The Auburn Plainsman

The Auburn Plainsman A SPIRIT THAT IS NOT AFRAID www.theplainsman.com

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Vol. 117, Issue 17, 24 Pages

LOCAL EGYPTIANS

JOIN

PROTESTS

JILLIAN CLAIR / NEWS EDITOR

Sherif Hammad of Alexandria, Egypt and Modather Sediman of Sudan hold signs calling for President Hosni Mubarak’s resignation during the Demonstration to Support the Egyptian People Feb. 1. Mubarak became president in 1981. Protests began in Egypt Jan. 25, and the death toll has risen to more than 300.

As violence in Egypt continues to escalade, locals aim to raise awareness

Hosni Mubarak’s 30-year regime.

“I am proud and happy and sad at the same time,” Eletrabi said. “I am proud because the people finally moved, and they are taking an action against the current regime, but I’m sad because of the people who died during this process, but I guess this is necessary. After 30 years of ruling, I don’t think there is a more peaceful way of transition since (Mubarak) doesn’t want to give up.”

Approximately 30 others gathered with Eletrabi Tuesday at a rally they called the “Demonstration to Support the Egyptian People.”

The multinational group stood on the concourse under umbrellas and a tent, holding handmade signs and striking up conversations with students about

Jillian Clair NEWS EDITOR

Haitham Eletrabi stood in the rain on the Haley Center concourse for two hours Tuesday passing out fliers and holding a sign that said, “Mubarak, you are down, just leave.”

Eletrabi, a Ph.D. student in civil engineering from Cairo, said he is supportive of the protests in Egypt calling for the end of President

on the streets. They’re really tired, exhausted, but they don’t give up until Mubarak leaves.”

The group claims that Mubarak is a dictator who has driven his people into poverty and rigged elections to remain in office.

“His party pretty much represents 90 percent of the whole senate,” Abdelrehiem said. “He’s not listening.”

Eletrabi and Abdelrehiem have family and friends in Egypt and have been able to contact them by phone despite the loss of Internet.

“They cannot Tweet or go to any news or organize any peaceful demonstration on the Facebook,” Eletrabi said.

Eletrabi said there are groups of Egyptians all over the world gathering to show their support for their people.

“I wish I was there, but I’m

JILLIAN CLAIR / NEWS EDITOR

Asmae Mesbahi, a graduate student in computer science and native of Casablanca, Morocco, holds a sign that says, “Go out” in five different languages. the conflict in Egypt.

The group sought to raise awareness and support for the people of Egypt.

“We’re trying to show people what’s going on,” said Amr Abdelrehiem,

first year pharmacy student from Alexandria, Egypt.

“We’re trying to tell people how Mubarak is. We’re trying to support the Egyptian people—they’ve been awake for almost a week now, out

still glad I’m here supporting them in my own way,” Eletrabi said. “And there are lots of people coming to support us, and we are spreading the word—people not only from Egypt, but the majority of people actually around here today are not Egyptians.”

People from Arab countries, Europe and the U.S. participated in the demonstration.

Asmae Mesbahi, Ph.D. student in computer science from Casablanca, Morocco, held a sign aimed at Mubarak that said, “Go out” in five different languages.

“I am supporting what’s happening in Egypt,” Mesbahi said. “I’m supporting Egyptian people. They have the right to live in democracy and freedom.”

Mesbahi said she hopes » See EGYPT, A2

Line-up announced for 2011 Hangout Festival Staff Reports The Hangout Music Festival revealed an array of top musical artists that will headline its second annual music festival in Gulf Shores.

Paul Simon, Foo Fighters, Widespread Panic and a variety of other musical artists will entertain festivalgoers Friday, May 20 through Sunday, May 22.

Shaul Zislin, Hangout Music Festival co-founder, said he feels hosting the festival in Gulf Shores does more than just bring recognition to the

MARIA IAMPIETRO / ASSOCIATE PHOTO EDITOR

Taco Bell’s beef chalupa is a popular item on the menu.

Where’s the beef?

Taco Bell battles false advertisement lawsuit with ground beef qualifications

The law firm had the beef product tested and found the beef mixture doesn’t exactly measure up to the advertisements that customers are receiving.

“Taco Bell internally refers to its beef products as ‘taco meat filling,’ but advertises the same product as ‘seasoned ground beef,’ said Dee Miles, attorney and section head of consumer fraud at Beasley Allen.

According to the USDA, the difference between “taco meat filling” and “seasoned ground beef ” is that ground beef must be 70 percent beef and 30 percent fat, whereas taco meat filling must only be 40 percent » See TACO BELL, A2

Kelly Nicastro WRITER

There’s beef between a Montgomery law firm and Taco Bell—literally.

Montgomery law firm Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis and Miles is suing Taco Bell for false advertisement of its “seasoned ground beef.”

INSIDE

Community » A3

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Commentary » A5

| Campus » B1

beachy area.

“It’s not just the recognition, it’s the vibe,” Zislin said. “Existing fans of the area are being catered to in a new way, and droves of new fans are being introduced to this wonderful area.”

While the first festival gave him experience, Zislin said the anticipation of hosting a successful event is always present.

“The jitters will always be there,” Zislin said. “The team is constantly adjusting to new variables and seeks to improve the experience

for fans, bands, staff and owners.”

Zislin said he has high expectations for this year and the future of the festival.

“From day one our mission was to create a very specific type of event that puts Gulf Shores on the map,” Zislin said. “In five years I would like the Hangout Festival to be known as the premiere music festival destination the same way Sundance is to Park City, Utah.”

For more information visit www.hangoutmusicfest. com.

HANGOUT FESTIVAL 2011 WHEN WHERE WHO

PRICES

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Intrigue » C1

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Arts & Entertainment » C3

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Friday May 20 – Sunday May 22 Gulf Shores Paul Simon, Foo Fighters, Widespread Panic, The Black Keys, My Morning Jacket, Flaming Lips, Cee Lo Green, Primus, Michael Franti and Spearhead, Pretty Lights, Bassnectar, Girl Talk, Ween $159 three day pass

Wasting Time » C5

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Sports » D1

Recycled paper

News A2

The Auburn Plainsman

Thursday, February 3, 2011

CRIME REPORTS FOR JAN. 28 – FEB. 1, 2011

DUI ARRESTS IN THE CITY OF AUBURN JAN. 28 – FEB. 1, 2011

Jan. 28 — Seminole Street Burglary of residence reported. Fireproof lock box, costume jewelry, DVD player, birth certificate, vehicle title and prescription medication.

■ Christopher P. Nola, 22, of Alabaster East Glenn Avenue Jan. 29, 2:14 a.m.

Jan. 28 — East Longleaf Drive Breaking and entering of a vehicle reported. One iPod, radar detector and parking pass.

■ Thomas C. Baker, 18, of LaGrange, Ga. South College Street Jan. 29, 2:16 a.m.

Jan. 28 — East Glen Avenue Theft of property reported. One case of water.

Jan. 30 — East University Drive Theft of property reported. One plasma TV.

Jan. 29 — Lem Morrison Drive Theft of property reported. Speakers, an amp and a set of cables.

Jan. 30 — South College Street Theft of property reported. One sixpack of beer.

Jan. 30 — U.S. Highway 29S Theft of property reported. Two cell phones.

Jan. 31 — West Longleaf Drive Theft of property reported. One iPod touch and one iPod car connector.

— Reports provided by Auburn Department of Public Safety

TACO BELL » From A1

beef. According to Beasley Allen, customers think that they are getting the 70/30 beef because of the “seasoned ground beef ” label, but they are actually only getting 40 percent beef.

“That is mislabeling and a misrepresentation and is unfair to consumers,” Miles said. “It also poses a health risk to diabetics and those with food allergies, like gluten intolerance.”

Taco Bell strongly defends their seasoned beef product and its advertisement.

Taco Bell spokesman Rob Poetsch refused comment and refered to an updated statement regarding the class action lawsuit by Greg Creed, Taco Bell president and Chief Concept officer.

In the statement, Creed insists that the lawsuit is “bogus” and filled with completely inaccurate facts.

Taco Bell officials insure the beef is 100 percent USDA inspected and has the same quality as the type of beef sold at the grocery store or prepared in a consumer’s home.

According to Taco Bell officials, the seasoned beef includes 88 percent USDA inspected quality beef, 3–5 percent water for moisture, 3–5 percent spices (including salt, chili pepper, onion powder, tomato powder, garlic powder, sugar and a blend of Mexican spices and natural flavors) and 3–5 percent oats, starch, yeast and citric acid.

Creed compared Taco

Bell’s seasoned beef recipe with a meatball, meatloaf or chili recipe that many of its customers would make at home. He said that just as homemade meatballs require their own recipe and seasonings to add flavor, Taco Bell’s seasoned beef contains a mixture of ingredients to add texture and taste to the product.

Taco Bell is taking the attack on the quality of its seasoned beef seriously and plans on taking legal action against the law firm for false statements about its product.

Taco Bell ensures that they do not use any type of “extenders” to add volume to its product and invites customers to visit their website to further understand the ingredients that go into the seasoned beef.

Beasley Allen wants Taco Bell to accurately advertise the contents of the product.

“We simply want Taco Bell to properly label their beef as ‘taco meat filling’ or increase their meat quality to satisfy the government’s 70/30 definition of beef,” Miles said. “If they do this, the case will be settled.”

The Beasley and Allen law firm feels strongly about bringing the truth to customers and will continue to fight on their behalf, Miles said.

“Customers need to be able to make informed decisions, especially about the food we use to fuel our Godgiven bodies,” Miles said. “It is very misleading for Taco Bell to call their beef products beef when it actually does not meet the definition.”

JILLIAN CLAIR / NEWS EDITOR

Mohamed Eldessouki, Ph.D. student in polymer and fiber engineering, plays with his children, Omar, 3, and Nada, 2, at the demonstration Feb. 1. Omar and Nada wave Egyptian flags.

EGYPT » From A1

her participation in the demonstration will send a symbolic message of support to Egyptians.

“I hope that finally the Egyptian people will be able to rule themselves by themselves and not by dictators,” Mesbahi said.

The protests in Egypt began Jan. 25, and according to The Los Angeles Times, the death toll has since risen to more than 300.

Tuesday, Mubarak announced he would not run

Elizabeth Fite The four remaining candidates for dean of the College of Architecture, Design and Construction underwent the final phase of evaluation, campus interviews, Jan. 30 through Feb. 2.

The candidates for dean are Craig Barton, Vini Nathan, Scott Poole and Christine Theodoropoulos.

“Their main goal is to provide leadership to the college, the department chairs and program heads,” said Richard Brinker, dean emeritus of the school of forestry and wildlife sciences and chair of the search committee. “They’re also heavily involved with development work outside of the University to develop future funding for the college.”

Brinker said the new dean should start June 2011.

The search, which began early last June, is expected

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to yield a decision by Feb. 11, said Rod Barnett, associate professor of Landscape Architecture and search committee member.

“The short list of four candidates comprises two women and two men, and it comprises two minorities, so we are very pleased with our diversity,” Barnett said.

According to Barnett, by the end of fall semester the school had approximately 50 applicants. The applications were then narrowed down to 12 candidates who qualified for personal interviews in Atlanta.

“The full rounded personality and all their attributes don’t become apparent until you do meet them in person,” Barnett said.

“The CV is one thing, but the person is a completely different thing often.”

The new dean will replace Dan Bennett, who left as a well-loved and respected dean, Brinker said.

NEWS 334–844–9109 news@theplainsman.com EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Eric Austin

Marwa Farag, freshman in electrical engineering from El Mansoura, Egypt, said she anticipates Saturday’s protest will be larger.

“I think we’re planning to have possibly more slogans going on, larger posters— we have more people that said they are attending, so we’re really expecting a lot of people,” Farag said.

Farag said she isn’t getting her hopes up about Mubarak’s promise to leave in September.

“Honestly, a lot of the Egyptian people, including myself—he’s promised us

too much already, he promises and he never keeps his promise, he never fulfills his promise—it’s been 30 years,” Farag said. “It’s gotten to the point to where we just can’t trust him anymore, even if he really is going to change. We’ve just been in an abusive relationship.”

Eletrabi said he is still optimistic about the future of Egypt.

“I think once the current regime leaves, we’re gonna have free elections,” Eletrabi said. “That’s the whole idea of democracy.”

CADC dean search nearing end STAFF WRITER

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for re-election in September.

Reuters reported President Barack Obama spoke with Mubarak after the announcement and said an orderly transition of power must begin immediately, contrary to Mubarak’s plan to remain in office for six more months.

Another demonstration at Toomer’s Corner is planned for Feb. 5 from 2:30 p.m. to 5: 30 p.m.

There is a Facebook event for the demonstration called “Auburn’s Stand in Solidarity.”

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search committee, said the committee is currently in the process of receiving applications and forming the biggest pool of candidates possible.

“Dean Wooten’s vision for Auburn University was to get more people involved in sciences,” Dunaway said.

“She had a huge program for women in sciences, and she also had a lot of outreach to get younger generations to be involved in science. It makes it even that much more critical to find someone that can follow the same ideas and have the same heart for Auburn and for COSAM.” Dunaway said she expects the interview process to begin in the middle of February.

All candidates’ CVs, or curriculum vitae, a full resume, are available for review on the respective college’s websites.

On-campus interviews of candidates are open to the public.

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Derek Lacey Liz Conn Chelsea Harvey

“We’re excited about the group,” Barnett said. “We feel that they are all serious contenders, and we’re looking forward to the new phase of leadership. The College of Architecture, Design and Construction is an incredibly robust college. The new dean doesn’t have to make any new great changes, it’s a question of consolidating really what’s there and using it as a terrific foundation for exploring new possibilities.”

As the search for a new CADC dean comes to an end, the search for a new College of Sciences and Mathematics dean is just beginning.

The new dean will follow Marie Wooten, the beloved, former COSAM dean who died Nov. 5 after being struck by a vehicle while jogging.

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Thursday, February 3, 2011

A Page A3

ADOPT -ACOP Opelika Police Department sends officers to first and second grade classes Alison McFerrin ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR

Local law enforcement officers make monthly rounds to Opelika primary schools, but it’s not because of a surge in crime rates for 6- to 8-year-olds.

The Adopt-A-Cop program through the Opelika Police Department matches police officers with first and second grade classes throughout the city.

“We just try to build a relationship with the kids in the community and the police department—tell them what we do, show them our police cars and show them our equipment,” said Sgt. Ben Bugg.

Bugg revamped the program during the fall of 2010.

Adopt-A-Cop had been an initiative of the Opelika Police Department since the early ‘90s, but had fallen off in recent years.

“The past couple of years we had some changes in the department, and we didn’t do it,” Bugg said. “But this year I took it over, we

expanded to about 40 classrooms—we do first and second grade.”

One of the officers involved is Mitchell Allen, who volunteered when the program started again.

“It helps the community and helps the kids learn to be friends with the police, and we try to lead them in the right direction,” Allen said.

Officers are assigned to classrooms at one of the Opelika primary schools: Jeter, Southview or Carver.

The officers visit about once a month to do different activities with the kids.

“I’m on the SWAT team, the Lee County SWAT team, and one thing that I have done was, we took our SWAT van out to them and let them get in there and mess around with some of the tools that we have,” Allen said. “I think they really enjoyed it.”

Bugg said the program has helped to build relationships with the kids as well as the teachers.

EMILY ADAMS / PHOTO EDITOR

Officer Mitchell Allen gives Diamond Allen, 7, a pencil during his visit to Jeter Primary School Friday morning.

“We have a lot of times where the teachers will say, ‘Look, I’ve had two kids I’ve caught stealing some candy.

Will you please come over here and talk to them?’”

Bugg said.

“We just want to start off with our young kids and teach them about our job and what we do so they’re not afraid of us.”

That goal seems to have been achieved. Mary Clark, second grade teacher at Jeter Primary School, said she was excited when she heard the program was starting back up.

“The kids look forward to him coming,” Clark said.

Allen is the adopted cop for Clark’s classroom.

“He’s a positive influence,”

Clark said. “Even my behavior students, they try to behave when he’s here. They want to make a good impression on him.”

The officers will take pencils and stickers to the kids, and Allen has even received gifts in return.

“The little girls at 7 years old, they always have a crush on anyone new,” Allen

said. One girl in his classroom has the same last name. “She gives me presents every time I come.”

With the program restarted under a new department, Allen said it will be permanent.

“We’re going to try to continue it out, and just do it until there’s no more kids to talk to,” Allen said.

EAMC switches to electronic records Rachel Hampton WRITER

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Wayne Flynt speaks at the public launch of the Encyclopedia of Alabama Sept. 2008.

Retired professor values state’s past, present, future Blakeley Sisk WRITER

Wayne Flynt, retired distinguished history professor at Auburn University, has held many titles—activist, scholar, public intellectual, author, minister, father and historian.

Flynt is a sixth generation Alabamian who has spent his life devoted to the Baptist church and to Alabama history.

Flynt began his religious and cultural journey when he was a teenager.

“Every religious teenager is getting a signal from their faith and then other signals from culture,” Flynt said. “I jettisoned my culture and held on to my faith.”

As a history professor at Auburn and one of the creators of the Encyclopedia of Alabama, Flynt has been active in shedding light on Alabama’s culture for more than 20 years.

“My calling both as a minister and as an academic is to reach out beyond the classroom, “ Flynt said.

While teaching in the history department, Flynt mentored his students. After his retirement, he continued to work with students who were finishing their doctorate degrees.

“He didn’t retire to stop working—far from it,” said Joseph Kicklighter, history professor.

Kicklighter worked in

the Auburn history department while Flynt was the head of the department.

“Between the Baptist church and Alabama, (Flynt) has a wide variety of interests, but all of them concern human beings and how we can make a better world,” Kicklighter said.

Because of his desire to teach the world about Alabama and its history, the Encyclopedia of Alabama became a major part of Flynt’s life.

Something had to be done about Alabama’s wretched image, Flynt said.

“The story of the encyclopedia is both a story » See FLYNT, A4

East Alabama Medical Center announced in January it anticipates to achieve “meaningful use” through implementing electronic health records (EHRs).

“Meaningful use” is part of the criteria set forth by the Medicare and Medicaid EHR incentive programs which apply the use of technology to improve the quality of health care.

The transfer to electronic records has already blossomed into benefits for the regional hospital.

Physicians now have the capability to access patient records from anywhere in the hospital, their offices and even their homes. This development allows doctors to react to patient needs quickly, even if the doctors are not directly available.

Patients can breathe easier if they forget to mention something in their medical records, since their past admissions and history will be available before they are admitted to the hospital.

Surgeries have already seen an increase in safety procedures, according to anesthesiologists, who are now able to readily access patient lab values and patient history.

EAMC intends on registering for the Medicare and Medicaid EHR incentive

programs, p a r t of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. EAMC began the transition to electronic records two years ago.

“We believed then that we needed an integrated electronic record in order to promote patient safety, improve efficiency and keep up with the rapidly changing technological world we live in,” said Sarah Gray, assistant vice president for information technology at EAMC, in a press release Jan. 13. “We are delighted that this early start put us into a position to reap the rewards of the stimulus incentives now available.”

EAMC is joining hospitals, like Montgomery’s Jackson Hospital, that have already made use of the electronic health records system.

“We began the process of implementing a comprehensive EHR in 2005, recognizing the need to improve the coordination and safety of patient care,” said Don Henderson, Jackson Hospital president and CEO, in a

press release Jan. 17.

“The coordination of a patient’s health record is a major advance in the safety and efficiency of care.”

Doctors are now able to access patient records and radiographic images on personal devices such as iPads or smart phones.

Both hospitals look forward to the development of additional advantages in the future.

“The Jackson Clinic will be moving to a more updated facility,” said Rebecca Flatt, marketing specialist at Jackson Hospital. “There will be no paper at all whatsoever.”

The updated clinic will give patients a chance to be exposed to the new records, letting them check online or on their smart phones, Flatt said.

EAMC hopes that in the future, patients will eventually be able to receive alerts and reminders about their health.

Community A4

FLYNT » From A3

about all the mistakes, all the stupidities and all the heroism and the great things that have happened here,” Flynt said.

He said the encyclopedia was meant to tell the honest stories of Alabama so people all around the world could read them.

The Encyclopedia of Alabama has been an enormously collaborative effort, and associate history professor Jeff Jakeman has worked closely with Flynt.

“Dr. Flynt has been a pivotal catalyst for the project—going out, speaking to people, opening doors because of his connections,” Jakeman said.

“He is a very well respected individual.”

Flynt said he has had tremendous support from Auburn faculty, newspapers and museums that have contributed parts of their archives for this project.

“It was the ultimate example of teamwork,” Flynt said.

Teamwork and collaboration have played major parts in Flynt’s life and career.

Kicklighter said Flynt was always supportive of the history professors who worked under him, and he was loved by all the

The Auburn Plainsman

“

I love this state, and I love its people, and I love its ways, as flawed as they are.”

—Wayne Flynt RETIRED DISTINGUISHED HISTORY PROFESSOR

students with whom he worked.

Much of Flynt’s work has been rooted in his supportive nature.

He supported Alabama, his students, his colleagues and his church, Auburn First Baptist Church.

“I love this state, and I love its people, and I love its ways, as flawed as they are,” Flynt said.

Since the encyclopedia’s website was launched, 70 percent of the traffic has been from outside Alabama and 10 percent of that is from outside the U.S. The website teaches people about every aspect of Alabama, and Flynt said that is his true passion.

Flynt said he is devoted to the people of Alabama.

“My congregation is 4 million Alabamians,” Flynt said.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Birds found dead, officials do not suspect ‘fowl’ play Colton Campbell WRITER

The more than 300 birds found dead in north Alabama near Athens and Scottsboro in January were not ill or poisoned, but were most likely struck by vehicles as they were feeding on roadways.

The birds were sent to the Alabama State Diagnostic Lab earlier this month, and Fred Hoerr, director of Auburn’s lab, said the first phase of their two-part investigation is complete.

“We’ve concluded that the birds died from blunt force trauma,” Hoerr said.

“Most of them were found on the side of the road, so we assume they were involved in collisions with the vehicles.”

Hoerr also said weather could have been a factor.

“The birds do not represent a public health threat,” Hoerr said.

The birds were found dead soon after north Alabama received several inches of snow.

“With the winter weather we had right before, the birds were probably trying to feed on the roadway,”

Hoerr said.

Approximately 50 birds were found in the Scottsboro neighborhood of Adair Moody, freshman in business.

Her family and neighbors weren’t shocked by the sight of dead birds in their yards and street, though.

“Since it had recently happened in Arkansas, they weren’t as shocked about it, although it was really odd,” Moody said. “We had just had freezing weather for a long period of time, and some of my neighbors thought hypothermia could have been the reason for the deaths.”

The lab conducted tests called necropsies on the dead birds, during which the tissue of the birds is

screened for infectious diseases.

“I brought some samples and some birds back to the state lab, and we ran a host of diagnostic tests,” said Wes Gaston, a wildlife disease biologist at the United States Department of Agriculture in Montgomery.

“We tested for avian influenza, poisons, just a plethora of tests, and they all came back negative.”

Gaston said his office was not surprised at the results.

“There was a blackbird roost near where the birds were found, and it was right next to the interstate,” Gaston said.

“The ground was covered with snow at the time, so they tried to find food by going to the interstate where

there was bare ground.”

Cars driving on the interstate could have also made the birds disoriented and pushed them further into the freeways, Gaston said.

Hoerr said because his office was not part of other states’ investigations into their bird deaths, he could not comment on whether the causes in other states were the same.

“Ours here is a part of Auburn’s veterinary school, so we have a lot of resources on hand,” Hoerr said.

Moody said her neighbors called the Jackson County Emergency Management Agency.

“They came shortly after and scoped the scene and collected the birds they needed for testing and disposed of the rest,” Moody said.

Alabama campaign seeks to scale back obesity for fifth year Jordan Dale WRITER

In 2010, the Scale Back Alabama campaign motivated 30,000 people to lose 146,451 pounds.

As four-member teams register for 2011, expectations are high.

“Eat right; move more,” said Kathe Briggs, director of health promotion and disease management at the East Alabama Medical Center, about how Alabama should tackle its weight problems.

Briggs, a member of the task force that helped develop the Scale Back Alabama campaign, said she believes this simple order is a great start.

Scale Back Alabama is a 10-week contest designed to promote weight loss and exercise and create healthy lifestyle changes in Alabama.

The program is entering its fifth year, and Abby Dorminey, public relations specialist for the Alabama Hospital Association, said she expects similar results for 2011.

“It’s really rewarding to see how (participants) are improving their lives,” Dorminey said, “They’re setting goals and achieving them.”

According to Dorminey, 18,163 of the 30,000 participants completed the program, meaning they lost 10 pounds in the allotted 10week time line.

“Ten pounds in 10 weeks is very realistic,” Briggs said.

While 10 pounds may not seem like a lot of weight loss, any improvement is considered a victory in the fight against Alabama’s weight problems, Briggs said.

“Exercise is medicine, and it needs to be looked at that way,” Briggs said.

Not only does exercise translate into weight loss, but it has proven to create psychological benefits and reduce blood pressure as well.

This, year Scale Back Alabama is offering greater incentives for participants.

Teams in which all four participants lose at least 10 pounds are entered into a drawing with a chance to

“

“It’s really rewarding to see how (participants) are improving their lives.They’re setting goals and achieving them.”

—Abby Dorminey PUBLIC RELATIONS SPECIALIST, ALABAMA HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION

win $4,000.

Yuki Kariya, an intern at HealthPlus Fitness Center in Opelika, was handling sign-ups for Scale Back Alabama last weekend.

“We had 20 or 25 teams sign up today and probably 80 or more this week,” Kariya said.

A $100 prize is awarded for the most creative team name.

“We had some really funny ones like Mission Slim Possible,” Kariya said.

“Some others were Baby’s Got Back, The Tootsie Rolls and Big Butt Busters.”

A team captain is chosen to help maintain a level of accountability among members, and a healthy sense of competition is promoted to encourage weight loss.

Members who do not lose 10 pounds, but participate in the final weigh-in are entered in a separate drawing for rewards.

“Any weight loss is still an achievement,” Dorminey said. “We would still like to know.”

Dorminey said the campaign goes “beyond the pounds” and aims to promote changes in habits and lifestyle to maintain the weight loss.

According to follow-up polls, “Forty percent increase their daily water intake, 80 percent increase their consumption of dairy and about 50 percent reported an increase in exercise,” Dorminey said.

Briggs said the campaign combats an entire culture’s poor health habits.

“It’s going to be hard— we’re attempting to make

JORDAN DALE / PHOTO STAFF

Clinical intern Yuki Kariya demonstrates the weigh-in process at HealthPlus Fitness Center in Opelika. culture changes and imbed health choices in everyday life,” she said.

The Southeast is part of the “red states,” areas where there is a high level of obesity and health issues surrounding weight.

“Driving down the street, it’s much harder to find a

place you can make a good food choice rather than a bad one,” she said.

Planners of Scale Back Alabama expect at least as many participants as last year, meaning the number of Alabamians choosing to eat right and move more is 30,000 and growing.

Commentary

A5

www.theplainsman.com

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Community

Our View

Column controversy raises concerns Reactions to Kelly Tsaltas’ column “Come on ladies (and gentlemen) we can do better,” have ranged from total outrage to complete praise.

Regardless of the response, the entire situation has raised larger issues about the nature of free speech, the media and the culture of Auburn’s student body that cannot be ignored.

The rights of free speech and free press are two of the most sacred rights Americans possess. Tsaltas’ words were not an abuse of those rights.

However shocking and directful those words may have been, they were an affirmation of those rights.

Many complained about the decision by the editor to disable the ability to post comments about the article online.

This decision was made not to stifle free speech, but to protect the writer as several of the comments had become

P

threatening in nature.

While select words in the article may have been offensive to some, many of the reactions to the column crossed the line of offensiveness and were downright careless and disgusting.

No matter what an individual says about you, telling someone to “throw themselves off Haley Center,” or posting their dorm and home address online as a threat should never be tolerated. Comments like these only serve to detract from the credibility of those who raise legitimate concerns.

Many responses from members within and outside of the Greek community were nothing short of embarrassing to their respective camps.

Perhaps even more discouraging than the ability for so many students to easily disregard Tsaltas’ First Amendment rights and criticize her

personally, many commented about how the column was an example of poor “journalism,” that the standards of “news” at The Auburn Plainsman had hit a new low.

It is imperative to emphasize the column was published on the commentary page, and as the policy at the bottom of this page reads, the words on this page are solely those of the authors who write them.

They are not, and have never been, the opinion of The Auburn Plainsman or any portion of the student body; nor are they news stories.

Thus, to attack the institution of The Plainsman is a gross misplacement of anger by those who chose to do so.

However, in the 24-hour media culture which so often blurs the line between what is fact and what is opinion, it is not a mystery as to where this misplaced anger originated.

Even so, it is no less discouraging that thousands of Auburn students could not distinguish a news story from an opinion column.

The theme of the week seemed to be the victory of hotheadedness over reason. At its core, the column criticized wardrobe choices. Much more polarizing words about political and social issues that actually affect people’s lives have been written on this page and haven’t yielded even a fraction of the response that Tsaltas’ column did. What does it say about this University that criticizing someone’s political views or their religion does not stir passions of any sort?

It took attacking leggings and frockets to heat up emotions.

If there was any real tragedy in last week’s column, that was it.

So yes, ladies and gentlemen, we can do better.

Honestly, we all can.

Want your voice to be heard?

Send letters to opinion@theplainsman.com

“

We’re trying to support the Egyptian people— they’ve been awake for almost a week now… They don’t give up until Mubarak leaves.”

—Amr Abdelrehiem “LOCAL EGYPTIANS JOIN PROTEST,” A1

Last week’s question:

Is Auburn green enough?

Yes 19% No 48% Why not purple?

33%

This week’s question:

Did you find Kelly Tsaltas’ column offensive? ❍ Yes ❍ No ❍ Couldn’t care less

Vote at www.theplainsman.com

Your View

Tsaltas’ column deserves outrage Misplaced speech To the Editor: Miss Tsaltas, I would like to express general outrage at your editorial concerning the dress of the Greek community. Obviously, I am in a fraternity. I have Greek relatives and friends.

Yes, I wear “visors” and “croakies.”

My question for you is, when did looking good become a crime? I wear collared shirts and boat shoes to class because I don’t want to look like an unclean slob in public. Dressing well and clean displays personal confidence, but it also gauges how well I respect myself.

If one cannot treat themselves well, how will they

treat others with whom they hold relationships?

Your description of “sorority girls” was hilarious.

Perhaps if you expanded your social circle you would see that we have some of the most beautiful girls in the entire SEC and probably in the country. I could care less if they want to choose leggings and a big T-shirt to go to class because when they go out they look GOOD. I’d rather see girls in T-shirts and shorts in class, because dolling themselves up would ultimately be a distraction.

Other than the ridiculously inept style of writing you have, I cannot

understand the inherently jealous tone that riddles your article. Did you not get a bid? Sorry we’re not sorry.

I would be jealous too.

Greeks hold 40 percent of the seats in Congress and a majority of seats as CEOs in Fortune 500 companies. As a fraternity man, I am developing leadership skills, organization and social skills. Perhaps you need to spend less time admiring the Greek community’s dress and more time in the library because your History of Ancient Cultures degree isn’t going to earn itself.

In others words, keep your thoughts to yourself

or your blog, which I assume is filled with preachy bullshit about the environment and how much you hate the Republican Party.

I do not care that you think my visor is unattractive, and I’m sure you would be disgusted at how bad my Sperrys smell. I respect women, and I don’t care what they wear to class because a beautiful woman is still beautiful no matter what she is wearing. Got a response? Get at me. I’m terrified. But I’m still going to sleep well tonight in my Reagan-Bush ‘84 T-shirt with my sorostitute by my side.

—Jake Sciotto, freshman, pre-engineering

Piece was unnecessary, divisive To the Editor: Last week, an article was printed in The Auburn Plainsman that was explosively controversial.

Some were offended, while some whole-heartedly agreed. To me, it was the most disappointing thing to happen during my time at Auburn outside of this year’s basketball team.

First, I was disappointed that The Plainsman printed the article. Newspapers should not shy away from controversy. They should, however, shy away from glorified blog posts with

the vernacular of a frustrated eight grader. What happened to real journalism? Commercialism, apparently.

Second, I was disappointed in the reaction to the article. All of the Greeks wearing exactly what Ms. Tsaltas had railed against in her piece was fine. But the posting of her Facebook picture and calling her names was not. Everyone seemed to successfully and collectively stoop to that which they abhorred.

Third, I was disappointed that yet another wedge has been driven

between the Greeks and we independents. There’s really no point for it.

The Greek system is fun, and that’s cool. Being independent is fine, too.

Ms. Tsaltas is not, however, the voice of the independents, and unfortunately many took it that way. We all claim the Auburn way. I heard words like class, Southern charm, tradition, family…but saw no hint of it from this student body.

—Griffin Gulledge, sophomore, philosophy

To the Editor: The Plainsman should be ashamed of what it’s come to. There’s a definite line between writing with class, intelligence, and eloquence, and writing with ignorance and belittlement in mind.

Kelly Tsaltas’ writing in “Come on ladies (and gentlemen), we can do better” not only disgraced the paper, but also the University.

Though many of her points were valid, the style and diction she used to intentionally disparage the Panhellenic community should not have been allowed to stain what might have been an enjoyable article. Had this been an article written by

a sorority girl intending to mock the non Panhellenic students’ clothing, it most certainly would not have been published. Her claim would have been more legitimate had she not centered her derision solely on the sorority and fraternity members when these apparels are, in fact, worn by non Panhellenic students as well. Most importantly, the profanity she used didn’t add in any way to her argument. Rather, it shows crass manners. There’s a difference in using freedom of speech for a specific point and using it simply to shock and be “novel.”

—Kathryn Beck, senior, fine arts

Column rang true To the Editor: I loved Kelly Tsaltas’ article last week! As a former assistant intrigue editor myself, I’m glad Kelly wrote such a funny column about the Greeks. Listen, when college is over and real life begins, the people described in Kelly’s article continue to have that same herd mentality. They will not ever be capable of thinking for themselves.

Individuality is not a word

they easily understand, and they must be accepted by each other at all costs…so I assume Kelly will get a lot of hate mail. Stand strong and be brave, Kelly! Any time you try to criticize any part of the Greek system at Auburn University, they will always come together and attack by any means possible. Just know that you have Alumni support!

—Jenny Blevins Scott, class of ‘99

Exercise your student right by voting in SGA elections For many students the madness that started yesterday and will continue for the next week is an exciting time. SGA elections offer an opportunity to meet student leaders and hear new ideas.

For others, however, it’s a week to put on headphones and avoid the concourse like it’s the plague.

Those students seem to have two questions. Does this really matter? And if it does really matter as much as “involved” people claim it does, then why does it seem to revolve around trivial freebies, costumes and dances between class?

I would like to address these questions. SGA does affect every student. Every student is a member of SGA and pays student fees. SGA then allocates this roughly 1.4 million dollars. The people who make funding decisions for organizations such as UPC, Impact and BSU will be elected this week.

Are you a member of one of Auburn’s 329 campus organizations? All of these receive their charter through SGA, which ensures that organizations do not discriminate and maintain consistent standards. In turn SGA makes funds available to

these organizations every semester.

Think campus dining is too expensive or the hours are too limited? SGA has spent a significant portion of the last year working with the administration to ensure that pricing and hours are consistent with the contract we are operating under.

Toomer’s Ten, academic honesty standards and the new Wellness & Sustainability Center are all projects the SGA has worked with the University on this year.

Why, then, does such an important process seem so

silly at times? That criticism is fair and the process is one we are constantly trying to improve. In recent years candidates have begun to put less of an emphasis on gimmicks and handouts and more of an emphasis on articulating to students what they intend to accomplish.

Every candidate has a platform found at auburn. edu/sga/elections. Virtually all candidates have a Facebook group where they can go into more detail on why they are the best candidate for you. Many will stop by a meeting you have this week

so they can speak to you in a more intimate setting.

What can you do to be a more informed voter? Read the platforms. Come to our debate this Monday at 7:00 p.m. in the Student Center Ballroom. When a candidate offers you a cookie, take it, but ask why they are running. Every candidate would rather have a conversation with you than just give you something.

Auburn University boasts one of the most vibrant election processes in the nation. Our voter turnout last year was 33 percent; the highest of any major public

university in the nation. (For comparison, Alabama’s was 29 percent, Florida State’s 12 percent.) Our electorate is diverse; the split is nearly even among the four classifications. Women are slightly more likely to vote than men, and contrary to popular belief in the last three elections the ratio of Greeks to independents is almost dead even.

We in SGA look forward to continuing to improve this great tradition and hope that you will take part.

—Scott Seitz, SGA assistant vice president for political affairs.

The Editorial Board

Mailing Address

Submissions

Policy

Rod Guajardo

Derek Lacey

Adam Bulgatz

EDITOR

CAMPUS EDITOR

DESIGN EDITOR

Eric Austin – chair

Miranda Dollarhide Emily Clever

Auburn Student Center Suite 1111H Auburn, AL 36849

MANAGING EDITOR

INTRIGUE EDITOR

COPY EDITOR

Contact

Jillian Clair

Crystal Cole

Emily Adams

NEWS EDITOR

SPORTS EDITOR

PHOTO EDITOR

Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .334–844–4130 Email . .opinion@theplainsman.com

The Auburn Plainsman welcomes letters from students as well as from faculty, administrators, alumni and those not affiliated with the University. Letters must be submitted before 4:30 p.m. on the Monday for publication. Letters must include the author’s name, address and phone number for verification, though the name of the author may be withheld upon request. Submission may be edited for grammar and/or length.

The opinions of The Auburn Plainsman staff are restricted to these pages. These unsigned editorials are the majority opinion of the 9-member editorial board and are the official opinion of the newspaper. The opinions expressed in columns and letters represent the views and opinions of their individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the Auburn University student body, faculty, administration or Board of Trustees.

Community A6

The Auburn Plainsman

Fred Lord’s Pickin’ Parlor brings live music, lessons to Loachapoka Rachel Hampton WRITER

Fred Lord’s musical talent has led him all over the world, but he chose to play music permanently in Loachapoka.

Lord, owner of Fred’s

Pickin’ Parlor and Fred’s Feed and Seed, has a passion for bringing music to the community.

The idea for the Pickin’ Parlor, where live music is played in the warehouse next to the feed and seed during the warmer months, had been on Lord’s mind for quite some time.

“I’ve toyed around with (the idea) for years,” Lord said. “We had pickin’s and stuff, and my friends said, ‘You know, we need to do this regular.’”

The Tampa native has been playing music for 48 years—the result of growing up in a musical family.

“My momma and grandmother played piano,” Lord said. “My momma played trumpet, and then I had an aunt who played the organ and piano in church. Then I

had an uncle who played the saxophone. So I didn’t really have much of a choice.”

It took Lord more than a couple seconds to count up the number of instruments that he can play before coming to a conclusion.

“Probably around 20,” Lord said, including, but not limited to, the fiddle, viola, bagpipes, dobro, banjo, clarinet, violin, mandolin and guitar.

“I’m still learning every day,” Lord said.

Lord’s talent led him to travel the world during tours with the United Service Organizations in the early 1970s.

The musician and composer played in Saudi Arabia, Germany and Greece, even all the way to Greenland— just 60 miles south of the North Pole—where Lord

Thursday, February 3, 2011

had an unfortunate incident with the 80 degree below zero weather: his brand new Ray-Ban sunglasses froze to his ears and nose.

Back home in Loachapoka, Lord passes on his gift by giving music lessons during the week to students ranging from 8 to 70 years old. “(Music’s) one of life’s simpler pleasures,” Lord said.

“It’s self-gratifying. If you ever get depressed—everybody has mood changes— all I gotta do is sit down and play or write something.”

It’s not uncommon for Lord to jump up on stage with his musical guests, playing anything from jazz to folk to Celtic-Irish.

“It’s worked out pretty good,” Lord said. “I’m real pleased. Plus, being out of the feed business, shoot, my back don’t hurt no more.”

MARIA IAMPIETRO / ASSOCIATE PHOTO EDITOR

Fred Lord, owner of Fred’s Feed and Seed, gives music lessons at the Pickin’ Parlor in Loachapoka.

CALENDAR: THURSDAY, FEB. 3 – SATURDAY, FEB. 12 SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

AUBURN GAS MONITOR

FRIDAY 3

Drawing on Alabama Exhibition

Arena ■ 8:00 p.m.

4:00 p.m.

■ Auburn

6

7

Women’s Francine Basketball vs. D’Amour Miss State Lecture in French ■ Auburn

Arena ■ 2:00 p.m.

■ 2223 Stu-

dent Center ■ 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

8

Career Expo: Engineering and Technical Majors

■ Hotel at AU

and Dixon CC ■ 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

9

Panel Speakers from the National Center for the Study of Civil Rights

■ 2222 Stu-

dent Center ■ 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.

4

Men’s Basketball vs.

Tennessee

■ Biggin Hall ■ 8:00 a.m. to

10

ISO Talent Show

■ AUSC Ballroom

5

Auburn Men’s Ice Hockey Final Home Game (Senior Night)

■ Columbus

Civic Center ■ TBA

11

RBDpalooza, Auburn Student Game Night

■ 6:00 p.m. to ■ RBD Library 7:00 p.m.

WEEK OF FEB. 3

SATURDAY

Learning Commons ■ 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

12

Location

Reg

Mid

Prem

Shell — Glenn and Gay

2.919

3.039

3.159

Circle K — Glenn and Gay

2.939

3.079

3.219

Shell — Wire

2.969

3.109

3.249

Walmart — South College

2.999

3.119

3.239

Exxon — Wire

3.099

3.199

3.299

Chevron — Wire

3.099

3.299

3.399

Chevron — South College

3.099

3.299

3.499

Chevron — University

3.159

3.259

3.359

BP — Samford and Gay

3.159

3.259

3.599

Chevron — Glenn

3.159

3.319

3.459

Average

3.060

3.198

3.348

Storybook Farm Cowboy Roundup

■ Storybook

Farm ■ 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

$3.40 $3.15 $2.90 $2.65 $2.40 Dec. 2, 2010

Jan. 20, 2010

Regular

Jan.27, 2010

Mid

Feb. 3, 2010

Premium

Council targets rickety buildings Jeremy Gerrard ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

The number of dilapidated buildings clinging to life around Auburn has raised concern for some citizens.

At the Feb. 1 meeting of the Auburn City Council, Councilwoman Sheila Eckman directed the discussion into the issue after the council voted to demolish a structure on Railroad Avenue earlier in the evening.

Eckman noted ten structures were demolished in 2010 and asked City Manager Charles M. Duggan if this would be the same goal for 2011.

“Our goal is to remove all dilapidated structures from the city,” Duggan said. “We do make this a priority.”

Many of the buildings in question, however, may not fall into the category of dilapidated, but are still an

eyesore to the community.

“It has to be a danger to someone entering the building,” Duggan said.

Also discussed was the topic of fences, specifically residential, which Eckman said needs to be dealt with if Auburn wants to continue to be a progressive city.

While Eckman said she has concerns regarding privacy and curb appeal of residential fences, safety is also an issue for children who may not understand the danger when coming into contact with electric fences—a problem in Eckman’s ward.

“There is very little in our ordinances that say what kind of fence you can have,” Eckman said.

Other items on the agenda included the appointment of three members to the board of zoning

“

Our goal is to remove all dilapidated structures from the city.”

—Charlie Duggan CITY MANAGER

adjustment, $260,594 to be allocated for a crosswalk and a safe route to school sidewalk to be constructed on South College Street.

The council also recognized Duggan for 20 years of service to the community.

Others recognized included Eric Moyers and Arndt Siepmann, five years; Kevin Kelly, 10 years; Steve Pugh, 25 years; and James Jennings, employee of the month.

Opelika Council says no to store Alison McFerrin ASSOCIATE NEW EDITOR

The Opelika City Council closed the door permanently on a local grocery store at Tuesday’s meeting.

In a three to one vote, the City Council opted not to approve a zoning ordinance that would allow Joseph Kindred’s store to operate in a residential district.

“It is very clear that this particular place is spot zoning,” said Councilwoman Patricia Jones. “There is not anything in that area that is moving in a commercial capacity.”

Joseph Kindred’s store has been closed since summer 2009. Because it had been operating in a residential area, once the store remained closed for seven months, it became illegal to re-open it.

Councilman Joey Motley said it met only two of the

ALISON MCFERRIN / ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR

The Opelika City Council discusses the store re-opening. five criteria used to determine legality.

“It’s not in the best interest of Opelika for that store to be opened in a residential area,” Motley said. “Can you say there’s a need? I don’t know. I’m not qualified to say whether there is or there isn’t. I don’t see a need there.”

The only member of the Council who voted in favor

of the store was David Canon, who was also involved with the planning commission on figuring out a legal way to rezone the area.

Other items on the agenda included the renewal of contracts with companies that service the Opelika Sportsplex and Aquatic Center and the decision to move forward with the red light cameras initiative.

Campus Thursday, February 3, 2011

Langdon opens

Miss AU

» PAGE B5

» PAGE B3

www.theplainsman.com

B Page B1

SGA ELECTIONS 2011 PRESIDENT

KIRBY TURNAGE BALLOT POSITION #1

TREVOR RAMSEY

KEL JACKSON

BALLOT POSITION #2

BALLOT POSITION #3

Turnage, senior in finance, has served as assistant vice president of auxiliary services, on the University dining satisfaction council and the University concessions board, as an SGA senator-at-large and director of the High School Leadership conference.

Ramsey, senior in biomedical sciences, pre-med, has served as SGA director of spirit, SGA assistant director of city relations, social fraternity executive, COSAM peer instructor, and on the SGA health and wellness committee.

Dining options ■ Offer more all-you-can-eat options ■ Lower meal costs by holding Chartwell’s accountable to their contract with the University ■ Work to provide breakfast at the Student Center Chick-fil-A

Game day ■ Increase interaction between students and coaching staff/athletes ■ Better food options in the stadium ■ Improve student ticket system and lobby for extra student section in the upper deck

Jackson, senior in mechanical engineering, is the founding president of the Harold A. Franklin Society, has served as professional committee chairman of the SAA board of directors, SGA assistant vice president of facilities, CEO/President of RCM RC Products LLC and chairman of the Jackson Real Estate Group.

Student life

■ Build a comprehensive online system, “HeAUrd That!” for students to voice their concerns

■ Develop a mobile app for smart phones to supply students with anything they could need to know

■ Create an official online ticket exchange to electronically transfer student tickets Transportation

■ Secure long-term, sustainable funding to allow

the Toomer’s Ten to continue operations, and work to expand routes and improve pick up timing

Classes ■ Work to ensure class availability doesn’t hinder expected graduation dates and that students receive reliable information and availability from advisers “We can make students own this campus and shift some of that power back to them and give them a voice.”

Student experience

Parking ■ Add over 2,100 C-zone parking spaces Dining

■ Add dining venues to create 24-hour dining availability

■ Improve advising, tutoring and OIT services ■ More options, services for international students ■ Oversight of Health and Wellness Center ■ Improve on-campus dining options

■ Allow required Dining Dollars to be spent at ath-

Student unity and awareness ■ Increase interaction among student organizations ■ Utilize Eagle Eye for monthly SGA reports ■ Create a portion of SGA that will deal directly with student concerns

■ Expand Textbook Reserve program ■ Allow job interviews to be excused absences ■ Offer free Scantrons to students that need them

Freshman retention rates ■ Lobby for more on-campus housing ■ Create a freshman mentoring program ■ Increase awareness of the city of Auburn

Academics

SGA

■ Create press secretary position and publicity initiatives within SGA

■ Hold SGA town hall meetings every semester ■ Implement an open door policy for the SGA president

“You can talk to me, call me, text me, e-mail me. I’m going to answer my phone—I’ll be right there. If you have a question about something, we are going to do our best through SGA to take care of that.”

VICE PRESIDENT

letic events

■ Work for fair prices of food on campus

“I’m not running to be the boss, I’m running to have 25,000 bosses. My job is never done until the concerns of all these students are alleviated.”

TREASURER

Tarpos, junior in English, has served in the SGA as a senator-at-large, student interests chair, on the student safety council, as the IMPACT project coordinator, assistant director of high school leadership conference and assistant director of freshman forum.

Stevenson, junior in civil engineering, has served in the SGA as executive secretary, assistant director of volunteers, assistant treasurer of the Panhellenic cabinet, social sorority leadership chairman, ODK honorary and SGA senate parliamentarian.

■ Ensure student fees are

■ Post passed legislation on

the SGA website, including the outcome of each vote ■ Implement a “meet your senators” table ■ Begin a freshman representation to the student senate ■ Improve iTunesU so all majors post content for students that miss class ■ Continue to work on existing initiatives, such as the Textbook Reserve program ■ Senate to take an active role in improving the Tiger Transit system’s usage

handled with honesty

■ Closely monitor line-item budgets for SAP programs

■ Maintain Auburn’s relation-

VANESSA TARPOS

CURRY STEVENSON

“Ever since I stepped foot on this campus, I’ve been involved in student government.”

“The most important thing I can do is be accountable and make sure that I’m holding everyone accountable for the money they’re spending.”

ships with Verizon Wireless and Balfour ■ Educate the Senate on handling budget and finance requests to ensure funds are spent appropriately ■ Continue the effort to publish the yearly budget online ■ Encourage financial accountability and show discernment in decisions regarding the treasurer position

Campus B2

The Auburn Plainsman

Thursday, February 3, 2011

MISS AUBURN

MEGAN MURPHY

MILLIE HARRISON

Major: communication disorders Hometown: Abbeville Why she decided to run: “I wanted to run for Miss Auburn because it is such an opportunity to represent the University that I love. I’ve been given so much from Auburn. I wanted an opportunity to give back, and what better way to give back than Miss Auburn?”

Platform: “Our local businesses in Auburn really prosper during the fall—football season—but then in the spring and summer, they struggle a little bit. What I wanted to do is partner with the city of Auburn. They have a program called “Think Auburn First.”

They want people to think Auburn businesses before they go to larger conglomerate stores.

I wanted to partner with them and potentially have an event downtown, like an open house with coupons and trunk shows, but basically just get the awareness out there that we need to shop local and support our local businesses.”

Major: communication Hometown: Florence Why she decided to run: “I’ve always heard Miss Auburn is a symbol of women’s leadership, and she’s the official hostess of Auburn University, so it’s a humbling thing to be nominated for it.”

Platform: “My platform is that I’m working with Career Development Services to create a student Web program called ‘Peer Career Advisers,’ and I just think that Career Development Services is a wonderful, but often untapped resource on Auburn’s campus.

They’ve just really given me a lot of guidance because I did not know what I wanted to do with my life my first two years at Auburn, and they just really clarified everything for me. Sixty-three percent of Auburn’s undergraduate students graduate within six years, and of that 63 percent, only half of them graduate within four years. Economically it’s not feasible for a lot of students to stay here that long.

COURTNI WARD

LINDSEY GILLEN

WHITLEY KELLEY

Major: international business and Spanish Hometown: Exeter, N.H.

Major: psychology with minor in hunger studies Hometown: Guntersville

Major: cell and molecular biology Hometown: Jasper

Why she decided to run: “I have served as a War Eagle Girl, and it really changed me as a person to be able to represent this University. I realized I would be so honored to even run for this position and be able to share with people about where my heart is and why I would love to give back to Auburn University.”

Why she decided to run: “While I’ve been at Auburn, I have been involved in a bunch of different roles where I’ve really gotten to be a student leader. I think Miss Auburn is the culmination of all those different roles. As a Camp War Eagle counselor, I was a host for students. As a senator, I’m a voice for students. As the director of Aubie, I communicate as an ambassador for Auburn. Miss Auburn is all those roles coming together—you are a host, you are an ambassador, and you are a voice for students.”

Why she decided to run: “A lot of the things I’ve gotten to do at Auburn have been oriented toward serving Auburn.

The fact that the underlying theme was to give something back to Auburn is something that meant a lot to me. If I get selected at Miss Auburn, then I would have yet another opportunity to serve the University in a very public way.”

Platform: “My platform is all about doing what’s in front of you to fight the war on hunger, focusing on the things right here in Lee County we can make a difference with, like volunteering at the Community Market and the East Alabama Food Bank and helping out with Campus Kitchen projects and just everything that we can do right here.

Anyone who buys a T-shirt to support me during campaign week, a dollar of those proceeds will go to the Committee of 19 and the United Nations World Food Program.”

Platform: “I’m hoping to raise awareness of the plight of foster care in our area as well as raise money for the BigHouse foundation of Opelika. Basically their mission is to connect the needs of foster children to the love and generosity of our community. They try to provide a normal experience for foster children.”

Platform: “It’s to promote and encourage participation in research activities on campus, especially undergraduate research. My aim, if elected as Miss Auburn, is just to promote those opportunities.

My ultimate goal would be to help create an online database where it would be easier to look up those kinds of programs. It’s a matter of promoting undergraduate research and making sure that students are aware that it’s out there, and the ways there are to get involved.”

Remembering the championship with style Alexandria Smith WRITER

Action Sports Art, a company commissioned by Auburn University to create an artwork that reflects the perfect football season, has a patented process to create unique artwork.

First, they take a photo and break down the image digitally. After the breakdown, the next step is to rebuild the image with a seven-step process.

The piece, named “All In,” shows Wes Byrum kicking the winning field goal during the last second of the National Championship game. In the background is a compilation of different scenes from the game and the season.

Nick Fairley, Michael Dyer, Cameron Newton and Gene Chizik are the faces

featured in some of the background images. Artist Chad Martin incorporated these faces since they all held pivotal roles in achieving an undefeated season.

The 54 by 72 inch piece took Martin close to two weeks to complete.

“I chose this scene because there was not one predominant player that stuck out in the championship game,” Martin said.

“The kick was the moment Auburn fans knew that they had sealed the deal.”

Action Sports Art sent a photographer to Glendale, Ariz. who was able to capture different elements of the game that would contribute to the piece.

Action Sports Art, located in Birmingham, is a new company started almost a year ago.

Unfortunately, working with the athletics department to feature student athletes is not as easy as just painting on a canvas.

There are many issues with licensing that the people at Action Sports Art and Auburn had to deal with.

The University has to ensure that the company they hire knows how to go about creating a piece while also going through the legalities to do everything correctly.

Susan Smith works for Auburn as director of Trademark Management and Licensing. Smith said her job was to find an artist, approve the product, and send the art to the Athletic Department to approve as well.

Jon Sirico, Auburn’s director of athletic marketing, was in charge of approving

the piece and ensuring that Auburn did not do anything to violate NCAA rules.

“We hired Action Sports Art because they have a

good idea of what looks good and what sells,” Sirico said. “Action Sports Art is officially licensed and has done this before and they

know the legalities.”

This company has designed six previous works for Auburn, so they were an easy choice, Sirico said.

AU View

REBEKAH WEAVER / ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR

Cassie Lewis enjoys recent warm weather in her hammock at Town Creek Park.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Campus B3

The Auburn Plainsman

Miss Auburn University crown passes at pageant Bianca Seward

she can have a big impact on campus and in the community.”

The Miss AU pageant serves as a preliminary round for the Miss Alabama pageant, currently scheduled for the second week in June.

“I expect and hope to learn so much from this experience,” Williams said.

“I know that with even my first appearance as Miss Auburn University, anything I could have imagined will be shattered in comparison.”

The 23 pageant contestants faced four sections— the on-stage question, swimwear, talent and evening wear.

On-stage questions covered funding for education, health care and the influence of the MTV program “Teen Mom.” Talent was worth 35 percent of the overall score, and Haley Ates placed first with her vocal rendition of “I’m Not Afraid of Anything.”

Contestants also showed their talent by playing handbells and clogging.

“The best part of the Miss Auburn University pageant is the stress on a well-rounded winner,” said Kindall Tucker, sophomore in communication disorders. “I think even if you aren’t the type of person who would enter a pageant, you can still learn from the contestants.”

Rebecca Hart, senior in communication disorders and 2010 Miss AU, was present to pass the crown to Williams.

“By letting my true self shine through and being genuine in all of my actions and words, I have achieved so much,” Williams said.

“This is the example I hope to set for young women.”

Writer

First time’s a charm.

Emilee Williams, junior in civil engineering, had never competed in a pageant until Friday night.

At the end of the threehour competition, Williams took home the crown.

“I tried to search within myself for who I truly was and the experiences that brought me to this point in my life,” Williams said.

Williams is from Athens, Ala., and said she plans to use her year as Miss Auburn University to promote her platform, “Food for Thought: Domestic Hunger Awareness.”

“I am so passionate about my platform,” Williams said.

“We have so much support in the Auburn community here. To me this platform holds so much promise.”

Williams said when she was in high school, she volunteered at a local food bank. While filing paperwork for people in need, she spotted names of two of her fellow classmates.

“I had no idea how prevalent a problem domestic hunger was before then,” Williams said.

Williams said she wants to get those in need of assistance involved and aware of safety-net programs so they can fight domestic hunger.

Miss Auburn University makes about 100 appearances at community events during her yearlong term, said Michelle Murphy, pageant adviser.

“She promotes both her personal platform as well as Children’s Miracle Network, the national platform of the Miss America program,” Murphy said. “By serving others and bring awareness to important causes,

Emily Adams / Photo Editor

Emilee Williams is crowned 2011 Miss Auburn University at Friday night’s pageant at the Student Activities Center.

Emily Adams / Photo Editor

Emilee Williams reacts to being named the next Miss AU.

Emily Adams / Photo Editor

Emilee Williams accepts the title of Miss Auburn University.

Emory professor lectures Women helping women on molecules, evolution EGG DONORS NEEDED Annie Faulk

relates to the origins of life.

Lynn and his research colleagues at Emory are exploring treatments for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease.

The understanding of molecular organization is part of Lynn’s research and lecture.

He is studying how neurodegenerative cells organize incorrectly and fail to function properly.

The David G. Lynn Group from Emory University works to comprehend molecular structures and how chemical information can be manipulated for new functions.

Lynn explains that through evolution, molecular structures were tested and some structures “gave functions, while others did not.”

“These are complicated things that impact our life,” Lynn said.

However, the lecture will be accessible to people

Staff Writer

Through years of science classes, we learned molecules surround us and make up essentially everything we encounter.

David Lynn, professor of chemistry and biology at Emory University and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute professor, will give a lecture titled “Intelligent Molecules and the Emergence of Life.”

The lecture will be held at 4 p.m. Feb. 8 in the Science Center Auditorium.

“While science forces me to ask questions, the interface of the arts helps me understand,” Lynn said.

The lecture is not simply science oriented—the humanities are represented as well.

Lynn said he hopes the attendees grasp an understanding of how molecules organize themselves into complex structures and how this organization

without technical or scientific backgrounds.

“He explains things to the general public in an easy way,” said Gerard Elfstrom, Mosey professor in philosophy. “He’s a down-to-earth guy, unassuming and honest.”

Lynn’s lecture is part of the Littleton-Franklin Lecture Series in the College of Liberal Arts, which promotes a relationship between sciences and humanities.

“Given the theme, he fit very well,” Elfstrom said.

Lynn has collaborated with dance companies in Chicago, Seattle and Washington, D.C., despite being a chemist.

In 1972 he was the ACC Epee Champion in fencing.

“He’s an accomplished researcher, active in humanities as well,” Elfstrom said.

Lynn has done interviews with CNN and NPR and lectured for the Atlanta Botanical Society.

The Reproductive Biology Egg Bank is seeking women between the ages of 21 and 30 who would like to donate their eggs to infertile couples who otherwise could not conceive.

Your donation is completely anonymous and compensation of $6000 – $8000 will be paid for your valuable time.

The advantages of donating to the RBA Egg Bank include: • Quicker compensation, as no matching is needed • Donation done at your convenience; no recipient coordination required • Increased compensation with additional donations • Decrease in cost for recipients, allowing more women to utilize this technology who otherwise could not For more information about our EGG DONATION PROGRAM call 404-843-0579 or visit our website at www.rba-online.com.

calendar: Thursday, Feb. 3 – Saturday, Feb. 12 Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

3 Men’s basketball vs.

Tennessee

Saturday

4

5

Gymnastics vs.

Kentucky

■ Auburn ■ Auburn Arena

Arena

■ 8 p.m.

6 Women’s basketball vs. Mississippi State

■ Auburn Arena 2 p.m.

■

7 Lecture: Francine D’Amour

8 Lecture: David Lynn

■ Student ■ Sciences

Center Center AuRoom 2223 ditorium 3:30 p.m.

4 p.m.

■

■

9

■ 7 p.m.

10

Film: “The Apostle”

■ Jule Col-

lins Smith Museum of Art 6 p.m.

■

11

12 Men’s basketball vs.

Mississippi State

■ Auburn Arena 6 p.m.

■

New hope. New life.

1150 Lake Hearn Drive, Suite 400 Atlanta, GA 30342 404.257.1900 / 888.722.4483 www.rba-online.com

Campus B4

The Auburn Plainsman

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Earning degrees from home Distance learning program offers master’s degrees around the world Chelsea Harvey ASSISTANT CAMPUS EDITOR

Higher education and a full-time job seem like mutually exclusive ideas.

Auburn’s distance learning program solves this problem.

Electronically Delivered Graduate Education (EDGE) is offered through the College of Engineering and the College of Business.

The program provides a way for students to earn a master’s degree without coming to campus.

Although the program only offers degrees at the master’s level, students can also choose to take doctorate courses in order to further their advancement toward a Ph.D.

The program does not offer any courses at the undergraduate level, said Wanda Lambert, marketing director of engineering continuing education and distance graduate education.

“I think the University realized many, many years ago that the requirements at the graduate level are more individual than at the undergraduate level,” Lambert said. “So that’s the reason it makes it easier to do graduate level courses.”

The program caters to full-time professionals who wish to obtain a degree without giving up their jobs.

“The advantages of distance is a professional can obtain the master’s level degree without leaving their job, without relocating their family, and they can continue to work on pursuing their professional goals at the same time getting this master’s,” Lambert said.

Other participants in the distance learning program include international students and members of the military who move too frequently to attend on-campus courses.

Although their degree is earned off-campus, distance students receive the same education as on-campus students.

“People will ask me, ‘Wanda, is my diploma gonna say distance education?’

The answer’s no,” Lambert said.

Distance courses are provided by filming regular classes and streaming them online using a technology specifically developed for the purpose by Auburn’s distance learning program, said Greg Ruff, director of engineering outreach and continuing education.

“We developed it here because everything we looked

at in other places didn’t measure up to the kinds of things that we needed,” Ruff said.

“One of the best things about it is that computer graphics that are stressed a lot because of engineering look as good from our service as they would if you were sitting in the classroom.”

The delivery system has been copyrighted and will be shared with the rest of Auburn free of charge.

However, there are plans to sell the system to other universities.

“We know that three other universities are already interested. Three big ones,”

Ruff said.

The only potential disadvantage to the program is the problem with communication between professors and students.

“The off-campus people don’t, even if they have a question, they don’t get the opportunity to interrupt and ask,” Hartfield said.

“And that can be a problem for the off-campus student, regardless. They’ll have to call and ask me a question later.”

Hartfield said students must also submit homework and receive grades via e-mail.

However, he said the inconveniences are worth it for students who would not otherwise be able to obtain a degree.

The program is also beneficial to the University as well as the students.

“It benefits our program because we are able to get some high quality students into our program that helps us to build our quality on our program that we wouldn’t otherwise be able to get,” Hartfield said.

In addition to graduate courses, the distance

program also offers courses in continuing education, which is required for most professional engineers.

“There are requirements for continuing education in almost every state, and Auburn’s continuing education program is recognized in 41 states. We provide continuing education short courses for license renewals for engineers and land surveyors and now for architects,” Ruff said.

“What normally happens is states, for instance like Alabama, will require professional engineers to have 15 clock hours of continuing education every year.

And we provide 90 short courses right now, 90 short courses for them to pick from.”

Both the master’s program and the continuing education program are housed by Auburn, but the programs themselves are otherwise self-sufficient and receive no state funds.

“Everything that we get comes from the sale of courses for continuing education or under credit courses for tuition,” Ruff said.

Hunger Studies Capstone prepares to save the world Victoria Rodgers WRITER

Feed the hungry. Serve the poor. It’s all too easy to become immune to the call for good deeds in a starving world.

But for 16 students currently enrolled in the Hunger Studies Capstone course, they are living this reality one class at a time.

“When you think of hunger you always think of little starving kids in Africa, but through our class I’ve had the opportunity to volunteer in this community working with the hungry poor,” said Lindsey Gillen, junior in psychology. “I just decided it was much more my issue than I ever knew.”

The course has two main components, an in-depth research project and continuing the Campus Kitchens project, said Katie Brock, fourth-year Auburn professor and one of the course leaders.

“It’s not just me downloading information on them,” Brock said. “It’s them actively pursuing the journey we’re on together.”

The Campus Kitchens project sends students to dining halls and local restaurants to recycle

untouched food that will be thrown out at the end of the day, converting these donations into healthy and nourishing meals for the hungry.

Campus Kitchens is currently located on 28 campuses across the nation.

Last year’s Hunger Studies Capstone brought it to Auburn.

“This class is going to try to put meat on the bones of the organization and really make it a sustainable presence on our campus,” Brock said.

To further bring the project to life in Auburn, the class has split into groups such as business, public relations and distribution sites.

“Our biggest focus right now is to find more places, especially in better areas where more people can come,” said Tess Burford, junior in rehabilitation services and member of the distribution sites group.

The group’s first main site is Auburn United Methodist Church’s Food Pantry, where church volunteers serve meals every Friday.

“You are given so much responsibility and have the opportunity to learn by being exposed to things by

developing your own opinions about them,” Gillen said.

Douglas Coutts, Auburn’s distinguished visiting professor, is credited with developing the course. Coutts has more than 23 years experience working with the United Nation’s World Food Programme.

“The professors leave it open for you to form your own opinions and come up with your own experiences, but they have so much background knowledge that it is just a very educational and well-rounded experience,” Gillen said.

The Hunger Studies Capstone class is one of the requirements for the hunger studies minor.

“The goal of hunger studies here on this campus is to show students that whatever their chosen field is, with the hunger minor they can impact change in the world,” Brock said.

Gillen and Burford both plan on completing the minor.

Burford plans on taking her hunger background to foreign countries while also using her degree in rehabilitation services to bring prostheses for amputees.

Self-expression comes full circle Publication showcases art, writing Alexandria Smith WRITER

It can be hard to find a means of artistic expression amidst the madness of homework and class. But once a semester the opportunity arises.

The Auburn Circle is a publication for the community to show its diverse talents in areas like poetry, fiction and nonfiction literature, art and photography.

Robert Irwin, senior in English and editor-in-chief of the Auburn Circle, said one of his goals as editor this year is to inform the student body about the Circle.

“We are about expressing a special literary and artistic interest that Auburn students have,” Irwin said. “The Circle is a medium to show off talents and creativity that promote the spirit of the Auburn family.”

Any student, faculty

“

The Circle is a medium to show off talents and creativity that promote the spirit of the Auburn family.”

—Robert Irwin EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

member or alumni can submit work to the Circle.

This year, an Auburn alumnus from Maine contacted the publication to submit a piece, Irwin said.

Evan Dodd, sophomore staff member for the poetry section, said he helps choose what submissions will be in the final publication.

In addition to being on staff, Dodd also has four poetry submissions of his own in the fall edition.

As a mechanical engineering major, Dodd does not have much of an outlet

in his courses to use his talent of writing poetry. He said The Auburn Circle has provided him a place to get involved as well as an opportunity to get published.

Mobile Interstate Publishing Inc. publishes the Auburn Circle after it has been put together by the staff. Usually 5000–6000 copies are produced.

“I was surprised to see so many abstract paintings in the fall edition,” said Claire Wood, sophomore in molecular biology and art staff member for the Circle. “We are used to seeing more realistic paintings, but I enjoyed the really colorful, interesting paintings this time.”

To get published in the Auburn Circle, students must submit their work to the Auburn Circle Office in the Student Center. After that, the staff looks at them all and votes on what works should be included.

The Auburn Circle produces two issues a year, fall and spring. The spring issue will be released in April.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Campus B5

The Auburn Plainsman

Langdon Hall receives total makeover Victoria Rodgers WRITER

Langdon Hall has recently come out of retirement to help accommodate this year’s large freshman class.

The University had a demand for space and invested in the unoccupied 10,502-square-foot building.

Langdon is now remodeled and started holding classes this spring in its new lecture hall.

Reconstruction on the building started summer 2010 and the first floor was completed this fall.

“The building doesn’t look brand new, but it still looks like a modern day classroom,” said Courtney Henderson, senior in biomedical sciences.

Remodeling the ground level from an auditorium with theatre seating to a large lecture-based classroom cost $300,000, according to Ron Booth from Auburn’s facilities department.

“We knew eventually we needed to do something with it because it was underutilized space,” said Dan King, vice president of the Auburn facilities department.

The University greatly needed space for its growing population.

“With these bigger freshman classes, it’s going to put more pressure on existing big classrooms like Lowder,” King said. “So any place where we can create a big

lecture hall, we’re better off.”

Langdon was suffering from various mechanical problems from the ventilating, heating and cooling systems and also needed a complete interior makeover.

“There was not much you could keep,” King said.

The mechanical systems were replaced along with the seating, lighting, ceiling and wood flooring.

Pictures of the original building and other historic portraits hang inside of the remodeled building.

The Office of Information Technology installed up-todate teaching technology and visual aids.

“It appears they just set up a projector screen,” Henderson said.

In months to come, a permanent brick handicap ramp will be built on the north side of the building, but for now a temporary ramp serves in its place.

Langdon Hall was originally built for the Masonic Female Seminary in 1846 and was later moved to Auburn’s campus in 1883.

The auditorium was last fully remodeled in 1950, according to the Auburn University’s Library of Architecture, Design and Construction website.

Langdon Hall was named after Auburn trustee Charles Carter Langdon and is flush with Auburn history.

The building held various political meetings in the University’s early years and also held temporary classes when Samford burned in 1887.

In 1892 Langdon‘s ground floor held engineering departments, which were some of the first in the South.

Many departments have called Langdon home.

Wood-work, machines, home electronics, the YMCA, Auburn band, campus photographers and the alumni association all have stories inside Langdon’s walls; keeping the building in use helps the University keep its history.

“At first, I couldn’t believe I had classes in Langdon because it’s not in COSAM,” Henderson said. “It was just out of the way.”

Although restoring the building is in high demand, there are still no definite plans for remodeling the basement along with the rest.

“We’re not that far along in the decision process yet,” King said.

The future for Langdon is unclear, but still bright.

The building should remain useful for years to come as the University continues to grow.

“There’s always a huge demand for more space, so we won’t have any trouble finding someone who wants to go in there,” King said.

CHRISTEN HARNED / ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR

The inside of Langdon has been remodeled to serve as a lecture hall for various classes.

CHRISTEN HARNED / ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR

Langdon is equipped with temporary handicap access until a permanent ramp is built.

App provides updates on community events Mackenzie Cogle WRITER

Auburn alumni Todd Gilbert and Scott Taylor have developed Auburn Pulse, an iPhone application that makes what’s happening on The Loveliest Village of the Plains a lot easier to follow.

When Gilbert and Taylor were roaming the Plains as students in the mid ‘90s, owning a cell phone was a distant dream.

Released in the iPhone App Store at the end of August 2010, the Auburn Pulse app is free for the iPhone and provides constant live updates of the events and specials downtown.

The Auburn Pulse app is updated weekly through a blog run by Gilbert and gives users a link to menu and drink specials offered

each week at different restaurants and bars.

“A lot of apps are run by big companies, but Todd (Gilbert) lives in Auburn and is tapped in to what’s going on,” Taylor said.

The music schedule on the app gives a line-up of what bands are playing at the bars in Auburn every week, and each restaurant and bar featured on the app has its own page with the menu and hours of operation listed.

The Auburn Pulse app took Gilbert and Taylor about three weeks to develop. Taylor developed and wrote the program for the app while Gilbert designed the look and provides updates.

The Auburn Pulse app features an academic calendar,

a link to The Corner News and an “Out-and-About” editorial. An interactive map of downtown with a GPS feature shows users their exact location in Auburn.

The e-coupon link includes electronic coupons that users can present at specific venues by showing the coupon on an iPhone screen.

Live “push” messages from Auburn Pulse send alerts to users with up-tothe-minute happenings and specials.

“If there is a change in the band scheduled for the night, or there is no cover charge at a bar for a limited time, Auburn Pulse users can be notified,” Gilbert said.

The Auburn Pulse app has more than 3,000 users for

the iPhone, and a version for Android devices will be available in March.

“I’ve had it for two months, and I really like it,” said Kaitlin Wiltse, junior in psychology. “It’s how I find out what’s going on downtown.”

Unlike many apps for the iPhone, Auburn Pulse doesn’t require a new version to be downloaded when content changes.

Gilbert and Taylor plan to add new features to Auburn Pulse as more people add the app. Gilbert plans to have a photographer working at different bars and events to take “Party Pics” for the app and website.

“We want people to realize it’s a tool for them and can enhance their social experience,” Gilbert said.

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To Place a Classified Ad Email classad@auburn.edu or Call 334–844–7928 The Auburn Plainsman reserves the right to refuse any ad it considers misleading or in poor taste. No work at home ads will be accepted.

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Campus B6

The Auburn Plainsman

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Kappa Delta fights child abuse with Shamrock Run Miranda Dollarhide INTRIGUE EDITOR

For Kappa Delta’s 18th annual Shamrock 5K run, they’re hoping to have the luck of the Irish.

As one of Kappa Delta’s biggest philanthropy events of the year, the sorority will host its 5K Feb. 26.

Eighty percent of proceeds will go to Lee County Stop Child Abuse and Neglect Special Deliveries and 20 percent to Prevention of Child Abuse America.

Special Deliveries is a local charity that helps young, single mothers and helps prevent child abuse.

Ballard Lander, sophomore in pre-pharmacy and director of the Shamrock Run, said as part of Special Deliveries, young mothers can take classes and go to counseling sessions where they can obtain “baby bucks” to buy diapers and basic necessities.

Some of their proceeds go to a store Special Deliveries stocks where these mothers can spend their baby bucks.

“We love Special Deliveries, which is here locally,” Lander said. “I think a lot of people want to come support that because it is local.”

PCAA is the sorority’s national philanthropic organization.

Lander said she believes it is important to give back to the community.

“Our chapter believes we are all so blessed to have been raised in a loving family, and so many people don’t have that,” Lander said. “Every child deserves to be loved and shown with respect.”

Last year, KD raised more than $30,000 from runner participation and donations for these charities.

KD president Haley Bagwell said she hopes to improve from last year.

Traditionally, the 5K took place in March near St. Patrick’s Day. “We hope because it is in February there is a better turnout,” Bagwell said.

“There is not as much going on.”

KD has been planning for the 5K since last year’s ended.

Bagwell said they got together and talked about what went well and on what they could improve.

Lander was chosen as the director of the 5K in December and worked continuously during Christmas Break to get everything together.

“Ballard worked long, hard hours,” Bagwell said.

The race will begin at the KD chapter room in Willow Hall in the Village and will end in the RO parking lot on West Thach Avenue.

Raffle prizes will be provided for contestants, including Nalgene water

PLAINSMAN ARCHIVES

Runners gather outside the Kappa Delta chapter room before the 2010 5K Shamrock Run. bottles, coffee mugs and gift certificates from community establishments.

Registration starts at 7

On the Concourse

a.m., and the race begins at 8 a.m.

Pre-registration is $15 and can be filled out at

www.auburn.edu/kd. Registration the day of the race is $17, and all participants receive a T-shirt.

Question:

What do you think SGA does for you?

“I honestly don’t keep up with SGA, so I have no idea.”

“I think they provide very good opportunities to get involved and give back to Auburn and the community.”

“I’m not really sure. I think there should be more events showing what SGA is about.”

—Houston Love, senior, pre-pharmacy

—Kate Patrick, freshman, elementary education

—Andrew Yawn, sophomore, journalism

“I think they work to try to promote campus interests and resolve problems.”

“They work hard to make campus life better.”

“I don’t really know.”

—Meha Jha, sophomore, chemical engineering

—David Serra, sophomore, mechanical engineering

—Ansley Norman, sophomore, hotel and restaurant management

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YOUR SOURCE FOR CAMPUS NEWS EVERY THURSDAY

TAYLOR STARER, 19 From sunny Orlando, Fla., this week’s loveliest is dancing into our hearts and eyes. A sophomore in public relations, our loveliest always has a friendly smile ready to brighten days. Her real passion lies beyond the classroom, however.

Taylor is a member of UPC and the Alternative Spring Break program. She also gets down as a member of AU Rhythm. “I’m a free spirit,” she says. Absolutely, Taylor.

But don’t free us from your grip any time soon.

Think you know an Auburn woman who has what it takes to be the Loveliest Lady on the Plains? Send submissions, with names and contact information, to campus@theplainsman.com

Intrigue Thursday, February 3, 2011

Computer Gaming Club

Decorating TOMS

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www.theplainsman.com

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Emily Adams / Photo Editor

Braxton Tanner, sophomore in environmental design, puts on make-up as he prepares to transform into alter ego Joan Oullet Wolfe at Club 322 in Montgomery Saturday night.

Far from a

DRAG

Drag show helps student express inner woman Miranda Dollarhide Intrigue Editor

Braxton Tanner sits alone at a small table in the Gnu’s Room wearing an Auburn baseball cap and a green Hollister sweater. Tanner looks like any college male, but he has a secret that most people couldn’t guess by looking at him.

He is a drag queen.

“I love being able to look like a boy and fool people into thinking I am a woman, and then in 10 minutes go back to being a boy,” said Tanner, sophomore in environmental design.

Tanner said being a drag queen isn’t what most people think.

“A lot of people are confused and think that we as men would like to be women, but that is plainly not the case,” Tanner said. “What drag is, is an art expression. For a lot of us, it’s our theatre.”

He sums it up in one quote.

“To steal a quote from the movie, ‘To Wong Foo,’ ‘Drag is when a gay man has too much style sense for one gender,’” Tanner said.

His start in drag began last August.

“My first time out in drag was to a birthday party,” Tanner said. “Then I started going to clubs.”

One night at a club in Montgomery called 322, Tanner was encouraged to start performing.

“They said, ‘You know what, you look fierce. You should come out for our amateur show,’” Tanner said.

His first time wasn’t a success, but that didn’t stop him.

“I came back, and I started winning competitions,” Tanner said. “Then they asked me to eventually perform on the main stage.”

The “main stage” is a cast of five drag queens who perform Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

“

I like being able to look like a boy and fool people into thinking I am a woman, and then in 10 minutes go back to being a boy.”

—Braxton Tanner, Sophomore, Environmental Design

The cast consists of Tanner, who named his persona Joan Oullet Wolfe, and four other drag queens named Thai, Chloe, Mindy and Felicia.

They perform almost every night there is a show and may be accompanied by a guest or the winner of an amateur show.

“If you win an amateur show, you are given one night to perform in one of the shows on the main stage,” Tanner said.

Tanner said his confidence grew on the main stage from winning numerous amateur nights.

He said the other cast members were surprised by how good he was.

“He performed, and everyone was like ‘Wow, who is this?’” said Chloe VonTrapp, a cast member at 322. “People took notice.”

They were so impressed that they created a position especially for “Joan” on the main stage.

“She was young, fresh and exciting to watch,” VonTrapp said. “She has a lot of natural stage presence.”

Tanner’s success in drag came from taking the time to build his persona. » See Drag, C2

Emily Adams / Photo Editor

emily Adams / Photo Editor

Tanner performs as “Joan” to a rendition of the Britney Spears’ song “Womanizer.”

Tanner adds padding to his shirt to give him a more shapely figure while performing.

Intrigue C2

DRAG » From C1

“I prepared a lot for drag before I ever went out for the first time,” Tanner said, “which is different from a lot of people.”

Once Tanner decided he really wanted to get into drag, he said he saved money and bought expensive make-up and clothes before his debut.

“I really had time to sit and think about what my look was going to look like,” Tanner said. “I was sitting there thinking about a name and so Joan Rivers—just her personality and a little bit of that edge and that crass—was attractive to me. I just thought, ‘I have to incorporate Joan.’”

His drag middle name, Oullet, and last name, Wolfe, were just as inspired.

“Oullet is my drag family name,” Tanner said.

“When I started I was adopted into a drag family and that was my drag family name.”

Tanner was brought into a “drag family” by fellow cast member Mindy Michelle who is known as his drag mother.

Tanner said the part of Joan’s name that best represents her personality is Wolfe.

“I come from a Latino background, so Shakira was another huge inspiration, and she has the album She-Wolf,” Tanner said. “So I took Wolf, and it also was this iconic sort of animal. It has this fierce and this edge to it. It’s very stoic.”

What Tanner most enjoys about being Joan is the illusion it creates.

“I am a fan of the extreme,” Tanner said. “It is like the most stark illusion that you can make to confuse someone into thinking that I am not a man.”

Tanner has created such a good illusion that people actually do mistake him for a woman.

“I have people ask me all the time who know I am a drag queen,” Tanner said, “They say, ‘Please tell me you are a real woman.’”

People may be confused

by Tanner’s gender because of the dedication he puts into actually looking like a woman—not like a man trying to look like a woman.

“He looks very polished,”

The Auburn Plainsman VonTrapp said. “He wears good costumes, and his makeup is amazing, very well put together from head to toe.”

Tanner said he owes his femininity to the region.

“Queens in the Southeast are known for realness, padding,” Tanner said. “We wear hip pads, butt pads. We duct tape our chests and stomach together. We like to literally look like a woman.”

Even though Tanner finds excitement in drag, many people he has encountered don’t understand it.

“It’s either people don’t notice, they really like it or they really don’t like it,” Tanner said. “There is not really any indifference.”

Tanner even had an incident with harassment last year.

He said he filed a report with Auburn Public Safety, but nothing ever became of it.

“I don’t think it is as big a deal for drag kings,” Tanner said. “I think it’s a big deal for drag queens because men have this iconic status, and when you demote yourself down to a woman, in certain people’s minds, it is this shameful sort of deal.”

Tanner receives support from friends and some of his family.

His parents don’t know, but his cousins keep up with his shows.

“I don’t think my parent’s read The Plainsman, but if they do, it’s not the first bridge I’ve had to cross,” Tanner said.

Drag takes up a lot of Tanner’s time, but he doesn’t consider it all he is.

Tanner said he considers drag just a weekend thing.

He spends the rest of his time running around campus attending class, doing things for Spectrum, also known as Gay Straight Alliance, working at the herpetology lab and playing with his pet lizard, Tiki.

He hopes to one day use his environmental design degree to design exhibits for gardens, museums and zoos.

“I like taking something, like a blank slate, and creating something completely different.” Tanner said.

“That is what motivates me into doing things, whether it be my job or drag. It’s the way I live my life.”

Thursday, February 3, 2011

EMILY ADAMS / PHOTO EDITOR

Nick and Julia Wiard spend quality time with their two daughters, Hayden, 3, and Avery, 1, in their dorm suite in Aubie Hall.

A different kind of family The Wiard family calls the residence hall home Emily Clever COPY EDITOR

Up a staircase between Aubie and Eagle halls in the Village live Nick and Julia Wiard and their two daughters, Hayden, 3, and Avery, 1.

While most college students would find this situation unique, Nick said it’s not—many campuses have similar family housing options. Auburn has three or four other live-in families, and it’s actually similar to a family living in a flat in a large city.

Their second daughter Avery was born at the East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika, and the dorm suite is the only living situation she has ever known.

Nick works as the area director for the Village and part of the Quad.

He said his job allows him to be available and on campus full time in case of an emergency, which usually involves assisting in student

Chicken Milanese

personal crises.

“The reason they put us in is for a quick response,” Nick said. “If they need a professional-level response right away—if an emergency happens in a building—I can be over there in about three minutes, as opposed to 15 or 20 minutes for somebody off campus.”

The flat is larger than the standard dorm room, complete with a full-sized kitchen with oven and dishwasher, tons of counter space, a stacking washer and dryer, a bedroom for the girls (large enough for two cribs), a master bedroom and bathroom, a guest bathroom and an office.

“We joke about the fact that if we live in any longer, we’ll just move them down the hall, and they’ll start going to school here,” Nick said. “The other thing that I thought about is a lot of schools have a freshman year live-on requirement, and so both of our girls already fulfilled that in the first couple years of life.”

As with all housing situations, there are some advantages and disadvantages.

One advantage is free rent, just like with student

resident assistants.

“It is an incentive to keep people in that would rather not,” Nick said. “In certain places in the country it’s so expensive to live that you have to provide for your folks because you wouldn’t be able to get them in on the salary they would like to pay most professionals at that level.”

Another is closeness to all the events on the University, like gymnastics meets and basketball games the Wiards only walk two minutes to attend.

“They get to go see Tiger Walk—some people drive three or four hours to get here to see them do that, and we walk out six minutes,” Nick said.

But not having a carport or yard, the constant fire drills and worrying about the girls’ volume levels, especially at night, can be a burden.

The Wiards said they plan to move into a house by the time Hayden enters kindergarten.

“They take care of us here,” Nick said about the washer and dryer the University provided at Nick’s request.

Nick said moving out will be difficult because of the advantages and cost effectiveness the dorm room provides.

“Hayden’s just starting to be aware of the fact that she lives in Aubie Hall and will tell people that,” Julia said. “For the longest time she would say, ‘That is my house,’ and I don’t know if she understood that there were 700 other people living here or not.”

Nick graduated from Central Arkansas, where he met Julia, and both worked at Western Kentucky University before moving to Auburn.

Julia, a Selma native, works with the Student for Leadership and Ethics program in the Auburn University Student Center, creating workshops and conferences aimed at building leadership throughout the year.

But regardless of whether they live on campus or make the tough financial transition to a house, Julia said they’re in the Auburn area for good.

“It’s kind of been fate that he got a job here,” Julia said. “It’s closer to home.

Auburn’s kind of where we wanted to be.”

Kerry’s recipe of the week

Ingredients: 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts salt and pepper, to taste 1 egg ½ cup milk 2 cups seasoned Italian bread crumbs ¼ cup canola oil

Directions: Slice chicken breasts lengthwise, so each breast will become two. Season with salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, beat the egg and milk together.

In another large bowl, add the bread crumbs.

Dredge the chicken breast in the egg and then coat with bread crumbs. Repeat for all chicken.

Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the oil. When oil is hot, add the chicken. Do not overcrowd the pan. Cook for 4 minutes. Flip and cook for an additional 4 to 5 minutes. Drain on a paper towel. Serve hot.

Serves: 4

Contributed by Kerry Fannon

Joe Random JT Howard

Sophomore, Chemical Engineering ── What are your hobbies?

I like to run and hike, and I attend all Auburn athletic stuff.

What do you think is weird?

The MTV show Skins, but I like weird things.

Who is your celebrity crush?

Rachel Bilson Favorite place to eat on campus?

Southern Grill at Foy

Any bad habits?

I gossip. That’s bad, right?

What do you want people to remember you as?

Fun? That’s so lame. But it’s true.

What’s on your bucket list?

I want to travel to Africa and help out.

Coolest thing you’ve done this school year?

My life is just cool.

Arts Entertainment

C3

www.theplainsman.com

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Intrigue

Internationally touring band grooves in Auburn Elizabeth Fite STAFF WRITER

Perpetual Groove brought their signature college-age sound to Auburn Thursday night at the SkyBar Café.

The band—comprised of Brock Butler, lead guitar and vocals; Adam Perry, bass; Albert Suttle, drums; and John Hruby, keyboard— formed in college at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Ga., in 1997.

The band is known for its jam-band-inspired sound with a wide range of musical influences, including Paul Simon, My Morning Jacket and—while Butler was slightly embarrassed to admit it—Coldplay and Bon Jovi’s song “Always.”

“In its most general way I’d say that it’s good-times music,” he said. “A lot of the lyrics are about forgetting about your worries even if it’s only for a little bit” Butler said he always enjoys playing in Auburn.

“Alabama in general has been really good to us,” Butler said. “When we do fraternity parties I’d say probably 80 to 90 percent of them are in Alabama. Always a good time.”

Caroline Hussey, junior in communication studies, and Mike Landers, senior in pre-law, were two Auburn students in attendance at the show.

The couple met Feb. 9, 2010, when Perpetual Groove played in Auburn.

“

Alabama in general has been really good to us. When we do fraternity parties I’d say probably 80 to 90 percent of them are in Alabama.”

—Brock Butler LEAD GUITAR AND VOCALS

Landers said he has been obsessed with Perpetual Groove since 2008 when he heard them in Auburn for the first time.

“We listen to P Groove when we shower, when we sleep, in the car; we never get tired of it,” Hussey said.

Since the band formed, they have appealed to college crowds, but Butler said they are trying to cater to a wider audience.

“If we can have that kind of lasting appeal to somebody, that when people hear Perpetual Groove it’s not just, ‘Oh, that sure takes me back,’ but hopefully they’ll still be currently listening as well,” Butler said.

Hal BrokenClown from Augusta, Ga., was another fan in attendance.

BrokenClown spent a great deal of time and effort coming up with his outfit to display his devotion to the

MARIA IAMPIETRO / ASSOCIATE PHOTO EDITOR

Perpetual Groove said fans are a huge motivation. They performed at SkyBar Café to a large crowd Jan. 27. band. BrokenClown’s wardrobe for the show consisted of a black hat with attached pink streamers, a tie-dye dress and two different striped socks.

However, the most defining elements of BrokenClown’s attire were his oversized, pink and green stuffed fish, Humungus Amungus, and red and black stuffed snake, Enormus Amungus.

“I just wear the outfit to be crazy and meet people,” BrokenClown said.

BrokenClown first saw Perpetual Groove in December 2001 in Atlanta at Jake’s Roadhouse.

Since, he has seen the

band more than 400 times, including traveling as far as Amsterdam to watch a show.

Butler said the band has been working to focus their music more and concentrate on business, which he said often college students interested in pursuing music careers fail to consider.

“It can be quite taxing on your spirit,” Butler said.

“It’s not always going to go the way you hope it will. Really think it through. Think about every decision you make very carefully.”

Butler said he knew early on that he wanted to pursue a career in music, and

although the structure of a typical 9-to-5 sounds appealing at times, he is most comfortable with a musical instrument in his hands.

“The actual act of playing music is always enjoyable to me,” he said.

The fans are also a major motivation for Butler.

“Sometimes on days when I feel like I might have had it, I’ve gotten so tired or don’t feel like traveling, and then I get an e-mail or a Facebook message from someone who tells me how the music has literally changed their life,” Butler said.

The band recently

relocated from Savannah to Athens, Ga., a city which he said oozes music and creativity.

Butler said he estimates the band spends 120 to 140 days out of the year on the road, and although all of the members differ in opinion, the band is lucky to get to do what they love and see the world.

“I think that makes us a good band because we’re all on opposite ends of the spectrum, but then we meet in the middle. Anybody can have a rough day on the job, but ultimately we all kind of prop each other up and keep everybody enjoying it.”

Intrigue C4

The Auburn Plainsman

Thursday, February 3, 2011

New University website was a year in the making Elizabeth Fite STAFF WRITER

For the first time since 2005, Auburn’s website has gotten a makeover.

Most of the navigational structure for the website is the same, but the most noticeable changes are the visual aspects of the site.

“We felt that people were comfortable with the way things were placed before,” said Mike Clardy, director of communications. “They knew where things were, and they were used to things being in a certain place.”

The major change is the presentation of the website,

including the two top sections: the featured story section and the “Take 5” section.

“We’ll take a story and take it from just a plain, flat news release and try to bring some life to it,” Clardy said. “We try to add some video, interviews and lots of photographs. It’s more of a multimedia experience than just a news release. In this day and age you’ve got to do more for a reader than just give them a written story.”

The featured stories, or news feed section, rotates through the articles on its

own and will change every week.

The “Take 5” section is a completely new aspect of the website and is meant to give website users a behind-the-scenes look into the people of Auburn University.

“We kept hearing from people that, ‘I love to read news about the University, but tell me more about the people behind these stories,’” Clardy said.

Clardy said parents and prospective students were particularly interested in this aspect of the website, and the section is meant to

be a fun and simple read.

The “Take 5” section will also be updated weekly and consists of five questions that feature a different person every week.

“It’s going to be a wide variety of people—people you have heard of and people you haven’t heard of,” Clardy said.

Seth Humphrey, the webmaster and designer of the website, said websites should evolve with both the audience and the technology.

“One of the reasons I wanted to redo it was the technical aspects behind

the scenes,” Humphrey said.

“I wanted to get the code up to date with the latest and greatest.”

One advantage of the new coding is the website is now more accessible for mobile devices.

Clardy said the major focus of the change was to give Auburn a better opportunity to tell the stories it wants to tell by bringing them to life visually.

An additional motivation for the website change was to create a site that was more accessible for people who are hearing and visually impaired.

Also, the new website features a footer that is customizable by each department.

Megan Lacy, freshman in animal science, said she is still in the process of getting used to the new website.

“Honestly, I prefer the old website to this one,” Lacy said. “It’s a lot harder for me to locate the links that I need to access for my classes.”

Lacy said she has noticed some issues with broken links or sections of the website being inaccessible because of the maintenance associated with the update.

Computer gamers play into wee hours of the morning Kala Bolton WRITER

Every Friday night about 20 students meet in Haley 3223/3233 to kick back, relax and play video games.

“People do give a lot of flack to these kinds of clubs just because they feel like it’s not important or anything, but honestly this is one of the greatest ways to unwind,” said Stephen Dufrene, junior in actuarial science and president of the Computer Gaming Club.

Open to all, the club’s weekly meetings involve playing video games through the night with a short break around 9 p.m. reserved for announcements.

“It’s a place for people to come in and relax at the end of the week,” said Kathleen Smith, graduate student in technical and professional communications.

“Nothing is a better catharsis than shooting people in the head.”

Members of the club meet at 7 p.m. each Friday, and many stay as late as 3 a.m.

“We actually have the room reserved all weekend,” Smith said. “There was one time where everybody went to get breakfast and came back to the room and continued to play video games.”

Because meetings are located in a computer lab, members do not have to bring any equipment. A

portion of the club’s funds also goes towards buying games that can be accessed by each member.

“All of the computers are connected, and we have Steam accounts,” Smith said. “Steam is basically this program that lets you download copies of games.

All the computers have this program on them, and the club has paid for all of the games we have available.”

Members of the group can play any game they want, either individually or with larger groups.

With a laid back, fun atmosphere, there is no agenda when the group meets.

They just go with the flow.

“We play all night and all morning,” said Chris Erb, junior in electrical engineering. “Someone picks a game, and if there’s enough laughter and excitement, then people just start gravitating toward that one.”

But the club’s focus is not restricted to computer games.

“Sometimes we have a person bring in a console and put it in the projector,” Erb said.

Members said they play anything from brand new Xbox games to old-school Nintendo 64.

“I think that’s one of our specialties,” Smith said. “We do a lot of classic games.”

The club also sponsors a number of campus-wide

“

It’s a place for people to come in and relax at the end of the week. Nothing is a better catharsis than shooting people in the head.”

—Kathleen Smith GRADUATE STUDENT IN TECHNICAL AND PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATIONS TIM SIMPSON / PHOTO STAFF

events throughout the year.

The largest, TigerLAN, will be held in early April in the Student Center Ballroom.

“TigerLAN is our big LAN party we have every semester,” Smith said. “People bring in their computers, and they have LAN where they all hook up together.

We have a ton of consoles so we can have tournaments.”

Another tournament with a focus on fighting games is in the works.

“There are a lot of people who play not necessarily computer games, but fighting games on consoles,” said Luke Rester, freshman in math. “So I figured it would be a good thing for the Computer Gaming Club to do a fighting game

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF Lindsay Rife

Brett Bayley enjoys a victory in TF2 at the Computer Gaming Club meeting Friday night. He and his peers have a passion for socializing over video games. tournament to show that we do all kinds of things, not just PC games.”

Rester said the tournament games include Super Street Fighter IV, Tekken 6, BlazBlue: Continuum Shift, Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Marvel vs. Capcom 3.

The tournament will be held in early March.

“It’s a good way for people to start getting into fighting games in general,” Rester said. “New fighting games are coming out this year.

That way people can jump into them and be able to get good at them without being totally outclassed because people have been playing them for 10 years.”

going to be a violent person,” Smith said. “I want to bring people in and let them see how great this program really is.”

By promoting a more positive image of the group, Dufrene said he hopes others will set aside the negative stereotypes many people may have of “gamers” and be encouraged to come see what the club is really like.

“We’re all a very closeknit group, and we all know each other very well,” Dufrene said. “We all share a common interest, and this is a great place to enjoy it.

This is one of the most social clubs you’re going to find.”

KAREN SPENCER

and then I’m trying to take back up knitting,” Waking up to be in Spencer said, “I used a classroom at 8 a.m. to do it when I was remay seem dreadful, ally small, and I’m trybut Karen Spencer ing to get back into it.” wakes up significantly She even plans to earlier to clean that start a seamstress classroom. business, but it is still Her job is not what in the works. one might describe as She does, however, glorious, but Spencer have a separate cleanhas been at it happily ing business. for eight and a half “Most of the time years. She is a custowhen I wake up ( from dian at the Harrison my afternoon nap), School of Pharmacy I’ll just run over there and gets the majority and do them,” Spencer of her work done besaid. “And that just defore most students are pends on when I wake even awake. up, you know. Most “When they first put of them close at 5, so us on the first shift, it anytime after 5.”

LINDSAY RIFE / ASSOCIATE INTRIGUE EDITOR kind of stressed us out, On a typical work day, Karen Spencer keeps the halls On the weekends trying to get stuff done of the pharmacy building clean by day and sews and she will sew or try to before 7:30,” Spencer spends time with her dogs by night. knit something. She said. said she is trying to But she said she is now accus- sharing things with them,” Spen- learn embroidery. tomed to waking up early and cer said.

She also spends time working gets her work done on time with Spencer lives in Auburn with on her online course. no problem. her two dogs, a shih tzu and a Yor“I’m just taking (the course) to Since she’s constantly moving kie. She has three adult daugh- sharpen up my skills,” Spencer throughout the building all day, ters. said. interaction with people is ineviHer free time at home is spent While her sleep schedule may table. She said this is her favorite either catching up on sleep, fur- not be that of a typical adult in part about her job. thering her education or working the workforce, Spencer and her “(I like) the people, you know— on side projects. labor cannot be overlooked in talking with them, joking with “Well, I’m taking an online the pristine halls of the Harrison them, laughing with them, and course, and then I’m a seamstress, School of Pharmacy.

ASSOCIATE INTRIGUE EDITOR

Besides the passion they have for gaming, the social aspects of the club are what many members said drew them in.

“It’s a social activity,” Rester said. “That’s the thing—you’re pretty much coming here to hang out with people.”

As the public relations chair, Smith said she wants to promote a more positive image of the club.

“With the advent of the Internet, gaming has become so socialized, but there’s still that stigma of people playing in their basements sitting alone or that stigma of if you play a violent video game, you’re

Wasting Time

C5

www.theplainsman.com

Thursday, February 3, 2011

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

Intrigue

HOROSCOPES

Written by Lindsay Rife and Kelly Tsaltas / Intrigue

Leo: You may feel a rain drop on your arm today. But it’s sunny.

Looks like you were mistaken.

Pisces: Stumbleupon.com will provide you with a new hobby. So click away!

Scorpio: Your friends may party today and not invite you. Crash it.

Taurus: Check your back for your backpack. You probably need that for class.

Aquarius: If you live in the Village, don’t drink milk after dark. It will bring you bad luck.

Cancer: Don’t forget—tomorrow is Fried Chicken Friday!!!

Libra: Textbooks make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside today. Or maybe it’s that hot chocolate you just drank.

Capricorn: Start a sing-along in the middle of the concourse.

Whether people join or not, keep on singin’!

ACROSS 1.

6.

11.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

22.

24.

28.

29.

30.

32.

33.

35.

39.

40.

41.

42.

43.

45.

46.

48.

50.

53.

54.

55.

57.

58.

60.

65.

66.

67.

Worker’s incentive Gush forth Noisy bird Coliseum Rich cake Juice-based drink Tylenol rival Moore or Ebert Web suffix Far East nannies Sports page datum Jam-packed Corned beef on rye Hold Beatle drummer Walkman’s successor Not with-it Baldwin of films Canasta play Friction easer Chaucer offering “Vogue” rival Ship of 1492 Footnote abbr.

Approaches Give, as time Groupie welcome Did the walls Parka features Cruise port 4-wheel drive feature Small combos Filled with cargo Part of TGIF Deserves “Phantom of the __”

68. Beige 69. Ms. Witherspoon 70. Super-duper

28.

30.

31.

34.

36.

37.

38.

43.

44.

47.

49.

50.

51.

52.

53.

55.

56.

59.

61.

62.

Hit sharply Climbs a rope Arcade foul Pinot __ (red wine) Repair-bill item High society Yielded territory Ms. Shriver of tennis Arkin or Bede Kind of lily Novel closer Elevator opening Mongoose prey Gymnast’s stickum No longer trendy Swampy ground Atom fragments Funny Charlotte __ IRS month Actress __ WallaceStone 63. Distinct period 64. __ King Cole

DOWN 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

21.

23.

24.

25.

26.

27.

Ewe’s plaint Law (abbr.)

Comstock Lode st.

Prefix for form Deli staple Fine violin Piglet’s friend Assns.

Navaho foe Less long-winded John __ Astor Light incense to Gulf nation PC list Remedial Legal offense Drive back Ring-shaped reef Infuriated

Aries: The middle of your English lecture is a great time for a game of Duck Duck Goose. Your professor won’t mind.

Sagittarius: If you trip, just start running. After you get back up.

Gemini: Stay up all night just to see if you can.

Virgo: Beans, beans, they’re good for your heart, the more you eat, the more you....will need a bottle of Tums.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH SCRAMBLER

Answers to last issue’s crossword

Clue 1:

TOYCBTO

Clue 4:

VEYRSAL

Clue 2:

C A PA N

Clue 5:

TOHUS

Clue 3:

IGRHTS

Bonus: Use circles to solve

SUDOKU

OCTO Instructions

3

6

4

1.

Place the numbers 1 to 8 in each of the octagons such that the numbers are not repeated in any row, column or diagonal.

2 6

1 6

2.

The numbers along the edges, top and bottom are the sums for the numbers in the diagonal that begins or ends at that number.

3

7

4

3

8

6

4

1

9 4

3.

The number in each diamond is the sum of the numbers of each of the four faces that border that diamond. The numbers that border the diamonds do not have to be unique.

4.

9

7

9

4

8

2 5

54 numbers are provided in this Octo

4

8

Answers to last issue’s puzzle

© 2009, Doug Gardner Patent Pending

Check www.theplainsman.com for the answers. For more OCTOs, go to home.comcast.net~douglasdgardner/site

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At the top there is a KEY that lists all the letters from A thru Z with a box below. Each of the letters has a corresponding number. The bottom part contains a secret phrase. Each of the blanks has a number underneath it. Fill in the letters that correspond to the numbers below the blanks to solve the phrase.

…

15 11 26 23 25 12

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21 25 12 5 5 —U.S. Constitution

Intrigue C6

The Auburn Plainsman

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Europe, Asia reel in Americans with entertainment culture Kelly Tsaltas ASSISTANT INTRIGUE EDITOR

KELLY TSALTAS / ASSISTANT INTRIGUE EDITOR

William Powell conducts Verdi’s “Requiem” during a rehearsal with the AU choirs.

Choir says, ‘Ciao!’ to Italy Molly Montgomery WRITER

Summer vacation plans for one group of Auburn students include Milan, Florence and Venice, Italy.

The Auburn Music Department will be taking a group of singers on a performing tour in Italy this summer.

Varna International, a music tour company, invited William Powell, director of choral activities at Auburn University, to recruit a choir for a 12-day tour of Italy.

“They invited me to conduct Verdi’s ‘Requiem,”’ Powell said. “That’s a great honor as a conductor to be invited to do that.”

Powell said the choir will be performing a piece titled “Requiem Mass” by Giuseppe Verdi.

“The ‘Requiem Mass’ is a large, multimovement work, and it is considered to be one of the greatest requiems and greatest works to be written and performed,” Powell said.

Another part of Powell’s responsibility was to organize rehearsals for the group.

Powell said students in the music department were

invited to go on the trip through an open application process, and there will be both choir and orchestra members going to Italy.

“Every Tuesday and Thursday we practice Verdi’s ‘Requiem,’” said Carolann Johnson, sophomore in Spanish who sings in the chamber choir. “We’re giving a performance of it here in Auburn so that we can be ready to perform it in Italy.”

Powell said singers from various choirs are going to Italy from Auburn’s Music Department, not just one choir.

“All of the choirs will be represented,” Powell said.

“It’s a combination of students from each of our seven choirs.”

Powell said students going on the trip will be paying their own way, and some students are participating in fundraisers.

“We just got done with our hot chocolate sale,” said Rachel Niedzwiecki, junior in music education. “It went pretty well.”

Niedzwiecki and Johnson are the fundraising coordinators for the choral group.

Niedzwiecki also said there will be more fundraising activities throughout

the semester.

“Our next big thing is going to be singing grams which will be for Valentine’s Day,” Johnson said. “Somebody can give us the number of someone they want us to sing to, and we’ll leave them a voice mail of a cheesy Valentine’s love song.”

Johnson said all the proceeds from the fundraising will go toward lowering costs for students in the group.

“It’s just a fun, creative way to get some cash for Italy,” Johnson said.

Powell said the group will visit five cities in Italy, performing at venues in each.

The group will also have time to do some sightseeing in each of the cities.

“We will be there from June 28 through July 10,” Powell said.

For most of the choir students, a trip to Italy is a once in a lifetime experience.

“I’ve never been out of the country,” Niedwiecki said.

“So I’m really looking forward to exploring Italy.”

Johnson said the musical history is intriguing to her.

“I’m really excited to see an Italian opera in an authentic Italian opera house,” Johnson said.

Popular entertainment in America consists of movies with warm, fuzzy endings, country and rap music and singers that make billboard.com’s Hot 100 list.

Other countries have different standards for what is popular in music and movies.

Lourdes Batanzos, professor of Spanish and Latin American theatre, said about Spanish movies, “Drama is particularly popular, especially relating to social issues and political issues.”

With the Oscars coming up soon, Batanzos mentioned Spain has a similar awards show known as Premios Goya.

The Goya award is “the equivalent of an Oscar in Spain,” Batanzos said.

Germany also has an Oscar-esque Ceremony called Berlinale, an International Film Festival that takes place in Berlin every year.

“The bear is the icon of Berlin, so the trophies are

a golden bear or a silver bear,” said Traci O’Brien, German professor.

“Das Leben der Anderen,” or “The Lives of Others,” is a German film that crossed into American culture when it received the Oscar for Best Foreign Film in 2007.

China’s films, on the other hand, have typically not been recognized in America.

Qing Wang, a GTA from Shandong Province in China, said the main difference between American and Chinese movies is that, “in China, we don’t spend so much money to create a movie.”

The most famous movie in China this year, Wang said, was “Rang Zidan Fei,” or “Let the Bullets Fly,” which made 9 million U.S. dollars in the Chinese box office.

“The most famous movies this year are all action movies,” Wang said.

Some of the most wellknown Chinese celebrities are singers as well as actors, Wang said. Zhou Jie Lun, who played Seth

Rogan’s sidekick in the recent American film “Green Hornet,” is a famous actor, singer and musician in China.

Many German bands are popular in America, such as pop rock band Tokio Hotel and rock band Rammstein.

“Everybody knows Rammstein,” O’Brien said.

“They just had a concert in Madison Square Garden in New York in December, and it was sold out.”

Spain and Latin America both have musical genres that aren’t hugely popular in America. Salsa and reggeaton, for instance, are both native to Latin America.

“Reggeaton is a mix of hip hop and reggae and Latin music,” Batanzos said.

Batanzos said rap is also popular in Latin America and Spain, although it is more mainstream.

With the success of those few foreign entertainers, European and Asian entertainment is already becoming popular in America.

Students create TOMS art Kelly Tsaltas ASSISTANT INTRIGUE EDITOR

TOMS are undoubtedly one of the most trendy shoes of the past couple of years.

Jamie Rice, sophomore in economics, took her TOMS to a whole new level. She decorated her ivory TOMS with Sharpies.

“I was bored,” Rice said, “and when I get bored I draw on things.”

Song quotes cover the canvas, with lines like, “And my head told my heart, ‘Let love go’,” from the Mumford & Sons song “Winter Winds.” Jason Mraz’s “Details in the Fabric” and Ingrid Michaelson’s “Keep Breathing” also have a spot on her shoes.

Rice added designs around the lyrics.

“Flowers and swirly lines are my specialty,” she said.

“I’m not really an artist. I can just doodle.”

Amanda Claire Rives, junior in graphic design, added designs to her TOMS because she didn’t like their dull appearance.

“When TOMS first came out, I kind of thought they were unattractive and looked like hospital shoes,” Rives said.

Similar to Rice, Rives’ artistic instinct soon kicked in.

“The fact that they were like a blank canvas was really intriguing to me.”

KELLY TSALTAS / ASSISTANT INTRIGUE EDITOR

Amanda Claire Rives’ decorates TOMS with multicolored butterflies using Prismacolor markers.

As opposed to Sharpies, Rives prefers Prismacolor markers and acrylic paint.

Acrylic paint stays on better, Rives said. Prismacolor Markers and Sharpies will bleed if the ink gets wet, though.

Rice’s TOMS are blurry because she walked in the rain.

“I was walking to class, and I forgot that Sharpie blurs,” she said.

Besides her TOMS, Rice doodles on almost anything.

“Usually just pieces of paper, but then I throw them away,” Rice said.

Rives has decorated TOMS for four of her friends and is currently waiting to do another pair.

“I really enjoy doing it,” Rives said. “I did butterflies, and I did flowers on one, and another one that

I did was really random.

It had stuff from words to stars to flowers and mushrooms—all sorts of stuff.”

When she designs for other people, Rives makes sure what she puts on their TOMS reflect their personality.

Rives said she would like to combine her graphic design major with her love for drawing.

“I’ve looked into the TOMS internships,” she said. “They have a lot of really good internships, especially in graphic design.”

Rives said she would also like to participate in bringing art more into society.

“I love the fact that art can be worn and can be used in such an everyday atmosphere,” Rives said, “it doesn’t have to be just on a wall.”

Sports Thursday, February 3, 2011

Basketball preview

Equestrian preview

» PAGE D4

» PAGE D3

D

www.theplainsman.com

Page D1

National Signing Day 2011 Recruits in Review POSITION:

OL

POSITION:

ATH

POSITION:

DT

HOMETOWN:

Hyattsville, Md.

HOMETOWN:

Matthews, S.C.

HOMETOWN:

Columbus, Ga.

PREVIOUS SCHOOL:

Dematha Catholic

PREVIOUS SCHOOL:

Butler

PREVIOUS SCHOOL:

Carver

HEIGHT:

6’7”

HEIGHT:

6’2”

HEIGHT:

6’4”

295 lbs

WEIGHT:

215 lbs

WEIGHT:

310 lbs

WEIGHT:

CYRUS KOUANDJIO

KRIS FROST

GABE WRIGHT

FROM TIDESPORTS.COM

FROM AUBURNSPORTS.COM

FROM BLEACHERREOPRT.COM

POSITION:

OL

POSITION:

QB

POSITION:

OL

HOMETOWN:

Chandler, Ariz.

HOMETOWN:

Springdale, Ark.

HOMETOWN:

Thibodaux, La.

PREVIOUS SCHOOL:

Hamilton

PREVIOUS SCHOOL:

Shiloh Christian

PREVIOUS SCHOOL:

Thibodaux

HEIGHT:

6’5”

HEIGHT:

6’3”

HEIGHT:

6’5”

WEIGHT:

285 lbs

WEIGHT:

210 lbs

WEIGHT:

305 lbs

CHRISTIAN WESTERMAN

KIEHL FRAZIER

GREGORY ROBINSON

FROM BLEACHERREPORT.COM

FROM SCOUT.COM

FROM AUBURNSPORTS.COM

POSITION:

C

POSITION:

S

POSITION:

RB

HOMETOWN:

Spanish Fort

HOMETOWN:

Valley

HOMETOWN:

Lake Worth, Fla.

PREVIOUS SCHOOL:

Spanish Fort

PREVIOUS SCHOOL:

Valley

PREVIOUS SCHOOL:

Park Vista

HEIGHT:

6’3”

HEIGHT:

6’2”

HEIGHT:

5’10”

WEIGHT:

290 lbs

WEIGHT:

190 lbs

WEIGHT:

190 lbs

REESE DISMUKES

ERIQUE FLORENCE

TRE MASON

FROM AL.COM

FROM AUBURNSPORTS.COM

FROM AUBURNSPORTS.COM

Chizik chats with signees

AUBURN’S RECRUITS

TODD VAN EMST / AUBURN MEDIA RELATIONS

Auburn coach Gene Chizik talks to Kiehl Frazier after Frazier sent in his letter of intent to play football at Auburn.

Chizik talks new recruits, optimism for next season Brian Woodham ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

A more than yearlong endeavor ended Wednesday, National Signing Day, as the finishing touches were put on coach Gene Chizik’s third highly-ranked recruiting class.

“The bottom line is is you always look for what your needs are,” Chizik said.

“We’re just looking for the right fit; we’re looking for the right guy. We’re just looking for the right fit for Auburn.”

Chizik said he felt the 2011 recruiting class successfully addressed

Auburn’s positions of need, focusing on the offensive and defensive lines, the defensive secondary and quarterback.

Chizik said this class is another brick in the foundation of what he wants to build and is moving Auburn football in the right direction.

Signing day had its share of drama as four prospects decided on which school they would attend.

The biggest and most dramatic surprise was the announcement by rivals. com five-star offensive tackle Cyrus Kouandjio’s

EMILY ADAMS / PHOTO EDITOR

Head coach Gene Chizik stands next to the BCS Championship trophy as he discusses signing day commitments. announcement that he would sign with Auburn instead of the Crimson Tide, the school that Kouandjio’s brother, Arie, attends.

The Tigers are still waiting to receive Kouandjio’s binding letter of intent. As such, Chizik declined to discuss his status.

Auburn also landed the commitments of rivals.com four-star offensive linemen Christian Westerman, Greg Robinson and Reese Dismukes, who is already enrolled in classes at Auburn.

Chizik said the ability of offensive line recruits to play early was a major factor in deciding who to recruit.

Four-star cornerback Jonathan Rose and threestar offensive lineman Thomas O’Reilly join Dismukes as early enrollees.

The Tigers also picked up a big commitment from rivals.com four-star defensive

tackle Gabe Wright, who made his announcement live on ESPN by putting on an Auburn hat customized with the phrase, “Nick Who?” a reference to NFLbound defensive tackle Nick Fairley.

Chizik said he thinks that Wright is a player who can come in and contribute immediately.

“We feel like we built a great relationship with him,” Chizik said. “I feel like in his heart of hearts he was Auburn through and through.”

Auburn also secured » See PRESSER, D2

Sports D2

The Auburn Plainsman

New baseball bats add weight, deduct offense Jenna Moran ASSOCIATE COPY EDITOR

The NCAA is issuing a new standard for college baseball bats this season.

The new “Ball-Bat Coefficient of Restitution” (BBCOR) standard became effective Jan. 1.

According to the NCAA website, the new BBCOR formula provides a better measure of a bat’s performance.

The goal is for nonwood bats that meet this new standard to perform more similarly to wood bats instead of aluminum bats.

The new standard was issued to regulate the ball’s speed after contacting the bat, which will reduce the number of injuries caused to pitchers.

Auburn head coach John Pawlowski said the team received the new bats in the fall in preparation for the season.

“There’s definitely a difference,” Pawlowski said.

“The ball doesn’t come off the bat as fast.”

Pawlowski said the new bats will allow pitchers more time to react to the ball.

Georgia Tech assistant coach Rick Rembielak worked with the sporting equipment manufacturing company Easton for 11 years.

“The NCAA had told us, ‘Whatever you want, you can manufacture,’” Rembielak said. “So we realized we can make a different kind of bat to improve safety.”

Rembielak said he believes the emphasis is now going to be put on defense to win games since the number of both home runs and runs will decrease with the new bats.

“You’re not going to have

Thursday, February 3, 2011

PRESSER » From D1

the commitment of rivals. com four-star safety Erique Florence, who chose Auburn over offers from Southern California and Alabama.

Chizik said he thinks Florence brings great speed to Auburn’s secondary and will do well there.

The Tigers signed Arkansas native and rivals. com four-star Kiehl Frazier

to fill the need at quarterback.

Frazier played high school football at Shiloh Christian, where he ran offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn’s offense.

Frazier’s experience in Malzahn’s system make him a candidate to contribute early for the Tigers.

Chizik said Frazier has been one of the biggest recruiters for Auburn this year.

“He’s one of the heart and souls of this class,”

Chizik said.

The Tigers also secured the commitment of versatile athlete Kris Frost, who has the ability to play both the wide receiver and linebacker positions.

Frost announced his intentions to sign with Auburn at the U.S. Army All-American game in January, but there were doubts whether the Tigers would accept his commitment.

“We just had to make sure we were all on the same page,” Chizik said.

Signing day’s high stakes Brian Woodham SPORTS@THEPLAINSMAN.COM

those 15–13 games as often,” Rembielak said.

The average number of runs scored per game have increased slightly through recent years; there was an average of 6.57 runs per game in 2008, 6.88 in 2009 and 6.98 in 2010.

The NCAA rules committee believes this increase in offensive performance is the result of the kinds of bats that have been used in past years, according to the NCAA website.

Pawlowski said his players enjoyed using last year’s bats since the ball came off the bat much easier.

“But (the new bat) is what we have to use, so we have to be prepared,” Pawlowski said. “Offense for all of college baseball will not be where it was at last season. It’s an adjustment period, so it’s going to take a little while, but we’ve already started to make adjustments.”

The NCAA has declared they will incorporate a logo to be placed on every approved bat design so umpires can easily identify them.

Many college baseball coaches have argued against the new bat standards.

“The argument that was going on was that college baseball has increased its attendance year by year because the fans want to see runs; they want to see the action,” Rembielak said.

“TV sponsorships have been increasing because people want to see action and not a 1–0 game.

“And many coaches are saying, ‘Well, why fix something that isn’t broken?’

They don’t think there is a major injury factor.”

But Rembielak is confident the switch in bat standards will not disrupt the game.

“College baseball is always going to be college baseball,” Rembielak said.

“There will still be enough action for the fans.”

Pawlowski said he agrees the switch will do little to disturb the game.

“It’ll be interesting to see the true effect that the bats will have on the game this season,” Pawlowski said.

It has been said recruiting is the lifeblood of every program, and the same holds true for Auburn.

The stakes don’t get much higher, as talent translates to wins, which translates to big bucks. (Auburn will likely reap upwards of $100 million from its national championship season.)

Even while the Tigers were busy preparing for their showdown against Oregon in the BCS National Championship game, the coaches couldn’t rest on the recruiting front.

While in Glendale, coach Gene Chizik made a trip to Chandler, Ariz., for an inhome visit with four-star offensive lineman Christian Westerman, attempting to sway the long-time Texas Longhorn commitment to Auburn.

It worked, as Westerman switched, joining the Tigers’ 2011 recruiting class.

Such is the hectic, 365-day-a-year face of college football recruiting.

It’s also a yearlong obsession for fans, as thousands shell out money to premium sites, such rivals.com or scout.com, so they can follow every twist and turn in an 18year old’s recruitment.

Some even go so far as to follow recruits on Facebook or Twitter, reposting to their message board of choice every morsel that might hint at the prospects’ intentions.

The whole process culminates on national signing day, when highly-prized, blue-chip prospects announce for which college they will spend the next three or four years playing.

Sunday marked the last day that coaches

could contact prospects, with the NCAA mandated no-contact period beginning Monday at midnight.

Since then, many recruitniks have jumped like fleas onto the mane of every passing rumor.

One recruitnik who goes by the handle AUVTM and attended the signing day party at Zazu for rivals.com’s message board community, the Bunker, expressed how big recruiting has become for football fanatics.

“I don’t take Christmas off, I don’t take New Year’s, but I take national signing day.”

Graham Hage, owner of Zazu, said he foresees the national signing day party becoming an annual event.

“I think it will only get bigger and better next year,” Hage said. “Mark your calendars.”

The enormity of the day was never more apparent than when the top-ranked offensive tackle in the nation, five-star Cyrus Kouandjio spurned Alabama by announcing his commitment to archrival Auburn.

At Zazu, recruitniks jumped in the air, shouted “BOOM!” and gave each other high fives after Kouandjio’s announcement.

However, the excitement was short-lived and the high fives turned into hand wringing as the news came out that Kouandjio had not faxed in his letter of intent and was wavering on his public commitment to Auburn.

What is often lost on many recruitniks is that the prospects are only high schoolers who haven’t even attended their senior proms yet.

These kids are often under tremendous pressure from parents, guardians, communities and football fanatics to choose a certain school.

There is no place of refuge. For a high school senior just choosing a college to attend, the stakes and the consequences couldn’t get much higher.

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Circuit with a Twist instructor Ahaja Scott leads the group in cardio-dance exercises in between each station.

Class adds twist to working out Destiny Brown WRITER

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The Circuit with a Twist class at the Student Activity Center includes an hour of intense cardio and weight exercises.

Stations are numbered with orange laminated signs and set up around room 207A of the Student Act. “This is my second time attending this class,” said Laura Maples, an Auburn graduate student with a major in library media. “My favorite thing about the class is its variety. You’re always switching between cardio and weights so it doesn’t get boring.”

Maples has attended many classes offered at the Student Act, such as kickboxing and Zumba.

However, she said Circuit with a Twist is the most

challenging class she’s participated in.

“You get a total body workout with Circuit with a Twist,” said Ragen Heart, junior in exercise science and personal trainer at the Student Activity Center. “Circuit with a Twist is more exciting because it includes dancing as part of the cardio. I think that’s one thing the students really like about it.”

The circuit class is already a huge hit on campus.

The class usually only allows 20 people; however, the class was forced to expand by a few people because of the multitude of students who wanted to attend.

“I’ve had to turn people away because the class was too full,” said Melissa Link, trainer for the Thursday night class.

Link has been teaching exercise classes for two years and recently began leading Circuit with a Twist for the Student Act. “The class is most crowded on Monday and Tuesday nights because everyone who attends feels like they need to burn off what they gained from the weekend,” Link said.

The class participates in one and half minutes of fun dancing to warm up.

The warm-up dance incorporates fast side-stepping, shoulder rolls and a series of lunges.

Next comes the hour of intense cardio and weight training.

Only five minutes into the class and the participants are out of breath, yet they push themselves harder on the Power Towers and lift that extra 10 pounds of

“

My favorite thing about the class is its variety. You’re always switching between cardio and weights so it doesn’t get boring.”

—Laura Maples, GRADUATE STUDENT, LIBRARY MEDIA

weights to meet their goals for the class.

Brightly colored exercise balls, weights that vary from five to 20 pounds and machines that are dedicated to improve muscle mass are all a part of Circuit with a Twist.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Sports D3

The Auburn Plainsman

REBEKAH WEAVER / ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR

Auburn gymnast Leah Vining catches the bar during her routine. She received a career-high score of 9.825 for the event. Auburn currently has a 1–2 record in SEC meets.

Auburn returns home to meet Wildcats Christina Santee WRITER

The Auburn gymnastics team is prepared to compete against the Kentucky Wildcats at the Auburn Arena Friday at 7 p.m.

The meet will feature the theme “All Auburn, All Orange” for the duration of the evening, where all attendees are encouraged to wear orange.

Auburn faculty and staff members, as well as elementary school students who possess a voucher, will receive free admission with a valid ID. The Auburn Tigers enter Friday’s meet with one

victory and three losses for the beginning of the season.

“I think it will be really good,” said sophomore Petrina Yokay of her team’s upcoming event.

The gymnasts hope this competition will be the one to get them back on an ideal performance routine.

“Kentucky is an SEC team, which means it will be a high-energy meet,” Yokay said. “We keep progressing, so I think with the home crowd we’ll do really well.”

Currently, Auburn is represented in the Women’s Gymnastics National Top25 Rankings for individual performances.

Kylie Shields ranks sixth in the nation with a 9.850 for balance beam, and Rachel Inniss ranks 13th with a 9.838 for the same category as well as 16th with a 9.856 for floor.

Kentucky (2–3, 0–3 SEC) also holds two positions in the floor category—Andrea Mitchell with an average of 9.844 at No. 22 and Jasmine Minion with an average of 9.844 at No. 23.

Whitney Rose secures a position in the vault category at No. 13 with an average of 9.869.

Auburn holds the No. 22 position for the total season team average rankings with

a score of 194.419.

Kentucky is not represented on the list.

However, based on the averages for uneven bars, Kentucky ranks one position ahead of Auburn (48.706) at No. 21 with a mean of 48.731.

The Wildcats also hold the No. 5 position for floor, with a team average of 48.963.

Auburn is not ranked for floor, but does hold the No. 6 position for balance beam, with a team average of 48.825.

Kentucky has also contended with both Arkansas and Georgia this season,

teams to which Auburn lost.

Against Georgia, Auburn suffered a loss, with a final score of 194.975 compared to Kentucky’s loss, with 195.000.

Against Arkansas, Kentucky lost with a score of 193.525, a 1.625-point difference compared to Auburn’s losing total of 195.150.

Though many of the girls on the team are new this year, coach Jeff Graba said he is certain they have the determination and capability to fulfill the Tiger’s hopes of a successful season.

“I think it’s a consistency issue, but we’ll get it figured out,” Graba said. “Right

now, since we have another (meet) at home, and we’re not on the road, the nice thing is we get to mimic our last performance and focus on tweaking it.”

Although Auburn gymnastics suffered another loss last week to Arkansas, the team hopes to improve on their routines.

“I build off of each meet,” said sophomore Toi Garcia.

Friday, Auburn will be facing a team similar to its own, so the event will surely be a stressful one for the girls.

“I just try and have fun and stay calm,” Garcia said.

“That’s really all it takes.”

Tigers face the Bulldogs in crucial SEC equestrian meet Jade Currid WRITER

After defeating UT-Martin in the opening meet of the spring season, the No. 2 Auburn equestrian team is preparing to ride in a crucial away meet against Georgia.

The Tigers’ match against their No. 1 rival determines team ranking and which teams will compete in the SEC Championship.

Coach Greg Williams said winning on the road is particularly hard, and since the Bulldogs have one of the best equestrian programs, his team will have its work cut out for them.

Williams said intensity is

a key component of preparation for the match against Georgia.

“Our girls probably look forward to this meet more than the others,” Williams said. “We will have to take a victory from UGA at their place because they sure won’t just give us one.”

Williams said his team is looking for a win with solid rides in Hunt seat and Western.

The Tigers knocked Georgia out of the saddle with a 13–6 win at the Auburn Horse Unit in the fall.

The Tigers are hoping to claim their first win on Georgia territory at the

upcoming meet.

“It will be a tough one for us, but we will bring our ‘A’ game and will be ready for anything,” said Stephanie Rucci, a freshman who competes in Western reining.

Rucci earned MVP at the meet against UT-Martin and said the team morale helped them win reining that day.

Bailey Dymond, senior who competes in Western horsemanship, said the team is riding tough horses, incorporating conditioning and strengthening practices and reviewing videos, score cards and judges’ comments in preparation for the meet.

Dymond said the team is always working to ride better and smarter.

“We go in with a plan for which horse we draw,” Dymond said. “We see if we can get that much more out of the horse than the last rider.”

Dymond said it helps the team is familiar with Georgia’s horses and riders.

“We’re coming stronger this year,” Dymond said.

“If they want a good meet, they’ll have to bring it.”

Anna Schierholz, senior who competes in Hunt seat equitation over fences, said the team needs must be as mentally prepared as

OFFICIAL

possible to secure a win.

Schierholz said she and her teammates will ride hard and participate in workouts that test their mental and physical limits during the next few weeks.

“The workouts make us mentally tough,” Schierholz said.

Schierholz said the team will be prepared to beat the Bulldogs if they continue to compete with the intensity they had in the previous meets.

“Tennesse-Martin was a tough win for us, and showed how much we rely on one another,” Schierholz said. “If we go into the next

meet with the same mentality, we’ll be prepared to beat them.”

Schierholz said during her time at Auburn, the team has won the National Hunt Seat Championships and the SEC Championships, and she would like a victory at Georgia to be added to the list.

She said a win on the Bulldog’s territory would be an accomplishment she and her fellow senior teammates would always remember.

Auburn’s equestrian team saddles up for a showdown with the Georgia Bulldogs Feb. 12 in Bishop, Ga., at 1 p.m.

CHAMPIONSHIP GEAR

Sports D4

The Auburn Plainsman

Track and field coach on the run

10 LAPS WITH SCOTT

“

Ellen Weathers WRITER

Assistant track and field coach Scott Richardson, who has been competing in track and field since he was 10, said he believes his career at Auburn has been 30 years in the making.

Richardson coached for seven years at Army and for two weeks at Indiana University before answering a call from Auburn head coach Ralph Spry in 2005.

“I thought he was calling to congratulate me, but he told me he had a job for me,” Richardson said.

Richardson initially turned down Spry’s offer, but said it only took one visit to Auburn before he changed his mind.

“Auburn has a great history of success in track and field,” Richardson said, “and I’ve seen that since Coach Spry has been here.

“It’s been one of the dominant four or five teams in the country.”

Since coming to Auburn, Richardson has coached four NCAA All-Americans, four USATF Junior Champions and led four athletes to SEC titles, including high jumper Maya Pressley.

Pressley, sophomore in communication, was Auburn’s first woman to win an SEC championship as a freshman.

She said she attributes part of her success to Richardson’s down-to-earth coaching style.

“He’s very easy to talk to,” Pressley said. “If he sees you’re wanting to be successful, he’s right there by

Thursday, February 3, 2011

RICHARDSON

your side.”

Richardson said there is no “typical” day when working with young people, but that is what makes it fun.

“I enjoy working with young people and young kids,” Richardson said. “You try to be there for them when they’re down and for their triumphs when they’re winning.”

Richardson said recruiting is another important part of the job.

“They (recruits) come from all across the globe,” Richardson said. “I think that’s one of the things that makes this program really special: the way our kids can unite from wherever they come from for the good of the team.”

Like many on the track and field team, Richardson is also far from home.

He grew up in Indiana, and Pressley, a Florida native, said there are still some habits of the North that Richardson can’t leave behind.

“If I think it’s a nice day,” Pressley said, “he’ll wear three shirts, two jackets, gloves, a skull cap, and we’ll be like ‘Coach, why you got so many clothes on?’

“Me and my teammates,

They (recruits) come from all across the globe.

I think that’s one of the things that makes this program really special: the way our kids can unite from wherever they come from for the good of the team.”

—Scott Richardson ASSISTANT COACH

before he comes down the stairs to practice, we’ll bet on how many clothes he’ll have on.”

Richardson said he credits coaches Spry and Jerry Clayton with allowing him the opportunity to come to Auburn.

These days, Richardson runs more around the house than the track.

He and his wife, Carmen, once a track and field star herself, welcomed their first child, Olivia, in 2008.

Although his work week often begins with 6:30 a.m. training and ends with weekend-long competitions, Richardson said his main focus is still at home.

“It’s a lot of fun; it’s time away from family, but you learn that balance,” Richardson said.

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TRACY GLANTZ / THE STATE / MCT

Guard Tony Neysmith shoots for two in Auburn’s 79-64 win over South Carolina Saturday.

Tigers try to build on win Crystal Cole SPORTS EDITOR

After cementing its first SEC win on the road at South Carolina Saturday, the men’s basketball team hopes to continue its success at home against Tennessee Thursday.

The Volunteers (14–7, 4–2 SEC) are also coming off an SEC road win, beating Ole Miss 74–58 in Oxford.

Tennessee has won four of its last five games and is shooting 43.8 percent from the field.

Auburn head coach Tony Barbee said the win Saturday was a confidence boost for his team.

“The one thing we’ve done as a staff is to stay positive because the players will feed off of you,” Barbee said. “It’s great to get the win so they understand I’m not just making them work

and driving them without a reward at the end.”

Two Auburn players, sophomore center Rob Chubb and sophomore guard Josh Wallace, had career-highs against the Gamecocks, scoring 18 and 17 points, respectively.

After several lead changes in the game, the Tigers went ahead for good with about seven minutes left in the first half.

“Defensively, it was a key holding a really good offensive team to 34 percent,” Barbee said. “I am proud of the kids. It is a tough place to play against a very good team.”

Tennessee currently leads the series 69–37, but the Tigers have a 26–20 game advantage at home, winning nine of the last 11 games played in Auburn.

Auburn won the last

meeting between the two teams, coming out on top 78–77 on a Korvotney Barber layup with four seconds remaining.

The Vols had three players in double-digit scoring against Ole Miss: senior center Brian Williams, junior guard Scotty Hopson and junior guard Cameron Tatum.

The game will be nationally televised on ESPN2 at 8 p.m. in the Auburn Arena.

The BCS National Championship trophy will be present and fans will have an opportunity to pose with the trophy for a picture by a professional photographer.

The first 1,000 fans in the door will receive a Tony Barbee bobblehead doll.

Thursday’s game will be the 2,300th game in Auburn’s 105-year history. The record is 1226–1072–1.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Sports D5

The Auburn Plainsman

Ferguson outruns competition Harrison Nichols WRITER

EMILY ADAMS / PHOTO EDITOR

Senior pitcher Lauren Schmalz hurls the ball during Auburn’s 8–5 win over Jacksonville.

Auburn ready to start season Nick Van Der Linden ASSOCIATE SPORTS WRITER

After earning its seventh trip to the NCAA Tournament and finishing the 2010 season with a 31–26 overall record, the Auburn softball team is ready to start play and improve on last year.

“There are a lot of upperclassmen coming back, so we have progressed really rapidly because everyone is in the flow and knows what to expect,” said head coach Tina Deese. “Practices have been good and enjoyable because they have been bringing a lot of attention to the field.”

The Tigers return seven starters and three pitchers, including senior infielder Kyndall White.

The Pinson native is one of four seniors on Auburn’s roster and earned Second Team All-SEC honors after hitting .356 with 14 home runs in her junior year.

White enters her senior season in Auburn’s career top 10 in slugging percentage (seventh), triples (tied for ninth) and home runs (seventh).

Joining White as a returning starter is

sophomore infielder Kelsey Cartwright.

Cartwright started every game while hitting .276 with three home runs, eight doubles and 17 RBI. “Cartwright has leadership capabilities,” Deese said. “We have expected her to be that leader, and I think she is following very well in Kyndall’s footsteps.

I also think one key factor for all of us is Jenee Loree.

She has really stepped up, and I’ve really been pleased with what she is bringing to the field.”

Junior pitcher Loree enters the 2011 season ranked 10th in Auburn history in wins (16), tied for eighth in saves (three), seventh in strikeouts (235) and fifth in strikes per seven innings pitched (six point five).

Loree posted a 4–5 record with a 2.22 earned run average (ERA) in 79.0 innings and finished eighth in the Southeastern Conference in ERA and 19th in opponents batting average (.251).

Auburn has another key returning starter in junior infielder Lauren Guzman.

Guzman currently owns

2011 Home softball schedule

the longest streak of consecutive starts at 116 games.

“Everyone seems really focused,” Guzman said. “At first I thought it was because we just started, but it seems to be getting better and better. Our mental game is more there this year.”

Auburn is predicted to finish third in the SEC West and sixth overall in the conference by coaches after finishing 11–17 in conference play last year.

“I think what we want to do more than anything is get to a regional, win the regional and get to the super regional for the first time,” Deese said. “I think that is a good goal for us to set right now. Of course we have Oklahoma City in our sights, but we are going to take it game-by-game. We want to win all our nonconference games and finish well in the conference and see what we do at the NCAA Regional.”

Auburn opens the 2011 season at the All-Alabama Classic Tournament as they face Alabama State Feb. 12–13 at 11 a.m. in Birmingham.

FERGUSON

that I had a great ability to run track,” Ferguson said.

“Probably in grade 10 is when I started to take it seriously.”

Ferguson planned to run for Auburn coming out of high school, but first spent two years at Southwest Mississippi Community College in Summit, Miss.

Her successes in Mississippi were a prelude to her time at Auburn.

While at SMCC, Ferguson won the 100- and 200meter at the 2009 NJCAA Outdoor Championships and was a 10-time AllAmerican.

Even after two years at Southwest Mississippi Community College, Ferguson still wanted to run track at Auburn.

“After two years at junior college, I came back on a visit to Auburn, and I still felt like they had the college team that I wanted to be on,” Ferguson said.

ATHLETE QUICK HITS

[*denotes conference game]

Date

Opponent

Time

02/17

vs. McNeese State

5:00 p.m.

02/18

vs. Southern Miss

12:30 p.m.

vs. Campbell

3:00 p.m.

02/19

vs. Western Illinois

12:30 p.m.

02/20

vs. Western Carolina.

2:00 p.m.

02/23

vs. Georgia State

5:00 p.m.

02/25

vs. Georgia Southern

12:30 p.m.

vs. Belmont

3:00 p.m.

02/26

vs. Marshall

12:30 p.m.

02/27

vs. Middle Tennessee State

2:00 p.m.

03/08

vs. Connecticut

2:00 p.m.

vs. Florida State

5:00 p.m.

03/09

vs. Penn State

4:00 p.m.

03/18

vs. South Carolina *

6:00 p.m.

03/19

vs. South Carolina *

1:00 p.m.

03/20

vs. South Carolina *

1:00 p.m.

03/25

vs. Ole Miss *

6:00 p.m.

03/26

vs. Ole Miss *

1:00 p.m.

03/27

vs. Ole Miss *

1:00 p.m.

04/06

vs. Mercer

5:00 p.m.

vs. Mercer

7:00 p.m.

04/15

vs. Florida *

6:00 p.m.

04/16

vs. Florida *

1:00 p.m.

04/17

vs. Florida *

1:00 p.m.

04/20

vs. LSU *

4:00 p.m.

vs. LSU *

6:30 p.m.

vs. Mississippi Valley State

12:00 p.m.

vs. Mississippi Valley State

2:00 p.m.

04/29

vs. Georgia *

6:00 p.m.

04/30

vs. Georgia *

1:00 p.m.

05/01

vs. Georgia *

1:00 p.m.

04/23

In her first season on the Plains in 2010, Shenqiua Ferguson made quite an impact.

At the 2010 SEC Outdoor Track and Field Championship, Ferguson took first place in both the women’s 100- and 200-meter and helped the 4x100meter relay team place first as well.

This dominating performance helped Ferguson win 2010 SEC Female Runner of the Year, becoming the third Auburn woman to do so after Juliet Campbell (1993) and Kerron Stewart (2006, 2007). Still, the award came as quite a surprise for Ferguson.

“It was shocking because I didn’t expect to receive such a great award,” Ferguson said. “It’s really humbling to know that from all the many people they could have chosen from, they chose me.”

Originally from Nassau, the capital city of the Bahamas, Ferguson didn’t start running track until she was in high school.

“At first I didn’t take it very seriously, but as I started to compete against other kids in the Bahamas, my coach and I noticed

“They had the family that I knew and wanted to be a part of, and that stuck with me the two years I was at junior college.”

Auburn women’s sprinters coach, Henry Rolle, attributes Ferguson’s success to several factors.

“She is very, very competitive and she has experience on many levels, from World Championships, the Olympics, NCAA Championships, SEC Championships,” Rolle said. “Her competitiveness, experience and discipline are why she is so successful on the track.”

Ferguson’s goals for this season are much the same as in years past.

In addition to winning at the SEC and NCAA Championships, Ferguson also said she wants to do well in the World Championships coming up in August in Daegu, South Korea.

But Ferguson’s long term goals are a little loftier.

“This is my senior year, so I am trying to see if I could get a contract with Nike to run professionally,” Ferguson said. “I’ll still stay in Auburn and train with coach Rolle and hopefully reach my No. 1 goal of being an Olympian.”

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Sports D6

The Auburn Plainsman

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Tigers prep for Kentucky Erik Yabor WRITER

TIM SIMPSON / PHOTO STAFF

Pet enthusiasts stop to look at one of the pet adoption stands in front of the Auburn Arena.

Local pet organizations gather at Auburn Arena Kate Jones WRITER

Coach Nell Fortner and the women’s basketball team partnered with the Lee County Humane Society, Dogpatch Ranch and Friends of Fido for Adpota-Pet Awareness Day before Sunday’s matchup against South Carolina.

Fortner said the issue of homeless pets is close to the whole staff ’s heart.

“We all have dogs,” Fortner said. “We’ve all been animal lovers for a long, long time. It’s something that I did in the WNBA when I coached with the Indiana Fever.

“I started it there with the Humane Society in Indianapolis, and I am just glad to be able to do it here in Auburn.”

Representatives from each organization provided information about pet adoption, raising awareness about the importance of spaying and neutering pets.

Stacey Dickson, representing the no-kill center Dogpatch Ranch, said

their haven handles rescue, adoption and spaying and neutering.

“Animals are allowed to come to our facility and either live out their natural lives, or if they are not able to be adopted because of aggressions or other issues, we work with them on their issues, and we will just keep them with us,” Dickson said. “So we have dogs that are residents that are never going to leave us, and then we have those we adopt out.”

Based in Salem, the ranch also provides a service to elderly citizens in the area whose only companion is their pet.

“We adopt elderly citizens that we take dog food to, spay and neuter their animals and pay for their vet care so they are able to maintain their little family,” Dickson said.

Spaying and neutering animals is the perfect solution to animal control, Dickson said.

“Plain and simple: as many animals as we can get spayed and neutered

the better,” Dickson said.

Chastyne Klingensmith, Miss East Alabama Teen and recently-named ambassador to Dogpatch Ranch, was also at the arena Sunday, collecting donations, talking about the animals and distributing information packets about the Ranch.

Klingensmith said in all there are 8–10 million dogs put in shelters and kennels and 5–8 million are euthanized in kill shelters.

The Dogpatch Ranch ranch is currently holding 40 animals and relies on donations, solicitation to pet companies and sponsors to keep the ranch open to animals.

The most important thing Dickson said the community could do is to have the spirit of donation.

“Just always know that whatever you have is something that we can use,” Dickson said.

Dickson added that plastic grocery bags, old towels and sheets and laundry detergent are just some of the supplies needed.

The Auburn women’s basketball team (13–8, 6–2 SEC) will face one of its toughest challenges of the season Feb. 3 when they play against the Kentucky Wildcats (17–4, 6–2 SEC) in Lexington, Ky. While the Tigers have won nine of their last 11 games, the Wildcats have been playing some of their best basketball all season and have won six straight, including wins over the Florida Gators and Vanderbilt Commodores.

The Wildcats also easily handled the South Carolina Gamecocks who gave the Tigers trouble Sunday, although the Auburn women ended with a 54– 47 victory.

The game will be pivotal in SEC play. Both the Tigers and the Wildcats are twoand-a-half games behind the conference leaders, Tennessee’s Lady Vols.

The victor will hold sole possession of third place behind the Lady Vols and the Georgia Bulldogs.

“Kentucky is a really tough, physical team,” said sophomore Morgan Toles, fourth on the team in scoring with 190 points and team leader in assists with 115 on the season.

The pressure of playing Kentucky in their own house only adds to the difficulty.

“They have great fan support,” said head coach Nell Fortner.

The Wildcats have done well defending their home

turf, going 10–1 at home so far this season. Despite the huge home advantage, the Tigers have not played poorly on the road and are 4–2 in their six away games this season.

On paper, the Tigers are outmatched on both offense and defense.

The Tigers are averaging 64.9 points each game, but that might not be enough to top the Wildcats, who are averaging 74.8 points each game.

Alley Smalley, the Tigers’ leading scorer, manages 11.8 points per game while Blanche Alverson, the team’s second leading scorer, averages 11.5 points per game.

The game will take place in Rupp arena and tip-off will be at 6 p.m.

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