1.26.12 Renter's Guide tab of the Auburn Plainsman

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The Auburn Plainsman

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Note from the editor ome has influenced some of the greatest sayings in history. There’s no place like home.

Home is where the heart is. Sweet home Alabama. This time, home has inspired the theme of our special feature. Home is more than a place to lay your head at night. It’s where you tell your roommate your deepest secrets or threw the party everyone talks about for weeks. Home is where you live your life. Because of the importance of home, we want to share how to keep it beautiful with sustainable options, new decor and thrifty finds. As well as what to consider when moving and how to get yourself legally in check when renting a new apartment. We know home can be a place to try new things, like creating one-of-kind crafts and starting your own organic garden. Next time you’re at home, if you’re not already reading this on the couch, take a moment to appreciate your home sweet home.

INSIDE 4 Adding a bit of moxii

WAR EAGLE

A stylish way to decorate with local inspiration

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Sustain-A-Home Learn some easy ways to make your home more sustainable

11 Thrifty shopping

secrets revealed Discover what’s trash and what’s treasure

13 Craft on a

college budget Make homemade coasters for yourself or a friend

8 Moving in 10 Consider all your options when finding a new home

12 The legal in the lease

The Auburn Plainsman A SPIRIT THAT IS NOT AFRAID

Don’t get yourself locked into a renter’s nightmare

15 The dirt on

organic gardening You don’t need a backyard to grow a garden

ABOUT THE COVER When former owner of Ander’s Bookstore, Ron Anders, moved into his house on Sanders St., he had no clue one of Auburn’s most influential leaders and coach, Shug Jordan, built it.

“We bought it because it met the criteria of what we wanted for our family,” Anders said. “It was in a great location close to downtown Auburn which is, at the time, where my family’s business was located. Later on when we started looking at the house we found out.”

Jordan constructed the house in 1941, living with his wife Evelyn until the late ‘40s when he was hired by the University of Georgia.

Miranda Dollarhide Editor

“When Coach Jordan built this house, immediately after he built it or during the time he built it, he left to go serve in the war, WWII,” Anders said, “so Miss Jordan lived here with her children.”

Anders said when the house was constructed, Sanders Street was the edge of Auburn’s city limits.

“This was actually the northern edge of Auburn, this was actually a dirt road,” Anders said.

With a strong heritage attached, the Anders family plans to stay in Auburn as long as they can.

“It’s a good testament to Auburn to preserving the old historical houses of our community,” Anders said.

Miranda Dollarhide Madeline Hall Nik Markopoulos Nick Bowman Melody Kitchens Kate Jones Kristen Oliver Laura Hobbs Robert E. Lee Hayley Blair Lane Jones

PHYSICAL ADDRESS

Student Union Suite 1111 Auburn, AL 36849

MAILING ADDRESS

255 Heisman Drive, Suite 1111 Auburn, Ala. 36849–5343

ADVERTISING MANAGER

admanager@theplainsman.com

Jenny Rikelman

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MANAGING EDITOR COPY EDITOR OPINIONS EDITOR ONLINE EDITOR INTRIGUE EDITOR COMMUNITY EDITOR ASSOCIATE COPY EDITOR SPORTS REPORTER INTRIGUE REPORTER CAMPUS REPORTER

Thursday, January 26, 2012

The Auburn Plainsman

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The Auburn Plainsman

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Adding a bit of moxii A stylish way to decorate with local inspiration Located in downtown Auburn, Moxii is an alumniowned interior goods boutique. Offering a variety of decor from shower curtains to ceramic bowls, Moxii provides apartment and dorm packages with everything residents need to move in. Items below can be found online or in the store.

Passion original artwork $40

Garden turtle $22

Dancing dahlia quilt $220

Drawer knobs $9–16.50

Terra Cotta Cabbage Votive $38.75

Bird pillow $39

Malta Coverlet $230

More than 50 fabrics available in-store

Velvet blue chair $875

Thursday, January 26, 2012

The Auburn Plainsman

www.northcuttrealty.com Now leasing and selling Auburn’s finest selection of properties

Best Deals in Town!

Proudly serving Auburn Students for over 40 years

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The Auburn Plainsman

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Thursday, January 26, 2012

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The Auburn Plainsman

Sustainable changes add up to big savings Kate Jones Intrigue Editor

There are ways to have a sustainable and environmentally friendly home without tearing up your roof to install solar panels.

“It’s really the little things,” said Grace Moss, senior in English and president of the Environmental Awareness Organization. “When I leave I turn out all the lights, unplug things when I’m not using them.”

Matt Williams, program manager of the Office of Sustainability, said a basic way to save energy is using compact fluorescent light bulbs.

“The way that we like to look at that is, it’s like getting a 60 percent-off coupon,” Williams said. “Because you actually save 60 percent of the energy that you would with an incandescent bulb.”

Another area to address is the airconditioner and heater. Williams rec-

Live with your best friend at

ommends a programmable thermostat, found at Home Depot for $19.98.

Williams said some apartment complexes are OK with self installation and some aren’t, but companies may be OK with renters calling maintenance and asking them to install it.

When Williams was a renter, he saved $140 in January and February of the first year he used the thermostat.

“It wound up making it more comfortable,” Williams said, “because what it does is when you’re asleep, you can have it drop down as low as you want it to go and then program it so that it comes on an hour before you have to get up and take your shower.”

To go along with the programmable thermostat, Williams said his office challenges people to lower the temperature one or two degrees below what they believe is comfortable.

“Just let it sit for a week or something

like that and just see whether you can take it or not,” Williams said.

Moss tries to keep her thermostat at the same level as much as she can.

“It’s a waste to run your air all the time,” Moss said.

To conserve water, Williams said his office recommends low flow shower heads, using only one gallon to two gallons per minute.

“It’s a major reduction in the amount of water that you’re using,” Williams said.

“And that one’s easy. Anybody can kind of reach up and unscrew the shower head and screw on a low flow fixture.”

Williams said the same type of fixtures can be applied to bathroom and kitchen sinks.

Moss said she doesn’t have a dishwasher in her apartment, but conserves water by soaping all of her dishes before turning on the water and rinsing them all at one time.

House cleaners can also be addressed, Williams said.

He suggests asking grandparents what they used to clean with. Some of the answers may be baking soda, vinegar, baking powder, washing soda and Borax.

“The funny thing is that some of these things clean way better than the stuff that we buy, which is 5–6 times more expensive,” Williams said.

He said using a layer of borax in the bathroom will actually prevent mildew from coming back, whereas bleach will just wash it out.

“You get the benefit of it being a lot cheaper to kind of just go with the oldschool cleaning supplies,” Williams said.

“You actually get a better clean out of it, with less work often times.

“And the other thing, too, is that you reduce, sort of, the toxins that are there in the apartment or the house that you’re exposed to.”

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Moving in 10

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Things to consider when deciding where to live

College experience Residence halls embody the idea of the college experience with late-night gabfests and Friday afternoon ultimate frisbee games. The rules can be strict, including visitation hours and a no-alcohol policy, but up-keep is minimal. Cable, electricity, water and maintenance is combined into one price that doesn’t change with usage.

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Thursday, January 26, 2012

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Total freedom Apartment living can mean freedom. Drink as you please. Decorate as you please. Even have visitors over when you please. But as Spiderman found out, “With great power, comes great responsibility. “ Rent may remain the same from month to month, but electricity and water bills can fluctuate with usage. Plus, if something breaks, good luck getting it fixed.

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Easy grocery run With the off-campus budget for Tigercards only lasting a couple months, the time of lastminute grocery store trips will soon come.

Longleaf Drive and South College Street features several apartments within minutes of Winn-Dixie and Walmart. South College is also packed with fast food and sit-down restaurant options. Housing in the Dean and Glenn area are close to a Kroger and several fast-food options as well.

Party atmosphere In cult classics, “Old School” and “Animal House”, college is all about partying. For some students, they’ve used such movies to model their lives. To maintain a party-centric lifestyle, living in a house or close to the bars is a must. Consider moving downtown or in one of the many townhouse complexes, like Eagle’s Landing, where a good time is always in walking distance.

Thursday, January 26, 2012

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Awesome pool Once the weather hits high 70s, students flock to the nearest pool. Especially in the summer, pools at apartments like Creekside and Two21 Armstrong are the place to be. Look for large pools and a surplus of seating. If you plan on spending all your spare time lounging at a pool, you might as well pick the best.

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Walking/Biking distance Forget the Tiger Transit. Apartments within walking or biking distances can save time while adding daily exercise, too. Perhaps the biggest benefit of close to campus apartments comes to play in the fall semester during football games. Parking is one less thing to worry about.

Safety Although safety may be the most important aspect of living anywhere, it sometimes is pushed into the back of the renter’s mind compared to walking distance or amenities. Check local crime reports for background on apartment crime and find the safest place to live.

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The Auburn Plainsman

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Sports fanatic Those who bleed orange and blue, and cover their bodies in it for games, should consider housing options close to campus. Apartment complexes like EdgeWest and Logan Square are a short walk from the Arena, Jordan-Hare Stadium and Plainsman Park.

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Midnight munchies All night partying and the like can leave you hungry in the wee hours of the morning. Living close to downtown Auburn provides options for late-night snacking like Little Italy, Jimmy John’s and Waffle House.

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Listen to the locals Before signing a lease, find someone who has lived there before to get an honest review of living conditions. They will likely be up front on the conditions and experience of living there.

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The Auburn Plainsman

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Thursday, January 26, 2012

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The Auburn Plainsman

The lowdown on the loot thift stores in the Auburn area Lifesavers Mission Thrift Store 2065 E. University Dr. Auburn Open 10 a.m.–6 p.m. M–F, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Sat. Salvation Army Thrift Store 1038 Opelika Rd. Auburn Open 9 a.m.–5 p.m. M, T, R-Sat.

Thrift store shopping can be an inexpensive way to find unique furniture options or room decor.

Harvest Thrift Store 2540 Pepprell Pkwy Opelika Open 10 a.m.–6 p.m. M-F, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Sat.

Thrifty shopping secrets revealed

The Buildmore Store 1302 1st Avenue Opelika

Christen Harned / Assistant Photo Editor

Lane Jones Campas beat reporter

Thrift stores offer a treasure trove of items to outfit a house, apartment or dorm, making it possible to decorate like a professional on a college student’s budget.

William Calhoun, senior in Spanish and political science, said he enjoys finding furniture and home decor at thrift shops because the items are unlike anything he could find in a department store.

“Generally, you can find more eclectic items,” Calhoun said. “They’re things you don’t see everyday, and it doesn’t hurt that the price is generally much cheaper.”

There are several steps that can be taken to ensure a productive thrift store experience.

Step one: have a vision in mind.

Thrift stores are full of finds, but they’re usually buried under piles of cracked ceramic mugs and old Christmas decorations. Decide on a theme before stepping foot in the store. With a clear vision in mind, it’s easier to tell trash from treasure.

Step two: know what to look for.

There’s almost nothing that can’t be found in the dusty corner of some thrift store. When it comes to decorating a room, there are key things to look for. Thrift store picture frames can be grouped on a bedroom wall. Keep an eye open for metal trays to serve as a jewelry holder or mount them on the wall as a magnetic memo board.

Step three, know what to avoid.

There are some items beyond repair and there are some things worth buying new like mattresses and bedding. Thrift stores often sell these

items, but it’s best to stray away from purchasing things that require extreme cleaning before they’re usable.

Step four: see the potential in every piece.

When perusing the aisles, look past the chipped paint and faded fabric and try to imagine what potential the pieces have. This rule especially applies to furniture. Look for classic shapes and solid construction. Don’t be afraid to slap on a bright coat of paint or reupholster the cushion in a vibrant pattern. A little creativity can transform old furniture into the focal point of any room.

Step five: look beyond the obvious.

The key to great thrift store finds is thinking outside the box. Don’t let your creativity be stifled by convention. The best decor wasn’t originally decor at all.

Figure out what you need, then find something to suit it. Stack old suitcases to create a bedside table. Mount wooden palettes on your wall to use as a bookshelf. It saves money while giving the room a unique look.

Step six: haggle.

One of thrift shopping’s greatest allures is the thrill of the hunt. After deciding on what to purchase, bargain a little with the store owner. Places like these are always willing to knock down the price for a friendly customer.

Jones said thrift shopping provides quality items at prices that can’t be beat.

“I like the fact that you negotiate prices,” she said. “You can talk things down to get things for very cheap instead of paying $15 for a frame you can get for free from a thrift store.”

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The Auburn Plainsman

Living above Toomer’s Alison McFerrin Community beat reporter

A select group of students can be downtown and be home sweet home all at the same time.

Auburn’s downtown community features not only restaurants and businesses, but a couple dozen upstairs apartments.

“My freshman year I lived in Southern Edge, and then sophomore year I lived in the Village, and last year I lived in Creekside,” said Christina Huckaby, senior in early childhood special education.

“That was just so far away and I hated riding the transit, and it was just miserable. Living here was so much easier.”

Huckaby lives in one of the apartments above Toomer’s Corner, which are owned by Nim Lipscomb.

We’re so close to everything,” Huckaby said. She said living downtown was especially nice during football season. “You don’t pay for taxicabs, stuff like that. It’s convenient.”

Lipscomb said one of the main problems is noise.

“The fire trucks, they go by every chance they get,” Lipscomb said. “But most tenants say you get used to it.”

Huckaby said it didn’t take her long at all to adjust to the sounds of downtown.

“When I first moved in I got a sound box, because it bothered me, but after a few weeks I got used to it,” Huckaby said.

Of course, the proximity to campus is a plus.

“I’ve always lived downtown,” said Lauren Cooksey, senior in communications.

“Being right here, I can get to Lowder in six minutes, if that.”

Thursday, January 26, 2012

The legal behind the lease Legal precautions to consider when signing a lease, moving into an apartment for the first time Hayley Blair Intrigue beat reporter

The difference between tenants and their landlord is defined every time rent changes hands, but both sides have one thing in common: they are each bound by a legal contract.

Allyson Robinson, community manager at The Reserve, said the most common problem she faces comes when tenants try to get out of their lease agreements.

“People are commonly under the impression that they can turn in a request 30 days before they wish to terminate their lease, but that is false,” Robinson said.

Russell Balch, attorney at Akridge and Balch law offices, said every August he gets hundreds of students calling about terminating their lease agreements, a request Balch said just isn’t feasible.

“I think probably the most common issue we see is where students will sign a lease in, say the spring, for a unit in the fall, then something happens,” Balch said. “There is, unfortunately, a belief that (something happening) somehow relieves these students of their obligation to take possession of the unit in the fall and pay the rent.”

There are many reasons a student may wish to cancel a lease agreement. Problems with a roommate or transferring to a new school may necessitate a move, Balch said.

Brianna McIntosh, junior in human sciences, said her roommate transferred out of Auburn and was unable to get out of her lease agreement. McIntosh was unsure about renewing her stay at the University Village Apartments without her

roommate.

“I don’t know if I want to live with a stranger,” McIntosh said. “I don’t have anyone else I want to live with yet, so I’m trying to figure some things out first.”

Any lease agreement is binding, and Balch said there’s usually no way to get out of paying for a rented apartment, even if no one’s actually living there. Not paying rent can result in serious legal ramifications for the renter.

In rare instances, however, a landlord may try to find another tenant for the room, though Balch said this solution isn’t entirely perfect.

“Most landlords will re-list the vacancy for a fee, but given the economy and the vacancy rate, that usually isn’t successful anymore, and it doesn’t relieve the original tenants from their obligations under the lease,” Balch said.

Though paying rent is a large aspect of the lease agreement, Robinson said other student responsibilities are put in place to keep other tenants safe.

“Tenants are responsible for maintaining the nice condition of the units, not putting other people in harm’s way and, of course, paying their rent every month,” Robinson said.

Though tenants are accountable for many things once they’ve signed a lease agreement, students shouldn’t forget to take advantage of the amenities offered for apartment renters.

McIntosh said living in an apartment is convenient in a lot of ways, especially since there are many amenities provided for free.

“The bus stop they have here is

“

I think probably the most common issue we see is where students will sign a lease in, say the spring for a unit in the fall, then something happens.”

—Russell Balch Attorney at Akridge and Balch law offices

pretty convenient,” Robinson said.

“I like having the pool right there.

I’ve definitely used maintenance a lot, and I got locked out once, so I had to call them after hours.”

Balch said there’s a fine line between what’s required of maintenance staff and required of the tenant, and it all depends on the exact wording of the lease in question.

“One example is if the toilet is plugged, the tenant has to get a plunger and unplug it, but if there’s a leaky pipe, the landlord has to fix the leaky pipe,” Balch said. “There are thousands of possibilities.”

Communication is an important part of the tenant-landlord relationship, and Balch said having a good connection between the two parties is a good start when dealing with legal issues.

“I don’t usually deal with the relationship between the landlord and tenants except for the legal relationship, but what I have found from experience is that as long as there is good faith communications between the parties it is helpful.”

Thursday, January 26, 2012

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The Auburn Plainsman

Craft on a college budget

How to create personalized cup coasters

Madeline Hall Managing editor

With do-it-yourself crafts flooding the Internet on blogs and Pinterest, it can be hard to find one that actually is easy to do and relatively inexpensive.

I found the perfect craft on thecottagehome.blogspot.com and first tried this project over the break as a Christmas present for my sister.

I used the following supplies: four square tiles from your local hardware store (4.25 x4.25), four pieces of scrapbook paper (3.75 x 3.75), four pieces of felt (3.75 x 3.75), Mod Podge, sponge brush, glue and clear acrylic sealer.

Starting out, the cost will be higher since you must buy the Mod Podge, brush, glue and sealer, but those supplies will also last for several projects.

The next time, supplies should cost less than $15.

Directions 1. Wipe off the tiles to make sure there is no lint or dirt.

Brush a layer of Mod Podge on each tile and place your pieces of paper. Allow 10–15 minutes to dry.

2. Brush another layer of Mod Podge over the paper and any other pieces you add to the design. Allow to dry. Repeat two to three times.

3. After the Mod Podge is completely dry, spray the acrylic sealer according to the manufacturer’s directions. Allow 20 minutes to dry. The sealer is what makes the coasters water resistant.

4. Next, glue felt pieces to the bottom of the tiles, leaving them bottom up to dry.

5. Fix yourself a drink and enjoy your new, decorative homemade coasters.

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Thursday, January 26, 2012

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Thursday, January 26, 2012

The Auburn Plainsman

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The dirt on organic growing Create an organic garden anyone can enjoy Kristen Oliver Community Editor

There’s a movement amongst gardeners to go green.

Organic gardening can seem intimidating, but simple steps to remove unnatural additives from a garden are the keys to growing organically. From choosing the right seeds to tending plants properly, every aspect of gardening can be organic.

According to Gabe Mitchell, junior in civil engineering and employee at Blooming Colors nursery, the first step to starting your organic garden is choosing the proper seeds.

“When (the seeds) are USDA organic, they’re meaning when they grew the seeds they didn’t add any pesticides or anything to them,” Mitchell said. “They’re all natural.”

For students who wish to start organic gardens in their apartments, there are plants that work well in smaller spaces.

“As long as it’s got some light,” Mitchell said. “Any vegetable would be fine as long as it’s in a big enough pot, along with any type of herb. Rosemary needs a large pot because it gets 3- to 4-feet tall and about 4-feet wide. You can grow rosemary in a clay pot in a container garden, whether on a balcony or patio.”

Other good crops for container gardens include lavender, tomato plants, which need a trellis in pots 10–14 inches in diameter, or cabbage, which can be in pots about 16 inches in diameter.

According to Mitchell, just about any plant can be grown organically.

“There’s a lot of vegetables that are USDA organic-certified vegetables,” he said. “As far as gardening, most organic is going to be toward vegetables, but it can also be toward being natural. A lot of gardeners look at organic as being natural, so you can plant regular plants as long as you don’t

use any additives that make it unnatural.”

Organic gardening and vegetable production classes are offered at Auburn.

“There’s more to it than you would think,” said Courtney Oliver, sophomore in pre-public relations. “We’ve spent some time on Irish potatoes. There’s a lot to growing even one vegetable. You have to choose the right soil and know what’s the best environment to plant in.”

The next step in an organic garden is choosing the proper soil. Mitchell recommends “using an organic soil that doesn’t have any pesticides in it.”

According to Mitchell, Blooming Colors has organic top soils for sale with no additives that haven’t been drained of their natural nutrients.

The most common potting soil in a container garden typically wouldn’t be considered organic.

“Most every potting soil you buy, Miracle-Gro or even some that we sell are going to have fertilizer in it and it’s also going to have moist packets which deem it nonorganic,” Mitchell said.

Another option for truly organic soil is creating a compost pile.

“People could do this in their yard with coffee grains and unused vegetables that go bad,” Mitchell said. “Just put them in a pile in the back with other dirt and stuff and they break down over time. The nutrients of the vegetables and coffee grains and all that end up making the plants thrive.”

Mitchell said they create compost piles in the back of the nurseries.

“So when we don’t sell all our tomatoes or watermelons or things like that, fruits that completely break down, go in this pile, and then we churn the pile and put the new stuff on the bottom,” he said. “It makes really rich soil.”

The final step in tending an organic garden is choosing the proper pesticide treatments. While most people use manmade, household treatments, these aren’t considered organic. According to Mitchell, there are more natural options for getting rid of insects.

Kristen Oliver / Community editor

Organic growing can span from planting fruits, vegetables, flowers and other plants. All of these items can be grown in an apartment, house or even dorm.

Kristen Oliver / Community editor

Organic seeds and fully grown crops can be purchased at Blooming Colors on North College Street.

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The Auburn Plainsman

Thursday, January 26, 2012