Letter to the Editor – Racial justice essay contest

Lee County Remembrance Project (LCRP), in partnership with Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), invites all 9th-12th grade public school students in Lee County, AL, to participate in 2024’s Racial Justice Essay Contest. This includes students attending all public high schools in the Auburn City, Opelika City, and Lee County School Districts. Students are asked to write an 800 - 1,000-word essay about racial injustice in the past and its impact today. The contest will begin on Tuesday, September 3rd. All essay submissions are due by Tuesday, October 22, 2024, at 11:59pm central time. Prizes totaling up to $5,000 will be awarded to winning participants! Students interested in participating in this contest should visit www.leecountyremembrance.org/essay and complete the interest form to get started. LCRP will host two kick-off events to explore the essay prompt and help students access resources for their essays. Students can attend either kick-off event and can request a recording of the online event. Kick-off events will be held:

· Thursday, September 5th at 7pm (central) on Zoom

· Saturday, September 14 at 11am (central) at the Opelika Public Library

LCRP will support students by providing historical resources and help with editing their essays throughout the contest. Winners will be announced at LCRP’s Day of Remembrance Ceremony on Sunday, November 17th. Past essay contest winners include Mary Lancaster of Beauregard High School and JaNiah Hoskins of Smiths Station High School.

To learn more about the Racial Justice Essay Contest, please visit www.leecountyremembrance.org/essay.

Joe Davis

Co-Executive Director Lee County Remembrance Project

Notice:

Lee County Schools will hold a special called board meeting and first public hearing for the proposed FY 2025 Budget on Monday, Sept. 9, at 10 a.m. at the Central Office (2410 Society Hill Road, Opelika)

There will be a work session on Tuesday, Sept. 10, at 5 p.m. prior to the regularly scheduled board meeting at 6 p.m.

AU enrollment includes more Alabamians

In-state undergraduates reach all-time high of 62%

AUBURN — Auburn University’s total enrollment increased 2.6% over last year, with a record percentage of in-state students beginning the fall 2024 semester. Pre-census semester data — which will be confirmed officially on the Sept. 9 census date — revealed the land-grant institution’s full-time undergraduate enrollment is 24,953, with Alabama residents constituting a record 62% of full-time enrolled undergraduates. That is a 4% increase of in-state students over 2023 and the largest percentage of Alabama residents enrolled in the university’s nearly 170-year history.

This fall’s first-year class is the largest to date, with more than 3,400 Alabama residents enrolled. Additionally, more than 750 new first-year students were accepted through the Auburn First dual enrollment program, which aims to provide greater access to high school students across the state. Auburn expanded its recruiting efforts to the state’s 67 counties, including those that traditionally have been underrepresented.

All totaled, Auburn’s head count is 33,885 this year, including undergraduate and graduate students, up from 33,015 last fall. AU’s Office of Institutional Research reports that enrollment has grown steadily each year over the past decade. The university has added 110 new faculty members this semester, a net gain of 20 new educators, to help serve the growing number of students.

“Demand for an Auburn education and our transformational student experiences has never been greater,” Auburn University President Christopher B. Roberts said. “I am impressed that much of our enrollment growth is from in-state students. This highlights the university’s continued commitment to recruit and educate the brightest minds from every corner of our state.”

“We are excited to see this type of growth in our enrollment, and it is a testament to the allure of an Auburn degree and the administration’s efforts to increase access to students throughout the state,” said Joffery Gaymon, Auburn’s vice president for Enrollment Management. “By expanding our reach throughout Alabama and beyond, we can continue to offer opportunities for the change-makers of tomorrow to pursue their dreams on the Plains.”