible for all AU extracurricular student programs and services, including student government, student media, career development, campus recreation, student organizations, Greek life, judicial affairs, residence life, student orientation and retention, the parents’ association, student community services, the student medical clinic, and the student leadership institute. A 17-year college administrator, Carry holds a bachelor’s degree in food and resource economics, a master’s degree in counselor education and a doctoral degree in higher-education administration, all from the University of Florida. He is currently enrolled in an executive MBA program at Temple. “We are excited to welcome Dr. Carry to the Auburn family, as he brings with him a demonstrated passion for working with students and student programs as well as developing student leaders,” said Auburn president Jay Gogue.
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Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g
Syllabus COURSE NAME PHED 1600 “Stress Reduction” INSTRUCTOR Mary Sandage, speech language
much as possible,” Sandage says. “It means dropping the ‘story’ that one has about a situation to see what is in front of you as clearly as possible.”
pathologist, College of Liberal Arts THE SCOOP Twice a week, 25 students meet to rid
their bodies of stress using techniques developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts School of Medicine. “This class uses yoga, imagery, body scans, progressive relaxation, mindful eating and structured breathing practice to train the students to have better, more sustained attention in the moment,” Sandage says. Students discuss stress-inducing issues such as fear, roommates and classes; those who have taken the class are said to experience fewer panic attacks and anxiety during test-taking, better personal relationships, improved sleep, weight loss and higher grades. VOCABULARY WORD The term “mindfulness”
describes the practice of “being in the moment as
WHO TAKES IT The course typically fills quickly with students in a variety of majors. The class tends to attract juniors and seniors, plus a few Auburn athletes in need of relaxation. STRESS-REDUCTION TIPS Stop what you’re doing
and pay attention to your breathing. Even if you have only five minutes, the act of focusing on inhaling and exhaling can help clear your mind; a 20-minute session may make you feel as if you’ve just awakened from a two-hour nap. Feeling overwhelmed? Take a break from print and broadcast news. Watching or listening to newscasts can add to a sense that life’s circumstances are overwhelming. Also, avoid checking e-mail before bed. An upsetting missive or unexpected work assignment may make it harder to get to sleep. Whatever it is can wait until morning.
They’ve got smarts Three students from Auburn’s Honors College are officially among the nation’s top academic achievers. Rebecca Ludvigsen of Lilburn, Ga., was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study in Germany; Anne-Marie Hodge of Chattanooga, Tenn., earned a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship; and Lauren Hayes of Abbeville was named to the second team in USA Today’s All-USA College Academic Team competition.
C A M P U S
N E W S
Bravo: Auburn students live at Carnegie Hall Auburn University may not boast a major performing arts facility, but that didn’t stop some student singers from heading straight to the top this summer with a performance at New York City’s renowned Carnegie Hall. Nearly two dozen performers— members of Auburn’s chamber choir, women’s chorus, men’s chorus, gospel choir, vocal chamber ensemble and show choir—accompanied choral activities director William Powell on a June jaunt to the Big Apple. Powell, an associate professor of music, conducted a portion of the group’s performance. The students were invited by MidAmerica Productions as part of the organization’s Carnegie Hall Concert Series. The AU singers performed with several other college, high school, community and church choirs from around the country in a 40-minute concert accompanied by the New England Symphonic Ensemble.
Tracy Rogers, a senior in vocal music education, describes the Carnegie Hall performance as one of the best experiences of her life. “We rehearsed five hours every day, which was extremely tiring, but we were doing something we loved,” she says. “Everyone loved our accents and couldn’t believe how hospitable the group from Auburn University was. I had never been to Carnegie Hall before, let alone sing. When I walked out on the stage for the first time I actually cried. I couldn’t stop thinking about all the people who had previously performed there.” Completed in 1891, Carnegie Hall has hosted the most famous musicians, performers, politicians and authors of the past century, as well as the world premieres of works by George Gershwin, Antonín Dvorák, Richard Strauss, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Duke Ellington and Igor Stravinsky, among others.—Michael Hansberry
R
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S P O R T S
TIGER WALK
Season’s greetings
What to expect as the Tigers hit the gridiron It’s August, and the vibes are already radiating from JordanHare Stadium and the west campus practice fields in waves of orange and blue. Football season kicks off Sept. 5 with the Tigers’ opener against Louisiana Tech. The 10-year marriage between Auburn and former head coach Tommy Tuberville is over, and, for good or ill, fans are adjusting to changes this year following months of upheavals: a disappointing 5-7 season in 2008, Tuberville’s sudden postseason exit and the entrance of new head coach Gene Chizik, plus a sea of new faces among the coaching staff. So, what should the newly dubbed “Chizik Nation” watch for as the Tigers take the field? Auburn’s athletics department offers its outlook on the offensive and defensive lines, respectively.
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Forecast: Offense Chizik’s first major hire, offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, sent an electrical current through the Tigers’ fan base. Malzahn, also the quarterback coach, served stints at Tulsa (2007-08) and Arkansas (2006). As offensive coordinator at Tulsa, Malzahn’s squad led the nation in total offense in 2007 and finished second in the nation in 2008. His 2008 Hurricane offense averaged 47.4 points per game. “Gus is one of the great offensive minds in college football,” Chizik says. “His track record at all levels of coaching is remarkable, and his offenses have been extremely successful.” And what of the spread offense that proved controversial— and ultimately disappointing—at Auburn last year? “People char-
P H OTO G R A P H Y B Y TO D D VA N E M S T
Tiger dough Among the nation’s college football teams, the Auburn Tigers rank sixth in generating revenue, according to Street & Smith’s SportsBusiness Journal. The team raked in $59.67 million in 2007-08, almost $2 million more than cross-state rival Alabama. Five of the publication’s top 10 college football moneymakers were Southeastern Conference universities. Texas led the list, followed by Georgia, Florida, Ohio State and Notre Dame. Behind No. 6 Auburn and rounding out the group were Michigan, Alabama, Penn State and LSU.
acterize me as a spread coach, but if you really look back at my history, we are going to play smash-mouth football,” Malzahn says. “We are going to set up the pass with the run. I think the difference with most run-play-action teams is, we are going to throw the ball vertically down the field and do it often. That’s what you will see from our offense.” The Tigers return the leading rusher from a year ago in senior running back Ben Tate. Headed into his final season on the Plains, Gus Malzahn (opTate is No. 14 on the Auburn career rushing posite page left, and above) led his Tulsa list with 1,959 yards and has rushed for 14 team to rank first touchdowns in his career. nationally in total offense in 2007 and Tate’s experience will help tutor true second in 2008. Ted freshman Ontario McCalebb. Last year, at Roof (opposite page Hargrave Military Prep, McCalebb rushed right, and below) brought measurable for 755 yards in eight games and was rated defensive improvethe No. 1 prep school running back in the ment to his teams at nation by Rivals.com and the No. 4 overall Minnesota, Duke and Georgia Tech. prospect in the country. New offensive line coach Jeff Grimes inherits a unit that returns 2008 starters Ryan Pugh, Lee Ziemba and Byron Isom. Key strategies include replacing a pair of seniors from a year ago and building depth heading into this year’s campaign. “Everyone gets better if they have competition, so I’m going to do everything I can to ensure we have that once fall practice begins,” Grimes says. Pugh and Ziemba will look to continue the success they achieved as true freshmen in 2007. Pugh was named Second Team Freshman All-American by Collegefootballnews.com and to the Coaches’ All-SEC Freshman Team. As a freshman in 2007, Ziemba started all 13 games and was named to the Coaches’ AllSEC Freshman Team, the Sporting News SEC All-Freshman Team and the Sporting News First Team Freshman All-America Team.
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This season, Roof brings his experience to an Auburn defense that returns seven starters, including senior linebacker and AllSEC performer Antonio Coleman. The Tigers return a trio of experienced defensive backs from last year for the 2009 season. Junior safeties Zac Etheridge and Mike McNeil are returning, as is senior cornerback Walt McFadden. Last year, McFadden started all 12 games while breaking up a team-high eight passes and registering a pair of interceptions. McNeil has appeared in every game the past two years and started all 2007 games at safety. He was second on the Tigers with 65 tackles and was 26th in the SEC in tackles per game with a 5.4 average. Etheridge has started in 24 of the past 25 games the past two seasons with the only exception coming in the 2007 Chickfil-A Bowl. Etheridge led the Tigers with 75 tackles and was 17th in the SEC in tackles per game, averaging 6.2 stops per outing. The trio will be aided by sophomore D’Antoine Hood, who played in every game last year, and sophomore Neiko Thorpe, who earned All-SEC Freshman Team honors last year after registering 29 tackles, one forced fumble, six pass break-ups and two interceptions. Meanwhile, the Tigers’ special-teams unit returns kickers Wes Byrum and Morgan Hull, punters Clinton Durst and Ryan Shoemaker, kickoff return specialist Mario Fannin and holder Clayton Crofoot. The Tigers must replace deep snapper Robert Shiver and a pair of return men in Robert Dunn (punt return) and Tristan Davis (kickoff return). In two years with the Tigers, Byrum enters his junior season having converted 21 of 26 field-goal attempts from 39 yards or less. As a junior transfer last season, Durst finished fifth in the SEC and 26th in the NCAA with a 42.1 yards-per-punt average in 2008. It was the first season Durst had played football at any level, and the senior looks to continue the success that garnered him All-SEC accolades by Phil Steele. Auburn special-teams coach Jay Boulware has tutored some of the best return players in the NCAA in recent years, including Iowa State’s Leonard Johnson, who earned second-team freshman AllAmerica honors as a kickoff returner in 2008.
Forecast: Defense Entering his 23rd year as a coach, Ted Roof spent the 2008 season at Minnesota guiding the Golden Gophers to an impressive turnaround. Roof inherited a defense that ranked last (119th) nationally in total defense, placed 109th in scoring defense and 114th in run defense. In one season under Roof, Minnesota improved to 79th in total defense, 69th in rush defense and 61st in scoring defense. Minnesota also jumped from 116th in sacks to 24th while, as a team, going from 1-11 in 2007 to 7-6 in 2008 and earning a berth in the Insight Bowl.
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Drafted Auburn defensive lineman Sen’Derrick Marks went 62nd in this year’s National Football League draft, to the Tennessee Titans. Defensive back Jerraud Powers went to the Indianapolis Colts in the third round, while offensive lineman Tyronne Green went to the San Diego Chargers in the fourth. In the Major League Baseball draft, the Colorado Rockies picked Joseph Sanders in the fifth round; the Tampa Bay Rays selected Scott Shuman in the 19th; and the Chicago White Sox picked Paul Burnside and Taylor Thompson.
Sports roundup Baseball
American record at the
The Tigers finished 31-
ConocoPhillips National
25 at the end of head
Championships in July.
coach John Pawlowski’s
Finishing second was
first season. Along the
his former AU teammate
way, the team cracked a
Eric Shanteau ’06. Au-
school-record 103 home
burn junior Adam Klein
runs, topping the previ-
finished seventh.
ous record of 87 set in 1998 and becoming the
Tennis
21st team in Southeast-
After a semifinal run
ern Conference history
in the NCAA Doubles
to hit 102-plus home
Championship, senior
runs in a single season.
Alexey Tsyrenov and sophomore Tim Puetz
Softball
each earned a spot on
Fourth-seeded Boston
the 2009 Intercollegiate
University got consecu-
Tennis Association
tive home runs in the
Division I All-America
first inning to cruise
Team. The Auburn
to a 5-0 victory over
duo advanced to the
third-seeded Auburn
semifinals of the NCAA
and eliminate the Tigers
Doubles Championship,
from the NCAA Atlanta
the farthest for any
Softball Regional May
Auburn doubles team
17. The team finished
since 2002.
with a record of 30-29. Track and Field
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Swimming and Diving
The Tigers finished the
Senior Ava Ohlgren,
NCAA Outdoor Track and
a two-time NCAA
Field Championships
champion, topped the
with eight All-American
field in the 200-meter
honors and five awards
semifinals at the World
in individual events.
University Games in July,
Auburn sophomore
advancing as the top
Joanna Atkins won the
seed when Auburn Maga-
national championship
zine went to press. The
in the 400-meter and
13-time SEC champion
posted the second-
already had delivered
fastest time in the world
two gold medals to
this year; freshman
Team USA, winning the
Marcus Rowland finished
women’s 400-meter
third in the 200-meter;
individual medley finals
freshman Ryan Fleck
and swimming the third
finished second in the
leg of the victorious
men’s high jump; the
U.S. 400-meter freestyle
men’s 4x100-meter relay
relay. Former AU swim-
team finished seventh;
mer Mark Gangloff
and freshman Girma
’05 swam the world’s
Mecheso earned All-
fastest 100-meter
American honors on the
breaststroke time for
way to finishing seventh
2009 en route to a new
in the 10,000-meter.
Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g
To Quick, farewell Richard Quick, who served a four-year stint as head swimming-and-diving coach at Auburn in the late ’70s and returned in 2007 to resume the job, died June 10 of an inoperable brain tumor. He was 66. One of the most recognizable names in the competitive aquatics world, Quick was a six-time U.S. Olympic coach who directed 13 teams to NCAA titles, the most ever by a swimming coach. During his long career, he coached the U.S. Olympic swim team six times and helped supervise the early careers of half a dozen elite athletes, including Olympic gold medalists Ambrose “Rowdy” Gaines ’82, Jenny Thompson, Steve Lundquist, Summer Sanders, Misty Hyman and Dara Torres. This past season, his sixth at Auburn, Quick’s men’s team captured the 2009 NCAA title. While head coach of both the men’s and women’s programs at AU from 1978-82, Quick led the teams to a combined five top-10 national finishes. Quick’s cancer was diagnosed in December, a year after he took the reins at
Auburn again, this time from another former student, David Marsh ’81. Along with this year’s men’s title, Quick captured seven NCAA titles while coaching at Stanford University and five at the University of Texas. He was named the NCAA Coach of the Year six times, including this past season. Internationally, Quick was the head coach of the U.S. team at the 1988, 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games and also served as an assistant at the 1984, 1992 and 2004 games. “Richard’s passing leaves a tremendous void, not only in the swimming community and the Auburn family, but to those individuals who he touched the most,” said co-head coach Brett Hawke, who took on most of the day-to-day coaching after Quick fell ill. “It would be in Richard’s greatest honor to not dwell on his loss, but to celebrate his life and the characteristics he embodied, which were his perseverance, compassion and humanity.”
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Eight-year head coaching veteran Nick Clinard, who led the University of Central Florida to a top 10 finish in the 2009 NCAA golf championship, was named Auburn’s head men’s golf coach in June. Clinard fills the position formerly held by Mike Griffin, who stepped down as head coach after 25 years, during which time he led the Tigers to a Southeastern Conference title in 2002 and eight SEC runner-up finishes, 16 NCAA championship appearances and 19 NCAA regional appearances. A four-time SEC Coach of the Year, Griffin remains at Auburn as director of the golf program. At Central Florida, Clinard led the Knights to the NCAA regionals in five of the last six seasons, and his team won six tournament titles in the last two seasons. Throughout his career, Clinard has amassed nine tournament victories, including two conference championships, and coached one All-American, four academic All-Americans, two conference players of the year, three individual conference champions and eight all-conference selections, all at Central Florida. “Nick Clinard brings a tremendous amount of head coaching experience as well as success both athletically and academically that will enhance the Auburn men’s golf program,” said AU athletics director Jay Jacobs. “Nick is regarded as one of the nation’s top recruiters and shows a relentless work ethic. I am very excited about the direction that Nick will bring to our golf team.” Clinard played professional golf for five seasons, from 1996-2001, on the National Golf Association Hooters Tour as well as several Nike Tour and Canadian Tour events prior to becoming head coach at UCF. He was also the assistant tournament director of the Jim McLean Future Collegians World Tour from 1998-2001 and worked as an assistant golf professional at the Hank Haney Golf Ranch in McKinney, Texas, from 1997-2000. The Gastonia, N.C., native graduated from Wake Forest University in 1995 with a bachelor’s degree in speech communication.
PH OTOG RAPH IC S ERVICES
Ace in the hole?
DYAS FOLLOWS DYE INTO HALL OF FAME Former Auburn University football AllAmerican Ed Dyas ’61 has been selected for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame. Dyas, who finished fourth in the 1960 Heisman Trophy voting and was a scholastic All-American, will be the 12th Auburn coach or player to receive the honor. A three-year letterman from 195860, Dyas is the first Auburn inductee since former head football coach Pat Dye attained Hall of Fame honors in 2005 and is the first Auburn player to be inducted since Tracy Rocker in 2004. Rocker joined the Auburn Tigers’ coaching staff as defensive line coach this summer. “I was quite shocked when I got the news,” Dyas said. “This is just a wonderful day, and I’m proud to be inducted. I’m very humbled and thankful that this prestigious honor would happen to me. “There have been so many great Auburn players that deserve to be in the Hall of Fame, and I’m excited to be joining
those individuals that are already members. I’m proud to be an Auburn Tiger and to have been part of a great program and a great school.” Dyas was one of the most prolific field goal kickers in college football history. In 1960, he set an NCAA record for most field goals in a season with 13. He won four Southeastern Conference games that year with field goals, including three against Georgia in a 9-6 Auburn victory in the first Auburn-Georgia game played at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Dyas was a standout fullback and linebacker, concluding his career as Auburn’s sixth all-time leading rusher with 1,298 yards. During his All-American senior season, Dyas also led the Tigers in rushing and scoring, and was selected as the SEC’s most outstanding back. Inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 1999, Dyas was a premed major at Auburn and has enjoyed a successful career as an orthopedic surgeon in Mobile.
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Nearly 25 years ago, chance meetings, faith and the stubborn determination of one man led to the establishment of a home-away-from-home for troubled teens in northeast Georgia. b y j o h n v a r d e m a n
Defining Moments While a senior at Mountain Brook High School, Eddie Staub encountered a young disabled girl at Sunday mass. The compassion she awoke in him inspired a lifelong crusade to help young people who hadn’t grown up with his advantages.
In many ways, budding Auburn University athlete Eddie Staub was living an extended childhood in the 1970s. The Vietnam War had wound down by the time he turned draft age, and calm finally prevailed over the riots of Alabama’s desegregation days. With so few distractions from the outside, Eddie filled the void with games. There was mostly baseball, but also horseback riding, touch football on the campus grounds, and plenty of flirting and dating—the latter of which had seen a significantly higher batting average since high school. Toward the end of his sophomore year at Auburn, however, Eddie’s life in the sun was about to darken. The first storm clap sounded with the ring of a telephone. “Eddie, you’ve got to come home.” “Mom,” Eddie said, holding his breath. “It’s Dad, isn’t it? What’s wrong?” He sat up in bed. The digital clock read 10:34 p.m. Eddie had been asleep for nearly half an hour, but a surge of adrenaline jolted through his body like ice water. “Yes, Eddie,” his mother answered. “His health has taken a turn for the worse. He’s gone into renal failure. They’ve rushed him to St. Vincent’s.” Her voice sounded soft, but amazingly calm. “I’ll be there in two hours. Mom, are you okay? Is someone driving you to the hospital?” “I’m already here, Eddie, with Bobby and Billy. So don’t you go speeding down the highway. Be careful.” “I will, Mom.” It was one of the few times Eddie ignored his mother.
PORTRAITURE BY SHANNON ALLEN JACKSON
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Ed Staub, a major force in the life of his three sons, died with Eddie at his side. Upon his return to Auburn, the Birmingham native threw himself into baseball. By the end of the season, head coach Paul Nix offered Eddie a coveted baseball scholarship. It was what he’d dreamed about, yet baseball was losing its luster in the wake of his father’s death. Eddie Staub eventually walked away from the team he’d worked so hard to join, graduated from Auburn with bachelor’s and master’s degrees, and went to work as a science teacher. About that time, Eddie heard about a Christian ranch for needy boys outside Gadsden run by former University of Alabama defensive end John Croyle. A summer volunteer job turned into a two-year stint at Croyle’s Big Oak Ranch and a new career direction: Eddie wanted to start a boys’ ranch of his own. Its name would be Eagle Ranch, an ode to a favorite Bible verse. Eddie Staub moved to Georgia in 1982, settling at a rentfree Catholic retreat in northern Atlanta. With a $30-a-week budget from his meager savings, he had big dreams, little money and a desperate need for help.
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single, salty drop of sweat hung from the end of the husky linebacker’s nose. He ignored it. A much bigger annoyance crouched in front of him in the form of an imposing 6-foot, 250-pound tackle. Their helmets came close to touching as each man hunkered into position. To one side, an older man, who looked like a Marine drill sergeant, bent his knees into a half-squat. A silver whistle hung from a dirty shoestring around his clean-shaven neck. He popped it into his mouth and puffed out a blast of wind. Only a few weeks remained before the University of Georgia’s first football game of the 1982 season. It was prime time to pump up the intensity and enthusiasm of his troops. On the opposite end of the practice field, far from the center of the hot August fury, stood Eddie Staub. So strange, he thought, to see the private confines of this team that had been such a longtime rival of his own alma mater. Georgia-Auburn football games, historically scheduled near the close of each
Eagle Ranch residents Billy (left) and Mason photographed the fire pit in the backyard of their Eagle Ranch home. Billy’s favorite thing to cook there is hot dogs, while Mason prefers s’mores.
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season, always seemed to determine a Southeastern Conference championship or a postseason bowl matchup. But football and big games hardly ranked on Eddie’s list of primary concerns this afternoon: He was there on a different mission. Vince Dooley ’54, a standout Auburn quarterback in the 1950s and now head football coach of the Georgia Bulldogs, had agreed to lend his ear to Eddie’s cause. It was Eddie’s first solid break in several weeks of politely shut doors and piles of unreturned phone messages. Vince Dooley was big—really big. The association of such a prominent and beloved sports figure with Eagle Ranch surely would open doors, Eddie believed. He already had witnessed the tremendous motivational value of football coaches Paul “Bear” Bryant of Alabama and Pat Dye of Auburn in their involvement with Big Oak Ranch. Only a few days earlier, Eddie had contacted Dooley’s office from the upstairs phone of Ignatius House, the Catholic retreat where Eddie had been based for the past month. Like the majority of his cold calls, this one had ended in a familiar refrain: “Send us some information, and we’ll get back to you.” It was getting old, but Eddie had obliged, typing and mailing a simple, one-page letter on Ignatius House stationery. Amazingly, his effort touched off a phone call three days later from Teresa Coleman, Dooley’s personal secretary. The appointment had been set for a Tuesday during preseason summer football practice. Dooley was especially busy this time of year, but his secretary said he’d allow five minutes. Eddie had hardly slept during the few days leading up to the meeting. Only now, standing awkwardly by himself on the well-worn artificial turf, he wondered if perhaps he had built it up too much. Did he really think it was possible for Dooley to help a stranger after one brief meeting? His throat was dry, and his heart raced as he pondered what to do next. “Hey, you!” Eddie turned to see a short, wrinkled old man in a Bulldogred golf shirt and khaki shorts waving his arms and running toward him. He was “Squab” Jones, a quasi-coach revered as nothing less than an institution in the halls of UGA football. Considered one of Dooley’s most loyal assistants, Squab watched over the coach and his practices like a hawk. “Don’t you know this is a closed practice?” Squab said, planting both hands defiantly on his hips. His raspy voice sounded out of breath. “You better have a real good reason for being here, son.” “Mrs. Coleman sent me out here,” Eddie responded shakily. He already was nervous, and this guy only made it worse. “I’ve got a meeting with Coach Dooley.” Dooley, dressed identically to Squab and the various coaches on the practice field, stood with folded arms on the faded hash mark of the 50-yard line. Each of his assistant coaches oversaw specific player roles such as quarterbacks, offensive linemen and running backs. Dooley watched the separate regimens, privately assessing each one in deep concentration. “Coach, my name’s Eddie Staub.” The interruption caused Dooley’s brow to wrinkle momentarily before relaxing back to its original smoothness. The name did not immediately register. After a brief glance at Eddie, then at Squab, he returned his heavy gaze to the field without a word. “Mrs. Coleman sent him out here, Coach,” Squab said, absolving himself from blame. “If you want, I’ll … ”
Kyle (left) loves the dark water of the man-made lake where the Eagle Ranch residents enjoy fishing and other activities. The organization offers counseling, housing and education on a 270-acre campus an hour’s drive northeast of Atlanta.
“What can I do for you, Eddie?” the head coach interrupted. A tight smile was pursed on the lips of his stone face. Eddie knew he better be direct. He might not have even 60 seconds. “I’m from Alabama, and I came here in July to start a home for needy kids. I used to work at Big Oak Ranch near Gadsden, and Coach Bryant and Coach Dye were real involved in that program. I’d like for you to consider getting involved with this. There’s a real need, especially in this area, but I can’t do it by myself.” Dooley nodded politely. He undoubtedly had heard hundreds of charities plead their cases before—and probably much more polished, too, Eddie thought. He took a deep breath. “Coach, I know you’re busy, but I just want to tell you three more things, and I’ll let you go. I’m 27 years old, and all I have is a dream to give little boys a home. Number one, I don’t have any money. Two, I don’t have any land. And three, I don’t know anyone in Georgia … ” Eddie’s voice caught briefly in his throat. His eyes searched Dooley’s and finally connected. It was now or never.
“I’m asking you to stick your neck out for me.” Dooley glanced at Eddie, then returned his attention to the practice field. He said nothing for what seemed an eternity. Dooley chuckled. “It sounds like you have your work cut out for you … what exactly do you want from me?” “Be on my board of advisers. Make a few phone calls and open doors for me.” Dooley paused, as if to reflect. The seriousness had returned to his face. Finally, he extended his right hand. “It’s Eddie, right?” “Yes sir.” They shook hands. “Eddie, anything you need, you just let me know.” Eddie smiled back sheepishly. He’d just made his first friend in Georgia. The Dooley meeting not only inspired Eddie Staub, it gained him entrée to the Georgia business community, including poultry industry powerhouse Loyd Strickland, owner of Crystal Farms Inc., the state’s largest commercial egg producer. Still, Eddie was attracting more moral than financial support and began questioning his own efforts as he logged hundreds of miles in his 1978 brown Toyota Corona. The 6-foot-5 former college athlete was tired and hungry, and his weight dropped to less than 180 pounds. Only $50 remained in his
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bank account, and he was rationing meals. Finally, nearing desperation, Eddie secured the promise of $10,000 from Strickland plus an additional $5,000 pledge from another Gainesville, Ga., resident. Next he needed a piece of land.
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ddie found what he was looking for in March 1983 in south Hall County in the rural community of Chestnut Mountain. The path to the site followed a winding stretch of asphalt called Union Church Road that was bordered by several country homes, beautiful white picket fences, mobile-home trailers, and numerous cattle and horse farms. The Mulberry River cut through the middle of a 900-acre tract of land that once was the beating heart of the south Hall community. It now looked abandoned, with an old rusty barn and a crumbling former homestead that still contained kitchen utensils but few other signs of life. It was as if the land had been waiting for Eddie to bump into it. Everything he’d envisioned for Eagle Ranch was there: a river and a perfect site for a lake where boys could fish, swim and simply be boys; a ranch setting where horses could be raised and fed by the kids; and a bucolic serenity buffered by a thick forest of pines and oaks. Despite the property’s seclusion, it was only a few minutes from a major interstate highway that provided easy access from northeast Georgia to metro Atlanta. Eddie wanted 180 of those acres—but with no income, he’d have to pay the full asking price of $144,000 in 120 days. Fail, and his $15,000 earnest money—which emptied the Eagle Ranch bank account—would be forfeited. The bankers issued their challenge, and Eddie set to work. With three days to go, Eddie was still $7,500 short.
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uring the final week, Eddie spent his daytime hours visiting donors and his nights calling them on the telephone. The Gainesville, Ga., law firm of Telford, Stewart & Stewart, which had a toll-free Atlanta line, allowed him to make calls there in the evening. On the night of Aug. 15, Eddie sat at a secretary’s desk in the firm’s quiet offices to begin another round of telephoning. He looked through a stack of phone messages collected earlier in the day. One had been from a man named Elvin Price, who lived in Lawrenceville, county seat for the neighboring county of Gwinnett. The name was not familiar, and Eddie expected nothing unusual as he dialed. “Mr. Price, this is Eddie Staub. I had a message that you called.” “I read about you in the Atlanta papers, and I’m quite taken by your cause. I’d like to help out. Through my business—I’m the owner of Atlanta Attachment in Lawrenceville, where we make various machine parts—I have a company pickup truck and a van that I thought might be useful to you.” Eddie hesitated. He had received many offers for in-kind donations, which he genuinely appreciated. But what he really needed, with time running short, was to make headway on his
Above: “I love the horses at the ranch,” says Eagle Ranch resident Nikki. “It’s very relaxing to go and ride them after a long day.” Opposite: Eddie Staub originally envisioned a home for boys, but has since expanded the ranch to include housing for girls as well.
fundraising goal. “Yes sir, we certainly could use those things. Thank you.” “Great. Just send someone out here tomorrow. I’ll sign the titles over to your ranch, and you can drive them both straight off my lot. They’re in great shape. You’ll be pleased.” “Thank you, Mr. Price. But can I wait until next week? I’m real busy right now raising the rest of the money for our land.” “Oh, I thought you might have had that by now. How much are you short?” “About $7,500.” “Okay, tell you what. You come visit me tomorrow, and you can drive away from here with the van, the truck and a check for $7,500. Now hold on, and I’ll give you the directions.” And just like that, Staub pulled it off, Loyd Strickland thought to himself. One phone call and he pulls off the miracle of the year—$144,000 in 120 days. Unbelievable. It had been a full 24 hours since Eddie called Strickland
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with the news. At first, Strickland had been skeptical. But then Eddie had called again that morning to confirm it. The check was collected and deposited in the bank. And just like that, Eagle Ranch was born—with only two days to spare. By summer 1984, Eagle Ranch opened with one boys’ residence. Eddie dubbed the home “Faith,” teamed with counselor Bruce Burch and hired the organization’s first houseparents, Tony and Trish Dittmeier. The team was determined the ranch would offer a place of healing for kids and their families. The first boys to arrive were Jerry, a 10-year-old with a behavioral disorder; 6-year-old Zack, from a troubled low-income home; Bobby, a wealthy 14-year-old who’d been emotionally neglected; and three others. Then came Jacob.
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ony and trish had less than a week to settle in before Eagle Ranch’s first son arrived. Jerry, a 10-year-old stick of dynamite, would prove to be a formidable initiation. Diagnosed as having a behavioral disorder, the boy had been placed unsuccessfully in several foster homes and special schools. But Eddie couldn’t say no to this referral from Fulton County; he was anxious to get his program started and begin building a track record. Within two months, the Dittmeier house was almost full. In addition to their own two children, the couple had collected a
band of six young pirates. Technically, there was room for one or two more, but Eddie wondered if it would be possible to handle them. So it was with some reluctance that Eddie even agreed to meet with the 15-year-old referred by a counselor from nearby Duluth, Ga. Jacob was getting his first taste of the South after moving from Baltimore, where he had bounced back and forth among the extended family of his deceased parents. It was his grandmother’s turn to look after him, and she was close to giving up. Having gone through sixth grade three times in Maryland, the boy was still cutting class and flunking every subject. Finally, she agreed to take the counselor’s advice and send Jacob to Eagle Ranch. He needed more structure in his life, the counselor told her. Besides, it was only for a year, and Jacob could come home twice a month under this relatively new and innovative program. For Jacob, however, the first few days of Eagle Ranch were more like a prison. Used to a lackadaisical independence that came from being ignored, Jacob suddenly was subjected to close supervision. It was a miserable existence, and twice he was caught running away. “You guys will just have to keep coming after me,” Jacob told Tony Dittmeier, his most recent father figure in a long string of make-believes. “I’ve got rabbit in my blood.” After two months, Jacob held to his word, making everyday life a test of patience and endurance. His unruliness was beginning to interrupt the small progress made with the other boys. Finally throwing in the towel, Tony went reluctantly to Eddie’s office to discuss Jacob’s removal.
Spencer says he likes the old barn on the Eagle Ranch property because it reminds him of spending time with his uncle. The rusty barn and a crumbling former homestead were the only structures on the property in Hall County, Ga., when Eddie Staub purchased the land in 1983.
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Following several days of prayer and deliberation, Eddie decided to force a resolution. It would take place on a hot, late Saturday morning in mid-July. Calling Jacob into his office, he went straight to the point. “Tony tells me you’re not keeping up with your chores. You’re not studying either, and your grades at summer school are showing it. And last week, he caught you out by the highway trying to run away again. … Jacob, what are we going to do with you?” “I don’t like all these rules you got here. It’s like some prison.” “Do you want to leave Eagle Ranch?” Eddie expected an immediate “yes,” but it wasn’t what he heard. Looking down at the dark-stained wood floor in the administration office, Jacob merely shrugged his shoulders. “I asked you, ‘Do you want to leave Eagle Ranch?’” “I dunno … Maybe.” “Listen, you need to make a decision. But I’ll guarantee you this. If you stay here, you’re going to follow the rules.” Jacob stood up from his chair without a word and shuffled his feet toward the front door. “Not so fast,” Eddie said in a stern voice. “I’ve got 40 pine-tree seedlings out back that need planting along the main road. If you’re going to stay at Eagle Ranch, you’re going to plant all 40 of them today.” Ignoring Eddie’s words, Jacob continued walking until he reached the door. “Jacob …” Showing no hesitation, the boy turned the door’s silver handle and walked outside, never looking back. Eddie shook his head in resignation, staring at the closed door. This time, Jacob had crossed the line, and just like that it was over. Eddie winced as he sat back down at his desk, realizing he had just witnessed the ranch’s first big failure. Later that afternoon, Eddie rose from the administrative paperwork scattered before him. Massaging his stiff neck with one hand, he stepped outside the lobby door where the sun still glared down hard. He looked down one end of the porch and smiled at the sight of Connor, his dog, sleeping soundly within the smallest sliver of a shadow. A few seconds later, Eddie cocked his head at the sound of something crunching in the distance. Raising a cupped hand to his eyes to shield the sun, he squinted at a spot along the main road, where he saw a lone figure. It was Jacob. The boy had planted close to 15 seedlings and was working to crack the hard-baked Georgia clay to sink one more. “Jacob! Come here!” The boy, a black profile against the sun from 100 yards away, took a few more stabs at the earth, then slowly started toward the office. Eddie could see exhaustion in the boy’s
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One of resident Boddie’s favorite spots at Eagle Ranch is this porch swing, where he is able to sit with a friend, “the only person who can make me laugh.” Eagle Ranch offers kids a chance to form close friendships with peers.
trudging stride. A few feet before he reached the porch, Eddie noticed Jacob’s clothes were sopped with perspiration. Wetness streamed down his face and neck—it was difficult to tell whether it was sweat or tears, but Eddie assumed it was a combination of both. “Jacob, why don’t you call it a day. You can plant the rest tomorrow.” “Eddie?” “Yes?” “Can you get me some gloves for tomorrow?” He looked down at Jacob’s hands and saw several ugly, swollen blisters. Sharp pains shot through Eddie’s heart at the sight. Jacob looked Eddie in the eyes, and Eddie nodded. All at once, Jacob’s body seemed to collapse, and Eddie caught him in mid-stride. Together, they held onto each other in the hot sun as Jacob began to sob. “Let it out, Jacob,” Eddie said, straining to keep his own voice from cracking. “Just let it all out.” By the end of summer, Jacob pulled his grades up and turned his life around. He has been followed by 600 others in the ranch’s 24-year history. Eddie Staub’s Eagle Ranch now boasts six homes for boys, two homes for girls and an on-campus school that educates children in grades six through nine. It is the largest children’s home in northeast Georgia. For more information, see www.eagleranch.org. Adapted from On Eagle’s Wings: The True Story of the Founding of Eagle Ranch (Looking Glass Press, 1995). Author John Vardeman, a former Atlanta Journal/Constitution reporter and editor, is president of Gainesville, Ga,-based Morton Vardeman & Carlson marketing, advertising and public relations firm.
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Who is Selena Roberts ’88 and why are so many sports fans around the country ranting about her? Bat and flak jacket in hand, a big-time sportswriter steps up to the plate. by sally ann flecker
When Sports Illustrated writer Selena Roberts set out late last fall to do the reporting for a book on New York Yankees third-baseman Alex Rodriguez, she expected to delve further into what she has called the powerhouse hitter’s “jackknife” personality—a labyrinthine package of insecurity, bravado and Teflon. The man known far and wide simply as “A-Rod” is the highest-paid player in baseball history with a 10year, $275 million contract. The money alone sets him up for perpetual scrutiny: Is he worth it? Who can resist calculating how much he makes per game in a regular season? (It’s $170,000, give or take.) And what happens when A-Rod is less than perfect? He strikes out, and someone on the Internet gets to work figuring out what he makes each time he steps up to bat. He drops a ball, and someone else is right there, gleefully extrapolating his cost per error. And his critics don’t stop with the fans. Some teammates, present and past, grumble that a more apt nickname is “A-Fraud,” given what they see as the player’s preoccupation with his own stats at the expense of his team’s overall success. But no matter what you call him, there’s no denying his talent. The slugger boasts three M.V.P. (most valuable player) seasons in 17 years of major league ball. He is the youngest player to pass the 500 home-run mark. As of last year, the road to the Baseball Hall of Fame seemed as straight and uncomplicated as the line between third base and home plate. A-Rod’s career already boasted plenty of journalistic fodder—so no, Selena Roberts was not on a mission to pin steroid use on the celebrated sports figure. Why would he need them? He was young and gifted. Plus, there was Rodriguez’ convincing interview with Katie Couric in December 2007 after the release of former U.S. Sen. George J. Mitchell’s report on the illegal use of steroids, which implicated 89 major league baseball players, including Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte. A-Rod was not on the list—still, Couric asked, for the record, if he’d ever used steroids, human growth hormone or performance-enhancing substances. ARod answered an unequivocal no. “I’ve never felt overmatched on the baseball field,” he told Couric. “I’ve always been in a very strong, dominant position. And I felt that if I did my work as I’ve done since I was, you know, a rookie back in Seattle, I didn’t have a problem competing at any level.”
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Baseball star Alex Rodriguez was most infamous for his liaison with pop singer Madonna before Selena Roberts broke the story in February that A-Rod had used performanceenhancing steroids despite his repeated claims to the contrary. Then things got ugly.
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Of all Roberts’ articles, a mere 1,800 words on the Duke lacrosse debacle still makes readers apoplectic. Nothing says forever like outrage vented anonymously on the Internet. Still, here’s Roberts, on a Thursday in February, 15 months after the Couric interview. Roberts has come to Miami to confront the 33-year-old Rodriguez with damning information she uncovered while doing background interviews for her book. Earlier in the morning, she had driven by Rodriguez’ luxury home on Miami’s Star Island. When she saw that his car wasn’t there, she continued on to the University of Miami. Now she’s standing face-to-face with her subject in the university’s weight room, the place he likes to work out in the offseason. She knows Rodriguez will recognize her from back when she was a New York Times columnist covering the Yankees. It’s a quiet morning, not a lot of people around, which is good. She has bad news for Rodriguez and thinks the fair way to tell him is in person. Sports Illustrated is about to break a story that he tested positive for anabolic steroids six years earlier, during his M.V.P. season with the Texas Rangers. Could this be a mistake? she asks A-Rod, offering him a chance to explain. Minutes pass. Finally he says she’ll have to talk with the union. And that’s that. “It’s depressing,” she says later. “You’re very much looking at someone else struggling, and you never want to do that. I certainly felt his vulnerability in the moment. I get that.” Roberts walks out the way she came in, thinking how much she hates this part of the job.
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ports, writing and sportswriting are a natural draw for Selena Roberts. Born in 1966—the year Billie Jean King won Wimbledon, Richard Petty won the Daytona 500 and the Baltimore Orioles won the World Series—in the little town of Live Oak, Fla., her hometown rallies around sports, as does her immediate family. Brother Mike, four years older, first puts a helmet on his sister’s head at age 2: It’s heavy and gigantic and she can’t see a thing, but Mike teaches her how to tackle anyway. Come spring, he puts pillows down on the family-room floor, and they practice sliding, baseball style, shrugging off the rug burns. Everything changes one day when 9-year-old Mike walks across the yard, tilts oddly and falls. The scene is fixed in Selena’s mind: Her brother has a brain tumor, and shortly he is gone. There is a fathomless hole in everyone’s heart, and a house that is very, very silent. What finally breaks the quiet is the 1972 Miami Dolphins team, which records a perfect season that year—14 regular-season games, two playoffs and Super Bowl VII. “They started playing well—it actually gave us something that wasn’t emotional and tough to talk about,” Roberts says. “My mom thought (Miami coach) Don Shula hung the moon and the stars.” The 1972 Dolphins are still the only NFL team with a perfect season and championship. For fans rabid or casual, a landmark season can resonate on the playing field of life, and the Dolphins provided a rallying point for the Roberts family that year. “It’s about more than who’s in first, or second, or third place,” Roberts says. “The ’72 Dolphins, in many ways, was the healing of my family—at least the healing of the silence. “It didn’t save the family. My parents ended up getting divorced. But at least it was a healing moment. From then on I just saw sports as something to love, something to become emotionally involved with.” Roberts begins playing softball, basketball, flag football for girls and, later, tennis and golf. As a 7-year-old, she adores the Cincinnati Reds and once cut her bangs the way Pete Rose wore his. Not a good look for a little girl, she says with a laugh. But that’s how into it she was. At Auburn University, Roberts starts out a business major. She’s struck by an epiphany in the middle of a sophomore-year economics class: Man, I’m not a numbers person. She switches to journalism, having loved to write as a kid, and pairs it with her childhood fervor for sports by convincing The Auburn Plainsman sports editor to offer her some assignments. By Roberts’ senior year, she’s editing the section herself. “It was great fun, sitting around all night long, talking about life, politics, the world,” she says. Next stop: the Tampa Tribune, where her beat is the whole of Hernando County. If it even hints of sports, she covers it— city-league softball, high school football, watermelon-seed-spitting contests. Soon she is promoted to the larger Lake County, where she adds columnist and coverage of small-college sports to her resumé. Even so, she is dead broke, struggling to pay off college debt and feeling like her career is taking a long, slow ride to nowhere. One day while covering a Little League game, Roberts thinks about maybe quitting sportswriting and applying to law school.
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It’s late in the game. One team is ahead by three or four runs when a bizarre thing happens: Suddenly, the coach of the leading team realizes he hasn’t used all his players, which, back then, is a rule violation. He’s got to do something or the game will be forfeited. He has to tie it somehow. “That meant he had to throw the game,” Roberts recalls. “He’s yelling at his kids to drop the pop flies. And the parents start screaming. Some of the players start crying. The catcher was upset because he was being asked to call for balls. The pitcher was upset because he had to walk players. It was a madhouse. And I’m sitting there writing this, thinking that I am getting out of this business.” As it happens, the story gets great play in the Tampa Tribune and catches the attention of the Orlando Sentinel, which steals her away to cover Daytona International Speedway racing. Over the course of three years, she adds the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Orlando Magic to her beat. From there, Roberts covers the Minnesota Vikings for two seasons for the Minneapolis Star Tribune. During that time, the Vikings’ coach is accused of sexual harassment, one of the players has two wives, and the quarterback gets in trouble over a domestic issue. “There was always turmoil,” Roberts says. “When you’re a writer and you’re covering turmoil, your stuff gets seen.”
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with a team that had had behavioral issues before, the athlete behavior that was irrefutable to me rose to the level of a column. Because it wasn’t just a night out with the boys with a couple dancers: There was a screed posted on Facebook about skinning strippers. There were pornographic pictures taken of the women and distributed on the Internet. There were racial slurs that were heard from witnesses outside. There were a lot of things that went on that night that, in my opinion, reflected a pretty misogynistic culture.” With the release in May of A-Rod: The Many Lives of Alex Rodriguez, the message boards are heating up again. Writes one commentator: Remember, this is the same author who helped ruin the lives of the Duke lacrosse players by her using “one-sided journalism,” causing death threats to these young men who were ultimately exonerated. She didn’t even have the guts to apologize to the boys or their families for her abhorrent behavior. Posts another: I am not an A-Rod fan, but I would love someone to go over this autors (sic) life with a fine tune comb (sic) and bring out everything she ever did to get where she is.
n Roberts’ 20-year career in sports journalism, that much hasn’t changed. By 1996, she was working for The New York Times, where she spent six years as a sports reporter and another five as a sports columnist; in 11 years, she covered the Nets and the Knicks, the tennis beat and the 2000 and 2002 Olympics in Sydney, Australia, and Salt Lake City, respectively. And before Alex Rodriguez, there were the Duke University lacrosse players: Of the hundreds of articles Roberts has written over the years, a mere 1,800 words on the Duke debacle—two columns published in spring 2006—still makes readers apoplectic. Nothing says forever like outrage vented anonymously on the Internet. “If there’s anything I’ve ever written that has drawn the most passionate, visceral, angry response, it is Duke lacrosse,” says Roberts. “It’s been three years, and I don’t know that many weeks go by when I don’t see something or hear something about it. Whether it’s on a message board or linked to something I’ve written that’s not related, it’s always there. And it’s going to be there probably until the end of my career. I don’t know that anyone is ever going to Roberts incurred the soften their response to what I wrote.” wrath of irate sports fans after a March 25, In the columns, published in 2006 2007, New York Times after rape charges were filed against column in which she wrote that the dismissal three Duke athletes, Roberts took a of criminal charges stand on what she saw as a misogynistic against the Duke Uniand entitled culture. A year later, when versity lacrosse team did nothing to address the charges were dropped and the pros“the irrefutable culture ecutor himself was accused of unethical of misogyny, racial conduct, Roberts didn’t backpedal: “A animus and athlete entitlement.” lot of bad stuff happened that night. It didn’t have to rise to the level of a crime to rise to the level of a column,” she says. “A lot of people wanted to conflate the crime and the culture and say the crime didn’t happen, therefore the culture didn’t happen. But on this night in question,
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Some critics accuse Roberts of being out to bring Rodriguez down—never mind he has admitted to taking steroids from 2001 to 2003. Then after that I would love it if they would psychoanalyze her motives and claim that she was just writing this book to make up for some inadequacy for having to fight her way up through a man’s sports world. Some critics take Roberts to task for using unnamed sources; others accuse her of just being out to bring Rodriguez down— never mind that Rodriguez has now admitted to taking steroids from 2001 to 2003. “I think the people who don’t read the book just think it’s a beat-down of Alex,” Roberts says. “But I think those who read it see the part where he’s a very sympathetic figure. He was a 10-year-old boy and had an incredible relationship with his father. He loved him to death. His father taught him baseball. They lived for a time in the Dominican Republic, where baseball is everything. And he really felt the power and energy of baseball through his father. “Then one night it’s over—the father leaves the family. Alex was the youngest one in the house. He has two older half-siblings who were already out of the house. At night he’d go into his mom’s room and try to sleep in his dad’s spot just to be close to him.” Roberts views that moment as the underpinning of Rodriguez’ insecurity. “It’s the moment that’s Selena Roberts posted defined him, because it’s the moment her A-Rod story on where he never wanted anyone to leave the Sports Illustrated Web site Feb. 7. Within him again,” she says. “He craved the at- hours, the news rippled tention and affection of others. I think across the Internet and the president’s for him it got to the point where he was pushed economic stimulus willing to do anything to get that. And he package from the front was even willing to exaggerate. Whether page of The New it was a good story turning into a great York Times. story or whether it was steroid use: He wanted the ‘exaggeration effect’ to bring people toward him. “He was a great story; he didn’t need to be a tall tale. But that’s what steroid use does.”
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Teaching high school isn’t just about preparing lessons, grading tests and assigning homework. Sometimes, the job requires staring into the eye of a minke whale. b y s u z a n n e j o h n s o n
Megan O’Neill ’98 awakens to a jarring bump and the sound of ice—tons of it—scraping and popping and cracking and groaning under pressure. She peels open one eye to orient herself. It’s Wednesday, May 20, and normally O’Neill, an environmental science teacher at Fairhope High School, would be embarking on summer break. In Fairhope, a picturesque coastal Alabama town south of Mobile, the weather is 90 degrees and humid. O’Neill blinks as another bump jars her bed—an upper bunk—and she remembers where she is: in a small cabin aboard the research vessel Laurence M. Gould. Icebergs bang against the hull as the massive ship edges its way through the waters off Andvord Bay, Antarctica. As her students bake on the beach, O’Neill has traveled to the coldest place on the planet. The 34-year-old descends from the bunk and makes her way to the cabin window. The view takes her breath away as surely as the frigid outdoor air soon will: The average temperature at the South Pole is 58 degrees below zero, although this time of year on the peninsula it tops out at a balmy 30, and everything in sight is essentially reduced to two colors, white and blue. A brilliant sky canopies deep azure waters and
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PHOTOGRAPH BY JEFF ETHERIDGE
Megan O’Neill left her Fairhope classroom to become a better teacher by chasing icefish and tagging whales across the icy waters of the world’s coldest continent. She was one of 12 teachers in the nation chosen to participate in the National Science Foundation’s 2009 Armada Project.
I L LU S TRATION BY KINO BROD
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blinding snow and ice—more ice than O’Neill has ever seen. Today, the panorama’s stark beauty surpasses even the one on view during her initial arrival at the continent’s Palmer Station, when she raced on deck to goggle at the glaciers rising from the sea. She can’t wait to see what today brings. Moving to the matchbox-sized cabin bathroom, O’Neill looks in the mirror. Her skin is pale and wind-beaten from days and nights working outside in the cold; luckily, her blond hair has benefited from a pre-trip haircut. She’s been away from home now for a month. As much as she loves Fairhope and her students and her 14-year-old mutt, Ebo, she wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.
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y the middle of summer, O’Neill has settled into life aboard the Laurence M. Gould, an ice-strengthened ship named for a noted polar explorer. She’s the only teacher among this particular group of more than a dozen international scientists. Funded by the National Science Foundation, they are here for two months to study temperature tolerance among icefish and to observe, tag and gather information on endangered humpback whales. The experience is part of the eight-year-old Armada Project, a program that allows kindergarten through 12th-grade teachers the chance to participate in marine, polar and environmental research. O’Neill is one of only 12 teachers chosen to participate this year. Since embarking from Punta Arenas, Chile, in April, O’Neill has stood on the ship’s deck in tumultuous seas, tossing out fish pots—baits filled with salted sardines and sliced mackerel to attract the desired catch. She has winched heavy trawling nets on board and helped sort hundreds of captured invertebrates and crustaceans, fingers half-frozen inside heavy gloves and face stinging from waves propelled by howling winds. She’s worked trawling shifts on Dallman Bay that began at midnight and ended at noon, and has bounced across choppy waves on an eight-person Zodiac inflatable boat. She’s helped dissect icefish, creatures whose innards reflect their stark habitat: Icefish are the only adult species of vertebrates on Earth lacking hemoglobin, which makes their blood run clear as rainwater. She’s also served stints at Palmer Station, spending hours recording data and even watching the crew load 55-gallon steel drums of hazardous waste for shipping back to the United States. Hilarity—or at least some fun—occasionally ensues. At least once on this trip, O’Neill will don her ECW (extreme cold weather) wardrobe and hike upward on a glacier. She’ll take the “penguin plunge” by jumping into the Antarctic Ocean wearing swimwear better suited to the tropics. She’ll watch the sun rise as Peale’s dolphins frolick in the boat’s wake, and she’ll race down a glacier on Telemark skis as her colleagues zip by on sleds and snowboards. Along the journey, she’ll hear the hiss of a fur seal irate at having his sunbathing disturbed, the screech of giant petrels flying overhead, the clacking of more than 50 Adelie penguins as they waddle around Janus Island and the melodious songs of whales. O’Neill makes her way to the ship’s cheerful dining room for a buffet breakfast of hot food designed to counteract the cold. The scientists’ camaraderie invigorates, and the downtime
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during meals gives the Alabama teacher At 20-30 feet long and pounds, the time to ponder the series of events that 16,000 toothless minke whale led her here. is the smallest of the Because O’Neill had participated “great baleen whales,” filter their food in a research trip to the Arctic in 2007, which from water using she’d been surprised to be selected for keratin plates in their this expedition: One colleague had joked upper jaws. she was now “bipolar.” The Antarctic has proven more daunting, though. O’Neill thinks of this continent as “ground-zero” of environmental research, and its weather and conditions are extreme. There was cold-weather gear to buy even before picking up ECW clothing in Chile on the way down—heavy-duty Carhartt bibs, polyprophylene gloves, flannel shirts, balaclava, insulated rubber boots and, best of all, her official jacket with its Antarctic Mission and NSF patches. She’d also signed 48 pages of health vouchers and succumbed to more medical tests than a 90-year-old hypochondriac. Now, O’Neill smiles over her scrambled eggs as she thinks of her students back home. They’d been excited about the voyage, helping her prepare for it. In the end, O’Neill knows, this trip is mostly about them, about making her a better teacher. She’s shot footage of penguins at the request of first-graders at Fairhope’s Newton Elementary, exchanged e-mails with a student in Spain tracking the expedition online and managed to hook up with her Fairhope classes via satellite thanks to a short-term feed used by Oprah Winfrey for interviewing the scientists. Ironic, O’Neill thinks: teaching being such adventure. She’d always said she didn’t want to go into the field of education, didn’t want to become a fourth-generation teacher. After graduating with a degree in environmental science from Auburn University, she’d gone the corporate route, looking for better money and hours. Then her mother retired from teaching at Birmingham’s Hoover High School, and O’Neill realized she wanted to make the same kind of impact on young minds. Call it genetics or simply a realignment of priorities—O’Neill returned to school for teacher training. Now she has the chance to share an amazing experience with her students, who might one day aspire to careers in science themselves. She’s spent much of her free time shooting videos, hoping to give them a sense of the place and the work: a colony of elephant seals sunning themselves on a glacier, researchers col-
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lecting specimens and dissecting fish. Ahead of a May 8 video conference with Fairhope High, the kids had e-mailed her questions, and she’d enlisted the help of her fellow travelers to provide answers. The researchers enjoyed talking to the teens, and O’Neill thinks the impact on her students might someday be measured in years and careers.
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t noon, O’Neill stands on deck, waiting impatiently as the Zodiac boat heads toward the ship. A team that had been tagging humpback whales is returning from a fourhour stint that started out slowly, and she is scheduled to go out next. Massive humpbacks, which can measure up to 50 feet long and weigh 40 tons, stay submerged in the evenings as they feed but like to float atop the frigid waters during daylight. The first two spotted by the morning crew, however, submerged just as the Zodiac reached them. The third time, they got lucky. A whale they had dubbed “Ellie” stayed afloat, and the scientists attached a computerized “tag” onto her back using a suction cup. By the time Ellie swam back underneath the water, the tag was recording data on her feeding activity. The team will track her overnight, throughout the most active feeding time, then the tag’s suction will automatically release, the tag will float to the surface, and the researchers can retrieve it. It’s now O’Neill’s turn at sea. She and five colleagues take to the water; with only four hours of sun per day, there’s no time to waste. A second Zodiac goes ahead, carrying a crew to track krill, small crustaceans that are, literally, the whales’ bread-andbutter. By tracking the krill and comparing their activity to Ellie’s, the researchers can gather valuable information about the feeding and activity patterns of the endangered humpbacks. O’Neill’s Zodiac slows to a crawl as ice catches in the prop protector, a cylinder surrounding the boat’s propellers. The crew must repeatedly stop to remove it, but despite the delays they are hopeful: There are more humpbacks in sight up ahead. Looking around at the blue-and-white expanse, O’Neill decides today has already rated at least an eight on the chili-pepper cool test, a scale created by some of the travelers to describe their experiences. Earlier today, a colleague had watched from the ship’s bridge as a predatory leopard seal tracked and ate a penguin. That observation rated nine peppers. The night before, O’Neill had viewed the Southern Cross from shipboard while, thousands of miles away, her Fairhope seniors had graduated and begun their new lives. That had been a 10.
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colored shape—an adolescent whale about 19 feet long and as graceful as a dancer—pauses in the water beside her. Watching the whale’s dorsal fin sliding through the water in the distance had been incredible. Now, O’Neill freezes in place as the huge mammal surfaces next to her, rising from the deep blue water and fixing her with a gentle, O’Neill stocked up dark eye. They lock gazes for a few sec- on ECW (extreme weather) gear to onds, and O’Neill fights the urge to reach cold help her work comfortout and touch him. Slowly, he submerges ably on the deck of the Laurence M. Gould, again and swims away. gathering trawling Both she and the minke have seen nets of invertebrates something amazing today, and O’Neill and setting fish pots lure Antarctic mentally chalks up a chili-pepper rating to icefish. that tops the charts. She has 20 more days before returning to Fairhope by way of South America. Twenty more days, and she can’t wait to see what cool things are in store tomorrow.
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uddenly, the krill-tracking Zodiac radios O’Neill’s crew to stop the boat. They have a visitor. O’Neill strains her eyes to see the newcomer, a minke whale exhibiting a rare curiosity about the invading humans. Normally, the Antarctic minkes are reclusive and want nothing to do with boats. This bull wants to people-watch. The two Zodiacs float quietly in the water as the whale glides around them. As O’Neill’s boat pulls slowly alongside the other to exchange data sheets, she catches her breath. A smooth, slate-
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ALUMNI CENTER
Believing in Auburn NANCY YOUNG FORTNER ’71 President, Auburn Alumni Association
Webster’s dictionary defines home as a “family circle.” Actually, Webster’s is defining Auburn—a family circle of alumni, students, faculty and staff. How do we know that Auburn is home? Bo knows and so does U.S. News and World Report. Bo Jackson ’95 spoke to this year’s spring graduates about Auburn and home in his May 9 commencement speech at Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum: “Remember that you always have a home here in Auburn, because that’s how I feel, and I’ve been gone for 25 years. I come back and I see old friends and I make new friends. And that’s what makes Auburn so special. It’s a big family. It’s almost like having a bowl of chicken soup when you are sick—it comforts you. That’s what Auburn is to me. And in June, U.S. News and World Report named Auburn one of the 10 best places to live among American cities for 2009. Auburn University was recognized as a major contributor to city residents’ quality of life. Two unique perspectives: U.S. News and World Report has seen the Auburn experience, and Bo has lived it—this family circle we call home. During the past three months, I have experienced the family circle of loyal Auburn alumni, our 200,000-plus living alumni: •Our annual Golden Eagles Reunion inducted the last two Alabama Polytechnic Institute classes of 1958 and 1959. I will never forget many of the inductees’ heartfelt comments and gestures. From “I can’t believe I made it, but I did!” to the alumnus who presented us with his treasured rat cap, they modeled pure, unabashed love for Auburn. •Late spring and summer mark club season for the 99 Auburn alumni clubs around the nation connecting alumni of all ages, from recent graduates to parents of current Au-
burn students to Golden Eagles. Auburn clubs are the face of Auburn in our communities. I have visited club meetings with attendance ranging from 50 to 700 alumni and events ranging from picnics to eating dinner under a Saturn V rocket. I have attended golf tournaments, silent auctions— you name it—as clubs raise funds for student scholarships. I have shared a club’s sense of pride when a scholarship winner thanked her benefactors for being the difference between her attending college or not. •Prior to your Auburn Alumni Association’s June board meeting, past presidents of the organization were honored at a board of directors reunion. These dedicated alumni remind us of the rich heritage of our association through their selfless leadership and service to Auburn alumni.
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Calendar Aug. 28 DEADLINE FOR NOMINATIONS
Auburn Alumni Association Undergraduate Teaching Excellence and Minority Achievement awards. Info: (334) 844-1113 or www.aualum.org/awards. Sept. 5 ALUMNI HOSPITALITY TENT
Auburn vs. Louisiana Tech tailgate hosted by the Auburn Alumni Association. Starts three hours before kickoff on the Wallace Center lawn. Admission from $5-$10; association members and children under 4 admitted free. Info: (334) 844-2960 or www.aualum.org/events/tent.html. Sept. 12 ALUMNI HOSPITALITY TENT
Auburn vs. Mississippi State tailgate hosted by the Auburn Alumni Association. Starts three hours before kickoff on the Wallace Center lawn. Admission from $5-$10; association members and children under 4 admitted free. Info: (334) 844-2960 or www.aualum.org/events/tent.html. Sept. 19 ALUMNI HOSPITALITY TENT
Auburn is home. A family circle. Please know that the association wants to keep you informed, engaged and connected to Auburn. Have you recently searched your association’s Web site (www.aualum.org)? Give it a look to see how to stay in touch with Auburn. Your alumni association assists you with job networking, provides discounts on products and services, and plans special events that celebrate the Auburn family. Check out away-game travel programs, Tiger2Tiger online career and social network, and other membership benefits. On June 19, the Auburn University board of trustees elected Sarah Newton ’74, an elementary school principal from Fayette, as president pro tempore. I extend my best wishes to Sarah as she begins her term. May our family circle continue to have a “bowl of chicken soup” Auburn experience.
Auburn vs. West Virginia tailgate hosted by the Auburn Alumni Association. 3:45-6:15 p.m. on the Wallace Center lawn. Admission from $5-$10; association members and children under 4 admitted free. Info: (334) 844-2960 or www.aualum.org/ events/tent.html. Sept. 26 ALUMNI HOSPITALITY TENT
Auburn vs. Ball State tailgate hosted by the Auburn Alumni Association. Starts three hours before kickoff on the Wallace Center lawn. Admission from $5-$10; association members and children under 4 admitted free. Info: (334) 844-2960 or www.aualum.org/events/tent.html.
War Eagle!
nancyfortner@auburnalum.org
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Calendar Sept. 28-Oct. 12 WAR EAGLE TRAVELERS: BLUE DANUBE
Described by Napoleon as the “king of Europe’s rivers,” the Danube is steeped in beauty, legend and lore. From $3,895. Info: (334) 844-1143 or www.aualum.org/travel. Oct. 2-4 AWAY-GAME TRAVEL
Auburn vs. Tennessee in Knoxville. Package includes two nights at the Knoxville Marriott, bus transportation to the game and a pregame party. From $330 adult, $130 child. Info: (334) 844-1144 or www.aualum.org/travel/away-game.html. Oct. 5-17 WAR EAGLE TRAVELERS: TREASURES OF ITALY
Board the Oceania Insignia cruise ship in Rome and hit some of the Mediterranean’s most glamorous ports of call. From $2,999. Info: www.aualum. org/travel or (334) 844-1143. Oct. 10 AWAY-GAME TRAVEL
Auburn vs. Arkansas in Fayetteville. Package includes round-trip air charter from Atlanta and round-trip bus transportation to the game. $495 per person. Info: (334) 844-1144 or www.aualum.org/travel/away-game.html. Oct. 10-17 WAR EAGLE TRAVELERS: NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN CANADA
It’s a Caribbean Princess cruise along the coast of eastern Canada and New England, just in time for fall leaf viewing. From $1,150. Info: (334) 844-1143 or www.aualum.org/travel. Oct. 17 ALUMNI HOSPITALITY TENT
Auburn vs. Kentucky tailgate hosted by the Auburn Alumni Association. Starts three hours before kickoff on the Wallace Center lawn. Admission from $5-$10; association members and children under 4 admitted free. Info: (334) 844-2960 or www.aualum.org/events/tent.html. Oct. 21-29 WAR EAGLE TRAVELERS: TUSCANY/CORTONA, ITALY
Let the charming village of Cortona be your base as you travel through the surrounding Tuscan hill country. From the innovations of the Etruscans to the enlightenment of the Renaissance, you’ll tour a region steeped in history and human achievement. From $2,295. Info: (334) 844-1143 or www.aualum.org/travel.
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Milestones DEBBIE SHAW ’84
Vice President for Alumni Affairs and Executive Director, Auburn Alumni Association As most of you know, Auburn University has been working hard over the past two years to save the beautiful oak trees at Toomer’s Corner from further damage. Years of getting rolled, hit by cars, lit on fire and sprayed heavily with water after a weekend of victory celebrations simply caught up to the trees, damaging their health and threatening their lives. Helping the trees survive and thrive has been a university priority (no, it was not considered viable to stop the rolling of the trees so don’t even go there), and one alternative was to excavate the brick sidewalk around the trees, replacing it with a material that would allow the roots to “breathe” better. As the bricks were being removed from the ground, officials began to recognize they might hold a great deal of sentimental value to alumni and friends of Auburn. Subsequently a call came to my office, and it took about two seconds for me to claim the bricks. The Auburn Alumni Association is now selling those Toomer’s Corner bricks for $100; proceeds benefit an endowed scholarship fund for incoming students. So far, the project has raised more than $25,000. I encourage you to buy a brick, or two, or three … keep some Auburn history in your home or office, and help students at the same time. It just doesn’t get much better than this. I am proud to relay that Auburn Magazine has won, yet again, additional awards for its exceptional quality. The Washington, D.C.-based Council for the Advancement and Support of Education honored your alumni publication with a pair of silver medals during its 2009 Circle
of Excellence awards ceremony in July. The magazine, published by the Auburn Alumni Association and mailed quarterly to dues-paying members of the association, was recognized in CASE’s “Articles of the Year” category for the Fall 2008 cover story on Habitat for Humanity founder Millard Fuller written by associate editor Suzanne Johnson. Auburn Magazine also was recognized in CASE’s “Periodical Staff Writing for External Audiences” category. Both categories recognize superior writing, organization, careful editing, and creative story ideas and development among alumni magazines throughout the country. The magazine, according to alumni surveys, is our most favored member benefit, and it’s vitally important we continue to provide you with a topquality product containing stories and advertisements that help keep you informed, entertained, interested and engaged. We are very proud of this publication and want you to be too. In June, the association held a reunion for former alumni board members, and we were honored with the presence of eight former association presidents (pictured above along with current president Nancy Young Fortner ’71). Those present really seemed to enjoy catching up with one another and hearing how the association has grown and expanded its services to reach more alumni. The overwhelming sentiment was that Auburn, is, without a doubt, for a lifetime. I salute their dedication to our great university. War Eagle!
debbieshaw@auburn.edu
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Class Notes GOT NEWS? Auburn Magazine 317 S. College Street Auburn University, AL 36849-5149, or aubmag@auburn.edu
’60–’69 Jerry D. Hocutt ’61
and wife Linda Phillips Hocutt celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. They live in Alabaster.
Life Member Annual Member
’20–’59 Harold P. Ward ’49
and Wynelle A. Ward, head dietitian at the Women’s Quad Dining Hall (1947-48) and later head dietitian at Magnolia Hall (1948-49), celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. They live in Birmingham. Hugh Williams ’49 of
Auburn was honored at the 2009 “Celebration of the Arts,” an event hosted by the Alabama State Council on the Arts, at the Montgomery Performing Arts Centre. He received a Governor’s Arts Award for his 59-year career as an artist and visual arts teacher at Auburn University.
Charles E. “Dock” Prickett ’61 and wife
Shirley Boutwell Prickett celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. They live in Hoover. Edward L. Wills ’62
of Birmingham was appointed to research associate professor emeritus at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Nancy Ellen Williams Bass ’68 was named an
Outstanding Professional Staff Member at Columbia State Community College. She retired as the college’s student services coordinator in August and lives in Franklin, Tenn., and Pulaski, Tenn., with husband Jerry. They have two children and three grandchildren.
Leon Pappanastos ’54 and wife Angela
celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary last year with a trip to New York City. They live in Los Gatos, Calif. Jere L. Beasley Sr. ’59 was listed in the
2009 issue of Alabama Super Lawyers magazine and named one of the top 10 attorneys in the state. He is the senior member of the Montgomery law firm of Beasley Allen.
James Main Sr. ’68
was sworn in as a judge on the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals in May. He formerly served as Alabama state finance director and as senior counsel to Alabama Gov. Bob Riley.
’70–’79 Dennis E. Moon ’70
retired from Kohler Co. after a 36-year career as an engineering manager. He and wife Mary live in Huntsville.
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Calendar They have two children, a new grandchild and another grandchild on the way. Spott C. Krausse III ’72 started a con-
sulting company in Chesterfield, Va., that provides advice on authentication and brand protection. He previously worked for Philip Morris USA as a product-intelligence and security manager. Davis M. Woodruff Jr. ’72, founder and
president of Management Methods Inc., a management consulting firm based in Decatur, reviews energy-management and processmanagement papers for journal publication.
ian of the Year by the Mississippi Veterinary Medical Association. He is a professor in the Department of Pathobiology and Population Medicine in Mississippi State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine.
was named branch manager of the Morgan Stanley Smith Barney office in Montgomery. A certified public accountant and financial adviser, he has worked with the firm for 27 years. Richard Saliba ’79 of Dothan and his company, Saliba Construction Co. Inc., recently were featured in U.S. Developers Journal.
Carol Sue Nelson Wallace Williams ’79
Birmingham office of Maynard, Cooper & Gale, was named one of the top 25 female lawyers in the state in the 2009 edition of Alabama Super Lawyers magazine. She serves on the Alabama Supreme Court’s standing Committee on Rules of Conduct and Canons of Judicial Ethics.
of Birmingham received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Alabama chapter of the International Interior Design Association recognizing 25 years of service with the Albert Kahn Family of Companies. He is a vice president and regional director of interior design for the firm.
J. Mark Hart ’75 was listed in the 2009 issue of Alabama Super Lawyers magazine. He is an insurance litigator in the Birmingham office of Haskell Slaughter.
MARRIED
’78 of Starkville, Miss., recently was named Mississippi Veterinar-
AWAY-GAME TRAVEL
Auburn vs. LSU in Baton Rouge. Two packages with hotel accommodations in Baton Rouge or New Orleans. Includes bus transportation to the game. From $300 adult, $80 child. Info: (334) 844-1144 or www.aualum.org/travel/ away-game.html. Oct. 31 ALUMNI HOSPITALITY TENT
Stuart T. Patton ’78
’74, an attorney in the
Richard M. Hopper
Oct. 23-25
Auburn vs. Ole Miss tailgate hosted by the Auburn Alumni Association. Starts three hours before kickoff on the Wallace Center lawn. Admission from $5-$10; association members and children under 4 admitted free. Info: (334) 844-2960 or www. aualum.org/events/tent.html. Nov. 6-7 HOMECOMING
Auburn vs. Furman. Events include: MAIN (Minority Alumni Involvement Now) Event and Brunch (www.aualum.org/main/main-event.html or (334) 844-1113); Alumni Hospitality Tent (www.aualum.org/events/tent.html or (334) 844-2960); and the Auburn Alumni Association annual meeting at 9 a.m. Nov. 7 in the Auburn Alumni Center. For a complete schedule of activities, see www.aualum.org/events/ homecoming.html. Nov. 13-15 AWAY-GAME TRAVEL
Auburn vs. Georgia in Athens. Two packages with hotel accommodations in suburban Atlanta (team hotel) or Buckhead. Includes bus transportation to the game and a pregame party. From $250 adult, $125 child. Info: (334) 844-1144 or www.aualum.org/travel/away-game.html.
Samuel Mooney ’72
to Elizabeth Miller on Feb. 14. They live in Birmingham.
’80–’89 Jan Colbert ’80 of Lexington, Ky., was named MBA director at Eastern Kentucky University. An ac-
Embrace Italy with the War Eagle Travelers
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Class Notes counting professor, she also coordinates the university’s accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.
Tricia V. BrowningDimon ’84 of LaGrange,
Ga., is president of Design Group/Nimlok Midtown and West Georgia marketing communications firm.
David Walters ’80
and Gisela Schafer Walters ’81 of Seale celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. Douglas L. Williams ’80 was invited to join
SNAPSHOT
Snaps for cookies When life hands some people lemons, they make lemonade. When Susan Stachler Robbins ’04 was handed a cancer diagnosis, she made cookies. Robbins, who began treatment for Hodgkin’s disease the year she graduated from Auburn University, was young, vivacious and determined not to become a victim. Initially, the Georgia native dismissed the lump in her neck as a swollen thyroid. Finally, she underwent tests and received the awful news—she had the same form of cancer that had claimed the life of her aunt, Susan Carver Smith, nearly 30 years before. “Larry the Lump,” as she called it, was a malignant tumor. Robbins’ father been battling nonHodgkin’s lymphoma for a decade—still, Robbins was surprised by her own diagnosis. “I couldn’t comprehend that I had this deadly disease inside of me,” she says. She endured months of chemotherapy, at times alongside her father. Eventually a new business was born out of the family’s medical ordeal—Susansnaps, an Atlantabased cookie company. Robbins’ mother, Laura Stachler, says the idea arose when the family began bringing homemade gingersnaps to the chemotherapy center. “Susan would take her IV pole and walk around giving out cookies to other patients,” says Stachler.
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“Of course, you could imagine most of the other patients were 60, 70, 85 years old, and here was this young ray of light going around cheering everyone up.” After Robbins’ successful cancer treatment, she and her mother (pictured above) kept making cookies. The duo’s signature product, marketed as “the ultimate gingersnap,” is made from a family recipe that combines ginger, molasses and other ingredients in a tangy blend. The cookies have been featured as food guru Rachael Ray’s “Snack of the Day” and were spotlighted in Savannah cook Paula Deen’s Christmas magazine last year. Stachler was a finalist in Martha Stewart’s “Dreamers into Doers” contest, which honors women entrepreneurs. Robbins also created the Susan Carver Foundation, which offers bags of gingersnaps to cancer patients in exchange for donations; 10 percent of Susansnaps’ profits benefit cancer research. The company produces about 8,000 cookies per day. “You have to laugh things off,” Robbins says of her cancer-to-cookies journey. “If you don’t laugh, the other option is to cry, and I didn’t want to do that.” For more information about Susansnaps and the foundation, see the company’s Web site at www.susansnaps.com. —Michael Hansberry
the Buckhead Coalition Inc., an advocacy group for the Buckhead area of Atlanta.
Paul Patterson ’85
recently was named associate dean for instruction in Auburn University’s College of Agriculture. He formerly served as a professor and dean of the Morrison School of Management and Agribusiness at Arizona State University.
David F. Baucom ’81
was promoted to U.S. Navy rear admiral and assigned as director, logistics/fleet supply officer, N41, U.S. Fleet Forces Command at Norfolk, Va.
Rhon E. Jones ’86 of Montgomery was listed in the 2009 issue of Alabama Super Lawyers magazine. He practices environmental law with the Montgomery firm of Beasley Allen.
Robert Williams ’81
was promoted to director of budgeting and forecasting with U.S. Cellular in Chicago. Tammy Simone Lipscomb ’82 wrote Sharks on My Fin Tips (Perfect Paperback, 2008).
J. Cole Portis ’86
of Montgomery was listed in the 2009 issue of Alabama Super Lawyers magazine. He practices product liability/personal injury law with the Montgomery firm of Beasley Allen.
Laurie Baggett McCombs ’82 earned a master’s degree in education technology from Lesley University in Cambridge, Mass., in May.
Michael Val Hietter ’86 was credentialed
as a certified fraud examiner by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners.
George E. Spofford IV ’82 of Tampa, Fla., an attorney in the law firm of Glenn Rasmussen Fogarty & Hooker, has been named a fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America.
Thomas “Tommie” Agee ’87 of Opelika is
president-elect of the Alabama Parks & Recreation Association.
Homegrown advice For expert tips on bagging leaves, growing tomatoes, eradicating fire ants and attracting butterflies to your lawn or garden, check out “Backyard Wisdom,” a combination blog and audio program sponsored by the Alabama Cooperative Extension System and agricultural experiment station. See www.backyardwisdom.info to read blog entries; search iTunes for “Backyard Wisdom” to download five-minute podcasts.
Chris LaPlatney ’88 was promoted to
the rank of U.S. Navy captain. He recently was awarded his third Meritorious Service Medal after leading the execution of $850 million in construction and facility-support contracts at six major military installations damaged by Hurricane Katrina. LaPlatney now serves as executive officer of the Naval Construction Battalion Center in Gulfport, Miss. He and wife Lori Stovall ’87 live in Biloxi, Miss., with daughters Hillary, 17, and Emma, 8.
Medal, and three Navy and Marine Corps Commendation medals.
Joel Simpson of Bir-
MARRIED Lori S. Propst ’89
to H. Bruce Lee on May 2. They live in Huntsville. BORN A daughter, Ansley Claire, to Andrew D. Bauer ’86 and wife Elizabeth Ann McDowell Bauer ’95 on Jan. 20. They live in Helena.
A son, Langdon Graham Mitchell, to William Timothy Mitchell ’87 and wife Julia Cutshall Mitchell ’87 of Dunwoody, Ga.,
Emily Spaulding Pharez ’88 has taught
at J. Larry Newton School in Fairhope since 1998. She was named 2007 National Middle School P.E. Teacher of the Year by the National Association of Sport and Physical Education. John M. “Mike” Ward ’89 of Anacortes, Wash., commanded the U.S. Navy’s Electronic Attack Squadron 133 during a six-month deployment to Afghanistan, returning to Naval Air Station Whidbey Island in Oak Harbor, Wash., in March. A 2006 graduate of the Naval Postgraduate School Executive MBA program, he has received numerous military decorations, including the Meritorious Service Medal, Air
trator for the city of LaFayette.
on Jan. 16. He joins siblings Ford, 12, and Emory Claire, 9.
’90 Tara Martin Hall
runs a summer camp for foster children on her farm in Toney. BORN A son, Allen Michael Kraus, to Michael Kraus and wife Susan of Wilmington, N.C., on Feb. 27. He joins brother Brice.
’91 Catherine Edgemon
of Chickamauga, Ga., was recognized by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ historic preservation division for her role in the rehabilitation of Chattooga Academy, Georgia’s oldest-standing brick schoolhouse. She is an economic development adminis-
mingham is a project architect with TRO Jung Brannen Inc.
’92
Mike Thornton serves as public works officer for U.S. Naval Base Guam after completing a tour as facilities-engineering and acquisition division director at U.S. Naval Base San Diego.
Jon Zimlich is a certified financial planner and financial adviser at Adams & Associates Inc. He and wife Kristen live in Mobile with daughters Kate, 6, and Elle, 4.
BORN A son, Grant McLeod, to Candice
BORN A son, Thomas Charles, to David T. Derrer and wife Joy of Marietta, Ga., on April 16. He joins sister Emma Grace, 1. David is a family practice physician for Georgia Highlands Medical Services in Canton, Ga.
A son, Andrew Michael, to Sam David Knight and wife Ashleigh of Birmingham on Jan. 26.
’93 Crystal Mitchell Rickson is director
of operations and public relations for Knapp Winery in Romulus, N.Y.
’94 Mark Belcher is vice president and chief development officer for Baptist Health System Inc. in Birmingham. Nathan C. Levy is an attorney in the firm of Ross & Levy in Albany, Ga. The practice specializes in insurance defense, including workers compensation, employment law, general liability, and business and government litigation.
McLeod Hamilton ’94
and husband William of Auburn on July 8, 2008. He joins an older sister, Lily.
A daughter, Abby Jane, to Doug Sawyer and wife Molly of Atlanta on July 25, 2008.
’95 David Ison completed his doctoral degree in educational studies and higher education leadership from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He is an assistant professor of aviation at Rocky Mountain College in Billings, Mont. Marie McPhillips of Atlanta was named Southeast regional advertising-sales director for Glamour magazine. Lisa Pierce is the
executive director and founder of Auburn-based Alabama Rural Ministry, which hosts mission work teams and volunteers
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who repair homes for needy families and provide children’s Christian education. MARRIED James Owens to Margaret Noble on April 25. They live in Tuscaloosa.
C E N T E R
’97 John Henry Rossmeisl Jr. of Blacksburg, Va., is associate professor of neurology and neurosurgery at VirginiaMaryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. Bruce L. Whited
Raymond Steward to
Elizabeth Mancin on Sept. 6. They live in Vestavia Hills. BORN A daughter, Mary Ellen, to Stephanie Denney Dunton and husband Kyle of Smyrna, Ga., on May 14. She joins brother Will, 2.
’96 Scott Edward of Seattle was elected to the board of the Alexandria, Va.-based American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.
BORN A son, Thomas Everett, to Gregory Babbit and wife Elizabeth of Maryville, Tenn., on Jan. 12. A daughter, Russell Ellis, to Anna Harper Reed and husband Christopher of Waverly on Feb. 19. She joins brother Harper Clements. A son, Shepard Marshall, to Shannon Marsh Wesley and husband Justin Daryl Wesley of Birmingham on March 6. He joins brother Rhett, 20 months.
was promoted to vice president and loan review officer for Liberty Bank in West Des Moines, Iowa. BORN A daughter, Molly Jane, to Wendy Tomlin Majors and husband Russell of Prattville on April 8. She joins sister Ellie, 2. A son, Wilson Paul, to Paul R. Roberts II and wife Alison Wells Roberts ’99 of Gadsden on March 6.
’98 Peter Eyler is a thirdyear resident in the radiology department at Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville. He graduated from the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in 2006. Carl Herberger of
Media, Penn., joined Evolve IP, a managedtechnology service provider, as vice president of information security and compliance services. MARRIED Jennifer Jean Smith
to Christopher Scott Hicks on April 4. They live in Atlanta.
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Class Notes
Club news The CHARLOTTE AUBURN CLUB’s nine-year quest for a North Carolina Auburn University vanity license plate is finally close to fruition. Club officers recently met their goal of securing 300 applications from Auburn fans living in the state, and the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles plans to begin offering AU tags for $25 a year in addition to regular license fees. Officials say the plates may be available as early as September, and $15 of the fee benefits scholarships for North Carolina students attending Auburn. In other club news: • Get connected with your local Auburn alumni club on Facebook: A number of clubs maintain groups on the popular social-networking Web site, including the SEATTLE, TRIANGLE, LANIERLAND, AUSTIN, JACKSONVILLE, GREATER BIRMINGHAM, EMERALD COAST, METRO WASHINGTON, ORLANDO AREA, TAMPA BAY, ROCKY MOUNTAIN, PHILADELPHIA, BLUEGRASS and HUNTSVILLE-MADISON COUNTY clubs. Log onto Facebook and
use the site’s search function to find your area club.
• The GREATER ATHENS AUBURN CLUB, located in Athens, Ga.—the heart of red-and-black country—will hold its biannual Auburn vs. Georgia tailgate party and barbecue buffet on Nov. 14. The event begins four hours before kickoff at the Holiday Inn on the corner of Broad and Lumpkin streets in Athens, within walking distance of UGA’s Sanford Stadium. Tickets are $30, and a portion of the proceeds benefits the club’s scholarship fund. For more information and reservations, see www. greaterathensauburnclub.com. • About 600 alumni and fans cheered Auburn head football coach Gene Chizik and women’s basketball coach Nell Fortner during a mock “Tiger Walk” at the annual meeting of the CULLMAN COUNTY AUBURN CLUB in June. • One of the Auburn Alumni Association’s newest clubs, the KENTUCKIANA AUBURN CLUB based in Louisville, Ky., raised more than $2,000 toward scholarships—despite the stormy weather—during a silent auction at its golf tournament and dinner in June. Attendees were treated to a conversation with former AU athletic director David Housel, author of Auburn University Football Vault (Whitman Publishing, 2007). • Auburn wide-receivers coach Trooper Taylor entertained 140 people at the AUTAUGA COUNTY AUBURN CLUB meeting May 28 in Prattville. The club sponsored a drawing that raised $1,500 toward its club scholarship. • The MONTGOMERY COUNTY AUBURN CLUB hosted its annual meeting June 9. Chizik spoke to the group, and AU’s beloved mascot Aubie made an appearance and posed for photos. Attendees raised more than $800 for Child Protect of Montgomery, which provides support for victims of child abuse.
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BORN Twins, Cooper Payne and William Russell, to James R. Burgess and wife Amy Payne Burgess ’99 of Altoona on Jan. 21. A son, Miles Langston, to Robert Maull and wife Michelle Gunn Maull ’99
on April 2. He joins brothers Robert, 3, and Trey, 2.
’99 Julianna Mobley was ordained as a deacon in the Alabama-West Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church in June. She plans to marry Lyle Cooper II on Sept. 12; the couple will live in Gulf Shores.
’00 Eric Basinger was named executive director of the Manatee Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Council in Bradenton, Fla.
MARRIED Sally Rebecca Robinson
to James Polizos Corley on March 14. They live in Montgomery. Joseph Sherman
to Susan L. Fields on Sept. 22. They live in Seattle. Robert White to Mary Worthen on April 18. They live in Birmingham.
Bennett and husband Jeremiah of Gallatin, Tenn., on March 3.
A son, David Keaton Litton III, to D. Keat Litton Jr. and wife Allison of Homewood on Feb. 25. He joins sister Laine, 2. A son, Copeland Lowell, to Josh McCullough and wife Abbie Carter McCullough
of Mobile on March 6.
’01 Juli D. Goldstein is a
veterinarian and medical manager at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute’s Marine Mammal Research and Conservation Pro- gram in Vero Beach, Fla. She won the 2009 Ms. Florida United States Pageant in May and competed for the national crown in July at the 2009 Ms. United States Pageant in Las Vegas.
A daughter, Lillian Lucille, to Laura Lane Champion
and partner Melinda Shy Slaton of
Salem on May 14.
’02 MARRIED Alison Heck to Hunter R. Southworth on Sept. 27. They live in Arlington, Va. Taviana Battle
to Kovoki McClendon on March 27. They live in Union City, Ga. Emily Elizabeth Johnson to Michael Anthony Zieman Jr. ’04 on May 16. She is a mechanical engineer for the U.S. Army, and he is a software engineer for Telcordia Technologies Inc. They live in Madison. Sara Corbin Scheu
Christine Macaulay
to Charles Thomas
was promoted to principal at Atlantabased Delcan Corp., where she is Southeastern region area manager. She has worked for the company since 2006.
Huie ’99 on Sept. 13.
BORN A daughter, Sydney Leighann, to Daniel Bell and wife Brooke of Huntsville on Aug. 25, 2008. A son, Patrick, to
BORN A son, William Samuel, to Erin Seikel
20. He joins sister Maggie Beth, 5.
Cindy Lilly Benfield and
husband Patrick of Dallas, Ga., on March
They live in Atlanta. Florian Weber to Jennifer Zimmerman on May 30. They live in Montgomery.
BORN A girl, Blakely Ann, to James W. Parrish Jr. and wife Deena Earwood Parrish ’03
on Oct. 12. They live in Opelika. A son, Melvin Arthur “Tripp” Vaughn III, to Melvin “Artie” Vaughn II and wife Lee-
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Class Notes
Diamonds for dollars For thousands of young people in Alabama, the Southeast and across the country, enrolling at Auburn University isn’t just an aspiration, it’s a family legacy. But with college costs rising year after year, many students and their parents face the uncomfortable prospect of deciding whether they can afford to attend. With that situation in mind, the Auburn Alumni Association this year created a new “sustaining diamond” level in its Circle of Excellence Society, a giving program for life members that supports scholarships for the children or grandchildren of life members. “The Auburn family is constantly looking for ways to take care of its own,” says Debbie Shaw, vice president for alumni affairs and alumni association executive director. “The Circle of Excellence Society is an endowment that offers financial help to future generations so they can continue the family tradition of being educated at Auburn.” Sustaining diamond donors offer perpetual scholarship support by making an initial contribution of $5,000 to the association and a minimum $500 annually thereafter. For more information on the Circle of Excellence Society, call (334) 844-2586 or see www.aualum.org/membership/ circle-excellence.html.
GOOD TIMES: Auburn University’s Golden Eagles—alumni who graduated 50 or more years ago—enjoyed a 24-karat weekend May 14-16. They danced, cheered on the Tigers baseball team against the dreaded Crimson Tide, reminisced with old friends and made new ones. This year’s classes so far have donated more than $10,000 to the inaugural Golden Eagles endowed scholarship fund for students.
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atra on May 5. Artie is a captain with the JAG Corps at the U.S. Air Force Base in Warner Robins, Ga.
MARRIED
Kendall Stacy Clary to
Shannon Coleman
Steven Janorschke on Dec. 6. They live in Birmingham.
to Rory LaPres on May 9. They live in Alpharetta, Ga.
Elizabeth Kathleen
A son, Tucker Thomas, to Kimberly Haynes Webb and husband Tyler of Rincon, Ga., on Feb. 15.
’03 J. Heath Loftin joined
Tuscaloosa-based Reynolds, Reynolds & Duncan law firm in its Montgomery office. He formerly practiced law with Copeland, Franco, Screws & Gill in Montgomery. Meggan Gray Stolarski graduated from
Leadership Gulf Coast, a program sponsored by the Mississippi Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce designed to foster community leadership. She is an award-winning news anchor for “Good Morning Mississippi,” airing on WLOX-TV, an ABC affiliate in Biloxi, Miss. She serves as president of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Auburn Club. Husband John Stolarski was named among the “Top 10 Business Leaders Under 40” by South Mississippi Business Journal and the Sun Herald. He is a senior project manager with Eley Guild Hardy Architects in Biloxi, Miss., and serves as secretary of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Auburn Club. The couple and son Austin Gray, born March 30, live in Gulfport, Miss.
Michael Grammas
to Celia Baggett on Nov. 22. They live in Birmingham. Lynne Newsome Johnston to Michael Willis on Sept. 27. They live in Greenville, S.C. Scott Sealock to Stephanie McClinton on March 7. They live in Birmingham.
BORN A daughter, Allison Kathryn, to Malcolm C. Davenport VI and wife
Wallace to Brent Bassler on Oct. 18. They live in Tampa, Fla.
BORN A daughter, Abree Ann, to Adam McGee and wife Sabrina on May 11. They live in Macon, Ga.
’05 Andrea Blair of Chelsea earned a master’s degree in business administration from Georgia Southern University in May.
Lauren Hall Davenport
Jamie Johnson
on Nov. 29. They live in Huntsville.
Sewell is a pediatric
A daughter, Emma Grace, to Kayla Gilreath Estis and husband Rick on Aug. 6, 2008.
’04 Christine Battista of Belleair Bluffs, Fla., opened Mad Maddie, a pet-accessory shop at International Plaza in Tampa, Fla. Adam McGee earned
nurse practitioner at Children’s Hospital in Birmingham. She and husband Nick live in Birmingham. Douglas Spiker is a
partner and veterinarian at Bluffs Animal Hospital in Belleair Bluffs, Fla. MARRIED Caroline Kirkpatrick
to Michael Bobo ’03 on Nov. 1. They live in Birmingham.
a master’s degree in software engineering from Mercer University in May.
Davenport ’04 on
MARRIED
Oct. 13. They live in Lanett.
Helen Marie Pursley
to Alexander McKenzie
Paige Elaine Carroll to John Henry Hedrick IV
Kyle Lewis Sullivan to
on June 21. They live in Hoover.
Lisa Annette Barnes on Oct. 11. They live in Smyrna, Ga.
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We Believe
in each other! Although they share a common bond, these faculty from each of Auburn University’s twelve schools and colleges embrace diversity and recognize that valuing different points of view is vital to promoting academic excellence. By celebrating the nuances that make each of us unique, Auburn faculty cultivate an inclusive and respectful campus environment. For your free brochure detailing Auburn’s diversity initiatives, email your mailing address to diversity@auburn.edu, or request an electronic copy.
Did you k now? Diverse: Iss
ues in Higher Education ranks Auburn University in the Top 50 of M inority Unde rgraduate Degrees in seven discip lines.
www.auburn.edu/diversity
a u a l u m . o r g Auburn Magazine
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Class Notes ’06 Maureen Marshall
James E. “Todd” Dor-
MARRIED
Katie Lynn Esser to Thomas Hammock on July 19, 2008. They live in Birmingham.
Campbell to Luke
Wood on Nov. 1. They live in Warrior.
Losing to win Holland “Holly” Striplin ’02 spends her days searching for losers—the bigger, the better. Each season, contestants on the hit NBC reality show “The Biggest Loser” diet and exercise their way to weight loss. At the end of each season, the “biggest loser” becomes the biggest winner, finishing with $250,000 in prize money. As casting director for “The Biggest Loser,” Striplin combs the U.S. seeking contestants for the show, which airs in more than 90 countries. When Striplin graduated from Auburn University with a communication degree, the Hartford native set out to land work as an actor. Her first job was working as an extra on the 1990s teen-heartthrob show “Dawson’s Creek,” where she met the owners of AMFB Productions. An internship with company convinced her to pursue the production side of entertainment. “I decided I didn’t really want to be an actor, but I wanted to work behind the scenes,” Striplin says. “I decided casting would be perfect, because I wouldn’t have to be in front of the camera but I could still work with actors. And now I love it. I wouldn’t change it.” After working in scripted casting for three years, Striplin was made a local casting associate for the fourth season of mogul Donald Trump’s reality show “The Apprentice” as well its now-defunct spinoff, “The Apprentice: Martha Stewart.” Her experiences on the shows sparked a desire to work in reality TV, so she moved to Los Angeles and got a job on season five of “The Biggest Loser.”
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It’s something of a dream job for the selfproclaimed reality-TV junkie. There’s not a ton of heavy lifting in vetting the show’s potential contestants; personality plays a big role in deciding who’s selected, Striplin says. Successful candidates must want to lose at least 75 pounds and must also display a strong work ethic. More than 1,000 people attend each casting call, and some have devised interesting tactics to stand out from the competition. “During winter casting calls, we have had several people show up dressed in bikinis, in the snow, standing outside in line to see us,” Striplin says. Her most memorable contestants have been former University of Alabama defensive lineman Roger Shultz and his teammate Trent Patterson. Striplin chose them to participate on the show, and though the duo didn’t win, they still lost. Shultz, a 40-year-old Enterprise native, shed a whopping 164 pounds, while Patterson, a 39-year-old from Endicott, N.Y., lost 89 pounds. “I didn’t have to pick up the phone and call them; I didn’t have to meet with them and interview them,” she says. “It was a decision I made that completely changed their lives. I started bawling and crying when I saw them on TV—seeing the results of my work.” “The Biggest Loser” begins its ninth season Sept. 16, and Striplin says she doesn’t foresee network execs canceling its run anytime soon. Interested in auditioning? Contact Striplin at hollandstriplincasting@yahoo. com. —Michael Hansberry
MARRIED
of Royal Oak, Mich., is employed with Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. consulting firm.
Amanda Brooke
SNAPSHOT
’07 ough to Bevin Inman on
March 29. They live in Avon, Ind.
Corey Kate Hinton to Kristin Coleman to
Justin Bryan Lambert
Brad Griffin on July 25. They live in Buford, Ga.
on May 13. They live in Auburn.
Bradley Hamilton to
drew Maddox on May 9.
Joanna Holloway on Aug. 23, 2008. They live in Birmingham.
They live in Valley.
Summer Knight to An-
Ashley Rose Vinson
Jeffrey Donald Chastain
to Mark Robert VanHooser ’98 on May 23. They live in Auburn.
on Dec. 13. They live in Auburn.
’08
Karla Ann Lanford to
Lillian Jean Rudd to Joseph Chad Adams ’08 on Nov. 8. They live in Montgomery. Krystle Lynn Sneed
to Ross Matthew Deal ’07 on June 6. They live in Priceville. Blaire Eleanor Wheeler to William
Middleton on Jan. 31. They live in Birmingham.
Kate Greene of Nashville, Tenn., is associate producer for “CMT Radio Live with Cody Alan,” a nationally syndicated radio show broadcast in more than 60 cities. Rodger Morrison is an assistant professor of management information systems at Troy University in Montgomery.
MARRIED Rosemary Williams
to Tim Anderson on Oct. 4. They live in Tampa, Fla. BORN A son, Jakob Benjamin, to Krystel Coole Lazzari and husband Jason of Daphne on Sept. 10.
Christina Ann Cocherell to Jeffrey
Reid McJunkin on Nov. 25. They live in Birmingham.
’09 MARRIED Shelby Renee Crowe
to Timothy Howe on Dec. 13. They live in Montgomery.
AUBURN ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
www.aualum.org
Check out some of the local benefits of being a member...
RELAX Grab a slice of pizza after the game at Shakey’s Pizza
TAKE A BREAK A cup of coffee with my old professor at Toomer’s Coffee
RECONNECT A round of golf with my fraternity brothers at AU Golf & Country Club
GET PAMPERED A morning at Spa Auburn before the tailgate SHOW SPIRIT My 2009 Spirit Club membership at Tiger Rags
FAMILY TIME Pick out something for the new baby at Giggles & Coos
When you come into town for the big game, be sure to check out all of the local “members only” benefits at:
www.aualum.org/membership/benefits.html *The above listed are proud members of the Auburn Alumni Association.
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In Memoriam
Leaving us
He wrote about Auburn football and country music and NASCAR and civil rights and small towns and the Appalachian Trail and his father and his wives and his kids and himself, and, in doing so, he wrote about us. Atlanta author and Pulitzer Prize nominee Paul J. Hemphill Jr. ’59 died July 11 after fighting throat and lung cancer for two-and-a-half years. He was 73. Hemphill, a Birmingham native, chronicled life in the South for more than half a century, first as sports editor for Auburn’s student newspaper, The Auburn Plainsman, then as a columnist and social conscience for the Atlanta Journal during the tumultuous 1960s, and finally as a nonfiction writer and novelist with 16 books to his name. A self-described cowboy, his noholds-barred—some might say brutal—honesty occasionally vexed his readers and his own family, who tended to emerge publicly as characters in his stories and essays. Hemphill’s Pulitzer-nominated Leaving Birmingham: Notes of a Native Son (Viking Penguin, 1993) braided the story of that city’s history with the author’s own memories of coming to terms with an unabashedly bigoted father—once his childhood hero—in the waning years of the Jim Crow South. “Paul’s life was defined a great deal by his father,” noted Hemphill’s cousin Jim Stewart ’69, a retired CBS News correspondent. “He drew so much material from his father, the truck
In Memoriam George Pollard Walthall ’34
of Prattville died April 7. A U.S.
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Army veteran, he worked as a soil conservationist and was a member of Theta Chi fraternity. He missed only one Iron Bowl game between
driver, the ‘king of the road.’ And Paul made his bones in the world of journalism with a New York Times Sunday magazine piece called ‘Me and My Old Man.’ It set the tone for him being able to capture that sense of the South, that sense of the family in the South.” As a teenager in the 1950s, Hemphill hoped to hit it big as a professional athlete. He played minor league baseball with the Graceville Oilers, a Class D team in Florida, for precisely one week before being cut after striking out four times in an exhibition game. Stung, he enrolled at Auburn and tried to figure out his next move. “Paul grew up in a world where people worked with their hands, and I don’t think it ever occurred to him what he wanted to do besides play baseball,” said wife Susan Percy, editor of Georgia Trend magazine. At the urging of an English teacher, Hemphill began teaching himself the craft of journalism and eventually covered sports for the Plainsman. It was during his stint on the campus paper that Hemphill began to hone his style, developing an ear for dialogue and using his powers of observation to paint vivid portraits of his subjects, remembers classmate Ken Ringer ’59, who served as sports editor of Auburn’s yearbook, the Glomerata, at the time. Hemphill famously abandoned the newspaper business in 1969 at age 33, burned out from writing 1,000-word daily columns, harboring a drinking habit and wondering whether he’d already reached his artistic peak. Naturally, he wrote about it: “Quitting the Paper” eventually appeared in his 1981 collection of columns, Too Old to Cry. Other notable Hemphill books include A Tiger Walk Through History: The Complete Story of Auburn Football from 1892 to the Tuberville Era (Pebble Hill Books, 2008); Lovesick Blues: The Life of Hank Williams (Viking, 2005); The Nashville Sound: Bright Lights and Country Music (Simon & Schuster, 1970); and the novel Long Gone (Viking, 1979), which was subsequently made into a 1987 HBO movie starring William Petersen, Virgina Madsen and Dermot Mulroney. Hemphill’s work often garnered favorable reviews but never blockbuster sales, a reality that occasionally miffed the tall, lanky author. Still, he continued to choose topics close to his heart. Nearing the end of his life, Hemphill wanted to pen a book about his struggle to beat cancer, Percy said. He never got the chance. “Every day that I knew Paul, you could put him in any situation or with any group of people, and he could find somebody to talk to or listen to. And he enjoyed it,” she added. “He wrote what he knew—he offered insight and understanding and comfort, and that’s what the lovers of literature will remember him for.”—Betsy Robertson
1945 and 2008: In 1971, he gave his much-coveted tickets to his son, who had just returned from serving in the Vietnam War.
Woodie Emmett Alston Jr. ’38
of Mobile died March 31. A U.S. Navy veteran, he taught at Auburn University from 1946 to 1954
Auburn Magazine
For Alumni & Friends of Auburn University
Auburn Magazine
For Alumni & Friends of Auburn University
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In Memoriam
Lost allies Auburn University lost two of its staunchest supporters this summer with the deaths of two lawyers: trustee Jack Miller and former Auburn Alumni Association and AU Foundation president J. Gilmer Blackburn ’50. Miller, a Mobile attorney, died of cancer July 11 at his home. He had been a member of the university’s board of trustees since 2000 and had spearheaded work to build up university academics. The newly established writing center at Auburn was named in his honor at the trustees’ June board meeting. A founding director of Colonial Bank, Miller was active in Democratic Party politics and served as chairman of the Alabama Democratic Party from 1998-2001. His law firm—Miller, Hamilton, Snider and Odom—merged last year with the New Orleans firm of Jones Walker. He led the Jack Miller Mobile Downtown Redevelopment Commission from 1990-2006, helping attract more than $400 million in investments to rejuvenate the city’s business district. “When I walk around downtown in future years and see how strong and beautiful it is, I will think of Jack, and I will miss him,” former Mobile mayor Mike Dow told the Mobile Press-Register. Miller, a graduate of Duke University and the University of Alabama law school, received an honorary degree from Auburn in 2007. Blackburn died May 31 in Decatur, ending a long career of service both to Auburn and his hometown. Blackburn served as mayor of Decatur from 1962-68 and earned the name “Father of Point Mallard” for his work lobbying the Tennessee Valley Authority in the mid-1960s to create Point Mallard Park, a 500-acre expanse of land that includes golf and recreational facilities. An editorial in the Decatur Daily credited Blackburn with planting “the seeds of vision” that resulted in much of the landscape of downtown J. Gilmer Blackburn Decatur, including city hall, the Morgan County courthouse, the federal building and the Aquadome recreation center. Blackburn, a founding attorney of the law firm Blackburn, Maloney and Schuppert, served as president of the Auburn Alumni Association from 1967-69; was a past president of the Morgan County Auburn Club; and served as a charter member of the Auburn University Foundation, AU’s fundraising arm. He was foundation president from 1987-93 and a board member from 1960-2001. “Mr. Blackburn did not aim for a legacy,” wrote the Decatur Daily editors. “But his unerring vision—his unique ability to bridge the gap between what was and what could be—created an enduring one.”
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and retired as vice president of S.S. Steele & Co. residential construction firm. Thomas Henry Dodd Jr. ’39 of Semmes died
May 7. A horticulturist, he owned Tom Dodd Nurseries in Semmes from 1938 to 1997. He is credited with developing at least five new varieties of azalea, plus varieties of camellia and holly. James C. Lee Jr. ’40 of Birmingham died Feb. 28. A U.S. Air Force veteran, he served as president of Birmingham-based Buffalo Rock Co. He was also the first bottler inducted into PepsiCo’s President’s Ring of Honor, recognizing the company’s top-performing salespeople. Robert M. Langley ’41 of Huntsville died
April 26. A U.S. Army veteran of World War II, he worked at Thiokol Chemical Co.
Frank Whitfield Canon III ’44 of
Albemarle, N.C., died June 16. He practiced veterinary medicine for 20 years in Texas, Mississippi, Tennessee and Salisbury, N.C., and later inspected poultry and meat for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He retired in 1984. Ralph Lanier Kil-
Byrd ’42 of Charlotte,
N.C., died Feb. 18. She worked for Alabama Power for 38 years. Warren “Buddy” H. Hicks ’43 of Opelika
died May 5. He coowned Tatum Motor Co. and was a member of the Opelika Rotary Club. He boasted a 57year perfect attendance record at the organization’s meetings.
Luther S. Hart Jr. ’48
of Birmingham died April 23. A U.S. Army Air Corps veteran of World War II, he worked for his father’s business, Hart-Greer Inc., for 30 years. George B. Robertson
lebrew ’44 of Fort
Jr. ’48 of Saint Peters-
Gaines, Ga., died Feb. 18. A U.S. Army veteran, he served on the boards of the Pataula Electric Membership Corp. and the Clay County Board of Education, among other organizations.
burg, Fla., died Feb. 25. He was a retired U.S. Air Force colonel.
Elinor Bell McClure ’44 of Kokomo, Ind.,
died April 25. She was a buyer for Atlantabased Davidson’s department store and a supporter of Meals on Wheels and the Kokomo Rescue Mission. Lois Bedsole Gholston ’47 of Pharr, Texas,
Lorraine Pearce
tems for General Electric Co. for 25 years. He enjoyed nature and gardening.
died April 4. She had served as principal of Opelika Junior High School and later retired from the faculty of Huntingdon College of Montgomery. She was a member of Delta Kappa Gamma Society International and an avid world traveler. Hugh Tisdale Edwards ’48 of Lincoln,
Ark., died Feb. 19. A U.S. Navy veteran of World War II, he worked in medical sys-
Claude Putman Sansom ’48 of Dothan
died April 2. A U.S. Navy aviator, he worked with Southern Airways and, later, Republic Airlines. He was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon, the Dothan Kiwanis Club and Elks Lodge. William H. Thompson ’48 of Russellville died
Feb. 14. A U.S. Navy veteran of World War II, he worked in real estate and co-owned Wood-Thompson Insurance Service. He served as a Tennessee Valley land commissioner and on the Russellville City Council. Charles Edwin Williams Jr. ’48 of San
Antonio died Feb. 13. He served 37 years in the U.S. Army Air Corps and Air Force, worked for Humble Oil Co. in Houston, and served as a real estate agent and appraiser. He was
Play your cards right A L U M N I
C E N T E R
and you reward yourself and Auburn students. The new Spirit of Auburn credit card featuring the WorldPoints® program contributes to Auburn’s scholarship fund while building rewards for you, too. By using this card for all your everyday purchases, you share the Auburn spirit by benefiting students who most deserve academic scholarships – at no additional cost to you – and you ultimately help shape the future of Auburn. Even more reason to enjoy redeeming all the points you earn for cash rewards, travel or merchandise. One good turn deserves another.
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The Spirit of Auburn credit card is made possible by the Auburn Spirit Foundation for Scholarships (ASFS), which is affiliated with Auburn University. This advertisement was paid for by the ASFS. For information about the rates, fees, other costs, and benefits associated with the use of this card or to apply, call the number above or visit www.auburn.edu/spiritcard and refer to the disclosures accompanying the online credit card application. This credit card program is issued and administered by FIA Card Services, N.A. Bank of America and the Bank of America logo are registered trademarks of Bank of America Corporation. Visa is a registered trademark of Visa International Service Association and is used by the issuer pursuant to license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. Platinum Plus and WorldPoints are registered trademarks of FIA Card Services, N.A. © 2009 Bank of America Corporation AuburnMagazineAd_VISA_05_09.indd 1
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In Memoriam president of the San Antonio Board of Realtors and served on the San Antonio Zoning Commission. Douglas Coger Harris Jr. ’49 of Birmingham
died Jan. 16. He was a member of Sigma Chi fraternity and served as president of Reliable Electric Co.
Ronald Lee Moreland ’50 of Mobile died
March 16. A U.S. Army veteran, he worked as a registered professional air-conditioning engineer for more than 50 years. He was a past president of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and AirConditioning Engineers Inc. and a member of his local Lions Club.
died April 3. A U.S. Navy veteran of World War II, he worked with Alabama Power for 19 years and later as senior industrial sales engineer for the Columbus, Ga., division of Georgia Power Co. He was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. Reesie Thomas Reese ’49 of Brewton
died Feb. 14. A U.S. Air Force veteran, he was a member of the Foundryman’s Society, the American Society of Metals and Phi Kappa Alpha. Marshall S. Snow ’49 of Hoover died May 13. A U.S. Navy veteran of World War II, he was a member of First Presbyterian Church of Birmingham for more than 50 years. Daniel Paul Stiff ’49
of Birmingham died Feb. 10. A U.S. Navy veteran, he worked for U.S. Steel for more than 30 years.
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R. Maxwell Ellis Jr. ’51 of Pensacola,
David B. Parks ’50 of Memphis, Tenn., died Jan. 23. A U.S. Navy veteran, he worked for Procter & Gamble’s Buckeye subsidiary.
Fla., died Jan. 3. A U.S. Air Force veteran, he worked for the family business, Ellis Floor Covering, in Enterprise and Dothan. While at Auburn, he was president of Theta Chi fraternity.
William E. Plummer
James Edwin Wells
Frank Vivian Pease ’49 of Fortson, Ga.,
and was, at the time, Atlanta’s tallest building and the world’s largest hotel. While at Auburn, he was a member of Phi Kappa Phi, Scarab architectural fraternity and Sigma Chi fraternity.
’50 of Goldsboro, N.C.,
Sr. ’51 of McCalla
died March 28. A U.S. Air Force veteran, he practiced veterinary medicine for 59 years, served as a consultant for Goldsboro Milling Co. and was a member and past president of the American Veterinary Medical Association.
died March 10. A Korean War veteran, he worked for the U.S. Postal Service. Ralph Camp Davis
Feb. 27. He served as a district director of environmental health for the state of Georgia.
Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g
John Leon Long ’52 of Fort Worth,
Texas, died Jan. 20. He worked 18 years in Venezuela managing communications for Creole Petroleum Corp. and later was employed for 20 years by the city of Forth Worth’s communications department. Herman Grady
architectural and engineering firm founded by his father. Louis Frederick Welch
was a member of Phi Mu sorority and retired after many years as a legal assistant and legal secretary.
’55 of Urbana, Ill., died Thomas William Caine ’54 of Charlotte,
N.C., died April 25. He worked for Westinghouse Electric Co. and later as a self-employed engineering consultant. He was honored for 20 years of service for Habitat for Humanity and was a member of the Catawba Valley Scottish Society. Hazel Allen Lewis ’54
of Cordele, Ga., died May 5. A retired Muscogee County teacher, she was a past president of Phi Delta Kappa, Delta Kappa Gamma and the Georgia Education Association.
’52 of Roanoke died
John Reuben Street Jr. ’50 of Marietta, Ga., died Feb. 17. He was an original associate with Atlanta-based John Portman & Associates Inc. architectural and engineering firm beginning in 1953, and retired as chief architect and executive vice president of the firm. He is credited with helping build Atlanta’s skyline, including having participated in the development of the city’s iconic 73-story round Westin Peachtree Plaza, which opened in 1976
was a 30-year member of the American Institute of Architects and a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity.
Austin T. Beatty ’55
of Vestavia Hills died March 29. A U.S. Army veteran, he worked for Birmingham-based O’Neal Steel Inc. for 35 years and was a Crippled Children’s Foundation board member. While at Auburn, he played basketball and baseball and was a member of the Kappa Alpha Order. In 1954, he received the KA National Athlete of the Year Award. James Norman Pease
Barnes II ’54 of
Jr. ’55 of Charlotte,
Jackson, Tenn., died Feb. 14. A U.S. Army veteran, he founded H.G. Barnes Architect & Associates. He
N.C., died Jan. 28. A U.S. Army veteran of World War II, he was an award-winning designer for Pease Associates, an
March 13. He worked for the Georgia Experiment Station, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the University of Illinois agronomy department, where he did research on soil fertility and fertilizers. James J. O’Donnell ’56 of Alpharetta, Ga.,
died May 9. While at Auburn, he was captain of the basketball team. He worked for Borax for 35 years. Jerry Lewis Savage ’56 of Griffin, Ga.,
died March 4. A U.S. Navy veteran, he helped organize the Bank of Griffin and served as its president.
Milton Edward Adams ’58 of Charleston, S.C.,
died Feb. 16. He served as director of Naval Station Mobile and as director of engineering and public works for the U.S. Navy. He was a member and past president of the local chapter of the National Society of Professional Engineers and volunteered for the Boy Scouts of America. Barbara D. Thorne ’58
of Jasper died March 23. She was an owner of Drummond Co. Inc., a trustee of Samford University, a director of the Walker Area Community and Alabama 4-H foundations, and a member of Alpha Gamma Delta sorority.
Elliott Rice Baker ’58 of
Canton, Ga., died April 19. He served as the attorney for Cherokee County, solicitor for the Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit and special assistant attorney general for the state of Georgia. Donald D. Giesen ’57 of Cameron Park,
Calif., died April 2. A U.S. Army veteran, he received a Bronze Star and worked 25 years for Texaco and 10 years for the state of California. Elizabeth Ann Moody Shipley ’57 of
Castle Rock, Colo., died March 29. She
Thomas C. “Tom” Waldrip ’59 of
The Villages, Fla., died May 23. A native of Montgomery, he began his career with C.F. Halstead Construction upon graduating from college and worked there until his 1997 retirement. While at Auburn, he was a member of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity and ran for the track team. James Monroe Yeager ’59 of Huntsville
died Feb. 28. A U.S. Air Force veteran, he worked in the agricultural industry and later for Teledyne Brown
A L U M N I
Candid camera Want a bird’s-eye view of Samford lawn? View Auburn’s campus online anytime at www.ocm.auburn.edu/webcams. Nearly a dozen cameras provide still shots and video feeds from popular locations, including Cater lawn, Toomer’s Corner, Jordan-Hare Stadium and the construction site of the university’s new basketball arena.
Engineering Inc. and Rockwell International. Arthur J. Benson ’60
of Athens, W. Va., died April 6. A U.S. Army veteran of World War II, he served as superintendent of schools in Marion County, Ga., from 1948 to 1964. He later directed teacher education at Concord College. William H. Cook ’60
of Warwick, Ga., died Feb. 4. A U.S. Army veteran, he taught school in Dougherty County and retired from Crisp County High School. Alfred P. Rosen ’60
of Roswell, Ga., died March 15. A U.S. Army veteran, he founded Academic Software Inc. and owned Monkey Joe’s Parties and Play. He was a member of Pi Kappa Tau fraternity. Eldon O. Raley ’61
of Titusville, Fla., died March 30. He was an engineer at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center working on the Mercury, Apollo, space shuttle and Spacelab programs.
family and child development at Auburn. James Eric Green ’64 of Dothan died
March 29. An Air National Guard veteran, he owned Green’s Grass Farm in Dothan and Samson.
served as principal of Catholic High School of Pointe Coupee in New Roads, La., and as a teacher at St. John High School in Gulfport, Miss., and St. Stanislaus College in Bay St. Louis, Miss. Frances Tully Manning
Aileen Gillis Hall
’67 of Birmingham
’64 of Montgomery died April 29. She was an educator in the Alabama public schools for 30 years, seven years with Barbour County and 23 years with the Montgomery school system. She was a member of Delta Kappa Gamma Society and was a volunteer at Baptist Medical Center for 19 years.
died April 21. She was a teacher and retired as assistant principal of Vestavia Hills High School.
James Bryan
Frederick Milner Jennings ’68 of Canton-
ment, Fla., died April 21. A U.S. Army veteran, he worked as an engineer for Monsanto Co. for 26 years and was a master gardener. John Michael Weigle
“Jimmy” Sheffield ’64
’68 of Augusta, Ga.,
of Ozark died May 6. He worked in real estate and was preceded in death by the mother of his children, Pamela Wells Sheffield ’65, for whom Auburn’s Pamela Wells Sheffield Award is named. The award is presented annually to a woman who has demonstrated commitment and service to the university.
died Feb. 25. A U.S. Navy veteran, he left active duty as a lieutenant commander and remained with the Reserve for 18 years. He worked as a financial adviser for 23 years for Merrill, Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc. and later became senior vice president for Interstate/Johnson Lane. Thomas Harris
Gerald Young Allen
Gerald Leonard Phil-
’62 of Alexander City
lips ’65 of Mobile
died Feb. 26. He was president of ALIANT Bank and a member of Sigma Nu fraternity.
died Feb. 5. He established a structural engineering practice in Mobile and worked for Pilot Catastrophe Services Inc.
Marjorie Jones Hinton ’62 of Hattiesburg,
Miss., died March 21. She was a professor of
Smoot II ’69 of Saint Simons Island, Ga., died Feb. 16. He was a New York Life Insurance Co. agent and served as New York Life council president in 1995. He was a member of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity.
Carolyn A. Cromwell ’67 of Pass Christian,
Andrew John Mungenast
Miss., died May 2. She
’70 of Montgomery died
April 25. A U.S. Air Force veteran, he flew more than 30 military aircraft loggings and more than 5,000 hours before retiring. He also served as an associate professor and department head at Air War College. He was inducted to the United Flying Octogenarians, whichs honors pilots who continue to fly after the age of 80. He was one of the first Alabamians to receive the Federal Aviation Administration’s Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award for 63 years of accident- and violation-free flying. David Kenneth Nelson ’71 of Forkland died
March 27. A state wildlife biologist, he served on the board of the Alabama Wildlife Federation and was a dedicated conservationist. William Edward Denholm ’72 of Gulf
Shores died March 26. A Vietnam War veteran, he enjoyed writing short stories, working and visiting the ocean. Clauzell Stevens ’79
of Montgomery died March 19. He was a researcher and professor of plant pathology at Tuskegee University. His research was instrumental in the development of plasticulture, which is the use of plastics in plant and animal production and manufacturing.
Cynthia B. Bodiford ’80 of Opelika died
May 6. She was head dietitian at East Alabama Medical Center at Oak Park for more than eight years and worked as a nutrition-education specialist for the Commission on Aging Project. She had previously worked at Springhill Memorial Hospital in Mobile, where she received the Young Alabama Dietitian of the Year Award. James Thomas
C E N T E R
Faculty and Friends Robert Stephen Berger
of Auburn died Feb. 2. He served as a professor of entomology at Auburn for 30 years and raised beef cattle. Malcolm Donald Gynther of Auburn died
Jan. 24. A U.S. Navy veteran, he served as chief psychologist at Malcolm Bliss Mental Health Center of St. Louis, Mo. He joined Auburn’s psychology faculty in 1974, retiring in 1997.
Caldwell ’84 of
Chattanooga, Tenn., died April 22. He owned Total Auto Leasing & Sales. Scottie O’Neil Smith ’86 of Frisco City died
March 1. He was a registered forester, a member of the Monroe Academy board of directors and vice president of the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association.
Samuel Peaslee Snow
of Glastonbury, Conn., died March 28. He was head of landscape architecture at Auburn 1947 to 1953, then returned in 1969 to head the Center for Urban and Regional Planning. He served as a professor of landscape architecture and department chair until 1982.
James Miller Ingle
Elma Lindsay
’97 of Birmingham died
Varner of Auburn
Feb. 18. He played football at Auburn and later worked as a national accounts manager for Philips Consumer Electronics.
died April 12. She was housemother for Sigma Nu fraternity at Auburn for five years and head resident for Auburn’s Dorm 2 until her retirement in 1983. A church organist, she was a member of the Auburn University Club, the Auburn Women’s Club and the Lee County Historical Society.
Debra J. Lucas ’99
of Dayton, Ohio, died March 15. She was a pharmacist for CuraScript Inc. and served on the board of The Noble Circle Project, an organization advocating alternative treatments for women with cancer.
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C E N T E R
The Last Word
Against All Odds BY AMY GESENHUES ’95 Shortly after 6 p.m. on May 2, we got a new turn of phrase around our house. From here on out, instead of saying “believe in the impossible,” we’re saying “Mine That Bird.” It takes as long to say but drives home the idea so much better. New Mexico gelding Mine That Bird took this year’s Kentucky Derby with 50-to-1 odds, a staggering win among equine royalty. He was more than an underdog (underhorse?). His odds were so low that “dead in the water” would have been a better description. And he didn’t just win; he killed it. Mine That Bird was so far ahead there was never a doubt who would don the garland of roses. Now, whenever someone in my family complains about a certain goal or task being too far out of reach, they will receive a simple “Mine That Bird.” When my daughter claims her room is too messy to clean all by her 5-year-old self; when my husband gets a late start, only to complain he doesn’t have time to mow the lawn before it rains; when I have a pile of laundry taller than a racehorse—all tasks will be met with a Mine That Bird attitude. There have been many times in my life when I have “Mined That Bird.” Just a few years ago, I didn’t think I would ever get pregnant. We had been trying for almost two years, only to have a miscarriage 11 weeks into the one pregnancy that finally took. The emotional rollercoaster of infertility was gut-wrenching and exhausting. We went from month-to-month wondering if we could let ourselves get excited or should prepare ourselves for more disappointment. My husband and I had nearly reached the point of considering other options when we finally received good news. After holding our breath for 12 weeks, we’d finally made it through the first trimester. As I write this column, I’m racing to meet my deadline before our 6-month-old son awakens, which is really two Mine That Birds—having a new baby and having a baby who sleeps all the way through the night and well past 6 a.m. Another Mine That Bird experience came during my sophomore year at Auburn University, when I suffered from bulimia. It
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was awful, and I was scared I’d have to live with it forever. Forget about finishing college—most mornings I wasn’t sure whether I could finish the day. After pretending nothing was wrong for an entire semester, I finally had to drop out of school in the middle of my sophomore year. I called my parents to tell them I was coming home for spring break and had decided not to return. The eating disorder consumed me. (It’s ironic, right? Being consumed by a disease of consumption?) My original dream of earning a degree from Auburn seemed a far-fetched fantasy during those first weeks back in Indiana. I took summer- and fall-semester classes at home and started to see a counselor who specialized in eating disorders. I “Mined That Bird” and returned to Auburn by January the following year. Not only did I land on my feet, I graduated with a somewhat acceptable grade-point average. I keep my diploma on the bookshelf behind my desk so I can see it throughout my day. It reminds me to believe in things that appear impossible. My latest Mine That Bird? My house. Over the last four years, my husband and I have completely renovated my childhood home. There were days, weeks and months when I thought it would never be done. We went the entire summer of 2007 with our primary bathroom gutted to the studs. Finally finishing our upstairs bath was a major Mine That Bird. I imagine both my children eventually will get sick of me throwing around the phrase, being told to “Mine That Bird” before every homework assignment, essay or exam. I can hear my daughter now: “Mooooommmmm, stop saying that! It doesn’t even make sense!” “Oh, but it does,” I’ll tell her, and then explain how much money I could have won if I had bet that horse to win. Marketing director and freelance writer Amy Gesenhues lives in Floyds Knobs, Ind., with her husband, 5-year-old daughter and baby boy. You can read Amy’s daily writings at www.AmyWroteIt.wordpress.com. A version of this column was originally published in the May 6 issue of The (New Albany, Ind.) Tribune.
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