The Auburn Plainsman 09.28.2017

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THURSDAY, SEPT. 28, 2017

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SPORTS

CHUCK PERSON ARRESTED COACH AND FORMER STAR PLAYER CHARGED IN FEDERAL COURT ON BRIBERY CHARGES ACCUSED OF FUNNELING ATHLETES TO AGENTS, MANAGERS IN RETURN FOR BRIBES Chip Brownlee EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Auburn basketball associate head coach Chuck Person is facing bribery charges as part of a federal criminal probe into a wideranging scheme across NCAA basketball that involved top coaches allegedly funneling athletes to agents and financial advisers.

Person was arrested overnight Monday but was released Tuesday after a detention hearing. He has been ordered to appear in New York federal court on Oct. 10 at 9 a.m.

He has been suspended from the coaching staff without pay.

“This morning’s news is shocking,” the University said in a statement. “We are saddened, angry and disappointed. ... We are committed to playing by the rules, and that’s what we expect from our coaches.”

The University said it is working with investigators and cooperating with law enforcement in any way possible.

Nine others, including coaches, managers, financial advisers and representatives of a major sportswear company, are facing charges as well.

Coaches at Southern California, Arizona and Oklahama State are also charged as part of the scheme, along with an Adidas representative.

According to the charging documents, the FBI and the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of New York have been investigating the alleged scheme in NCAA athletics.

The investigation revealed numerous ADAM SPARKS / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Then-assistant coach Chuck Person chats with head coach Bruce Pearl at an Auburn basketball game.

SENATE

» See PERSON, 2

ELECTIONS

Student Senate keeps ‘so help me God’ in oath Chris Heaney CAMPUS REPORTER

The Auburn Student Senate has voted down a proposal to remove “so help me God” from the SGA oaths of office.

After some debate, the Student Senate made a final decision on the wording of Election Law section 717.2, keeping the phrase in the oaths.

Graduate College Sen. Max Zinner, who faced mostly opposition by other senators, argued that particular wording wasn’t appropriate for a public university.

“I want to represent all students; not all students are Christian or monotheistic or religious in any way,” Zinner said Monday night. “They all can run for SGA, so I don’t want people to be saying something that is against their deeply held beliefs whether they are religious or secular.”

Section 717.2 outlines the oath that the president of the University is to administer to new senators, schools council officers and SGA executives upon taking office.

“I do solemnly promise to support the Constitution and the laws of the Student Government Association of Auburn University and to perform the duties of my office to the best of my ability. So help me God,” the oath of office reads.

“I think some could interpret that as the SGA having an official position on the question of religion,” Zinner said.

Engineering Sen. Sarah Hill presented a Facebook survey that asked if the wording should be removed from the oath. Hill said that the survey was shared from her personal account and shared to SGA Facebook pages.

The survey received 1,365 responses, only 178 of which weren’t students, 28 Facebook shares and 281 comments. Ninety-six percent of people who took the survey answered “no” the language shouldn’t be removed and left comments largely supporting the wording of the oath.

Many of the comments, which were present-

» See SENATE, 2

BILL CLARK/CONGRESSIONAL QUARTERLY/NEWSCOM/ZUMA PRESS/TNS

Roy Moore wins runoff GOP candidate for U.S. Senate Roy Moore speaks during a candidates’ forum in Valley, Ala., on Aug. 3, 2017.

Sam Willoughby COMMUNITY EDITOR

Roy Moore is one step closer to becoming the junior U.S. senator from Alabama.

The controversial former chief justice bested the incumbent Sen. Luther Strange on Tuesday night, capturing about 55 percent of the vote to Strange’s 45 percent. The Associated Press had called the race before 8:30 Tuesday night.

“I fought in the courts against liberal judges that have usurped their authority over that Constitution, and I’ll fight for you in the United States Senate,” Moore said in a victory speech in Montgomery.

Results in Lee County were closer than they were statewide. With only nine percent voter turnout, Moore won the county with close to 52 percent of the vote to Strange’s 48 percent.

Strange needed more urban and suburban counties like Lee, Montgomery and Baldwin Counties to have a chance. He only won Jefferson, Shelby, Sumter and Madison counties.

“From the beginning of this campaign, my

priority has been serving the people of Alabama,” Strange said in a concession statement.

“Tomorrow I will go back to work with President Trump and do all I can to advance his agenda over the next few weeks.”

Moore received the most votes in the initial Republican primary in August, but wasn’t able to win more than 50 percent of the vote and avoid a runoff.

Washington Republicans’ millions of dollars and President Donald Trump’s support for Strange appeared to not have had much of an effect in the end. The president tweeted for months in support of Strange and made an appearance with him in Huntsville on Friday.

Trump won Alabama in the 2016 general election with 62 percent of the state’s vote. But, according to a poll released by Alabama-based polling firm Cygnal, only 31 percent of primary voters said his endorsement made them more likely to vote for Strange; on the other hand, 30 percent said it made them more likely to vote for Moore. The other third said it didn’t make a difference at all.

“Traditionally, in Alabama it has been hard for any popular politician to have coattails in a high-profile race,” said Phillip Rawls, a retired Associated Press reporter who covered Alabama politics for decades. “People will make up their own minds, it doesn’t seem to influence them who endorses who.”

Negative ads against Strange have portrayed him as a corrupt member of the “swamp.” In February, then-Gov. Robert Bentley, in the midst of a sex scandal, appointed Strange to fill the vacant Senate seat left open by Jeff Sessions.

Strange, who at the time was attorney general of Alabama, was thought to be investigating Bentley.

“He ran a spirited campaign centered around a dissatisfaction with the progress made in Washington,” said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. “I share that frustration and believe that enacting the agenda the American people voted for last November requires us all to work together.”

» See ELECTION, 2

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

THEPLAINSMAN.COM

NEWS

CAMPUS

SENATE » From 1

FILE PHOTO

Tiger Transit busses drive through the stadium loop.

Security to be added to transit Jessica Ballard STANDARDS EDITOR

Auburn University announced Friday that the late-night Tiger Ten Tiger Transit service, operated by First Transit, will be contracting a firm to place security personnel on each bus.

In addition, all First Transit employees will be required to go through the Green Dot Bystander Intervention program

by Oct. 30. Green Dot aims to prevent sexual assault and violence by training bystanders about situations that intervention is necessary in. Any additional employees hired by First Transit will also undergo Green Dot training.

A trained employee will also be monitoring the real-time camera system on the late-night buses in order to report any suspicious or dangerous activity to the Auburn Police Division.

First Transit will also be working with the University to promote the TransLoc bus tracking system that students can use to communicate their transportation experience to the University.

The new security precautions were prompted by a report the Auburn Police Division received on Sept. 15 at approximately 11:50 p.m. of a male exposing himself while standing over a fe-

PERSON » From 1

instances of bribes being paid by athletic financial advisers and business managers to assistant and associate coaches employed by NCAA Division 1 universities, including Auburn.

In exchange for cash bribes, Person is accused of influencing student-athletes to retain services of certain advisers, agents and managers once the athletes entered the NBA, according to the charging documents.

The charging documents allege that Person and bespoke suit maker Rashan Michel, founder of the Atlanta-based company Thompson Bespoke Clothing, conspired as part of the scheme.

Person “abused his coaching position at (Auburn) to solicit and obtain bribe payments” from a financial adviser in exchange for Person agreeing to direct student-athletes to retain the services of the financial adviser and Michel when they went into the NBA, the documents read.

The bribes were initially arranged by Michel, who had a relationship with Person, prosecutors said.

Person made arrangements for the financial adviser to make payments directly to him and the families of the student-athletes he was steering to the financial adviser, according to the charging documents.

“These payments defrauded (Auburn) by depriving it of the financial aid (Auburn) continued to award to the relevant student-athletes under false pretenses,” the charging documents read.

male in the 700 block of Aspen Heights Lane in Auburn.

Responding officers located the suspect, Tony Martin Patillo, 51, near the roadway and detained him, but were unable to locate the victim at the time of the initial report. Police initially charged him with four counts of public lewdness and took him to Lee County Jail.

Further investigation determined that an 18-year-old female student who appeared to be incapacitated entered a Tiger Transit bus near Magnolia Avenue. She was allegedly sexually assaulted in the back of the bus by Patillo, an employee of First Transit, while James Don Johnson Jr., 32, engaged in actions to perpetuate the crime.

Patillo later exited the bus with the female victim near Aspen Heights Lane, where he was observed standing over her by a bystander, Auburn police said.

On Saturday, Patillo was charged with first-degree rape and first-degree sodomy.

Johnson was driving the bus at the time of the alleged rape and was detained at his home the next night at 9:23 p.m. He was also charged with first-degree rape and first-degree sodomy.

Over a 10-month period, the financial adviser paid more than $91,000 in bribes to Person as part of his agreement to use his coaching influence over high-profile student-athletes at Auburn who had the potential to get recruited by the NBA. About $18,500 of the money he received was sent to the two student-athletes he steered to the financial adviser.

Person, according to the documents, told one player, “don’t share this with your sisters, don’t share this with any of the teammates, that’s very important cause this is a violation ... but this is how the NBA players get it done.”

He went on to say, “your personality and the way you do things can’t change. Don’t flaunt the stuff you get and, you know, don’t change the way you speak to people.”

Person was hired in the spring of 2014 as an assistant coach. He was later promoted to associate head coach in 2015. He was a star basketball player at Auburn — a two-time All-American and Auburn’s all-time scoring leader.

He played for several years in the NBA and was named rookie of the year in 1987.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Oklahoma associate head coach Lamont Evans, Arizona assistant coach Emanuel Richardson and Southern California assistant head coach Anthony Bland were also named in the case.

“There is a lot there,” said Joon Kim, acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York. “Ten people have been arrested, four coaches at major, top-tier basketball programs.

That is a significant number of people and con-

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ELECTION » From 1

While Strange got the establishment endorsements, populist leaders like Trump’s former chief strategist Steve Bannon and former White House adviser Sebastian Gorka endorsed Moore.

In an interview with “Rick and Bubba” Monday, Trump said he would campaign “like hell” for Moore if he won the nomination. He deleted his tweets in support of Strange Tuesday night.

Moore has been a near-perennial figure in the Alabama political landscape since the 1990s. He gained national attention in the early 2000s as chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court when he refused to remove a two-ton Ten

ed to the Senate by Hill, pointed out how ‘so help me God’ was used in the oaths taken by the President of the United States, asking “…what makes an Auburn student feel as though they are above repeating the same words?”

Other comments argued that having ‘God’ in official oaths was something that the University and Nation as a whole were built on. “…by taking one step to amend something that is reflective of the very ideal which makes Auburn what it is, you begin to welcome more substantial change elsewhere,” one comment said.

Zinner was quick to challenge the survey, however, on the grounds that since it was from a personal account and not from an official SGA source it did not accurately represent all Auburn students.

“I’m sure if you asked most students they would say ‘yeah, keep it;’ most people tend to stay with the status quo,” Zinner said. “I don’t know how representative this is.”

Hill and several other senators defended the survey, saying that they had seen it shared in several places, commented on by a variety of people and even mentioned offline by members of the faculty.

“It was shared multiple times by different people,” Hill said. “Just looking at the names of people there are a lot that I don’t recognize, so I think it definitely did reach a lot of people.”

After some more debate, the discussion was ended by a move to return to the previous question which brought the senators to the final vote on the subject.

The amendment was rejected and the bill was not passed, leaving the wording of the oath as it was.

“I was a little bit disappointed that debate was ended, in my opinion, prematurely,” Zinner said.

Zinner said he already has plans for another amendment that he will be pushing for as the Fall semester continues.

He felt the issue was moved too quickly for one that he feels could negatively impact so many students.

“It’s discouraging to someone who’s not a Christian or a monotheist, I would say, because there are non-Christian monotheists that would have no problem saying ‘so help me God,” Zinner said. “I would have like to have seen a bit more ‘ayes’ or even a bit more willingness to discuss this issue.”

Senate also voted in a Student Bill of Rights during their Monday meeting. Based on other Universities’ versions, the 10 points of the Auburn Student Bill of Rights were created based on aspects of the student handbook that Senate committees deemed affected all students.

Not all students know about the policies we have in our handbook, let alone know if there is a handbook or where to find this handbook online,” said At-Large senator Hannah Clarke.

After more discussion and another move to return to the previous question the resolution was passed, creating Auburn University’s first official Student Bill of Rights.

ADAM SPARKS / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Assistant Coach Chuck Person has a chat with Jordon Granger during a timeout at Auburn vs. Arkansas in Auburn, Ala., on Feb. 10, 2015.

duct that affects a number of important programs.”

The investigation, according to prosecutors, is ongoing. The NCAA and college administrators were not involved directly nor were they aware of the investigation until Tuesday, prosecutors said.

“The schools are, in a way, the victims,” Kim said. “The schools are also a victim where they have hired college coaches who are taking Commandments monument from the Supreme Court building.

He was removed from the bench in 2003 by a state judicial oversite panel for his actions.

In 2012, he returned as Alabama chief justice. In April 2017, Moore resigned when faced with removal from office following a long battle over his refusal to follow federal orders allowing same-sex couples to be married.

Moore will advance to the general special U.S. Senate election against Democrat Doug Jones on Dec. 12.

Jones is a former federal prosecutor and is perhaps best known for successfully prosecuting two Ku Klux Klan members for the 1964 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing in Birmingham.

bribes, cash bribes, from managers and advisers to direct players who are in their care to managers and advisers.”

Kim said federal bribery and wire fraud statutes prohibit those who work for public institutions or institutions that receive federal funding from taking bribes.

“All of us, the public, anyone who plays in the games are victims of that type of conduct,” Kim said.

“After years of embarrassing headlines about top public officials in this state, this race is about the people of Alabama and about choosing a candidate with character and integrity they can be proud of,” Jones said in response to Moore’s vic-

Roy Moore

WINNER

Luther Strange

tory.

National Democrats could aim to take advantage of Moore’s firebrand personality and sometimes divisive rhetoric. Former Vice President Joe Biden will make an appearance at a Birmingham rally for Jones.

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

THEPLAINSMAN.COM

OPINION

OUR VIEW

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From left, San Francisco 49ers’ Eli Harold (58), quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) and Eric Reid (35) kneel during the national anthem before their NFL game against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, Oct. 2, 2016 in Santa Clara, Calif.

Don’t stand for fake patriotism EDITORIAL BOARD FALL 2017

President Donald Trump descended on Alabama last week to fire up support for Senator Luther Strange’s senate campaign.

Between awkward backpedaling over his endorsement of Strange and launching schoolyard insults toward a nucleararmed state, Trump managed to deepen the already abysmal rift between Americans.

Specifically, he lambasted peaceful protests over systemic racism in America.

In sharp contrast to his commenting that some of the Charlottesville white nationalists are “fine people,” he called anyone who kneels during the National Anthem in protest against systemic racism a “son of a bitch.”

A number of NFL football players have opted to kneel during the National Anthem to give attention to the oppression still felt by the African American community, and large swaths of America are more than eager to stand against this challenge.

In the past, Trump has encouraged police to use unnecessary force on people, so it isn’t a surprise he’d fall on this side of the debate.

What is shocking, however, is the amount of people who have followed him in feeling outraged.

They aren’t explicitly being supportive of police brutality; hardly anyone would openly support such a thing.

Their outrage typically takes the form of feeling America

is being disrespected because it’s being criticized.

Some of the outraged claim the National Anthem is sacred and, therefore, shouldn’t be connected to protest.

This outrage is misplaced, and after critically looking at the intent behind the kneeling, it’s clear why.

The intent behind the protests isn’t to disrespect the U.S. military or any of the values our country claims to hold.

In fact, the protests practice one of our most sacred values: the right to protest for a better future for all of our people.

Kneeling during the National Anthem is symbolic — it expresses that our nation’s values aren’t being upheld.

The purpose of the protests is to express the disconnect between the struggle of African Americans and American society at large.

Paradoxically, the severe backlash from the protests confirms the protests’ legitimacy: that one America, filled with people telling themselves and their Facebook feeds there isn’t a problem, is trying to stifle the cries of another America — one that’s been kicked down and gagged since its inception.

These protests are a call to preserve life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Eric Reid, one of the original players who knelt with Colin Kaepernick, explained, “It has always been my understanding that the brave men and women who fought and died for our country did so to ensure that we could live in a fair and free society, which includes the right to speak out in protest.”

People complain of the provocative nature of the protests and desperately wish these protesters would go back to being only black bodies for entertainment.

But in most cases, to challenge the status quo, it has to be provoked. Changes within systems of power rarely happen completely voluntarily — the powerful must be provoked.

Calls for protesters to “just go back to playing football” are calls to deny them their humanity and their roles as active citizens.

Central to the American ethos is a respect for criticism of how power is exercised; our Declaration of Independence is almost entirely a list of grievances toward British power.

These criticisms are seldom met warmly — privileged classes naturally don’t like to accept criticism of themselves.

This amounts to those challenges being, sometimes extremely, unpopular in their time.

Some of the bravest instances of the fight for progress were derided during their time, but our world stands stronger as a result of their dissent.

Being unafraid to offend the powerful is a part of the American ethos; it’s the sentiment that’s resulted in our nation’s great blights and beauties — from the horrid picketing of the Westboro Baptist Church to the liberating March on Washington.

And respecting this sentiment is true patriotism, which should be clearly distinguished from the blind nationalism of defending a piece of red, white and blue fabric or a tune over red blood and black skin.

HIS VIEW

It’s time to recognize the SPLC for what it is

Cole Davis COLUMNIST

In 2009, Carol Swain, an African-American political science professor at Vanderbilt University was labeled by the Southern Poverty Law Center as an “apologist for white supremacy.”

Swain, who has written books condemning racism in the past, made a mere observation regarding the perspective of white students who felt as if they were being beaten up for alleged racism was being swept under the rug.

Promptly, the SPLC condemned her and she was put on a hate list. The SPLC once had a noble task of eliminating violent groups who sought to terrorize those who could not defend themselves.

The organization became successful in the realm of civil rights for doing exactly that. But, whenever there were no more legitimate hate groups to sue out of existence they had to create some.

That is exactly what the SPLC has been doing since the late 70s.

Having originally existed as a (recognizably) left-leaning group with good intentions, the

SPLC has transformed into a totalitarian and corrupt organization that seeks to demonize and destroy any conservative person or group that has views different from what is acceptable in the eyes of the organization.

All the while, they accept money from “gullible but well meaning donors” as TV host Tucker Carlson said in his interview with Swain.

Fundamentally, the SPLC has become a hate group in its quest to fight against hate groups.

One of the main problems with the organization is the dogma that feeds it.

Calling someone racist used to actually mean something.

The radical influx of cultural marxism in our lives today, however, has made the term “racist” totally subjective.

If one were to ask 14 different people to define the word “racist” one would receive 14 completely different answers.

Abstract terms such as “racist,” “bigot,” etc. have been used in the past 30 years to silence people who have no hatred in their hearts whatsoever, but simply believe in principles and values that the left does not agree with.

Confederate heritage groups, Second

Amendment organizations and churches who still believe in the traditional definition of marriage have all been categorized as “hate groups” by the authoritarian SPLC and equated with violent organization such as the KKK and the Neo-Nazis.

Since its founding, the SPLC has dangerously expanded the qualifications one must meet to be considered as part of a “hate group.”

By the SPLC’s standards today, even Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would be considered as part of a “hate group” due to his traditional Christian views on marriage.

Even former Muslim Ayaan Hirsi Ali was placed on their hate watch.

This was due to the fact that Ali (an atheist and a feminist) had asserted herself as a firm opponent of radical Islam’s expansion into the West.

What many people do not know, is that SPLC founder Morris Dees began his career in 1961 by defending the KKK in legal cases.

After he staunchly supported the campaign of the regressive left-wing candidate George McGovern for president, he realized that suing groups like the KKK would produce more of a

OPINION PAGE POLICIES COLUMNS AND EDITORIALS

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The opinions of The Auburn Plainsman staff are restricted to these pages.

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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.

The views expressed in columns do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Auburn Plainsman.

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profit than trying to defend them.

After the Klan was relegated to relative obscurity, money still needed to be made by attacking people who were not racist at all in the original sense.

This was in 1971.

Since then Dees’ organization has become a political weapon of the left that seeks to silence any dissenters by labeling them with subjective terms.

In 1986, most of the organization’s employees quit due to this fact.

The SPLC did nothing, the disgruntled employees said, to alleviate poverty or to help the downtrodden.

Instead, the SPLC has gone after abstractions instead of legitimately helping those who need it in order to prolong an ideologically left-leaning agenda.

Thirty years later and critics are still saying the same thing.

It’s time to recognize the Southern Poverty Law Center for what it is.

LOREN KIMMEL CAMPUS EDITOR SAM WILLOUGHBY COMMUNITY EDITOR WILL SAHLIE SPORTS EDITOR

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FEATURE

Industrial design student joins Pensole

TKE pledges $25K to St. Jude’s Elizabeth Hurley CAMPUS WRITER

Every Greek organization on campus makes a contribution to a national charity, but Tau Kappa Epsilon has made a special pledge this year. The Beta Lambda chapter at Auburn University has pledged $25,000 to their national philanthropy St. Jude by Jan. 1, 2018.

St. Jude holds a special place in every TKE’s heart President of the Beta Lambda chapter Mason Blevins said.

“Founder and TKE brother Danny Thomas wanted to create a hospital that did not charge the patients,” Blevins said. “Nobody gets a bill at St. Jude, and in our chapter’s opinion, that is incredible. Being able to offer a small bit of help to these families is an incredible opportunity, and we are thrilled as a chapter to be able to do it.”

The chapter meticulously chose the amount to pledge, according to Blevins.

“Last year was our first year as this current chapter,” he said. “We were 18 men – we were 12 men when we decided to pledge $25,000. We wanted to do something incredible. So we decided to pledge a little more than $2,000 a person.”

As a chapter, TKE has hosted several events from spring 2017 to now, said Tanner Passafiume, philanthropy chair. They’ve hosted their TKE Open, Ice Cream Gutter and a benefit night.

On Sept. 23 the Beta Lambda chapter participated in the St. Jude walk in Birmingham. In preparation for the walk, each member fundraised through an online campaign, posting to Facebook, Twitter and other social media outlets asking for donations, Passafiume said.

“The ability to post a link onto Facebook, Instagram or Twitter makes reaching more people with the story of St. Jude so much easier,” he said.

“The online aspect of it allows people to have a central and secure place to donate their money to such a great cause.”

All 37 men of the Beta Lambda chapter participated in the St. Jude walk in Birmingham. TKE Vice President Jackson Shell said it was great for them to see how successful their fundraising was and to be recognized as the only TKE chapter at the event.

The Beta Lambda chapter was the second place team when it came down to fundraising for the walk. The chapter raised $10,830.

As for the pledge, the chapter has raised more than half of their goal.

They currently have raised $13,475 and continue to fundraise.

“We are putting together a large event like our TKE Open and Ice Cream Gutter and plan to have benefit nights this semester,” Passafiume said.

“In addition to those events, we are going to continue fundraising online.”

Natalie Beckerink CAMPUS WRITER

MADISON OGLETREE/PHOTO EDITOR

Howard Ross speaks on unconscious bias during Critical Conversations.

Speaker tells students to confront unconscious bias Mikayla Burns CAMPUS WRITER

Students had to confront their unconscious biases at the second installment of Auburn’s Critical Conversations Speaker Series.

Howard Ross, a leading social thinker and expert on unconscious bias, visited the University to speak to students and visitors about the existence of unconscious bias that is within everyone. Ross spoke of the issues consistently dividing the American public, many he said to be affecting Auburn’s campus.

“We don’t think the way we think we think,” Ross said during his presentation, explaining that one may not realize that they are taking part in unconscious bias.

The state of “disunion,” as Ross said, is how the government can be viewed currently. He said the large divide between Democrats and Republicans and their respective beliefs is causing a rift between two groups without the country.

“We’ve gone from an issue-driven paradigm to an identity-driven paradigm, and this is incredibly dangerous,” Ross said.

Ross wants everyone to realize that everyone is a part of a dominant group,and there are many more dominant groups than realized. Higher education is one that not many would consider.

Ross said the state of segregation within schools from the 1960s is being found within modern school systems today because of the unconscious bias that lives within every social group of people. Rather than assuming this is because of blatant racism, Ross said this is because people do not try to understand different groups and causes people to flock to their comfort zones.

The average human needs a sense of belonging, Ross said, and that is why bias exists.

Ross encourages people to embrace their biases and turn it to work in favor of people they would think to be biased against. Ross said

“

I really want people to know that it is time to stop reacting and start thinking.

Bias is as natural as breathing.”

— Howard Ross

they must acknowledge it and talk with people who are different from them in order to fix it.

Memories also create bias, he said. What we experienced 10 years ago could come back to cause unconscious bias with a new person.

Biases that he confronted in his speech were race, gender, height and more. Ross said people hold bias as a safety net that many do not even realize they have.

Ross said someone’s name is also treated with bias when someone is applying for jobs. Primarily believed to be Anglo names, like Emily and Gregory, were 50 percent more likely to be chosen in a study when compared to primarily African American names like Latisha and Jamal.

The Black Lives Matter movement is an example of bias from two different groups of people, Ross said. Some believe it means that only black lives matter and others are bringing emphasis that black lives matter too. Ross encourages people to understand the different interpretations and discuss the difference in views and opinions without prejudice.

Auburn President Steven Leath attended Critical Conversations and said the issues Ross brought up are something the community needs to be aware of.

“Ross did an excellent job of presenting things that we sort of knew but hadn’t necessarily confronted,” Leath said. “It will make us better citizens, better decision makers, better leaders, and I’m thrilled with the amount of students here.”

“The Critical Conversations series is turning out better than we ever hoped for,” Leath said.

In the final moments of his pre-

sentation, Ross took questions from the crowd and former Miss Homecoming candidate Kayla Warner was the first to speak, asking for his advice to create conversations with people that are different from her, as a black woman, and how she can make a positive impact and create change.

Ross replied, saying that people must explain how they feel and how they perceive the world.

“We don’t see the same world,” Ross said.

Ross said to Warner that proposing a sit-down to speak with someone that is considered from a different social group than her would be very beneficial. He said it is best to go in with respect for each other and allow one another to speak what is on their mind without becoming offensive.

Another student, Abbigail Madden, freshman in pre-chemical engineering freshman, told Ross that she is told that she should not get involved with issues she does not belong in. For example, as a white woman, she should not talk about racial issues.

Ross told her that it’s okay to get involved because that is what starts the breaking down of bias and begins understanding.

“If someone says you don’t understand an issue because you don’t belong to that group, ask them why they think that,” Ross said. “Start a conversation with them.”

Ross left the audience and the Auburn community with one request: watch news sources you would not consider to be your first choice or political identity.

“Be willing to acknowledge that you’re wrong, and apologize,” Ross said.

Auburn industrial design student Blake Scordino shows how pursuing a passion can lead to amazing opportunities. For three weeks this past August, Scordino was one of 18 students worldwide who participated in the Pensole x ASICS Tiger Master Class.

Pensole Footwear Design Academy partnered with Foot Locker, Inc. for the fourth time to put on this highly selective program.

The purpose of these master classes, as stated by Pensole founder D’Wayne Edwards, is to “foster the next generation of emerging footwear talent.”The students who were chosen to attend spent the three weeks learning about product creation and footwear design and materials, along with being exposed to marketing opportunities.

Scordino was the first student from Auburn to ever attend this program, which he did not take for granted.

“I was honored to have been chosen because I know thousands and thousands entered for this course and only 18 are selected,” Scordino said. “I actually jumped out of my chair and ran through my apartment, and then had a team huddle with the roommates.”

While at the master classes, Scordino spent each day busy gaining new information and experiences. One of Scordino’s more memorable takeaways was that every day there were Jordan and Nike marketers and designers that spent time with the students giving presentations and speaking to them one on one. He describes the experience by expressing how it was truly unique and like no other because of the environment he was working in.

Scordino gives a lot of credit to Auburn for helping him discover and cultivate his passion for design. He emphasized how he didn’t even discover this specific passion until he came to Auburn for the industrial design program, where he was inspired and encouraged by some of his professors such as Chris Arnold and Jerrod Windham.

“I grew a passion for the creative process that comes along with learning design,” he said.

Because he constantly worked toward his dream and took a leap of faith, Scordino happily stated that every day he is doing what he loves. Scordino recommended the same to any underclassmen who may have the same passion.

THEATER

AU theater honors 125 years of women at Auburn Jessica Ballard STANDARDS EDITOR

In honor of 125 years of women at Auburn University, the Auburn theater department has dedicated their shows this year to commemorating women within theater – writers, directors, choreographers and women in acting roles alike.

Throughout the 2017-18 school year, the theater department will present the current show, “Antigone,” as well as “God of Carnage,” “A Civil War Christmas,” “Chicago,” “Dance Concert” and “Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play.” All of the shows were either written by women or feature a wide range of

women characters.

Three of the six shows were written by women – “God of Carnage,” “A Civil War Christmas” and “Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play” – and “Dance Concert” will be directed by two women professors in the theater department.

The first show put on in the Telfair Peet Theatre is Jean Anouilh’s 1944 adaptation of the play Antigone first performed in Nazi-occupied Paris. The play features the protagonist, Antigone, the daughter of nowdead King Oedipus, as she attempts to bury her brother against the edict of the new king.

The theater will be hosting Talkback Thursday along with the women’s studies program after the penultimate performance of Antigone on Sept. 28 in the Telfair Peet Theatre. The talk will focus on the play and the feminist principles represented within it.

Barbara Baker, executive director of the Women’s Leadership Institute, said the theater department has been an amazing partner for the 125th anniversary celebration.

“They dedicated their entire season to the contributions of women to theater arts and themed the season ‘Letting In the Light,’” Bak-

er said. “They created beautiful art and design to complement their programs and integrated Auburn women into their designs.”

The theater department is encouraging students and community members to join them and the women’s studies program in the College of Liberal Arts for the roundtable discussion of the play.

The discussion will also feature the play’s director, professor Daydrie Hague, along with cast members and theater department faculty.

“What can we learn from the dramatic tale of Antigone that is relevant to contemporary feminism and for the struggle for justice, rep-

resentation, and goodness in face of authoritarian rule?” the Talkback Thursday description on the Auburn University Theatre Facebook page.

Kate Rasco, senior in theater and the department’s social media assistant, said she, especially as a woman, thinks the theater department’s choice to empower women through highlighting the 125th year at Auburn is important for a plethora of reasons.

“Our current department head Chase Bringardner wanted to incorporate what’s been going on at the University,” Rasco said. “It’s a big year for the University, so I

think he wanted to incorporate that because in the theater we like to tell a variety of stories and represent people that aren’t usually represented in a favorable light or are kind of played down.”

She is currently performing in the run of “Antigone” as the role of the nurse. She said the theater department’s efforts to showcase strong women in all shapes and sizes rather than just as the dependent damsel in distress or the motherly figure is a vital part of accurate representation.

Performances of “Antigone” will run from Sept. 2129 in the Telfair Peet Theatre.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

The Auburn Plainsman

PAGE 5

SPOTLIGHT

So Worth Loving founder shares her ‘passion project’ Lily Jackson MANAGING EDITOR

When Eryn Erickson pulled each clean T-shirt out of her mailbox, sent to her by a fan or “family,” she returned it with a piece of her heart and a message that reflected such sprayed on its front.

“You are so worth loving.”

Familiar enough and different enough, Erickson said.

Erickson, founder of apparel brand “So Worth Loving,” thought of her actions as a passion project at the start, not a business. She said she was happy in her job as an art director.

Her position was desirable and the company was where she wanted to be.

Her parents, owners of a furniture manufacturing company, were role models to her and she said she watched them fail and succeed throughout her life, teaching her the importance of weathering life’s storms.

“When you surround yourself with wise people you learn what wisdom truly is,” Erickson said.

Erickson said after high school she was unsure of what she wanted to do and left her parents company at 19 for a company she admired, eventually getting the job of art director, a position she thoroughly enjoyed.

“When I started dabbling more into [So Worth Loving] and who I am, I ... felt in my bones that there was something even more greater that I was capable of,” Erickson said.

After being asked what her aspirations were, she recorded her first EP which led her to two more and a viral presence on social media. Her fans clung to her music, something that Erickson said was personal, vulnerable and true to who she was.

Erickson said, ironically, that she was in awe of how those listening found her music worth their time.

“I always wanted my voice to be used for good, but I didn’t know in what facet,” Erickson said.

She said she began asking people to

send a shirt and she would return it with a message of truth. As time went on, the project began to grow and her followers decided they wanted to buy a shirt, rather than struggle with a post office.

She printed her first shirt with a full-time job and a career in music, unaware of the success she would find in her passion project.

She said she always loved fashion which is why she went the route she did with her clothing and apparel brand. But, the core of her mission settles in the conversation that comes from the shirt.

“While it might be hard to talk about our struggles, it’s easy to walk into Target and buy a shirt or a skirt,” Erickson said.

Her passion that fueled the project stemmed from her parent’s overwhelming love and support, she said.

Living in a small town with big personality meant she was judged for going against the grain or challenging the norms.

Erickson’s choice to not attend college, even after receiving a four-year scholarship, was a target for criticism as well, but she said she’s done everything she could have dreamed of without such experiences. She said she loved the challenge of proving the nay-sayers wrong.

“It just didn’t feel right in my gut, and I feel like sometimes we pay attention to what societies pressures are before what our gut is telling us,” Erickson said. “Still, I feel like I made the right decision.”

Erickson said her parents supported her through those years of self-expression.

Erickson said she remembered her dad saying something that stuck with her to this day. She had begun to gauge her ears and was able to stick a Sharpie pen clean through.

“I wouldn’t do that, but that doesn’t mean you can’t,” Erickson’s dad said.

“That’s your way of expressing yourself, and I still think you are beauti-

ful.”

Erickson pointed to the crowd of new-to-college students.

“I just want to go ahead and ease the room, if you are dealing with pressure from society saying, ‘What do you want to do,’ or ‘What do you want to major in,’ just know that sometimes we don’t have the answers,” Erickson said. “It’s when we start to be comfortable sitting in the uncertainty is when we get to learn what we are certain in.”

Erickson said his love and presence no matter what she was going through helped her through other challenges later in life. She said a toxic relationship picked away at her selfworth and created a sandpaper-like situation with the love she felt from those she trusted and the toxicity of others.

“Community is empathy -- it’s feeling with someone,” Erickson said.

Erickson said self-consciously she started So Worth Loving with a connection to her past. She said everyone has their “firsts” that can be so detrimental to their livelihood and leaning into failure and pain, while painstaking hard, can be what helps you move past the past.

After beginning its reign on social media and growing into a business based on self-worth and love, this passion project is about to have its sixth birthday. Her store is located in Atlanta, Georgia, and her products are sold in 50 states and 30 countries.

“The more we start to lean into the pain, the quicker we actually start to grow and are able to heal. From there you find your purpose and move toward it,” Erickson said.

“What we need to remind ourselves of is what are our roots, what are the things -- who are the people -- what are the virtues that are holding us down,” Erickson said. “When we bend in the storm, who will come for us.”

“It’s about doing life together,” Erickson repeated three times.

PHOTOS VIA ERYN ERICKSON

community THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

6 THEPLAINSMAN.COM

COMMUNITY

SCHOOLS

Schools deny prayer sign after public-prayer ban Sam Willoughby COMMUNITY EDITOR

After Lee County Schools Superintendent James McCoy started enforcing a ban on public prayer before football games, Mike Green, owner of Smiths Station business Green’s Propane Gas, created a GoFundMe to raise money for a sign that would display the Lord’s Prayer at Smiths Station High School’s football stadium.

The GoFundMe raised over $4,000 in four days, and Green said he received $1,000 more through in-person donations, enough to purchase the sign.

Green was set to help sponsor the stadium’s new scoreboard by placing an ad for his business on it, but switched to the Lord’s Prayer sign after the school system started enforcing the ban.

However, Green said that school officials informed him on Monday that he could not purchase the sign with the Lord’s Prayer.

“If they don’t want to read it, they shouldn’t read it — people who want to read it can,” Green said. “[The sign] was more for pride of the school and letting people know that we wouldn’t really back down.”

According to a complaint sent on Aug. 31 to the school system by the Freedom From Religion Foundation, a national non-profit that promotes the separation of church and state, a parent contacted the organization after an Aug. 25 Smiths Station High football game, the first of the season.

Before the game started, a student-led prayer was broadcast

over the stadium’s loudspeaker. A parent who was at the game contacted the FFRF afterward to inquire about the legality of the prayer.

“The parent wanted to know if it was unconstitutional and wanted to know if we could do anything about if it was,” said Rebecca Markert, legal director for the FFRF. “We said yes and so we sent a letter.”

In response to Green’s GoFundMe, the FFRF sent another letter to the school system’s lawyer on Monday.

“Students, parents and community members who attend football games would be required to routinely see this schoolsponsored religious message,” the letter says. “It makes no difference if the religious manner is paid advertising. Because scoreboard messages carry the stamp of approval of the school system, they must not include religious icons and must not promote religious messages.”

It is not clear if it was the letter that prompted the school system to act.

“I am not sure about when he was denied the ad, so it’s likely that the district reached this decision before we were able to weigh in,” said Chris Line, a lawyer with the FFRF, in an email.

Now, Green said he plans to return the money if donors request it and will give the remaining amount to the school’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes group.

The FFRF litigates church-and-state cases and often sends letters on behalf of people who contact them.

“The case law is pretty clear on what is permissible in schools

as far as religion is concerned and what schools can and cannot do,” Markert said. “Typically when we get these type of complaints, we are able to settle them without going to a lawsuit.”

In the complaint originally sent to McCoy, the FFRF cites a number of Supreme Court rulings, including Santa Fe Independent School System v. Doe, when the court held that studentheld prayer at public school football games is unconstitutional.

“Not only is the district endorsing these prayers by allotting time for them at the start of games, but it is also providing the prayer-giver with the public address system needed to impose these prayers on all students and community members at games,” the original letter from the FFRF says.

On Sept. 19, the school system’s lawyer responded to the FFRF. “McCoy has informed his principals that he expects all Lee County Schools to comply with current law,” said William Sanderson, a lawyer for the school system, in the response.

Though Markert said they get a lot of complaints about potential First Amendment violations from Southern states, especially during football season, complaints can come from all over the country.

“We also get complaints from Michigan and California and places like that,” she said. “Not just about prayer before football games, but prayer in other contexts or proselytizing that are happening in the public schools.”

The Plainsman has reached out to Lee County Schools numerous times but has not received a response.

EVENTS

​Budweiser Clydesdales to deliver beer downtown Olivia Wilkes COMMUNITY WRITER

The world-famous Budweiser Clydesdale team will be pulling the iconic beer wagon into downtown Auburn and Opelika making deliveries to local businesses on Oct. 4 and 5.

The Clydesdales are set to arrive at the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine on Monday, Oct. 2, where they will be housed for the duration of the week. The team will parade through downtown Opelika on Wednesday, Oct. 4, and downtown Auburn on Thursday, Oct. 5, from 5–7 p.m. both days.

The horses are coming to Auburn at the request of local beer wholesaler Adams Beverages for their new warehouse grand opening, according to Adams Beverages Marketing Director Lauren Carmack.

Adams Beverages provides beer to Auburn and Opelika restaurants and bars such as Moe’s Original BBQ, Niffer’s Place, The Hound and 17-16.

“They’ll not only be parading, but they’ll be stopping and doing some beer deliveries to each of the stores,” Carmack

said of the Clydesdale team.

“We had to book them way in ad-vance,” she said. “We put in a request about a year ago to have them here for our grand opening.”

Jessica Kohn, Auburn’s downtown coordinator, said she thinks there will be a big public turnout to see the Clydesdales.

“We’re very excited about it, and we think that it’s going to draw a lot of crowds,” Kohn said. “It’ll be great too for the businesses.”

For their public appearances, the horses and beer wagon will be trailered from the vet school to the town on three 50foot tractor trailers.

“We will be parking those right in front of Skybar on the street,” Carmack said. “So anyone who wants to come from four to five, they can get really cool videos of them pulling the horses off of the tractor-trailers and then hitching them up.”

Kohn said the Clydesdales may make another appearance on Saturday, but that has not yet been confirmed.

MATTHEW VARGA / U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO

PLANNING

Architecture professor leads Toomer’s Corner Compass Bank redesign Alex Hosey COMMUNITY WRITER

The Compass Bank located at Toomer’s Corner is being redesigned by Auburn professor and architect Stacy Norman, who is using the redevelopment as a project for Auburn architecture students in his studio class this fall.

Norman, who is president of Stacy Norman Architects, said the owners of the property approached his company about two years ago with the intention of demolishing the current Compass Bank and replacing it with a new three-story structure, with approximately 6,000 square feet per floor.

“If they were to build back a new building, it’d make more sense to add at least one additional floor, if not two,” Norman said. “So it made more sense from a budgeting standpoint to put Compass Bank back in the first two floors and then put a third-floor tenant in.”

According to Norman’s design, the third floor would be made into three two bedroom apartments with balconies overhanging the street.

Norman said his company is about two weeks away from submitting a permit to the City of Auburn, and the plans have already been approved by Auburn’s Planning Com-

mission.

Norman said he expects that Compass Bank will move out of the building at the start of November with the demolition of the structure to take place this December, and he said he hopes construction of the new building will be complete by November 2018.

Third-year Auburn University architecture students of Norman and Auburn professor Behzad Nakhjavan are assigned to come up with a design for the new Compass Bank as part of their semester-long project this fall.

“We were looking for a project that the third-year students could do,” Norman said.

“We wanted it to be somewhat urban, we wanted it to be at least a multi-story building and we wanted it to have multiple tenants.”

Norman said his students have been given the same project restrictions that his company had while designing the new Compass Bank, including adherence to safety codes, height limit and they must meet the requirements of a college edge overlay project.

Stone Ray, junior in architecture, is one of 26 students who have been assigned this project and said that the building’s location and importance has its own set of challenges.

» See BANK, 7

ENTERTAINMENT

Auburn resident and alumnus appears on latest season of ‘Survivor’ Jessica Jernigan COMMUNITY WRITER

VIA CBS

The long-standing reality show, which first aired back in 2000, takes strangers to Fiji where they must find food, shelter and fire for themselves while competing for the title of “Sole Survivor” and a prize of a million dollars.

Patrick Bolton, 25, graduated from Auburn in 2014 with a degree in health services administration.

“My time at Auburn was incredible,” Patrick Bolton said. “All the connections I made, the friendships – I still appreciate to this day.”

It was while he was a sophomore when he and his brother, Stephen Bolton, began the early works of their moving business, Bolt Movers.

Stephen Bolton leads Bolt Mover’s branch in Nashville, Tennessee, while Patrick Bolton still lives in Auburn to oversee their business.

This year’s theme of “Survivor” is “Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers,” and it was Patrick Bolton’s early start in the business world that earned him the title of “hustler.”

“I identify well with a hustler and

have referred to myself as a hustler before the show,” Patrick Bolton said.

“Starting a business with my brother was not easy and still remains challenging, which I like so much. Hustling to stay on top is not easy, but it’s something that I want badly.”

Patrick Bolton said his work ethic was prevalent even during his childhood, always picking up odd jobs to make a little bit of money.

He said what made him interested in competing in Survivor was mainly how it pushed limits.

“It’s a game so original to itself, and it tests every contestant’s body during challenges and being able to withstand the elements – the sun being the element I was most affected by,” he said. “Mind, are you able to outwit and lie your way to the top? No one there wants to give up a chance to win a million dollars. Last, social skills – can you read the minds of others before they make the move to send you home without causing a catastrophe but also make the majority want to keep you around?”

Patrick Bolton said he was focused on being both a mental and physical threat.

He felt he was prepared physically

for the island but didn’t have much free time to make any other changes.

“I grew up loving the outdoors,” Patrick Bolton said. “I’ve been camping a lot, so that prepared me somewhat for what I was walking into.”

Patrick Bolton joked how he probably could’ve prepared more with a restricted diet beforehand.

“Before the show, I indulged in all of my favorite foods because, you know, you don’t get anything like that on the island, you have to fend for yourself,” Bolton said.

He binge watched the show before competing. He said being a fan and then a contestant was a surreal experience.

“It let you realize how real the show really is,” Bolton said. “Everyone asks, ‘was it staged?’ My answer will always be no. Everything is so much more real than you would imagine.”

With the show wrapped, but yet to air, Patrick Bolton reflected on his experience.

“It changed the way I see myself, and I am thankful for that.” he said.

“Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs.

Hustlers” airs on CBS on Wedsnesdays at 7 p.m.

THURSDAY, SEPTEBER 28, 2017

The Auburn Plainsman

PAGE 7

ARTS

GANNON PADGETT / VIDEO EDITOR

Waverly Boogie carries on through rain or shine Alex Hosey COMMUNITY REPORTER

Cars parked on the side of the road stretched to the right and left of the Boogie’s entrance as far as the eye could see while over a dozen tents were set up inside the gate.

The first Waverly Boogie was held in 2001 when residents of the small town just outside Auburn came together to celebrate the rerouting of Hwy 280 that saved the town from destruction. On Saturday, residents and art lovers alike continued that celebration at the 2017 Fall Boogie.

Foldable chairs and coolers filled the lawn in front of the Old 280 Boogie stage as festivalgoers listened to reggae music while waiting for the day’s first musical act to begin.

Handmade jewelry from Flannel & Floral, Blue Spring bottled water, coffee from Mama Mocha’s, jellies from Hornsby Farms and sandwiches from CosbyQ BBQ were a few of the local vendors present at the event.

Without including the large amount of people who bought their tickets the day of the Boogie, approximately 600 tickets were bought before the event – the most the Fall Boogie has ever received, according to a staff member working the gate.

Boogiegoers filtered in and out of Standard Deluxe’s shop, browsing and buying locally made T-shirts, posters and artwork throughout the day.

A table was set up in front of a palm reader sign on the porch of

an orange and blue country shack where Maggie McCoy, an Auburn University student and volunteer for the event, was selling merchandise for the bands.

“I specifically requested to volunteer here this semester because I loved doing it so much last spring,” McCoy said. “Everyone is here to have a good time and it’s such a good atmosphere where you can just chill and talk to new people.”

A diverse crowd packed the chair and quilt-covered lawn, from young adults drinking craft beers to families pushing strollers and hoisting babies and toddlers to gruff, aging men with long beards and straw hats.

The music began around noon with the folk-Americana sounds of the Lonnie Holley Band, followed by the haunting music of Faye Webster.

It began to rain during a soulful Southern rock set from Maggie Koerner. Some attendees rushed beneath vendor tents and the porch of Standard Deluxe, while the majority stayed in their chairs, with some simply opting to use their blankets and quilts as cover from the 10-minute downpour.

Greg Sellers, an Auburn resident and graduate who went to school with Peeks, said he has been coming to the Boogies for years.

“Back in the old days at small venues around Auburn, Scott was always on the scene and always had a good musical ear for good bands,” Sellers said. “He’s just a laidback guy who’s got this thing going on out here. They could still have people you’ve never heard

of play out here and a year later they’re on the scene. This Revel in Dimes band, we came specifically to hear them because they were so electric last year and where they’re going to go from here, who knows?”

When Revel in Dimes began to play in the early evening, onlookers rushed to the front of the stage and danced along to the band’s heavy bass and energetic vocals as the sun started to set.

Hailing from Brooklyn, Revel in Dimes graced the Boogie with its quick-paced, hard-rocking Delta blues for the second time in a row, having performed in Waverly in the spring.

By the time the Dimes were halfway through their set, green and gold string lights were lit over the entirety of the lawn while the artdeco styled multicolored stage lights shown on the bands and the growing dancing crowd.

The Boogie closed with the hard-hitting Birmingham garagerock band Lee Bains III and The Glory Fires, who dedicated their song to eradicating white supremacy and misogyny while tearing down the walls between people.

Matt Arnett, the event’s emcee, went up to the stage before the music began and thanked Scott Peek, the owner of Standard Deluxe and host of the Boogie, for bringing everyone together that day.

“We are so blessed and honored to have somebody like that in this community bringing music, art and fellowship and all of that stuff out here on a regular basis, so I just want to say one last time, give it up for Scott Peek,” Arnett said to an applauding audience.

PHOTOS BY GANNON PADGETT / VIDEO EDITOR

MUSIC

Grammy-nominated songwriter Dan Navarro performs at Sundilla Jessica Jernigan COMMUNITY WRITER

Dan Navarro, Grammy-nominated songwriter, performed in Opelika on Friday as part of the Sundilla Concert Series.

An intimate crowd gathered at Bailey Jones’ house, executive producer of Sundilla Music, where guests were welcomed to enjoy a potluck dinner while they waited for the show to begin at 7:30 p.m.

The house, with an eclectic style, had hanging globes above where Navarro was set to perform under colorful lights.

Filled bookcases lined the living room, which had been cleared out to make room for seating.

Navarro, who had just got into town from Mobile, began to prepare for his performance in a separate room.

“I’ve done the Sundilla Acoustic Series twice before a couple of years back,” Navarro said. “I’ve known Bailey for years, and it’s really these type of performances that are my favorite.”

Navarro dreamed of being a singer as a kid, but it wasn’t until he was 15 years old that he developed a love for songwriting.

He grew up admiring The Beatles, Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell, the artists spoke to him and, ultimately, inspired him to become a singer-songwriter.

“I liked that the songs were about something meaningful, I liked the poignant edge,” Navarro said. “It really resonated with me, and I found that the music I was listening to was helping me get through tough times growing up, tough times being an adult through challenges and heartbreak, so that’s where I write from.”

He wanted to create music and songs that spoke to someone’s soul like the musicians he looked up to did.

“I only wrote lyrics because I didn’t know how to play guitar, but I picked up that and piano in college and a couple of years out an artist recorded a couple of my songs, but they didn’t amount to much,” Navarro said.

A hit wouldn’t come until 1984, when Navarro said he got lucky by cowriting the Grammy-nominated Pat Benatar song “We Belong.”

“That was my biggest song, and it was a big, old accident,” Navarro said. “[Eric Lowen and I] wrote it just to write it and started taking it around, and someone said let me run with this.

And then it happened.”

After that, he started writing songs full-time and put out a record with his partner, Lowen, in 1990.

As a duo, Lowen and Navarro recorded and toured together for 19 years until 2009.

Navarro said he’s found that age does not correlate with success.

He was over 30 when ‘We Belong’ happened and in hislate 30s when he made his first album.

“It’s all about work, the commitment and taking chances,” Navarro said. “Do what you want to do, and do it a lot.

Repetition is what created the depth of contacts, the depth of experience and, in particular, the good luck that has to be an element of succeeding..”

His advice for anyone trying to do anything is to keep going and learn from your environment.

“Instead of getting mad if something doesn’t go somewhere, see where the validity is and try to absorb it, and then move on and try again,” he said.

Going from working within a duo to

working as a solo artist is as different as night and day, he said.

“Working by myself has made me improve in some ways because there is nowhere to hide,” Navarro said.

“Working with a partner is definitely more fun, you have shared duties and someone to bounce ideas off of.”

Navarro said it can get lonely when recording solo and touring solo but that the experience is both liberating and heartening to realize that it is his vision not just a shared vision.

Navarro and Lowen toured together even after Lowen was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease in 2004.

Lowen passed away from ALS in 2012.

“I can never get those days back that I spent with Eric, but those were the best years of my life,” Navarro said.

After waiting around for the show to begin at Jones’ eccentric home, people began to shuffle to their seats to watch Navarro.

Lisa and Phil Belcher came in support of Sundilla and have been longtime attendees.

“We’ve seen lots of artists that I would have never gone to on my own, but after going to a lot of these concerts I love the variety and being more exposed to music,” Lisa Belcher said.

Navarro, who was introduced as a friend of Sundilla Music, opened the show with “All is Quiet,” a song from when he performed with his friend and partner Lowen.

In between songs Navarro spoke to the crowd about the stories behind his song choices, creating an intimate environment.

“When I was younger I wrote a lot about loss,” he said. “But now I write about change.”

BANK » From 6

“The biggest challenge would be how to create a structure that is worthy of, probably, the most important site to be redeveloped in town,” Ray said. “Auburn is a city that means a lot to me, obviously, and Auburn’s the place that I want to work at when I’m older so I’m really excited about it for that sake of my portfolio.”

Ray says the project will take the entire semester to complete, with students having to meet deadlines in the coming months when it comes to

making models, pitching ideas and potentially changing their designs.

Norman said students have asked him if there was a possibility of implementing elements of their designs into the actual Compass Bank redevelopment but said that it was unlikely.

“At this point and the way that this project will go, it would probably be something difficult to change,” Norman said. “It’s gone through planning, the elevations have already been released to the papers and things like that, so the sort of look and feel of the building is done.”

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

THEPLAINSMAN.COM

SPORTS

SOCCER

AUBURN ATHLETICS

Auburn players celebrate a goal vs. Kentucky on Sunday, Sept. 24, 2017.

Hot start: Tigers sizzling in SEC play Zach Tantillo SPORTS WRITER

Early offense and strong defense paved the way for Auburn against the Kentucky Wildcats Sunday afternoon as the Tigers netted a trio of goals and rode their defense to a 3-0 shutout victory.

After a long double-overtime match against Tennessee on Friday night, the Tigers needed to get off to a hot start against a lethal Kentucky squad.

“We knew we had to jump on [Kentucky] quick,” Auburn head coach Karen Hop-

pa said. “They are young and we knew if we came out fast we could get the win.”

The Tigers did not take long to begin their success against the Cats with a deep goal by forward Bri Folds in the second minute to grab a 1-0 lead.

Just 11 minutes later, senior forward Kristen Dodson netted the first of her two goals with a near post finish in the 13th minute to give the Tigers a 2-0 lead.

“It was very important to go fast from the beginning to keep up the momentum,” Dodson said.

In the 24th minute, Dodson connected again on an unassisted chip over the goalie to get her second goal of the afternoon, bringing her total to five on the season.

With the offense shining early, the defense did their job and smothered Kentucky throughout the match. The Tigers only gave up one shot on goal and that did not come until late in the second half when the game was well under wraps for Auburn.

Auburn moved to 2-0-1 in the SEC with the win and continues to build momentum while moving into the gauntlet of the SEC

schedule. However, the Tigers know they still have a lot of soccer to play.

“This is a great win and a great way to build momentum, but we still have a lot of soccer still to play,” Hoppa said. “Any time you can put away a SEC team in the first half and hold them to one shot on goal, it is a great performance. I thought our team defending was outstanding. It was a complete team performance.”

Auburn will next take on Mississippi State on Sept. 29, in Starkville, Mississippi, at 7 p.m. CT.

AUBURN’S SEC SCHEDULE Texas A&M (W) 1-0

at No. 21 Tennessee (Tie) 1-1

Kentucky (W) 3-0

at Mississippi State Sept. 29

Arkansas Oct. 5

at Alabama Oct. 8

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2017 TENNIS

The Auburn Plainsman

PAGE 9

SOCCER

Tigers look to build off back-to-back Sweet 16s Zach Tantillo SPORTS WRITER

The Auburn women’s tennis team returns to action Friday, Sept. 22 at the University of Miami Invitational.

The Tigers are coming off consecutive seasons of Sweet 16 visits and are looking to block out the high expectations and let their play on the court speak for itself.

“I have zero expectations for this season. I just want to go out and enjoy my senior season,” said Alizee Michaud.

The Tigers start off with six players in the initial preseason ITA rankings, five players are ranked in singles and three doubles teams are ranked, the most since 1981.

The group is led by Michaud who is ranked ninth in singles.

The ninth ranking in singles is tied for a school record with Fani Chifchieva.

Michaud is also ranked second in doubles with her partner Taylor Russo, making this the highest doubles ranking in school history.

“It’s really cool, I never thought coming in I would become this good, and it just means a lot,” Michaud said.

The dynamic duo of Michaud and Russo is possible because of their fiery attitudes.

“We work well together because we feed off of each other,” Michaud said of Russo.

Though only doubles partners for one season, Michaud said Russo was “like a sister.”

Michaud gave all her praise to the Auburn coaching staff, but singled out head coach Lauren Spencer as the single most influential person.

“She is definitely someone I want in my life after I leave Auburn,” Michaud said.

Andie Dikosavljevic follows Michaud in singles with a ranked 21st. Dikosavljevic is also ranked 28th in doubles along with her partner Alannah Griffin. Griffin is ranked 94th in singles to go along with the doubles ranking.

The duo of Caroline Turner and Georgie Axon are ranked 24th in doubles with Axon getting a ranking in singles as well.

Following the University of Miami Invitational, the Tigers will head to Malibu for the All-American Championships where five Tigers have been selected to attend.

On Oct. 20-23, the Tigers will be hosting the ITA Regional Championships in Auburn. Michaud, having already won a regional championship, said it was great having this tournament in Auburn her senior season, and it means a lot for the other seniors too.

Shortly after the regional championships the team will be heading to Lawrence, Kansas, for the Kansas Invite on Oct. 2729. The Tigers will then head back to Malibu for the ITA Fall Championships on Nov. 1-5 to wrap up the fall schedule.

MEN’S GOLF

AUBURN ATHLETICS

Brandon Mancheno tied for third in the Trinity Forest Invitational.

AU finishes in second Peter Santo SPORTS WRITER

After finishing third at their season-opening event two weeks ago, No. 13 Auburn men’s golf built on that success with a second-place finish at the Trinity Forest Invitational in Dallas, Texas.

The 13-team field included 10 nationally ranked teams, including No. 6 Texas, No. 8 Southern California, No. 9 Oregon, No. 10 Florida, No. 17 Clemson, No. 22 Texas Tech, and No. 24 Pepperdine. The tournament’s venue, Trinity Forest Golf Club, will host the PGA Tour’s AT&T Byron Nelson in 2018.

The Tigers finished the 54-hole event tied with Texas Tech for second at -7 overall, ten strokes behind tournament winner No. 10 Florida. No. 6 Texas finished fourth at 5-under while Clemson (-1), North Texas (-1), Oregon (+8), Iowa (+11), Kansas State (+15), and Pepperdine (+16) rounded out the top ten.

Auburn entered the final round tied for the lead with Florida, but shot 1-over par on Tuesday to finish well behind the Gators. Playing in just their second college event, freshmen Brandon Mancheno and Wells Padgett led the Tigers finishing T-3 and T-11 respectively.

After both Mancheno and Padgett opened with 3-under 68s, Mancheno made four birdies on numbers 1, 10, 11, and 14 on his way to another 68 in the second round. The Jacksonville, Florida native was tied for the individual lead at 6-under with Southern California’s Justin Suh after 36 holes.

Padgett was tied for third after 36 holes after making birdies on numbers 5, 6, 10, and 14 and shooting 70.

After two great rounds in windy, dry conditions with difficult pin placements, Mancheno and Padgett couldn’t quite replicate that success in the final round, posting rounds of 71 and 74 respectively.

“I am very pleased with the way we played against a very strong field,” Auburn coach Nick Clinard said. “Both our freshman, Brandon [Mancheno] and Wells [Padgett], had outstanding tournaments, finishing third and 11th. Jovan had a final round 69 as he and Jacob both were in the top 20.”

Sophomore Jovan Rebula tied for 17th at even par after a third-round 2-under par 69 that included five birdies. Junior Jacob Solomon tied for 20th at even par with rounds of 71, 71, and 72 and Trace Crowe finished T46 after posting three consecutive 73s. Andrew Kozan, who competed as an individual, finished T-55 at 9-over.

Auburn will return to action at the Jerry Pate National Oct. 9-10 at Old Overton in Vestavia Hills, Alabama.

AUBURN ATHLETICS

Kristen Dodson Auburn soccer vs. Clemson on Friday, August 19, 2016, in Auburn, Ala.

Dodson shining in final season

Amanda Ronan SPORTS WRITER

Senior soccer player Kristen Dodson has been kicking a ball ever since she could walk. After being involved in numerous sports while growing up, she knew soccer was the sport for her after her parents asked her which sport she wanted to focus on.

“I started playing soccer around when I was three,” Dodson said. “I actually started kicking a ball when I started to walk just because of my older brother. It was always just a sport I played, it didn’t matter what other sports I was playing, it always came back to soccer.”

Dodson coincidentally comes from a soccer family. Although neither of her parents played, Dodson and her two brothers found themselves playing and even all making it to the collegiate level.

“I think it was a little bit of both˜– of coincidence and influence – that we all ended up playing soccer. We ended up all being good enough to play at the collegiate level, but there was definitely an influence,” Dodson said. “I think that with our competitive nature, even though they’re both boys, I can still compete with them. I think that it kind of drove us all to do well.”

Dodson’s older brother, Ryan Dodson, played soccer at Denver University, University of North Carolina and professionally, while her younger brother, Derek Dodson, currently plays soccer at Georgetown University.

While her older brother was a big influence, it all began with her parents wanting Kristen Dodson to be as involved as possible and putting her into sports early on in her life. Although it was a coincidence all three play soccer, her older brother was an early influence on her.

“I think it was my older brother who helped start my soccer career, but it was also my parents actually putting me in soccer,” Kristen Dodson said. “I loved that they put me in other sports as well, so that it was really my choice to pick soccer.

It was never a pressure or anything. Neither of my parents played, so it wasn’t something where I had to play soccer. My older brother and I would just play around a lot in the backyard, so I think it was a little bit of both.”

The Dodson’s parents didn’t always push for her to be involved in only sports. Her parents believed it was important that her and her siblings be involved in anything. She even played an instrument while figuring out what she wanted to do growing up. Her parents’ motives for her and her siblings were that they needed to get out of the house and do something.

“It was more of just wanting me to get out and do something, and not just wanting to sit around and watch TV and play video games,” Kristen Dodson said. “They wanted us to get out there and be active. It didn’t matter if it was sports, arts or music, they just wanted us to get out of the house and do something.”

The Dodson’s parents put her in almost every sport they could. She played basketball, softball, tennis, ran track, danced, did gymnastics and even spent some time cheerleading all before she decided soccer was what she loved.

When Kristen Dodson reached middle school, her parents asked her what she liked and what she could see herself continuing to play. That’s when she decided to zone in on one sport: soccer.

“I just enjoyed soccer the most out of all the other sports I played. I didn’t focus on anything on the outside world while playing soccer,” Kristen Dodson said. “It was just me, the field and my teammates, and I think that was something that was big.”

Dodson’s parents have been her rocks and her biggest supporters. She believes that when facing adversity, her parents are the ones that are truly there for her. When asked who has helped shape her as a person the most, she confidently believes it’s her parents.

“My parents have just been so supportive from the beginning,” Kristen Dodson said. “They didn’t really care about the numbers or our wins or losses. They just wanted me to do my best and control what I could do. They were just so supportive and wanted me to have fun. They’ve worked so hard to get to where they are. Everything that they’ve been able to give us is a blessing. I look up to them, and I hope to be as good of a parent as they are one day.”

Since being at Auburn, she has been awarded and honored as All-SEC First Team in 2016, National Player of the Week (Sept. 27, 2017), NSCAA All-South Region in 2016, SEC Play-

er of the Week (Sept. 26, 2016), on the SEC Preseason Watch List in 2016 and Top Drawer National Team of the Week twice (Sept. 27 2016, Nov. 23, 2016).

“What I’m looking forward to most this season is just being able to play with this team one last time,” Kristen Dodson said.

“I’m excited to see all the things we’re going to do. I’ve had a lot of great memories playing here.

“I think winning the Florida game and going to the elite eight has to be one of my favorite memories though. We made history, and that was so cool to be able to experience that.”

So far this season, Kristen Dodson has played in ten games with five goals, three assists and 13 points, bringing her total to 26 goals, 27 assists and 79 points in her career at Auburn.

Her goals for her senior season are to push it this season and make it that step further in the conference rankings, the conference tournament, and potentially the NCAA tournament.

“I think you always want to go a step forward than you did before. Those are my goals at least,” Kristen Dodson said. “I think those are all things you build towards, so I think those are the biggest goals for me this year.

“Individually I want to be able to contribute as much as possible. It’s not necessarily as much about the numbers, as it is how much I can to provide the results. Just playing my best and contributing as much as possible are my personal goals.”

Following this season and graduation, Kristen Dodson plans on taking a year off to get her direct patient hours. She is majoring in exercise science and will need to complete 2,000 direct patient hours to apply to graduate school to become a dermatologist PA. Last fall, Dodson was on the dean’s list.

“I was very excited that I got the dean’s list last fall, especially since it was while I was in season,” Kristen Dodson said. “I think it’s a really big deal for any athlete to be either Top Tiger or on the all-academic team all three or four years.”

During her soccer career at Auburn, Kristen Dodson has enjoyed the bond she’s shared with her team the most. It impacted her decision a lot when deciding to come to Auburn.

While making that decision, she realized that Auburn had three things that were very important to her: a great soccer program, great coaches and a special team bond.

“The fact that I’m a senior, and I’m still here makes me confident that Auburn was the perfect school for me,” Kristen Dodson said. “I was blessed to fall in love with this school and stay in love with this school. The team chemistry and the coaches helped out a lot with that. They’ve both been fantastic all four years, so I couldn’t have picked a better school.”

AUBURN ATHLETICS

Kristen Dodson (right) celebrates a goal with Hannah Alspach (7).

The Auburn Plainsman

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

PAGE 10

VOLLEYBALL

AUBURN ATHLETICS

Auburn players celebrate a point vs. Florida State on Sept. 16, 2017, in Tallahassee, Fla.

Tigers start SEC play with two road wins John Koo SPORTS WRITER

The volleyball team has had a victorious start to the season.

However, many have been skeptical if the team would play at similar levels during conference play. This weekend, the volleyball women silenced any doubters with dominating wins against Ole Miss and Georgia.

The Tigers started the weekend with a 3-1 victory against Ole Miss (25-21, 19-25, 25-17, 28-26).

The energy was definitely visible from the Rebels, but Auburn was able to match the speed and quickness of play.

Auburn took the first set 25-21, but the Rebels regrouped and climbed back in the second set to beat Auburn 25-19. Auburn kept their composure and finished out the last two sets, executing necessary plays during the most crucial moments.

“I’m really happy with the resiliency we showed tonight,” head coach Rick Nold said. “I thought we adjusted well throughout the match to beat a really good Ole Miss team.

We had some timely blocks and kills out of the middle that gave us a big boost, and we took advantage of that.”

The Tigers had everyone involved on offense, having three players with double-digit kills. Brenna McIlroy led the team with 15 kills with Gwyn Jones and Shaina White getting 11 and 10, respectively. Seniors Courtney Crable and Macy Reece had eight kills each as well. Senior Alexa Filley had gamehigh 44 assists.

Just like the offense, Auburn’s defense executed. Shaina White had a career-high 10 blocks. Filley had a season-high five blocks along with 10 digs, while Jesse Earl had a matchhigh 26 digs.

Following the win over the Rebels, the Tigers headed to Athens, Georgia on Sunday, Sept. 24, to take on Georgia. The Tigers swept the Bulldogs 3-0 (26-24, 25-22, 25-16) to cap off a successful weekend of volleyball.

Similar to the match versus Ole Miss, all players contributed toward a strong offensive and defensive showing. The Tigers had four players with seven or more kills. McIlroy led the team with nine, while White finished the game with eight.

Jones and freshman Anna Stevenson contributed seven each.

Filley had the most well-rounded performance with 26 assists,

AWARDS

SEC honors Auburn athletes Will Sahlie SPORTS EDITOR

Three Auburn athletes were named SEC Defensive Player of the Week in their respective sports, as Marlon Davidson (football), Caroline Bado (soccer) and Jesse Earl (volleyball) took home the honors this week.

Davidson, sophomore from Greenville, Alabama, recorded four tackles, a tackle for loss and fumble recovery in Auburn’s 51-14 victory over Missouri.

Davidson, who has battled injuries throughout the early portion of the season, said he was near 100 percent against Misouri.

“Coming off an injury, just being out here and playing out here with my brothers, it was great,” Davidson said. “To get back on the field like this and have a performance, I’ll take it any day and any time.”

Bado, senior defender from Tampa, Florida, helped lead the Tigers’ defense to backto-back dominant performances at No. 21 Tennessee and versus Kentucky.

Auburn allowed just four shots on goal in its two contests last week.

The Tigers’ 3-0 victory over Kentucky marked the fourth shutout by Auburn this season and second in SEC play.

“Caroline is a special person,” head coach Karen Hoppa said. “To be integrated into our team as quickly as she has, it’s a testament to both our team chemistry and to Caroline.

“We knew we were going to rely on her to give us some senior leadership, but she has exceeded expectations. She has been tremendous as the leader of the back line – a completely new back line. The passion with which she plays and the ability she has have allowed her to make a major impact.”

Bado has paced an Auburn back line that has allowed just one goal in its first three SEC matches. It marks the first time since 2004 and just the second time in program history this feat has been accomplished.

Earl, senior from Indianapolis, Indiana, helped the Tigers limit their two SEC opponents to a .137 hitting percentage over seven sets played on the road in Auburn’s two victories over Ole Miss and Georgia.

Earl averaged a league-best 6.29 digs per set and upped her season average to 4.90.

Against Ole Miss, Earl led with 26 digs, the most by any SEC player in four sets in conference play this weekend.

In Sunday’s sweep of Georgia, she recorded a match-best 18 digs, the most by any student athlete in the SEC in three sets. In serve receive, Earl went a perfect 36-for-36 as the Tigers only allowed five aces on the weekend compared to their own 11.

Auburn football returns home this weekend to take on Mississippi State. The Tigers’ soccer team will travel to Starkville to take on Mississippi State on Friday, while the volleyball team hosts Missouri and Arkansas over the weekend inside Auburn Arena.

eight digs and five kills. Earl had a match-high 18 digs, with junior McIlroy and freshman Payton White having six digs each. The Tigers as a team amounted eight total blocks for the match.

Against Georgia, Auburn women showed up early, gaining quick leads in all three sets. The Bulldogs tried to climb back in the first two sets, but the early boost that Auburn set was too much to surmount. Tigers used their momentum to smoothly finish out the third set with a 25-16 victory. Georgia is the sixth team this season to be swept by the Tigers.

“This was one of our best, well-rounded outings all year and the most disciplined we’ve been with sticking to our game plan,” Nold said. “We came out and did a great job defensively against some really good hitters.

“Our passers gave Alexa (Filley) the ability to run the offense successfully and kept Georgia guessing, while our hitters made smart plays to get Georgia out of system consistently.”

The Tigers are now 8-2 overall and 2-0 in the SEC. The Tigers return home to continue SEC play against Missouri on Sept. 29, and Arkansas on Oct. 1.

STUDENT AFFAIRS S P OT L I G H T Student Government Association

Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2017 | 10 a.m. — 2 p.m. | Campus Green Hey Day first began when the student body united in welcoming veterans returning from World War II by pinning nametags on them outside of Langdon Hall. We continue the tradition each fall by wearing nametags, saying "hey" to one another, enjoying food from local businesses and entertainment provided by various student groups.

auburn.edu/StudentAffairs

@AuburnStudents

facebook.com/AuburnStudents

@AuburnStudents

Auburn Students ADAM SPARKS / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Marlon Davidson (3) celebrates after a sack during Auburn vs Georgia Southern on Sept. 2 in Auburn, Ala.

lifestyle THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

11 THEPLAINSMAN.COM

LIFESTYLE

EVENTS

Pups find paradise at Puppy Palooza Christina Sullivan LIFESTYLE WRITER

MADISON OGLETREE / PHOTO EDITOR

A dog gets a bath during Puppy Palooza at Kiesel Park on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2017 in Auburn, Ala.

Locals and community members strolled around Kiesel Park on Saturday with their four-legged friends as the sun beat down and the wind blew.

With such an audience, three dogs were adopted in the first 45 minutes.

Taking the place of Woofstock, Puppy Palooza has become a popular event in the community. Put on by the Lee County Humane Society, this annual fundraiser raises money for the shelter and the homeless animals of the Auburn-Opelika area.

“We are trying to promote good pet ownership,” said Foster Coordinator Bailey Ray. “We want people to know we are here as a resource, even if you are not adopting — anything we can do to help people keep their pets.”

Several side events at Puppy Palooza included demonstrations, a silent auction, a costume contest, a question and answer session with an expert, bouncy houses and games.

Zoe’s Kitchen and Snow Cones offered food for the crowd.

Different vendors set up booths with everything from a dog treat decorating station

to home decor.

“Most of the vendors are people who genuinely love pets and just wanted to be here and celebrate with us,” Ray said.

The most popular area was the adoption center, a large white tent with air conditioning.

While the cool air was pleasant for the adopters, the tent was more famous for the dogs and cats of all shapes and sizes that visitors could play with.

Volunteers were there to help with any questions about the pets.

Another popular station was the paw print station. Dog owners could get a free paw print of their dog made from tie-dye paint placed onto a white piece of cardstock.

All the proceeds from the event went to the Humane Society, even from the vendors, Ray said.

This year there was a station set up where patrons could tie-dye their own shirts after purchasing them with their own colors.

“We always see the event T-shirts around town and it is exciting,” Ray said.

The event is a success every year, Ray said.

He said this year was even more special because of the amount of adoptions.

SERVICE

Heart for Africa: Business owners find jobs for Rwanda women A nne D awson LIFESTYLE EDITOR

When Chirpwood owner Scott Moody was approached by a friend during a program called Bridge2Rwanda to sell handmade beads from a mother in Rwanda, he was faced with a difficult decision.

“I really wanted to help,” Moody said. “I brought back several necklaces made with the beads, but my belief was that the style wasn’t right for the American consumer.”

After bringing the beads to the U.S., he thought of his friend Emma Jane Hunt, owner and creative director of Emma Jane Designs.

Moody said he knew Hunt was very successful in the jewelry business and had a heart for Africa. He asked her if she could incorporate the beads in her jewelry.

“How amazing that — as I was trying to figure out what to do with these beads — I remembered ‘oh yeah, my friend Emma Jane is a rockstar in the jewelry world, and I know Africa is special to her,’” Moody said.

Hunt, having been the second Auburn graduate to have a job with the United Nations World Food Programme in Rome, felt strongly about the matter.

“I left with goals to join my two passions — making a real difference in the lives of people around the world and jewelry design,” Hunt said.

This exchange sparked the idea to combine the efforts of both owners to create a project that stretched far beyond jewelry.

With a plan in place, the two flew Pascaline, a Rwanda native, B2R scholar and University of Richmond student, to Auburn to discuss details. There, Hunt showed her the basics of assembling jewelry.

When Pascaline returned to Rwanda, she interned for Chirpwood as a supervisor

CONTRIBUTED BY ANNE PAGE MINOR

Women in Rwanda make jewelry for EJD Mercantile line.

and coordinator of the jewelry-production co-op. These experiences, Moody said, had both immediate and future impacts.

“We employed up to 30 women at a time at wages higher than the prevailing ones,” Moody said. “The original parent we had hoped to help had good work all summer, and another co-op for young single mothers was dedicated to the project much of the summer.”

Moody said he and Hunt hope to produce more jewelry in the coming year and create

employment for groups of women in Rwanda that provides good wages, healthcare, safe working environments and individual bank accounts for each worker.

“Our goal with our EJD Mercantile line of products is to provide real, sustainable economic opportunities for women around the world and to provide you with amazing products with an amazing story,” Hunt said.

Moody and Hunt are launching the EJD Mercantile line on Nov. 1., as well as a program for college-age students who want to

help.

The EJD Campus Rep program will work to spread awareness of the work these women are doing in Rwanda.

“I have watched job sites in Rwanda where barefoot women carried bags of cement on their heads for nine hours per day to make $2,” Moody said. “There is no absence of work ethic — just an absence of work. That is a pressing problem in Rwanda, and we hope to be a small part of the solution.”

COFFEE

How to get your caffeine fix without drinking coffee Cole McCauley CAMPUS WRITER

According to a report by the Federal Drug Administration, 80 percent of Americans consume caffeine in some form every day.

With how commonplace caffeine consumption is among Americans,it’s easy to forget that it’s actually a drug — the world’s most psychoactive one.

For most people, their caffeine dependency is directly tied to coffee. However, that assumption is simply not true, and if anyone is looking to get their caffeine fix without the expense and hassle of coffee, then just know, there are many alternatives.

Caffeinated food and beverages With advancements in food technology, almost any food can be made with America’s favorite addiction.

An eight fluid ounce cup of coffee has approximately 95 mg of caffeine, so the question persists — how else can I get my daily dose of caffeine?

From chocolate to gum, the world has found a way to inject caffeine into everyday foods. While these options are often more expensive than their non-caffeinated counterparts, it is a small price to pay for the extra jolt that many of us need every morning.

Caffeinated gum like Jolt Energy Gum contains about 40 mg of caffeine per piece which is about the same as a typical 16 ounce bottle of soda.

With a pack containing 20 pieces, caffeinated gum can be a more than sufficient replacement for coffee.

For a more traditional replacement, teas of many kinds can be sufficient in kicking your coffee habit. Whether it be traditional brewed black tea or green tea, it can be a great substitute for coffee. Eight fluid ounces of brewed green tea can have between 25 and 29 mg of caffeine, while its black counterpart can have between 25 and an impressive 48 mg of caffeine.

While tea wont give you the same jolt of

energy that coffee might, tea possesses countless health benefits that coffee falls behind in.

Studies show that tea can help with weight loss, boost your immune system and even help reduce your risk of cancer and heart disease. So while you may be getting caffeine from coffee, the health benefits of tea should persuade even the biggest coffee fanatics to consider drinking tea instead.

Non-traditional caffeine products Caffeine doesn’t have to come strictly from what we eat or drink.

Unlike many other psychoactive substances, caffeine is legal and unregulated in most parts of the world. This means that companies can find ways to put caffeine into their products.

For example, OGX, a popular brand of shampoo and other hair products, makes a shampoo that is infused with caffeine and niacin that helps wake you up in the morning while also fighting hair loss.

Speaking of hygiene products, Bath Buzz,

a popular soap, is infused with caffeine that is absorbed through the skin a few hours after being used.

The entire bar of soap is sold for only $7.00 and with the bar packing a whopping 2,400 mg of caffeine, this soap would certainly pack a punch for coffee drinkers looking to kick the habit — and smell good too.

On the more unconventional side, a recent IndieGoGo campaign received nearly $90,000 for Joule, a bracelet lined with caffeine patches that administers caffeine through your skin. Each bracelet comes with thirty patches as Joule gives the wearer over four hours to prevent jitters or crashing.

We all need caffeine sometimes, but sometimes coffee is just too inconvenient or expensive.

Luckily we live in a world where caffeine can come in a variety of ways. If you’re dependent on caffeine like many other Americans, consider these alternative options to help you get your fix.

The Auburn Plainsman

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

PAGE 12

GAMING

Games on The Plains: ‘NBA 2k’ gets an A Cole McCauley CAMPUS WRITER

2k sports’ NBA 2k franchise released its 19th installment in the form of “NBA 2k18” on Sept. 19. The NBA 2k series has been considered by many to be the gold standard of sports video games. Therefore, the critical and commercial success that 2k sports has enjoyed in the last decade led to high expectations from fans of the franchise, and rightfully so.

Whether it’s the slow improvement of its only competitor, EA Sports’ “NBA Live,” or the complaints that fans had about the previous installment, NBA 2k18 adds enough new content and refreshes older concepts to make the game feel like the best game in the series in at least, the last couple of years.

MyCareer The signature mode of the NBA 2k, the format of MyCareer has remained essentially the same since its inception in “NBA 2k10.” MyCareer is the go-to mode for many fans and, while this year’s edition of MyCareer still follows the same “play games, earn virtual currency, upgrade your player” formula, they achieve this in a unique way when compared to previous editions of the game.

It seems like 2k developers made a concerted effort to streamline MyCareer and it’s surrounding modes. ‘NBA 2k18’ succeeds in this endeavor with its introduction of “The Neighborhood”.

This new open world RPG (Role Playing Game) mode gives 2k fans the ability to walk around, go to stores and play pickup games and various other activities with their respective MyPlayers, something completely fresh and, in turn, the main selling point of “NBA 2k18.”

The ability to transition from MyCareer games to a MyPark pick-up game or Pro-Am game without a separate loading screen is an underrated addition, and the combination of these modes into a simple, singular game experience is something that was much needed.

Server problems have plagued the NBA 2k series for the past couple of years. Therefore, it is understandable that when “The Neighborhood” was revealed, fans were worried that 2k’s unreliable servers wouldn’t be able to handle the scope of the new mode.

Thankfully, at first glance, server interruptions and lag seem to be a distant problem. While the open-world environment in “NBA 2k18” is rudimentary compared to traditional sandbox RPG’s like “Grand Theft Auto,” “The Neighborhood” is a huge step into an exciting direction for the sports genre as a whole and should challenge other sports video game franchises to take risks in order to keep up with the success of NBA 2k.

NBA 2k18 was able to trim the fat down from previous editions. No longer do players have to suffer through off-day “events” between games or struggle against 7-foot-3-inch ball handling centers that can pull up in your face from beyond the arc.

The goal of MyCareer is now mainly focused on simply upgrading your player to 99 overall. While the cinematic story of “DJ” that “NBA 2k18” forces upon you isn’t necessarily bad, sitting through cutscenes before and after games can quickly

VIA PLAYSTATION STORE

2k sports’ NBA 2k franchise released its 19th installment in the form of “NBA 2k18” on Sept. 19. become stale when all players want to do is earn quick virtual currency and purchase attritube upgrades or cosmetic items.

MyLeague, MyTeam and other features Not to imply that game modes like MyTeam or MyGM are lesser or inferior, but with MyCareer and MyPark being the main calling cards of the “NBA 2k” series, other modes can be forgotten among the vast amount of content that “NBA 2k18” possesses.

While MyLeague/MyGM didn’t add any particularly groundbreaking features or changes in this year’s game, 2k sports did a great job of adding small tweaks like the new “draft and stash” element that helps make being the general member of a virtual NBA team all that more enjoyable and realistic.

NBA 2k18’s card collecting mode, “MyTeam” is a big selling point for many 2k fans. MyTeam’s concept remains the same but nevertheless, it remains a satisfying game mode for fans looking for more than the usual Play Now game.

2k Sports has added wrinkles that keep MyTeam from becoming stale. The implementation of “strategy cards” give the mode an extra layer of depth that will likely pull in players that avoided the mode in previous games.

The anticipation of opening a new pack of cards and bolstering your team with better players becomes intoxicating and the tournament-style gameplay is addicting.

The exciting inclusion of the feature “All Time Teams” added a team basically composed of a franchise’s best players.

The feeling of having the dominating presence of both Shaquille O’Neal and Kareem Abdul-Jabaar protecting the paint is now possible without downloading fan-made rosters and is extremely riveting. Settling debates or feuds between franchises is now possible at the click of a button.

Negatives and Conclusion “NBA 2k18,” while a great game, still has its flaws. Earning the games in game currency, “VC,” can sometimes feel like a

grind, especially with many in game items or upgrades on the more expensive side.

Players can purchase VC with real life money, and without the occasional grind for VC, players may feel like their character will be “under leveled” compared to other players who give in to the urge to purchase it.

This becomes a problem for players who may be less skilled and, in turn, can’t use actual game knowledge to compensate for their players under-developed attributes .

Less of a problem now than it will be in say, a few months, is NBA 2k18’s soundtrack.The soundtrack isn’t necessarily boring – there are quite a few songs that will have fans singing or dancing in their seat, it’s just that after a few months of hearing the same songs over and over, the soundtrack becomes more of an annoyance as songs become repetitive.

This problem cripples basically every sports video game on the market and a quick and likely easy fix to this problem would be to add a revolving list of new songs to keep the soundtrack fresh.

Overall, NBA 2k18’s ability to stray from the usual formula and improve existing game mechanics make it the best NBA 2k game in a while. The game has a mode for every type of basketball fan and its relatively easy controls and concepts allow both casual gamers and hardcore fans alike to enjoy the game together.

The soon to be stale soundtrack, occasional glitches, less than perfect opponent AI and emphasis on microtransactions are about the only negatives in this otherwise exciting and realistic sports simulation.

Every game mode in “NBA 2k18” shines in its own way, which is why it has fans daydreaming about NBA 2k19, a mere week and half after the release of its predecessor.

NBA 2k18 makes strides to blend the line between genres, which is what makes it truly great.

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