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A SPIRIT THAT IS NOT AFRAID • NEWS SINCE 1893
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2017
VOL. 125 • ISSUE 4 • FIRST COPY FREE THEN 50¢
CAMPUS
CONSTRUCTION
Theater III to honor first women to attend Auburn Lily Jackson MANAGING EDITOR
Auburn trailblazers Katherine Broun, Willie Gertrude Little and Margaret Teague, will soon be commemorated for their leadership in 1892 with the groundbreaking of Theater III, an outdoor classroom. Theater III will be located on the Mell Concourse between the dorms the women lived in throughout their time at Auburn and the new Mell Classroom building. When discussing the Mell Concourse and what it would include, the idea of a tangible, practical piece commemorating the enrollment of women at Auburn sat heavy with those planning the year of events. Vice President for Development Jane Parker said the placement is strategic as those sitting and listening to a lecture in the outdoor space will face the dorms where women first lived and those teaching will face the direction of Samford Hall, or “Old Main,” where the women first went to take their entrance exams on the “sunny fall morning” of Sept. 13, 1892. Their story, documented by Leah Rawls Atkins, Auburn alumna and author of “Blossoms Amid The Deep Verdure: A Century of Women at Auburn 1892-1992,” is told in detail. The three women were taking those exams to enter Auburn for their junior year. At the time of their entry, there were strict rules about their participation on campus. Despite pushback from other schools around the
state, the University of Alabama being one, the women had support from a father, University President LeRoy Broun. “The location is highly visible and most students will attend classes in the Mell Classroom at some point,” Parker said. “We thought, ‘How can we attach at least a temporary name to that space that signifies its association with the 125th anniversary of the enrollment of women.’” Parker said the conceptual design will feature theater-style seating, resembling benches with their backs facing the Mell Classroom. On the face of each seat will be the names of those who have donated to the con-
struction of Theater III. Parker said she envisions arched seating with a place for teachers to conduct their classes. “We live in a part of the country where for much of the year the climate is really good,” Parker said. “I can’t imagine that it won’t be heavily used. I think it will be a very soughtafter teaching and learning space.” Parker said the commemoration efforts aren’t limited to the Office of Alumni Affairs. Facilities Management, the University Architect, the Office of Development, the Office of the Provost and the Office of Alumni
» See THEATER III, 2
MADISON OGLETREE / PHOTO EDITOR
Former Auburn President Jay Gogue
Gogue asked U.S. to keep DACA
Chris Heaney CAMPUS REPORTER
VIA AUBURN DIGITAL LIBRARY
From L to R: Willie Gertrude Little, Katherine Broun and Margaret Teague
Last week, the Trump administration announced their decision to rescind Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, affecting the lives of thousands of college-aged students. Last year, then-Auburn President Jay Gouge and 695 presidents and leaders of other learning institutions signed a statement written by Pomona College in support of DACA. DACA was an executive order issued during the Obama administration that protected the children of undocumented immigrants from deportation and allowed them to apply for a work permit.
» See DACA, 5
BACKGROUND: MADISON OGLETREE / PHOTO EDITOR
CAMPUS
Miss Homecoming Top 5 announce platforms
Camille Smith Senior Citizen Care
Candace Mulherin Food Insecurity Awareness
Kayla Warner
Sexual Assault Prevention
Morgan Gaston
International Student Inclusion
Nicole Finley
Sexual Assault Prevention
Jessica Ballard
Chip Brownlee
Chip Brownlee
Lily Jackson
Lily Jackson
STANDARDS EDITOR
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
MANAGING EDITOR
MANAGING EDITOR
When most people go to college they develop their interests in potential career paths, lifelong friends and various clubs — Camille Smith, however, grew her passion for the elderly, a community she feels is being largely overlooked within the Auburn Family. Smith, senior in physical activity and health, spent a large amount of time her freshman year volunteering at homes for the elderly around Auburn. She stumbled upon a nursing home in Auburn, and during her first week of volunteering, she was asked if she played any musical instruments. Smith said she had dabbled in playing the guitar a little bit in high school, and suddenly she was the musical entertainment on Tuesdays. “I approached it as, ‘Oh, I’m going to go in and somehow help all these people,’” Smith said regarding volunteering at nursing homes. “I think that’s the way we approach a lot of things. But what I found when I was there was that I left a much more enriched version of myself. I was hearing from people who have already read the chapters of the book that we’re currently in the midst of writing.” Throughout her time in Auburn Smith has highly valued the input and insight of the people she meets
Before moving to Auburn for college, Candace Mulherin, senior in marketing, was working at her church’s homeless ministry. There she developed a passion for hunger and poverty that she would later bring to Auburn. That passion is now the foundation of her Miss Homecoming platform. Mulherin’s platform focuses on bringing awareness to food insecurity on Auburn’s campus and in the surrounding community, emphasizing that there are many students who struggle daily wondering where their next meal will come from. “It’s really easy to go through life and be not necessarily ashamed, but closed off to your problems and thinking that you can do it all on your own,” Mulherin said. “But as an Auburn Family, we are all together, and everyone’s joys are everyone else’s joys, and everyone’s problems are everyone else’s problems. We can stand hand in hand and do it together.” Mulherin, who is a student recruiter and was nominated by YoungLife, said she plans to partner with the Division of Student Affairs and its Auburn Cares program, which provides an on-campus food
After Kayla Warner, senior in public relations, was nominated for Miss Homecoming, she began tossing around ideas for what her platform would be if she was chosen for Top Five. But none of the comfortable platforms felt right. That’s when she began to sit down with her close friends and began praying about it. In the end, she picked a platform that she knew would be hard, but it was the right one. She decided her platform would be advocating for survivors of sexual assault — survivors like herself. “I’ve kind of grappled with whether I should do this, should I put myself out there. Nothing else was sticking,” Warner said. “As a survivor of sexual assault, I firmly believe that what happened to me could have been stopped if everybody knew what these things were.” On the Haley concourse this week, Warner said she will raise awareness around affirmative consent and what that means, which is a topic she said is often ignored in sexual education courses in Alabama. As part of her platform, she is seeking signatures on a petition that will be delivered to the Legislature, asking them to review the state’s sex education and sexual assault policies.
After a trip to China, where she was welcomed into the culture and treated with care at all times, Morgan Gaston came back to Auburn wanting to do the same for the University’s international students. Gaston, senior in exercise science, was nominated for Miss Homecoming by Kappa Alpha Order, and she is focusing on the integration of international students for her platform. “When we got to [China], I was culture shocked going into a completely different place, … but I never went to lunch alone. I didn’t have to find a class on my own,” Gaston said. “They took me to their meetings and clubs and brought me to everything.” Gaston said the students in China were always willing to be her friend and show her around. “It was humbling when I got back and thought, ‘Wow I have never done that for one of them,’” Gaston said. When she came back, she joined the International Buddy Program, and, through her international buddy, she found out what their issues were with campus life. Gaston said Auburn is huge on diversity and inclusion, but there remains a disconnect despite the
There was no question for Nicole Finley on what her Homecoming platform would be. She always knew what she cared about: sexual violence awareness and prevention. Partnering with WE.auburn, the University’s active bystander intervention program, Finley, senior in chemical engineering, plans to use her platform for Miss Homecoming, “Freedom With Finley,” to draw attention to an issue that is close to her heart. Finley was nominated by Chi Omega, her sorority since freshman year. She serves as personnel chair for the sorority. Finley is also a War Eagle Girl. Although some students may feel awkward when talking about sexual assault, Finley said it is a subject that must be addressed and shouldn’t be something they are ashamed to speak about. “I think it’s just about time for us to break that barrier and begin the conversation,” Finley said. Finley wants to see the “culture change at Auburn.” She said the volume is always lowered when speaking about sexual assault, but programs like Green Dot, an extension of WE.auburn, give students the confidence and push to address issues as such.
» See MULHERIN, 2
» See WARNER, 2
» See GASTON, 2
» See FINLEY, 2
» See SMITH, 2
PHOTOS: MADISON OGLETREE / PHOTO EDITOR
news
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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2017
THEPLAINSMAN.COM
NEWS
THEATER III
VOTING
» From 1
Affairs have all pitched in to work on the design, fundraising and placement of Theater III. “Across campus, different colleges, schools, units and the museum — they are doing things in commemoration of [the 125th anniversary],” Parker said. “This really has become a University-wide effort to commemorate this very important anniversary.” Fundraising for the space has begun, and Parker said the names of those who wish to be placed on the backs of the seats that will face the Quad dormitories can be placed after a donation of $125. For more prominent placement, larger donations will be accepted. “We wanted to do something that would enable a broad range of people to participate in this, which is why the initial naming level is $125,” Parker said. “We want it to be accessible.” Parker called the fundraising efforts a crowd-funding effort where men and women can be commemorated, memorialized and honored for their past and present as Auburn graduates. The public can submit names of those they admire who have left or their own names. At the moment, the University doesn’t know yet whether the names will be on plates or engraved in the seats.
Voting will take place on AUAccess from 7 a.m.–7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 15 1. Navigate to AUAccess 2. Select My Campus 3. Miss Homecoming elections
“It’ll be a really significant opportunity to recognize this event in the life of Auburn University,” Parker said. Parker said the team is still in the early stages of planning, but they are looking into the addition of a statue. Parker is optimistic about this project as it is still in the brainstorming stages. “We will have Theater III and potentially this sculpture all on the path to Old Main, which is now Samford Hall,” Parker said. “It was all conceived very strategically, just to focus on the three women and their path to Auburn.” Parker said she believes construction will
begin spring 2018. In a letter from Atkins and a video from Student Government Association President Jacqueline Keck, they said Theater III will be open for classes and events in fall 2018. The deadline to donate is Oct. 5, 2018. “This truly is a significant moment in the life of this University,” Parker said. “The enrollment of the first three women in the University really changed this institution for the better. When you think about what Auburn women have accomplished, it’s really mind boggling. I think it is appropriate for us to acknowledge how that started and when it started.”
MADISON OGLETREE / PHOTO EDITOR
The 2017 Top 5 Miss Homecoming candidates pose for a photo during Callouts on Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2017, in Auburn, Ala.
SMITH » From 1
through her community service, and because of this, she’s decided to make it her platform as a Miss Homecoming candidate. “So it’s a little different take (on a platform) than I think Auburn is used to seeing, especially this year because they kind of narrowed the scope to be just about Auburn — either the University or the community.” Smith, during her time in college, has also been heavily involved in YoungLife, a Christian youth group, as a leader for Auburn High School female students. She ties her experienc-
WARNER » From 1
“So many of these things could be stopped if we had proper sexual education and we knew what consent is,” Warner said. “We can actually have legitimate, comprehensive sexual education in Alabama and teach people what consent is rather than saying don’t have sex because no one will love you because that’s insane.” The portion of Alabama law that deals with sexual education directs schools to emphasize abstinence as the “only completely effective protection against” unwanted pregnancy and
MULHERIN » From 1
pantry in the Student Center to give students struggling with food insecurity a place to go for help. “This is a factor of campus that a lot of people don’t realize,” she said. “A lot of people don’t realize that there are a lot of resources devoted toward helping those students.” The on-campus food pantry is run on an honor system and students can go there if they don’t know where they are going to find their next meal. Students can tell the staffers at the food pantry how they are struggling, and they will find them the things they need from the food pantry. “That way they can get the things they need without feeling ashamed or isolated, but, at the same time, most people don’t even know that we have a free campus food pantry,” Mulherin
WHO WINS
AUBURN UNIVERSITY DIGITAL ARCHIVE
These women were students at the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Alabama (now Auburn University) in 1897. They are shown here sitting on the steps of Samford Hall.
es working with younger girls to her time spent in nursing homes together by the drastically different expectations she went in with versus the outlook she came out with. She is also a member of the Alpha Delta Pi sorority. Smith believes that raising awareness of these voices can impact Auburn University for the better and that this older generation can shed light on the fact that this college-age stage of life is just the beginning. She wants Auburn students and residents to know these people are a part of our family and can be a resource to utilize. Awareness is the starting point for her. Smith said the best thing she feels she can do with her sexually transmitted diseases. Focusing on affirmative consent and safe sex would be a better method, Warner said. “We want to be able to say that your students, your young people want you to do something about this,” Warner said. “Own up to it, and do something about it because this doesn’t need to happen to anybody else’s child. That’s what this opportunity means to me.” Warner said she didn’t even realize she had been sexually assaulted until nearly six months after the fact, when she went to a “Take Back the Night” event and heard other young women sharing their stories. She had not even told either of her parents
said. Mulherin said she believes that once more people realize the food pantry is there — and that it’s okay to ask for help — more donations will come and more people will be able to utilize the food pantry. She plans to spend her week campaigning on the concourse and raising awareness to the issue. “I know that I can’t conquer it all in one week, but the main thing I am trying to do is just advocate and help break the stigma that it’s okay to be a hungry college student. It’s not okay that you only have $7 to eat with for a month,” Mulherin said. After taking a hunger studies class as part of her nonprofit studies minor, Mulherin said she became even more aware of food insecurity on campus. The capstone hunger studies class surveyed 900–1,000 Auburn students who were juniors, seniors and graduate students, she said. At least 300 of them responded
platform at this point is simply to make the Auburn Family aware of these nursing homes and rehabilitation centers full of people with valuable insight. Smith joked that she admires people that have a heart for children because she feels she’s always related to older people. She also continued to stress how much the older generation in Auburn has to offer, many of them having helped shape the University and almost all of them with wiser perspectives on life than college students. “I harp on that we’re the Auburn Family,” she said. “So let’s not leave out a crucial portion of this family.” until Christmas break last year. “I was sitting there and I was listening, and I realized that is what happened to me. This is it. I just started crying,” Warner said. In that room, surrounded by supporters and allies, Warner said she felt loved and comforted. Warner said she hopes she can make freshmen and other students on campus aware of the resources, like Title IX officers, Safe Harbor and WE.auburn, available to them in the hopes that she can make other’s lives better than hers. “As a freshman or anyone on this campus, hearing someone who is a figure, hearing this as someone’s platform would make me feel less alone,” Warner said. “If one person feels a lit-
with the symptoms of food insecurity without even knowing it. “Food insecurity can come in different shapes and sizes, but this meant that a third of that population was struggling and was hungry but they don’t know that they fall into that category so they don’t know that they have the ability to ask for help,” she said. “There are so many people in our community and on our campus that need help.” Mulherin said she doesn’t want to stop with Miss Homecoming, either. After working with Camp War Eagle over the summer, she said she realized she has a passion for higher education and administration. “I want to bring something like my platform to other schools and make it a better-known issue,” Mulherin said. “Being able to share my platform with the Auburn community is really awesome, but it’s also something that I could see myself doing on a professional level.”
The 2017 Miss Homecoming will be announced during halftime at the homecoming game against Mercer on Saturday, Sept. 16. FILE PHOTO
Kate Hardman was named Auburn University’s 2016 Miss Homecoming on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016.
FINLEY » From 1
“I am a survivor of sexual assault,” Finley said. “I experienced it at a young age, actually by a family member – someone my parents trusted enough to leave me alone with – someone I trusted.” Finley said it changed the way she looked at herself and who she trusted around her. Safety wasn’t something she took for granted she said. Finley said people see her and think, “Oh, there’s Nicole. She’s a normal student, she’s a normal friend, she’s a normal classmate.” Finley said she wants to draw attention to others that survived sexual assault that are afraid of speaking out or feeling alone. She wants other students to think, “How many women, how many men are going to have to walk through this before I decide it’s worth doing something?” “I understand how it changes someone who has gone through that,” Finley said. “I think one is too many to have someone go through this, and I don’t want to see one more person go through this.” Finley said this campaign is not about her, but rather an opportunity to draw attention to something that has affected herself and many other students and faculty. “It’s not just the times we get an email from campus that it’s happening,” Finley said. “It’s happening a lot more often than that.” She has three days of campaigning and a theme for each: acknowledge, believe and protect. Finley and her campaign team will be tying green balloons on students’ backpacks to spread awareness. Finley acknowledged how heavy and serious her platform is and prayed to know whether Auburn was ready for the message. “My definition of victory isn’t going to be Saturday, it is getting to have these conversations, getting to give even one person that has some experience with sexual assault the courage to tell someone or seek support,” Finley said. tle less alone or that there are people around them that can help or knows what resources they have, my job is done.” Warner, who also plans to reach out to students at the University of Alabama to get a similar petition started there, said she isn’t worried about the title or the crown that she’d be given if she becomes Miss Homecoming, but is instead focused on spreading her platform in the hopes of making Auburn and the state of Alabama a little bit better for those who will follow. “It would be great to have my name called Saturday, but if it isn’t, it’s not going to stop me,” Warner said.
GASTON » From 1
plethora of resources. She wants to raise awareness for the international students and what resources are available while showing the local students how to welcome them into campus life. One of the main platform points for Gaston is to add an administrative position to each organization called the international liaison, alongside the president, vice president, treasurer and secretary. “Their job would be to include international students in meetings, events and trying to get them involved in the organization,” Gaston said. “If they can act as that bridge, it would speed up the process of integration.” Gaston said while on the Haley Concourse she hopes to show international students that they are loved and a vital part of Auburn. She has international students working on her campaign, and they see the issues she is stressing. Gaston said the international students are excited to stand with the team. She said having them on her campaign was the first step to showing students how serious she is
about her platform. Gaston said her platform has been done before in past years and has worked when building awareness, but the liaison program will help it move forward. “One thing I really want this campaign to be about is the gospel,” Gaston said. “I think Auburn needs it, and I think that our international students need it. Being able to show the Lord and show the gospel through the relationship throughout the week is what it’s about.” Gaston said she wouldn’t have the platform be what it is without her god. Along with her faith, she is thankful for the support from Kappa Alpha Order and her sorority, Alpha Gamma Delta. Many of the international students and her sorority sisters will be on the concourse with Gaston. They will have a world map for students to mark where they have been and where they are from. Gaston said she wants to start relationships this week and she encourages students to come meet her team. “We are trying to make our time on the concourse more relational and we want to connect people rather than focusing on handing out flyers,” Gaston said.
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OPINION
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
OUR VIEW
Smarter intersection interactions, lower risks
FILE PHOTO
Don’t ignore Miss Homecoming EDITORIAL BOARD FALL 2017
Every fall, students are asked by several Miss Homecoming hopefuls for their vote. Begrudgingly, students stop for a brief spiel, promise their vote and leave — oftentimes without giving a damn about what they heard so long as they got a donut out of it. Miss Homecoming elections shouldn’t be written off as a mere popularity contest that only affects you through annoying concourse encounters. The candidates often have serious platforms, and as such, a real opportunity to help effect positive change on our campus. In the past, they’ve tackled huge problems like clothing those who can’t afford clothes, mental health and inclusivity. Along with taking direct actions like supplying clothes to people, their platforms serve as a means to elevate important discussions. In 2015, Miss Homecoming Taylor Wesley used her role to combat mental illness.
On top of raising $2,800 in three days for Auburn University’s Mental Health Resources, her campaign successfully made mental health something students could more openly talk about. Perhaps not coincidentally, our University soon after overhauled our mental health services to allow more people to receive help, shortening wait times and making life a bit easier for our students going through mental health troubles. Wesley’s campaign is one of many campaigns that have made our campus a better place. This year, our candidates are addressing issues like the terrible state of sexual education in Alabama, sexual assault, food insecurity, the isolation of international students and stressing the importance of taking care of the elderly. To trivialize the role Miss Homecoming plays does it a disservice, and so we encourage you to thoughtfully cast your vote for whomever you think would create the most positive change here at Auburn.
How many intersections do you encounter on a daily basis? Would you even be able to estimate the total number? Whether you travel by car, bicycle, transit or foot, intersections are part and parcel of our daily lives. Yet, the rules and guidelines for how to navigate them safely aren’t always top of mind. We each have numerous intersection interactions each and every day – how do we know if we’re approaching them safely? Travel with Care, a campaign established by the City of Auburn and Auburn University to address transportation safety concerns in the City of Auburn, has launched its 2017 campaign — “Know When To Go: Intersection Interactions.” The focus of this year’s annual awareness campaign is on intersection safety and right-of-way in all transportation situations, whether that includes driving, cycling or walking. Any member of law enforcement will tell you that the most common place for traffic accidents to occur is at intersections. Auburn is no different; many of our accidents are, in fact, intersection related. It is our goal to work together with the community to reduce these occurrences. Just consider all the potential conflicts that occur in a typical four-way intersection. With drivers, cyclists and pedestrians each attempting to make it to their destinations in the quickest way possible, it’s no wonder intersections are a hotbed for collisions. “Intersection Interactions” takes a look at the most common situations intersection users are likely to encounter and offers reminders to Auburn University students and
Auburn’s citizens about who has the right of way in a given situation. Here are a few of the most important takeaways: - It’s a common misconception that pedestrians always have the right of way to cross the street at a designated cross walk. In reality, pedestrians should only step into a crosswalk if they have enough time to cross without causing an approaching car to slow down. - If there is a crosswalk signal present, pedestrians should only cross when the signal instructs them to do so. - Drivers must always share the road with cyclists, even when there is no designated bike lane, and should maintain at least three feet between their vehicle and the cyclist. - Cyclists are never supposed to ride on sidewalks. - When a driver needs to make an unprotected left turn (a turn without a green arrow), the driver should always wait until both the traffic lanes AND the crosswalk are clear. Last year, there were 2,017 total reported accidents in the City of Auburn. Of that total, 332 involved injury, 353 involved left-hand turns and 122 involved right-hand turns. By working together and better understanding common intersection interactions, we can lower these numbers until we reach our ultimate goals of zero injuries and zero fatalities due to traffic collisions. To learn more about the “Know When To Go: Intersection Interactions” campaign, visit www.travelwithcareauburn.com. Paul Register is the chief of police for the City of Auburn. He has been with the Auburn Police Division for nearly 30 years.
HIS VIEW
Lessons from English liberty regarding free speech Cole Davis COLUMNIST
Before the American colonists declared independence from Great Britain their self described original intentions were to secure their “traditional rights as Englishmen.” It seems strange to us today that Americans would say this, but we have to understand that American liberty was inherited from English liberty. Without the Magna Carta, John Locke and the English Bill of Rights of 1689 there would have never been a Declaration of Independence, a
Thomas Jefferson or a U.S. Constitution. One of the key contributions that English liberty has offered today’s world is the early-modern concept of “free speech,” a concept that still holds a sacrosanct position in the minds of many. One of the most influential thinkers on English liberty, John Milton, offers us a lesson on free speech and why we should think twice before censoring speech that we might find disagreeable. In the 1640s the English parliament imposed legislation that intro-
duced restrictions and censorship on printing and on speech. As an act of protest Milton delivered a written speech to parliament titled Areopagitica, named after the hill in ancient Athens where the citizens of the day would debate ideas. Milton’s work on this subject is worth a read, but for the purposes of this column I would like to explore just a few particular ideas that are presented in Areopagitica. Milton passionately asserts that when speech is censored it not only affects people directly today, but it also prevents people from voicing
their ideas tomorrow. Milton suggests that freedom of speech does not only involve the rights of the person speaking, but the right of the person to hear as well. One’s own right to hear is just as involved in the concept of free speech as one’s right to speak. Therefore censorship not only silences, it deafens. Christopher Hitchens wrote that we should “not take refuge in the false security of consensus.” Freedom of speech is meaningless unless it means the freedom of the person who thinks differently. The problem is that we have a tendency to
either adopt or ignore this idea when it suits us to do so. We must have consistency and impartiality. We are at risk of reversing the advances of the Enlightenment. Increases in censorship in public life and on college campuses by the left legitimately threaten free speech. If we censor those who we disagree with today, it may come back to bite us tomorrow. The views expressed in columns do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Auburn Plainsman.
HER VIEW
Unearthing Alabama’s hidden economic, commercial gems COLUMNIST
As a result of consistently poor outcomes, Alabama has a perception that brings to mind desolate thoughts: poverty, low social mobility, rickety infrastructure. It is true we have a long, long way to go. This observation is neither original nor profound. Just a few months ago, I began a column with a certain quote: “Thank god for Mississippi.” I made a call to action to ad-
dress ‘brain drain’ in Alabama and to retain our young talent. I wrote that column prior to completing an internship in economic development this past summer. I started my first day with no more knowledge than the simple definition: “recruiting jobs and recruiting and maintaining wealth.” What exactly ‘economic development’ means may seem obvious on the surface. In practice, there is unsurprising nuance, not to mention an abundance of ac-
ronyms. I worked with the Birmingham-based, statewide nonprofit, Economic Development Partnership of Alabama (EDPA), while the other three interns worked with the Department of Commerce, PowerSouth and Alabama Power. This structure led to a deeper understanding of our respective organizations but also of the overall environment in Alabama, including the numerous players and each of their separate and concurrent
OPINION PAGE POLICIES LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Auburn Plainsman welcomes letters from students, as well as faculty, administrators, alumni and those not affiliated with the University. Letters must be submitted before 4:30 p.m. on Monday for publication. Letters must include the author’s name, address and phone number for verification, though the name of the author may be withheld upon request. Submission may be edited for grammar and/or length. Please submit no more than 400 words.
COLUMNS AND EDITORIALS The opinions of The Auburn Plainsman staff are restricted to these pages. This editorial is the majority opinion of the Editorial Board and is the official opinion of the newspaper. The opinions expressed in columns and letters represent the views and opinions of their individual authors. These opinions do not necessarily reflect the Auburn University student body, faculty, administration or Board of Trustees.
roles. I left that internship after nine weeks entirely enlightened and empowered by how well Alabama works with economic development. Alabama’s economic development environment is composed of public, private, nonprofit and even hybridized entities that engage in what I have learned to call ‘co-opetition.’ Private entities invest in nonprofits in exchange for specialized and enhanced services. Regional alliances made
up of local development offices form and work together across the state — ranging from three members to 13. The Department of Commerce — our official, governmental face — helps spearhead ad campaigns and cooperation among these numerous entities. Even with all of our current setbacks, let’s take a look at where we are now. We are home to world class infrastructure (which is critical for the movement of com-
merce). Alabama has six interstate highways, 92 airports, 3,700 miles of rail line, 1,300 miles of commercially navigable waterways and home to the port of Mobile - one of the the most heavily trafficked international seaports in the world. To view the full version of this article, go the ThePlainsman.com. The views expressed in columns do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Auburn Plainsman.
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UPC announces new Airwaves performers Lily Jackson MANAGING EDITOR
After a change of artists, leaving Bebe Rexha out of the lineup for Auburn Airwaves, the University Program Council has released their official artists. 2 Chainz, We the Kings and The Score are set to perform for University students and community members on Sept. 18, 2017, at 7 p.m. in the Auburn Arena. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m., and parking will be available for ticket holders in the Arena lot. In the past, Auburn Airwaves has been held in the spring, but it has been moved to the fall this year as per the request of Auburn University administration. Last spring, UPC decided to take the semester off from the event to review the money spent on the $45 Student Activity Fee and its use in funding the concert. The sabbatical from Airwaves was a part of the “benchmark process” to compare the Airwaves concert to other Auburn concerts hosted throughout the year. Airwaves has faced criticism by the Auburn community in past years. Kesha’s performance in 2015 received negative reviews and people speculated about the standard of public performances in an Auburn City Council meeting. These conversations led to the move from Toomer’s Corner to the Red
Barn. After Bebe Rexha received a counter offer she couldn’t resist, UPC staff began looking for other artists to fill her spot. UPC President Briana Carter said the “long, long process of finalizing a contract” ended with Rexha accepting the offer to perform live in another arena. Lauren Brands, director of public relations for UPC, said they went back to student surveys to find each artist. “Stuff happens, things change and we roll with the punches,” Brands said. “We try to have the best artists for the students.” The Score was originally planned to come, and We the Kings was decided upon once changes were made to the lineup. Brands said each year they try to throw in a twist for the students, and this year all ticket holders will be given an LED wrist band. “We just like to do something special for the event, and the LED wrist bands add a lot,” Brands said. “Last year we had large glow sticks.” Brands said they are going to keep selling tickets until they fill the arena, and they hope to provide a space for everyone that would like to come to the concert. At the moment, Brands said UPC is “steady and on-track” for Monday.
Tickets will be sold for $16 to students and $43 for the general public. They can be purchased at aub.ie/airwaves. The clear bag policy will be enforced at the concert. More on the featured artists: 2 Chainz: Born with the name, Tauheed Epps, 2 Chainz has been performing for large audiences since 2007 when “Supply and Demand” was released. He changed his orignal stage name, Tity Boi, in 2011. He has been compared to Future, Wiz Khalifa and Lil Yachty. His most recent album, “Pretty Girls Like Trap Music,” was released earlier this year. “It’s A Vibe” is the top ranked song on 2 Chainz, Spotify page at the time of this article. We the Kings: The “melodic emo pop band,” as described by Billboard, is originally from Bradenton, Florida, the same town Tropicana orange juice is produced in. Billboard reported the band had been friends since childhood. “Sad Song” is currently their most popular song on Spotify. Their most recent album, “So Far,” was released in 2016. The Score: Formed in New York City, the band is now based out of Los Angeles and is known for their indie pop sound. They have been compared to Fun. and Walk the Moon by ALLMUSIC. Their most recent album, “Never Going Back,” was released on Sept. 8. Spotify listeners can FILE PHOTO
DINING
Auburn Foods: Exploring where our food comes from Rowland Sauls COMMUNITY WRITER
Auburn Foods is an organization that brings campus food venues and food processing and production in Auburn together, both on and off campus. The Director of Campus Dining Glenn Loughridge originally conceived the idea to start Auburn Foods. He noticed students were already rearing and raising food on campus, processing on campus and serving on campus. All these operations brought on “a cohesive thought about brand,” Loughridge said. Loughridge started organizing Auburn Foods but passed off much of the responsibility for its creation to three marketing students who now have graduated and are working in their field. Kaitlyn Robb, Jennifer Newfield and James Stephens were the three senior marketing students who wrote the Auburn Foods marketing strategy. Katie Peters launched the campaign, organizing their opening picnic during the 2017 spring semester. Loughridge said one of the central goals of Auburn Foods is to involve students wherever possible, giving them “practical, real life education students can use down the road.” Agriculture students rear cattle and swine on campus. The cattle is then processed through the University’s facilities by students and then is served at 844 Burger at Village Dining.
The swine is also processed on campus and is served at the AU Smokehouse in the Lower Quad. Other examples of food produced and sold on campus are cucumbers, grape tomatoes and tilapia raised using an aquaponics system from the fisheries. At the E. W. Shell Fisheries facility on North College, experimental forms of agriculture and bioengineering are practiced to find healthy, ethical ways to grow food and use byproducts wisely. “We kind of function as a CSA [community supported agriculture] currently, … We produce only for Tiger Dining,” said Mollie Smith, outreach program director. “Tilapia is the best fish for this kind of system,” Smith said. They grow fast, produce a lot of protein and keep the tanks clean. The water that circulates through the tanks is airlifted and used to both water and fertilize cucumbers and tomatoes. Solids are removed from the tanks and either used as a compost material or for research and development. The biosystems engineering program at Auburn is currently working on finding ways to develop those solids into a precursor to plastics. The food sciences department at Auburn is also involved in the process, testing vegetables for inadequacies, disease and negative bacteria. This multi-department student involvement is a characteris-
tic of Auburn Foods and Tiger Dining. Loughridge said student involvement is always a primary goal in the University’s “learn by doing” approach. Right now the aquaponics center functions on two greenhouses. One contains the fish tanks, and the other contains the cucumber and tomato plants and is soon to expand. Two more greenhouses are set to break ground soon and will be built in part using student involvement to encourage the “learn by doing” approach. The fish tank greenhouse can support up to six plant greenhouses. Up to 15 greenhouses can fit in an acre of land, which can produce many tons of food every month. In the past two years, the Auburn aquaponics program produced 20,000 pounds of fish and 30,000 pounds of vegetables served on Auburn’s campus. The cost to run all of the pumps and aerators for both the greenhouses amounts to $450 per month, Smith said. When cucumbers are harvested from the center, they are taken to Tiger Dining in the Student Center and stored in coolers until they are used. When tilapia is taken from the ponds, it is filleted and served the same day. The Plainsman will begin a series of articles looking into some of the participants in Auburn Foods, small companies “with an Auburn connection” and campus operations that help to feed Auburn students every day all over campus.
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Up to six plant greenhouses can be supported from one fish greenhouse in this aquaponics sytsem.
The Auburn Plainsman
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2017
PAGE 5
PHILANTHROPY HOUSING
Housing & Residence Life
Dorm Decorating CONTEST WINNERS Fan Favorite: Beth Duram ADAM SPARKS/ PHOTOGRAPHER
Best Male Room: Hays Kassen
Jarrett Stidham (8) drops back to pass in the second half of Auburn vs. Georgia Southern.
Tigers, Tide join forces for Children’s of Alabama Mikayla Burns CAMPUS WRITER
Auburn and Alabama put their rivalry aside to join forces and raise money for Children’s of Alabama with the help of Wells Fargo. The “Picks for Kids” program began five years ago with the University of Alabama, and Auburn quickly got on board. Every time there is a defensive interception by Auburn or Alabama, Wells Fargo donates $1,000 to the Children’s of Alabama hospital. Jill Smith, director of the hearing and speech department at Children’s, said that this program has raised over $190,000 in six years for her department at the hospital. Smith said the department has allocated the funds to benefit multiple areas in need. The donations have provided things like treatment for inpatient therapy treatments for NICU and cardiovascular babies, newborn hearing screening equipment and outpatient therapy materials, such as games, books and feeding tools. Many children with hearing disabilities suffer from vestibular and balance problems. The vestibular system is an organ in the inner ear that contributes to balance and inhibits someone’s balance if affected by a hearing disorder.
“It’s very exciting for us because the hospital supports our department, but [the ‘Picks for Kids’] helps us stay up to date and be one of the best facilities in the state in regards to hearing and speech disorders,” Smith said. Because of the “Picks for Kids” program, audiologists at Children’s have been able to utilize physical therapy and advance technology to help children with hearing-disorder-caused balance problems. Patients and families who have benefited from the program have been able to visit both Auburn and Alabama during football games to accept the check from Wells Fargo on behalf of Children’s of Alabama. “Visiting just means so much to those families,” Smith said. Smith said there is so much more to speech therapy than articulation and hearing problems. “We use the tagline ‘Communication begins at birth,’” Smith said. Smith said problems with feeding begin in babies when they have speaking problems when they are younger because their mouth muscles do not properly develop. The hearing and speech department covers so much more than the average person realizes, Smith said.
Best Female Room: Allison Beason Best S. Donahue: Margaret Shattuck Best Village: Myracle Dorsett Best Quad: Kateleigh Calloway Best Cambridge: Olivia Smith Best Hill Dorm: Anna Layne West The background picture is of the winner of the “fan favorite room.” This category was decided by the most number of likes of Facebook. PICTURE CONTRIBUTED BY BETH DURAM
ORGANIZATIONS
Friends of Aubie begin dressing Aubie for 2017 Morgan Kirkland CAMPUS WRITER
Aubie did not win nine national championships without any help. It was with the assistance of the ‘Friends of Aubie’ that he was able to take home the title so many times. The Aubie Committee houses these friends of Aubie and gives members the opportunity to meet and socialize while they use their creative talents to make the mascot’s props and materials. The committee’s goal is to make
membership available to any and all students who desire to join. “There’s no fees, no attendance requirements, no prerequisites. Just show up hungry, bring some friends and have a good time,” said Kate Windham, director of community relations and events. Windham said any student who wants to volunteer can show up to their meetings. “It’s really a week by week basis. Attendance is not mandatory, and there are no dues required. It’s just
a ‘come as you are’ meeting to help out Aubie and his friends,” Windham said. The group meets on Tuesday evenings before every home game in Room 131 of the Student Activities Center. Each week prior to the meeting, Aubie will send an email reminder to each member that also includes his prop ideas for the week. Windham said students do not have to be artistically talented to come help out. General ideas are given to members so they can trace,
cut, paint and construct the props. The committee’s sole mission is to be inclusive to all, the members believe student involvement is crucial in keeping Aubie one of the highest-ranked mascots in the country. Monroe Moore, sophomore in information systems management, has volunteered with the Aubie Committee for about two years. “It’s always a lot of fun to be at the football games and look over and see Aubie and say, ‘hey, look, that’s
a prop I helped make,’” Moore said. Moore said he believes that the committee is absolutely what keeps Aubie the best mascot in the nation. “We are 100 percent behind what makes Aubie such a great mascot,” he said. “One of my favorite props was a DJ table we made for Aubie,” Moore said. “It was really fun to make.” The Aubie Committee just kicked off for 2017 and are striving to uphold and improve Aubie’s character.
ADAM SPARKS / PHOTOGRAPHER
Aubie offers face painting while dressed up as a painter at halftime.
DACA » From 1
The statement outlines how the colleges and universities who signed it have seen the positive effects of DACA since its advent in 2012. It refers to DACA beneficiaries as “exemplary student scholars and student leaders,” mentions the opportunities these students have been able to pursue because of the program and commends them for actively contributing to the local communities and economies of the schools. “To our country’s leaders we say that DACA should be upheld, continued, and expanded. We are prepared to meet with you to present
our case,” the conclusion of the statement reads. “This is both a moral imperative and a national necessity. America needs talent – and these students, who have been raised and educated in the United States, are already part of our national community. They represent what is best about America, and as scholars and leaders they are essential to the future.” These sentiments are shared by members of Auburn University. “[DACA] was adopted to protect these children – who are now, many of them, young adults – and make sure that they aren’t punished because of nothing that they did wrong,” said professor Paul
ADAM SPARKS / PHOTOGRAPHER
Aubie dresses as security for new Auburn University President Steven Leath in the first half.
Harris, associate director of the Honors College. “Their parents crossed the border illegally when these people were children, babies, infants.” Harris is a political science professor here at the University and has written extensively on the subject of immigration in the United States. He believes the U.S. has always had two minds about immigrants: one seeing the country as a refuge, accepting and recruiting immigrants to build the nation and its economy, and the other embracing protectionism, expressing apprehension over the capacity of the culture and economy to absorb newcomers. “The Trump administration’s repeal of DACA is a clear
manifestation of this type of isolationist, populist protectionism, which is reminiscent of the political zeitgeist of the 1920s,” Harris said. As a scholar of immigration, Harris feels that the decision to rescind DACA was a poor one because of how it disadvantages the young adults, commonly referred to as Dreamers, who were raised in the United States. “Many of them had no idea that they were undocumented until, say, they went to go apply for a driver’s license or a social security card and couldn’t,” Harris said. “Many of these dreamers are in college or in the service or contributing positively to this country, and they’re being
punished.” According to a report from The Washington Post, DACA recipients who have permits expiring between now and March 5, 2018 – the date of DACA’s termination – can reapply for a permit before Oct. 5, giving them another two years of legal working status. Those with permits that expire after then, however, lose their legal status as early as March 6 of next year. According to the same report, about 24 percent of DACA recipients – 190,000 people – will be able to renew. The rest, about 595,000, will lose their legal status. “If I were one of these students I would look for allies, continue to mount a public
campaign and make sure people understand that this is not the America we want,” Harris said. “This is not where we are, this is the 21st century.” Harris believes that the reason America is having these issues is because of a lack of serious immigration law for over 20 years. “What needs to happen is that Congress now needs to step up and adopt a comprehensive immigration reform or else we are just going to have statute after statute. Ultimately the solution has to be bipartisan,” Harris said. “I believe there is a possibility to move forward so that these dreamers can continue to live the American dream.”
community THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2017
6 THEPLAINSMAN.COM
COMMUNITY
PLANNING
City floats proposed updates to comprehensive plan Alex Hosey COMMUNITY REPORTER
A public input meeting was held for the update to CompPlan 2030, the comprehensive plan for the City of Auburn, on Tuesday. The meeting allowed residents of Auburn to hear updates to the plan as well as to ask questions, make comments or request changes of the plan to the city’s Planning Department. The CompPlan 2030 was adopted in 2011 and is periodically reviewed by City staff to best determine Auburn’s growth. The plan serves as an outline for city policy, especially land-use and transportation infrastructure, going forward. Planning Director Forrest Cotten opened the meeting by welcoming those in attendance and encouraged community members to give his department feedback on provided comment cards and to discuss issues with staff after the meeting. Principal Planner Thomas Weintraut gave an overview of Auburn’s changing demographics since the plan’s adoption in 2011 as well as updates to the plan, including changes to transportation, public safety, schools, the upcoming Parks and Recreation master plan and designated land-uses in the city limits. The population of Auburn has grown by close to 10,000 since 2010, from 53,380 to an estimated 62,059 in 2015, according to fig-
ures from the U.S. Census used in the presentation. “The CompPlan is constantly being updated, it doesn’t just sit on the shelf for five months,” Weintraut said. “As things happen, we analyze and go through and adjust them.” Weintraut also addressed areas the Planning Department had been focusing on that are now complete, such as changes to Opelika Road, South College Street, East Samford Avenue and the expansion of Auburn’s urban core. Cotten spoke about the Planning Department’s future focus areas for the next five years, which include changes to Harper and Glenn avenues; the Highway 280 Corridor; Cox, Wire and Dean roads and Highway 14. “You can see all that’s been done from the planning perspective over the last five years,” Cotton said. “Now what we do is we reset the table and establish what we’re going to work to accomplish over the next five-year planning period.” Principal Planner Tyler Caldwell spoke about the data gathered by the Planning Department that led to the CompPlan’s updates, including annexations by the city as well as changes in the supply and demand of multi-family and single-family units and stated that the city currently has approximately 6,600 acres of developable land. “Using great data that the IT Department has that they made available to us, we took essentially the corporate limit and we isolat-
MADISON OGLETREE / PHOTO EDITOR
Members of the Auburn-Opelika community look at plan renderings during CompPlan 2030 meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2017, in Auburn, Ala.
ed what we recognize as vacant land in the city,” Caldwell said. “That developable land can be consumed by single-family, it could be consumed by institutional, it could be consumed by commercial and any number of uses available to developers in the city.”
After the presentation, Cotton invited members of the Auburn community to meet with department staff and look over updated maps of areas around town. The complete CompPlan 2030 along with the updates and presentation is available to the public at the City of Auburn’s website.
OUTREACH
Opelika shop offers free ice cream to hurricane evacuees Sydney Smith COMMUNITY WRITER
O-Town ice cream is located in downtown Opelika, Alabama.
Evacuees staying in the many completely booked hotels around Auburn rushed to local ice cream shop O Town Ice Cream, located within the heart of Opelika, this weekend to try to create a little bit of happiness for their children in the middle of their temporary displacement. On Sept. 7, O Town tweeted from their account, promising free ice cream to any children of hurricane evacuees that provide a valid driver’s license from Florida or Georgia. For visitors without children, O Town even offered their “fur babies” a cup of ice cream with a dog treat on top. There have been multiple praises and thanks from happy customers via social media. “Thank you for keeping my little Miami evacuees happy today!” read one post O Town tweeted a screenshot of on Sept. 10. As the owners were getting word of how devastating Hurricane Irma was going to be, they decided to be proactive in the fight against the effects of the storm has on people evacuating by directly helping them. “I realized how much stress these families must have been going through and we wanted to bring some relief for them,” said own-
CHARITY
PUBLIC SAFETY
FILE PHOTO
Area residents participate in Hurricane Harvey relief efforts Olivia Wilkes COMMUNITY WRITER
In the wake of Hurricane Harvey’s devastating path, Auburn and Opelika churches, businesses and individuals are coming together to help the Houston victims by collecting supplies and volunteering. Equipment rental company United Rentals hosted a drive for a variety of supplies for Houston. Steve Davis, manager of the Auburn and Montgomery company branches, said they have collected five pallets of donations between the two cities. “The drive was about just donating supplies, such as clothing, food, water, dog food, just essentials,” Davis said. Davis said the drive began as an internal collection, a way that company employees could give back. However, they soon realized people in the community wanted to contribute too, and United Rentals could help make that happen. “There are people who want to help, but… shipping stuff can get expensive,” Davis said. “We ship a lot of stuff, so we have really good pricing, we have really good relationships with truckers, or trucking companies, so I can ship stuff for probably cheaper than an individual could. So it’s just great for those individuals.” Davis called the Birmingham/Montgomery radio station, Bluewater Broadcasting, who got the news out to the public about the drive. Davis said they received a big response in the three days they held the drive. Ashleigh Pitts, seventh grader at Opelika Mid-
dle School, started Hearts 2 Houston, a wattle bottle drive for the hurricane victims. “On the news, like on Good Morning America, I saw pictures of stores selling water cases for $99,” Pitts said. Many businesses in Texas were accused of price-gouging after Harvey hit. Best Buy apologized after a picture of a 24-pack of water on sale for $42 in one of their stores went viral last month. Images like these prompted Pitts to collect water for the people of Houston. She received 230 donated bottles from Sept. 4–8. Prevail Union Coffee, located on South College Street near Toomer’s Corner, is helping out by teaming up with the Houston Food Bank. Customers can purchase $5 bags of coffee at the shop and include a handwritten note. The coffee will be shipped to the food bank for the employees and volunteers. Some business and churches are going beyond supply drives and sending help in the form of people. Church of the Highlands, which has branches in Auburn and Opelika, started a Hurricane Harvey relief campaign. According to their website, besides collecting donations, they planned to send some relief teams into the disaster area. Davis said United Rentals has sent several teams of people in to volunteer as well. Davis said United Rentals has sent several teams of people in to volunteer as well. The hur-
» See RELIEF, 7
er Angela George. “Ice cream usually makes kids happy, so their cups and cones were on us all weekend.” The owners said they decided to pursue this act of kindness because of a personal connection the family had to victims of this natural disaster. This is not the first time this ice cream shop has helped when others are in a desperate time of need. After Hurricane Harvey hit, causing at least 71 confirmed deaths and billions of dollars in damage, they donated 20 percent of all ice cream sales to the Red Cross. George said that being a part of the Auburn-Opelika community means everything to her family and their ice cream shop. “We want to be here,” she said. “You can’t just make a business like this in any community.” The small-town ice cream shop first opened as a cart in 2015 and expanded to the store in January 2016. The owners say they first got the idea of opening their own store because going to ice cream shops was their favorite activity to do as a family. On occasion, the O Town Ice Cream cart makes an appearance around different areas in the community such as Auburn University, the Opelika town square or at local events.
KAILEY BETH SMITH / COMMUNITY WRITER
City promotes intersection safety Kailey Beth Smith COMMUNITY WRITER
The sun shone brightly over The Plains on Friday as local officials and campus representatives met to discuss traffic and pedestrian safety in the community. Travel With Care, a local organization that emphasizes the importance of intersection safety, kicked off their Know When to Go “Intersection Interactions” campaign at one of the most iconic intersections in the state of Alabama — Toomer’s Corner. The Travel With Care program has made itself known in the last few weeks with the appearance of “Know When to Go” posters and signs at various intersections both on and around campus. The mission of Travel With Care is to urge “awareness and understanding to make intersection interactions
safer throughout the City of Auburn and Auburn University campus.” Speakers and guests at Friday’s event included Auburn Mayor Bill Ham, City Manager Jim Buston, Auburn University Executive Vice President Don Large, Auburn Police Chief Paul Register, Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones and Auburn University Campus Safety Director Chance Corbett. The mayor praised the initiative for its work in bringing intersection safety awareness to the Auburn community. “This is not just a campaign of rhetoric, this is about saving lives,” Ham said. Speakers emphasized not only pedestrian safety but cyclist safety as well. According to City of Auburn statistics, 66
» See SAFETY, 7
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2017
The Auburn Plainsman
PAGE 7
ENTERTAINMENT
Judah & the Lion brings folk rock to Opelika Gabby D ance COMMUNITY WRITER
The lights dimmed, a fog machine began to activate andw T-Pain’s “Booty Wurk” blasted through the speakers as band members Judah Akers, lead vocals and guitar; Brian Macdonald, mandolin; Nate Zuercher, banjo, and Spencer Cross, drums, entered the stage. Fans jammed out to the rock infused twang of a banjo and the strumming of a mandolin when Judah & the Lion, a genre-bending band that combines elements of folk, hip hop, rock ‘n’ roll and pop music, brought their Going to Mars Tour to downtown Opelika the night of Thursday, Sept. 7. The event was held in front of John Emerald Distillery and Red Clay Brewery and hosted by Cottonseed Studios, an Opelika based recording company and arts venue. The crowd roared, the lights brightened and the stage’s LED screens flashed neon designs when Judah & the Lion kicked off the show with “Twenty-Somethings,” the most popular track off their debut full-length studio album, “Kids These Day.”
The band performed some of their most well-known songs during their hour and a half long performance, including “Suit And Jacket,” “Stockholm” and “Going to Mars.” The most well-received song of the night was their Billboard chart-topping single “Take it All Back,” which sparked a concert-wide dance party that ended in fans chanting for an encore. As the instruments played the band’s unique folk rock sound, Akers showed off his dance moves, sang and engaged with the crowd. The show was filled with many surprises, including a fan proposing to his girlfriend on stage. Akers brought up the couple, whom he encountered at the band’s meet-and-greet earlier that day, when the fan got down on one knee and asked her to marry him. She said yes, and the crowd erupted in cheers. Not only did fans get a spectacle of a show, they also received some powerful words of encouragement from Akers. “Everybody in here has got a different story, different sets of struggles and pain,” Akers said. “The beautiful thing
about music and concerts is that tonight, at least for us, it feels like we’re all in this together. We want you to know that no matter what you’re walking in here with, when you walk out those doors, you can do whatever the hell you want with your life.” According to Akers, the Opelika show was one of the most enthusiastic yet. He even yelled out a “War Eagle” to express his excitement. “I feel like as a band we’ve really grown up in this state,” Akers said. “One of our first shows ever outside of Nashville was in Birmingham. We got asked recently ‘How come you’re doing so many Alabama shows on this tour?’ and we said, ‘Well we just love doing shows in Alabama.’” Before the show, fans were lined up along the road eagerly waiting to get inside as they heard the band doing their sound check. When the venue’s doors opened at 7 p.m., the area in front of the outdoor stage quickly flooded with people. The show began at 8 p.m. with the first opening act, Tyson Motsenbocker. Hailing from San Diego, Motsenbocker started the night with a soft, mellow tone. He performed two songs and a spoken word piece. The band’s second opener, Billy Raffoul, followed shortly after. He entered in with a bang as the “Mighty Mouse” theme song played and strobe lights flashed. He then transitioned into his own original music, a soulful rock ‘n’ roll song. Raffoul and his band quickly became a hit with attendees. “They were great, and they had an awesome ‘90s sound to them,” said concertgoer Alex Lovkotky. “It just fit in really well with the whole show.” As the show came to a close, fans had overwhelmingly positive things to say. “It was amazing and way better than anything on the radio,” said Sara Grace Todd, a fan of Judah & the Lion. “This was my first time seeing them in concert. They’re even better live.” KAE HENDERSON / PHOTOGRAPHER
KAE HENDERSON / PHOTOGRAPHER
Judah Akers, lead singer of Judah & the Lion, performs at a concert on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2017 in Opelika, Ala.
OUTDOORS
Scavenger hunt brings adventure before the storm Jessica Jernigan COMMUNITY WRITER
With overcast skies and a breeze, families, couples and friends gathered at Kiesel Park for Active Auburn’s Outdoor Adventure Scavenger Hunt today. Aquatics and Special Events Coordinator Whitney Morris and Parks and Recreation’s Community Program Assistant Jessie Waid welcomed adventurers at the pavilion to hand out worksheets. “One of our biggest goals is to get people active and outdoors, especially in our parks,” Waid said. “With Active Auburn, we just want people to utilize our parks as well as just exercising in general.” People were welcomed to enter the scavenger hunt from 2–4 p.m. The worksheets contained 10 riddles to find specific locations around the park that included both information about Kie-
RELIEF » From 6
ricane affected the company personally. “There were over a hundredsomething employees that were misplaced from their homes,” Davis said. “We’ve actually sent
SAFETY » From 6
percent of all reported accidents in 2016 occurred on or near an intersection. Eightyseven percent of all accidents involved a pedestrian and 57 percent of all accidents involved a cyclist. This week, Auburn City Council approved a contract with the bike share program to bring more bikes and more
sel and a clue containing a single letter. Once the letters are collected, scavenger hunter’s were then instructed to unscramble the message to answer the question, “If 20 monkeys run after one banana, what time is it?” Those with the correct answer were entered into a drawing to win one of four Active Auburn prize bags that included gifts provided by the Auburn and Opelika Tourism Bureau along with passes for the city’s Friday Night Splash events. Walking with a tight grip on his worksheet in one hand and a branch used as a walking stick in the other, Connor, 9, was determined to figure out the riddle along with his mom and sister. “I’ve already found ‘N’ and ‘Y,’ and I’ve only been here for 10 minutes,” he said. “I heard someone yell ‘T’ so I got that too.” Adam and Kristy Stadler brought their two children for the adventure.
“I heard it on the radio first, and then I looked it up on Facebook, and I thought it would be fun for us to do as a family,” Kristy Stadler said. “So far so good, the kids are having fun.” People were all throughout the park with pencils in hands jotting down their letter, some excitedly exclaiming the clue they found. “One last chance to do something fun outside before this bad weather comes,” Adam Stadler said. Ashley Richardson and Hunter Reed were sitting down in the grass outside of the park entrance with their pug, Lucy, attempting to unscramble the answer. “I want to figure it out before him,” Richardson laughed. “We usually come here (Kiesel) to walk Lucy, and then we saw everyone with these papers and realized what was going on so we thought it would be fun instead of our usual walk.”
about five people from the Alabama area between Birmingham and Montgomery, mechanics, drivers,and stuff like that to help in the recovery effort. Although some local supply drives have come to an end, there are plenty of ways for the
community to continue donating and helping. “You can still give now,” Davis said. “American Red Cross is still collecting donations, and there’s still going to be a need for lots and lots to come, so I hope people’s desire and passion doesn’t fade as time goes on.”
locations to the Auburn area. The War Eagle Bike Share program began on campus in fall 2016, and since then, more than 62,000 miles have been logged by 9,000 riders on more than 72,000 rides during the 2016–2017 academic year. Auburn University was the first university in the state to be recognized as a bicycle friendly campus. Jones encouraged commu-
nity members to pay attention. “Be aware of your surroundings, keep your eyes open, know the rules and be safe,” he said. This is Travel With Care’s 11th year of this campaign, and organizers said that it gets bigger and better every year. Officials will be present on campus and in the community Sept. 9–15 at multiple events.
STUDENT AFFAIRS S P OT L I G H T Student Counseling Services
Dr. Moose, Animal Assisted Therapy
Student Counseling Services offers individual counseling, group counseling, drop-in groups, crisis intervention, outreach and workshop mental health-related presentations, Zen Den, and Animal Assisted Therapy. Services are personal, professional, confidential, and free. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call 334.844.5123.
auburn.edu/scs auburn.edu/StudentAffairs
@AuburnStudents
facebook.com/AuburnStudents
@AuburnStudents
Auburn Students
sports
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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2017
THEPLAINSMAN.COM
SPORTS
VOLLEYBALL
Tigers sweep War Eagle Invitational John Koo SPORTS WRITER
Auburn volleyball took care of business in Puerto Rico last weekend, beating nationally ranked North Carolina and tough ACC opponent NC State. They returned home with hopes to carry on their momentum, and did just that over the weekend by sweeping South Alabama (25-17, 25-22, 25-15) and Clemson (25-19, 25-18, 25-20) at the War Eagle invitational. With the victories, the Tigers improved to 7-1 for the season, marking the program’s best start since 2013. “(Wins in Puerto Rico) tell us a little bit about what we can be.” said Auburn head coach Rick Nold. “We still had a lot of things in Puerto Rico we thought we could be better with.” In addition, the Clemson win was head coach Rick Nold’s 100th at Auburn. He is now the third-winningest coach in the program’s history, and the third coach to reach the milestone. Against South Alabama, Auburn maintained an early lead to start out the first set until South Alabama climbed back to tie on multiple occasions. However, the late run made by the Tigers was too much for the Jaguars to handle, falling 25-17 to
the Tigers. In the second set, long rallies and diving saves prolonged the set. With great hustle from senior Jesse Earl and freshman Payton White, the Tigers closed out the second set in a tight 25-22 victory. In the final set, the Tigers showed tremendous energy as junior Brenna McIlroy and freshman Anna Stevenson kept the crowd on their feet with their emphatic, high-flying kills. The continued boost allowed Auburn to breeze through the third set with a 25-15 victory. Freshman Anna Stevenson had an impressive game with 12 kills and 5 blocks. Senior Alexa Filley, once again, had a game high in total assists with 38. Auburn brought the same energy and style of play for Clemson. With the help from numerous Clemson mistakes and a long rally and contributions from Stevenson and Earl, Auburn sparked a 25-19 win on the first set. In the second set, Clemson took the lead for the first time, bringing out a faster style of play. Clemson maintained the lead during the early parts of the set, but continued errors quick-
ly brought the set to even. Gwyn Jones and Macy Reese, along with consistent performances by Stevenson ultimately sealed the set 25-19 in Auburn’s favor. With one more set to win, Auburn used their momentum to continue solid execution on the third set. Filley and McIlroy had strong individual and team presence as they led the team to a 2520 in the final set to win the game. Filley got her fifth double-double of the season, having a game high 36 assists and her season best 14 digs. Earl continued her double-double streak during the weekend, extending it to 12. Although the Tigers had a successful weekend in Auburn, Nold wants his team to continue to improve. “The thing we want to see the most is to keep developing throughout the season,” said Nold. “It’s a long road. We have to keep getting better”. Auburn was schedule to travel to Miami, Florida for the UM/ FIU Invitational prior to the cancellation of the tournament due to Hurricane Irma. The Tigers will instead play at No. 20 Florida State Saturday afternoon in Tallahassee, Florida. Auburn will look to improve to 5-0 vs. the ACC this season.
FOOTBALL
‘We’re going to be a good offense ... I promise you’ Malzahn confident his offense will bounce back after gut-wrenching performance
ADAM SPARKS / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn surveys the field during the first half. Auburn vs. Clemson on Saturday, Sept. 9 in Clemson, S.C.
Nathan King ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
Following a defensive grudge match against the defending national champion Clemson Tigers, Auburn now finds themselves in an almost identical situation as last season: the defense is playing lights out and the offense is inept. Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn’s designation of “offensive genius” appears to be fading fast, as the Tigers amassed just 38 rushing yards and allowed 11 sacks against Clemson. Sophomore quarterback Jarrett Stidham completed 13 of 24 passes for just 79 yards and no scores. Stidham appeared to be poised and confident on the first drive, when the Baylor transfer rifled a 23-yard pass over the middle to Nate Craig-Myers, who snared the pigskin in a tight window while sustaining a blow by the Clemson defense. That pass would prove to be the longest play from scrimmage for Auburn in Death Valley. Auburn entered the redzone on their opening drive, but failed to reach the endzone and were forced to settle for a Daniel Carlson field goal. A stout Clemson defensive line halted Auburn at the end of the 16-play, 69-yard drive. Following that possession, Auburn accumulated just 48 total yards for the remainder of the contest.
“We just have to execute better all around,” Stidham said. “We’re going to regroup and we’re going to be a lot better. The quarterback was running for his life all night. Some of the instances occurred when Clemson was right on top of him, and others when he had ample time in the pocket, but couldn’t find a receiver downfield. It appeared in the preseason that Auburn had solved its under-center conundrum, however Stidham’s antics have digressed the appearance of the Tiger offense back to its early 2016 form. “From a fan standpoint, the frustration that they have is, the way that we finished the season last year…and then Saturday night looked the same,” Malzahn said. “So I get that from that standpoint. “I will say this, we are going to improve. We’re going to be a good offense; that is for sure.” Last season, it was the dramatic victory against LSU that accelerated Auburn into their six-game tear. The offense was absent in that contest; however, the victory alone gave Auburn the momentum to crash into SEC foes with a powerful rushing attack and a quarterback in Sean White who was leading the conference in efficiency in the coming weeks. “Jarrett’s a really good quarterback, but
there were times we didn’t have anybody open,” Malzahn said. “That [the sacks] had something to do with him holding the football. He’s a good quarterback; he’s going to have a very good year.” The problem laid not just with Stidham. The loss of Kerryon Johnson placed all the workload on tailback Kamryn Pettway, who placed 63 of Auburn’s 66 offensive snaps in the loss. Pettway rushed for 74 yards on 22 carries. The receiving corps, a unit that was labeled as inexperienced but talented in the preseason, has yet to arrive. Craig-Myers and sophomore counterpart Kyle Davis appeared to be able to come down with Stidham’s passes, but were barely targeted after the first quarter. The team’s leading returning wideout from 2016, Darius Slayton, caught just one pass. Through two weeks, former walkon Will Hastings leads the squad with six catches for 80 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, Kevin Steele’s defense locked down Kelly Bryant and Clemson aside from the last drive of the first half and the first drive of the second. Auburn allowed only 284 total yards and forced a pair of turnovers, but had only six points to show for it. “Obviously, we didn’t get it done on one side of the football,” Malzahn said. “It’s very frustrating for me, it’s very frustrating for
our coaches but we have a team that has great leadership. We have a staff that is very close and we’re going to put it in our rearview mirror and we’re going to move forward.” In Auburn’s last ten outings against Top 25 opponents, the Tigers have scored more than 10 points only three times. Malzahn’s lackluster history against quality opponents is catching up to the fifth-year head coach. However, the Tigers have a grace period to try to recuperate, as FCS opponent Mercer comes to Jordan-Hare before Auburn travels to SEC bottom-feeding Missouri. It’s likely that Auburn won’t face off with another ranked opponent until travelling to Baton Rogue to take on LSU on October 14. That is, unless Ole Miss can down No. 1 Alabama or Mississippi State is able to successfully navigate their daunting pre-Auburn gauntlet of No. 12 LSU and No. 13 Georgia. Before ramping up conference play, Malzahn recognizes the importance of solving his offensive issue immediately, and promises the Tigers will make a similar turnaround as last season. “I will say this, we are going to improve. We’re going to be a good offense before this is all said and done, I promise you that.” Malzahn said following the loss to Clemson. “We’re going to get better, just like we did last year.”
MEN’S GOLF
Men’s golf starts season with third-place finish Peter Santo SPORTS WRITER
Auburn men’s golf opened their 2017 fall season with a third-place finish at the Carpet Capital Collegiate in Dalton, Georgia. No. 13 Auburn finished at 10-under par in a field that included nine of the top 17 teams in college golf.
Trace Crowe, an All-SEC selection a year ago, picked up right where he left off with rounds of 69, 68 and 72 to finish in a tie for third, four shots behind medalist Alejandro Tosti of Florida. Jovan Rebula narrowly missed a top-10 finish, finishing T-12 after a final-round 68. Jacob Solomon fin-
ished T-26 while freshmen Brandon Mancheno, Wells Padgett and Andrew Kozan finished T-34, T-44 and T-52 respectively. “I’m extremely proud of our guys,” said Auburn coach Nick Clinard. “We played very well in a tough tournament and shined on the final day. We kept getting better each round,
and that’s important with such a young team. This gives us a lot to build on.” A one-over par opening round put the Tigers in fourth place entering the weekend, and a two-under par second round led by Crowe’s fourunder 68 had Auburn just five shots off the lead entering the final round.
A nine-under par final round wasn’t enough, as Georgia Tech and Alabama both matched that score and went into a playoff, where the Yellow Jackets emerged victorious. Auburn will have a week off before returning to action at the Trinity Forest Invitational at Trinity Forest Golf Club in Dallas on Sept. 24-26.
The Auburn Plainsman
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2017 SOCCER
PAGE 9
BASKETBALL
AU to host inaugural Pro Day Will Sahlie SPORTS EDITOR
DAKOTA SUMPTER / AUBURN ATHLETICS
Bri Folds (4) Auburn soccer vs. High Point on Friday, Sept. 8, 2017, in Auburn, Ala.
Soccer rebounds at home Caleb Ductant SPORTS WRITER
The last two matches for Auburn against teams hailing from North Carolina, had not gone the Tigers way. Auburn got a third chance Friday night, as High Point visited the Auburn Soccer Complex. Auburn was reeling from a tough weekend in Durham, North Carolina, at the Duke Nike Classic, where the Tigers lost back-to-back games and gave up seven goals in the process. Auburn, however, bounced back Friday night and secured a 3-1 victory to stop the two-game skid. A surprise start to the night took place as High Point’s Michele Micciche capitalized on an early defensive error by the Tigers and calmly chipped Sarah Le Beau to give the Panthers an early 1-0 lead. Suddenly, the Tigers were on the hook for eight unanswered goals over their last three games. However, it did not take long for the Tigers to take control. The star of the night, Bri Folds, recorded the first goal for the home team, as a wonderful ball played by Taylor Troutman found its way to Fold’s feet for the easy finish. The second goal of the night for Tigers
came by the way of Courtney Schell, assisted from a corner swung in by Folds. The third and final goal of the night was scored by forward Kristen Dodson, as she capitalized on an effort play by Silvana Poulter, to get the ball to the back post for the easy finish. Even though High Point’s physicality and stout defense gave the Tigers some trouble early on, they held off the Panthers to start the home stand. “It’s exactly what we needed,” Auburn head coach Karen Hoppa said. “A quality performance at home and I thought the first 12 minutes we were a little bit flat . . . and for next 80 minutes we were dominant and created a ton of chances, and so I’m thrilled with that performance.” High Point was noticeably the bigger team that physicality tested the Tigers especially after the team went down so early, but Coach Hoppa thinks it is exactly what the team needs. “Well in a way I’m happy cause you know going into SEC’s next week, it’s gonna be super physical, so we needed that,” Hoppa said. “Especially that front four, they’re pretty young and they need to get used that kind of physical play.”
Up Next: Friday, Sept. 15 Auburn Soccer Complex Auburn vs. Texas A&M 6:30 p.m. CST
Auburn has not had a player selected in the NBA Draft since 2001 when Jamison Brewer was drafted in the second round by the Indiana Pacers. Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl is ready to change that. Auburn will host its inaugural Pro Day on Oct. 11, Pearl announced in a release Thursday evening. NBA general managers, front office personnel and scouts will be welcomed inside Auburn Arena to evaluate the talent the Tigers have on their roster. “Our job as coaches is to help our studentathletes achieve at the highest level,” Pearl said. “For our players, it does not get any higher than the NBA. “Auburn basketball has had some great NBA players in Charles Barkley, Chuck Person, Chris Morris, John Mengelt and Marquis Daniels to name a few. We have some guys on this roster that will join them.” The Tigers return two five-stars in Mustapha Heron and Austin Wiley. Danjel Purifoy and Chuma Okeke are also prospects NBA scouts have their eyes on. FILE PHOTO Heron became Auburn’s first Freshman All-SEC selection since 2007 after breaking Auburn center Austin Wiley (50) dunks the ball duran Auburn freshman record by scoring in ing the second half of the Auburn vs. Mississippi State double figures in his first 25 games. basketball on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2017, in Auburn, Ala. The Waterbury, Connecticut, native reached double figures in 30-of-31 games, was ninth in the SEC in scoring and led the team with 5.8 rebounds per game. Wiley was the only player on the United States to average a double-double with 10.3 points and 10.9 rebounds as the team captain leading USA Basketball to medal in the FIBA U19 World Cup in Cairo, Egypt, this past summer. Purifoy, who scored a career-high 27 points vs. Boston College in Madison Square Garden, ranked sixth in the SEC in free throw percent and 3-point field goals made per game, eighth in 3-point field goal percent and ninth in steals. Freshman Chuma Okeke, Georgia’s “Mr. Basketball,” was a finalist for USA Basketball’s U19 World Cup Team before sustaining an injury prior to the final roster being announced. Okeke was the only Tiger to average a double-double with 11 points and a team-high FILE PHOTO 12.5 rebounds in Auburn’s four-game Italy Tour in August. Auburn guard Mustapha Heron (5) dunks the ball.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2017
The Auburn Plainsman
PAGE 10
VOLLEYBALL
DAKOTA SUMPTER / AUBURN ATHLETICS
Macy Reece (33) Auburn volleyball vs. Ole Miss on Sunday, Nov. 6, 2016 in Auburn, Ala.
3-year graduate becoming key player for Tigers Amanda Ronan SPORTS WRITER
If you would have asked senior volleyball player Macy Reece where she saw herself in three years for her senior season when she was a freshman, it would not be where she is now. Reece graduated in three years with a major in finance and a minor in accounting and is currently in graduate school working on her MBA. While balancing graduate school, Reece is also engaged and planning for her wedding in May, all while playing her senior season at Auburn. “I never would’ve pictured myself in grad school and engaged. It’s just so crazy to think about,” Reece said. “When I got here, I actually thought I was going to go into the medical field because I’ve always had a math and science-based mind, and I guess I just completely switched over to finance. “Finance is math so it made sense, but I couldn’t tell you where I thought I saw myself because at that point in my life the future seemed so far away. Now that it’s approaching, it’s hard imagining that I actually have to go job searching and thinking of someone else besides myself with having a fiancé.” Reece came from a basketball family. Both of her parents played basketball at Vanderbilt University, and her sister played at Samford University. She had always played basketball but realized it was not what she wanted to put all of her time, effort and energy towards. “My freshman year of high school my basketball coach sat us down and gave the team this speech about how basketball should be our number three priority after God and family, and, for me, I realized that it just wasn’t,” Reece said. “I ended up making the decision right before the regular season to quit and just do volleyball. Obviously with my height it helped a lot, but with good training I got good at it eventually.” Reece did not begin playing volleyball seriously until the year
before she started high school. She played all throughout high school in her hometown of Hendersonville, Tennessee, where her high school team won a pair of state championships. “A bunch of my friends decided that they wanted to play on the middle school team, so I figured I might as well too,” Reece said. “A big group of us started playing, and I was terrible, like really bad. I was on the ‘B’ team and just not good at all. I ended up making the decision right before the regular season to quit basketball my freshman year and just do volleyball.” “It ended up being a good thing because I could focus more of my time and energy toward volleyball,” Reece said. Throughout her sophomore year, Reece was recruited by Auburn and committed the summer prior to her junior year. “Auburn was one of my first visits, so after that, on all of my other visits I just started comparing everything at every other school to Auburn,” Reece said. “I would see something and just think, ‘well that’s just not as good as Auburn.’ I went on a few other visits, but it got to a point where it was just solidified that I wanted to come here and commit to Auburn.” Since being at Auburn, she has played in 223 sets with 473 kills, 114 total blocks and 547 points. “There’s so many memorable things that have happened for me since my volleyball career started here at Auburn, but my favorite would have to be when we beat Florida my sophomore season,” Reece said. “It was just so fun. We weren’t expected to win, so that made the outcome so much more fun.” Aside from volleyball, Reece has been very successful academically at Auburn. She was on the 2014-2015 SEC Academic Honor Roll during her freshman year and maintained being on the SEC Academic Honor Roll every season following her first year. She graduated in three years, earning her diploma this past May, and is currently one of 42 in her cohort for the MBA program. “Getting accepted into the MBA program, that was just like a
huge win for me,” Reece said. “Just knowing that I’m able to further my education is really exciting. It has been my biggest academic accomplishment.” An MBA will allow Reece to learn more about the management side of business, learning how to run a business and various business processes. So far this season, Reece has 42 kills in the 23 sets to go along with six assisted blocks and 45 points. “My goals this season are just to make sure that our team plays to our highest potential. We’ve always had a lot of talent on our team, but I think this year we really have the ability to get and run with it,” Reece said. “We’ve started out really strong, so I just hope that, as a team, we can stay focused throughout the entire season and win the games that we absolutely should and win the games that we might not be expected to win. “Obviously we want to win the SEC and ultimately go to the NCAA Tournament, so that’s definitely the big goal.” She said being a part of the Auburn Family has been one of the most unique parts to her experience as a student-athlete at Auburn. The unconditional support the Auburn Family has given Reece has allowed her to push herself to be the best that she can be. “I think that Auburn, in general, whether you’re a studentathlete or not, is just a really special place to be,” Reece said. “Being a student here has helped shape who I am as a person and who I will be for the rest of my life.” “I’m going to miss everything about playing volleyball. I’m not going to know what to do with myself,” Reece said about her life after volleyball. “Especially this year, our team has great chemistry. We’re all getting along so well, and we’re really loving each other on and off the court. “It’s definitely a family environment, and I think I’ll miss that the most.”
FOOTBALL
COLUMN: New year but same problems for Gus Malzahn
ADAM SPARKS / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Gus Malzahn looks on between plays in the first half. Auburn vs. Georgia Southern on Saturday, Sept. 2 in Auburn, Ala.
Sumner Martin SPORTS WRITER
New year, new personnel, same old Auburn offense. As it always is, there was an enormous amount of hype surrounding the Auburn football team this offseason, but what’s new? Gus Malzahn brought in a new offensive coordinator to fix the offensive woes from last year. He landed a talented transfer quarterback in Jarrett Stidham to come run the offense. And if that wasn’t enough, you have the SEC’s leading rusher Kamryn Pettway and possibly the most talented wide receiving core in Auburn’s history all returning. What’s missing? Coaching, apparently. The Auburn offense, as we have now come to expect, laid yet another egg Saturday night at Clemson, failing once again to score even one touchdown in a 14-6 loss. Sound familiar? As if last year wasn’t bad enough for Auburn fans, Saturday night’s performance, or lack thereof, was the worst offensive performance under Malzahn ever. The offense managed a total of 117 yards against the Clemson defense. And yes, the Clemson defense is very good, but it’s not like Auburn doesn’t have the athletes to compete at a higher level than that. It was nothing new Saturday night in Death Valley. The Auburn offense was abysmal, and at points looked worse than last season. The offensive line allowed a total of 11 sacks, and if the offensive line is poor, that translates into no running game, and no time for Stidham to sit in the pocket and make an accurate throw. Even when the offensive line gave Stidham some time to
throw, one of two things happened: either he was hesitant and held on to the ball too long or the wide receivers weren’t getting open. Apart from the first drive of the game, you’d be hard pressed to find anything that went well for the Auburn offense Saturday night. To put this in perspective for an ever-frustrated fan base, three of the worst four offensive performances for Auburn have happened in the last five games dating back to last year’s games against rivals Georgia and Alabama. The Tigers could only muster 140 yards against Alabama and 164 yards against the Bulldogs – not a good trend for a coach on the hot seat. The offensive struggles for Auburn have become glaringly evident the past three years. Malzahn hasn’t been truly successful in his scheme since he had Nick Marshall in 2014, and the last time his offense was good enough to beat a top-three team was back in 2013 when a special teams play won the game for him. It seems like defensive coordinators are starting to figure Malzahn out, and he is yet to change, which is quite poor for a socalled offensive guru. All of this begs the question, has Malzahn run out of time? Will he ever fix this offense? Malzahn is so clearly trying to run a system that fit with athletes like Cam Newton and Marshall who were run-first quarterbacks, but that does not fit with throw-first quarterbacks like Jeremy Johnson, Sean White and now Stidham. Malzahn brought in a new offensive coordinator, but it didn’t look like a new offense. It looked like more of the same. It is time
for Malzahn to hand over the playbook to Chip Lindsey and let him do his job. The defense, on the other hand, deserved to win that game. If you had said that the Auburn defense was going to give up 14 points and force two turnovers on the road at Clemson and still lose, people would’ve said you’re crazy. Yes, the defense still has room to improve, but giving up two touchdowns on the road to a dynamic offense, with a talented dual-threat quarterback and impact players across the board, is a job well done. You can’t ask for much more if you’re Auburn defensive coordinator Kevin Steele. But even with the stellar performance on the defensive side of the ball, the red-zone woes from last year popped up again, and the Tigers could only manage to kick two field goals inside the Clemson 10-yard line. Rhett Lashlee or Lindsey, don’t seem to matter because it all looks the same under Malzahn. The fact still remains that this offense is failing and doesn’t look like it’s trying to change. Saturday night was Auburn’s fourth straight loss to Clemson, but what were we expecting? The defense can’t do everything. Did the offense look any different? No, it looked like Malzahn’s offense, not Lindsey’s run-pass option based offense. This is the same old Malzahn that hasn’t been getting it done for the past four years. Insert whatever offensive coordinator you want; things won’t change if Malzhan can’t adapt. The question that every Auburn fan wants to know now is, can he?
lifestyle THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2017
11 THEPLAINSMAN.COM
LIFESTYLE
FOOD CATHERINE WOFFORD / PHOTOGRAPHER
Feeling out fresh produce for the fall Caroline Kruza LIFESTYLE WRITER
As fall is approaching, Auburn and Opelika are preparing for the season with fresh fruits and vegetables. Taylor Hatchett of Boozer Farms sells her own locally grown produce in the area. She said the next two weeks will be prime time for the most popular produce this upcoming season: pumpkins, squash, tomatoes, okra and corn. However, these vegetables are not the only options available. Hatchett said there is produce that people might not expect to be super successful this time of year that are actually at their prime in the colder months. “There are some that you can grow in the spring but won’t be as successful — your lettuces, your cabbages,” Hatchett said. “They’re going to be so much happier growing this time of year because the days are getting shorter and cooler. The crops that don’t love our humidity do a lot better as a fall crop than they do as a spring crop.”
Lessie Smith, 14-year employee for the Opelika Farmer’s Market, agreed with Hatchett. She added that watermelons, muscadines, squash, cantaloupes, butter beans, cucumbers, gourds and corn are coming into their prime season this fall as well. Smith said the most popular produce items from her local market are pecans and pecan candy as customers get ready for fall. The muscadine, or the “Southern grape,” is also popular and is perfect for making wine, pies and jellies, Smith said. When it comes to buying produce, Smith said that farmer’s markets sell fresher produce than grocery stores — even the freshest produce at a grocery store doesn’t compare. “Stands likes ours buy in smaller quantities and receive more frequently, so we have the freshest produce,” Smith said. Hatchett said freshness is one of the top reasons to consider eating not only what is in season but also what is closer to where you live. “My personal opinion is that eating in season is better be-
cause it is more environmentally considerate and results in tastier fruits and veggies,” Hatchett said. “When you purchase food that is not in season where you live, that means it is coming from somewhere else where it is in season.” An example of this, Hatchett said, is that in Central Alabama when the strawberry seasons ends, the strawberries purchased in the grocery store are normally coming from California where their weather allows them to have a much longer season. “This means that they are picked less ripe — to handle storage and shipping — and they are shipped hundreds of miles. The quality is reduced because they are not harvested at peak ripeness and because they spend more time in transit being shipped. The distance they are shipped also means there are many other resources that are used to get them from California to Alabama.” Hatchett and Smith encourage the community to get out and explore what the local farmers have to offer this season.
TRANSPORTATION
COLUMN: Travel around campus the best way possible Aidan Lambrecht LIFESTYLE WRITER
Classes have only been in session for a few weeks, but many students may have already worn away the treads on their shoes walking back and forth across campus. The long trek from Parker Hall to Lowder Hall is one that gets old fast, but there are many different ways to get around campus, each with their own pros and cons. Here are just a few ways to switch up your commute. Bicycles are probably the most obvious choice for those who want to get around campus quicker and easier. A leisurely way to cover ground, bikes are often seen on campus weaving through pedestrian traffic. They are best used for long rides across campus because for shorter rides, the time it takes to unlock a bike from a bike rack and lock it up again at the destination can often take just as much time as walking and can be more of a hassle. One convenient service provided by Auburn University is the War Eagle Bike Share that stations bikes at various stops around campus that are free for everyone to use after the Social Bicycles app is downloaded. If ever you are behind schedule, this is a good way to catch
up and save time. Just remember to register your bike with Auburn if you decide to use your own to avoid getting it impounded. Another popular method of transportation are the many varieties of longboards and penny boards you will often see around campus. These have a steeper learning curve than bicycles, but they are well worth the effort needed to become proficient in riding them. Longboards are wonderful for zipping around campus and do not have to be chained up. Instead, carry them into class and stow them under a seat or on a wall. This convenience means that even a short ride will save time instead of walking or biking. Penny boards are more difficult to ride, but are even more convenient as you can fit them under a seat or in a backpack. A rare sight on campus, scooters are less conventional but still effective ways to traverse campus. Easy to ride and easy to stow either locked up at a bike rack or against the wall in class, they are a more versatile way to move than either bikes or longboards. However, they are slower than either other option and, for better or worse, students who ride them stand out in others’ minds. If you are still on campus between 6 p.m.-7
ENTERTAINMENT VIA NBC
MADISON OGLETREE / PHOTO EDITOR
Auburn University Bike Share offers bicycles for students to rent.
a.m., you can call (334) 844-7800 to hail a Security Shuttle that will pick you up from anywhere on campus and transport you to anywhere else on campus free of charge. These provide a safe and fast way to move around campus, and are most useful for students who
Auburn graduate starts new delivery system Ashleigh McClure LIFESTYLE WRITER
‘Friends’ to release history book Caroline Kruza LIFESTYLE WRITER
Fans of the television series “Friends” have been sitting around drinking coffee for decades now asking themselves if they are more of a Monica or Rachel. This question has lingered around in daily chatter for so long. In her book “I’ll Be There for You,” Refinery29 contributor and author of “Big Girl” Kelsey Miller dives into the impact and cultural history of one of NBC’s defining television shows. “I’ll Be There for You,” a history book inspired by the show, will be hitting the shelves of local Books-A-Millions in 2019, just in time for the 25th anniversary of the show.
The history book was inspired by the cultural influences that the show had on every viewer. For example, Jennifer Anniston’s iconic “Rachel” haircut heavily influenced hair trends for the duration the show was on air, and even after that. Miller also takes a closer look at the appeal, which has not faded, that the show continues to have among different age groups. The current generation was too young to have been watching the show on air, yet today they are single-handedly carrying the series from classic to legendary. According to the Hollywood Reporter, “Friends” continues to draw about 16
million viewers a week in reruns, and that doesn’t include the streaming audience on Netflix. Other impressive data continue to prove that the show may never truly stop becoming popular as even younger generations are taking a large interest in the television series. “The social chatter was huge,” said Erin Dwyer, a Netflix spokesperson on Vulture.com. “And we’ve been talking to a lot of teen-oriented outlets, like Seventeen and Teen.com, and what we’ve been interested to learn is that they get just as much buzz and clicks for ‘Friends’ as they do for something like ‘Pretty Little Liars,’ which is on the air right now.”
live in the dorms. Each Auburn student will have to get around campus for four or more years, so finding a method of transportation that is quick, efficient and enjoyable is an integral part of streamlining their time at Auburn.
For recent Auburn graduate Harrison Evola, starting a business has been a goal since age 16. Today, he has created a new kind of delivery service that goes beyond just food. Building on his background working in the delivery industry, Evola’s vision of a multi-faceted and affordable service emerges under the name of FetchMe. Evola said the service delivers more than just food, stretching to include groceries, medicine and even shampoo. The key differences between FetchMe and other delivery services in the area is that FetchMe stays open late and delivers virtually anything within reason. “I believe that I am in a unique position because I can relate more to my target customers,” Evola said.
Evola also said that FetchMe differs from competitors due to his personal mission of making a positive impact on the community. “My goal is to make everyone’s day better when they use our service,” Evola said. “My idea is that if you’re using our service and your day isn’t better then we aren’t doing our job.” Having majored in entrepreneurship and family business, Evola credits his success to the fundamentals learned in his business classes. “When I was in class [at Auburn] I was in a great position — I was able to take a look at what was happening in class and apply it to what I was doing in my business,” Evola said. “Jim Corman was especially helpful in giving advice and answering my questions.”
Evola advises those wanting to pursue their own business to start getting experience as early as they can. “Get involved in your interests,” Evola said. “What I have learned is that when you first start something, you’re going to fail. Failure is good because you can learn from it, and the quicker you can do that, the better,” Evola said. Currently, FetchMe is expanding into the catering industry and hopes to grow even larger in the years to come. Evola said that his business has had great success in the Auburn community and has been embraced by students and locals alike. Evola plans on keeping Auburn as FetchMe’s home base. He also hopes to introduce later weekend hours and wants to partner with more restaurants.
The Auburn Plainsman
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2017
PAGE 12
ENTERTAINMENT
Which shows to binge-watch on Netflix Cole McCauley CAMPUS WRITER
We are fortunate enough to live in the golden-age of television, and with Netflix having started their streaming service in 2007 it is our obligation as introverts to sit inside all day and browse the thousands of TV programs they have to offer. Obviously, anyone can enjoy the list of shows I’m about to recommend, but it is introverted students like myself that will be able to take advantage and appreciate the art form that is staying in bed all day and watching multiple seasons of a show in one sitting. In my life I’ve binge-watched an embarrassing amount of shows, but, unsurprisingly, that makes me sort of an expert when it comes to Netflix. If you see a show on this list that you haven’t watched, I can almost guarantee that if you give the show a shot, you’ll be running to thank me for making your life significantly better. “Shameless” This Showtime drama-comedy is an American adaptation of a British series of the same name. The show stars Emmy-winning actor William H. Macy and focuses on the Gallagher family, a dysfunctional group of siblings just trying to make ends meet in Chicago. “Shameless” will have you on the edge of your seat with its drama that will truly have you caring for the well being of multiple characters. However, Shameless isn’t only dramatic and exciting, it’s also exceptionally funny with moments that will have even the most stoic of Netflix watchers laughing out loud. “Shameless” truly shines in its execution of the day-to-day struggles that a poor family in Chicago might face. “Shameless” also sets itself apart from other shows with its terrific ensemble of characters. From alcoholic father, Frank, to wannabe gangster, Carl, this Showtime show has some of the best character development in
television today. Within a few episodes of the current seven seasons, you’ll likely become hooked and yearn to join the Gallagher family yourself. If you decide to watch this excellent show, I would start soon or you’ll have quite the task in front of you seeing that season eight premieres on Nov. 5. “Black Mirror” “Black Mirror” is truly a unique show — each episode a roller coaster from start to finish. The critically acclaimed British sci-fi thriller, which was taken over by Netflix in 2016, is one that will have you questioning the reality you live in. “Black Mirror” is an anthology, meaning each of its current 12 episodes present a completely different story and setting with a different cast from the episode before. Twelve episodes may not seem like a lot, but they can range from 40 minutes to an hour and a half, so there is plenty of content to binge. The show mainly focuses on not-so-distant dystopian futures, often focusing on technology and society as a whole. The show has enlisted fantastic well-known and skilled actors in its three seasons including Jon Hamm from “Mad Men,” Jerome Flynn from “Game of Thrones” and Daniel Kaluuya from “Get out” to name just a few. The brilliance of “Black Mirror” lies in the fact that, as an anthology series, there isn’t a real need to watch the episodes in any particular order. Also, with each episode being completely different than the others, not enjoying a particular episode won’t ruin the series as the next episode will be different in almost every way. From the mind-bending twists of “Playtest” and “Shut Up and Dance” to the eerie dystopian settings of “The Entire History of You” and “White Christmas,” Black Mirror is without a doubt a show that will have you captivated from start to finish, question-
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ing the nature of your reality and begging for more the minute you finish the final episode A trailer for the fourth season of the series was recently unveiled, yet no official release date has been announced. “New Girl” This Fox comedy stars Zooey Deschanel playing Jess, who lives in a Los Angeles apartment with three men who soon become her best friends. This show revolves around Jess and her loft-mates and the everyday struggles of relationships, career choices and life in their early 30s. “New Girl” is smart, witty and absolutely hilarious. Not only does Zooey Deschanel do a great job portraying the bubbly school teacher, but supporting characters like Nick, Schmidt and Winston make the show noteworthy. Each character is fully developed and fleshed out with intriguing quirks. The series currently has six sea-
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The show’s non-stop excitement and drama separate it from others of its kind, and, with awe-inspiring performances from many different actors, “Peaky Blinders” will transport you to early 20th century England and have you on the edge of your seat the entire time. Gang wars, illegal gambling and intense betrayals lie ahead for anyone who decides to watch this critically acclaimed series based on a real life English gang of the same name. The show currently has three seasons and its six episode per season format makes “Peaky Blinders” an easy but exhilarating binge-watch throughout the 18 episodes. BBC has renewed the show for a fourth and fifth season, and while no official release date for the next six episodes has been announced, Tommy Shelby and crew are expected to return to television in the last quarter of 2017.
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sons and an impressive 138 episodes. A seventh and final season has been announced but is currently without a release date. In those 138 episodes, “New Girl” has become one of FOX’s most beloved and watched shows, a feat it is without a doubt worthy of. “Peaky Blinders” The most recent show I’ve bingewatched is “Peaky Blinders.” This BBC gangster crime-drama is set in Birmingham, England, after World War I. The show revolves around the “Peaky Blinders” gang and their leader Thomas Shelby, brilliantly played by Cillian Murphy. Thomas Shelby and the rest of the Shelby family control Birmingham with poise and fear, and let no one stand in their way of climbing up the social ladder. If you’re a fan of period pieces or history in general, like myself, you’ll likely enjoy this show.
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