The Auburn Plainsman A Spirit That Is Not Afraid ThePlainsman.com
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Vol. 119, Issue 39, 16 Pages
AU Family feud
Online
Report by Auburn alumna Selena Roberts accuses Auburn football of numerous NCAA violations
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Campus A3
Unfortunately, Ms. Roberts’ story is long on accusations and inferences, but short on facts and logic.”
Raye MAy / Photo Editor
Michael McNeil plead guilty to first degree robbery Monday, April 8. and was sentenced to 15 years with a three-year split.
McNeil pleads guilty to armed robbery
—Gene Chizik Former Head Coach
Chandler Jones Community Reporter
Intrigue B5
Rachael Suhs / Design Editor
John Burns Sports Editor
Allegations of illegal actions committed by the Auburn football program have cropped up often since 2010, and the newest batch of claims was released Wednesday, April 3 by former Sports Illustrated writer and New York Times columnist Selena Roberts. Roberts, an Auburn alumna, served as the assistant sports editor for the Plainsman during her time at the University. Roberts’ article, published on Roopstigo.com, accused
the Auburn football program of numerous NCAA violations since the Tommy Tuberville era in 2007. The report cited cash payments to players, recruiting violations and academic fraud. The main source for the article was former Auburn defensive back Mike McNeil, who was kicked off the team for being charged with armed robbery in March of 2011. Roberts’ article came out just days before McNeil’s trial is set to begin. Others cited in the arti-
cle are former Auburn players Darvin Adams and Mike Blanc. Since Roberts’ report was released, ESPN has fueled the fire by releasing an article about Auburn players using Spice, or synthetic marijuana. The significance of the article is it claims that McNeil, and his three teammates who were allegedly involved in the armed robbery had smoked Spice before committing the crime.
» See Feud A2
Mike McNeil, the former Auburn safety accused of armed robbery in March of 2011, plead guilty to robbery in the first degree and was arrested the morning of Monday, April 8. Circuit Judge Chris Hughes sentenced McNeil to 15 years with a three-year split, meaning McNeil will serve three years in jail and then a three year probationary period. McNeil was also fined $2,000. He was given four-days jail credit. McNeil met with his lawyer Ben Hand and U. W. Clemen retired federal judge out of Birmingham, they reviewed the evidence and decided it would be in McNeil’s best interest to enter a plea. “Mike McNeil agreed and thought we had some de-
fenses we could present at court, but in all likelihood, based on the previous trial, he could be convicted and face a much tougher sentence,” Hand said. Hughes said the state would be able to prove guilt based on the evidence presented by Assistant District Attorney Kisha Abercrombie. “He felt like there was enough evidence to convict him and the risk of what a mandatory sentence would be, a mandatory sentence for armed robbery starts at 21, so the risk of a conviction versus the three years that they offered him was far outweighing the risk of going to trial,” Hand said. This trial is associated with the March 2011 arrest of four former Auburn football players.
» See McNeil A2
Auburn Aviation grounds future degrees
Sports B2
Becky Haardy Campus Editor
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The aviation management program in the College of Business has failed to meet accreditation requirements since last fall leaving the program in threat of losing its accreditation. Aviation Accreditation Board International has given the University three requirements it needs to meet to be accredited by February 2013. The requirements are to hire more faculty, hire an aviation mechanic and address the flight education facility’s needs. By the end of the Spring 2013 semester, there will be no more tenured professors in the aviation management program. The College of Business’s dean, Bill Hardgrave, has responded to those requirements, but has not hired additional faculty to the program, said Jason Mohrman, 1997 Auburn alumnus. “I can only think it would be a move to more or less remove the program because without the accreditation, Auburn would (lose) the just signed con-
tract with Jet Blue Airways, called the University Gateway Program, which allows Auburn students in the aviation program to do internships and have networking opportunities with Jet Blue after they graduate,” Mohrman said. The Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, Tim Boosinger, addressed in an email to concerned alumnus, David Upchurch, that because of unprecedented events, such as the recent death of one of the tenured professors in the aviation program, no decisions have been made, but the University is dedicated to the students currently in the program. Mike Clardy, director of university communication services, said that no decisions regarding the program have been made at this time. “There is no doubt the program has declined over time to about one third the size it was 10 years ago,” Clardy said. “What is less clear is why the program has declined. To understand this trend, we have looked at, among other things, similar programs at other institutions as well as industry factors.
Courtesy of Keith Tatum
Alpha Eta Rho members visit the corporate Coca-Cola hanger at the Fulton county airport in Atlanta March 27, 2013.
These and many other considerations will inform our long term plans.” Clardy said the college has some near-term issues to address because of the recent loss of two faculty. “Primarily, to ensure we have a suffi-
cient number of qualified faculty in the classroom this fall,” Clardy said. “Our immediate and top priority is to help the students currently in the program.”
» See Aviation A2
Graphic anti-abortion demonstration sparks protest Kailey Miller Campus Writer
INDEX Campus Opinion Community Sports Intrigue
A2 A6 A7 B1 B5
On an average day, there are organizations on the concourse handing out fliers or raising money for a cause. On Monday, April 8 and Tuesday, April 9, the Center for Bio-Ethical Reform set up a large structure on the concourse that is full of images including the results of abortion, slavery and genocide. Fletcher Armstrong, Southeast director of the Center for Bio-Ethical Reform, said the organization is here to show people two facts about abortion he thinks they don’t really understand. “Number one, the unborn child is a living human being even at the moment of conception and certainly in the first trimester,” Armstrong said. “In the first trimester the child has arms, legs, fingers, toes and everything that readily identifies him as a human
Raye May / Photo Editor
Students stood across the concourse in protest of the graphic pro-life demonstration Tuesday, April 9 held by the Center for Bio-ethical reform.
being.” The structure has pictures of arms and legs that have been taken off of an unborn child’s body.
They are placed on top of an American quarter to show the size of the arms and legs in comparison to the quarter.
“If that happened to any student on this campus, we would be readily understand that that’s an act of violence against that student,” Armstrong said. “Number two, abortion is an act of violence, so that’s no less true for the unborn child.” Lauren Watts, sophomore in communication disorders and member of Auburn University Students For Life, said she thinks showing these images is a good way to open peoples’ eyes. “I know some people are offended by these graphic pictures, but it’s the same techniques that abolitionists used when slavery was still around and also the same technique that MLK used,” Watts said. “These graphic images just shock people into doing the right thing and stopping an injustice.”
» See abortion A2
Campus A2
The Auburn Plainsman
Crime Reports in the City of Auburn april 3–10, 2013 April 4-5 – Magnolia Avenue Third-degree theft of a cooler between 3 p.m. April 4–7 a.m. April 5. April 5 – Longleaf Drive Second-degree theft of a television and game console between 8:30 a.m.–10:40 p.m. April 5 – Deer Run Road Second-degree theft of a refrigerator, trolling motor and marine battery between 7:40 a.m.–6 p.m. April 6 – South College Street Third-degree theft of clothing between 1–3:20 p.m.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
DUI arrests for April 3–10, 2013 John Yates, 23, Wetumpka Thursday, April 4, 11:45 pm. at North Dean Road and Lakeview Drive Paige Corkery, 19, Greenwich, Conn. Thursday, April 4, 3:26 a.m. at Shug Jordan Parkway and Wire Road Douglas Snider Jr., 21, Auburn Thursday, April 4, 1:40 a.m. on Harris Avenue
John Karabinos, 19, Fitzgerald, Ga. Saturday, April 6, 1:02 a.m. on South College Street
Jeffrey Hutchinson, 48, Opelika Sunday, April 7, 11:57 p.m. at North Gay Street and East Glenn Avenue
James Knowles, 27, Auburn Saturday, April 6, 2:22 a.m. in Auburn
Patrick McNutt, 21, Birmingham Sunday, April 7, 1:18 a.m. on West Longleaf Drive
Wesley Ellison, 21, Auburn Saturday, April 6, 3:17 a.m. in Auburn
Richard Carpenter, 19, Auburn Monday, April 8, 12:14 a.m. in Auburn
Dominique Key, 30, Opelika Saturday, April 6, 2:59 a.m. on Debardeleben Street
Jonathon Davis, 22, Evergreen Monday, April 8, 3:50 a.m. in Auburn
April 7 – Glenn Avenue Third-degree theft services between 3–4 a.m.
Blair Hitchcock, 23, Auburn Thursday, April 4, 1:20 a.m. at South College Street and Samford Avenue
April 8 – Opelika Road Harassment report
Christopher Ordis, 23, Auburn Friday, April 5, 2:14 a.m. at Wire Road and Samford Avenue
Clarence Durr, 42, Loachapoka Saturday, April 6, 11:32 p.m. on Opelika Road
April 8 – Shug Jordan Parkway Second-degree theft of U.S. currency and an iPhone between 7–7:30 p.m.
Jonathon Hardy, 23, Pensacola, Fla. Friday, April 5, 2:48 a.m. on South College Street
Justin Lawley, 23, Beaufort, S.C. Sunday, April 7, 4:40 a.m. on North Dean Road and East Glenn Avenue
— Reports provided by Auburn Department of Public Safety
Panhellenic Council wins Overall Recognition Award Kailey Miller Campus Reporter
Auburn University’s Panhellenic Council was recognized for their accomplishments when they won the Overall Recognition Award at the 2013 South Eastern Panhellenic Conference. The application had 10 categories that each Panhellenic had to provide information for. These categories were community service, leadership development, philanthropy, public relations, risk management, scholarship, Panhellenic relations, diversity, womens’ issues and the circle of sisterhood, which is the national philanthropy project. “The Overall Recognition Award goes to the Panhellenic who basically excelled in every single category,” said Kristen Davis, Panhellenic graduate assistant. “You fill out an application in each category and it’s whoever has the most
feud
» From A1 The article also says Auburn failed to test for the drug early enough, and when the University did test for it, they did not punish the players for using it. Former coach Gene Chizik, current Athletics Director Jay Jacobs and former coach Pat Dye all had statements released or comments about the allegations. Chizik’s statement: “During my tenure at Auburn, the NCAA conducted a multi-year investigation into the Auburn football program that they called “fair and thorough.” The NCAA focused intently on widespread accusations about Auburn players being paid and other alleged recruiting violations. The NCAA conducted 80 interviews. In October 2011, the NCAA rejected “rampant public speculation online and in the me-
McNeil » From A1
McNeil’s trial was the second slated for these arrests. Antonio Goodwin, the first of these trials, was found guilty and convicted of first-
Aviation » From A1
President Jay Gogue has addressed this issue, but did not say how the college was going to handle it. Auburn’s aviation program is the oldest continuously running aviation program in the nation. In 1998, the aviation program moved from the Col-
Abortion » From A1
The display is meant to c ompare ab or tion w ith other forms of genocide by pointing out some of the similarities while at the same time not saying abortion is identical to genocide, Armstrong said. “Our Supreme Court said that the unborn child was not developed enough and not entitled the rights of
well rounded answer for each category.” The past executive members fill out the application, which includes the past Panhellenic president and her executive board because the award is based on all of the programs and events that Panhellenic took part in throughout the past year. The Southeastern Panhellenic Conference takes place once a year and invites surrounding universities in the Southeast that have Panhellenic associations. Close to 25 different groups attended the conference, Davis said. “I think that now that this award is in place, it’ll help us to establish a foundation for future generations of Auburn women and to have a great Panhellenic community that really supports its members and also will continue to have an impact on the generations to come,”
said Emily Riley, senior in human development and family studies and past Panhellenic president. “It wasn’t just our exec that won the award it was our whole team, we had a wonderful year and I think it was more of an honor to be recognized for the service that Panhellenic does, not only to our University but to our community.” This is the first year that the Overall Recognition Award has been awarded. Auburn has applied for the other individual categories in the past, but was the first to receive the Overall Recognition Award along with the University of South Carolina. In the application, Auburn Panhellenic included the Auburn Panhellenic creed that they say every time before council, said Mackenzie Strickert, junior in human development and family studies and current Panhellenic president.
“Before they announced the award they read a little bit about the bio and they started reading the creed and so I figured that it might have been us and they started saying how we do habitat days and we have council bi-weekly and do Greek Sing,” Strickert said. “We were very surprised, but we were really humbled.” At the banquet there were representatives from schools as large as Louisiana State University and Florida State as well as smaller schools like Georgia State. “I knew we had been successful and excelled in a lot of the categories, but at the same time I knew that there were some other schools there that had also done a tremendous job at the Panhellenics well,” Davis said. “I wasn’t surprised, but I knew that the caliber that we were competing against was also good, it as a happy moment.”
dia.” Unfortunately, the recent story published by Selena Roberts is more of the same. It once again portrays Auburn University, current and former coaches, professors, fans, supporters and community officials in a false light. Unfortunately, Ms. Roberts’ story is long on accusation and inference, but short on facts and logic. It is noteworthy that the story comes just days before a player mentioned most prominently in the article is set to go to trial for felony armed robbery. The statements are very generalized accusations devoid of substance. During my time as Auburn’s head coach, I never authorized, instructed or directed anyone to change any player’s grade or provide any type of illegal payment to any student-athlete. Likewise, I am not aware of any alleged grade change or illegal payment by any member of my coaching staff, support staff or anyone else.
As for logic, the notion that the conduct inferred by Ms. Roberts was occurring under the NCAA’s nose, at the very same time the NCAA is conducting its thorough investigation, lacks merit. Further, the notion that there was ever an attempt to sabotage any Auburn student-athlete’s attempt to play professional football is outrageous. Auburn’s success in transitioning student-athletes to the NFL benefits both the student-athlete and the Auburn program. I remain part of the Auburn family and take these attacks on myself, the University and community seriously. During my time at Auburn, the administrators, professors and academic staff were of the highest integrity. Additionally, the inference that there was academic support staff that worked together with professors to change grades is absurd. As an Auburn resident, I take great pride in the qual-
ity and integrity of our police department. They enforce the law equally and fairly and my dealings with police Chief Tommy Dawson and his staff have been nothing short of excellent. He has handled many high profile cases with the upmost integrity and professionalism. To imply anything otherwise is simply wrong. If there is a sad truth here, it is that there are no repercussions for bloggers who blast out widespread, venomous allegations and inferences in such an irresponsible manner. To make bold and outrageous conclusions on such thin support is a travesty. During my tenure as Auburn’s head coach, we kept the well-being of our student- athletes at the forefront of every decision. We ran our program with the highest level of integrity and accountability. Period. I make absolutely no apologies for that. I stand firm in my statements, my support of
Auburn University, its studentathletes (present and former), faculty, staff and community officials. As I stated during the NCAA investigation, I am comforted knowing that the truth always prevails.” Jay Jacobs also released a statement, along with an open letter to the Auburn Family. Jacob’s statement reads: “Anytime accusations are made against Auburn, we take them seriously. We have no reason to believe these allegations are either accurate or credible. However, as a matter of procedure, we are reviewing them carefully. It is important to note that several of the sources in this story have since indicated they were either misquoted, quoted out of context or denied the allegations. Unfortunately, the reporter who published this story did not fully represent to us what the story was about when requesting an interview.
We were only told that the reporter was working on a story about the alleged armed robbery involving four former football players, which occurred over two years ago. We were never told the story would include allegations about academic fraud or improper benefits. Had we known that, we would have responded immediately with the statement above.” Melody Kitchens, of The Plainsman and The War Eagle Reader, recently spoke with Pat Dye regarding Auburn alumna Roberts. Roberts was assistant sports editor for The Auburn Plainsman her senior year (1987-1988). “She must have a vendetta against Auburn, for her to have gone here and what she wrote. Maybe she has a vendetta against the time when the communication and journalism schools were made into one department. I remember that was a big deal.”
degree robbery on Tuesday, June 19, 2012. He is currently serving a 15 year sentence. Shaun Kitchens and Dakota Mosley were also arrested for their involvement. Kitchens and Mosley await trial in early June. As part of his plea deal, Mc-
Neil is ordered to cooperate with the district attorney’s office in these cases. In the courtroom were six members of McNeil’s family. “They’re handling it well,” Hand said. “They’re a good Christian family. They’re praying for him. They believe
in him, and they know this is just the best outcome for him.” McNeil’s daughter was not present in court today, but he went to see her Sunday night and told her he would see her in three years, Hand said. McNeil was a senior in
communications at Auburn prior to the robbery. “If you look back at Mike’s history, he has a real good history working with Fellowship of Christian Athletes, did a lot of good things working with children in the hospitals, always had a good reputation,”
Hand said. “What could be portrayed as a possibly a prank ended up very bad. He was distressed about it. Anytime you’re facing going to prison that’s tough. He understood what the law was and what could have happened.”
lege of Engineering to the College of Business. The aviation students have created a petition at flyauburn.org that currently has more than 2,000 signatures and more than 100,000 hits since Thursday April 4. “One of our big goals was to get our voices heard and I think we’ve managed to do that as students,” said Blake Schuette, captain of the War Eagle Flying Team.
Although the students, faculty and alumni are expressing their concerns about the strained accreditation process of the program, they do not want to point fingers at anyone, Hoebelheinrich said. “The student campaign is simply raising awareness for our program and it has really brought the students together,” Hoebelheinrich said.”
personhood under the law applying to developmental criteria.” In 1857, the courts called black men subordinates and inferior beings, and the Nazi’s have said similar things about Jewish citizens and Eastern Europeans in the past, Armstrong said. Th e stud ent reaction to this display has been mixed, said Watts and Armstrong. They have had students
with varying opinions come to debate and ask questions. “I feel like it’s rude, they clearly know that people have had abortions before,” said Chasity Willis, freshman in business marketing. “There are things that are legal that people do that are just as disturbing, (but they) are displaying it out for them to feel bad about it on the concourse of the college where we have to go to classes.”
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Thursday, April 11, 2013
Campus A3
The Auburn Plainsman
Indian Student Association Bollywood ballyhooed by attendees April 6 Ben Hohenstatt
Sadwani said that with a community of more than 200 Indian students it made sense to hold another fun event that placed emphasis on Indian culture. “And what better than Bollywood to describe Indian culture?” Sadhwani said. The event also featured Indian refreshments and a performance of Bollywood-styled dancing. The choreographed dancing prompted cheering and applause from the crowd. “I love seeing their moves,” said Blake Brown, freshman in business. The goal of the evening was also to have a multicultural appeal. This was represented in the diverse crowd which contained many different ethnicities and age groups, as well as the attire of the crowd. Black fitted suits, colorful traditional dresses, striped blue and orange polo shirts and even T-shirts were spotted in the constantly moving crowd. A prize was awarded to the best-dressed male and female. The intended diversity was also reflected in the variety of dance music that provided the soundtrack to the evening. Attendees danced for three hours as Karim Ali, a Bolly-
WRITER
RAYE MAY/ PHOTO EDITOR
Students for Concealed Carry set up a booth on the concourse to promote their favored gun policies.
Empty holsters, open minds Becky Hardy CAMPUS EDITOR
Students for Concealed Carry protest for adults with pistol permits to be able to carry on campus. The nonpartisan, grassroots organization, which was started nationwide after the Virginia Tech shooting, fights for the right for students to allow themselves the option of protection against a shooter on campus. “The idea of the organization is that someone who can legally carry a pistol off campus, someone who has a permit that can legally carry in grocery stores, movie theaters and banks should be allowed to carry (a pistol) on campus,” said David Shamp, vice president of Auburn’s Students for Concealed Carry club. Currently the University prohibits students, faculty and staff from carrying a gun on campus. Students could be expelled if caught with a gun and faculty and staff can be fired for carrying one as well. Shamp said Alabama does not have a law against people carrying concealed weapons. “We just feel that if you can carry (a gun) off campus why should you lose your right to self-defense right when you step on campus,” Shamp said. Transportation to and from campus without concealed carry protection is also a concern for the club. “I have friends who live off of Glenn and Magnolia who have to walk back from the library late at night,” said Nathan Young, president of Auburn’s Students for Concealed Carry club. “Things can happen, so the ability to defend themselves shouldn’t be taken away because they’re com-
ing from campus.” Young said since Auburn is a public institution, students, faculty and staff should be guaranteed all the rights the government guarantees. Concealed carry is one of those rights. The protest will include a booth station set up on the concourse as well as each member of the organization wearing an empty holster on their waist while going through daily activities. “It’s just an attention getter to let people say ‘Oh wow you have a holster with nothing in it,’” said Steve Gulley, adviser for the club. “It’s a conversation starter really.” Another feature of the protest will include an opposition table set up down the concourse called Criminals for a Gun Free Zone, which will include people in orange jumpsuits or ski masks demonstrating the views of criminals. “When (students) see a similar protest down the concourse with a guy in a ski mask saying I like gun control, they’ll say ‘Woah maybe they have a point,’” Shamp said. “‘The idea that criminals want me to be unarmed makes their job easier. I don’t want that.”’ The group does not want to cause any tension between the students and officials on campus, Young said. “We want to keep it completely honest and above board at all times,” Young said. “Causing difficulties in identification for police officers is not on the agenda.” Universities such as Utah, Colorado, Texas and Oregon all allow students, faculty and staff to carry on campus. The club set up forms for students to fill out addressed to their state senators and
congressmen asking for changes in the concealed carry laws. “We have computers for students who need to look up who their representatives are,” Shamp said. Although the club is passionate about their ideas on guns, they have also addressed the opposition. “People will say ‘Oh they’re just college kids, they’re only 21, they’re drinking alcohol and doing drugs,’” Shamp said. “If you’re doing those things you’re breaking the law anyway on carrying a pistol. You’re not supposed to be inebriated when carrying a pistol and you obviously shouldn’t be doing drugs because that’s illegal, so that’s a moot point.” Many people said they might not feel safe on campus with students carrying concealed guns, Shamp said. “I ask them if they feel safe off campus because people can carry there,” Shamp said. Allowing concealed weapons on campus does not mean everyone can join in. “We’re not trying to be ‘Welcome to Camp War Eagle, here’s your ‘45,’” Shamp said. “It’s about people who are normally able to carry being allowed to carry on campus. If random shooters were to come on campus we want to give people the option to defend themselves.” The club’s main concern is the University’s official policy on an on-campus active shooter. “What the University asks you to do is run, hide and at the last, fight the guy with bullets by throwing books at him,” Shamp said. The offical school policy does not condone engaging in physical combat a shooter.
Reedy synthesizer, deep rolling bass, pounding drums and more than 100 people energetically dancing kept Auburn Student Baptist Center rattling late into the night, Saturday, April 6. The cause of the ruckus was Auburn University Indian Student Association’s Bollywood Dance Night. Fliers for the event offered attendees the chance to “Be a Bollywood star for a day.” ISA, has been a student organization for more than 25 years according it’s to faculty adviser Sushil Bhavnani, and it actively seeks to celebrate Indian culture. This was the first time in its history ISA has organized such an event, but Bollywood Dance Night proved to be popular, and it sold out all 130 $3 tickets. “It is strange for them to do a dance event, usually they do stage events,” Bhavnani said. Narendra Sadhwani, ISA president, expressed excitement about expanding ISA’s event calendar, which usually focuses on one festival. “Every year we have something called Diwali, that’s the festival of lights for India,” Sadhwani said. “That’s the big fall event for us.”
wood DJ from Birmingham, played a mixture of Western and Bollywood hits. Ali, whose stage name is DJ Exclusive, played everything from Pitbull to Indian pop group Chamak Challo while strobe lights flashed and disco lights turned. This kept the dance floor full all night full and energetic. The only thing that momentarily stopped the celebration was the arrival of Alu Bonda, a deep-fried Indian snack, which caused a very long line at Bollywood Dance Night. Refreshments were served in the Student Baptist Center’s lobby which served as a lounge for tired dancers. Families, including Jas Pannuu and her two nieces ages 3 and 8, also occupied the lounge area. The event offered an alternative to Auburn’s usual nightlife that could appeal to an entire family. “It is a break from your general night where people go to bars,” Sadwani said. Sadwani said ultimately, Bollywood Dance Night was a chance for people of any background to view multiple facets of Indian culture. “People who have missed Bollywood Dance Night have really missed a chance to witness real India,” Sadwani said.
DANIEL ORAMAS/ MULTIMEDIA EDITOR
Karim Ali, bollywood DJ from Birmingham, played music for three hours for students at the event.
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Thursday, April 11, 2013
Toomer’s souvenirs to benefit student scholarships Becky Hardy CAMPUS EDITOR
Toomer’s Oaks souvenirs will be available for purchase this summer or next fall. The University does not know what those products will be yet, but commemorative Tshirts and necklaces are on sale now. The University is also working with licensed manufacturers to help create wood pieces from the oaks. “The trees are still up and we really have to see what the trees will look like to see what kind of products can be made from them,” said Mike Clardy, director of university communication services. “We don’t know in terms of what types of products will be available, but once we get the wood down and let the (tree slices) manufacturer see what they can do with it.” All royalties from the oaks items will go toward a scholarship fund for student attending the University. “We’re going to have a special hangtag that
goes on every item,” Clardy said. “The items that have that hangtag will be the authentic items. Fans should looks for that hangtag to make sure the proceeds go toward the scholarship fund.” The Auburn fans put their input into the item making process. “People have asked and suggested things and certainly we have taken those suggestions and seen if we could match what they’re looking for with the manufacturing who creates things like that,” Clardy said. “We’ve taken that feedback and tried to make things that they would be interested in purchasing.” Items made from the oaks and other commemorative items will be available in bookstores in Auburn as well as other stores around the state and beyond. “The oaks are special,” Clardy said. “The trees are special to the Auburn Family. We’ve already had significant amount of requests and questions about them, so I expect that the items that are created would sell very quickly.”
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RAYE MAY/ PHOTO EDITOR
Toomer’s souvenirs will be available for purchase this upcoming summer and fall semesters.
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THE COLLEGE OF SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS
Auburn students took what most people would only see as trash and turned it into something useful and environmentally friendly. Auburn University’s Department of Industrial and Graphic Design participated in the Design Green competition for the 11th year. “Design Green is a two day event intended to highlight the sustainable or environmental impacts of the projects that we design,” said Jerrod Windham, assistant professor. “It puts a spotlight on environmental impact.” The department invites guest lecturers who are either experienced in designing products that have reduced environmental impact or with companies that supply materials or components for reduced environmental impact. They then have the 24-hour Design Green competition that centers on the idea of de-
signing something with a reduced environmental impact, Windham said. Students on the winning team for the competition were Lee Cooper, Sarah Caudle, Joshua Hanson, Piao Hailing and Andrew Rentz. “We made close to a six scale model,” said Lee Cooper, junior in industrial design. “It was just a tiny model of the chair, it wasn’t digital or anything it was actually made out of cardboard.” Their model was three inches tall and three inches wide. Other competition participants made digital or full-scale models. Guest lecturer Dan Goldstein was the designer of the chair that the competition was based on. The students had 24 hours to make any improvements they had on the chair that they were designing. “What the students did was look for a redesign of the base in a way that it could be
shipped easier and then they also looked at how the seat shell could be redesigned using the materials that were either recycle or recyclable or had some environmental or eco material,” Windham said. “One of the challenges that this designer in particular realized was that his base was not designed in a way that it could be shipped very easily.” Goldstein’s chair, the Re-Ply chair, is made completely out of cardboard and steel. One of the challenges for designing the chair was thinking about the environmental impact of the product. The entire life cycle of the product had to be considered including where the materials came from, how they were processed and manufactured, how the product is used and what will happen to the product when it is no longer being used. “The theme of the contest is always to improve something that is already sustainable,”
said Joshua Hanson, junior in industrial design. “We all were big fans of the current design that the designer brought to us to improve; we decided to not focus on changing the design, but rather improve the sustainability and cost factor involved in the production of the product.” Hanson was on the winning team of the competition last year as well. Most of the students used cardboard for the chair, but some branched out and used material like potato sacks. The designs that the students created will be used by Goldstein as potential inspiration for his next chair, Windham said. The chair would be ideal for someone to use while playing video games, Windham said. “They are very unique and pretty low,” Windham said. “They are most suited for a casual environment, they aren’t really set up for someone to sit at a desk or a table.”
Flyerbug helps students with groceries Jordan Dale WRITER
Flyerbug, an online grocery service that lets you compare prices before you shop, has expanded to include the Auburn area. The service was founded in March 2013 by Raul Sukraj, who wanted to provide a way for people to combat rising food costs. “The economic climate of the past few years has forced many shoppers to pay closer attention to household expenditures,” Sukraj said. “Groceries remain a major budget item for consumers, and we’ve seen a steady increase in food prices over the past few years.” Flyerbug began in Toronto and New York and has been expanding across the United States and Canada. “Continued speculation in food commodity markets, rising fuel prices, expansion of biofuels productions and increase occurrences in severe weather events, suggests that high food prices are here to stay,” Sukraj said. “Paying more
at the supermarket may be the new norm.” The service, which is free to use, allows users to look up food prices before they shop, scout for special deals and submit deals they find while shopping to the Flyerbug community via apps that are compatible with both iPhones and Droids. “I would probably check it out for deals and tell my friends about it,” said Kelsy Plummer, sophomore in English. “I probably wouldn’t share deals that I found. I’m not going to whip out the app and spread the word while I’m shopping.” Flyerbug suggests splitting your shopping between a few different stores in order to save money and use the service effectively. “I live two minutes from a grocery store,” said Anthony Schroeder, junior in history. “At some point it becomes less economical to drive out of my way to save 30 cents on green beans.”
Flyerbug was built to address multiple concerns: price comparison is time consuming, sales go undiscovered and retailers have trouble spreading the word about deals. Some students thought the service still took more time than was needed. “I wouldn’t use it,” said Aaron Dennis, sophomore in business. “Ain’t nobody got time for that.” Jonny Land, senior in history, thought the price comparison was the most interesting part of Flyerbug. “I’d sit around in my underwear and compare prices all day,” Land said. “As far as actively using the service, I wouldn’t do that. Going to one store for this item and one store for that? I’m American, we pay for convenience.” Derek Herscovici, junior in journalism, was more optimistic about Flyerbug. “If I used it and it was helpful I’d do it again,” Herscovici said. “As far as sharing what I found it depends on who I tell
because some people like picking out their own groceries.” Some students viewed Flyerbug as a way to put some money back in their wallets. “I’m a single mom, so any opportunity to save money is something that is worthwhile to at least look into,” said Drew Cash, sophomore in special education. While Flyerbug’s intention is to have shoppers go to multiple stores to save money, some students question if its application has to change when moving to a smaller city like Auburn. “It seems like this service is made for big cities with tons of grocery stores that are close together,” Schroeder said. “If there was another close grocery store, I would just find the one that was generally cheaper instead of looking up and buying various items from each store.” Flyerbug’s aims to allow shoppers to find the best prices students have missed when it comes to convenience.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
The Auburn Plainsman
Campus A5
69 Auburn Students recognized in 2013 Who’s Who Jherrica Luckie WRITER
Each year, the “Who’s Who among Students in American Universities and Colleges” awards students who have persistently stood out to the faculty at his or her school. This year, 69 Auburn students were chosen to receive this award. “The Who’s Who program is a nationally recognized institution of the American academic community,” said Tracey Brinyark, department team leader for Who’s Who among Students. “Universities and Colleges bestow this honor upon academically deserving students so they can have a lifetime referencing service and scholarship opportunities.” Brinyark said the amount of students awarded each year is based on a certain quota, which each university or college is appointed. The quota is normally the top one-half percent of the to-
tal enrollment of the school, which is 69 students for Auburn University. Kaitlyn Bonds, a senior in biomedical sciences and one of the 69 students chosen, said she contributes her win to the positions she has held as a Camp War Eagle counselor over the past two years. “I really am just so thankful,” Bond said. “When I came to Auburn from a little-bitty town, I never thought that I would break out of my comfort zone and get involved as much as I have. I always thought getting involved was more for people who came from monstrous high schools and had connections. I am just so blessed to have been selected for this amazing honor.” Brinyark said that each student selected was previously nominated by a college faculty member, which is the only way for a student nomination to be accepted and considered. Shelby Hancock, senior in english literature, said she was
nominated by her University Program Council adviser, but was unaware she had been nominated until she received an email saying she had won the award. Hancock said she has maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout her years at Auburn and is a member of the Honors College and a Presidential Scholar, along with holding several positions in UPC and other organizations. Steven Sheffield, senior in finance who was nominated by his student involvement adviser, said he thinks his role as the president of Alternative Spring Breaks and being senator of the College of Business led to him achieving this award. “I just want to congratulate all of my friends who won this award, especially those with whom I work in Alternative Spring Break,” Sheffield said. Sheffield said he hopes the award will help motivate him in his professional career. Bradley Burroughs, junior
in communications, said he didn’t think he would win and was surprised when he received an email saying he had. “This is something I feel like I can bring up in job interviews for the future and hopefully show future employee that I am a hard-worker and really enjoy working with others and I always try to do my best,” Burroughs said. Burroughs has been involved with organizations and programs on campus such as Tiger Tuesdays, SOS, Camp War Eagle and SGA since his freshman year. All 69 students will be featured alongside the other students that were chosen for this award in America in the annual ‘Who’s Who among American Universities and Colleges” publication. “I really just feel like this award is a confidence booster for me,” Bond said. “It shows that you can achieve great things here at Auburn and they won’t go unnoticed.”
ATTRIBUTED BY DWYANE COX
Above, Old Main before it burned down in 1887. Right, current design of Samford Hall, which replaced Old Main after it burned down.
Library historical catalogues digitized Austin Lankford CAMPUS REPORTER
Auburn University’s historic catalogue collection has recently been digitized by the libraries’ Special Collections and Archives Department. Dwayne Cox is the head of special collections and archives. “The catalogues are the annual publications of Auburn University that had course descriptions, statements of the University’s purpose and rules and regulations,” Cox said. “They also contain lists of students, faculty and trustees and
descriptions of facilities.” Cox said before students registered for classes online, they would use the catalogue to know what classes they needed to take. “There are a lot of people who like researching their ancestors who are listed in the catalogue,” Cox said. “People who want to know what Auburn was like with their grandparents were here can use the catalogues to get that information as well.” Cox said there are a couple reasons for digitizing the historic catalogues.
“
We digitized all we have and they go back to when Auburn was East Alabama Male College.” —Dwayne Cox HEAD OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS AND ARCHIVES
“A big reason is for conservation and to reduce handling of the originals and it makes the material broadly accessi-
ble,” Cox said. Cox also said the library has been collecting the catalogues since the school’s opening. “We digitized all we have and they go back to when Auburn was the East Alabama Male College,” Cox said. The earliest catalogues have a drawing of Old Main on the front, which is now Samford Hall. “After it burned in the mid1880s they put a picture of Samford Hall on the front cover,” Cox said. “That was when Samford Hall became the iconic building of the University.”
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Opinions Thursday, April 11, 2013
A6 ThePlainsman.com
Opinions
Our View
Her View
Segregation still a problem
Selena the Sensationalist It’s no secret college sports are rife with scandal. The mix of young adults who want to make it big and old people who want to make lots of money provides many perfect opportunities for corruption and vice. Recent examples of such corruption include Penn State’s cover-up of Jerry Sandusky’s pedophilia, the 2011 Miami booster scandal and the 2003 Baylor scandal surrounding the murder of basketball player Patrick Dennehy. Of course, Auburn has not been completely devoid of scandal, and it would be foolish to think the University is impervious to the same kind of temptations that have brought down other NCAA giants. Hell, the great Pat Dye resigned because of the deplorable actions the Eric Ramsey tapes brought to light. You can talk about allegiance and devotion all you
want, but if a school violates NCAA regulations and is found guilty, they deserve to be punished. That being said, it’s people who commit these violations and cause these scandals, and we have to assume they are innocent until proven guilty. We may read plenty of articles about alleged wrong-doings, but journalists are not judges and juries. Selena Roberts, who you may remember as the author of the book on A-Rod’s life as a power-hungry doper, wrote an article detailing numerous alleged violations by Auburn Athletic Department staff. The majority of the allegations hinged on the testimony of Mike McNeil, now a convicted felon. His guilty plea doesn’t necessarily discredit what he told Roberts, but it doesn’t help, especially since Roberts’ article is somewhat vague in the fact department. During Roberts’ time re-
KAILEY MILLER porting on the Duke Lacrosse scandal, she seemed to champion all that is good and wholesome by exposing the misconduct of the Lacrosse team and Duke University. However, what she reported never happened, and the allegations against the Lacrosse team were proven to be falsified. Even the guy prosecuting Duke was disbarred. But Selena kept on trucking. Are we calling her a liar? Not exactly. Her Roopstigo.com article raises a lot more questions than answers, and the allegations presented seem more like hearsay than reliable facts. It may seem like we are failing our duty to be objective, even when the problem is in our own backyard. But we believe real journalism
requires as much truth as possible, and Roberts has a great burden of proof on her shoulders. The media appears to have it out for Auburn. Roberts’ article in combination with the ESPN article on synthetic marijuana and questionable recruiting methods has put the University on the forefront of the ongoing saga of collegiate athletic scandals. If we believed any of the accusations by Roberts and ESPN were true, we would be right along with them, report the corruption as it was exposed to the rest of the world. However, they just don’t present a convincing argument. Even the NCAA said Auburn is not guilty of any violations and is not currently being considered for investigation. So what’s all the fuss about?
His View
Asking more of Jay Jacobs WILL GAINES SPORTS@THEPLAINSMAN. COM
Auburn Athletic Director Jay Jacobs has been under much scrutiny for the past few years for hires, decisions and, in general, ways that he has handled various situations involving Auburn athletics. But his open letter to the Auburn Family, after the ESPN story on synthetic marijuana broke last week, may have been his shining moment. It is hard to say that it will define his tenure at Auburn because, as of right now, he still has more time to accomplish greater things, but to date that was the best thing that he has done since he was hired at Auburn. He finally gave Auburn fans something they can beat their chests about and say “that’s my athletic director,” and we are proud that he is leading our athletic department. Ever since his tenure began at Auburn
CAMPUS@
RACHEL SUHS/DESIGN EDITOR
he has been repeatedly ridiculed for decisions he has made: from the controversial firing of Tommy Tuberville, to the controversial hiring of Gene Chizik and the tight lipped methods in the Cam Newton investigation. All of these things have caused the calling for Jacobs’ job time and time again. It was almost as if he said, I have had enough and I am ready to stand up and let people know how it really is. “Some of the statements made in the story are wrong and need to be corrected, while others need to be put into proper context,” Jacobs wrote. “One player interviewed by ESPN, for example, alleges that up to half of the 2010 football team was using synthetic marijuana. It’s hard to be more wrong than that. The facts and our drug testing results simply do not support such a claim.” While this was an excellent step in the right direction for Jacobs it still does not change the obvious fact Auburn has finished last in the SEC in football and basketball already this year, and it looks like baseball could end up the same way. He did however go out and hire an ex-
cellent football coach, that has since hired an equally good staff, and he also made the right decision by giving basketball coach Tony Barbee another year to turn things around. All this being said, it is time we start seeing more of these things from Jacobs. It is time that he steps up and ensures the athletic community that he is the leader in the athletic department. Now there will be an investigation into all the allegations that have been made against Auburn, so it is difficult to say that Jacobs is in the clear. But if the fantastic investigative reporting that the Auburn beat writers have already done holds up then it looks like there is not going to be anything more to this situation. But it is time that Jacobs forgets his tight-lipped philosophy and stands up and says these allegations have to stop. The NCAA has cleared us time and time again. Jacobs needs to embrace the national media and convince them that what is done at Auburn is done the right way. The open letter was a great start to this, but we need to see more of it in the future.
THEPLAINSMAN. COM
I would like to think of America as a place where people of every race are treated equally, since that’s what our constitution says and it is one of the main cornerstones our country takes pride in. While this may be true in some parts of the country, there are still some places that struggle with segregation. USA Today recently posted a video about a school in Georgia that still has issues with segregation. Wi l c ox C o u n ty Hi g h School in Georgia has two proms and two homecoming dances each year. One for white students only and the other dance is integrated. USA Today interviewed four girls, two who were white and two who were black. The girls are all close friends, but despite their friendship, the two black girls are not allowed to attend the all white prom with their other friends. Students were quoted as saying that black students were warned to not show up at ‘white prom’ and that if they did, police would likely escort them off campus. In fact, a report said that the police turned a biracial student away from the whites only prom last year. This year, for the first time ever, Wilcox County High School had only one couple for king and queen instead of two separate couples. The school chose a black female and a white male as king and queen, however this couple was told that they would have to take separate pictures for the school yearbook instead of being shown together. The four girls on the video decided that if no one
else was going to ask for a change, then they would. They are planning the integrated prom where everybody will be invited. Despite the girls’ best efforts, it is not going smoothly. They were quoted as saying that students were ripping down their posters for the integrated prom. My first reaction to the video was shock. This is America we’re talking about right? The land of the free? But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that there are still places in our country where segregation is an issue. Another example of segregation, although it is voluntary, can be seen in Greek Life on many campuses throughout the country, including Auburn’s Greek Life. With a few exceptions, most sororities and fraternities on Auburn’s campus are either all white or all black students. Before I went through sorority rush I hadn’t realized how segregated the Greek system was. I was surprised to learn that there are six sororities and fraternities on campus that are only for black students under the National Pan-Hellenic Council and that the majority of the students under Auburn Panhellenic sororities and fraternities are white. Although we have made great strides in race relations in our country, some places in America still have problems with segregation, whether it is voluntary or forced. The image of a police officer escorting non-white students away from an all white prom rekindles images from the 1960s when blacks were denied access to so many public venues, simply because of the color of their skin. Segregation whether it be voluntary or forced should have no place in our society today.
His View
I’m not living in sin, for the Bible tells me so DUSTIN SHRADER ONLINE@ THEPLAINSMAN.COM
In the past few weeks, a potential to make history or setback the LGBT community has been a hot button pressed too many times to count. Naturally, I am referring to the United State’s Supreme Court’s decision to hear the Defense of Marriage Act and Proposition 8 cases. The outcome of these cases will not only have an impact on modern day society; they will have an impact on my future, as well. As a student, attending any college or university can be quite the obstacle; however, as a gay student attending a nationally ranked university in the heart of the South’s Bible Belt, life can be anything but easy. Simply put, life as a gay man in the South is a daily struggle. My upbringing was the picture-perfect example of any good ole southern
boy. I was taught to hunt, fish and spit and have an unhealthy obsession with football (I am a quick-study but I did not develop an affinity for these southern, staple ways of life). Among these teachings, I was also influenced to view homosexuality as a perversion, a sickness and a sin. This type of behavior was not acceptable. “It is not right,” I would hear everyone say. When I would ask why, I was met with the response that I hear time and time again today, “Because the Bible says so.” When DOMA and Prop. 8 coverage stormed the nation; a cyber war of beliefs, judgment, opinions and slander ensued. I would scroll through my social mediafeeds realizing that my friends and followers had claimed a side. I read debate after debate, defending whether or not marriage equality should be legalized or outlawed. Unfortunately, I read more “because the Bible says so” defenses than I cared to. This reasoning disheartens me. It seems many southern Christians use the Bible to defend their stance or distaste of homosexuality, yet they cannot seem to recite or
tell me exactly where in the Bible that God condemns homosexuality. No one can seem to tell me why I shall suffer a fate of eternal damnation for loving whom I choose to love, regardless of gender. I have often felt that some Christians hide behind the Bible to defend their own judgments, only to discredit the true theological meaning of God’s word. So I decided to do a bit of research. Now before I continue, I will say that I do not claim to be a biblical historian these are just the observations I made and after taking a deep look at several passages throughout the Bible what I found did give me the much-needed hope to restore my faith in Christianity. The terms homosexual or homosexuality are recent, modern terms added to the Revised Standard Version of the New Testament in 1946. From my understanding, the terms were coined or made relevant by Austrian-Hungarian writer and “gay rights” advocate K.M. Kertbeny in 1869 to healthily define the love for one’s own sex. I then turned to the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. I always understood
the destruction of this illustrious city to have been the result of “sinful homosexuality” until I read the passages for myself. According to scriptures Genesis 19, Jeremiah 23: 13-14 and even Ezekiel 16: 48-50, Sodom and Gomorrah citizens were destroyed due to being arrogant, overfed and unconcerned, an unwillingness to help the poor and needy, adultery and sexual immorality and the raping of travelers who ventured into the city. Sodom is mentioned 48 times in the Bible and never once is the word homosexual implied. I am not an expert, in the least; yet, the more I read the more I tend to believe that our society could easily be considered a modern-day Sodom and Gomorrah. As a society, we are selfish and obsessed with fulfilling the American Dream by having a career that brings us the wealth to have a fancy house, car, and clothes. Let me clarify, to anyone who does not understand or has a fear of the homosexual community, being gay is not a choice. It is not something as simple as deciding what to wear, what to eat or whatever you choose to fill the
hours in your schedule. You can suppress your true nature, but you cannot “pray the gay away.” I have tried. I was not successful.After all, why would anyone choose to walk through life faced with ridicule, the possibility of being ostracized from one’s family for being different or denied the opportunity to share their love for another person in a ceremony that is currently only allowed for heterosexual couples. Do heterosexual men and women choose to be straight? No, they do not. I am just a human being like everyone else. I love whom I love and no one should be judged for that. The bullying, the hateful campaigning and dictating how my life and all my fellow brothers and sisters’ lives should be lived is not conducive to building a better society or even a closer relationship with God for that matter. Judgment is a sin. And on Judgment Day, I will stand before God and answer for my sins, as will everyone else who has judged anyone for any given thing. “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven.” Luke 6:37.
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The opinions of The Auburn Plainsman staff are restricted to these pages. This editorial is the majority opinion of the 12-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.
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Thursday, April 11, 2013
Community
Chewacla facing effects of $5 million in budget cuts Chandler Jones Community Reporter
With its waterfalls, hiking trails and camping sites, Chewacla State Park offers a chance for the Auburn community to enjoy a piece of nature. However, recent state legislation has placed Chewacla on a list to face widespread cutbacks. House Bill 154 passed in the Alabama State Legislature Thursday, April 4, leading to a statewide $5 million budget cut. “Right now all the parks are kind of like in a holding pattern,” said Odell Banks, project manager at Chewacla. “We are waiting to see where we are going to be cut at, who is going to get cut and how much is going to get cut. I am expecting it to be across the board. Every park is going to be affected, and we don’t know how to severe it is yet.” As well as its effects on Chewacla, H.B. 154 affects 21 other state parks. “For me, I manage this park which is my concern,” Banks said. “When they start talking about taking money then of course I am going to get on the offensive side.” Banks, who has worked for Chewacla State Park since 1998, said he does everything from making purchases to hiring employees to cutting the grass. Chewacla employs four full-time employees and two seasonal employees to maintain and run the 696-acre park. Banks said he fears job loss is a possibility as a result of these budget cuts.
Last Sunday, April 7, alone Chewacla saw 730 adults, 50 kids and 14 seniors. Banks said the cutbacks would affect the offseason. “Maintenance will probably be one of the areas we will be hit,” Banks said. “In other words, if it ain’t broke or you can fix it and make it work again then do that instead of repairing it like it should be done to get it permanently fixed.” Chewacla was the only park of the 22 state parks to make a profit last season. Unfortunately, Banks said revenue from last season means little for Chewacla. All park profits go into a singular account in Montgomery for legislatures to use when necessary for all state park necessities. Montgomery then pays payroll and provides other project funding, Banks said. One alternative Banks is considering is having the park offices being closed on certain days with entrances being on an honor basis. Banks said he still holds on to hope of updating Chewacla. Many of the structures on the land are the original ones built in the 1930s. Within the last four years, the way the park has been funded has changed, Banks said. “Something needs to be done for the parks here,” Banks said. “Either come up with a specific tax that is specifically for the parks that cannot be bothered; cannot be touched and either leave them alone or do it on an individualized basis.”
Raye May / Photo Editor
On its 696 acres, Chewacla State Park features many of the original structures, like this cabin, which was built in the 1930s.
Bike Bash puts pedal to the metal Derek Herscovici Writer
Outdoor weather is finally here, and cyclists from around the area are ready to ride during the 14th Annual Auburn Bike Bash Saturday, April 13. In addition to promoting family-friendly fun and exercise, the event, hosted by the City of Auburn and the Auburn Bicycle Committee, wants to change the way people view transportation in their community. “We’re actually, currently, the only bicycle-friendly community in the state of Alabama, and we’ve been that way for roughly 15 years,” said Brandy Ezelle, City of Auburn traffic engineer. “The League Of American Bicyclists recognizes communities as bicycle friendly, and Auburn has been fortunate that we have been recognized as bicycle friendly really since their program began.” Ezelle, who has continued to work and live in for Auburn for the past 12 years, said she has seen the changes that additional bike lanes, educational programs in schools and more bike racks in pedestrian areas have brought on.
Bicycle Auburn has been instrumental in educating and uniting local cyclists through various events, and regularly meet in the parking lots of Auburn High School and the Ogletree shopping center for jaunts around town. “What Bike Bash is about is allowing people to come, join a group ride, get comfortable riding on a street or learn their way around by bicycle,” Ezelle said. “We move it around to different areas each year, so that even if you feel like you don’t have a lot of bike lanes in your part of town, you can still ride by your house, and people don’t always realize that.” The course is divided into loops based on skill level, ranging from one to four miles in the beginner stages to upwards of 20 miles in the advanced stages. The longest route, the 30-mile loop, stretches to the limits of Lake Forest Estates before winding back. This year the Bike Bash will feature newly added off-road courses of varying skill levels in Chewacla State Park to highlight their recently expanded bike paths. The regularly scheduled bike events traverse primarily residential streets in the
eastern and southeastern portions of Auburn and Opelika. Though weather is always a factor in preparing for a safe ride, the event will continue, rain or shine, and a good turnout of cyclists is expected. “When I first started i thought, ‘Well, I’ll ride with a group every once in a while,’ but I think I’m really gonna do this on my own,” and what it turns out, we have so many different group rides all week I almost never ride on my own because theres always a group thats fun to join,” said David Kern, volunteer chair of Bike Bash and the Auburn Cycling Advisory Committee. The Bike Bash isn’t the only time for people to get together to ride, however. Kern said they have weekly bike events. “We have a Saturday morning ride thats informal in Auburn, but we have 20 or 30 folks that get together. It is a very social activity,” Kern said. The Bike Bash is part of Bicycle Auburn’s greater year-round agenda to educate and promote physical fitness and safety in all age levels through hands-on experience.
On the Tracks makes Spring appearance Amber Franklin Writer
Fresh food, delectable desserts, delicious wines and beers and a cool atmosphere are a few things to look forward to at Opelika’s upcoming 15th biannual On the Tracks Food and Wine Festival. The festival is Friday, April 12 and takes place in historic downtown Opelika from 8:00 p.m. to midnight. Attendees can walk the trail of shops, restaurants and vendors and receive samples of different foods, wines and beers from each while they relax and browse. There will also be live entertainment from Destiny Brown, Jo Moore and Funk N Wagnols. “The music is all outside and there are restaurants set up outside that you can go by food from a la carte, but the actual tastings take place inside all the stores,” said Pam Powers-Smith, director of Opelika Main Street. “You get a map and it tells you where to go and you’re walking around all night long.” There are 21 stores on the trail, including Venable’s Sweet Shop, Fringe, The Gallery, FlipFlopFoto and Heritage Gifts and Gourmet. Barbara Patton, owner of Heritage Gifts and Gourmet, has participated in every On
the Tracks since its beginning. “On the Tracks brings all of the downtown together. It’s a community event and people love just being together and socializing,” Patton said. Patton’s store sells many different items and will offer tastings of an assortment of their different gourmet items at the event. “It’s a lot of mixes. We have ready-made dips, dip mixes, green pepper jelly, cheese straws, things like that,” Patton said. Brittany Hinton, senior in dietetics, and Saramia Arenas are sales employees at Coveted Closet, another shop on the trail. “We’ve only been here since November, so it’s our first time participating,” Hinton said. “We’re really excited to participate and get our name out there.” Coveted Closet is a boutique for all ages and has a wide assortment of casual clothing, “going-out” attire and conservative pieces that women can wear to work. “I shop here, my mom shops here, and we have some of the same things as places like Behind the Glass, but it’s slightly more affordable,” Arenas said. In addition to the shops in the downtown area, outdoor food vendors are coming from
File Photo The businesses in downtown Opelika act as food and wine vendors for the On the Tracks festival.
all over the Auburn area. Arricia, Piccolo, Belle Chevre and Overall Company are a few of the vendors that will be serving food and wine outside on the trail. “They’ll sell you something that’s very affordable because they want you to taste what they’ve created, but it’s still kind of small portions so you have an opportunity to try everything,” Powers-Smith said. Tickets for the trail are $25 and can be purchased through On the Tracks website, onthetracks.org. Tables, which seat 10, can also be purchased. “If you want to hang out and listen to the music and have somewhere to sit, then it’s really your best option,”
Powers-Smith said. There are also Facebook and Twitter pages for people to like and follow to get information about the event and special tips about which shop to visit depending on what kind of food people want to taste. Powers-Smith encourages anyone to come out and relax downtown, even if they aren’t participating in the trail portion of On the Tracks. “You don’t have to do the trail,” Powers-Smith said. “You can just come, listen to music, buy something from one of the restaurants outside, get a drink from any of our restaurants and then come back outside and just enjoy the night.”
Courtesy of Todd Purifoy
Josh Abbott, Caleb Keeter, Austin Davis, James Hertless, Edward Villanueva and Preston Wait make up the Josh Abbott Band
Josh Abbott Band comes to Auburn Robert E. Lee Editor-In-Chief
After releasing their third Album late last year, the Josh Abbott band is headed south to play at Bourbon Street bar Thursday, April 11. Originally from Texas, The Josh Abbott Band’s fiddle player, Preston Wait, compares the band to the Zac Brown Band and Eli Young Band. “One thing we’ve always tried to strive for is to actually be a group,” Wait said. “Groups like Eli Young Band and Zac Brown Band and those kind of groups are remembering the band, the’ve been there from pretty much the start.” The band has three full albums and one EP. Wait said the band is currently demoing songs for another album, possibly to begin in the fall. “We’re pretty much ready to go get started on (an album) right now, we just have to wait for the right time,” Wait said. The band recently signed with the merged companies of Warner and Atlantic Records, the same companies who have signed artists such as the Zac Brown Band and Blake Shelton “They’ve been great so far,” Wait said. “We haven’t been able to do any recording yet, but so far our relationship has been great. We were indie for a very long time, but it finally got to the point where it’s hard to expand to new states without their help.”
Wait said their style isn’t necessarily typical country. “We’re always trying to do something a little different,” Wait said. “You want to kind of develop your own sound from the beginning and you don’t want to stray to far away from that, but you always want to try and get better and expand your sound.” After Auburn, Wait said they plan to play in venues in Tuscaloosa and Athens, Ga., to hit the college markets. “It’s just a good market for what we do,” Wait said. “I think we’re a fun group. It’s a highenergy kind of show. A lot of times when you think of country music you kind of think of everyone sitting back and this is all a high-energy group and it’s just a fun experience.” Wait said the development of social media has helped the band’s name by being able to thank fans and develop awareness. “From day one, even when we were in the Myspace days, Josh would get on there and add people from all these different areas and if they wrote him then he would write right back,” Wait said. “Everyone in our band has a (Twitter) account and we try to interact and if someone writes something about us we always try to say ‘Thanks for coming out,’ kind of thing. It helps so much.” Tickets online are $10 and doors open at 9:30 p.m.
Community A8
The Auburn Plainsman
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Loachapoaka brings back the oldies at music festival Anna Claire Conrad Writer
Take a step back into 1850s pop culture April Thursday, 18- Saturday, 21 as the Lee County Historical Society hosts its 5th annual Lee County Gathering Old-Time Music Festival in Pioneer Park in Loachapoka sponsored in part by the Alabama State Council on the Arts. This three-day event will consist of a variety of old-time events for the public to partake in, including musical instruction, performances, open jam sessions, storytelling, period re-enactments, contra dancing and frontierstyle cuisine.
Musical instruction is open to anyone who loves old-time music regardless of experience, but registration is required. Registration is not required to just attend the event. “It’s an old-time music festival, and old-time music is the precursor to bluegrass,” said Janette Fransen, president of the Lee County Historical Society. “It’s all acoustic instruments, so we will have mountain dulcimers, hammered dulcimers, mandolins, banjoes and a whole bunch of unusual instruments.” In addition to interactive musical entertainment, celebrity folk musician and mountain dulcimer player
Joe Collins will perform at the festival. “He just does a fabulous job of teaching people how to expand their musical ability,” said Deborah McCord, chair of the Old-Time Music Festival at the Lee County Historical Society. “In addition to playing, he will also explain what the arrangement is about, who wrote it, which year it came about, and that just makes it real special. He will teach songs, but he will also teach technique and make your playing more refined.” Guest instructors and musicians will also perform at the festival,Vendors selling T-shirts, musical instruments, embroidery servic-
es and food will also be present at the festival. According to McCord, this is an event all music lovers will enjoy regardless of their skill level. “I absolutely guarantee that you will enjoy every minute of it,” McCord said. “If you play any kind of instrument, even rhythm spoons, you can come out and join the jamming groups, so you don’t have to take classes. If you just want to come and enjoy the concert, it’s only $5 to get in for a concert, and they’ll enjoy a beautiful night out under the stars while artists perform on the outdoor stage. There’ll be something for everybody.”
Contributed by sTacy Lipscomb
Joe Collins will be playing and teaching the mountain dulcimer at the festival.
Celebrate Month of the Military Child with Purple Up! Day Sydney Callis community editor
The Alabama Cooperative Extension Military Youth Program is having “Purple Up!” Day on Monday, April 15 to show support for military children across the state and country. “Whenever you combine all of the different branches of service, coast guard blue, navy blue, air force blue, army green and marine red, it turns into purple,” said Rachel
Simpson, Operation Military Child coordinator and military liason. “Whenever an organization is considered purple, it is open to all branches. In order for this day to celebrate all branches and all military youth, they came up with purple.” As part of Month of the Military Child, “Purple Up!” Day encourages people to wear purple in support of these children. “A lot of the time people
don’t really recognize the sacrifices that military children do give up,” Simpson said. “Parents aren’t always there for graduation or big recitals or all the big moments in life.” Lt. Col. Jeffrey Hemmes, Auburn’s Air Force ROTC commander, said military children have a unique situation because they are not given the opportunity to choose the military lifestyle. “We as adults, we sign up for the military,” Hemmes
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“I find when they’re little they go wherever mom and dad go, no complaints,” Hemmes said. “But as they get older, it comes more difficult for them to leave their friends and start a new school. It’s not always easy for them to do that.” “Purple Up!” Day is a nationwide event, but Simpson said different counties in Alabama are adding events to the month. For example, different counties are card-writing
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said. “We know what we’re getting into as far as some of the sacrifices we have to make, as far as moving every couple years, deploying and so forth. Kids don’t sign up for that. They’re born into it, and it’s just what they have. I think it’s a great thing that their sacrifices are recognized.” Hemmes has been in the Air Force for 24 years and has five children that have experienced the life of a military child.
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
ACROSS 1 Foursome times two 6 “And there you have it!” 11 Barnyard bleat 14 Supercharged engine, for short 15 Like much bar beer 16 Foul up 17 Ice cream headache 19 Theology subj. 20 Of the state, to Sarkozy 21 Fur from a weasel 23 Woolly mama 25 Whistle-blower? 28 Soon, to Shakespeare 29 Dieter’s progress 31 Written permission to skip school 34 Campbell’s line 36 Old Russian leaders 37 Support, as a cause 40 Response provokers 44 Earthy tone 46 Soothes 47 Elmer Fudd, at times 52 Old Nair rival 53 Concert reed 54 Flight school finals 56 “King Kong” studio 57 Proficient in 60 Corn Belt resident 62 Google Earth offering 63 “What a dumb idea!” (or what you might say about the beginning of 17-, 31- or 47-Across) 68 Put away some groceries? 69 Holy ark contents 70 Citizen under Caesar 71 Cold War state: Abbr. 72 __Sweet: aspartame 73 Agriculture giant celebrating its 175th anniversary this year
Sudoku
DOWN 1 Gambling letters 2 Unfriendly dog 3 Swaps for a better model 4 “__ Baby”: “Hair” song 5 No-nos 6 Whirlpool 7 Dollar bill 8 Suburban suffix 9 Lounge around 10 Simon Says player 11 Sheep prized for its wool 12 “Am too!” retort 13 “What’s My Line?” panelist Francis 18 Kismet 22 Macho guy 23 End of a vague threat 24 Goes a-courting 26 Pretense 27 Tousle 30 Scared, as horses 32 Warmed the bench 33 Albany-to-Buffalo canal 35 The like 38 Moo __ pork
39 White-tailed shorebirds 41 Login requirement 42 Onion’s cousin 43 Comparison words 45 DDE’s command 47 Articles of faith 48 German subs 49 “The Last of the Mohicans” author 50 Cuthbert of “24”
51 Aussie bounders 55 Weapon used with a shield, maybe 58 Memo abbr. 59 What you used to be? 61 Mother Nature’s burn balm 64 Getty display 65 Street cover 66 Deface 67 U-turn from WSW
ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:
10/16/12
xwordeditor@aol.com
By Marti DuGuay-Carpenter (c)2012 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
Sudoku
10/16/12
By The Mepham Group
Level: 1
By The Mepham Group Level: 1
YOUR AD COULD BE HERE!
2
3
4
Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit www.sudoku.org.uk.
CONTACT ADMANAGER@ THEPLAINSMAN.COM © 2012 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Media Services. All rights reserved. © 2012 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Media Services. All rights reserved.
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Solution to Friday
Solution to Saturday’s puzzle
9/10/12 News updates daily www.ThePlainsman.com | Follow us on Twitter! @TheAUPlainsman | Like us on Facebook!
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Complete the grid 3-by-3 box (in bold 1 to 9. For strategie visit www.sudoku.or
Sports
B1 ThePlainsman.com
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Sports
Courtesy of Todd Van Emst
Ellis Johnson
Mike McNeil was the main source for Selena Roberts’ story. McNeil said illegalities took place under former coach Gene Chizik’s tenure.
Selena Roberts causes media firestorm Johnson, savior Ethan Brady and John Burns Sports Reporters
It was arguably the biggest night in Auburn history as senior safety Michael McNeil recorded 14 tackles in the win over No. 1 Oregon to give the Tigers their first national championship in 53 years. Two months later McNeil was arrested with three other players for an armed robbery on Wire Road, upholding his innocence. Fast forward two years and McNeil has plead guilty, received a 15-year sentence with a three-year split, and become the center of a national media firestorm with the help of a single article posted on Roopstigo.com. “Auburn’s Tainted Title: Victims, Violations and Vendettas for Glory,” was published Wednesday, April 3 by former New York Times and Sports Illustrated writer Selena Roberts. It went viral within hours and Auburn was facing serious questions from the nation. The report began on McNeil’s trial, but took a turn and included allegations of academic fraud, cash payments and recruiting violations by the Auburn football program starting in 2007. All of which were firmly denied by former head coach Gene Chizik and Jay Jacobs. Most of the players who were quoted within the report said their words were taken out of context or completely false. Chizik called the report “Long on accusation and inference, but short on facts and logic,” while Jacobs said Auburn had “No reason to believe these allegations are either accu-
rate or credible.” The Plainsman staff interviewed Roberts through email regarding the speculation on her reporting and the rebuttals from those associated with the alleged violations. “(Jacobs) seems like a man under a lot of pressure,” Roberts said. “(Chizik) spent 500 words defending himself but never once mentioned Mike McNeil’s name.” None but Chizik can say why he never mentioned McNeil, but there is the possibility that the former coach felt McNeil brought disgrace to the University by committing a crime which he would later plead guilty to. Roberts interviewed and quoted former Auburn players Mike Blanc, Neiko Thorpe and Darren Bates. All of whom immediately denied or claimed their published quotes were taken out of context and criticized Robert’s reporting. “While I have spoke to Selena Roberts about (McNeil) I have just read her article & not only am I misquoted, but my words are very out of context,” said Thorpe on Twitter. “We didn’t talk about NCAA violations or recruiting.” The most disturbing alleged violation is McNeil’s account to Roberts regarding the changing of his failing grade to be eligible for the 2010 national championship. According to Roberts’ report, after receiving a failing grade in a computer sciences class because of absences, McNeil unsuccessfully went to a teacher and supervisor to change his grade.
It wasn’t until he approached his athletics counselor that the grade was changed to a C within a few days. If the testimony were true it would fall under the most severe class of NCAA violations, Level 1. It should be noted that no evidence of any of these allegations has come to light besides the accusations in the initial article. Chizik said he was “Not aware of any alleged grade change … during my time at Auburn, the administrators, professors and academic support staff were of the highest integrity. Additionally, the inference that there was academic support staff that worked together with professors to change grades is absurd.” It soon became apparent after the athletic department released Robert’s emails she had attempted to mislead the department with her interview requests, stating she wanted to speak about McNeil and only McNeil. “The intent was to inspect a case, and that’s how I approached it. I reached out to many people -- including players and Mike McNeil -- as well as Auburn police and Auburn athletic officials,” Roberts told The Plainsman. “Through a phone call with Capt. Stofer, the police declined comment. Through an email from Jack Smith, Auburn declined.” McNeil also alleged he was paid $400 by former Auburn defensive coordinator and current Florida head coach Will Muschamp after a bad day of practice. Muschamp has since denied the payment through a Florida spokesperson.
» See Practice B2
» See Johnson B3
Tigers reach halfway mark The Auburn football team is more than halfway finished with spring practices, but there is still a deal of work to be done before A-Day Coach Gus Malzahn’s high standards and expectations were on display during Auburn’s first practice since Saturday’s scrimmage that began the second half of the spring practice schedule. “We just had one of our normal practices,” Malzahn said. “But this is probably the first time that I wasn’t pleased with the overall attitude, effort or approach to practice.” The players and coaching staff took a break the past couple of days to analyze film, have the players meet with their position coaches and attempt to get a better grasp of a possible playing rotation. “It’s tough on everybody with taking a break and getting back
into it,” senior fullback Jay Prosch said. “I think that the heat may have gotten to a few people with it being a little hotter today than it has been, but I don’t think it will be a problem in the future. It’s just going to make us come back harder for the rest of the spring.” Despite the somewhat lackluster practice today, Malzahn expects the team’s overall execution to improve as the players become more accustomed to the system and its fast pace, particularly the junior college transfers and freshman. He also hinted that as the position players begin to execute properly, it will make the evaluations of quarterbacks Kiehl Fraizer and Jonathan Wallace easier. Junior running back and last year’s leading rusher Tre Ma-
“
This is probably the first time that I wasn’t pleased with the overall attitude, effort or approach to practice.” —Gus Malzahn Football Coach
son sat out of practice again today while favoring his left leg, but Malzahn was reassuring in saying it was nothing serious. He said Mason is a little banged up and the staff just wants to make sure he is 100 per-
Sports@theplainsman.com
cent before they get him back in there. “(Mason) is probably a little bit ahead of the others as far as knowing the offense,” Malzahn said. “So it’s probably not a bad thing that they are getting the majority of the reps right now.” Malzahn is keeping the playing field wide open by stating there hasn’t been any decisions made on any starters at any position. However, players and coaches have had a lot to say about junior Justin Garrett in the new “star” position. Garrett was a linebacker in last year’s defensive scheme, but has gotten the opportunity to emerge this spring in Ellis Johnson’s 4-25 defense.
Courtesy of Todd Van Emst
Writer
Will Gaines
Since Gene Chizik’s tenure at Auburn began in 2009, the Tigers were not the team they had been in the past, not because of wins and losses, but because of the team’s identity. They lost the old-time SEC demeanor that people expect from them year in and year out. Now with an entirely new coaching staff, people are asking if Gus Malzahn can return Auburn to its previous identity? I am not sure he can alone, but with the influence of Ellis Johnson, it could definitely happen. I was an advocate for Bobby Petrino to be the next coach at Auburn, even though most fans were said he did not live up to the ideals of an “Auburn man.” While this may be true ethically, on the football field Petrino would have been the perfect example of an Auburn man. He is a winner and he demands perfection from his players. Obviously I did not get my preferred coach, but Malzahn did something that won me over. He hired Johnson. Take away Johnson’s dismal 0-12 season last year at Southern Miss and you have one of the most successful defensive minds in this conference, winning national championships, SEC championships and taking teams to championship games for the first time in school history, like he did at South Carolina in 2010. But Johnson will bring more success than just victories on the football field. He will bring respect back to Auburn and, if all goes as expected, he will bring back fear to Auburn’s opponents. More so than any other coach Auburn has had in a long time, maybe as far back as Pat Dye, Johnson knows the state of Alabama and what is demanded from a football standpoint, and most importantly, how to achieve it. After two stints at The University of Alabama, as a position coach and a defensive coordinator, he has seen how to do it firsthand. Also, the high school coaches in this state respect him, which will help with recruiting against our in-state rival. With all this being said, many will immediately bring up the point that almost these exact things were said last year when Chizik supposedly made the hire of the year by bringing in Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder. I felt, at the time, VanGorder was a good hire and I still believe he was. With another year he would have improved at Auburn, but the Johnson hire was not only a good hire, it was a great hire. VanGorder did have success at Georgia, and he had success at the NFL level, which everybody was drooling over because Nick Saban has turned the Crimson Tide into essentially an NFL team. All these are great characteristics, but VanGorder is originally from Michigan and his only stop in the SEC was at Georgia for four years before he moved on to the NFL. This will be Johnson’s fifth time to coach in the SEC, with two stops at Alabama, then Mississippi State, South Carolina and now Auburn. He has dedicated most of his coaching life to this conference and is a big reason that it is what it is today. He also has experience taking defenses from bottom of the conference to the top, quickly. Most recently he did this at South Carolina in his last stop in the SEC. He does this by evaluating the players he has and developing them into a better player and person. Instead of going out and feeding the ego of prima donna 17 year-old kids who think they are the Almighty’s gift to a team, he demands they develop into productive team players. This is completely opposite from the Reuben Foster /Trooper Taylor relationship and the embarrassment they caused Auburn last year. After watching videos from practice it is obvious that Johnson demands perfection from his players. He even demands perfection from the managers, calling them out if they do not hold the tackling dummies exactly the way he wants. This intensity is something that has not been present at Auburn lately, and manifested itself with off the field issues and the inability to do the little things right on the field.
Tunde Fariyike, Jordan Diamond and Shon Coleman block for Kiehl Frazier during a spring practice Wednesday, April 10.
George Nunnelley
of the defense?
Sports B2
The Auburn Plainsman
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Courtesy of Todd Van Emst
Jay Jacobs sttempted to reassure the Auburn Family after allegations of illegalities committed by the athletic department were released by Auburn alumna and reporter Selena Roberts.
Jacobs’ open letter to the Auburn Family Staff report “Dear Auburn Family, You may have seen a story on ESPN.com this evening about the former Auburn football players who were dismissed two years ago for their involvement in an armed robbery. The story chronicles the former players’ use of synthetic marijuana, which the defendants in the robbery case have used as their primary defense in court. We expect another, more in-depth story to appear in an upcoming print edition of ESPN The Magazine. We cooperated with ESPN in the story because of how appropriately and aggressively the Auburn Athletics Department and the Committee on Intercollegiate Athletics acted in response to the growing threat of synthetic marijuana during the 2010-2011 academic year. As a father of three, I sympathize with the parents of the young men who face prison sentences for their alleged involvement in the armed robbery. While they have a right to speak out, I have an obligation to share the facts, which clearly show Auburn Athletics tried to help these former student-athletes. Some of the statements made in the sto-
ry are wrong and need to be corrected, while others need to be put into proper context. One player interviewed by ESPN, for example, alleges that up to half of the 2010 football team was using synthetic marijuana. It’s hard to be more wrong than that. The facts and our drug testing results simply do not support such a claim. A parent interviewed told ESPN they would have done more to help her son had we done more to let her know he was in trouble. That is incorrect. The facts demonstrate that our coaches and Sports Medicine professionals had regular communication with the parents and that every effort was made to warn our student-athletes about the dangers of synthetic marijuana. Allow me to share with you the facts that we provided to the reporter. Some of them were included in the initial story. Some were not. • Auburn Athletics began testing for synthetic marijuana three days after our testing company made a test available. A test became available on Jan. 24, 2011, and Auburn added the test to its panel on Jan. 27, 2011. • Since our drug testing policy was amended to include synthetic marijuana as a banned substance, there have been three positive tests
for the drug out of more than 2,500 drug tests administered. Those three individuals are no longer on Auburn Athletics rosters. • As soon as our Director of Sports Medicine was aware that synthetic marijuana was a drug readily available in convenience stores in the fall of 2010, Auburn Athletics contacted our drug testing company to inquire about whether they had a test for synthetic marijuana and when one would be made available. They did not have a test at the time. At the same time, our Director of Sports Medicine began education efforts aimed at our coaches and student-athletes. • Auburn Athletics provided urine samples to the drug testing company to assist them in their efforts to develop a test. • The Director of Sports Medicine and former Coach Gene Chizik both addressed the football team about the dangers of synthetic marijuana at multiple team meetings in the Fall of 2010, before a test was available. A story about the drug was placed on the locker of every football player on the team. • Within the first few months of testing, 3 percent of our student-athletes tested positive for synthetic marijuana. • Phone records show that more than 50
phone calls were made to the parents of two former student-athletes who were interviewed by ESPN. • The father of one of the student-athletes who was apparently interviewed by ESPN was sent a letter informing him that his son had failed a drug test for regular marijuana two months before the robbery. • The Auburn Drug Testing/Drug Education Advisory Committee recommended to the Committee on Intercollegiate Athletics that synthetic marijuana be added to the Auburn Athletics drug testing policy on March 14, 2011. The policy change was adopted that day. • Penalties for the use of synthetic marijuana were put into place for the next academic year beginning in August of 2011. Since it became a banned substance under the drug testing policy, only three student-athletes have tested positive for synthetic marijuana out of more than 2,500 tests administered. I hope the facts clear up any misconceptions about drug use among our student-athletes. It is important for you to know that Auburn Athletics conducts approximately 1,500 drug tests each academic year. Less than one percent of our student-athletes test positive for illegal substances.”
The Plainsman’s Q-and-A with Selena Roberts Ethan Brady Sports Writer
Roopstigo.com founder and former Plainsman assistant sports editor Selena Roberts agreed to answer questions about her recent controversial article, “Auburn’s Tainted Title: Victims, Violations and Vendettas for Glory,” and the subsequent reaction. Editor’s note: This interview was conducted over email. EB: Tell us about your upcoming story on booster culture at Auburn. There are rumblings that the next story may include Dakota Mosley. Is there any truth to that? SR: I am working on a piece that involves boosters, but it is in the development stage. Project pieces often involve many weeks and dozens of interviews, so it’s difficult to provide firm details at this point. EB: Considering you’re not on an Auburn beat, what was your motivation for looking so far into the Mike McNeil trial? Did you pursue the story with the intent to uncover information about the trial or the University?
Practice » From B1
The “star” position is arguably the most important on the defense as whoever is playing at it has to move to cover passes like a safety and tackle like a linebacker on run plays. Sophomore walk-on Melvin Ray, who played three years of minor league baseball in the Dodger’s system before enrolling in Auburn, has also had a good spring and adds a big body to the already short-staffed receiving corps. “Each guy at our position has an opportunity that they are trying to take advantage of,” Ray said. “We know we are going to need
SR: I’ve been a columnist, projects writer and investigative reporter over the past 20 years, and I select subjects at a national level. Auburn is a national power. And since I went to Auburn, yes, I pay attention to what happens there. I was interested in the armed robbery allegations when they first hit two years ago, and followed the Goodwin trial. A few things didn’t ring consistent to me, so I started looking into it. As I did, and began talking with folks, a broader story about the Auburn culture developed. EB: How did you approach the story? Who did you aim to speak with first, and did you approach them with the intent to help Mike McNeil? SR: The intent was to inspect a case, and that’s how I approached it. I reached out to many people – including players and Mike McNeil – as well as Auburn police and Auburn athletic officials. Through a phone call with Capt. Stofer, the police declined comment. Through an email from Jack Smith, Auburn declined. EB: As an Auburn graduate and former Plainsman staffer, how do you feel about being responsible for another blemish on
each other to show up everyday, play hard and push each other.” With only a number of practices left in the spring and the A-Day game right around the corner, the Tigers will continue to push each other and improve as much as they can. “I think that we will definitely be clicking by A-Day,” Prosch said. According to Malzahn, the midway point of the spring is when the leaders emerge. He saw today’s setbacks as a potentially good thing, because now the players will have a chance to respond and the coaches will know more about their heart and character.
the reputation of your alma mater?
ing a no comment to me.
SR: When I was a j-school student at Auburn, our professors used to talk about the willingness to look in your own backyard for the truth. It’s not easy, believe me, because I have a lot of love for the University. Remember, of the thousands of stories I’ve written in my career, only a handful have been about Auburn. Everyone has to be held accountable. That’s the work of a journalist.
On Gene Chizik: He spent 500 words defending himself, but never once mentioned Mike McNeil’s name. It seems Mike McNeil is again invisible in Auburn’s eyes.
EB: With some of the information in the story seemingly bordering on speculation and relying on quotes that were later denied by the sources, was there any motivation to finish the story before the trial began? SR: Yes, it is common for journalists to write in advance of news events. EB: How can you stand by the accuracy of your reporting following rebuttals from Tommy Dawson, Gene Chizik, Jay Jacobs and players who you interviewed? Are you going to release interview tapes? SR: On Tommy Dawson: Apparently, he has no respect for Capt. Stofer’s position in provid-
On Jay Jacobs: He seems like a man under a lot of pressure. On players: I’m not aware of McNeil disputing anything. He is the one who says he was paid, had a grade changed and was given extra money to host a recruit. As for Mike Blanc, he is a fine person with a good heart and is very likely under a great deal of pressure. On tape: This is not a movie. Reporters, as a general rule, don’t release tapes. That’s a Hollywood thing. There are reasons for this: A) information for future stories may be mentioned; B) two people may be taped at the same time, one on the record and one off; and C) unless a reporter tells a subject the taped interview will be public, there is a no reason to violate that trust. Plainsman staffers John Burns, Kelsey Davis, Andrew Yawn and Lance Davis also contributed efforts to this interview.
Courtesy of Todd Van Emst
(Left) Gus Malzahn speaks to his players after practice Wednesday, April 10. (Right) Jonathan Wallace throws the football in practice.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Sports B3
The Auburn Plainsman
Johnson » From B1
Will Johnson return Auburn to its glory days of hard-nose, aggressive and fearsome defensive football? Hard to predict at this point in time, but his resume says he
can. I do not think Malzahn could have made a better hire. With the addition of Johnson and his coaching style, Auburn will once again have the type of football program we can all be proud of.
Courtesy of Todd Van Emst
Cornerbacks coach Melvin Smith (left) is attempting to transform one of the weakest cornerback units in the SEC into one that teams will be afraid to throw on.
Melvin’s class of cornerbacks Will Gaines Sports Reporter
In 2012, Auburn’s cornerbacks were an average unit. They ranked 47th in passing defense, allowing opponents to complete 65 percent of their passes and ranked 119 out of 120 teams in interceptions with only two. In 2013, new cornerbacks coach Melvin Smith will be looking to turn things around for this unit, which returns all players from last year except T’sharvan Bell. Chris Davis is one of the most experienced corners on the team, but he has had trouble staying healthy since he was a freshman, causing him to be inconsistent with his play. If he can stay healthy in his senior season he could be someone who can turn heads in the fall. Jonathon Mincy is going into his junior year and finally has enough experience to be a playmaker at corner. After seeing limited action as a redshirt freshman in 2011 he moved up to a starter in 2012. With these two seasons under his
belt he could be gearing up for a breakout year in 2013. Robenson Therezie is someone that has been talked about a lot since his freshman season in 2011 mainly because of his speed, but he has in terms of on the field production. After seeing limited action as a corner at the beginning of last season he switched to running back to add depth, but then switched back to corner at the end of the season. Now with a new coaching staff there were rumors that he would be returning to the offense to replace Onterio McCalleb. He may see some carries on offense next season, but so far during spring practice Therezie has indicated he is committed to defense and has settled into a role as the boundary corner. Joshua Holsey was a breath of fresh air last season as a freshman. After seeing action for the first time at corner against LSU, Holsey made a great play in the fourth quarter to save a touchdown
by knocking a deep pass away from the receiver. Holsey should see plenty of playing time in 2013. Jonathan Jones was another freshman that saw playing time at corner last year, and should battle for playing time this season. With Auburn only losing one corner from last year’s group it was not a priority to sign corners, but they did sign one instate player Kamryn Melton. Melton was not a highly rated player, but could end up surprising people when he gets to Auburn in the fall. He may not be successful right away, but he should develop into a solid corner. While this group had limited success last year they should be a much-improved group this year. Their play was solid, but they did not produce enough interceptions and game changing plays to be an effective unit. Experience should make a big difference in the way this group performs in 2013. Look for the corners to be a strength for the Tigers’ defense this fall.
Courtesy of Todd Van Emst
Ellis Johnson introduced his 4-2-5 defense to the Auburn players.
The next week in Auburn athletics
The United States Tennis Association (USTA) today announced Auburn University as one of the top 64 co-ed intramural and sport club tennis teams that have qualified to represent colleges and universities across the country in the 2013 USTA Tennis On Campus National Championship, which will be played in Surprise, Ariz., April 11-13. The USTA Tennis On Campus program features more than 35,000 college students competing nationwide in intramural and intercollegiate coed club play. Since its inception in 2000, Tennis On Campus has grown significantly and today is played on more than 600 college campuses across the country. “The Tennis On Campus National Championship is the most exciting and successful recreational college tennis event in the country,“
said Glenn Arrington, National Manager, USTA Tennis On Campus. “The Championship offers students a wellrounded experience of competition and fun in a social atmosphere—setting it apart from varsity programs. Having the opportunity to compete at Nationals is a memorable milestone in our players’ college experience.” This year, seven schools will make their debut at Nationals in a field that also includes defending champion University of CaliforniaBerkeley and five-time national champion Texas A&M (which won titles in 2002 and 2004-2007). All teams participating in the Tennis On Campus National Championship have advanced through USTA section championship play. Developed by the USTA in partnership with NIRSA, World TeamTennis and the Intercollegiate Tennis Asso-
Watch for the
A-Day issue!
ciation, the Tennis On Campus program gives college students the opportunity to build leadership skills, network in a coed sports environment and compete on a college team without the rigors of playing in a varsity program. With year-round match play, and regional and national championship competition, students maintain active and healthy lifestyles through their college years. Visit the Tennis On Campus website at www.tennisoncampus.com for complete results, stories and photos. The Tennis On Campus website also offers all college clubs fundraising resources, coaching tips, and marketing materials. The USTA is the national governing body for the sport of tennis in the United States and the leader in promoting and developing the growth of tennis at every lev-
Georgia, Auburn, at 4 p.m.
Knoxville, Tenn., at noon.
Men’s tennis vs. Georgia, Athens, Ga., at 5 p.m.
Baseball vs. Georgia, Auburn, at 1 p.m.
Softball vs. Tennessee, Knoxville, Tenn., at 5 p.m. Baseball vs. Georgia,
Softball vs. Tennessee,
Women’s tennis vs. Tennessee, Auburn, at 1 p.m.
Auburn, at 6 p.m.
Men’s tennis vs.
April 13
Tennessee, Knoxville, Tenn., at 1 p.m.
Softball vs. Tennessee, Knoxville, Tenn., at 10:30 a.m.
Women’s soccer vs. South Alabama, Auburn, at 2 p.m.
el, from local communities to the highest level of the professional game. A not-for-profit organization with more than 770,000 members, it invests 100 percent of its proceeds in growing the game. It owns and operates the US Open, the highest-attended annual sporting event in the world, and launched the Emirates Airline US Open Series, linking nine summer tournaments to the US Open. In addition, it owns approximately 90 Pro Circuit events throughout the U.S. and selects the teams for the Davis Cup, Fed Cup, Olympic and Paralympic Games. The USTA’s national charitable foundation, USTA Serves, provides grants and scholarships and helps underserved youth and people with disabilities. For more information on the USTA, log on to usta.com, “like” the official Facebook page, facebook.com/usta.
Baseball vs. Georgia, Auburn, at 3 p.m.
Track, Spec Towns Invitational, Athens, Ga., all day.
April 16
Baseball, vs. Samford, Birmingham, at 6 p.m.
April 17
Men’s tennis, SEC Championship, Oxford, Miss.
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Auburn Running Festival
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April 14
Women’s tennis vs.
Auburn club tennis named as top 64 co-ed intramural and sport club tennis teams Staff Report
April 12
Saturday April 27,, 2013 vww
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Sports B4
The Auburn Plainsman
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Courtesy of Todd Van Emst
(Left) Trovon Reed carries the ball in a practice Friday, April 5. (Center) Caitlin Atkinson performs on the balance beam in the NCAA Gymnastics Regional Saturday, April 6. (Right) Branndi Melero hits a grand slam against Ole Miss Friday, April 5.
A week in Auburn sports Baseball:
Softball:
Track:
The baseball team won its first SEC series of the season, taking two of three games from the No. 18 Texas A&M Aggies last weekend. Auburn won Friday, April 5th and Saturday the 6th by scores of 6–4 and 10–5 in College Station, Texas, but the sweep was thwarted when Texas A&M won 4–1 Sunday, April 7. By winning the series, Auburn improved to 19–13 (3–9 SEC). The Tigers have now won three of their last six SEC games after losing the first six they played. The Tigers also defeated Wofford 7–4 Wednesday, April 3.
The Auburn women’s softball team won two of three games played at home last weekend against Ole Miss. Like the baseball team, the softball team won its games Friday, April 5th and 6th, but lost the series finale Sunday, April 7. The Tigers won by scores of 9–0 and 2–1, but the defeat came on a 11–9 slugfest. The team followed its impressive weekend with a 3–1 victory against Southern Mississippi Tuesday, April 9. With the series win and the victory Tuesday the Tigers improved to 26–15 (6–9 SEC) for the season.
The Auburn track team had its first home meet of the season, the Tiger Track Classic, which took place Friday, April 5 and Saturday, April 6. In all, 16 personal bests were set by the Tigers Saturday with the most impressive coming from senior Maya Pressley, who set a school record with a high jump clearance of 6-foot-2. The mark is second in the NCAA and fourth in the world. Jessie Johnson improved her school record in the pole vault to 13-foot-5.25.
Women’s Tennis:
Men’s Tennis:
The No. 23 women’s tennis team lost 4–0 to No. 4 Texas A&M in College Station Friday, April 5, but won against No. 49 Missouri 4–1 in St. Louis Sunday, April 7. The Tigers’ record now sits at 16–6 (6–5 SEC) with home matches against Georgia and Tennessee this weekend, and the SEC Championship coming up the week after.
The No. 27 men’s tennis team defeated No. 12 Texas A&M Friday, April 5 by a score of 4–3. The victory was the Tigers’ third over a top-20 team in their last four matches. With the victory the team improved to 13–7 (5–5 SEC). The match was Auburn’s final home meet of the season, but the team still has two away meets and the SEC Championship.
1888 Ogletree Rd. Auburn 826-1207
Men’s Golf: The No. 21 men’s golf team finished in third place at the Gary Koch Invitational at the Old Memorial Golf Club in Tampa, Fla. The Tigers finished at 4-under due in large part to spohomore Michael Johnson and senior Michael Hebert highlighting the team’s performance by tying 12th overall. Redshirt freshman Jake Mondy tied for 16th and senior Dominic Bozzelli tied at 19th.
334 W. Magnolia Avenue 1791 Shug Jordan Parkway 1017 Columbus Parkway Auburn 826-2476 Auburn 826-1716 Opelika 749-3528
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Intrigue
B5 ThePlainsman.com
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Intrigue
Are social profiles media ruining your chances of landing a job? Elizabeth Wieck INTRIGUE EDITOR
We live in a world where public and private lives have become closely linked, due in part to the meteoric rise in use of social media. While participation in social media is a rite of passage and an expected behavior in, it’s important to realize there are repercussions in living such a public life–especially when considering jobs. Addye Buckley-Burnell, assistant director of career development at the Auburn University Career Center, said accessibility of information online has brought about the need for students to censor what they put online. “It’s too easy to Google you now,” BuckleyBurnell said. “Your online image and your online brand have become increasingly important with the age of technology. If you can control what’s out there, that certainly helps.” According to Kristen Jacoway, a career design coach and Auburn alumna, Microsoft conducted a study that reported 79 percent of employers search for job candidates online. Such staggering statistics, both Jacoway and Buckley-Burnell said, should prompt students to be constantly aware of what they put online. “Know your audience,” Buckley-Burnell said. “It could lead to you being fired or you not being hired on. Depending on your industry, you need to be more careful about some things than others. It can be hard to navigate sometimes.” A huge problem that Buckley-Burnell and Jacoway pointed out was posting negatively about any former employer or job. “These are surefire ways not to gain the respect of an employer,” Jacoway said. “We’ve seen where that’s cost people job opportunities. I tell people that you have to make sure what you put out there, you’d be OK with it showing up on the news or on the front page of a newspaper.” It’s important to censor yourself, but a fine line exists on this side as well. Showing only professional posts can seem boring or forced, And having no presence at all–while seemingly safe– presents an even greater problem. Skirting the issue is not a solution. On Twitter, Jacoway and Buckley-Burnell suggest following companies and experts in your field, and to share articles and resources pertaining to your industry to followers. Jacoway said it’s about “Really just position-
RACHEL SUHS / DESIGN EDITOR
ing yourself to seem like someone that’s an expert in your field,” and to show that you know information that “Lends to your industry, thought leadership and expertise.” Jacoway said your online presence should not be devoid of all personal detail, and bits of your personality should always be balanced in. “You don’t want people to go to your Twitter page and think you’re a robot, shooting out a bunch of resources and articles,” Jacoway said. “Show a little mix there, show your personality, of course. People want to see people’s personalities.” While making information private might seem like a good defense mechanism against prying company eyes, Buckley-Burnell said
that’s only a starting point, and to carefully consider what it looks like to not have an online presence. “Realize that if everything online about you is set to private, it can actually work against you in some ways,” Buckley-Burnell said. “If an employer searches for you and they don’t find you on Facebook or Twitter, they’re going to start questioning it. Not being there can almost be as bad as being there. It’s a fine line.” Jacoway agrees, and said to be careful of loopholes if you decide to go all-private. “You’ve got to consider they would not necessarily have access to the information, but if they are friends with somebody that’s friends with you, there could be some overlap,” Jacoway said.
They recommended setting up a Google Alert for your name by going to google.com/alerts. Any time your name is published on the Web, you get a notification email with the link to make sure it’s something you’d want a potential employer to see. Another exercise to assess your online presence is to simply Google your first and last name in quotation marks. According to Jacoway, most employers will not go past the third page when Googling an applicant, so she suggests at least looking at your first three to get an accurate picture of your online presentation. Jacoway urges students to consider using Facebook for only personal purposes, and to make sure to have everything set to private for everyone other than friends. Twitter is an excellent place to establish a middle ground between your personal and professional life. “(It’s) a great place to forge connections, many opportunities that have come my way have come from the Twitter platform,” Jacoway said. “You just have to be careful what you tweet, (and) balance it with something personal.” For purely professional purposes, Jacoway suggests using LinkedIn. “LinkedIn is one I encourage people to get on because a survey found that 93 percent of employers (use it) to source talent,” Jacoway said. Jacoway said that not all hope is lost if you’ve racked up a tally of social media behavior that could be negatively construed, or what she referred to as “digital dirt.” There are a number of ways to remedy your past maladies. Jacoway recommends coming up with good content, especially by blogging, to “Try to push the (bad) results down off of page three” of Google. If you put the content up yourself, take it down and hope it hasn’t been spread or seen. If someone else has inappropriate content of you up, ask them to take it down. Websites like reputation.com can intercede on your behalf if they refuse to take it down. There may be a stigma of negativity toward social media and the working world, but Buckley-Burnell insists that it’s not all bad, but ultimately about getting to know applicants better. “They want to see how you’re going to fit into their work culture. It’s looked at to see if you’re a well-rounded person,” Buckley-Burnell said.
New Media Club indie film festival to premiere April 13 Kelsey Davis INTRIGUE WRITER
After more than a year of networking, planning and putting in to place every last detail, the Auburn University New Media Club and Film Society will host The Auburn Indie: Independent Student Film Festival. Though this is the festival’s first year running, submissions were received from almost every major state, the United Kingdom, Canada and some Asian territories. The group promoted the event by posting about it in as many media outlets as they could, said Alessio Summerfield, president of the New Media Club. “The minute that our affiliate relations officer posted up on Reddit about the film festival, I got five submissions an hour for at least 14 hours from all over the place,” Summerfield said. One of the goals for the event was that it be completely operated by students, and feature only studentmade films. “We made it a student-only film festival which is kind of a common thing on college campuses,” said Brock Hanson, vice president of the New Media Club. “Just to enter it’s a pre-requisite that you made it while you were in college.” The only exception to the student exclusivity is a feature film that will screen in Langdon Hall at 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 13, before the festival begins. Pre-sale tickets for the screening will be available for $10 at chrismillis.com or aunewmediaclub.com, and will also be sold at the door for $12. There will be no admission charge to the actual film festival. “Small Apartments,” which is based off a novel that was written in three days by author Chris Millis, will serve as the feature film. The film is packed with dark humor and a stacked cast, but is rated R and not recommended for minors.
COURTESY OF AUBURN UNIVERSITY NEW MEDIA CLUB AND FILM SOCIETY
Millis, who is also a guest judge for the festival, will be present after the screening for a Q and A session. The festival will begin at 7:30 p.m., is open to the public of all ages, and with 26 short films promises a wide range of entertainment. “One thing that I think is going to be fun is that we have everything from drama to comedy,” Hanson said. “We even have a couple of animation ones in there too and some claymation stuff that will be really cool. Hopefully it’ll keep things really interesting because there are so many different types of different genres represented.” Other than prize money for first, second and third place, which was donated by New Plains Press and having all paper materials printed for free by Spencer Printing, the film festival has been planned with-
out any sort of budget, according to Summerfield. “We’ve done nothing except collect money from officers to print T-shirts for the staff,” Summerfield said. “We’ve not spent a dime on this festival, it’s almost exclusively been a networking exercise. New Media Club has never accepted dues, we don’t have any money. We’re kind of just doing this.” After receiving more than 70 submissions on a national and international basis and drawing in a recognized guest judge, one of the last remaining goals for members of the New Media Club is to see the event live on. “Essentially, I think the two big words that we’ve been using are just inspire and continue. (That is) what we want to try to pull from this thing,” Summerfield said.
Win Hangout tickets The Plainsman is giving away two individual free tickets to the 2013 Hangout. To enter to win, do one of the following: Twitter Follow @TheAUPlainsman and retweet our tweet about the giveaway OR Facebook Like The Auburn Plainsman at facebook.com/theplainsman and share the Hangout post The giveaway will run from Thursday, April 11, to Wednesday, April 17. One entry per person per site.
Intrigue B6
The Auburn Plainsman
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Some tips for Rodeo, y’all Ten ways to ward off hunger, dehyrdation and battle wounds from a rodeo veteran
EMILY BRETT / FREELANCE GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Anna Beth Jager INTRIGUE REPORTER
It’s that time of year again. Whip out your jorts and load up the sunscreen because Alpha Psi’s Rodeo is this weekend and things are about to get real. It’s the moment we all wait for, an entire day dedicated to drinking beer, listening to good tunes and dressing like Joe Dirt. It’s a time that brings people together from schools all around the South that are decidedly not as cool as Auburn. With Rodeo comes the fashionably trashy, cute but redneck looks we never thought we’d be caught dead in until this marvelous event came about. Rodeo fashion is an art of its own, an opportunity for Auburn students to get a bit creative with their looks. It’s a time for sharpie-abs, mullets and handlebar mustaches. Walmart usually runs out of Nascar shirts and temporary barbed wire tattoos are in abundance. What’s not to love? Playing dress up for a day is always a good time, but when it comes to guys, picking out a rodeo outfit usually isn’t at the top of a to-do list. Most guys end up throwing on a wife beater and a favorite pair of overalls still dirty from the year before. Some grow out their facial hair and trim sideburns into lightning bolts or something snazzy. Others opt for a pair of old jeans cut into a tight pair of jorts, a Lynyrd Skynyrd or any ‘80s band shirt with the sleeves ripped off, and a stenciled heart on their bicep surrounding the word “mom.” There really is no wrong way to do it. The more cliché the better. Bring on the achey-breaky heart mullets, the ‘Merica chants and the camo fanny packs. It just wouldn’t be Rodeo without them. For girls, things can get a little
more complicated. It’s not exactly easy to look grungy and cute, but Auburn gals have proved it is completely doable. The other schools that show up, however, usually have questionable outfit choices, but it’s understandable. We can’t all be fabulous. For us girls, outfits are usually planned pretty far in advanced. While there are some people who like to live on the edge and scour Walmart the Thursday before, most like to have an idea about what they are wearing and what their friends are wearing as well. Daisy Dukes are always popular, and thrift shops are a prime place to find cheap jeans that are perfect for destroying into Rodeo shorts. Tattered, acid-washed, high-waisted shorts have been a popular choice in recent years, usually paired with tanks that say something like “does this shirt make me look drunk” or “save water, drink beer” across the front. The plethora of drinking puns written on T-shirts never ceases to amaze me. When picking a shirt, be wary of the color, unless you are planning to wear sweat stains as an accessory. I would go with a trucker hat turned backward or a bandana used as a headband instead. Some girls like to lean in a more hippie-vibe direction, with braided headbands, combat boots and shredded T-shirts, which is another way to look the part while being a bit unique. Last year, bright red lips were also in abundance, and bedazzled, plain, girly, simple, eccentric, colorful, patterned, every kind of cowboy boot graced the dusty camp ground. For most of us, it’s not our first Rodeo, but for those of you in it for the first time, Facebook stalking is always a great way to snag some ideas for an outfit and get the creative juices flowing. Every year is different, and only time will tell what new Rodeo fashion trends will develop this coming weekend. Either way, don’t stress about it. At Rodeo, anything goes.
Caitlin Wagenseil
Your hangover the next day will be bad enough, so there’s no need to add a sunburn on top.
INTRIGUE REPORTER
We all know and love it, and we call it rodeo—a time when we can come together, welcome outof-towners, dress in inappropriate outfits, act more redneck than we are and enjoy a daylong drinking fest. But everyone has some story that starts out with, “This one time at rodeo,” and it probably doesn’t end well. For this reason, we all should remember a few tips to stay safe and still have fun. Here are mine:
Hydrate: Make sure to bring water. Everyone will be drinking plenty of alcohol throughout the day, but the more alcohol you take in, the more dehydrated you become. Try to keep a bottle of water with you and make a conscious effort to remember to drink it, perhaps between a pull of liquor or shot-gunning a beer. You’ll feel better throughout the day, and your soon-to-be hangover won’t be quite as bad.
B r i n g sunscreen and/or a hat: Spending a full day out in the sun is hard on you in general. Add alcohol into the mix, and it only becomes that much harder. Put sunscreen on before, and bring some to re-apply throughout the day. A hat is also a good thing to wear to keep the sun off your face.
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Eat: It’s a good idea to eat before arriving at rodeo. Drinking on an empty stomach is never good, especially in the hot sun. While food is sold at rodeo, it’s often not the best food to mix with heavy drinking. A good tip is to bring snacks with you to eat throughout the day. Plus, you save some money.
Don’t climb through barbed wire: Speaking from experience, it’s safe to say this will not end well for anyone. Even if you think you can fit through that small opening between the wires, you can’t. It will scratch you, it will hurt and it will scar. Just don’t do it.
Bring toilet paper/ hand sanitizer for por ta-potties: Let’s be honest—the porta-potties are gross, but there’s nothing that can be done about that. What you can do, however, is come with the proper necessities to make the experience as clean and bearable as possible. It would be smart to bring toilet paper, because that will quickly run out. Additionally, a decision you won’t regret is bringing hand sanitizer for afterward.
Pace yourself: There is no need to rush yourself as far as drinking goes. You have the entire day to do that. While you may feel the need to funnel a beer at 9 a.m., just remember you have
to last throughout the whole day in the blazing heat.
Watch out for coolers: A tip passed on by multiple friends is to watch out for the coolers. Big coolers, small coolers—they’re everywhere. If you aren’t watching where you’re walking, you could easily trip over one. And from one particular story passed on, falling backward over a cooler is not the best feeling in the world. Keep your eyes peeled.
Steer clear of the space between trailers: Step in the wrong place at the wrong time while walking around the fraternity’s trailers, and your leg can fall through the space where they back up to one another. It’s embarrassing and it doesn’t feel good. Bruising and scrapes are sure to ensue shortly after, so do yourself a favor and watch your step.
Think before riding the mechanical bull: Just ask yourself, are you really in a state to ride it? If you absolutely feel the need to ride, be careful. Dizziness is a sure side effect, and the alcohol won’t help with that.
Know who your ride home will be: It’s a good idea to know who you’ll be catching a ride home with. Whether it’s the person you rode with to rodeo or someone else, make sure that person is in an OK state to drive. If you’re the one driving, make sure you’ve sobered up by the time you’ll be getting behind the wheel. Just be smart about it. EMILY BRETT / FREELANCE GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Intrigue B7
The Auburn Plainsman
Hospitality students New outdoor festival promotes health host annual gala Kelsey Davis
Jessa Pease WRITER
The Hotel at Auburn University is calling all lovers of food and wine to attend its 26th Annual Hospitality Gala on Thursday, April 11, at 5:30 p.m. for a grand night of both wining and dining. The gala, hosted by students, will feature four award winning chefs and winemakers from around the world, silent and live auctions for one-of-a kind items and honor Agustin and Valeria Huneeus by awarding them with the 2013 Horst Schulze Award for Excellence in Hospitality. “It’s the largest single-night fundraiser in Auburn’s history,” said Hans van der Reijdan, the managing director of hotel operations at the Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center. “Last year we did $247, 000. It is all to benefit students in hospitality management.” Students from the hospitality management program are organized into three teams to plan the event: operations, marketing and auction. Each team collaborates with approximately four members of the hotel staff for direction. “The students make all of the decisions about colors for the event,” said Gwen Lloyd, the class instructor. “They work with the office of communication and marketing to come up with the invitations, programs and the gift tags. They choose the linen and the flowers and the arrangements. They do as much as they can.” The event begins with the chefs passing out hors d’oeuvres paired with wine while the silent auction takes place. The chefs this year are Kevin Sbraga, Philidelphia; Sean O’Toole, Nappa Valley; Marco Bustamante, Mexico; and Adam Thomas, Colorado. The accompanying wine for the evening will be provided by Aurelio Montes and Agustin and Valeria Huneeus. All the award-winning winemakers are from Chili. “So it’s the three chefs, not the pastry chef, the three chefs and the winemakers will be
INTRIGUE WRITER
“
It’s the largest single-night fundraiser in Auburn’s history. Last year we did $247,000.” —Hans van der Reijdan MANAGING DIRECTOR OF HOTEL OPERATIONS
passing hors d’oeuvres, wine and champagne at the reception, and then we go into dinner,” Lloyd said. “Each chef is responsible for a different course and they are each paired with a wine.” After dinner, the live auction takes place. They are auctioning off luxuries such as a seven-night stay at the fivestar Constance Halaveli in the Maldives, trips to Greece, an African safari, a painting poem depicting Toomer’s oaks and a 16- person golf trip, according to Reijden. Students like Mary Ryan, senior in hotel and restaurant management, were in charge of not only organizing and promoting the event, but also getting donations for the auction. “Probably the hardest thing we have had to do is go to businesses and try to get them to donate things,” Ryan said. “When they say no that they can’t donate that’s kind of that rejection factor. It’s a learning point for us.” Ryan said it was a great experience working on the gala, and that it opened her eyes to see behind the scenes of what goes on when planning a large scale event like this one. “It’s kind of a real world job like if you are doing event planning, because we do everything from the start to the end,” Ryan said. “We do have people to guide us for like direction, but everything we plan is up to us.” Tickets are $150 per person and are limited in number. For more information or to purchase tickets visit thehospitalitygala.com.
UPC throws circusthemed Tiger Nights Michael Hill WRITER
The University Program Council is hosting a Tiger Nights event tomorrow from 7 p.m. until midnight: Cirque d’ Auburn. Organized and modeled after Cirque Du Soleil, the event will be much like a circus featuring aerialists, magicians, jugglers and carnival foods. The event will be held in the Student Center. Amanda Hurite, assistant director of Tiger Nights, said they were actually looking to bring in a real circus act with a big top tent, something similar to Barnum and Bailey, but there aren’t many traveling circuses around here, so they decided to go with the Cirque Du Soleil theme. Although no performers from the actual Cirque du Soleil act will be there, the company that will be performing the aerial acts is a professional company out of Atlanta, according to Hurite. “They should be really fun to watch,” Hurite said. Students can look forward to inflatables, stilt walkers, contortionists, bungee jump, tye dye, caricature artists and carnival games. “I really enjoy Tiger Nights events,” Desiree Gordon, junior in computer science said. “I’m excited about Cirque d’ Auburn and getting to see the aerial acts and I really look forward to trying the fried oreos.”
The aerial acts will begin at 8:20 p.m. and 10 p.m. in the ballroom of the student center and magicians will be performing between the two acts from 8:40 until 9:40 p.m. “I really think they are going to enjoy the acts the most,” Hurite said. “Last time we did a casino, so it was more interactive, but this time they can actually watch something. I think it will be really exciting for them; make it something different than we have had in the past too.” Hurite said they are bringing in carnival food including corndogs, soft pretzels, popcorn, funnel cakes and something new: fried oreos. “We’re thrilled. We always are,” Hurite said. “It’s our last one. It should be really good.” Laura Barnett, Tiger Nights director, said they have been planning the event since December of last year and that each Tiger Nights takes weeks of preparation and even more to think of ideas and acts. “We absolutely love having Tiger Nights,” Barnett said. “Since there are only a couple of them each semester, it is a big deal for us to see all of our planning take shape.” The event is not open to the public, but is free to Auburn students with a student ID and a waiver of liability has to be signed before they can enter. “Sign a waiver, get a wristband and have fun,” Hurite said.
Alabama GOAL Fest will be bursting on to the scenes for the first time in the Auburn and Opelika area April 12, 13 and 14. The goal behind Alabama GOAL Fest is to encourage the community to “get out and live.” By hosting a jam-packed weekend full of trail races at Chewacla, highspeed bike races in downtown Opelika, all-day expos, live music, food and so much more, the event aims to liven the community by celebrating a healthy outdoor lifestyle. With events throughout the weekend being sponsored by CAMP (Central Alabama Mountain Pedalers), Auburn Bike Committee, The Railyard, the City of Auburn and Opelika, Auburn University and more, GOAL Fest will be a major collaborative effort. “The great thing about it is that there are so many different organizations and groups that are joining in to do this,” Fukai said. Though the weekend promises an array of events for all age levels and all levels of competition, the most exciting to spectate will be the Rail City Criterium at 1 p.m., April 13 in downtown Opelika. The criterium race is a bike race that has been compared to the NASCAR of cycling events, with high-speed cyclists racing around an already laid out circuit designed for viewer friendliness. The circuit features sharp 90 degree turns, requiring strategy from the competitors and holding potential for collision. “The intensity from the start to the
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finish is up really high, just full-throttle. You pretty much just start and never let up,” said Grant Chaffin, criterium race participant. “It’s hard to explain the energy and the way that it feels when you’re there, but if you’ve seen one and you go to the next one, you’re glued to it the entire time,” Chaffin said. Criterium races are just as high-intensity for the crowd of spectators as they are the competitors. “People have a great time watching it, that’s what a criterium is,” said Richard Patton, owner of The Railyard. “This is not something that just bikers or bike enthusiasts can come to, this is something that would be fun for anybody to come and have a good time. It’s a competitive, serious race, but it’s an amazing, fun thing to be a part of.” While the criterium race is going on, an expo will also be held that show-
cases local vendors, organizations and natural resource providers that deal with fitness, outdoor activity, and things that promote healthy life style, according to Philip Darden, co-founder of GOAL Fest. “That event is going to be happening within the race course so you’re kind of surrounded by that race energy, then you also have all of these interesting vendors and booths to go and look at,” Darden said. The evening will conclude with an after party at The Railyard beginning at 9:00 p.m., with bands Tedo Stone and Humming House to perform. Additional events will continue throughout Sunday, April 14. Darden says in the years coming up, GOAL Fest hopes to expand on the involvement of different organizations that do a variety of different things. “We want to have ultimate frisbee guys out there, slack lining guys, rock climbers, long boarders, skate boarders, we want to have a huge variety,” Darden said. “Anything that you consider outdoor and active, we want to have some sort of something going on with that during GOAL Fest weekend because we want it to be all inclusive.” As the festival continues to grow, so do the visions for what the event can be. “We’re trying to create a destination level event by creating this one large weekend of different competitions from different demos and different events. GOAL Fest is the thing that brought it all together to try to create the large-scale weekend event.” said Hiro Fukai, co-founder of GOAL Fest.
Birthday presents from Walgreens I almost bought my roommate her a few binders while we were on that aisle and calling it a day, but then realized that wasn’t quite as celebratory. If Trapper Keepers were still a thing, it would have been a different story.
Kelsey Davis INTRIGUE WRITER
In a desperate attempt to procrastinate even further than I already had, I recruited one of my roommates to go to McDonald’s with me for a chocolate milkshake with Oreos added in. Order this next time you go there and you can die happy. Naturally, this excursion led us to Walgreens on a quest for the perfect birthday gift for our other roommate’s 21st. Competition was fierce for which of Walgreens’ finest would be chosen, but in the end there could only be one contender. Here’s what didn’t manage to make the cut:
Flameless candle
It seemed to encapsulate everything we were looking for. It was festive without possessing the same reckless abandon and potential to burn down our apartment that a regular candle would. Then we imagined her opening it at her birthday dinner in front of a large crowd of people. Something told us to leave it on the shelf.
Maxi dress
Pair it with a set of knock-off Toms and some sunglasses labeled “Trend,” and
A life-sized figure of the peanut M&M character
EMILY BRETT / FREELANCE GRAPHIC DESIGNER
you’ve got yourself an ensemble without having to leave the friendly confines of Walgreens.
Gift certificate to Outback Steakhouse
I loved the one my grandmother got me. Why shouldn’t she? Nothing says, “Congrats, you’re finally legal” like a Bloomin Onion.
Office supplies
We were originally looking for poster board to make her a sign for our living room. Unfortunately Walgreens’ lack of foresight and in ability to stay stocked with neon paper products left us disappointed. I thought about just grabbing
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Some may see this as us getting desperate. Those people would be wrong. He was filled with candy and would have been the ideal gift, but then this commentary ensued: “Let’s just steal this. Come on, help me carry him. Crap he’s heavy, he’s so heavy. There are surveillance cameras everywhere. Put him down.” The best idea we had so far was abandoned.
What we actually wound up buying: A tiny empty cardboard box shaped like a bird house. Quarter-inch-tall Amy and Nick from “Honey I Shrunk the Kids” would have made a dream home out of it, especially once we filled it with chocolate. After much consideration, we picked out a stunning Avatar-themed birthday card to go with the tiny house. I also treated myself to some postcards– one featuring the mosquito as Alabama’s state bird and one with a possum clinging to a tree branch by its tail that read, “Just hanging out.” The purchase was met with nods of approval all around so I felt pretty good about it. All and all, I would consider the trip a success.
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The Auburn Plainsman
Thursday, April 11, 2013