The Auburn Plainsman A Spirit That Is Not Afraid ThePlainsman.com
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Vol. 120, Issue 5, 8 Pages
All bets are off for former Tiger
ONLINE
Varez Ward indicted on two counts stemming from point-shaving scheme Ethan Brady Sports Reporter
Stay posted for multimedia coverage of The Gnu Music Festival on ThePlainsman.com
NEWS
A3
A popular treat The Overall Company is set to open a Popsicle factory June 15 Contributed by Auburn Athletics
INTRIGUE A5
Art installation Artist takes over Biggin Hall gallery with glittering mountain
Former men’s basketball player Varez Ward was indicted for fixing games.
Former football player Kitchens pleads guilty
Former basketball player Kyievarez “Varez” Ward was indicted and charged on two federal counts citing his role in a pointshaving scandal during the 2011-2012 season. In the indictment released Thursday, May 30, Ward allegedly conspired with others to defraud and bribe one or more individuals to influence a sporting contest, an act that is illegal under United States Code. Ward appeared in court in Montgomery Tuesday, June 4, and his bond was set at $25,000. He faces up to five years in prison for each of the two counts. Prior to the Feb. 25, 2012, home game against Arkansas, Ward and current basketball team member Chris Denson were suspended after allegations of the two players intentionally underperforming. These allegations included point-shaving, which may include a player purposefully missing shots or creating turnovers in an attempt to influence the final score. Soon after the suspensions, Denson was cleared of any wrongdoing and allowed to continue with the team, but Ward remained
suspended for the entirety of the season. Auburn University Athletics released a statement following the suspensions saying school officials were “made aware of a rumor regarding an allegation,” and quickly reported it to the FBI, NCAA and SEC. Ward played high school basketball at Jefferson Davis High School in Montgomery, and prior to transferring to Auburn in August 2010, attended the University of Texas. Originally expected to play at Cincinnati, Ward made the decision to become a Longhorn just before the start of his freshman year. At Texas, Ward averaged four points in 15 minutes per game and won a starting position his sophomore year before tearing his right quadriceps tendon just before the fifth game of the season. Ward was given a medical hardship waiver from the NCAA to preserve a year of eligibility; the medical redshirt would be used at Auburn. Ward averaged 8.9 points at Auburn and played in 27 games during the 2011-2012 season. The Tigers finished 15-16 for the year and 5-11 in the conference. Ward is no longer enrolled at Auburn.
One year ago, tragedy struck
See timeline on A3
Andrew Yawn
OPINIONS A6
Our View: After tragic shooting June 9, 2012, violence is stil an issue in Auburn
SPORTS
A7
NEWS EDITOR
Three down and one to go. On Thursday, May 30, former Auburn football player Shaun Kitchens, 21, pleaded guilty to burglary, third-degree theft and five counts of robbery for his alleged role in the 2011 robbery at Conway Acres Trailer Park. As part of the plea deal, Kitchens will spend three years in prison following his probation hearing Sept. 9. Kitchens is the third of four former football players involved in the robbery to be given a sentence. Antonio Goodwin received 15 years and was the first one indicted.
Kitchens Mike McNeil received a similar deal as Kitchens, requiring three years in prison and three years probation. Dakota Mosley, the fourth player allegedly involved in the incident, was slated to go to trial before Kitchens. Mosley’s trial, however, is still scheduled to take place June 10.
File
Retired Auburn Police Chief Tommy Dawson discusses alleged gunman Desmonte Leonard and the June 2012 shootings.
John Heisman: from sidelines to center stage Men’s golf Two golfers qualify for the All-Region Team
QUESTION OF THE WEEK
What’s your view on crime in Auburn? Answer on Facebook, Twitter or ThePlainsman.com
INDEX News Intrigue Opinion Sports
A2 A5 A6 A7
The former Auburn coach was famous for calling plays, but also enjoyed starring in them Jeffrey Moore Writer
When John Heisman accepted the head coaching position at Auburn, then known as Alabama Polytechnic Institute, in 1895, the Tigers embraced a young, innovative football coach with a proven track record. What they failed to realize, as historian Ralph Draughon Jr. points out in his article in the latest edition of Alabama Heritage, was Heisman was much more than a great coach who would go on to be the namesake of college football’s most prestigious award. “He considered himself to be a professional actor,” Draughon said. “He did a lot of Shakespearian readings when he got to Auburn. He was very popular around campus.” In 1897, Heisman was forced to put his professional training as an actor to good use. He used his past experience as a member of theatrical groups to create Auburn’s first drama club in order to prevent the football team from going
bankrupt. “The football team had gone $700 into debt, so he formed the A.P.I. Dramatic Club in order to raise money so they could field a football team the next year,” Draughon said. “They put on a comedy called ‘David Garrick,’ which was very popular at the time, as a fundraiser. He was the producer, director, star and publicist.” Draughon, however, said he believes Heisman may have had an ulterior motive. “I think his real reason for forming the (A.P.I.) Dramatic Club was he just loved acting,” he said. No matter his intent, the inaugural performance was a hit. “David Garrick,” staged in what is now Toomer’s Drugs in downtown Auburn, garnered rave reviews from all in attendance. “Various professors gave it many complim entary reviews,” Draughon said. “George Petrie said it was one of the best performances that had ever been done at Au-
burn.” In addition to gaining notoriety on the stage, Heisman’s manner of coaching gained Auburn football public recognition. “(Heisman) gave Auburn football its first national publicity,” Draughon said. “At that time it was illegal to coach from the sidelines, but Heisman would use secret signals with a bottle or a handkerchief to communicate with his team. He also fitted his linemen with straps and handles under their belts that the other linemen could hold onto to prevent the opposing team from breaking through the line.” W.L. Taylor, former referee, was described by Draughon as Heisman’s longtime nemesis, went to the media to voice his displeasure with the coach’s questionable tactics. “In the Birmingham AgeHerald, Taylor attacked Heisman saying, ‘(Heisman) displayed his histrionic gifts and his lurid appeal. He was just seeking peanut gallery ap-
plause; the kind of applause he gets when acting character parts in cheap theater,’” Draughon said. While Heisman’s position as head coach may have placed the national spotlight on Auburn, his role in theater has been largely forgotten by the community. Draughon said the University doesn’t credit the A.P.I. Dramatic Club as its first drama organization. “The University Theatre claims that the Footlight Club, ( formed) in 1914, was the first dramatic group on Auburn’s campus, but actually, Heisman’s group preceded it by 17 years,” Draughon said. Luckily, Draughon stumbled upon the story of Heisman’s theatrical exploits while digging through the Auburn archives. If it hadn’t been for that accidental find and the resulting article in Alabama Heritage, Heisman’s story could have been lost forever. According to Draughon, Heisman said, “The crime of being an actor, I shall neither attempt to palliate or deny.”
Contributed by Ralph Draughon Jr.
John Heisman enjoyed a career coaching football and acting, taking parts in various theatre productions and readings during his tenure at Auburn.
News A2
The Auburn Plainsman
dui arrests in the City of Auburn june 1–4 Caitlin Mullis, 22, Auburn Saturday, June 1, 12:45 a.m. at South College Street Marco Lopez, 24, Auburn Sunday, June 2, 12:23 a.m. at Perry Street
crime reports for may 29–june 4 May 29 – South College Street Second-degree theft of desktop computers, Blu-Ray players, wireless TV consoles, vacuum and blender between 3:40-4 p.m.
Thomas Houston, 21, Auburn Sunday, June 2, 1:28 a.m. at Wire Road and Lem Morrison Drive
May 30 – Toomer Street Second-degree theft of laptop computer between 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m.
Christopher Wolbert, 21, Columbus, Ga. Sunday, June 2, 2:17 a.m. at North Gay Street and Opelika Road
May 31-June 1 – West Samford Avenue First-degree theft of Ford van and backpack sprayer between May 31 at 2:30 p.m. and June 1 at 5 a.m.
Matrice David, 23, Opelika Sunday, June 2, 3:34 a.m. at South Dean Road and Moores Mill Road Jeffrey Stead, 22, Auburn Tuesday, June 4, 10:14 p.m. at South College Street
Thursday, June 6, 2013
May 31-June 1 – North Debardeleben Street Unlawful breaking and entering of vehicle and theft of iPod and vehicle title between May 31 at 11 p.m. and June 1 at noon.
May 31-June 3 – East Magnolia Avenue Third-degree theft of bicycle between May 31 at 4:30 p.m. and June 3 at 12:30 p.m.
June 2-3 – East Magnolia Avenue Third-degree theft of bicycles between June 2 at 8 p.m. and June 3 at 1 p.m.
June 2 – North College Street Second-degree theft of U.S. currency, bank card and gift card between 1:00-2:48 a.m.
June 4 – South College Street Third-degree theft of sound bar, stereo speakers and beer between 3:35-3:45 p.m.
June 2-3 – Olivia Way Third-degree burglary of handguns, laptop computer, tablet computer, iPhone, mp3 player, silver platters, jewelry, and U.S. currency between June 2 at 5:15 p.m. and June 3 at 9:15 a.m.
June 4 – Cox Road Unlawful breaking and entering of vehicle and theft of GPS, pistol and electronic cigarette between 10 a.m.-3 p.m. — Reports provided by Auburn Department of Public Safety
Lee County Lake ready to lure in Auburn anglers Reese Counts Writer
Lee County Lake is reopening June 11 after nearly two years of renovations and restocking of aquatic life. The lake was closed August 2011 when the overcrowding of largemouth bass made fishing difficult. The largemouth bass population in the lake increased to the point where their growth had stagnated. The bass were also eating many of the bluegill living in the lake. Doug Darr, aquatic education coordinator with the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, described largemouth bass as efficient predators. “The problem of crowded largemouth bass occurs throughout the state,” Darr said. In addition to the over-
crowding, some physical features of the lake were posing problems to anglers. “So many places were really shallow,” said Ken Weathers, a district fisheries supervisor for the ADCNR. Renovations occurred to fix these physical challenges. “One of the big changes was that they deepened the edges so larger fish would be closer for anglers,” Darr said. Weathers, a biologist for the Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries of the ADCNR since 1990 and district supervisor since 2006, said more than 50 oak trees were placed in the 130-acre lake in order to attract fish to certain areas. The trees are marked with buoys and are visible from the surface of the water, making them great target spots for anglers. “Smaller ponds are easy to
Chelsea Wooten / photo editor
The Lee County Lake is stocked with largemouth bass, bluegill and shellcracker.
change, 130 acres are difficult,” Darr said. Darr said the fish and water was drained downstream and into surrounding creeks after the lake was closed. Other aspects of the lake have been renovated as well. “All of the decks have been
refurbished with new wood,” Weathers said. “The earth piers have also been redone.” The lake was restocked last year with largemouth bass, bluegill and shellcracker, but the fisheries department wanted to allow a full season for growth and mating.
Initially, anglers will only be allowed to keep bass smaller than 14 inches, but they can keep as many as 10 small bass. This regulation is in place to protect the large fish and increase the number of trophy fish in the future. “It takes about a year to become a catchable size,” Darr said. Currently, there are no catfish in the lake. Weathers said they want to wait before introducing them into the population to encourage bass fishing now. Fishing gurus are already dispensing advice for future fishermen. Hunter Baker, an employee of Fish Tales Bait and Tackle in Alexander City, said it is best to start fishing early in the day. “The morning and evening are best,” Baker said. “It gets
hot during the day, and the fish stay away.” Baker said good catches could be made from the shore or on the water with the new changes. When Lee County Lake reopens, bait, tackle and snack foods will be available to purchase. People can also rent boats, life jackets, paddles, trolling motors and batteries for use at the lake. Overnight cabins are available for rent. Fishing licenses are required for all anglers older than 16 and must be purchased ahead of time. Licenses are not available for sale at the lake. Fishing licenses can be acquired from probate offices, some sporting goods stores, www.outdooralabama.org or by telephone at 1-888-8486887.
Auburn partners with Purdue, Rutgers in advanced electronics Justin Ferguson News Reporter
Though usually competing for individual research grants or sports championships, three schools from the SEC, Big East and Big Ten are teaming up to combat new issues in advanced power electronics. The Auburn University physics department will be part of a unique cooperative research initiative, collaborating with Purdue and Rutgers universities to study component efficiency in advanced power electronics. The initiative, sponsored by the II-VI Foundation, will have up to $1 million in funding as the three universities work with silicon carbide switches in semiconductors, also known as “MOSFETs.” “We are excited to be a part of this unique research initiative with the II-VI Foundation,” said Sarit Dhar, assis-
tant professor of physics and Auburn’s primary investigator in the upcoming project. “The foundation has funded individual efforts before, but this is the first time it has sponsored an initiative where multiple universities are working on the same problem.” While the majority of electronics are made from silicon, the material is not able to withstand the high temperatures involved with the high currents and voltages of some advanced devices. Silicon carbide is different because it has a wide band gap, which allows the compound to work under harsh conditions with greater energy efficiency. As the demand for more power and efficiency increases with newer technology, silicon carbide switches are solutions that do not demand the cooling silicon materials need.
“
Our effort to educate and train young scientists and engineers in a leading, interdisciplinary technology development program for advanced power electronics is an investment in our country’s future.” —Leonard Feldman Professor at rutgers
Auburn’s work on the initiative will be focused primarily at the material sciences level, looking at silicon carbide at a fundamental level and understanding all of the compound’s properties. “The three universities involved will be looking at silicon carbide MOSFETs at three different angles,” Dhar said. “There is also an overlap when you are all working on the same problem. We will share our research and help
each other instead of looking at it as three separate studies.” The cooperation between Auburn, Purdue and Rutgers can be attributed to the initiative’s coordinator, John Williams, physics professor emeritus at Auburn. During his 37 years at Auburn, Williams maintained relationships with Rutgers’ Leonard Feldman and Purdue’s James Cooper. The three universities started working together in the
SWAT team adds police robot Justin Lee Writer
Lee County’s SWAT team has found its newest recruit. The area’s tactical unit, which stands as a joint effort by the Auburn Police Department, the Opelika Police Department and the Lee County Sherriff ’s Office, has acquired a surveillance robot for $17,939. This additional could prove the difference between successfully negotiating with a barricaded subject and putting officers’ lives in harm’s way. The robot was purchased from RoboteX Inc. based in Palo Alto, Calif., after a monthlong sales process. Most of the expenses were covered by a federal grant, while the APD, OPD and LCSO split the remainder. “We had been looking over the past few years for a tactical robot that can be used
by our county-wide tactical team,” said Lt. Will Mathews of the APD. “We had searched out for some grant funds that could be used for the purchase of that type of hardware. “(RoboteX was) one of the companies that came and did a demonstration for us. We were very impressed with their product.” The robot, RoboteX’s Avatar II model, was purchased as a basic surveillance platform, and features a color camera with pan, tilt and zoom functions, 360-degree articulation and an infrared setting. It also has two-way audio capabilities, so operators can speak to subjects within an area and hear back from them. Matt Speakman, an account manager with RoboteX, worked closely with local officers since last September to make the sale possible. “(The robot is) tough enough to take a fall,” Speak-
man said of the 25-pound Avatar II. “You can throw this thing through a window. If it lands upside down you can flip it up using the handheld controller. It’s really rugged. It can go up and down stairs easily. “They were sold on the Avatar II pretty much immediately. From there it’s just a question of getting the decisionmakers on board and convincing the people that are controlling the money that this is where they want it allocated.” The robot was ordered soon after a Justice Assistance Grant provided $15,420 of federal money to assist in the purchase. After that, the remaining $2,519.55 was split between the three departments, culminating in a total price of $17,939.55. The Auburn City Council approved the spending during a May 10 city council meeting. “When it comes down to it, the City Council has always
“
You can throw this thing through a window. If it lands upside down you can flip it up using the handheld controller. It’s really rugged. —Matt Speakman Account manager with RoboteX
been very supportive of public safety,” Auburn City Manager Charlie Duggan said. “They know that our police officers don’t ask for frivolous things.” The robot can be upgraded in the future, with features such as an articulating arm to open doors, or a function to unleash non-lethal gas whenever officers determine an upgrade is needed.
late 1990s on the Wide Band Gap Semiconductor Physics Program. Williams retired December 2011. “We recognized the work being done at Auburn, Rutgers and Purdue provides three different viewpoints on the same tough problem, and we have a coordinator in John Williams who really understands the strengths and dynamics of each contributing program,” said Carl Johnson, II-VI Foundation chairman and co-founder. “In the past we would have had to fund and administer these programs separately, but with John as the coordinator, we were able to combine efforts for the first time.” Claude Ahyi, assistant professor, and physics graduate students Aaron Modic and Chunkun Jiao will join Williams and Dhar in the research initiative. The II-VI Foundation’s mis-
sion statement is to “encourage and enable students to pursue a career in engineering, science and mathematics while maintaining a standard of excellence in that pursuit.” Dhar and others involved in the initiative echoed the foundation’s mission while describing the initiative’s goals. “Our effort to educate and train young scientists and engineers in a leading, interdisciplinary technology development program for advanced power electronics is an investment in our country’s future,” Feldman said at the initiative’s announcement ceremony in April. “Such young people will form a pool of talent that our country must have to significantly increase the efficiency with which we use electrical energy, to hasten national energy independence and to maintain our nation’s scientific competitiveness.”
The Auburn Plainsman
A SPIRIT THAT IS NOT AFRAID
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Thursday, June 6, 2013
News A3
The Auburn Plainsman
Pray for the brokenhearted
Continued from A1
After the murder of Tim Bosma in Ancaster, Canada, Opelika resident and Ancaster native Jen Slocumb and her husband wrote a song for the grieving widow Jeffrey Moore WRITER
FILE
An Auburn police officer stands watch at the entrance of University Heights one day after six people were shot and three were killed at the apartment complex now named Tiger Lodge.
Still senseless: remembering those lost in the 2012 shooting at University Heights Andrew Yawn NEWS EDITOR
It’s been a year since the tragedy, however just because the wounds aren’t fresh doesn’t mean they’re not still painful. At 10:03 p.m. on Saturday, June 9, last summer, police responded to a 911 call warning of shots fired at the apartment complex formerly known as University Heights. Soon after, the city of Auburn was thrust into a manhunt for the person responsi-
ble for shooting six people and killing three. Much has changed since then. Desmonte Leonard, the man believed responsible for pulling the trigger that night, now awaits his trial from Montgomery County Detention Center. University Heights has new owners and is now named Tiger Lodge, and Auburn Police Chief Tommy Dawson, one of the leaders of the manhunt, is now retired due to health is-
sues. Survivor Eric Mack was one of those shot, but a year later he’s still declining to speak about the incident. Mack, John Robertson and Xavier Moss were all shot in the mayhem, but were fortunate to escape with their lives. Ed Christian, Ladarious Phillips and Demario Pitts were not so lucky. They are no longer with us on The Plains, but the memory of these men should remain in our minds and hearts.
June 9, 2012 10:03 p.m. Police respond to a 911 call claiming “shots fired” at University Heights. Edward Christian is declared dead at the scene.
June 10, 2012
June 11, 2012 7 p.m. Police arrive at residence in Montgomery where Leonard was reportedly hiding. Police leave the scene without a suspect after surrounding the house while trying to confirm Leonard’s presence for most of the night.
1 p.m. At press conference, Police Chief Dawson names LeonLEONARD ard as primary suspect. Ladarious Phillips and Demario Pitts died that morning after being rushed to East Alabama Medical Hospital. Eric Mack and Xavier Moss were released that morning.
June 12, 2012 8:35 p.m. Leonard turns himself in at the Montgomery County Federal Courthouse with the help of attorney Susan James and U.S. Marshal Art Baylor.
June 27, 2012 Shooting victim John Robertson is released from UAB hospital after suffering a gunshot wound to the head.
June 27, 2012
Currently, Leonard is scheduled for a status conference Oct. 15 at 2 p.m. He is being held in Montgomery County Detention Facility as he waits for a trial.
Leonard indicted by grand jury on six charges, including capital murder, two counts of attempted murder for allegedly shooting at Turquorius Vines and former player DeAngelo Benton, and first and second degree assault charges for gunshot wounds to Robertson, Moss and Mack.
Rob and Jen Slocumb of Opelika have received national attention in Canada after penning a song dedicated to the widow of a murdered man in Jen Slocumb’s hometown of Ancaster, Ontario. “We didn’t know the Bosma family, but Ancaster is a small town like Auburn or Opelika,” Jen said. “So when you’re from a community like that, you feel like you know them.” Tim Bosma was murdered in what has been described as an alleged “thrill kill.” After advertising the sale of his 2007 Dodge Ram pickup truck online, he left to take two men on a test drive and never returned. His body was found eight days later in an incinerator; his truck was found in a warehouse, completely disassembled. Left in the wake of this crime was Bosma’s wife, Sharlene, whose grief-stricken press conference, held immediately after learning of her husband’s death, became the inspiration for the Slocumb’s song, “Prayer for the Broken Heart.” “Being able to follow the story every day online, we felt very emotionally attached to what was going on,” Jen said. “We weren’t really planning on writing a song about it, but it kind of just happened really quickly.” Jen’s husband, Rob, explained how the song came to be. “I started this song the same way I start a lot of songs,” Rob Slocumb said. “I just used my emotion. Sharlene had just held the press conference, and after watching it I was just really moved by what she had to say. The opening line, ‘How can a man take the life of another man?’ is basically where I was going with it. How can a human life devalue another human life like that?” After Rob started writing the lyrics, the couple worked through the night to finish them, and by daybreak they had written a song that would touch the lives of an entire community more than 1,000 miles away. “After I brought Jen in on (the song) and we finished it, we realized that the song was really for Sharlene. It was just a message of hope,” Rob said. When “Prayer for the Broken Heart” was completed, Jen forwarded it to her sister, Kristel Petropoulos, who lives in Ancaster. Petropoulos shared the song with a friend close to the Bosma family,
CHELSEA WOOTEN / PHOTO EDITOR
Jen Slocumb in her Opelika home. Originally from Ancaster, Canada, the Slocumbs were touched by the tragedy of Tim Bosma’s murder in their hometown.
“
We’re a big part of the Opelika community, but we were also a part of the Ancaster community at one time. Anything we can do to help out was really our intent. We just wanted to do whatever we could to help the family.” —Rob Slocumb CO-WRITER OF ‘PRAYER FOR THE BROKEN HEART’ AND OPELIKA RESIDENT
and from there, it took on a life of its own. “A good friend of mine is really close to the family,” Petropoulos said, “and after I sent the song to him, he was very cautious to present it to (the Bosmas). But when he did, they were very touched and moved by it. I think his exact words were, ‘This song expresses exactly how we all feel.’ That’s what is so great about this song. (The Slocumbs) captured what every single person out there is feeling about this whole situation.” By that time, the Bosma case was in the national spotlight, and it didn’t take long for the Slocumbs’ ballad to begin hitting home with everyone who heard it. “It just went viral up there,” Rob said “So much so that the
national media started catching wind of it. The local paper and CBC Canada did stories on the song, and we also did a Skype session with the Global News in Toronto. It’s just crazy how quickly it spread.” The Slocumbs have since posted the song on their band’s website, www.marthastrouble.com, where it can be downloaded for a small fee, and every dollar they make is contributed to a trust fund for the Bosma family. “We’re big believers in community,” Rob Slocumb said. “We’re a big part of the Opelika community, but we were also a part of the Ancaster community at one time. Anything we can do to help out was really our intent. We just wanted to do whatever we could to help the family.”
Overall Company expands for pop-ular frozen treats Justin Ferguson NEWS REPORTER
Through its handcrafted coffee, live music and local art, The Overall Company in downtown Opelika has made a name for itself since its grand opening in August 2012. As the Alabama summer begins to heat up, the restaurant’s popular frozen treats have paved the way for a new addition to their Civil War Era building. The Overall Company will open The Pop Factory June 15 with an entire room dedicated to its homemade artisan Popsicles. Co-owners Ali and Ty Maloney and Laura and Jay Pritchard decided several months ago to expand the Popsicle section of their coffee shop and market. “We always wanted to do more with the Popsicles because they have so much potential,” said Ali Maloney, who
will manage the factory once it opens. “Our kitchen is really little, so it was too much for us to do everything for the restaurant in there. The Pop Factory will have all of our Popsicle stuff, and it will give us some more room to be creative with what we do.” With a design that has been called “Willy Wonka fused with Steampunk,” the new space features copper countertops and a three-dimensional mural made with old factory materials. “We really wanted to play off the factory theme: gauges, gears, ductwork and things like that,” said Keith Moore, factory designer and local artist. “But, we also wanted to have fun with the design. It’s a very whimsical space.” The Pop Factory will allow the restaurant to feature 12 flavors per day and create a station for additional dips and toppings.
Visitors to the factory will be able to watch the employees make the pops, which are made with fresh ingredients. The restaurant’s creamy pops, such as the popular salted caramel or chocolate hazelnut flavors, are made with a liquid base similar to homemade ice cream. Fruity pops start with pureed fruit, usually from a local farmer’s market. Maloney estimates The Overall Company has tripled its pop sales since last season. In addition to its location at 1001 Ave. B in Opelika, the restaurant sells its pops at Bay Pines Marina at Lake Martin, farmers markets and special events such as weddings and birthday parties. “The pops are super popular now,” Maloney said. “When we first started selling these last year, no one knew who we were or what a gourmet Popsicle was. People love fresh, local and cold treats this time of
FILE
The Overall Company Popsicle flavors include lemon-lime, cookies ‘n’ cream, chocolate hazlenut, blueberry banana, strawberry balsamic, avocado, salted caramel, blackberry yogurt and more.
year, so this has been a perfect fit for us.” Customers who visit The Overall Company before the June 15 grand opening will
have a chance to win tickets to a VIP party June 14. Continuing with the Willy Wonka theme, the restaurant has placed 50 “golden sticks”
inside special pops. Winners of these golden sticks will receive VIP tickets for themselves and their immediate families.
News A4
The Auburn Plainsman
Thursday, June 6, 2013
All day music, art to be at 2013 Gnu Music Festival
Auburn/Opelika
Kelsey Davis
PSYCHIATRIST
let their music be heard,” Guzman said. “I think that’s also the reason why everybody is so willing to play at the festival because they’ve spent so many shows playing for 10 or 15 people (at The Gnu’s Room) until they finally got the word out that they were working really hard on their music.” For local artist Chandler Jones of Adventure the Great, the shop has served as a starting point for his music to be heard in an atmosphere that’s hard to find at most venues. Jones recounted his band’s first show at The Gnu’s Room, and the intimacy it provided. “I remember talking to Tina about that show, and I really wanted to make this intimate night out of it,” Jones said. “So we ended up clearing everything out and putting candles all over the place with the lights turned off, and that was one of my first shows in Auburn.” The location provided Jones with more than just a unique venue. “It was sort of the first sense of community I experienced once I got here,” Jones said. “Not only that, but it sort of started the band with the first
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
The Gnu Music Festival will be returning June 8 with more to offer than before, and with a different purpose at hand. Featuring two stages, more than 10 local bands, DJs, artists, food vendors and more, this year’s Gnu Music Festival serves as a fundraiser to help outfit the new potential Opelika location of The Gnu’s Room. “We actually did a music festival last fall as a fund raiser,” said Alaina Guzman, frequenter of The Gnu’s Room and front-runner of the event. “When I found out that things were getting so close to being impossible for Tina (Tatum, owner of The Gnu’s Room) to continue The Gnu’s Room as a non-profit, it seemed like a natural solution.” According to Guzman, the majority of the acts performing at the festival are volunteering their talents as a means to support the bookstore’s continued survival. “The Gnu’s Room itself has given a start to dozens of community bands by giving them that place to play before they could play anywhere else and
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show we had here.” Though the Gay Street location will no longer serve as home to the bookstore, Tatum has ideas in mind of what the new location will hold. “I just envision being able to have a lot more events there,” Tatum said. “I hope to maybe include some other non-profits and allow them to have some space within the space so they can take advantage of not having a whole lot of overhead, and we can work together to promote each others’ events.” Tickets can be purchased prior to the event at The Gnu’s Room, The Auburn Guitar Shoppe or by making an online donation to The Gnu’s Room Kickstarter Campaign site. Proceeds will go toward contracting for the new space in Opelika. Doors to the festival open at 10 a.m. with the first band playing at 11 a.m in downtown Opelika at The Railyard. Bands are scheduled to perform staggered throughout the day, with local DJs starting in the evening and playing into the night. For more information and a complete lineup, check out Gnu Summer Festival on Facebook.
Who: Pomeranian Muffler Shop When: 2 p.m. Where: Main Stage
Who: Adventure the Great When: 6 p.m. Where: Main Stage
WE CATER! DRIVE-THRU! 131 N. Dean Road Auburn, AL 36830 334-246-3009 www.schlotzskys.com
Who: Katie Martin When: 7:45 p.m. Where: Acoustic Tuesday Stage
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FOR RENT 3-bedroom, 2-bath brick home. Den. Central heat and air, near Auburn University. Nice size kitchen and breakfast room. Great outdoor cook area. Washer, dryer, dishwasher. $1,000/ month, 12-month lease required. Available August 15 or sooner. 334-524-6807. Tiger Lodge at Auburn The best in Off Campus Student Housing with a luxury style swimming pool and amenities including a fitness center, business center, 24 hour clubhouse and basketball court. 2, 3, and 4 bedroom units with rates starting at $299! Each bedroom has its’ own bathroom. Sign a lease and get a $500 giftcard at move-in! Call 334.502.7300 for more info! Check us out at livetigerlodge.com! Four-bedroom, two-bath house. Total electric. Large lot, partial fenced yard. Central heat and air. Washer, dryer , dishwasher. Quiet area, nice neighborhood, 5 miles from Auburn! $800.00 per month. 12-month lease required. Available August 15 or sooner. 334-524-6807.
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3
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
ACROSS 1 Athenian with harsh laws 6 Sink-cleaning brand 10 Greenish-blue 14 Put one’s feet up 15 Olympics sled 16 Expressions of disapproval 17 57-Across bestseller made into a 1971 film, with “The” 20 Golf club now made of metal 21 Line on a graph 22 Move crab-style 23 Heredity unit 25 Lake formed by the Aswan Dam 26 57-Across bestseller made into a 1993 film 31 Japanese cartoon art 32 Exposes 33 Shortest mo. 36 Despicable 37 57-Across bestseller made into a 1995 film 39 Tear go-with 40 Chopper 41 Head of the manor 42 Windy City airport 43 57-Across bestseller made into a 1997 film 46 Across the sea 49 Accessories for a “Just Married” sign 50 Plumbing woes 51 Not real 53 Ref’s call 57 Doctor-turnednovelist born 10/23/1942 60 Concept 61 Turn sharply 62 Stunned 63 It may be standardized 64 “Don’t get excited” 65 Sports page figures
3-bedroom, 2-bath house near Dean Road School in Auburn. Fenced back yard, big lot. Washer, dryer, dishwasher, stove, refrigerator included. Central heat and air. Gas and electric. $950.00/month. 12-month lease required. Available August 15 or sooner. 334-5246807.
Sudoku 2
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
2-bedroom, 1-bath apartment . Total electric. Washer, dryer, dishwasher, stove, refrigerator. Furnished. Water, sewage & garbage included. Near Dean Road School and Kroger store in Auburn. 524-6807.
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1
RELEASE DATE– Tuesday, October 23, 2012
By The Mepham Group
Sudoku Level:
By The Mepham Group
1 2 3 4
Solution to last Sunday’s puzzle
Solution to last Sunday’s puzzle
6/16/13
Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box 6/23/13 (in bold borders) contains every Complete the grid so eachdigit row,1 to 9. For strategies column andon how to solve 3-by-3 box Sudoku, visit www.sudoku.org.uk.
(in bold borders)
DOWN 1 Deadlock 2 Gambling mecca near Carson City 3 Fashion’s Gucci
4 Bridge, e.g. 5 Tic-tac-toe dud 6 Former Soviet premier Kosygin 7 Dench of “Iris” 8 “Jumpin’ Jack Flash, it’s __ ...”: Rolling Stones lyric 9 Symbolic signatures 10 Vulnerable 11 Campus courtyards 12 Practical 13 Ed of “Lou Grant” 18 Controls, as a helm 19 Nicholas and Peter 24 Houston-to-Miami dir. 25 Bosnia peacekeeping gp. 26 Mud in a cup 27 Operating system on many Internet servers 28 Agitate 29 Time-share unit 30 Flat-nosed dog 33 Dread 34 Banjoist Scruggs 35 Reared 37 Not just for males
38 Basketball’s Magic, on scoreboards 39 Question of identity 41 Tibetan capital 42 MYOB part 43 Astaire/Rogers musical 44 Flee, mouse-style 45 Curbside call 46 Ticket word 47 Bouquet tosser
48 Reduces to small pieces, as potatoes 51 __ circus 52 Hard-to-hit pitchers 54 Chichén __: Mayan ruins 55 Champagne brand 56 Finishes 58 Holiday lead-in 59 DJ’s assortment
ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:
xwordeditor@aol.com
By Steven J. St. John (c)2012 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
10/23/12
10/23/12
Intrigue
A5
Thursday, June 6, 2013
ThePlainsman.com
Intrigue
Create habits with Lift Elizabeth Wieck MANAGING.EDITOR@ THEPLAINSMAN.COM
It seems there is no impossible task for a smartphone. It can be your planner, book, camera, radio, news source and now, your accountability partner. Lift, an application for iPhones, wants to help users change their lives in big ways through small actions by identifying goals and tracking how often they are accomplished. It aims to merge community support with personal goals to create what the app officially calls habits. Habits can be anything from simple lifestyle changes like drinking more water or making the bed to loftier goals like exercising or quitting smoking. Once you choose which habits you want to focus on (by browsing through already created habits or creating them yourself), tracking them is remarkably simple. For each day you sustain a habit, you press one button – there’s no regard to the time of day it happens or for how long you do it. It’s about doing
it every day. Lift works best with daily goals, based on the feeling of accomplishment to look back and see that, for example, you exercised 20 days in a row. According to the website, “the biggest predictor of success in Lift is having an easy habit that you do every day.” I’ll admit it: being able to check-in on my daily goals feels good, like checking something off a to-do list. Despite this, Lift will still work with non-daily habits. The app uses simple graphics that allow you to look back at your progress (or failure) in maintaining goals. Interactive bar graphs that reveal frequency per week and frequency per month as well as a calendar can help you determine your success. The other aspect of Lift is community support. If the thought of breaking a 20-day bed-making streak doesn’t overpower your laziness, perhaps encouragement from other users will. I connected both my Facebook and Twitter accounts to Lift, and unsurprisingly, none of my friends were using it. Still, there are ways to gain encouragement from Lift users, even if you don’t know them. When you pull up each of your habits, you can see and interact with other users who are also form-
CHELSEA WOOTEN / PHOTO EDITOR
“Black Mountain (swarming holy light)” is on display in Biggin Hall.
ing that habit. When others log their goal, you can “prop” their check-in, similar to “liking” on Facebook, although meant to be more uplifting. Lift’s website said, “You’re 50 percent more likely to succeed in your goal if you know at least one other person doing it.” This is true; think about how much easier it is to go on a diet or to the gym with a friend. The problem is I personally know no one currently using Lift. Yes, it’s great that Kathy from Utah flossed her teeth for 30 days in a row, but it’s useless encouragement for my own motivation. It’s important to note Lift isn’t a shortcut to accomplishing goals. It’s merely an aide with which you can change from someone who plans to achieve goals to someone who actually achieves them.
Movie review: The Hangover 3
Has the wolfpack lost its bite? Rachel Suhs WRITER
With any raunchy comedy, critics usually find the subject matter immature and overdone. When I saw the third installment of The Hangover series was met with vicious hatred, I was hardly surprised. I admit I'm not a huge fan of the trilogy, but I already invested my money in seeing both "The Hangover" and "The Hangover Part II." Then I actually forked over the $7.25 and saw what was so despised. For my little fee I was rewarded with re-watching the trailer with a tiny dab of plot connecting the jokes. As hilarious as the trailer made it seem, there were few other
jokes, most of which fell flat. All of the shock value is squeezed into one scene that reads easily as the filmmaker's afterthought. If the movie didn't have the same actors, I doubt I would have recognized it as one of The Hangover movies at all. Although the other movies had almost identical plots, they at least had a balance between shock value and offensive humor. Instead, every punch line in "The Hangover Part III" has been exposed in tactics to lure the audience in. Oddly enough, this installment seems to be the most realistic of the films, with actual attempts at time constraints and consequences for the characters’ ridiculous actions; however, this in no way makes the film better than the others. It lacked the fantastic elements and crude gags the audience has become so accustomed to. While normally I try to give mov-
Tweets of the week
ies the benefit of the doubt, thinking they might be better rented or not quite worth the theater price, I wouldn't even recommend waiting for this to hit Redbox or Netflix. Just go back and watch the other Hangover films if that's your sort of thing, but I can hardly recommend anyone waste money on a comedy that's not even funny.
Glittering mountain looms in Biggin Hall Aaron Lake WRITER
Lydia Anne McCarthy’s chance to travel and study at the Banff Centre in Banff, Canada, sparked her imagination and led to her newest exhibition, “Black Mountain (swarming holy light).” McCarthy’s large-scale installation is on display in Biggin Hall until August 26. McCarthy will present a lecture in Biggin Hall August 28, and a public reception will follow. “I modeled the mountain off a nearby mountain in Banff,” McCarthy said. “I also used the Jack Kerouac book, ‘Desolation Angels’ as a source of inspiration.” McCarthy said in the book, Kerouac was thinking about being in San Francisco and sitting in an alleyway. He stared at a wall until it transformed into a black cliff that emitted a “black holy light.” McCarthy left Sweden in February 2012 after attending American-Scandinavian Foundation Fellowship in 2011, which had been the inspiration for many of her previous works. She traveled to Canada where she participated in the Visual Arts Residency Program in Banff. “A lot of my work focuses on the realities and alternate realities we see, or don’t see, every day,” McCarthy said. She graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design and attended graduate school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. While at UNC, she met Jessye McDowell, assistant professor of art and exhibitions and lectures coordinator at Auburn University. McDowell has been shown in McCarthy’s project, “Refraction,” featured by Daniel Cooney Fine Art in New York. “I was invited by Jessye when I told her about the project,” McCarthy said. “She said she liked the idea and wanted to put it in the gallery.” McDowell is a fan of McCarthy’s work and was happy to see the art come together in the gallery.
Photo of the week
@auburnbuzztap: The War Eagle Reader >> AU bass fishing star Jordan Lee sports Auburn shirt in new issue of TIME Magazine @AU_History: Auburn’s full-time tuition in 1980-81 for an AL resident was $660. Non-resident $1,320. @TrackemTigers: Prayers answered, Terry Beasley goes home from the hospital. Thanks Auburn Family for their support. @aldotcomTigers: Auburn cheerleaders to wear Under Armour’s Cam Newton shoes @AUFAMILY: With the SEC getting richer & richer, how does it impact the fans? Lower ticket prices would be nice. @cbfowler: a War Eagle in Paris. Auburn, AL resident Jamie Hampton rallies to win her #frenchopen match 9-7 3rd. Showed good grit to take out a seed. @WarBlogle: Just saw a commercial with Bo Jackson endorsing 5-Hour Energy. That would’ve just been unfair 25 years ago. #auburn
“We had five or six students come every day for about five days to put the exhibit together,” McDowell said. “We had to assemble the wooden frame, and in total, we used more than 50 pounds of glitter on the mountain. It was a good experience for everyone.” “Black Mountain (swarming holy light)” isn’t McCarthy’s first largescale focus, but it is still conveying her range as an artist. “She’s definitely evolving as an artist,” McDowell said. “She is a photographer first, but she is now incorporating other means to explore realities and concepts other than what we see every day.” Both McCarthy and McDowell hope the Auburn community takes time to see the exhibit and evaluate it through its own lens. While McCarthy describes the experience in the gallery as “magical,” McDowell goes further to say, “It’s peaceful. It’s not just art; it’s an experience we don’t see every day in Auburn.” Elizabeth Nguyen, junior in biomedical sciences, said, “‘Black Mountain (swarming holy light)’ provides Auburn students and the community a chance to experience modern art and to expose them to in-depth thinking.” Tom Collins, senior in polymer and fiber engineering, agrees with Nguyen. “I really appreciate that Auburn is bringing in art from outside the [Auburn] community,” Collins said. McCarthy has been thankful for the opportunity to show her art here and is looking forward to her lecture in August. “As an artist, it’s an honor to be allowed to take over a gallery,” McCarthy said. In the meantime, McCarthy is still traveling. She will visit San Francisco this summer to work on her new project, “I will be the void.” Black Mountain is the first installation of this new project, which McCarthy said will explore American new age spirituality.
Photo by Auburn student Anna Claire Conrad, senior in journalism in Giza, Egypt. Want to see your photo here? Email your best shots to photo@theplainsman.com
Opinions
A6
Thursday, June 6, 2013
ThePlainsman.com
Opinions
Our View
With one year passed, have we learned anything? Since last summer, Gene Chizik, John Pawlowski and Tina Deese have all been fired, and Gus Malzahn is back on The Plains. We were called liars and cheaters by Selena Roberts, and Jay Jacobs and the NCAA quickly shut her down. On the national scale, two mass shootings, one in Aurora, Colo., and another in Newtown, Conn., stunned and shocked us, although senseless rampages seem almost commonplace in the United States. The April 15 bombing of the Boston Marathon is still fresh in our minds as yet another horrible example of the terror an insane few can inflict on the many. It’s also been one year since the Loveliest Village on the Plains experienced its own part of the national zeitgeist of violence. Many Auburn residents will never forget June 9, 2012. Many of us at The Plainsman will certainly remember that day and the weeks to follow for the rest of our lives. It was a vicious wake-up call, and it marred the flawless image we had of Auburn as a safe haven from violent crime. What we gained was a unique perspective. We got a glimpse into the violent crime many cities struggle with every day. The recent shooting in the parking lot of College Street Bar and Pockets has us looking back on the events of June 9 with more malaise than hope for the future. Is Auburn on its way to becoming a bad place to live? The 2011 crime statistics, produced by the Au-
burn Department of Public Safety, show crime on the downswing, but if the crimes that remain are more violent, then it’s not an improvement. We don’t believe Auburn is turning into Montgomery or Mobile, but we do notice a growing trend. It looks as if people prefer to settle their problems with violence rather than be responsible. Perhaps the 2012 annual report will prove us wrong. Although we hope so, we’re not holding our breath. It doesn’t seem fair to the memories of Ed Christian, Ladarious Phillips, Demario Pitts, or anyone else who has died in such a cruel and pointless manner, for us to act so ridiculous. Human life is priceless, and even though humanity is the least violent it has been since the dawn of time, we still don’t seem to understand cooperation is infinitely more productive and beneficial. We aren’t preaching some kind of forced altruism or pretending to be the arbiters of morality in Auburn. We aren’t even trying to comment on the tired issues of the gun control debate. These are simple facts that should become all the more obvious when someone decides he has to shoot people to solve his problems. It’s time we took responsibility for ourselves. Auburn can become the example of what a community that values life looks like. There is no need for us to fall victim to insane, violent whims of a few fools who want to make us scared to live our lives.
RACHEL SUHS
Her View
Smart phones are creating boring, annoying people Raye May DESIGN@ THEPLAINSMAN.COM
I was at a party a week or so ago. There wasn’t really anything outstanding about it: loud music, a beer pong table, artery-clogging food – all the normal party stuff. The kicker? Literally every single person there was sitting in a circle, staring at their cellphones. Nobody was talking. I like to refresh Facebook an infi-
nite amount of times as much as the next person, but I don’t need to put on pants and makeup to do it. I don’t have to leave the house to check my Twitter feed. It’s a little pathetic how much we rely on our phones. It wasn’t this bad before smartphones existed. Or maybe it was, and we were just too young to notice it happening. I don’t leave the comfort and solitude of my apartment to go sit around with a bunch of people who don’t seem to want anything to do with conversation. It’s straight up rude to do that to someone. I’m an introvert. If I’m us-
ing my time and energy to come see you, put the damn phone away. “But Raye,” you say in a voice I can only imagine as whiney, “my BFF just Instagram’d a totally sweet picture of her dinner!” First, nobody cares. Second, I care even less than nobody. The Internet will still be there when you leave the party. I don’t really know what’s so interesting about a washed-out picture of a salad anyway. We’re losing our ability to socialize like real human beings. We communicate through emotionless screens and computer keys. I don’t know what you’re feeling
through a text message. You don’t see the look on my face in an email. Human interaction is suffering because we can’t just disconnect for a little while. Why is it so hard for us to leave our phones alone? Did the Internet get better, or did people just get dull? One of my absolute favorite things in the world is sitting down and having a long, intimate conversation with people I care about. When you’re checking your phone every few minutes, I don’t get the vibe you’re interested. I get the vibe you’re bored. At that point, it doesn’t matter how much you contribute. Maybe it’s just me, but it really grates on my
nerves. I can’t help but wonder how much we’re missing. I know so many people, myself included, who say they just don’t like talking on the phone anymore. “It’s awkward. Texting is just so much more convenient.” Is it really, though? Why is it so awkward to hear another person’s voice? What are we giving up by retreating into the depths of the Internet for virtual conversations with faceless names? I think we’re giving up our ability to sympathize. I think it’s turning the world into a colder place.
His View
My lunch with Jay: or how I learned to stop being a hater Ben Croomes OPINION@ THEPLAINSMAN.COM
If I had met Jay Jacobs at a bar or a cattle auction or in the plumbing section at Home Depot, I would have thought he was just an average guy. In another life, he could have been my cool older friend, like the guy who bought me beer when I was underage and showed me how to catcall at women on the street. Last semester, I was invited to eat
lunch with Jacobs in the hallowed halls of the athletic department. I didn’t want to go because I was invited under the pretense that I am student leader, which I am not. Also, I have written a few less-than-kind editorials about Jacobs and his inability to hire winning coaches. The fear of a poisoned sandwich and a shallow grave somewhere on Pat Dye’s ranch made me anxious. But I went, and I’m glad I did. It’s easy to say people are bad at their jobs and demand they be fired from far away behind the safety of a newspaper. Eating lunch in their office is quite different.
For those of you who have never met Jacobs, let me try to describe his personality. He’s an amiable straight-talker who seems to be genuinely interested in whoever he’s talking to. His story as a walk-on during Pat’s Dye’s reign over the Tigers is impressive, and, at least for me, was somewhat endearing. I’m a sucker for tales of Auburn’s past. I wanted him to be a jerk. I wanted him to tell me I was a no-talent hack. I wanted him to give me a reason to not like him. Instead, he killed my ire with kindness. He bought his way onto my
good side with a Panera Bread sandwich and a smile. The worst part: I still think he should be fired. Of course, I’m not some tortured soul who can’t reconcile the choice he has to make with his whiney conscience. I know Jacobs has not hired a coach who can consistently bring us the wins we so desperately crave, and, therefore, has failed at his job. There is a club of former Auburn coaches somewhere, and its only requirement for membership is being hired and fired by Jacobs, and that club seems to be getting bigger every year. If you go to Jacobs’ Wikipe-
dia page, there is a one sentence paragraph that stands as a bleak reminder to one of the of worst football seasons in the history of the University – and the most damning evidence to Jacobs’ poor job skills. But now I’ve met the man I want to put out of work, and despite all the negativity I have towards his performance, Jacobs – as a person – is all right with me. I’ve shaken his hand and looked him in the eye, and that has given me a greater appreciation for what I have to say about him and my responsibility to keep the job and the man separate.
Social Media on The Plains: Her View
Mr_Mackey in response to our May 30th editorial After reading this article I have to wonder.....what is the point? Is it that you would be ok with “unnecessary violations” if the police are on foot rather than a bicycle or Segway?
iamroy in response to the May 27th article on Big Cat Weekend Good to know in this new age of recruiting when schools are pitching trophies and the NFL (No-Fun League) to its players that the Auburn family can hold to some conservative traditions like pie eating and water balloon fights. I know it sure made my 9th birthday fun! GO GET EM COACH!
In respone to our post asking readers’ view on crime in Auburn Karen Ferrante-Rodriguez: I’m from Northern California, so I think Auburn is a cake walk compared to what goes on in big cities. Whenever I’m back home staying at my dad’s house, it’s a guarantee that the police helicopter will fly by shinning its lights and you always hear gun shots in the early morning hours. He lives a few blocks from a bad area.
In respone to our post asking readers’ experiences with Auburn’s bicycle and Segway riding police officers Josh Loveland: Absolutely atrocious, every single time. These narrow-minded sadists do nothing but stereotype, harrass, and generally cause headaches and turmoil.
In respone to our tweet asking readers’ view on crime in Auburn
In respone to the June 4th article on Kyievarez “Varez” Ward
@bigolebrandon:
@tay_gabrielle1:
in my inebriated state I may have commited one or two last semester
That’s so dumb! Why would you do that?
@lexxh: No one wants it but crime happens any where you go.
@bdj3416: I’m against it
In respone to our May 30th editorial
@DOMBOLEY: Whoever wrote this better prep for tickets, cops’ favorite form of retaliation
The Editorial Board KELSEY DAVIS Editor-in-Chief
Lainee Ross
John Burns
COPY EDITOR
SPORTS EDITOR
Elizabeth Wieck
Dustin Shrader
Chelsea Wooten
ONLINE EDITOR
PHOTO EDITOR
MANAGING EDITOR
Ben Croomes OPINIONS EDITOR
Andrew Yawn
Raye May
NEWS EDITOR
DESIGN EDITOR
Mailing Address
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Policy
Auburn Student Center Suite 1111H Auburn, AL 36849
The Auburn Plainsman welcomes letters from students as well as from faculty, administrators, alumni and those not affiliated with the University. Letters must be submitted before 4:30 p.m. on the Monday for publication. Letters must include the author’s name, city of residence and/or major for verification, though the name of the author may be withheld upon request. Submission may be edited for grammar and/or length. Please submit no more than 400 words.
The opinions of The Auburn Plainsman staff are restricted to these pages. This editorial is the majority opinion of the 9-member editorial board and are the official opinion of the newspaper. The opinions expressed in columns and letters represent the views and opinions of their individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the Auburn University student body, faculty, administration or Board of Trustees.
Contact Phone 334–844–4130 Email opinion@theplainsman.com
Sports
A7
Thursday, June 6, 2013
ThePlainsman.com
Sports
Contributed by Todd Van Emst
Senior Dominic Bozzelli (left) and sophomore Michael Johnson (center, right) were named to the Division I PING All-Region Team Friday, May 31, after their performances in the NCAA Championship May 28–June 2.
Two Auburn golfers make All-Region Team
Auburn senior Dominic Bozzelli and sophomore Michael Johnson were named to the Division I PING All-Region Team after they helped their team to a 13th place finish in the NCAA Championships John Burns Sports Editor
The Golf Coaches Association of America announced Friday, May 31, senior Dominic Bozzelli and sophomore Michael Johnson were named to the Division I PING All-Region Team after their performances in the NCAA Championship earlier in the week. “I am very proud of Dominic and Michael for being named to the All-Region Team,” Auburn coach Nick Clinard said. “They both had excellent seasons and put the work in to be great. They are great representatives of Auburn University and Auburn golf.” Bozzelli led the Tigers in the tournament by shooting 6-under, earning him second place individually. Johnson shot a 1-over in the tournament, which earned him a tie for 38th place. The Tigers finished in 13th, their highest finish in the NCAA Championship since 2003 when they came in eighth.
“
Dominic is a great player and what a great career he has had. I wish he wasn’t leaving ... He’s worked very, very hard. He has really grown as a player He lost a year of eligibility in his transfer ... To be where he is todas is a testament to his hard work and his desire to be great.” —Nick Clinard Auburn Men’s Golf Coach
The men’s golf team was tied for 27th after the first round of the tournament, but mount-
ed a comeback in the final 36 holes by shooting 6-under as a team. “We made a great run there,” Clinard said. “We turned at 3-over, and we finally got it going on the front side. For the whole week, we made a lot of birdies there and just didn’t close at the end. The first day set us back shooting 12-over. You have to be proud of their toughness and resilience in coming back. We are one of the best teams here, but just didn’t make enough putts this week.” Bozzelli finished three strokes behind the eventual winner, Max Homa of California, and capped his tournament by recording a bogeyfree final round. “I was just trying to come out and shoot a good round for the team,” Bozzelli said. “Obviously, we knew we had to make a lot of birdies. I was bogey-free today and am proud of that. I am happy with a 66 today. The guys’ effort was there, and we had a pretty good run today.” As a senior, this was Bozzelli’s final NCAA
Championship as an Auburn Tiger, an absence that will be felt by the coaches and players. “Dominic (Bozzelli) is a great player, and what a great career he has had,” Clinard said. “I wish he wasn’t leaving. He made a lot of putts. He’s worked very, very hard. He has really grown as a player. He lost a year of eligibility in his transfer, but his first year at Auburn he only played in four tournaments. To be where he is today is a testament to his hard work and his desire to be great.” Bozzelli finished his season with second place finishes in each of his final two tournaments. His second place finish at the NCAA Championships joins his second place tie at the NCAA Columbus Regional. Bozzelli also earned his third career individual victory at the Amer Ari Invitational in February. Johnson’s season was filled with highlights as well; during his sophomore season he carded seven top-20 finishes and two runner-ups for the Tigers.
Should Auburn make a move to the SEC East? John Burns Sports@theplainsman.com
There has been a lot of talk recently, namely in the SEC spring meetings in Destin, Fla., that the SEC needs to make improvements in its scheduling. The general consensus is it does. As it stands now, each team plays all of its division opponents once, a rival, cross division opponent once, and a rotating cross division opponent once each season. That means after this season, if the scheduling system stays how it currently stands, it will be another six years until Auburn plays former rival Tennessee. Most teams’ fan bases would like to play cross division opponents more than once every six years, so the coaches voted on adding another conference game to the schedule, which would
put the number of SEC games for each team at nine. Of the 14 coaches in the SEC, only Alabama coach Nick Saban voted for this addition. Instead of adding another grueling SEC game to these college kids’ busy schedule, why not just move Auburn to the SEC East and get rid of the rival games? But wait, wouldn’t that mean Auburn wouldn’t play Alabama every year? Yes, it would. However, if the SEC did away with the rival cross conference games and kept the rotating cross conference schedule, Auburn and Alabama would still play every three or four years. They would also have a chance to play each other in the SEC Championship, and that would be absolutely incredible. We’re talking Iron Bowl on Anabolic Steroids. Barry Bonds style, people (without the disgrace). The Iron Bowl itself would even get better, though it wouldn’t be quite as frequent. Bragging rights for three years would be nice (only when Auburn gets back on track).
Though I’m sure I haven’t convinced most of you of that point, there are some definite benefits for Auburn moving to the East. Auburn would get to play three of its historical rivalries every year: Georgia (who we already play obviously), Tennessee and Florida. Tennessee and Florida were huge rivalries before 1992, and Auburn has had some of its greatest victories of the past decade against Florida. Remember that Tebow never beat us in his career. Auburn would immediately get a strong foothold in Flordia for recruiting purposes, and no one wants that to happen less than Alabama. It goes without saying that Auburn would get a recruiting boost in Georgia, but the Tigers already have a strong foothold there, being so close to the border. Who would replace Auburn in the West? Of course it would have to be Missouri. It’s much farther west than Auburn. In fact, it’s farther west than Alabama, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and LSU too. Geographically, as well as logically, the move
of Auburn to the East and Missouri to the West makes perfect sense, with the only problem being the breaking up of the yearly Iron Bowl game and the Alabama vs. Tennessee game. Obviously the school that wants this move to happen the least is Alabama and the school’s fans. Alabama loses both of its biggest rivalries in one move, but retains the LSU rivalry, which has been one of the best in college sports for the past few years. Alabama would also concede recruiting grounds in the East, which, believe me, is the Tide’s worst nightmare. But I don’t give a rip about Alabama or its feelings, and I believe this is the best move for Auburn and the SEC as a whole. The biggest winner in this potential move: Auburn. The biggest loser: Alabama. Actually, beside Alabama, there is no loser. So even though Alabama has done the most for the SEC in the last few years, this move would be for the greater good of the conference.
SEC spring meetings result in $20.7 million payout Will Gaines Sports Reporter
As the summer sun heats up, two things are certain: football is right around the corner, and the annual SEC spring meetings are being held in Destin, Fla. The SEC decided to distribute approximately $289.4 million among its 14 schools, the most that has ever been distributed in the conference’s history. In addition, the SEC decided on conference scheduling for football in 2014 and non-conference scheduling for basketball. Going into the meetings, the most talked about item was how the coaches would vote on conference scheduling for 2014. The two most likely scenarios were a 6-1-1 model, which would allow
teams to play all six-division teams, a permanent cross over rival from the other division and a rotating opponent from the other division. The second scenario was to increase conference games from eight games to nine games. The coaches voted 13-1 against this scenario; the only coach voting for the nine game schedule was Alabama head coach Nick Saban, who believes to compete in the new College Football Playoff in 2014 the conference must go to nine games. Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn voted for things to stay the same and to ensure that the Auburn-Georgia rivalry is preserved. “I like the way it’s been with the 6-1-1,” Malzahn said. “I know playing Georgia is very important to Au-
burn fans. If you look back the last seven years the conference has been very successful at the end, and I guess that’s the most important thing.” Another item of importance was the discussion of scheduling a stronger non-conference schedule for basketball teams in the future. This change will help improve the ratings percentage index at the end of each season for individual teams and the conference as a whole. Schedules must now be turned into the league office for approval before schedules can be finalized. “The overall RPI has slipped the last 10 years dramatically, and that impacts all of us,” Athletic Director Jay Jacobs said. “We’ve got to get better scheduling for SEC men’s basketball, and the commissioner has taken
big steps to do that.” The meetings ended Friday, May 31 with the announcement the league will distribute approximately $289.4 million equally among its 14 schools. Individually, each school will receive $20.7 million. While the schools may be pleased they received an increase, it was expected because two teams were added to the conference in 2012. The funds are expected to increase again in 2014 with the launch of the SEC Network and the College Football Playoff. Now that the SEC meetings have concluded, Auburn’s attention will be dedicated to finding a replacement for head baseball coach John Pawlowski, who was fired May 27, and preparing for the upcoming 2013
“
I like the way it’s been with the 6-1-1. I know playing Georgia is very important to Auburn fans.” —Gus Malzahn Auburn football coach
football season. “I’m certainly looking forward to a new chapter in football this fall with Gus Malzahn,” Jacobs said. “All of us are excited about his vision for football. I’m certainly looking forward to us getting better in each of our sports next year.”
Sports A8
The Auburn Plainsman
Thursday, June 6, 2013
While you’re eagerly anticipating one Auburn tradition... Enjoy another!
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Michael Hebert (left) and Dominic Bozzelli (right) compete at the NCAA National Championships in Atlanta Wednesday, May 29.
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A week in Auburn sports Men’s Golf:
Track:
After ending the first round of play in the NCAA Championship in a tie for 27th, the No. 18 Tigers rallied and shot 6-under in the last two rounds to finish in 13th, the highest finish by an Auburn men’s golf team since 2003 when the team came in eighth place. Senior Dominic Bozzelli shot 6-under for the tournament which was good enough for a second place tie. Bozzelli had the best finish for a Tiger golfer in the NCAA Championship since 2003 when Lee Williams took second place. Sophomore Michael Johnson tied for 38th by carding a 1-over on the tournament.
Kai Selvon (200m), Valentina Muzaric (shot put), Daina Levy (hammer throw), Maya Pressley (high jump), Marcus Popenfoose (shot put) and the 4x100m are currently competing in the 2013 NCAA Outdoor Championships at the University of Oregon. The competition began Wednesday, June 5 and will end Saturday, June 8. Maya Pressley and Valentina Muzaric are both ranked third in the nation in their events going into the championship. Both women have school records in their respective events, and will try to improve on those this week.
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