1.19.12 edition of the Auburn Plainsman by The Auburn Plainsman

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Social Media club goes viral

Mud Mania takes 5k to new level

Lacrosse club signs first non-student head coach

A new organization on campus is reaching out to students who want firsthand experience with media production technology.

Mud Mania happening March 31 at Southern Springs Equine Farm has more than 20 obstacles.

For the first time in history, the men’s lacrosse team will have a non-student coach leading the team.

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

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Vol. 118, Issue 16, 16 Pages

Janitorial supervisor claims harassment at Auburn Arena Nick Bowman OPINIONS EDITOR

A former employee of Centaur Building Services, which provides janitorial services to the University, is filing a sexual harassment and retaliation suit against the company. Demetraus Walker, 30, was fired Friday. He claims his termination was in retaliation for complaining about

the sexual advances of operations manager Kim Love, who was fired by Centaur Dec. 13, 2011. “She had me thinking in the beginning that she was taking me under her wing and was training me for a site manager position,” Walker said. “Then she started making a lot of sexual advances toward me, and I shot her down. I told her that she was my

boss, and I didn’t want to deal with her in that manner.” Walker claims in his affidavit that Love made sexual advances from October of last year until Love was fired. Additionally, Walker claims he used his phone to record instances of Love’s behavior and presented it to HR personnel the morning Love was fired. In the affidavit, Walker said Love

threatened him after her termination. He claims she said: “I’ve been with the company so long, and have made them so much money that I have some bigwigs in my pocket, and I will make it my business to see that you are fired.” Walker’s attorney, Julian McPhillips, said they’ve filed the charges with the Equal Employment Opportunity

Commission. McPhillips said they delivered the documents detailing the charges to the Centaur vice president in St. Louis, Mo. “He was the one who was sexually harassed,” McPhillips said, “and he was still fired.” McPhillips said he and Walker are seeking Walker’s reinstatement, backpay and other compensation.

Future of Toomer’s Corner nearly final Chelsea Harvey CAMPUS EDITOR

The fate of Toomer’s Corner is on its way to being decided. The “Future of Rolling Toomer’s Corner” committee met Tuesday afternoon at the Auburn Alumni Center to finalize its recommendation to University President Jay Gogue regarding what should be done to replace the poisoned Toomer’s oaks. After approximately an hour of discussion, the committee unanimously voted to recommend the poisoned oaks be replaced with one or two large, live trees and that a temporary solution for the rolling tradition be developed by an interim committee. “Again, I remind you, we’re not making the decision,” said Debbie Shaw, committee chairperson. “We’re just making the recommendation. Dr. Gogue makes the decision.” The recommendation was made after reviewing the results of a December survey asking people what should be done to replace the trees. The survey, which involved 1,232 people, included five options: replant small oak trees at the corner; replant large oak trees at the corner; build a permanent structure in the intersection—like arches spanning the streets—and move the rolling tradition from the corner into the intersection; construct an artificial tree or other structure at the corner; or com-

OPTIONS FOR TOOMER’S ROLLING ALTERNATIVE Option 1 Replant small oak trees in the same location as the current trees, which eventually will grow large enough for future generations to roll. Option 2 Replant one or two very large oak trees, which could be rolled within a few years of the roots taking hold. Option 3 Move the rolling tradition to the intersection of Toomer’s by building a professionally designed, permanent structure for rolling. Option 4 Design an artificial tree or structure to replace the current oaks as a permanent option. Option 5 Combine any of the above options.

Censorship controversy comes to campus housing CAMPUS EDITOR

Eric Philips, senior in psychology, is attempting to bring a November incident to the forefront of local, and maybe even national, attention. In November, Philips, who resides in Tiger Hall, was asked to remove a Ron Paul campaign banner from his dorm window. Philips is now claiming that this PHILIPS request is an example of unconstitutional selective censorship because other students are still permitted to hang banners in their windows. “Well, I noticed everybody else hanging banners, at least in the sororities and some people inside my

In seventh heaven Aubie wins seventh national championship at the 2012 UCA National Mascot Competition

Lane Jones CAMPUS BEAT REPORTER

» See TOOMERS, A2

Chelsea Harvey

REBEKAH WEAVER

Aubie sports a fat suit at the end of his performance for the UCA National Mascot Competition as a parody of Chris Farley’s famous Chippendales skit on “Saturday Night Live.”

dorm with Auburn banners in their window,” Philips said. “There’s a sorority literally right across from me, right across the sidewalk. I look out my window and for all of October I saw this huge Halloween banner that was three times the size of my Ron Paul banner. “I figured there’s no rules against it, and as an effort to help support Ron Paul’s campaign, me and three other people purchased a Ron Paul banner to hang up in my window.” Philips said he hung the banner inside his window so that it would be visible from the outside. “So when we did that I looked up the rules to see if it was OK, and the rules that I read and … what I understood to be the case was that you could hang things inside your window, not outside,” Philips said. “If the RA finds it inappropriate, though, they’ll tell you to take it down.”

Once again, Aubie’s come out head and tail above the competition. Aubie competed in the 2012 Universal Cheerleaders Association National Mascot Competition Jan. 13 in Orlando. “Aubie has won UCA nationals six times before, which is more than any other mascot, but it’s been six years since he won so we wanted to win more than anything,” said Caroline McGill, assistant director of Aubie. “The last four years he’s gotten second place. This year we were ready to get it.” Aubie and his friends spent an entire month building, painting and practicing in hopes of bringing

home a seventh national championship. “Right after finals Aubie cracked down and started working on it,” said Anna Grayce West, director of Aubie. “He worked on it a couple weeks before Christmas, and then Aubie had a three-day Christmas before we came back and went to the bowl game. After that we did a couple more weeks. It was probably about four or five weeks of very consistent 12-hour days of working on the skit.” Aubie adviser Mike Reynolds has been with Aubie the past eight competitions. He said most people don’t understand the amount of work that goes into preparing for these events. “It’s such a serious, important

aspect because this is a national championship to Aubie,” Reynolds said. “It’s no different than the football or the equestrian or the basketball (championships).” Scores were based on a twominute compilation video of Aubie’s highlights throughout the year and a one-and-a-half-minute skit performed live at the competition. “This year he decided to go with a theme of Aubie’s Saturday,” West said. “He went through a bunch of different iconic things that are known to be happening on Saturdays. For instance, it started with Saturday morning cartoons that had a couple good jokes like Bert

» See SEVENTH, A2

REBEKAH WEAVER

A group of Aubie directors text and tweet about Aubie’s seventh championship win to spread the news back to everyone in Auburn.

Fans who traveled to watch the competition celebrate with Aubie after he’s announced as the 2012 UCA National Mascot Champ.

» See CENSORSHIP, A2

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DUI ARRESTS IN THE CITY OF AUBURN JAN. 10 – JAN. 15, 2011 William B. Hutto, 26 North College Street Jan. 10, 2:19 p.m. Catherine M. Corsi, 20, Chambersburg, Penn. South Gay Street Jan. 11, 11:25 p.m. Jerry W. Burns, 57, Gary Ind. Hilton Garden Drive at East Glenn Avenue Jan. 13, 2:18 a.m. Siloam Won, 24, South Korea Opelika Road Jan. 14, 12:15 a.m. Matthew D. Stewart, 22, Trafford, Ala. West Magnolia Avenue Jan. 14, 12:34 a.m. Christopher P. Bontrager, 23, Hartford, Conn. Armstrong Street at East Samford Avenue Jan. 14, 3:09 a.m. Timothy L. Pulliam, 44 South College Street Jan. 15, 11:23 p.m. Tony R. Echols, 46, Opelika Mitcham Avenue at College Street Jan. 15, 7:38 p.m. Anthony B. Massaro, 18, Roswell, Ga. North Gay Street Jan. 15, 2:27 a.m.

TOOMERS » From A1

bine any of the previous options. The survey also allowed respondents to write in their own comments and ideas. The results of the survey showed 29.3 percent favoring the replanting of large oak trees and 31.01 percent favoring the construction of an artificial tree or monument. Chris Piszczatoski, undeclared sophomore in science and math and student employee for Alumni Affairs, was in charge of reading and categorizing the responses to the survey, and he explained the results to the committee. “A lot of people who voted for the trees are very, very opposed to any sort of structure, but it doesn’t work the other way around,” Piszczatoski said. “People who voted for the structures are OK with having a natural tree.” Discussion was also raised as to whether live oaks—the species of the original Toomer’s oaks—were the best choice for the replacements. “Part of the reason for the decline of the live oaks prior to the poisoning was the species and the condition and the abuse,” said Gary Keever,

professor of horticulture and committee member. “There’s been a lot that those trees have been exposed to, and we’ve talked repeatedly about them being a species not particularly well adapted to this region. There are other species that would be far superior in that location than live oak.” Piszczatoski said most survey respondents did not specify the type of tree they wanted to see as a replacement. “A lot of people didn’t really have a preference to the type of tree that should replace it,” Piszczatoski said. “They just want a big tree to replace. A couple people said we should get something other than live oaks, but again, that was maybe 20 people had that kind of voice.” Keever said the poison could remain in the ground for five to seven years. He also said it could take the transplanted trees three to five years to establish themselves in their new location. Shaw said she does not know how long it will take for Gogue to make a final decision regarding the fate of Toomer’s Corner. Shaw also said it was not certain the same committee would be in charge of developing a temporary rolling recommendation.

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Thursday, January 19, 2012

ISO president breaks down budget This week, The Auburn Plainsman continues its examination of Student Activity Projects Chelsea Harvey CAMPUS EDITOR

The International Student Organization uses its funding primarily to host events for international and noninternational students alike. “I guess the name just says it all—the International Student Organization,” said Krushan Patel, ISO president. “It’s a nonmembership organization. International students are automatically part of it, so we get a mailing list so we can mail out the information and whatnot. But it’s not only restricted to international students. It’s open to everybody. So not just Auburn, but

CENSORSHIP » From A1

Philips said he was informed by his RA that the policy had been changed over the summer. The new policy specifies that dorm residents may not display any items in their windows. Article 1.4.5 in the 2011– 2012 Guide to Residential Living states: “Hanging or displaying items such as flags, banners, decals, or signs out of or obstructing residence hall windows is prohibited.” “But obviously they don’t enforce that policy completely,” Philips said. “You know, you can walk around The Hill and even see girls putting their sororities up in their window and ‘let it snow’ in their window. There’s even in my own dorm, there’s a picture of a skull, or a decal of a skull, in the window.” Philips said he contacted

SEVENTH » From A1

and Ernie turning into Bernie, and he did the dance to the Bernie song.” McGill said the entire Aubie team was in the front row when the first-place win was announced. “It was the same feeling for me as down in Arizona last year when our football team won the national championship,” Reynolds said. With the most UCA national championship titles at seven, Reynolds said Aubie’s success attracts imitators. “It’s a lot harder for Aubie to win the national cham-

and display our culture, tradition, just pictures and information, in the Student Center lobby, or if it’s out on the Concourse, which it has been in previous years,” Patel said. “You know, it’s just an event and we have all day. So, you know, we have kids walking in and out of the Student Center or up and down the Concourse, and they’ll be able to see this and learn about new cultures and traditions.” The Peace Dinner invites all international student organizations on campus to bring a food that represents their culture. “It’s free and it’s open to everybody,” Patel said. “But we did take a dollar from everybody to donate to the cause of the Committee of 19 or the World Food Bank. All the proceeds went to that. It’s a nonprofit event entirely. But there’s no real entrance, if somebody didn’t have a dollar we still let them in. So it’s just a chance for everybody to get to taste different food.” Patel said there are different events in the spring in-

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the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education and provided them with information and photographic evidence about his case. FIRE then used the information provided by Philips to write a letter to University President Jay Gogue about the possibility of unconstitutional censorship on campus. Philips said FIRE did receive a response from the University. “They pretty much said that they’re not going to change their policy and that they’re going to equally enforce the no banner policy,” Philips said. “But I haven’t seen much of a difference in that.” Philips said his belief in the lacking enforcement of the policy prompted FIRE to send a second letter to Gogue. “Also, with that letter that we wrote to Jay Gogue this time around we’ve had multiple people now writing letters

to Dr. Jay Gogue,” Philips said. “You can see it on Facebook. I’ve had friends and even people I don’t know putting it on their wall, telling people to take action, to write a letter to Dr. Gogue. So we’ll see how that goes.” “I can tell you that Auburn University is committed to uniformly enforcing policies,” said Amy Hecht Macchio, assistant vice president of Student Affairs. Macchio said any questions regarding the policy and its implementation would be best addressed to Housing and Residence Life. Representatives from Housing and Residence Life were unavailable for comment. Philips said his goal is for the current policy to not be enforced. He said his goal is not to have the policy enforced at all. “I don’t want to make peo-

ple take their banners down, but I just want to be able to express my support for Ron Paul as a presidential candidate just as well as people express their support for Auburn football or sororities or socials that are coming up,” Philips said. “So I just want to be able to equally express myself.” Philips said he hopes to make his case even more public now that it has received some attention. “I was on the front page of a number of websites when the article first came out in December, and now we’re going to try to get some attention from the local media,” Philips said. “Maybe write a press release to NBC or something, get them to come out and talk to me, because this is obviously unconstitutional to selectively censor certain speech, specific expressions.”

pionship because he sort of sets the bar,” Reynolds said. “I’ve been around it enough to know he’s a premiere mascot that other programs try to duplicate.” The UCA win comes after a loss in the Capital One Mascot Challenge to Wolfie Jr. of the University of Nevada, Reno. Reynolds said Aubie’s Capital One loss doesn’t accurately represent his ability as a mascot or the intense love Auburn fans have for him. “Aubie is a competitive mascot,” Reynolds said. “He wants to win everything, so anytime there’s a competition for a mascot we’ll be in there. With the support we get from

our students and our administration, Aubie should win everything.” McGill said Aubie stands out because he doesn’t just love Auburn athletics, he loves the Auburn students and community. “Aubie is run through the Student Government Association, unlike so many other schools where their mascot programs are run through athletics,” McGill said. “Although Aubie works very closely with athletics, he’s for the students and the Auburn family.” Reynolds said Aubie is more an ambassador of the Auburn spirit than a mascot.

“It wasn’t just that someone picked up the phone and said, ‘I want a tiger mascot. Shoot us a costume,’” Reynolds said. “He came from the pages of Phil Neel’s drawing for the basketball game program. That’s one thing that makes it so different. So much effort goes into everything Aubie does.” West said she hopes students will celebrate Aubie’s victory and take the time to watch him perform his skit at upcoming events. “We just want a lot of people to enjoy and relish this experience with us,” West said. “It’s not just for Aubie, it’s for all of Auburn.”

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cluding two sports tournaments—an outdoor soccer tournament and an indoor tournament featuring games such as chess, pool and table tennis. ISO also hosts a talent show in the spring. “The talent show is open to everybody,” Patel said. “They just gotta sign up and exhibit their talent. And we’ll also invite judges to judge the competition. So they’ll judge and then we’ll give out the prizes. But everybody else will come and watch the free entertainment.” Patel said the biggest event in the spring, however, is the Recognition Banquet. “It’s an event that recognizes the outstanding international students here at Auburn,” Patel said. “And so we get the information from each of their colleges, and I guess we give certificates to all of the students that get a GPA between 3.0 and 3.5, and then we give a different certificate

the community as well.” ISO has a list of line items in its budget for the various events it hosts throughout the year. Patel said “Social Hour” is ISO’s main event and is held throughout fall, spring and summer semesters. “So basically what social hour is, is it’s an event, and we provide food in some location and everybody gets together, international students and noninternational students,” Patel said. “But we also make announcements or we have somebody come and speak, or maybe there’ll be an event or something at Social Hour.” Social Hour is held every Friday at 4 p.m. in the Student Center, although the room number may change from week to week. Other major events in fall include the World’s Fair and the Peace Dinner. “It’s a chance for international students and noninternational students who originate from abroad or have an interest in a certain country abroad would set up a table

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Thursday, January 19, 2012

Conference to focus on immigration, diversity in Alabama Elizabeth Bonner Writer

The Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center is opening its doors to a discussion of history and immigration. The symposium, “Becoming Alabam: Immigration and Migration in a Deep South State,” will be held Thursday through Saturday. “We’re going to open with a workshop on genealogy,” said Jay Lamar, director of the Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts & Humanities. “That will be Thursday afternoon. All day Friday and Saturday there will be talks and presentations.” Registration for the confer-

ence is $50, but students may attend sessions—except those serving meals—for free. The symposium is part of the statewide initiative “Becoming Alabama,” which seeks to increase public understanding of Alabama history and the importance of the Creek War, the Civil War and the civil rights movement. “Obviously there’s quite a political interest in (immigration and migration) today,” said Charles Israel, chair of the history department. “We wanted to look at it historically, not just as a new issue disconnected from the past.” Though now a controversial topic in Alabama politics, Lamar said the theme was se-

lected before the recent immigration law came into the public eye. “What we hope is that if we take a historical perspective on the theme, we can get really good background and context for looking at where we are today,” Lamar said. “The idea is that we can look at these past 200 years of Alabama history and link that to the present.” Isabel Wilkerson, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of “The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration,” will be the keynote speaker. Paulette Dilworth, assistant vice president of Access and Community Initiatives, said the book highlights an impor-

tant period of American history that is often untold. “From about 1915 to 1970 there was a huge exodus of about 6 million people, and a lot of African-Americans in the South migrated to the North for better opportunities socially and economically,” Dilworth said. “You could think of it as immigration in our own land. When you think of immigration, you think people are leaving because they think they’re going to a better place.” Dilworth said “The Warmth of Other Suns” reflects the general theme of the conference. “One thing she captures, which goes to the heart of the symposium itself, is although her book focuses on the Afri-

can-American experience, it’s a universal story and distinctly an American story,” Dilworth said. “We didn’t all come over on the same boat, but we’re all on the same boat now. How did we become Alabama? People migrated to this state.” Lamar said she hopes the conference will reveal the diversity among Alabamians. “Alabama is not really seen as a deeply diverse state, but in fact it really is,” Lamar said. “Over the last 200 years many different nationalities—Spanish, French, African, Swedish, Greek and Southeast Asian— have come to Alabama, and each one has left a mark. “The reflections of those nationalities can be see in our

food, music, education system, civics and language. The more we learn about our history, the better we have an understanding of who we are as a state and who we are as the citizens.”

L-Building demolition likely to yield additional parking garage John Holtrop Writer

The L-Building, constructed in 1923 with donated materials, borrowed equipment and $1,500 contributed by faculty and staff, is set to be demolished. Home to Photographic Services, Information Technology User Services, Digital Repair and Engineering Network Services, the L-Building also provides workspace for the aerospace, chemical and mechanical engineering programs. “The timeline for demolition is not absolutely defined,” said University architect Greg Parsons. “There are a few functions, like the aerospace wind tunnel, that need to be relocated. As soon as that happens it will be torn down.” Parsons said the condition

of the building is the main reason for its removal. It is difficult to heat and cool because of poor insulation, and shifting floor tiles have created an uneven surface. Additionally, the L-Building, located between Foy Hall and the Engineering Shops, occupies a valuable piece of land in a central part of campus. “The building was built originally as a shop and served its purpose well,” Parsons said. “However, it is not a building that has sufficient qualities such as historical or sentimental value … The master plan now suggests a parking garage, and this will be the likely outcome. The parking committee will recommend how this garage and other lots and garages on campus will be zoned.”

Rebecca Croomes / Photo Editor

The L-Building, built in 1923, is set to be demolished after plans are finished for the relocation of its occupants. The L-Building currently houses Photographic Services, IT User Services, Digital Repair and Engineering Network Services, as well as workspace for several engineering programs.

Most occupants of the LBuilding have already moved to nearby buildings.

“Engineering Network Services will relocate to Ross Hall this semester,” said Shannon

Price, information technology master specialist. “Photographic Services relocated to

Foy, OIT to the new OIT building and research labs relocated to Ross, Wilmore and Shelby Phase II.” Some of these moves are a result of the Shelby Center completion. “The relocation of the labs and offices that used the LBuilding will place them closer to the rest of the engineering buildings, and in much nicer facilities,” said Seth Neil, senior in software engineering. Once all functions are relocated the project will have little impact on students and faculty. “The area will be eventually fenced in to allow for demolition and construction of other structures,” Parsons said. “People will be detoured around a defined and signed area.”

Danielle Lowe / Assistant Photo Editor

Alessio Summerfield (left) recently founded the New Media Club with help from adviser Kelly Walker.

Media club a new alternative to technical classes, majors Becky Hardy Campus Beat Reporter

A new organization on campus is reaching out to students who want firsthand experience with media production technology. The New Media Club exists “primarily as a way to provide students with more hands-on learning for A/V production, software and hardware training and real-world applications,” said Alessio Summerfield, president of the organization and junior in radio, television and film. “Like recording a band or filming a live event, as well as for learning about intangible things like social media, by shadowing professionals like our adviser, Kelly Walker, and any guest speakers we might have.” The components of new media vary, Summerfield said. “Social media, audio, video, streaming content, web design and graphic design are definitely all a part of new media, but new media is also more broad than that, and that’s the beauty of the club,” Summerfield said.

The club holds a weekly meeting where they discuss projects each member is working on and decide which projects the group will assist with. “In between meetings we work on projects that students spearhead,” Summerfield said. “Just recently we filmed a live music video for local band Adventure the Great at The Gnu’s Room solely with cellphones—iPhones, Androidbased phones and even flip phones.” More than only project building occurs at the weekly meetings. “Having the opportunity to meet every week keeps us focused on projects that we want to do, discuss topics about different sorts of media or trends in the world of media and bonds us as a group,” said Nathan Simone, junior in journalism. The club also hosts various seminars and tutorials on how to use certain software, the tools and resources available on campus and, recently, establishing a web presence with a website.

“Without being in the appropriate major, and sometimes even in the appropriate majors, students don’t get the experiences that they need for real-world environments and projects through sitting in class,” Summerfield said. “So they should have an outlet and learning environment to work on fun projects that they handpick.” Members also recognize the value of the new organization. “I was tired of being technologically ignorant,” Simone said. “Everyone in New Media Club seems to have their own special niche of media that they like. Alessio … is well versed in film and editing techniques.” Summerfield said he hopes the organization’s members will have a lasting impact in Auburn. “I’d like to help build up the list of guest speakers that Auburn University has had,” Summerfield said. “And I’d like to see students teaching themselves and using that knowledge to do some really wonderful work in, around and outside of the Auburn area.”

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Thursday, January 19, 2012

Community

Mud Mania takes 5K to new level Alison McFerrin Community Beat Reporter

A new down-and-dirty event is coming to Auburn in March. “Mud runs are gaining popularity everywhere,” said event coordinator Gabe Gotthelf. “If you come out and run it, you’ll think that’s the most fun you’ve had in a while.” Mud Mania is happening March 31 at Southern Springs Equine Farm, about three miles from Auburn University campus. Gotthelf and his wife decided to bring the event to Auburn after participating in the Warrior Dash in northern Georgia. “There was 12,000 people that ran,” Gotthelf said. “So we’re trying to

bring that here.” The event will be organized into 14 heats spaced 30 minutes apart. “The struggle that we will probably encounter is bottlenecking along the route,” said event coordinator Janie Marino. “By looking at where we’ve placed the obstacles, we’ve tried to really keep it in mind so that we’re not having people wait in line for the obstacles and eat up their time.” The 5K will feature more than 20 obstacles, most designed to be challenging, but not impossible. “You’re nervous about what to expect,” Gotthelf said. “When you’re running and you see the obstacle, it’s nothing you can’t finish. It’s nothing

you can’t accomplish.” Obstacles throughout the 120acre horse farm will include creeks, ponds, hay bales and climbing walls. “Everyone needs to do it,” said Elizabeth Orantes, sophomore in sociology pre-law. “Some people are scared because it’s a 5K, but it’s not that hard. It’s more about having fun with your team than racing through the finish.” Orantes said she competed in the Warrior Dash last May. “My team dressed up in costumes, and by the end of the race we were covered in mud from head to toe,” she said. Gotthelf said he hopes people will

Event info

Mud Mania will take place March 31 at Southern Springs Equine Farm. The 5K will include more than 20 obstacles throughout the 120-acre horse farm. dress up for Mud Mania. “Guys and girls are encouraged to put something crazy together,” Gotthelf said. He said he’s seen people participate as Waldo, in tutus and even as a bride and groom. Orantes will be dressing up and participating with her sorority. “We are thinking about doing something with neon,” Orantes said.

“Maybe neon bandanas and neon shorts and socks—just something to help us stand out a lot.” Costumes should be something that can get dirty. “Because it is a horse farm there are several big horse arenas, and one of those big arenas we are going to flood and make it the biggest mud pit, mud crawl you’ve ever seen,” Gotthelf said. “We wanted to make sure there are enough obstacles on this course to make it fun and to make it something you remember.” Registration for the event is $40, which includes a T-shirt and other

» See Mud, A6

Perched on possibilities Workshops offer a new way to look at jewelry shopping Sydney Callis Writer

Rebecca Croomes / Photo Editor

Cary Curtiss, left, owns and operates Yarnhouse Studio in downtown Opelika with her mother Anne Sockwell. The studio hosts classes and workshops while supplying locals with yarn offered in a variety of colors.

Cary Curtiss knits together a business in the Opelika historic district Kristen Oliver Community Editor

After six years in Texas, Auburn alumna Cary Curtiss didn’t expect to come back to the Plains. “I just moved back to Alabama after six years in Texas, where I was in graduate school for South Asian studies,” Curtiss said. “It was really interesting. I studied modern Indian history and culture. In the meantime I learned to knit, and I really loved it.” Curtiss made the move with her husband and mother. “My mom also moved out there, and we both ended up working in a yarn store out there that was on a working alpaca ranch,” she said. “It was really interesting, and we both learned a huge amount about the

craft, but also the business.” Curtiss’ husband was hired last year as a chemistry professor at Auburn. After returning to Alabama, Curtiss used the knowledge she gained on the ranch to open Yarnhouse Studio in downtown Opelika. She and her mother both work in the store and specialize in different techniques. “We both knit and crochet, and then we each have a little specialization,” Curtiss said. “Mine is spinning—spinning yarn on the spinning wheel—and hers is weaving. We do it together.” Curtiss said she felt like opening the store was the right thing to do once she was here. “When we moved here I went online and I was like, ‘OK, great, I’ll find out where the local yarn store is and maybe I can get a job there,’” she said. “There weren’t any, all the way to Birmingham, Atlanta or Mobile. Then it seemed so obvious. There really needed to be one. I ended up switching paths, and here I am.” Curtiss said she loves the dynamic she and her customers have. “It’s nice because we’re all adults at this point, and everybody comes together and it’s just a bunch of friends,”

» See People, A6

Each week Perch Bead Shoppe and Design Studio hold workshops to teach the basics of jewelry making. Owner Barbara Birdsong established Perch in 2009. After making jewelry for 12 years, Birdsong saw an opportunity to open the bead store she’d always wanted when her husband retired from the Air Force. “I think what makes our bead studio a little different is that it’s like a studio,” Birdsong said. “We have all the tools and everything for you to sit and enjoy someone else’s company while creating.” Upcoming events include wire wrapping and stringing workshops Saturday, Wednesday and Jan. 28. All workshops are free; students only pay for the materials used. “When I first opened Perch, a lot of people who were coming didn’t have any skills,” Birdsong said. “I have a lot of regulars now, and it’s fun to see what they’re making and the levels they’ve gone.” Birdsong teaches several basic jewelry-making techniques at her workshops. “Wire wrapping is basically the most basic technique in constructing most of the type of jewelry in this store,” Birdsong said. Birdsong’s daughter, Hannah, not only works at the shop and helps her with the workshops, but also models the jewelry on the Perch website. “I make some of the jewelry,” Hannah said. “My mom’s taught me everything I know.” Perch has a variety of semi-precious gems and stones including freshwater pearls, which Birdsong said are the most popular. Precious

Danielle Lowe / Assistant Photo Editor

Barbara Birdsong, owner of Perch Bead Shoppe, opened her jewelry workshop in 2009. She holds weekly jewelry-making classes in her store.

metals, silk and leather are also available for designing original jewelry. “I think people like to come in here and make jewelry so much because you can make it completely personalized,” said Maggie Jerome, junior in nutrition. “You can come out with a piece that’s really unique, and no one else is going to have that.” Hand stamping is another popular activity at the store. Jerome said people enjoy stamping monograms or little sayings on pieces of copper or other metals to add to jewelry. Birdsong looks to offer a hand

stamping workshop at Perch in February. Also, every Thursday at 11 a.m. the ladies of Perch get together for beads and bagels. “Beads and bagels is a chance to sit and hang out and work on a project while I’m around to help, if you need it,” Birdsong said. Perch’s workshops are offered weekly. “We want it to be like a studio where you can come and perch yourself for a while and enjoy creating,” Birdsong said.

Nonprofit organizers help charitable decide how to give Abigail O’Brien Writer

Haiti’s earthquake. Children who need mentors in after-school programs. Orphans in China. A place for artists to thrive somewhere other than New York City. Nonprofit charities exist to help all of these needs and more, but many donors wonder if a charity organization is legitimate and how their money is used after writing the check. “You’ve got to see some personal side of the organization,” said Doc Waller, executive artistic director and founder of The Layman Group. TLG is a nonprofit arts organization founded by Waller to encourage the development of art and creativity in Alabama. Waller started the volunteer organization after realizing too many artists view places like New York City as the only outlet for artistic growth. Waller said legitimate charity organizations must have transparency, reputation, structure, social networking and a good website. “Nowadays the website is No. 1,”

Waller said. “I’ve designed (TLG’s) website 30,000 times.” Waller said a legitimate charity will value a donor based on their gift, not its amount. “(The charity) will show that they are interested in what you say, no matter what you give to them,” he said. Danny Aubin, director of the Potter-Daniel Unit of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Lee County, agrees with Waller. “We’re just thankful we’re getting a donation,” Aubin said. The Boys & Girls Clubs of America is a 150-year-old nonprofit charity organization. Aubin advised donors to evaluate a charity’s affiliations and marketing before contributing. CharityNavigator.org can help potential donors decide when and to which nonprofits to support. It provides categorized lists of hundreds of charities and allows users to submit feedback documenting their giving experiences. The site suggests donors be proactive in their giving, obtain copies of

the charity’s financial records and it stresses the importance of picking a charity and sticking with it in order to maximize the benefits. Linda Blakely, projects and administrative director for Storybook Farms, said it was important to give where a donor’s interests are. Storybook Farms is a nonprofit faith-based organization that provides equine therapy for children with mental, physical or emotional needs. “You need to have a connection with the charity you’re donating to,” Blakely said. Blakely graduated from Auburn in December 2010 with a degree in human development and family studies and said she has always loved kids. “That’s what draws me to a place,” she said. Blakely said to be careful donating to a charity if a previous donation targeted toward a certain result has not been produced. In other words, be sure of the charity’s legitimacy. Blakely also stressed the importance of giving to nonprofits despite

“

You need to have a connection with the charity you’re donating to.”

Top 10 Charities

that rely on private donations

—Linda Blakely Project and administrative Coordinator, storybook farms

the current economic situation. “For us, even just a little bit goes a long way,” Blakely said. Waller agrees and encourages donors not to slack during hard times. “If you don’t (give), you get away from validating the people in organizations who are holding on to the most valuable things in our community,” Waller said. “There’s nothing worse than not being able to recognize the great things around you.” Waller encourages others not to lose sight of the important things. “Nonprofits are the listening ears of the community,” Waller said. “You cut off the ears and you lose the balance.”

1. Fisher House Foundation 2. The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International 3. Homes for Our Troops 4. Keep a Child Alive 5. Hampton Roads Community Foundation 6. Feed My Starving Children 7. Special Operations Warrior Foundation 8. Community Partners International ( formerly named the Foundation for the People of Burma) 9 . WaterAid America 10. North Carolina Community Foundation (Source: CharityNavigator.org)

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The Auburn Plainsman

Thursday, January 19, 2012

The king of rock ‘n’ roll lives on Robert E. Lee Sports Beat Reporter

The king of rock ‘n’ roll is gone, but professional entertainer David Lee shows fans what the king was all about. “What we do is basically, in a nutshell, is we try to recreate what an Elvis concert would have been like,” Lee said. “For either those people who went to one and want to relive some memories, or people who have never seen one and want to see what Elvis was like.” Opelika’s Event Center Downtown will host Lee Jan. 27 at 7 p.m., and center coowner Lisa Beck said they have already received some

positive feedback. “Somebody in the community had been telling me about him for a while,” Beck said. “I think he is going to be great. I think he will put on a great show.” Originally from Birmingham, Lee said when he was a teenager most kids knew about Elvis, but his exposure came a little later. “I wasn’t that way. I wasn’t exposed to it until my early 20s,” Lee said. “The guy I worked with was a big—I mean big—Elvis fan. Eventually some of the songs started rubbing off on me, and I would go to lunch with him and he’d play Elvis every time

I’d get in the car.” Lee eventually began collecting Elvis items and has amassed more than 10,000 pieces of memorabilia. “One thing led to another and someone asked me about singing, and I didn’t really sing,” Lee said. “And then next thing you know I was singing and someone told me I sound like Elvis. So there I went from doing it at birthday parties and stuff just for fun to turning it into a career.” Lee began his career performing as Elvis in 1995 and has played in 43 states and many major cities including Philadelphia, New York, Pittsburgh and Biloxi, Miss.

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“I’ve had people come to the show before that were drug by someone else and said, ‘Aw, my sister made me come and I didn’t want to come,’ and end up loving it,” Lee said. Performances consist of Lee singing Elvis’s top hits, but interaction with the crowd and dancing with audience members are commonplace. “The main thing for me is to try and make it fun for the people coming to the show,” Lee said. “I don’t know all the songs word-for-word because he had over 800 and something, but I do know a little over probably 400 and some-

People » From A5

she said. “We’ll have knitting groups or crafting groups sometimes and everyone will bring what they’re working on. It’s a really nice space for getting away from everything.” Customers range from college students to men and women in their 70s. “I can knit,” said Amanda Healy, junior in pre-nursing. “It’s really fun and I love the idea of a store dedicated to learning how to do these things better.” The studio is not only for those with experience, however. “We do a lot of individual classes that are the same price (as group classes),” Curtiss said. “Most classes are $20 and it’s for two hours.” Curtiss said she’s glad to be back in the Auburn area with her own business. “Local business owners with an Auburn history are

thing of them.” One of the most authentic qualities of Elvis was his original jumpsuits, and Lee incorporates them in nearly every show. “Most people want to see the jumpsuit Elvis,” Lee said. “Elvis actually had about 111 different jumpsuits.” Although Lee believes in performing just as the king did, he admits Elvis was a special individual. “You could mix all of the Elvis tribute artists in a big bowl and still wouldn’t come out with Elvis,” Lee said. “We’re just trying to carry on and relive his memory the best we can.”

“

It’s nice because we’re all adults at this point, and everybody comes together and it’s just a bunch of friends.” —Cary Curtiss Owner, Yarnhouse studio

the best,” Healy said. “They just understand the Auburn spirit and community.” Curtiss said she’s especially excited to be in downtown Opelika. “I love being back,” she said. “I didn’t even think we would come back. We weren’t trying to. It just worked out that way. “This is where we met, my husband and I. At the time, Opelika especially wasn’t anything like it is now. “I love historic downtowns, so I’m just really pumped to be here.”

Mud

» From A5

goodies. “Each racer will receive a race bag, compliments of Big Dog racing, and we’re hoping to stuff as many coupons and free stuff as we can from our sponsors so that the racers have something to go home with,” Gotthelf said. “You get the T-shirt. You get a lot of pictures. You get the memories from it.” For the Greek community, another incentive may be the Greek challenge, open to fraternity and sorority teams of 25 members or more. The fraternity and sorority with the fastest average finishing times will be given $500 for their philanthropies, Gotthelf said. Marino said they are also hoping to attract groups from the surrounding areas, like Atlanta, Birmingham and Montgomery. Not one to miss out, Marino and other event coordinators are also planning to compete. “My biggest challenge is going to be the creek run crawl out,” Marino said. “I can run through the creek, I just don’t know that I’m going to get myself out of it.” For people who want to stay mud-free but still have a good time, there will be a spectator area. Spectator tickets cost $10. Live bands will be playing, and Momma Goldberg’s will sell food. Gotthelf said spectators will be able to see several of the big obstacles, but he had a message for people unsure about participating. “It’s just mud,” Gotthelf said. “Some people are like, ‘I don’t like running. I don’t want to get muddy.’ It’s just mud. We’ll have washing stations there. You wash off, you go home and take a shower, you’re clean again.” Registration ends Feb. 29, and more information can be found on the event’s Facebook page.

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Thursday, January 19, 2012

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Partisan charges diminish MLK’s fight

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The legacy of MLK is again being tarnished by bigotry from the left. Joy-Ann Reid, managing editor of NBCUniversal-owned theGrio.com, took the set on MSNBC’s “NOW with Alex Wanger” on King’s birthday. Wrapped in her cloak of partisanship, Reid decried Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney for— get this—giving money to a woman in need. The reason the act “galled” Reid: the woman was black. Ruth Williams had been volunteering at one of Romney’s South Carolina campaign offices, and upon meeting him at a rally in Sumter and telling Romney of her financial hardship, the candidate gave her around $50 from his own pocket. Rather than salute the act as one of Christian kindness, Reid said it played into “every sort of patronizing stereotype of black people” and, in a column later that day, likened it to Romney “flicking a quarter at Ms. Williams” and reinforcing a conservative stereotype of blacks as “dependent, childlike and constantly in search of handouts.” Reid and her like-minded friends— progressive talking heads whose only explanation to Obama’s unpopularity is the seething and unadulterated Civil War-era racism inherent in the right (and the South)—are an affront to the dream. These constant, baseless and vitriolic accusations are corrosive to the process of improving race relations in America, only serving to dissuade whites from speaking openly on the subject in the first place for fear of the left-brandished and ever-present stigma of “racist.”

America staying true to its legacy with ‘Red Tails’ film Why do we put so much emphasis on diversity? It’s found a place in nearly every business, government and educational institution in the United States. Our University goes as far as to cover TigerTransit buses in advertisements for the Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs. Why should they go through such trouble? The injustice of the past is gone. There is no discrimination that’s enforced legally. We can all vote. We can all walk the streets and intermingle, and we can all hold respectable jobs. Although government-sanctioned discrimination is gone, we must still recognize the importance of diversity in our organizations and our lives. We believe there are excellent reasons for giving such weight to diversity. America is such a strong nation because of the different ideas and perspectives that invigorate us. The starkly different Europeans, Africans, Middle Eastern and Far Eastern cultures and people that made their way to our fledgling nation allowed it to grow. The

mixing of these cultures has given us the versatility of which all Americans can be proud. All of this is why we were pleased to see George Lucas’s new film “Red Tails,” coming to theaters. As Alabamians we’re familiar with the story of the Tuskegee Airmen, and we’re glad this powerful story of courageous Alabama men is being told across the country. However, not all Americans are aware of this group. We hope “Red Tails” creates new opportunities for filmmakers using new and different casts to promote American values and multiculturalism. We believe this story—and others like it—need to be told. People who are of different races and come from different walks of life respond to pressure differently. It is this we must be aware of. The awareness of our diversity gives us the understanding of the different approaches each of us have to life. We develop a richer culture when we’re able to see and understand the experiences of our countrymen. America is in the truly unique place of being the melting pot of

the world for all cultures and races. We believe any person on the planet can find a life for themselves here—it’s why people continue to immigrate to our nation. For this reason we believe the individual has a responsibility to diversify him or herself. It was Martin Luther King Jr.’s wish that a man would be judged by the content of his character and not by the color of his skin. We cannot be prepared to appreciate the cultural differences of others if we are unable to understand those differences. We as citizens have a responsibility to accept other cultures as they accept ours. A person may have a different skin color than you, but chances are they share the same hopes and worries and day-to-day problems. Reach out to them as you would a member of your own race or culture, and most often they’ll be glad you did. Move beyond your comfort zone and engage someone you normally wouldn’t. Learn something new about a people you don’t understand. As you do, you will be carrying on the American spirit as you do.

Saying no to Keystone King’s legacy demands more Nick Bowman

than one day of observation

opinion@ theplainsman.com

Shakeer Abdullah President Obama has denied the permit for the Keystone oil pipeline. The rejection makes sense, as we have other industries in which we can place our support and trust. Industries like solar power and electric and hybrid vehicles. We should continue to put our tax dollars to work supporting companies like Solyndra as they flare in and out of existence faster than GOP candidates. Why should we bother with oil pipelines when we can gamble tax dollars away on houses of solar-powered cards? In any case, we won’t need the pipeline once we’re all driving Chevy Volts, which we can charge with environmentally friendly coal. The bonus is that we’ll never need another cash-for-clunkers program because we’ll go through two Volts a year. Obama’s policy just keeps on giving. Once the Strait of Hormuz is closed and we run out of foreign oil, we can warm ourselves with the warm glow of smoldering Volt batteries.

Director, multicultural center

The celebration of Dr. King’s life and the impact he still has to this day should not be lost on our University community. Many of the opportunities that we have to interact with each other on a day to day basis are the result of Dr. King’s and many unsung civil rights heroes like Medgar Evers’, the Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth’s and many others’ efforts. Dr. King’s holiday is a tribute to all who fought and lost their livelihoods, homes, education and lives for civil rights. It is important to highlight the achievements of black Americans on days like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s holiday, weeks like these and throughout February, but we need to be reminded that black history is American history, and it should be celebrated and studied year-round. And we need to be reminded that the Civ-

il Rights movement was not just a black thing. Opportunities to celebrate Black culture and the Civil Rights movement are unifying and help the world to learn about the experiences, accomplishments, sacrifices and opportunities that these great Americans made to our society. They had the audacity to speak truth to power and affect profound legal and societal change that has improved our country. In spite of our best intentions, I recognize that laws and statutes don’t change people’s minds and hearts, but they can change their actions and habits. I was not alive during the era of “Jim Crow,” a time when laws required blacks and whites to remain separate in their social and professional lives. I did not live in an era when black men were required to step off of the curb in deference to whites. I never heard Dr. King speak in person. That was not in my lifetime, he died 44 years ago. Some of your parents and grandparents and other relatives were alive during this time, and many had no problems with the way things were and

chafe at the way things are today because of Dr. King’s efforts. It is my hope that the people who still pass on racist ideals are becoming fewer and farther between because the Jim Crow era showed us that all people have to give up their humanity for a system like that to work. Laws that prevent common decency and common courtesy are detrimental to all in a society. (Kind of like the immigration statues currently being challenged in Alabama.) I have been able to benefit from all of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s work and we all have over the course of our lives. I have been able to listen to his speeches and read about his life and philosophies. It is safe to say that we live in a better America because of Dr. King. We must heed the lessons that King taught us, the lessons of interracial cooperation, interfaith support, anti-poverty efforts and peaceful dissent. All of these lessons are appropriate today given our national and global climate and remind us of what Dr. King said about leadership: “We can lead because we can all serve.”

Mom and pop stores are too rare Alison Mcferrin news@ theplainsman.com

Sometimes I think South College Street must be cursed. What is it with businesses in that part of town? Maybe it’s not as uncommon as it seems to me. Maybe the come and go of businesses between the south end of campus and the interstate is just natural turnover, and it happens similarly no matter where you are. But I’ve only lived in Auburn for three and a half years, and it’s frustrating to see the way some businesses have struggled to survive. I’m not an economist, so I don’t necessarily know the ins and outs of what makes a business succeed or fail. That’s why I was befuddled when Santa Fe closed. The way I saw it, that restaurant was always hopping. It was a great place to get a decent sit-down meal without having to drive out to Tiger Town. But for whatever reason, it didn’t make it. And it doesn’t look like University Grill is faring much better. Santa Fe wasn’t the only struggling business in that part of town. The building that now houses The Oaks has been a number of different restaurants. El Dorado used to be Milano’s, which used to be Johnny Carino’s. Do people on South College Street just not enjoy eating? Of course, it’s not just restaurants. The car dealerships have also moved. Sometimes I start feeling a personal responsibility for helping the local places succeed. It’s silly, I know. I can’t ensure growing profit for any business, but it does make me sad when places like Santa Fe become a thing of the past. It’s the smaller, local places that really need the business. By buying local, Auburn and Opelika residents can ensure that the Plains doesn’t feature only wellknown chains, but also the stores that give a place its own unique flavor. After all, you can find an O’Charley’s or Olive Garden almost anywhere. Mrs. Story’s Dairy Bar and Jim Bob’s Chicken Fingers are a bit more rare. Without these local businesses Auburn and Opelika would become cookie cutter cities with little to distinguish them from any other Smalltown, U.S.A.

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New coach for lacrosse » Page B3

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Thursday, January 19, 2012

B1 Sports

Inconsistent play plagues Tigers Getting

defensive

Auburn to continue SEC play against Gamecocks Robert E. Lee Sports Beat Reporter

The Tigers are looking to improve their SEC record Saturday against South Carolina. The Gamecocks have lost their last three games and are in last place in the conference. Auburn (11–7, 1–3) won last year’s meeting in Columbia 79– 64. South Carolina (8–9, 0–3) used center Sam Muldrow to take advantage of Auburn’s front line last

Coleman McDowell sports@ theplainsman.com

year, but after losing him in the off-season the Gamecocks are looking to forwards Damontre Harris or Lakeem Jackson to take Muldrow’s place in the paint. South Carolina is averaging almost 70 points per game this season. Auburn’s front line has been its strength at times, but starters Adrian Forbes, senior forward, and Rob Chubb, junior center,

» See gamecocks, B2

REBECCA CROOMES / PHOTO EDITOR

Sophomore forward Josh Langford drives on Kentucky forward Darius Miller during last week’s contest against the Wildcats. Langford contributed four points in the 68–53 loss.

Arkansas brings youth to conference match Robert E. Lee Sports Beat Reporter

Arkansas will enter Wednesday’s game against the Tigers with one of SEC’s most potent offensive weapons: guard BJ Young. Young was named SEC Freshman of the Week two weeks ago and is the team’s second-leading scorer behind forward Marshawn Powell. Young has three games with 20 or more points and tallied 28 points against defending national champions UConn earlier this season. Also, the star freshman is shooting almost 44 percent from threepoint range. In 2010, Auburn found themselves in a shootout with Arkansas

at home, winning 92–83, but lost as the visiting team 73–64 in Fayetteville. The Razorbacks have won eight of their last 10 games, and coach Mike Anderson said his team is prepared for the difficult stretch of conference play. “The intensity: it goes up 10 notches,” Anderson said. “You’re in a race, and hopefully, you want to be there when everything is said and done.” Eight out of 12 players for the razorbacks are freshmen, and Anderson understands the learning curve involved with a young team. “We’re a work in progress,” An-

» See arkansas, B2

For a defense to be a feared unit, it must have a calling card, a reputation, a personality to hang its hat on. Alabama’s defense is renowned for having athletes with freakish size and speed combinations at each position. An LSU defense is characterized by superior speed all over the field. For the past three years Auburn’s defensive identity under Ted Roof was a unit that was sloppy, routinely misaligned and missed tackles upon tackles. Though opportunistic, the defense set records—the bad kind of records—during Roof’s stint from 2009–11. That will change in 2012. New defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder will bring back the defense that Auburn fans have yearned for since Will Muschamp’s 2006–07 defenses. VanGorder’s defensive schemes will mesh better with coach Chizik’s mentality than Roof’s, and hopefully the unity of philosophies will improve the results on the field. The main reason to hope for improvement in 2012 will be the lack of departing contributors from the 2011 team. Starting linebacker Eltoro Freeman and starting safety Neiko Thorpe will be the only Tigers absent from the field next year. In defensive line coach Mike Pelton’s first year, Corey Lemonier became the speed rusher every defensive coordinator covets and was voted All-SEC First Team in his sophomore year. Lemonier joins sophomore defensive end Nosa Eguae and sophomore defensive tackles Jeff Whitaker and Ken Carter to give Auburn an experienced front four. Freshmen Gabe Wright and Angelo Blackson were thrown into the fire this season and give the Tigers four strong options at defensive tackle in 2012. Junior Dee Ford, sophomore Craig Sanders, redshirt freshmen Justin Delaine and LaDarius Owens and freshman Devaunte Sigler give Auburn as deep a defensive end rotation its had

» See 2012, B2

Women’s basketball participates in ‘We Back Pat’ week Patrick Tighe Sports Beat Reporter

The Auburn women’s basketball team faces South Carolina and Mississippi State in its next two contests. The Tigers’ (9–8, 0–5) next game will be at home against the Gamecocks (14–4, 3–2) Thursday at 6 p.m. in the Auburn Arena. South Carolina is coming off consecutive losses against Kentucky and LSU after winning their previous eight games, and the Gamecocks are led by senior guard Markeshia Grant, who is averaging 9.6 points per game as the team’s top scorer. Auburn will also look to use a freshman guard in Hasin Mu-

hammed, who is averaging almost 10 points and 1.8 blocks per game, to control the pace of the game on both ends of the court. Muhammed said Auburn has helped her to achieve her goals this season. “Auburn is way different than high school and AAU,” Muhammad said. “The intensity level is so much more physical. From the first game of the season to the last game I think I have progressed. I am just coming along. I want to be SEC Freshman of the Year.” The game against the Gamecocks will be played in honor of University of Tennessee women’s basketball coach Pat Summitt, who is fighting

rebecca croomes / photo editor

Sophomore guard Camille Glymph sets up the offense against the Bulldogs.

the early stages of dementia. “We Back Pat” is a weeklong awareness drive focused on promoting the Pat Summitt Foundation Fund and the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, each of which is battling against Alzheimer’s disease. “Pat Summitt is a leader both on and off the court,” said SEC Commissioner Mike Slive. “The establishment of the Pat Summitt Foundation Fund only reiterates this point. “We are pleased that the Southeastern Conference can play a small part in helping Pat reach her goals for The Foundation Fund today and in the future.” The South Carolina game will also be the first of many “green games” this season. Fans are encouraged to bring used cellphones to benefit the National Collation Against Domestic Violence. The “green games” are multiple promotional events that address issues prevalent in the Auburn and global community. Representatives will be at the Auburn Arena doors Thursday and at the Jan. 26 game against Kentucky to accept cellphone donations. The next “green game” will be Feb. 2 against Vanderbilt and will promote EYEsee, which collects eyeglass frames to donate to children in underprivileged countries. “The Auburn family includes some of the best fans in the world and we have a great group of them that come to our games,” said coach Nell Fortner. “We thought this was an excellent way for us to use the exposure we get

rebecca croomes / photo editor

Sophomore forward Tyrese Tanner drives to the hoop against a Georgia defenderJan. 8. The Tigers lost the game 70–45.

at our games to assist some great causes in our community. “We have two programs here that use recycling to help groups of people that are in need, and I think that is a win-win for everyone.” The Tigers’ match following South Carolina will be against Mississippi State (11–6, 1–3) in Starkville at 2 p.m. Sunday.

Like the Gamecocks, the Bulldogs have also lost to Kentucky and LSU in recent weeks and have lost two of their last six games. Auburn will look to sophomore guard Tyrese Tanner to play well against Mississippi State. Tanner has scored in double digits the past two

» See Preview B2

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The Auburn Plainsman

2012

» From B1 in recent memory. This will undoubtedly be the main area of improvement next season. The linebacker core will be more of a wait-and-see approach. Auburn will miss Freeman’s reckless abandon when it came to finding whoever was carrying the ball and will instead rely on rising junior Jake Holland to take full command of the defense. Holland was riddled with various injuries that caused him to give up his starter status to Freeman midway through the season, but Holland’s speed at the middle linebacker position is an ideal fit for Chizik’s Cover-2 defense. Juniors Darren Bates and Jonathan Evans will be pushed by youngsters Jawara White, Kris Frost, Chris Landrum and Justin Garrett for playing time. The secondary also will sport many familiar faces. Junior T’Sharvan Bell is already off his crutches and is on schedule to make a full recovery from the knee injury he suffered against Georgia last November. Chris Davis, defensive MVP of the Chik-fil-A Bowl, will start opposite Bell. Behind both starters lie younger, but perhaps more talented, players in Jonathan Rose, Robenson Therezie and Jermaine Whitehead. The experience gained from this season will pay dividends for the Tigers in 2012. Even after being physically dominated this season, the snaps against SEC offenses will turn these highly ranked players’ potential into results on the field. Another advantage VanGorder has is that his defense won’t be handcuffed by the frantic pace of a Gus Malzahn offense. VanGorder will have an abundance of talent at his disposal. We’ll just have to see how he uses it.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Horsing around with Helfer Robert E. Lee Sports Beat Reporter

Lisa Helfer’s passion for horses started with something a little smaller. “I got a pony when I was eight and I just fell in love with it,” Helfer said. “I don’t think my parents ever expected that a free pony would lead this far, Helfer but I just became very passionate about horses at a young age and it stuck with me.” Helfer was promoted last week from assistant coach to associate coach of the equestrian team, and her experience comes from many places. “I worked in Florida and Pennsylvania—working within the industry training and giving lessons,” Helfer said. “I have been to different states, but collegiately just

gamecocks » From B1

haven’t been able to stay out of foul trouble long enough to make an impact late in games. After losing to Vanderbilt three days following Auburn’s loss to the Commodores, Gamecocks coach Darrin Horn said his team needs to continue to work on playing a complete game. “We’ve got to continue to find a way to put all those good things together over the course of 40 minutes,” Horn said. “It’s going to continue to be a challenge to have guys

Miami-Ohio and Auburn.” The team won the equestrian national championship last year with Helfer contributing her knowledge to encourage the team’s development. “We’ve had winning season every year since I’ve been here,” Helfer said. “We’ve been ranked No. 1 in the coaches poll every time it has been released in the fall.” A 1998 graduate of Findlay University in Findlay, Ohio, Helfer has spent most of her life around horses. “It’s a school in Ohio that specializes in equine studies,” Helfer said. “It’s probably the No. 1-ranked equestrian school in the country.” With her recent promotion, Helfer says Auburn is the place to be. “I love it here at Auburn, and if I could stay here forever I would,” Helfer said. “But as an emerging sport, we really are trying to expand equestrian. We have to get another 17 teams to add, and so we’re really campaignstep up and do what they’re capable of doing, night in, night out.” Forward Malik Cooke and guard Bruce Ellington lead South Carolina in points, scoring a respective with 12.5 and 10.1 points per game, Forward Damontre Harris recorded his first career double-double against Vanderbilt this season. Harris is averaging 6.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. There will be an AU license plate giveaway for the first 1,000 fans in attendance, as well as the Gold Flake shootout for a chance at $5,000. Tip-off is at 12:30 p.m.

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ing to get equestrian out of emerging status and into a true NCAA sport.” Helfer’s first situation with a pony marked not only the beginning of her career, but a passion that has grown to see the team and the sport expand. As of the beginning of the semester, the equistrian team added five new riders, explaining Helfers drive for a successful program. With her passion for equestrian expansion, Helfer said if an opportunity arises to better the sport in the future, she may take it. “If that happens, if there are schools in need of coaches, I would take a head coaching position to help promote the sport,” Helfer said. “But as of now, I love Auburn and plan on staying at Auburn.” The equestrian team currently has a NCAA best 6–1 record under coach Greg Williams and has been ranked number 1 in the country since, with 4 back-to-back winning seasons.

GETTING TO KNOW Helfer

Arkansas » From B1

derson said after the team’s Jan. 11 loss to Ole Miss. “That was a bump and we will learn from it. “We’ve done well in terms of learning from things we haven’t done well going into the next game.” Center Hunter Michelson is a force down low for Arkansas. Leading his team with 47 blocks on the season, Michelson affects the way opponents’ offenses attack the lane. However, Auburn’s sophomore guards Varez Ward

and Chris Denson weren’t fazed by Kentucky forward Anthony Davis, with Michelson racking up half as many blocks as Davis. Auburn also fared better against the No. 2 Kentucky Wildcats than Arkansas, losing by 15 compared to the Razorbacks’ 23-point deficit. Arkansas also ranks 53rd in the country in rebounds per game, compared to Auburn’s 116th. Arkansas lost to number 19 florida last Saturday by a margin of 14 points. Tip-off is at 8 p.m. Wednesday in Fayetteville, Ark., with television coverage on CSS.

preview » From B1

contests, including a careerhigh 22 Sunday against Arkansas. The Tigers will have their hands full with the Bulldogs’ offense, specifically senior guards Diamber Johnson and Porsha Porter who are averaging a combined 31.5 points per game. Although Auburn has lost five of their last six games, the matchups against two other teams struggling in the SEC offer an opportunity for the Tigers to get back on track during the home stretch of conference play.

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Thursday, January 19, 2012

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The Auburn Plainsman

Lacrosse club signs first non-student head coach coleman mcdowell sports editor

For the first time in history, the men’s lacrosse team will have a non-student coach leading the team. After a 6–4 finish last season, Mike Muetzel, the 2007 U.S. Lacrosse Coach of the Year at Georgia, will take over as Auburn’s coach. “We are very excited to have someone with Coach Mike’s lacrosse background and national reputation and history of success,” said Jake Ponseti, Lacrosse Club president. “He has a great reputation with his former players and as well as opposing coaches.”

In a statement, Muetzen said he was ready for the next challenge in front of him. “First, I am honored with the announcement to be a part of the 30-year history of lacrosse at this great University, as well as compete in the (Southeastern Lacrosse Conference) with the great coaches and strong lacrosse programs,” Muetzel said. “It will be a thrilling challenge. “I had a chance to meet and work with the team a little bit in the fall, and I was extremely impressed with the character of the officers, as well as the talent on the team with strong players from across the coun-

try.” Muetzel built a program from the ground up at McIntosh High School in Georgia and led the team to the state championship within four years. “Our guys have been counting down the days until game one,” Ponseti said. “We’re looking to surprise a lot of teams and give Auburn one more thing to be proud of come this spring.” Auburn’s home opener will be Jan. 29 against Georgia State. Players interested in joining the team should contact Ponseti at jbp0012@auburn.edu.

contributed

Mshon Pulliam, senior midfielder, battles with a Georgia opponent for position during a match last season.

Youthful gymnasts bound into SEC ‘The Drive’ rolls into Auburn Brandy Volovecky Writer

The Auburn gymnastics team will compete in its third match of the season against the University of Georgia Friday at 7 p.m. at Auburn Arena. No. 17 Auburn fell to No. 12 LSU 195.025–193.800 in Baton Rouge Jan. 13. Despite the loss, senior Auburn gymnast Kylie Shields and junior Toi Garcia each posted strong vault scores, with Shields scoring a career high of 9.875 and Garcia scoring a 9.9. Shields and senior Allyson Sandusky shared the event title for bars with each scoring a 9.8. Shields also scored a season-high 9.9 on beam. Coming into the match against No. 6 Georgia, coach Jeff Graba said he feels more confident in all four events now that the freshmen on the team have had a chance to become acclimated. “(The competition with Georgia) was a dual meet,”

Graba said. “A freshman has never been involved in a situation like this before. They weren’t competing aggressively. They were timid.” Georgia is coming off a close 196.475–196.325 loss to Alabama Friday in Tuscaloosa. The Tigers have not defeated Georgia since their first-ever victory against the Bulldogs in 2010. Prior to the 2010 win, Georgia had defeated Auburn 64 consecutive times. Auburn freshmen had to fill in for several upperclassmen in the meet against LSU, and Graba anticipates this will also be the case Friday. He said while there haven’t been any serious injuries on the team, some players are dealing with “just normal wear and tear—if someone pulls a muscle, we just don’t want to push them.” Graba has freshmen competing in every event and said he doesn’t think nerves will be a problem this time around. “I think after two weeks

N EW

now, they’ll settle down and do a good job, especially competing here at home,” he said. Graba said the team is always making changes and is still experimenting with its lineup, adding that he’s becoming much more confident in the team’s ability in all four events. “If we can do a good job on all four we can compete with anybody,” Graba said. The meet against the Bulldogs will be Auburn’s first home meet of the season. “I want to encourage everybody to come out,” Graba said. “It’s a real good test for us. We are trying to prove ourselves against some of the top talent in the country. Those who come out will be able to witness a very fun and exciting meet.” The Tigers are scheduled to compete against five more teams currently ranked in the top 25 of the NCAA rankings, including No. 5 Alabama Jan. 27 at home and No. 3 Arkansas Feb. 3 in Fayetteville.

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Childhood dreams of being an entertainer have become a reality for sports radio host Rich Perkins. Perkins, an Auburn graduate, works for the Auburn Network and hosts the show “The Drive” on ESPN 106.5 FM. Although he majored in political science, Perkins first experience with radio came through working with the University’s station, WEGL. After college, Perkins worked in sales for 10 years, but decided to change direction. “I went to a local radio station to stay busy,” Perkins said. “And then one thing led to another, and I had a fulltime air shift.” It wasn’t until September 2011 Perkins joined the Auburn Network and started “The Drive.” Perkins said his show is more about the stories than the stats. He wants “The Drive” to be a show

“

I can’t tell you who the third best tackle is from Texas. That’s not our show.” —Rich perkins host of “The Drive”

even his wife and her friends wouldn’t be bored listening to. “I can’t tell you who the third best tackle is from Texas,” Perkins said. “That’s not our show.” However, Perkins said his co-host, Ron Anders, has much more knowledge about sports statistics. “He was a cheerleader at Auburn and has encyclopedia knowledge about Auburn sports,” Perkins said. Perkins’ co-worker Chris Davis, who works for Auburn IMG Sports Marketing, said

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Perkins is friendly and accommodating. “He does his homework,” Davis said. “He is pretty wellread and astute.” While the number of listeners “The Drive” reaches daily is unknown, Perkins said he uses social media to get the word out about his show and gauge interest. Since the show began airing, Perkins’ guests have included high school and college coaches, bloggers, reporters and a regular contributor who runs a recruiting website. Perkins currently lives in Auburn with his wife, Kirsten, an academic counselor at the University, and their 11-year-old son, Dirk, or “Dman” as Rich refers to him on the show. “This is a new venture for me,” Rich said. “Sports really is a new venture for me.” Tune in every Monday through Friday from 4–6 p.m. to listen to “The Drive” on ESPN 106.5 FM.

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Thursday, January 19, 2012

Santeiu named SEC Diver of the Week Patrick Tighe Sports Beat Reporter

The Auburn Plainsman RENTERS GUIDE coming January 26, 2012

Sophomore Auburn diver John Santeiu IV placed first in the Georgia Diving invitational Jan. 5. He scored a 397.45 on his sixth attempt in the platform event to clinch the victory and earned a total score of 653.35 in the one-meter board competition. After his winning performance and seventh victory on the season, Santeiu was named SEC Diver of the Week. Despite Santeiu’s youth, his positive outlook and work ethic have made him a team favorite. “John has been such a positive person to be around every single day,” said senior diver Vennie Dantin. “If anyone is in a bad mood they can always look to John and he is always smiling and encouraging. If one thing is to be said about John it’s that he radiates positivity.” After waking before dawn for weight training and morning practice, Santeiu attends class, night practice, finds time to study and tries to get a good night’s sleep before the cycle restarts early the next morning. Santeiu said maintaining a positive attitude and enjoying free time keeps him from going crazy. “I try to keep up with other sports as much as possible,” Santeiu said. “I picked up my positive attitude from my parents. I’d rather be positive if things aren’t going well than negative. Diving is such skill work that when other things cross your mind, it doesn’t really work out that well.” Last year’s SEC Swimming and Diving Championship remains a fond memory for Santeiu, as he achieved some

WE DELIVER!

CHristen Harned / Photo Editor

John Santeiu IV scored a 397.45 on his sixth dive attempt at the Georgia Diving Invitational Jan. 5. He was later named SEC Diver of the Week for his seventh meet victory of the season.

of his best scores and gained confidence for his sophomore season. “I medaled in three-meter and platform and hit some of my personal bests,” Santeiu said. “It really allowed me to become more confident. As a freshman, being able to do that was a really good expeirience.” Santeiu and his coaches felt that performance bolstered his confidence as a diver. “He came in and did a great job as a freshman,” said coach Jeff Shaffer. “In my mind he should have been SEC Freshman of the Year when you look at points scored in all three categories. We are looking forward to continued good things from him and helping lead the men’s divers to the SEC

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meets the freshman didn’t do as well as they wanted to. ( John) never let that once get to any of them and this was huge. It helped them take the next step to the next meet with a great mind frame.” Santeiu may consider diving after Auburn, but insists he is focused on the task at hand before looking to his post-collegiate career. “After Auburn, if I can get to the level that I need to beat within my four years then I might continue after,” he said. “Right now everything is still up in the air.” The Auburn men’s swimming and diving program will look to clinch its 16th consecutive conference title and 18th overall Feb. 15–18 in Knoxville, Tenn., at the Alan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center.

Tennis serves new year in Yale Andrew Yarn

PEPPERONI GREEN

Championships.” For all Santeiu’s success, Shaffer still strives for consistency and correct form from all his divers. “I think right now we are doing the dives that we need to do to be competitive,” Shaffer said. “He is tall for a diver, so it’s a little bit harder when you’re over the 6-foot 3-inch range for our sport. “The two things for our sport is the form in the air when performing the dive and the entry into the water. The one thing we need to continue to work on is the form.” Dantin said she thinks Santeiu has progressed as both a diver and a member of the team. “The first couple of meets is a learning curve,” Dantin said. “The first couple of

Writer

The Auburn women’s tennis team is heading north to New Haven, Conn., this weekend to begin its spring season at the Yale Invitational. Unranked Auburn will face three ranked opponents in No. 22 Tulsa, No. 30 Yale and No. 61 Purdue in a three-day series of singles and doubles matches beginning Friday. Tulsa finished its fall campaign with two semifinal losses in two separate draws of the Memphis Invitational in early November. The Golden Hurricanes went 26–3 in 2011 with strong play from Samantha Vickers and Anastasia Erofeeva, both ranked in the top 100 nationally. In the USTA/ITA Northeast Regional Championship, Yale

sent two doubles teams to the semifinals and two players to the singles semifinals. Junior Elizabeth Epstein was the only player to make it to the championship, losing to No. 1 seed Nicole Bartnik in the finals. The Boilermakers ended their fall season with a win over Vanderbilt, a Sweet 16 team last year. Still, first-year coach Lauren Meisner is optimistic about Auburn’s chances. “I believe this is a great starting tournament for our spring season,” she said. “I am very familiar with the teams coming to the tournament, and based on the hard work that the team has put in this week, I believe we are up for the challenge.” Last spring Auburn went 5–19, including an 0–7 re-

cord against nationally ranked teams, costing former coach Tim Gray his job and leading Auburn to court the 2009 CUSA Coach of the Year in Meisner. The team’s expectations are high after ending the fall season with two doubles and three singles titles at the Cougar Fall Draw in Houston. The coaches and players believe they have the ability to defeat a nationally ranked team and begin the semester strong. “The team finished strong in the fall and came back from break ready to go,” Meisner said. “They really hit the ground running. “I am very excited to see what this young team can do against some nationally ranked teams that will be visiting Yale.”

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B5 Intrigue Body language spans cultures Roland’s Thrift Store

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Thursday, January 19, 2012

Intrigue

Language differences extend beyond the spoken word to many gestures unique to certain cultures, and some gestures commonly used in America can take on entirely different meanings. Senior Timothy Penix models some familiar and unfamiliar gestures he learned in Japan.

Rebecca Croomes / photo editor

Counterclockwise from left: In Japan, a thumbs up means boyfriend instead of good, while the OK sign means condom. When people are indicating themselves, they point to their nose, not to their chest. Holding up two fingers behind the head means devil or devious, holding one’s earlobes indicates something is hot and displaying the OK sign with an upward palm means money. In Japan, arrogant people are referred to as big-nosed rather than big-headed, and the accusation is represented by holding a closed fist in front of one’s nose. Two fists can emphasize this gesture.

Hayley Blair Intrigue Beat Reporter

The line between what someone means and what they say can be blurry, and with body language there’s even more room for mistakes. These slipups happen more frequently across cultures, and flashing a simple peace sign in the wrong place might just end in a confrontation. Korbin Demmick, a coordinator for Auburn Abroad, said his American language and customs are often misunderstood by his friends from the United Kingdom.

Demmick said using the word “pants” may inadvertantly start a conversation about underwear, and flashing a peace sign backward is the equivalent of flipping someone the bird. “I’m sure there would be times when you could do something very insulting and not have a clue,” said Joan Layne, senior coordinator for Auburn Abroad, “but I think people try to give you some leeway if they understand that you don’t know their culture very well.” While it can be intimidating to travel abroad with limited knowledge

of the language, Layne said simple body language can help transcend the barrier. “Generally, you can just kind of indicate what you want or point at something and maybe get the person to tell you what the word is and that kind of thing,” Layne said. Timothy Penix, senior in computer science, spent almost a year studying abroad in Japan and learning the culture. “Before I learned the language, it was a lot of hand gestures and me speaking really loud English thinking they would be able to hear bet-

Tuskegee heroes fly to theaters Kate Jones Intrigue Editor

The story of the Tuskegee Airmen is finally flying to a theater near you. “Red Tails,” created by George Lucas, tells the story of the 99th pursuit squadron of the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. The 99th was the first African-American pilot group, and they trained at the segregated Tuskegee Army Air Field. Later coined the Tuskegee Airmen, the servicemen called themselves Red Tails because of the characteristic red paint on their fighter planes. “The Tuskegee Airmen, in terms of the ‘Red Tails’ movie, has been more than the city ever imagined,” said Tuskegee Mayor Omar Neal. Guy Rhodes, an editor at the Tuskegee News, said the film is exciting because Lucas took on the challenge and invested his own money to make it happen. “This is a major event in Tuskegee for the simple fact that this is where the Tuskegee Airmen originated,” Rhodes said. When the national historic site was dedicated in 2008, an estimated 400–500 airmen were still living, Rhodes said. Presently in Macon County, only four airmen—one pilot and three supports—are living. “Needless to say those people are quite excited,” he said. Lucas’s pitch for the movie was originally turned down by Hollywood distributors because of fears

it wouldn’t be profitable. “I think it’s just sad to say that it wouldn’t sell being that it’s just a story about Americans,” said Joshua Agee, sophomore in political science and historian of the Black Student Union. “It’s a story of heroes.” Neal said although it’s disheartening the story took so long to be made into a movie and was not wholly endorsed by Hollywood, he is appreciative of all who participated to make the film possible. Because the film premiered in theaters Friday, a three-day event was held over the weekend at Tuskegee University. Beginning Saturday and ending Monday, it included flight simulators, interviews with the original Tuskegee Airmen, actors from the film and six early screenings of the movie. “This movie keeps you on the edge of your seat,” Neal said. “It takes you through a crescendo of emotions. It gets you to think about what’s really important.” Rhodes said the schedule for the weekend’s events came together in the middle of last week, and even the security was hired by Lucas. “This was a last-minute production,” Rhodes said. “George Lucas’s management company actually coordinated these activities.” Neal said the movie portrays Martin Luther King’s belief in not judging a man by the color of his skin, but by the content of his character. “They were looked upon differently from the bombers because

ter,” Penix said. “It was more hand gestures and pointing and me looking like I needed help or needed to know something, and the majority of the time they would understand and try to help me.” Penix said positioning chopsticks in rice in a certain way might indicate death, as having chopsticks pointing straight up in the bowl is a tradition often used at funerals in Japan. When Penix went to a restaurant and used the chopsticks improperly he was quickly corrected, and he said he learned a lot through this type of

Kate Jones Intrigue Editor

• • • •

1,578 total missions 112 aerial kills 996 total pilot graduates 352 graduates deployed overseas for combat duty

(Source: “Tuskegee Experience,” www.tuskegee.edu)

they were saving lives,” Neal said. “So the antidote to racism is excellence.” Agee said looking back at the time period of World War II, everyone is seen as a role model. “I’m just curious who is going to be the next red tails in our generation, in the present day,” Agee said.

» See Airmen, B6

One of the biggest things to remember is that you are the foreigner.” —Timothy penix Senior in computer science

trial and error. “It took a little while because one of the big things in Japan is when you

» See Language, B6

Called to collect Collectors’ motivations can vary as widely as the collections themselves

Tuskegee Airmen Trivia

“

Becoming a collector starts with knowing the facts. John Cottier, associate professor of anthropology, said there are several things that shouldn’t be collected, like stamps and fads. “You really shouldn’t collect commemorative stamps,” Cottier said. “They’re not going to have any more value than their face value. You can still use them to mail things.” Cottier said he used the stamps his parents collected for him as postage after they died. “They do have sentimental value, but that’s not why you collect things,” Cottier said. When starting a collection, Cottier said, buy high-value items and keep them in their original boxes. “If you can buy the best of the best, it’s most likely going to retain its value over time and probably even increase the value a little bit,” Cottier said. “The original box can sometimes double the price value of something. In other words, the box is as valuable as the item itself.” Cottier said collectors not looking for a profit should at least be passion-

ate about the items they collect. “Gold coins would be the best thing to collect in some ways because they are always going to have gold value,” Cottier said. “But you need to like something before you collect it. Try to buy the best you can.” John William Moore, one of Cottier’s lab volunteers, collects war memorabilia. “I’ve got about 40 helmets, 30 bayonets,” Moore said. “My main thing is World War II and U-boats.” Moore began collecting after returning from Desert Storm with an Iraqi helmet. “So I figured, ‘Well I got that one, I might as well start picking up a couple more,’” Moore said. “Every payday I’ve got to buy something now.” Moore has several hundred uniforms, hats, medals, pins, guns, land mines and artillery shells and has found items in countries as far away as Japan. He even transformed a large bedroom into a display room for his memorabilia. “My wife calls it a war room,” Moore said, “and it’s packed.” Hannah Maxwell, senior in english education, began collecting rocks after studying archeology in the first grade. “I probably have over 100 rocks from different countries,” Maxwell said. Maxwell has collected rocks herself, and she also has friends who bring her rocks from places they visit.

» See Collector, B6

Intrigue B6

The Auburn Plainsman

Language » From B5

enter a home you take off your shoes and put on slippers, and I made that mistake the first day I got there,” Penix said. Taking off his shoes when he enters a house is a habit Penix still practices even in America, and he said there are other Japanese practices he has incorporated into his everyday life as well. But using the right gestures sometimes isn’t enough. Being assertive with body language can be just as important, Demick said—a lesson he learned from personal experience. “I was waiting for a bus one time, and I was really timid and not waving down the bus, so they didn’t stop at all,” Demmick said. “You almost have to be very authoritative and step out and wave down the bus.”

Adapting to a new environment may be hard, but Layne said there are ways to make the change relatively painless, such as not wearing namebrand clothes or outfits with American flags. “You don’t want to advertise, ‘Hey, I am a tourist,’” Layne said. “You try to be aware of what the locals wear. Just blend in as much as possible, and don’t complain about all kinds of stuff. “We tend to want our sweet tea and our refills and things like that are not always that easy to get abroad.” Layne said simply trying to learn the culture can earn the respect of the locals, and most people are helpful once they see someone making an effort to adapt to a new place. “When we were in China, the protocol for even handing someone your card is to hold it with both hands in an offer

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1151 Opelika Road

kind of thing,” Layne said. Layne said there’s no way to learn everything about a society from books, so the best way to learn about new cultures is to go out and become immersed in one. “We always encourage students to learn something about the culture, but even so there are so many things that I think it just takes time and just being in the area,” Layne said. During the time he spent in Japan, Penix said he learned a lot and met plenty of great people. He said to be successful it’s important to travel with the right mindset. “One of the biggest things to remember is that you are the foreigner,” Penix said. “You need to remember the rules, the culture and the guidelines when you get there. But, of course, above anything have fun.“

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Collector » From B5

Cottier said looking on eBay is a great place to search for collectibles, but he also cautioned buying online from individuals. “You’ve got to be careful of buying things on eBay,” Cottier said. “You really do because sometimes people try to fool you and try to give you something that’s not what you were really looking at. But you can get some good ideas of prices.”

Hannah Berryhill sophomore, marketing

Shirt: Behind The Glass Neck- Behind The lace: Glass Skirt: Behind The Glass Shoes: American Eagle Watch: Michael Kors

Airmen » From B5

Rhodes said he’s excited about more American citizens learning the story of the heroic airmen. “Now, nationwide more and more people will know about the Tuskegee Airmen.”

Tuscan White Bean Soup

“Lately, I’ve really loved horizontal stripes, and my trademark piece is usually a bib necklace.”

Kerry’s recipe of the week Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 large onion, diced 2 carrots, diced 3 celery ribs, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 small bunch of kale or escarole, chopped 2 (15-ounce) cans Cannellini Beans, drained and rinsed 1 (15-ounce) can Great Northern Beans, drained and rinsed 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes (with juice) 32 ounces vegetable broth 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, finely ground 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon garlic powder pinch of freshly grated nutmeg 1 bay leaf

Directions: Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil, onions, carrots and celery. Sauté until vegetables are softened or about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and the kale. Sauté for an additional 5 minutes. Measure out one cup of the beans and puree in a food processor or mash with a fork. Add the mashed beans, whole beans, diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, garlic powder, nutmeg and bay leaf. Bring soup to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 2 hours, stirring occassionally. Remove the bay leaf and serve. Serves: 6

Contributed by Kerry Fannon

Travel

B7 www.theplainsman.com

Thursday, Janurary 19, 2012

Intrigue

Thrift store leads way to finding hidden treasures Rachel Cooper Writer

For 10 years Roland Lee, owner of Roland’s Thrift store in downtown Opelika, has been scouring the Southeast in search of items for his shop. “I go looking for the stuff in my store,” Lee said. “I go to flea markets, yard sales and other places where old treasures can be found. You never know where you’ll find stuff.” The items in Roland’s are an eclectic mix of nostalgic memorabilia, antiques and oddities. “Clocks, Coca-Cola signs, military stuff, pocket knives, chandeliers, deer heads, dishes, pictures and guitars are some of the things people come find here,” Lee said. Lee’s interest in old or unusual items extends beyond his years at the thrift store. “I was the store manager for the Salvation Army for 10 years,” Lee said. “I got interested in sorting through old

stuff.” Lee manages the store himself and often jokes that he can’t take a day off because his boss would be upset. While Lee admits some of his stock is junk, he maintains the value in other items— like a piece of giraffe skin and coils from a Model-T. Lee’s selection attracts business from both larger antique stores and individuals. “I get a lot of business from Angel’s Antiques,” Lee said. “I’ve got a lot of regulars, people coming in looking for unusual stuff. I have good customers.” One of Roland’s regulars is Chris Gluckman, sophomore in biomedical sciences. “Roland’s is unique because unlike other thrift stores Roland goes and seeks out things,” Gluckman said. “He goes to flea markets to find his items. He has a lot of cool decorations.” Gluckman said shopping

at Roland’s is not your typical thrift store experience. “Most things aren’t really priced,” Gluckman said. “You can pick up a handful of things and he’ll look at it and say the price. It’s always a great deal.” Sam Sturgis, sophomore in art and Gluckman’s roommate, is also a fan of Roland’s shop. “Roland is great because he will keep an eye out for things you ask him to,” Gluckman said. “Sam was looking for an old canoe and asked Roland to look for one, and he found him an awesome old canoe.” Roland always provides great customer service, Gluckman said. “That’s how Roland is,” Gluckman said. “If I call him and he’s not in the store, he’ll come in so I can look around.” Roland’s Thrift Store is located at 825 S. Railroad Ave. in downtown Opelika, a few storefronts down from the Irish Bred Pub.

Christen Harned / Assistant Photo Editor

Owner of Roland’s Thrift Store in downtown Opelika Roland Lee collects the items he sells from all over the Southeast. Items include clocks, Coca-Cola signs, pocket knives and instruments.

Interesting finds at Roland’s Electric guitars and other instruments are perfect for decoration or musicians looking for a discount.

Slot machines are a fun accessory to add to a game room, TV room or a child’s playroom.

This piece of giraffe skin is a great choice to use as wall decoration.

A mounted deer would be a great addition over the fireplace or in an office.

Music can make the trip Bradley Roberts Writer

Hitting the road for a concert can make for a great college memory. Fans of country music can take a trip to Nashville. For jazz, look no further than New Orleans. And for rock, folk and indie music, Atlanta and Birmingham have exciting scenes. Mamie Price, senior in nutrition and dietetics and president of Sigma Alpha Iota, said one of her favorite musical experiences was attending the four-day Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, Tenn. “I went to Bonnaroo over the summer with a couple of the sisters,” Price said. “Bonnaroo was an awesome opportunity because there were bands playing all the time.” Price said it was the best

chance she’s had to discover new music. “It’s definitely a great experience because you get to see so many bands,” Price said. “But it is really hot. You sleep in a tent. You could shower, but it doesn’t do any good. It’s definitely roughing it, but it’s worth it.” Another way to save time and money while discovering new music is attending local shows. “One of the coolest places is nearby in Waverly, Ala., out at Standard Deluxe,” said Paul Eason, sales associate at The Guitar Shoppe in Auburn. Eason said the relaxed environment and the overall look of Standard Deluxe is what makes it one of his favorite places to attend concerts. “It’s a kind of small, more intimate venue, and it’s outside,”

Eason said. “It’s kind of on a hill with a slight incline. You just bring a blanket and you sit down. It’s pretty intimate with the artist even if there’s a lot of people there.” Eason said working at The Guitar Shoppe has been a great way to find new music. “A lot of times I will meet new people and find it that way,” Eason said. “Or a friend of a friend is in a band.” Eason said he is a big supporter of local music venues and thinks they are a good opportunity for local music lovers. “The Irish Bred Pub is pretty cool,” he said. “A lot of musicians around here will go to Standard Deluxe or go to Ben’s Chophouse in Columbus, Ga. Places like Zazu will even have an open mic night, and you get to find out things there.”

All Auburn Opelika Locations

An old-fashioned Coca-Cola sign in is an item that could be displayed in a workshop or a pool house.

Intrigue B8

The Auburn Plainsman

Thursday, Janurary 19, 2012

Morning obstacle workout jumpstarts day Ali Jenkins Writer

One workout routine does not fit all. For beginners, simple activities like running on a treadmill are ideal, but variety is key for the more in-shape, said fitness instructor Christy Coleman. Obstacle Boot Camp, a class at the Student Activities Center, caters to students looking to modify their workout schedule. The class meets Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7 a.m. in Room 207B. “It’s a different challenge every week,” said Anna Dysart, freshman in nutrition, who attends the class regularly. “It

helps mix up your workout.” Instead of running or lifting weights, the class uses obstacles like ladders, balance beams, cones and planks for a total body workout. Several obstacles are combined into stations that participants perform for 45 seconds at a time. At the end of the class, the stations are linked to form one large circuit that tests the group’s endurance. The instructor keeps time as the group completes the full circuit, then challenges them to improve their speed in the next round. The regimen, modified daily, produces a different workout routine every time, Cole-

man said. The challenge and variety keep participants coming back. “It’s great for anyone who needs a jumpstart or challenge,” said Lacey Rae Sport, freshman in pre-veterinary medicine. To those who vowed to get in shape in 2012, be wary of trying this class right away. The class “isn’t impossible,” Coleman said, but she doesn’t suggest it to students who don’t exercise frequently. “It’s great for people who excercise every day, but want to change up their routine,” Coleman said. “The class is also a great alternative for students who can’t attend the P45 class.”

P45 is a 45-day fitness plan that requires pre-registration. In addition to circuit training, a variety of partner drills are mixed in throughout the class, helping to break up cardio with core work. “The class is intimidating, but encouraging,” said Sport, a first-time participant. The class is only taught at 7 a.m., but to Dysart and Sport it is well worth the lack of sleep. “It definitely starts your day off better,” Sport said. Although the class is small, with around 10–15 attendees each session, the group is open to anyone interested in adding a morning fitness class to their routine.

Danielle Lowe / Assistant Photo Editor

Maria Campbell, sophomore in pre-pharmacy, teaches Obstacle Boot Camp at the Student Activities Center Tuesday morning. The class meets Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7 a.m. in Room 207B.

the Auburn Plainsman Get moving with kickboxing The Plainsman is now accepting applications for ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Applications available in the Plainsman office (Student Center, Suite 1111) or online at www.theplainsman.com (Publication / Work@The Auburn Plainsman) Students from all majors encouraged to apply. Must have at least one year of school remaining. Review of applications will begin upon receipt. Apply today and start working Spring term! For questions or additional information, contact Plainsman Ad Manager at 334-9157 or admanager@theplainsman.com

Kate Jones intrigue@ theplainsman. com

Even though we are in our second semester of paying the $10 student fee for group fitness classes, I am still hearing the complaints. My question for those people is, “Why?” As embarrassing as this is to admit, besides walking to class my current exercise level is zero. I’ve cut Pop-Tarts out of my daily breakfast routine, and I try to cut down on my Chickfil-A intake, but it isn’t proving to be enough. So, I figured that with the new year I should at least start out with good intentions, right? Taking a look at the group fitness schedule, I saw some

classes that were high-intensity and knew those would be impossible, so I ultimately chose kickboxing. The class—my instructor was a girl named Riley—starts off slow with simple jabs and crosses. Riley did a great job of beginning with the basics so everyone could learn each combination before adding more difficult moves. She also mirrored our movements so we didn’t have to do everything backwards. Music plays throughout to help the group stay in rhythm—of which I have none—but kickboxing requires minimal rhythm anyway. While I did get lost on some of the more difficult combinations, it was hard to tell if I was misunderstanding the moves or just exhausted. After completing the class, I would definitely suggest kickboxing as great way to start

getting your booty in gear. It’s good cardio, the combinations aren’t impossible and the music is great. Mix in some lunges, squats and pushups and you’re working every muscle in your body. While Riley’s class was challenging—I definitely felt the burn—it was also fun. It can be nice to get out of the typical gym setting. Treadmills equal super boring. Practice makes perfect, and I’ll be back for another class to master the moves. Plus, Riley’s motivation that I’ll be in shape in two months if I keep coming definitely sweetens the deal. So, my message is to pay the $10 because group fitness classes are well worth your time and money; going 10 times means you’ve paid $1 for each class. Go have some fun with your friends getting in shape, and you’ll be ever so glad you did.