10.15.2012 edition of The Auburn Plainsman

Page 1

Auburn vs. Alabama A&M B1

The Auburn Plainsman Thursday, November 15, 2012

A Spirit That Is Not Afraid ThePlainsman.com

Vol. 119, Issue 25, 16 Pages

Is Auburn having safe sex? Campus / a3

Auburn #91 Alabama #21 Georgia #27 Florida #12 Miss. State #79 Ole Miss #115 Vanderbilt #106 Texas A&M #60 Missouri #46 Arkansas #84 LSU #37 Tennessee #121 Kentucky #36 S. Carolina #23

Veterans Day As Veterans Day passes, the Veteran Resource Center relocates to Foy Hall.

Community / A5 Anders appointed

Former owner of Anders Bookstore, Ron Anders, now a member of the City Council.

Emily Morriss / Assistant Photo Editor

Auburn ranks 91st in the annual Trojan Sexual Health Report Card Campus Editor

Jane Random

It’s time to start asking random people random questions. Jane Random is back.

Rankings out of 141 universities. Compiled by Trojan brand condoms.

Auburn is ranked #91 in the country in the Trojan Sexual Health Report Card. Alabama received the highest ranking in the SEC at #21 and Tennessee received the lowest at #121.

Hayley Blair

Intrigue / b4

SEC rankings in the TRojan Sexual Health Report Card

Auburn University moved up almost 30 places on Trojan’s Sexual Health Report Card for 2012. Researcher Bert Sperling said the results for the report card were based on the information and resources provided by 141 different universities in regard to sexual health. “Some people look at the title of the study, which is the Sexual Health Report Card, and they think we’re trying to measure sexual activity on campus, which would be sort of invasive, and we don’t even want to go there,” Sperling said. “Or we’re measuring the amount of sexually transmitted illness among students, but there’s really no good measure of that either, so we don’t even get into those areas,.” Sperling said Auburn improved

from last year’s spot at number 121 due to the increased Web presence of Auburn’s Health Center. “We feel it’s really important because so much of the information that everyone gets these days is via the Web,” Sperling said. “HIV and STD testing. Where can they be tested? How much does it cost? When can it be done? All those sorts of things, students are going to look up, and if they can find it online easily, then that’s going to help them stay safe and healthy. Auburn really improved their online presence this year, and they deserve a lot of credit for doing a great job.” Web presence was only one of the 11 categories Sperling considered, however, and Auburn didn’t do as well in other areas, such as the availability of sexual health information in student newspapers.

“In some campuses, we didn’t find this in Auburn, but they have a weekly column about sexual health issues where students can write anonymous questions,” Sperling said. “Oregon State has a great one where a member of the teaching faculty writes under the name of Dr. Sex, and, as a result, is able to not only answer student questions, but educate many, many other students.” Another category Sperling measured was the availability of condoms and contraceptives on campus. Juliana Bone, senior in graphic design, said she thought Auburn does a good job making condoms available to those who want them, but she wasn’t sure if the University should be providing them to students for free, as some other universities. “I think availability is fine,” Bone

said. “I know I’ve seen them in Outtakes. I think it’s a touchy subject because religiously it might offend some people. They sell them off campus too, so I’m not sure it’s that important to have them on campus. I’ve always lived off campus, so I guess people in the dorms, it would affect more.” Sperling said he was aware of the controversy over making condoms available on campus, but said students should still have the option to choose. “Our thought is that the information and the resources are there for the students to use or to not use as they choose,” Sperling said. “It’s up to the student, so for students who want to use those services and have that information, then it’s there for them. The important thing is that it puts control in the hands of the students so they can make their own choices.”

Evolution remains timeless controversy Students, professors share views on teaching of scientific issues

Our View

Could Alabama really secede from the U.S.? Read the editorial on A4.

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Chelsea Harvey Managing Editor

Some things never go out of style. With the rise of an increasingly science and technology-based society, scientific controversy remains a point of discussion. The concept of evolution, while now a decades-old debate, is a question that remains in the news today. This month, the University Program Council hosted engineer and science educator Bill Nye, who recently made waves with his comments about his views on evolution. At his Nov. 1 lecture, Nye commented, “I have come under a little bit of controversy because I asserted that the world is a little bit older than 6,000 years.” Nye, who received a standing ovation at the end of his lecture, brought up a point that remains relevant among university students. Jason Bond, professor of biological sciences, teaches a course on evolu-

tion and systematics and said sciencebased controversy sometimes arises even on the university level. “I think that you have to recognize that there is going to be some component of the class that has been taught that evolution is antithetical to their belief system,” Bond said. Bond said different professors may take different approaches to presenting controversial information in class. “I generally sort of feel like my purpose isn’t to make folks questions their religious beliefs in any way,” Bond said. “I, through the course of the semester, I keep it very science-centered. …So you know I focus on the science, and

then I usually save for the last lecture sort of the discussion of the elephant in the room, which is so many people have been taught that these two things are diametrically opposed. “And I tend to think that what — and this is my opinion — that educators, whether it be at the high school level or the grade school level or in college, that we’re presenting information, we’re presenting the science, and it’s up to the students to then reconcile that.” Caleb Pickett, senior in electrical engineering, said he attended several Christian schools growing up. He said after getting to college, he was able to

reconcile his Christian beliefs with scientific teachings. “It wasn’t necessarily that (science) directly contradicted what I already believed as a Christian,” Pickett said. “It was the fact that they could actually — the scripture and the science — could be reconciled in the sense of evolution by saying, ‘God could have easily just created a certain set of species and had everything progress from there,’ or ‘He could have created the base species and had everything go in different directions from there.” Amanda Guarini, senior in graphic design, said she thought students should be exposed to both evolutionary theory and creationism. “I went to a Catholic school for 12 years, and we had religion class every day and we had science class every day,” Guarini said.

» See Evolution, A2


Campus A2

The Auburn Plainsman

DUI Arrests in the City of Auburn Nov. 7 – Nov. 13, 2011

Crime Reports for nov. 7 – nov. 13, 2012

■ Ja’cieka Moore, 24, of Auburn West Magnolia Avenue and North College Street Wednesday, Nov. 7, 11:34 p.m.

Nov. 7 – South College Street Second-degree theft of a desktop computer and a monitor between 2:10 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.

■ Katharyn Waldrep, 27, of Auburn West Magnolia Avenue and College Street Thursday, Nov. 8, 2:02 a.m.

Nov. 7 – West Longleaf Drive Menacing Report between 11 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.

■ Brett Bogdany, 22, of Birmingham North College Street and North Avenue Saturday, Nov. 10, 2:29 a.m.

Nov. 8 – West Magnolia Avenue Left the scene of an accident between 10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m..

■ Stacy Banks, 37, of Jasper, Ala. East University Drive and East Glenn Avenue Saturday, Nov. 10, 9:44 p.m. ■ Mingqiang Xu, 25, of Temple City, Calif. Heisman Drive Tuesday, Nov. 13, 3:22 a.m.

Nov. 9 – North College Street Third-degree theft of a motorcycle plate between 12 p.m. and 3 p.m..

Nov. 11 – West Longleaf Drive Third-degree theft of an iPhone between 12:45 a.m. and 1 a.m.

Nov. 9-11 – East Magnolia Avenue Auto breaking and entering between 4 p.m. Nov. 9 and 12 p.m. Nov. 11

Nov. 11 – Lee Road 137 Third-degree burglary of a bed, DVD played and stereo system between 12 p.m. and 2:30 p.m..

Nov. 10 – Lee Road 53 Left the scene of an accident between 12 a.m. and 8 a.m..

Nov. 8 – North Ross Street Left the scene of an accident between 7:30 a.m. and 7:35 a.m..

Nov. 10 – Thomas Street Second-degree theft of a debit card, driver’s license and insurance cards between 5:30 p.m. and 6:15 p.m..

Nov. 9 – Ashworth Lane Third-degree criminal trespass at 10 p.m.

Nov. 10 – Roosevelt Drive Third-degree criminal mischief between 5:15 p.m. and 7:15 p.m.

Real food options come to Auburn Chandler Jones

ideals and projects. “We are a totally studentdriven initiative, like no administrator or faculty came to us,” Davis said. “So everything that we’ve learned and everything that we do is stuff that we have taken the initiative to do. Our organization is never going to be spoon fed, because this inspiration came from students.” The option of reusable silverware at dining halls Foy, Terrell and the Village was created by the Challenge initiating the “Love Food, Not Waste” campaign. Members worked with senior executive chef Emil Topel by proposing the idea and reviewing costs and benefits. “It has saved money, even though we’ve lost 1,000 pieces,” said Sellers of the silverware. The efforts of the Challenge have been modeled after successful programs from schools like UC Berkeley, University of Maryland and University of Washington. “It’s a risk, because we’re trying to bring change,” Davis said. “There is no guarantee that our efforts are going to be successful or that you’re going to see it. We have to run on faith and accept — believe and accept — that what we do has an impact even if we don’t see it.

Writer

Consider what exactly is in the campus food. Where did the tomatoes on that sandwich come from, and how fresh is that leaf of lettuce? That question is the drive behind Auburn’s Real Food Challenge, a student initiative created to establish a local food system and real food options for campus dining. Rosco Davis, senior interdisplinary major, founded the Real Food Challenge in 2011. “Real food is local, ecologically sound, fair and humane,” Davis said. “Real food is food that is good for your body, and it’s good for the planet, and on a smaller scale it supports your community because it’s grown by people in your community; it’s not shipped around all over the planet, and the money stays in your community.” The Challenge is looking to incorporate 20 percent real food into Auburn’s dining by 2020. They want to cultivate a food system that “doesn’t go to the corporate farming industry that has gotten so popular with the agriculturalist, taking it back to the roots,” said Jen Sellers, education outreach coordinator for the Challenge and senior

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Courtesy of Rosco Davis

Students take on the Real Food Challenge by preparing a picnic of organic, locally grown food.

in human development and family studies. The main source of income for the Challenge is its initiation of acommunity garden. The garden is composed of approximately 55 900-square-foot plots that can be rented to students, professors and community members. Recently, the Challenge created a co-op business model for a restaurant venture, “Locavore Cafe.” The idea is to sell local, organic and student-grown food by using employees paid in food credits. “This would intrigue anyone that’s into eating healthy food, because you work a little bit and then you get to

eat a lot of good food,” Davis said. They arranged it so each employee would be a coowner of the café and everyone will have equal input into how the business is run. The model will be presented in Auburn’s Start-Up Challenge. “The co-op’s menu would be seasonal; it would be flexible,” Davis said. “We’d offer menu items based on what we had. That’d be okay because that is how we operate. We would be like supplemental to Tiger Dining; we’d be another option.” As the semester comes to a close, the Challenge looks for members to lead and maintain the organization’s

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Nov. 11 – Cox Road and Wire Road Harassment Report Nov. 13 – West Samford Avenue Second-degree theft of a laptop between 12:32 p.m. and 12:49 p.m..

— Reports provided by Auburn Department of Public Safety

Evolution » From A1

“And, you know, we learned about evolution in my science class, and we would turn around and go to religion a few periods later and learn about that.” Guarini said she thought a way for public schools to expose students to creationism would be to offer religious elective courses, similar to the way universities offer electives. According to Melody Russell, program coordinator of secondary science education, there are many such sciencerelated controversies that may arise in the classroom, including issues such as global climate change and stem cell research. She said science educators can address these issues by stimulating thought and discussion in school. “Certainly students may have their different perspectives; a lot of times there, they may say, ‘well, my parents say this or my parents say that,’” Russell said. “But one of the things that our teachers, and we as educators, really strive to do is just give the information and let the students … make their own decisions about what they think about global climate change or whether or not they think stem cell research is right or wrong or whether or not they think that, you know, some of the other topics that we may have talked about with regards to evolution and things like that.” In response to different views on scientific theories, the 2005 Alabama Course of Study: Science document, which is currently used in Alabama schools, includes a position statement in its preface that addresses these diverse opinions. “The Alabama Course of Study: Science was developed within the context of trying to establish scientific literacy, not to question or diminish one’s beliefs or faith,” the statement says. Russell said providing accurate and current information is one of the most important things to do in terms of edu-

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I generally sort of feel like my purpose isn’t to make folks question their religious beliefs in any way.” —Jason Bond Professor, evolution and systematics

cating students about issues that may spark debate. “And then, as far as what their opinion may be about them, what they may say about them, those are decisions that we give them, they can make themselves,” Russell said. “But we give them the information; we want to make sure they’re informed, so when these topics come up, as you mentioned, about evolution and those types of things, then they’re able to make informed decisions based on the information that they’re given already in their curriculum.” Bond referred to Jay Gould, a well-known evolutionary biologist who referred to science and religion as “non-overlapping magisteria.” “So scientists might ask the question, ‘Can we clone humans?’” Bond said. “You know, society, religious leaders, there’s this whole other component where those folks might better be in a position to pose the question, ‘Should we be cloning humans?’ “And so I think that there are these different segments of not necessarily society, but these different segments of our culture that all contribute, but in their sort of different ways.” Bond said evolution is an important concept to many people. “There are all sorts of scientific theories out there,” Bond said. “I think this one’s particularly poignant because it says a lot about who we are and what was the origination of our species, and that’s a non-trivial issue for beings that are concscious and think about their place in the world and the general scheme of things.”

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Thursday, November 15, 2012

The Auburn Plainsman

Campus A3

Danielle Lowe / Assistant Photo Editor

The ribbon is cut at Foy, where ROTC members and other members of the community toured the new Veteran’s Resource Center during the grand opening Tuesday, Nov. 13.

Veteran’s Center moves to new, larger location Becky Hardy Campus Reporter

Foy Hall has become home sweet home for Auburn’s veterans and the Veteran’s Resource Center, as it moves from its previous space in the Haley Center. As Auburn recruits more and more veterans to the University, the Veteran’s Resource Center was running out of space to provide services to the students. “The resource center will be providing academic support services and career services,” said Johnny Green, director of the Auburn University Student Resource Center. “We have even partnered with some outside groups to have a variety of programs available to the veterans here in the center.” The center also provides the student veterans with services that do not relate to academics. “We have marriage and family counseling, as well as PTSS, post traumatic stress syndrome services,” Green said.

Dan McClain, student veteran and junior in computer science, said he found tremendous transitional help through the resource center. “It really helped me connect to people that I felt understood me and my mentality,” McClain said. “Right after high school I joined the army. I was only 17 when I went through basic training. I had one semester of college in before I received my deployment notice for Afghanistan.” When McClain came to Auburn he was looking for something to get involved in on campus, and he found the perfect opportunity at the resource center. “Eventually, I started working on the website, and still do,” McClain said. “I just stuck around and after all the other officers were gone, I was available and was a good candidate for president.” McClain recommends any veteran looking for a job to go to the resource center. “Dr. Green is very well-connected throughout campus,”

McClain said. “If there was anything I needed, say about obtaining a research position or who to talk to for that, he knew where to go. “Anything you need help with as a student, like academics, career, or even personal services, people there are very well-connected.” The center provides space for other services as well, Green said. “Students also come here to do other work because we now have a computer center here,” Green said. “They check email, print papers or do homework.” The new location will also provide gathering spaces for students, Green said. “The University’s job is not only to recruit students, but also retain them and graduate them,” Green said. “We think that is very important as veterans now to transition from the military and the military life to students.” The Veteran’s Resource Center is located in 217 Foy Hall. Walk-in hours are from 1-4:15p.m.

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Thursday, November 15 , 2012

Opinions

Our View

The Plainsman Poll

Letter to the Editor

Alabamians are behind the curve on change

Vote at theplainsman.com

A confederacy of dunces Tweet of the Week

I don’t even care about Obama getting re-elected anymore. A Bama loss is a win for America. ” - @CowTownProblems

Good Job, Tiger! We would like to congratulate the Wheelchair Basketball team! Good luck in your new division!

Anyone who took Alabama history in the fourth grade knows that secession is probably not the best idea. But that bit of knowledge seems to have escaped a few of our fellow Alabamians. Derrick Belcher, a former owner of a topless car wash, filed the petition to secede on Friday, Nov. 9. That’s right, a topless car wash Belcher’s logic behind creating the petition has something to do with his dislike of socialism or whatever. Honestly, we couldn’t care less about his reasoning. Anyone that thinks secession is a good idea is a candidate for a straitjacket. If the petition gets 25,000 signatures, then it is up for review by the Obama Administration. Most likely, the petition will get way more than the required amount because, well, there are a lot of upset Alabamians right now. Of course, they are probably the kind of people who think the South will rise again. We understand only one side won the elec-

tion, and we’ve yet to see if the president’s second term will be effective, but it’s time to look at things in perspective. We’ve listened to accusations of socialism in the Obama Administration for too long. Complaining is not accomplishing anything. Seceding is certainly not going to change the president. What will happen if secessionists get their way? Alabama is among the lowest in the nation in education and health and wellness. Adding to that the state’s former tendency for racial division, a sovereign Alabama looks more and more like the foolhardy venture it could be. Secessionists should work toward cooperation, not division. Belcher and his ilk are the perfect example of how radical political beliefs on either side are making us all look ridiculous, and the majority of us have a louder voice than those on the fringes.

In Alabama, we live inside a bell jar. Romney/Ryan signs decorate the back windshields of cars and yards across the state. Preachers in the most rural areas raise their voices in opposition to Obama and praise Romney, even if he is a Mormon. The entire Greek system at Auburn gladly showed their support for Romney with their “Greeks for Romney/Ryan” and “Raised Right” t-shirts, smirking smugly when they talk about how Romney is a “businessman” just like their fathers and grandfathers. How could Romney possibly lose? Fox News showed him winning a landslide. Unfortunately, reality painted a different picture. My mother told me to never give up on my dreams, but I think Auburn’s Republican population should. No amount of thinlyveiled racist Facebook status updates and Tweets will change the fact that Barack Obama was reelected as president on Tuesday, Nov 6. Reality doesn't have a “liberal bias.” Romney was always losing. You can’t polarize 47

percent of the population (which, ironically enough, is the percent of the vote Romney won) as being lazy and entitled and run a platform on preserving “traditional” marriage and setting back women’s rights by taking away the right to choose and redefining what rape really is. Obama’s campaign slogan of “Forward” really makes sense when you take the time to think about it. We live in a society where four states just voted to allow gay marriage, the first openly LGBT senators were elected, and women will not allow outof-touch men in Washington to tell them what they can and cannot do with their own bodies. This country—no, this world—is moving forward and the only thing you can do is accept it and concede with as much grace as your Mitt Romney did. Stop complaining. Stop disgracing this University and our creed with your racist comments. Stop refusing to accept the fact the world is changing and embrace it. Reed Dudley Sophomore Journalism

Her View

Elderly companion source of priceless friendship,wisdom Annie Faulk opinion@ theplainsman.com

I have an 85-year-old friend, just as everyone should. The age difference allows you to learn hidden life secrets and the importance of friendships. He's witnessed events in history that I've only read in books. This man is not only a friend, but a mentor. Wilbur Tincher is a legend with my friends. I’ve only known him a short

while, but he has changed my life. He’s an 85-year-old man with a jovial spirit and an infectious smile. When he laughs, you can’t help but smile. Having an older friend can change your outlook on the world. With his wisdom and my naivete, we make quite a pair. Everyone should have an older friend. All of the reasons can be boiled down to three simple reasons, here's why: food, hugs and stories. With older people, food is always on the agenda. When you visit Wilbur, he serves you biscuits and gravy, green tea and Klondike bars. It may-

be a weird combination, but for some reason they go together. It’s not necessarily the combination of food, but the company that is special. I’ve always believed in the power of hugs. When I met Wilbur, I didn’t know the true power a hug can harness. The embrace of another human being can change the outlook of the day. A warm embrace can change the way you see other people and can restore your hope for humanity. The best stories are the ones from history, the ones that don’t make the books. Those are the stories that make the bonds between humans stronger. As a journalist, I’ve always

felt everyone has a story to tell. There is something magical about hearing history from a first hand perspective. These stories seem purer and more meaningful. What have I learned from having an 85-year-old friend? It’s quite difficult to say. I’ve learned to love more and love deeper because of the friendship with Wilbur. I’ve learned how to treat others and how my actions truly affect people. You never know the impact you may have on someone. Wilbur taught me that. He once said meeting his young

friends gives him a reason to get up in the morning and a reason to get out of his house. Wilbur once told me that he laughed when people told him young people will keep him youthful, but he now sees the truth in the cliche. I am not Wilbur’s only college-aged friend, and I am glad of that. I am not the only person who benefits from his spirit and kindness, but there are countless students who are blessed to witness his friendship. People may think he’s my grandpa, but what’s a grandpa – but an older man who provides guidance. So in some ways, I guess he is my grandpa.

Letter to the Editor

Complaining should end, cooperative effort should begin Republicans obviously suffered a loss on Tuesday, Nov. 6. As a former delegate candidate to the Republican National Convention, I was pulling strongly for Gov. Romney and was on the edge of my seat the whole night. Campaigns are a rough ordeal that candidates, staffers, the media, and citizens must periodically endure. President Obama was given a mandate to lead this country for the next four years. However, given the distribution of power, it is possible for either party to cause more years of gridlock. This is not good for America. We are facing foreign threats on multiple levels, but of arguably more importance is the massive issue we face domestically. This is the “fiscal cliff ” and we must not go over the edge. This cliff is directly related to our national federal debt, which currently stands at $16 trillion. We currently finance this debt through borrowing, but increased debt brings with it increased interest payments, reduced national savings, and the increased likelihood of a Greekstyle fiscal crisis. Obviously, this debt poses a massive threat. However, in reality, there is not one “cliff ” that must be avoided, but rather two. The first one is the long-run consequence of massive federal debt. The second is the sharp economic conThe Editorial Board Robert E. Lee

Rachel Suhs

traction that will occur if tax increases and spending cuts occur too quickly. Every day the debt is allowed to grow adds depth to our grave. Eventually, we won’t be able to climb out. However, if we stop spending so quickly, we could see another recession within a year’s time according to the Congressional Budget Office. So perhaps we should not be talking about this as a cliff, but rather a sinking ship in sharkinfested waters. We can either stay with the ship until it goes down, pretending that life is good, or we can jump off and try to swim for it while we have a chance. Both are fraught with risk, and neither is politically popular. But perhaps there is a middle road. If there was a way to reduce the deficit and debt, but ensure that it would not occur too quickly, then perhaps we could find a lifeboat instead of having to swim. This middle road must be found through a grand compromise. Of course, this compromise must include certain features, including discretionary spending cuts, mandatory spending restructuring and revenue increases. We must cut our addiction spending. Pork barrel spending must be eliminated, but that alone won’t come close to balancing the budget. Defense spending must be smarter so that we can continue to be a global force at the most

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economical price tag, but again, that won’t balance the budget. We must go after the big spenders: the so-called “entitlement” programs. Social programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security are like three 700 lb. gorillas in the room. By 2045, 100 percent of tax revenues will go to these three programs. If we don’t make significant changes, they won’t be there in the future. I am not advocating for the elimination of these programs, but for their solvency. We need to increase the retirement age for Social Security and link those payments to past earnings. We need to repeal the individual health insurance mandate and restructure the way Medicare is paid in order to introduce market forces into the system. If we want these programs to exist a decade from now, we must make changes to them. We also need to increase revenues by broadening the tax base. Some want to raise rates, but this is a misguided approach. We could raise rates to one hundred percent, but we would then collect no more revenue than with a zeropercent rate since increased tax rates reduce the incentive to work and would put us into a recession. According to the CBO, if we fail to renew the Bush-era tax cuts, we will face a recession in a year’s time. But, if we don’t ensure that the government is getting its full revenue by closing

loopholes and simplifying the code, the spending cuts will be much worse. America must walk a difficult path. According to the CBO, if we don’t have a balanced budget by 2020, we inevitably reach a crisis. But, if we make a snap decision, the economy will suffer even more than it has in the past four years. Given the size of the problem we currently face, now is not the time for partisan gridlock from either party. The task of governance is too huge—and the risk too large—to allow that to happen. If our elected officials can’t act like adults and work to get something done, then our nation will suffer. The rhetoric coming from the White House and the House of Representatives in recent days has been encouraging, but all parties must act on that rhetoric with good faith and honest efforts. I am confident that we can fix the mess we have created. It won’t be fun for anyone, Democrat or Republican, but a bankrupt nation and stalled economy is a whole lot less fun. We need to move away from the conditions of the last four years. President Obama, you were tasked with leading this change, so take us forward. Caleb Wolanek Junior Political Science

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Contact Phone 334–844–4130 Email opinion@theplainsman.com


Community

A5

ThePlainsman.com

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Community

Auburn honors city’s veterans with ceremony Sydney Callis Community Reporter

This past Sunday, Nov. 11, Americans honored the men and women who served their country or are currently serving their country. The city of Auburn and the Auburn Veterans Committee held its own ceremony Monday, Nov. 12, at the Auburn Veterans Memorial Monument to pay their respects to the local veterans. The event, led by Mayor Bill Ham, included performances from the Drake Middle School Choir, the Auburn University Choir and bagpiper Dan Drummond. Although rain clouds hovered over the memorial Monday morning, the rain held off, and dozens gathered around the memorial to honor the men and women who served to protect America’s freedom. Ham discussed the importance of recognizing the sacrifice of American veterans and thanking them for their service. “It’s about being able to come forward and say thank you to our veterans for what they’ve done to preserve our

Katherine McCahey/Photographer

A moment is taken at the city’s Veterans Day ceremony to recognize those present who served in “Operation Iraqi Freedom” or “Operation Enduring Freedom”.

freedoms,” Ham said. After an invocation from Johnny Green, services coordinator for the Auburn University Student Veterans and Transfer Student Center, Ham spoke about the courage and sacrifice military members of past and present make to protect the United States. Dubbing him a “local treasure,” Ham then introduced

Rear Adm. Bill Goodwin, a U.S. Navy officer who retired in Auburn. “My message today is remember and salute,” Goodwin said. “We remember all the veterans who have volunteered to serve our country. Veterans Day is the day we pause to remember and pay tribute to those who have worn the cloth of our nation.”

Also, Goodwin said it is important to pass on the tradition of honoring and saluting the country to future generations and to know the proper etiquette to salute the American flag. “We need to teach our children and our children’s children what it means to be patriotic and respect our flag,” Goodwin said. “Remember to

salute, and most importantly remember. And then when the occasion strikes, remember to salute.” The ceremony honored those who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. However, the veterans were not the only ones honored at the ceremony. Goodwin also recognized the spouses and family mem-

bers of veterans and current military members for their sacrifices and support. “Spouses of military members are special,” Goodwin said. “They are the glue that holds the family together when veterans and active duty military are deployed.” Although Veterans Day is just one day a year, Goodwin wanted people to remember to be thankful for veterans and servicemen and servicewomen all year long. “Not just today, not just this month but throughout the year, thank a veteran for their service, and remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice,” Goodwin said. Ham also discussed the importance of thanking and recognizing the veterans and military members, wherever they are. “I hope that each of you will go out and thank a veteran,” Ham said. “Whether it be in an airport or a bus station or wherever you see a veteran, thank them for their service and thank them for you being free and having your freedom and having our families free today.”

City’s Opelika Road beautification coming soon Sydney Callis Community Reporter

The City of Auburn is looking toward the future with a few projects on the horizon to reinvigorate the area. First on the list is the Renew Opelika Road project. Designed to reinvigorate and redevelop the Opelika Road area, the project focuses on the future development of the corridor, including improving the traffic flow and areas around the highway to attract new businesses and support the existing businesses along the road.

The final meeting to discuss the Renew Opelika Road project will be Thursday, Nov. 15 at 6 p.m. in the Auburn City Council chambers. “The purpose of the public meetings is to hear from stakeholders on the corridor, property and business owners, and the general public regarding the past, present and future of the Opelika Road corridor,” said Justin Steinmann, principal planner. “We’ve focused on asking people what problems we need to address on the corridor, what form future development on the cor-

ridor should take and what transportation-related improvements we can make on Opelika Road.” The City of Auburn has held two previous meetings for the public to discuss the project,as well as held an online survey available for citizens to take to share opinions on the project. “Input from stakeholders is vital to the success of the project and has driven many of the recommendations we are proposing in the plan,” Steinmann said. The project website said Opelika Road was identified as one of the most important

commercial areas of Auburn. The meetings offer the chance for citizens to share their opinions on the project. “Everyone we have talked to is supportive of planning for an improved Opelika Road corridor,” Steinmann said. There are two parts to each meeting. First, attendees are provided with individual keypads and asked to vote on different questions about the topics. “The results are shown in real time, so everyone has a sense of how the group responds to each question,”

Steinmann said. The second half of these meetings allows for participants to review recommendations on the future of the Opelika Road corridor. Renew Opelika Road is scheduled to start in 2013 and, according to Steinmann, will be a long process. “The plan has at least a 20year time horizon,” Steinmann said. “We anticipate beginning work on the physical infrastructure of Opelika Road and making changes to zoning along the corridor starting in 2013.”

The project will affect Auburn citizens in a few ways according to Steinmann. “The plan will help answer questions of how the community and city can support Auburn’s existing businesses and attract new destinations for residents,” Steinmann said. “The plan will also reflect the most effective way to improve traffic flow, pedestrian accessibility and the overall look and feel that citizens envision for the Auburn community.” Steinmann said next year the Commission will focus on a plan involving downtown.

Ron Anders replaces Eckman as Ward 2 councilmember Sydney Callis Community Reporter

Born and bred in Auburn, Ron Anders is now filling the Auburn City Council seat left open by Sheila Eckman. “I’m very excited and very proud that I’ve been asked and appointed to participate in this kind of role on behalf of Auburn’s citizens,” Anders said. “I look forward to serving all the people of Ward 2 and all the people of greater Auburn to the best of my capacity.” Replacing Eckman, who has been elected District 1 Lee County Commissioner, Anders was a member of the Planning Commission before being appointed to the Auburn City Council.

“The Planning Commission was a great, great opportunity to learn, and it really allowed me a better foundation before I joined the City Council,” Anders said. “I’ve got so much to learn, and I’m looking forward just to learning it.” Sitting in the conference room of Rabren General Contractors, where he is director of business development, Anders discussed how maintaining health and welfare of the Auburn community is important to him. Two issues that Anders said he takes a particular interest in are maintaining the Auburn school system and the safety of citizens. Anders, who has three children in the school systems,

said supporting the school system is important to the welfare of the Auburn community. “The school system, in many ways, is a measuring stick of your community,” Anders said. “If your school system is important, and your children are thriving, growing, learning well and furthering themselves with good jobs or going to college, then that’s a clear indicator that your community is a healthy community. Our school system has been important to our city for a long, long time, and Auburn has benefited from that.” Anders was raised to value community. His mother helped start the Bethany House, a hospice facility, and

his father was president of the Chamber of Commerce and president of the youth baseball board. “It’s just kind of been a part of my heartbeat to serve those in this community,” Anders said. “I’m a firm believer that your community is only going to be as good as those that want to make it better, and I was raised to pay my civic rent to make this community a better place.” Anders is an Auburn native, attended Auburn University and now lives in Auburn with his own family. He may be best known for his voice as a part of the local afternoon radio show, “The Drive.” “It’s without question one of

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the proudest moments of my life to serve, in this capacity, a community that is the only community I’ve ever known and that has provided me and my family an opportunity to live here and to raise my own kids here,” Anders said. “I’m just really proud to be able to serve the community in this manner.” Because Anders was appointed in the middle of a term, David Dorton, director of public affairs for the City of Auburn, said Anders will have to run in the 2014 election to secure his spot on the Council, something Anders plans to do. “My job right now is to fulfill Mrs. Eckman’s term until 2014, and I’m going to do that

Courtesy of Ron Anders

to the best of my abilities,” Anders said. “I will definitely be running in 2014.”


Community A6

The Auburn Plainsman

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Broadway, Hollywood and College Street intersect Annie Faulk Writer

Hollywood, Broadway and local actors are coming together for a musical benefiting charity under the guidance of a collaboration between an award-winning producer and Baptist minister. “The Forgotten Carols” is coming to the Auburn Performing Arts Center Sunday, Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. The performance is presented by the Community Foundation of East Alabama and the East Alabama Youth for Christ. Members of the Theos Theatricals Touring Company from New York and Los Angeles are cast members for the production. Michael Young, a wellknown television producer,

and Greg Smith, a local minister, are co-producing the production. Young obtained the permission from the show’s composer, Michael McLean, to start a Southeastern tour of “The Forgotten Carols” after he saw the performance on the West Coast. Smith is a pastoral counselor and Baptist minister in Auburn who wrote a Bible study to accompany the performance. “This is a funny yet touching story with beautiful, memorable songs,” said Stephanie Gardner, volunteer board member of the Theos Theatricals Production Company. “It’s a meaningful family tradition for us, a wonderful Christmas gift; you’ll leave thinking about the greatest gift of Christmas.”

Young said he is bringing in actors he has worked with in the past from Hollywood and Broadway and incorporating local choral talent, which is a key part of the production. “The cast saw last year how each performance impacted people’s lives,” Gardner said. “The songs opened up dialogue about the true meaning of Christmas, the story uplifted people from the drudgery of the secular holiday messages, and people’s lives were changed spiritually and literally.” Ticket sales will benefit the Community Foundation of East Alabama. General admission is $15 for adults and $10 for students. Tickets can be purchased at the Auburn Performing Arts Center at Auburn

High School or online at Auburn.BrownPaperTickets.com. “So when you buy a ticket, you’re not going to just see a really nice evening of theatre, you are actually going to help the Community Foundation of East Alabama,” Young said. After Smith and Young reacquainted at an Auburn function about two years ago, Smith read the story and wanted Young to bring the production to the Southeast. Young was apprehensive about bringing a new play to the South because of the economy. “(Smith) said that’s exactly the time to do it; people are hurting, people need to hear this message of hope and redemption at a time when people are losing jobs and all that

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Gardens. He was the host for “Kids are People, Too,” which appeared on ABC. He was the first primetime anchor for CNBC, original host of the Disney Channel and was the first host of Miss Teen USA pageants for CBS. He was an actor in the 1980s television shows “Love Boat,” “Silver Spoons” and “Remington Steele.” “At this point, I like the idea that I can give back to people in this community — the talents gained over the years; and do it for a good cause,” Young said. “It’s not just coming back and showing people what I’ve learned and what my talents are. It’s to use those talents to raise money for charity and help people with their spiritual motivation at this time of year.”

stuff,” Young said. “So we sort of felt the economic climate, and what was going on in our country just begged for this to be done.” This is the second year of the production in the Southeast. Young plans to begin producing a movie version of the musical in the South next year. The tour will make stops in Georgia, South Carolina, Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama “For me personally, it’s a chance to give back,” Young said. “I’ve had a really wonderful career in Hollywood and New York.” Young is a network television producer in Los Angeles and produces fashion television for media such Vogue, Glamour and Better Homes and

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Thursday, November 15, 2012

Community A7

The Auburn Plainsman

Veterans take time, reflect on service and sacrifices Sonya Lovejoy Community Reporter

Danielle Lowe/Assistant Photo Editor

Auburn is welcoming several new sushi restaurants as older, more traditional-style restaurants struggle and close.

Sushi rolls into town Sonya Lovejoy Community Reporter

Auburn said goodbye to Touchdown’s on Opelika Road as well as to Juliana Tokyo downtown this year. Sushi restaurants will replace both locations. Sushi Boy, owned by Su Chong Cho, has since replaced Touchdown’s. While the new Sushi Boy sign has already gone up and clear signs of renovation are apparent, “we’ve got a lot of work to do to open our restaurant,” Cho said. Cho plans to paint and update the flooring in order to open the sushi and hibachi restaurant. Juliana Tokyo downtown has also closed its doors. New owners Minjung Shin and Hosung Jo have remodeled the interior, added 30 new sushi rolls to the menu and opened its doors Oct. 15 as Arigato Sushi Boutique. While the atmosphere and menu is similar to that of Juliana Tokyo, Shin has remodeled parts of the interior and even cut some prices. According to Shin, all of its sushi is half off from the original Ju-

liana menu and will remain that way. While opening a new restaurant has been challenging, Shin said business has been very busy. Shin and her husband have signed a sever-year lease and intend to continue working on the menu. They are also considering the addition of various drink specials throughout the week. Both Arigato and Sushi Boy will be in competition with local sushi restaurants such as Fuji Sushi Bar and Mikata Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar. Auburn graduate student council senator, Jonathan Frost, believes Auburn University greatly contributes to the market for more sushi restaurants in Auburn. “Sushi is pretty popular in Auburn,” Frost said. “Sushi in general is popular within the college atmosphere.” Frost and fellow senators believe there is a market for additional sushi restaurants. Frost believes if these new restaurants can provide quality food, affordable prices and

an added entertainment value, they will find success. Sushi Boy and Arigato Sushi Boutique also have the added benefit of location. Both restaurants are centrally located and are within walking distance of campus. “I think that part of the reason that sushi is so popular among college students is because, especially in places like Auburn, (patrons) are able to completely emerge themselves in a completely different culture,” Frost said. “So it is not only about the quality of the food, it is about the atmosphere and a unique experience.” Auburn resident and sushi enthusiast, Calli Robinson, agreed that both restaurants will need to offer a unique atmosphere to compete with current sushi venues. “They will have to offer quality food and cheap prices. Drink specials wouldn’t hurt either,” Robinson said. While both businesses are continuing to fine-tune their restaurants and menus, they both appear determined and excited to make their mark in Auburn.

Auburn citizens celebrated Veterans Day Monday during the city’s commemorative ceremony at the Auburn Veterans Memorial. This event included a wreath laying ceremony, performances by the Auburn University Choir, Drake Middle School Choir and music from bagpiper Dan Drummond. A veteran is defined by federal law as a person who has served in any military service. Veterans Day is largely intended to thank living veterans for dedicated and loyal service to their country. Nov. 11 of each year is the day that we ensure veterans know that we deeply appreciate the sacrifices they have made in their lives to keep our country free. Auburn resident Lucas Epperson values Veterans Day for multiple reasons. November 11 is a day to honor service members and also marks his return home from Iraq. “Veterans day is important to me because it honors all service members and gives everyone the opportunity to recognize the sacrifices made,” Epperson said. “November 11 is also the day that I returned home and ended my tour in Iraq.” November 11 became a day for Epperson that he thought he would never get to experience. Before returning home from Iraq, Epperson had been stuck in flight delays for two days because of sand storms. “I remember sleeping on a cot inside a sleeping bag thinking I was never going to get out of this place,” Epperson said. Epperson’s best memory is one of Veterans Day when he finally made it home. “After an 18-hour flight, I walked up the stairs to find my bags and was met by my two sisters who almost knocked me down with hugs,” Epperson said. “That’s when I knew

Katherine McCahey/Photographer

A wreath stands in front of the city of Auburn’s memorial site to honor those who have served.

I was home.” Maj. Adam Hallmark is another Auburn resident that both gives thanks and appreciates gratitude each Veterans Day. Hallmark is currently an Army Public Affairs officer assigned to the U.S. Army Student Detachment at Fort Jackson, S.C. with duty at Auburn University, obtaining his master’s degree. Hallmark has served in the military since May 2001 and has spent time stationed at Fort Hood, Texas and was deployed twice to Iraq for a total of 27 months. He was also deployed to both Haiti and Afghanistan for three months each. Hallmark personally values the celebration of our veterans “because it’s an opportunity to thank those who have served before me, especially those who gave their lives,” Hallmark said. “I will forever owe them a debt than can’t be repaid.” Hallmark is oftentimes overwhelmed and grateful for the outpouring of support and gratitude that he has received from random strangers over the years. “It still catches me off guard to be thanked out of the blue by someone,” Hallmark said A simple thank you reminds

service members like Hallmark that citizens are aware and grateful for their sacrifices. During the Battle of Najaf, Hallmark went approximately 30 straight days without a shower. “I was so filthy by the end of that battle, and I can remember the front of my uniform being a dingy brownish-black color from constantly wiping the sweat off of my hands,” Hallmark said. “While we certainly don’t ask for it, a simple ‘thank you’ goes a long way and is genuinely appreciated.” Men like Hallmark and Epperson may be honored at the Auburn Veterans Memorial Monument, which was designed to honor all veterans. The obelisk, the central feature of the monument, honors those who have served our country while the low wall honors those who have made the supreme sacrifice. In the rear of the brick circle surrounding the monument lies a memorial area that can be used by visitors to leave flowers or a wreath in honor or in memory of veterans. Funding has been provided through donations and the sale of brick pavers. Order forms are available online at AuburnAlabama. org/veterans.


Community A8

The Auburn Plainsman

Thursday, November 15, 2012


Sports

B1 ThePlainsman.com

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Sports

By a whisker: Tigers rally to beat IPFW in season opener Taylor Grafft Writer

Seniors center Rob Chubb and guard Frankie Sullivan led a secondhalf charge to rally from a halftime deficit as the Auburn men’s basketball team defeated the IPFW Mastodons 61–50 in the Tigers’ 2012–13 season opener Friday, Nov. 9. Sullivan led the Tigers with 26 points and four rebounds and was the catalyst of Auburn’s 19–8 run to finish the game. The Tigers went into halftime trailing 23–27 because of poor shooting and several turnovers in the first half. The Tigers came out in the second half and shot 48 percent from the field and converted 14-of-21 free throws to pull away and start their regular season 1–0. Auburn had trouble stopping IPFW senior guard Frank Gaines, who scored 32 points. Barbee addressed the team’s identity moving forward and what aspects need to be improved upon. “Our identity is always going to be how tough we are and how good we are defensively,” Barbee said. “We’ve got to become a better rebounding team, even though we out-rebounded them by seven ... we have to be a better defensive rebounding team. There were a lot of defensive rebounds to be had.” Auburn’s young players struggled in the first regular season game of their careers and saw limited minutes as a result. Coach Barbee addressed what the young players need to do in order to step up and how they need to rely on the veterans to carry the team until the younger players are up to speed. “We all know how good these new guys are, but exhibition games and actual games at this level when it counts are a lot different,” Barbee said. “These veterans — it’s why you have veterans. They are expected to carry the load until these new

No. 2 UNC Radford

2 1

Illinois Missouri

1 1

Georgetown Virginia Tech

3 2

Arizona State No. 3 Baylor

1 3

No. 4 Marquette Illinois State

3 0

Princeton West Virginia

2 1

Washington Auburn

1 2

Utah State No. 1 BYU

1 2

Emily Morris / Assistant Photo Editor

Senior guard Frankie Sullivan tries to get a layup to fall against IPFW Friday, Nov. 9.

guys come on and catch up with everything we’re trying to get accomplished. This season is a marathon, not a sprint.” The veterans carried the load for the Tigers, with Sullivan and Chubb rallying the team on both ends of the court. Sullivan had several big moments in the game. The first came in the way of a three-pointer that tied the game at 42–42 with 10:04 remaining in the game. Sullivan got the Auburn fans and student section on their feet with a put-back dunk to give the Tigers a 55–46 lead with 1:22 remaining in the game. After the game, Sullivan talked about his knee surgery and how he felt rejuvenated in Friday night’s opener. “I haven’t felt like that in a long time,” Sullivan said. “It makes me want to go to work right now and get back in the gym and get more shots up. “Once you’ve felt that good and see you’ve got your old self back and what

No. 2 UNC Illinois

I went through with the knee surgery two years ago, it’s just a blessing.” Auburn converted 11 secondchance points thanks in large part to the rebounding of Chubb. Chubb added a double-double, producing 10 points and a team-high 15 rebounds. Chubb said aspects of his game have changed since last season, and his overall game has improved. “The extra weight I’ve put on over the summer, and the agility stuff we’ve been doing in the weight room has helped a lot with rebounding,” Chubb said. “One thing I’ve always focused on up until this year is offense. If my offense wasn’t going, I didn’t have much going on. My shot wasn’t falling so the only way I could help my team was catching every rebound I could.” Auburn junior guard Allen Payne added 12 points, seven rebounds, three steals and three assists and played a team-high 37 minutes. The Auburn men will play Murray State Thursday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. in the first round of the Charleston Classic. The game will be televised on ESPN3.

NCAA Women’s Soccer Tournament bracket: Auburn’s quadrant Sweet 16 12 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 18

Women’s soccer takes on No. 2 BYU Thursday Andrew Yawn Sports Editor

Georgetown No. 3 Baylor Elite 8 Time and Date TBA No. 4 Marquette Princeton Sweet 16 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17 Auburn No. 1 BYU

Emily Morris / Assistant Photo Editor

Senior center Rob Chubb releases a floater over the head of IPFW freshman forward Joe Reed in Auburn’s 61–50 win Friday, Nov. 9.

» Read the game recaps online at ThePlainsman.com

On Thursday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m., the Auburn women’s soccer team will play BYU in Provo, Utah in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. When Auburn, the second-lowest ranked team to make the tournament, takes on BYU, the second highest ranked team in the country, the Tigers will be pushed to make history and hopefully not repeat it. Auburn is 5–10–0 all-time with no wins and all 10 losses coming in the second round. BYU (18–1–1) is ranked No. 1 in Auburn’s quadrant. The Lady Tigers have not won

two consecutive games all season, but have shown they have the ability to score. The team finished seventh in the SEC with 35 goals scored, but inconsistent defense allowed 28 goals, the seventh most in the conference. BYU, on the other hand, has scored 49 and only allowed 11. When Auburn takes on BYU, the team must play solid in the defensive four to slow down the nation’s 15th -ranked offense. The only positive going into the game is that despite the sixth-best goals against average, BYU has lost a game this season to Utah, a team not selected to the tournament.

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Sports B2

The Auburn Plainsman

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Senior striker Coffed makes SEC Community Service Team Rebecca Moseley Writer

Senior Mary Coffed’s involvement in the community with Toys for Tots and the Yes We Can food drive, has earned her a place on the SEC Soccer Community Service Team. “On the field, she’s the perfect teammate” said Amy Howard, senior goalkeeper and Coffed’s roommate. “She’s a hard worker, and she cares about the team and the players. It helps that she’s a great soccer player as well. She’s such a great person that is highly involved with community service and academics.” Ever y week, Cof fed spends Monday at the East Alabama Food Bank and Friday at the Auburn United Methodist Church Food Pantry, according to Dan Froehlich, associate director of media relations for Auburn athletics. Coffed said her interest in community service began in high school, but a hunger studies course at the University sparked a passion in her. “I’ve been getting really involved with food pantries and stuff,” Coffed said.

Courtesy of Greg Mintel

Auburn’s Najat Ouardad (3) and Tyrese Tanner (32) battle for a loose ball with a Maine player. The Tigers defeated Maine 71–41 in the 2012–13 season-opener.

Lady Tigers open season 1–1 after Wolfpack Invitational Corey Arwood Writer

The women’s basketball team came out of last weekend’s invitational with a win, a loss and a long to-do-list before this week’s home game against Alabama State. Head Coach Terri WilliamsFlournoy began her first season with Auburn at the Sheraton Raleigh Wolfpack Invitational in tournament play against the Maine Black Bears on Friday, Nov. 9 and the North Carolina State Wolfpack on Saturday in the invitational’s championship game. The team’s strengths and weaknesses that factored into a 71–41 victory against Maine and an 85–71 loss against NC State in the tournament finals were evident preseason and were focus points of team members and coaches alike. Senior guard and forward Blanche Alverson said last week that the team needed to improve on its defensive effort. After Saturday’s loss to NC State, Williams-Flournoy reiterated that in a post-game radio interview. “We don’t play very good defense,” Williams-Flournoy said. “A lot of the time we

gamble a little bit too much, and if we learn how to just do our defense, stay within our defensive principles and our defensive groove, we’ll be a better defensive team.” After practice on Monday, Nov. 12, junior guard and forward Tyrese Tanner said the problem was not the game plan. “We were really confident before the game,” Tanner said. “We watched film a lot, and we knew what we were going to get into.” Defensively, Tanner said the Tigers must stay aggressive. “Our defense with Maine …we played really aggressive, and just with the defense with NC State we backed off a little, and we weren’t as aggressive,” Tanner said. “Really for the NC State game our defense lost the game. We didn’t execute as we should have and so I think with these two upcoming games that we’re practicing really hard on defense.” With two games down and vital experience acquired, Tanner foresees different outcomes for the upcoming games of the season. “I think that we should at least force a whole bunch of turnovers and get a lot of

steals, and that we should win these games easy,” Tanner said. In her radio interview, Williams-Flournoy said defensive strength can help on the offensive side of the court as well. “What defense does is give you a lot of confidence on the offensive end, and I think we began to make some shots that we had missed in the first half,” Williams-Flournoy said. Tanner was one of the few consistent offensive performers for the Tigers over the weekend and was named the Southeastern Conference Player of the Week. Ta n n e r o p e n e d t h e tournament with a team-high 26 points against Maine and followed that with a 15-point effort in the team’s loss to NC State. She also leads the team in rebounding and averaged 8.5 rebounds per game for the weekend. “I just have to give credit to my team. It’s not an ‘I’ effort,” she said. “It’s not just for me. It’s for my whole team.” The team will play two home games this week. It will play Alabama State this Thursday, Nov. 15 at 6 p.m. and Alabama A&M on Sunday, Nov. 18 at 2 p.m.

Allison Thompson

Senior Mary Coffed strikes a free kick in Auburn’s 4–3 2OT victory over Alabama on Thursday, Oct. 25.

“I’m sad that it took me this long. It’s something I see 100 percent carrying on in the future.” Coffed said the experience she gained through marketing courses has helped her choose a path for after graduation in May. “Unfortunately, I don’t know exactly what I want to do yet,” Coffed said. “I would really like to work with a non-profit and do a little marketing with that. That would be my dream. It would be fun and rewarding in a lot of ways.” Since choosing Auburn, Coffed has been a fixture at the front of Auburn’s attack. Coffed has started since midway through her fresh-

man year. Now the senior has played in a total of 90 games and holds the record for most games played. Coach Karen Hoppa said she feels that the record can be credited to Coffed’s impact as a freshman. “Mary hit the ground running her freshman year and has played every game of her career,” Hoppa said. For now, Coffed is trying to use her veteran savvy to guide the Tigers to her and head coach Karen Hoppa’s first-ever Sweet 16 at the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers take on No. 2 BYU in the second round of play Thursday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m.

Football team hires security team to enforce curfews John Burns Sports Reporter

The Auburn football program has hired Event Operations Group, Inc. to enforce the players’ curfews on a nightly basis. The private security firm is a “national full service event

management, staffing, and security provider,” according to its website. Event Operations Group, Inc. is not only enforcing the Tigers’ curfews on nights before games, but every night. The firm services more

than 500 venues across the United States, including Jordan-Hare Stadium during Auburn football games. Event Operations Group, Inc. declined comment when asked about the reasons for overseeing curfews on the football team.

Bomani Jones tells Auburn the problem with college athletics John Burns Sports Reporter

Bomani Jones, a regular contributor on ESPN’s “Around the Horn” and “Dan Le Batard Is Highly Questionable,” spoke to students about athletes and activism in sports at the Student Center Wednesday, Nov. 7. The event was set up by the Auburn University Multicultural Center, and Jones’ primary focus was speaking about how the college athlete culture can sometimes set players up to fail. “We’re letting guys into school who are often not qualified to be in school,” Jones said. “Academically they aren’t qualified, and there’s no real concern as to whether or not they are … be-

cause nobody’s job has been saved by a high graduation rate.” Jones went on to say that the main reason athletes are enrolled at college is obviously for the benefit of the school’s athletics, and if they contribute to the team at the expense of their education, nobody really cares. “The athletes are majoring in the sports they play,” Jones said. “Guess what? That’s all there is time for them to major in.” Several times through the lecture Jones mentioned that the players could not be at the discussion because they were at practice. He then questioned how they could possibly make it to all their classes if they are practicing at 1 p.m.

“They want to keep these guys eligible, and tell them that they’re paying them with an education,” Jones said. “This is why I brought up the college students and their degrees and whether or not they actually know anything. Go look at the graduation rates for football teams. “They’re typically pretty high, and now that the NCAA has standards that they’re requiring graduation rates to be—trust me, they’ll make the numbers.” Jones focused most of his lecture on the problems that go on inside college athletics, but he also spoke about how activism by athletes has declined recently. He referred to how athletes in the mid-1900s made much

Jones said sometimes players have “to hold down 12 hours to be a full-time student, but (their) schedule only allows (them) to have nine hours of work.” He said universities then find a way around that. The way around for some schools, Jones said, is to give athletes a final project, and not require them to come to class. The problem is if athletes are not going to their classes, they aren’t learning anything, and most collegiate players are forced to earn a living in a non-professional sports career. Though Jones said the players might not get a great education, he did acknowledge that most would receive a degree from their schools.

less money than they do now. “It’s a lot easier to be an activist when you have nothing to lose,” Jones said. “When you’re making $10-12 million and somebody tells you that might go away, all of the sudden the discussion becomes different.” There are athletes who are activists for noncontroversial organizations such as NBA Cares, which reaches out to communities and educational facilities, but Jones’ point was that athletes no longer stand up to the problems with society, because it can cost them their job and livelihood. Jones did not only criticize athletes for this, but even spoke about how a change in wealth changed him. “I can tell you this person-

We’re letting guys into school who are often not qualified to be in school.” —Bomani Jones Journalist and contributor to SBNAtion.com

ally as someone who makes a whole lot more money in 2012 than he did in 2008,” Jones said. “I’m no less honest now than I was then, but you could get a lot more fervor out of me in 2008, because I didn’t have anything to lose.” Jones shed light on these problems, but admitted he wasn’t able to offer a solution.

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VanGorder unsure about future John Burns Sports Reporter

Danielle Lowe / Assistant Photo Editor

Defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder said Auburn needs to get bigger and faster on defense in order to compete.

The Auburn football team has had a rough season. That may be putting it lightly, because to the immensely dissatisfied fans, the team has won only two games, neither of which were against SEC opponents. Also, former national champion head coach Gene Chizik is on the hottest of seats. After a 38–0 crushing defeat at home against Georgia, so is defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder. Barring a huge upset in Tuscaloosa, Auburn will likely finish the season with three victories and badly miss out on a bowl game. After three straight seasons with bowl wins, the big question is what happened this year, and how can it be fixed? VanGorder had several blunt suggestions of how to

improve on the defensive side of the football. “We’ve got to get bigger and stronger here at Auburn.” VanGorder said. “It’s pretty obvious. I think that’s our responsibility — to develop them physically and mentally. That’s our job.” He also spoke of how his experience in the NFL relates to the relatively small Auburn defensive side. “In the NFL, there was one defense that was built in the ideal of small and fast,” VanGorder said. “It was a defense that was built with a high-scoring offense that was ahead all the time, and it worked.” The problem is Auburn has had anything but a high-scoring offense this season and has averaged a meager 163.7 passing yards and 17.3 points per game. When asked about his con-

fidence concerning his future at Auburn, VanGorder said he was unsure. “I don’t know that I can say that I’m confident (about it),” VanGorder said. “But it’s not something that’s overly burdensome to me.” To the organization’s credit, they have not been making excuses. The coaches and players know this year has been a disappointment, and the mindset in the locker room is to finish the season with heads held high. “It hurts to lose the way we’ve been losing,” said senior cornerback T’Sharvan Bell. “We’ve just got to keep fighting. The season is not over. We’ve got two games left, so we’ll try to make the most of these last two games.” The Tigers will face Alabama A&M and Alabama respectively in the next two weeks.

Coaching situation is lose-lose for Auburn Andrew Yawn sports@ theplainsman. com

Was this season not supposed to be the rebuilding year? After the joy and jubilation of 2010 and the success of The Great Cam-bino, Auburn’s 2011 season was considered disappointing despite the Chick-fil-A Bowl win. After the departures of Michael Dyer, the other reason Auburn went undefeated in 2010, and coordinators Gus Malzahn and Ted Roof, the team and the University understood this year was going

to come with a learning curve. This season, Auburn has played the 20th-toughest schedule in the nation by win/ loss percentage and has the seventh-strongest strength of schedule in the SEC. That, combined with new coaches and young players, made for a good excuse. The problem is, in the SEC, a team wins or loses, and the word “rebuilding” does not excuse the latter of the two. Auburn needs to get back to a bowl next season. The only question is how to get there. If Gene Chizik is fired as expected, the new coach will inherit a top–10 recruiting class at a large Southern football program and not much else. A new coach most like-

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The Auburn Plainsman

ly means new coordinators. New coordinators means new systems, more learning and a year of wasted “experience” in a system that gave Auburn its first winless eight-game SEC season ever. There are also already reports that quarterback Jeremy Johnson, the cream of the Tigers’ offensive recruiting crop, may decommit from Auburn if Chizik is fired. What if more recruits follow Johnson elsewhere? To Alabama? President Jay Gogue will soon have to make a tough decision: continue Chizik’s “rebuilding” or try to rebuild the rebuilding effort. Auburn needs wins now. Seeing how that’s not likely af-

ter the Alabama A&M game ends Saturday, Nov. 17, the Tigers’ fans will have to wait for next year. But that’s as long as they’ll wait. Chizik or not, the head coach in 2013 must help transform a two-win team into a never-lose team by September or risk a repeat of this season. Barring the addition of a high-profile, culture-changing coach, Auburn’s future is bleak and the fans are restless.. Football is life in the South, but fans are the business. Gogue needs to make the right decision for Auburn’s team, the fans and its wallet, and the decision will only be right if Auburn can contend immediately in 2013.

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The Auburn Plainsman

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Undefeated swimming, diving team prepares for SEC play, eyes title Toi Garcia

the 50, 100 and 200 free. Both meets will be conducted similarly. The team will try to capture seasonal best times and essentially see how it competes against the schools. “There will be great teams at Georgia, and all the meets have been preparation for this,” coach Brett Hawke said. For the meet, the team has made personal and team goals. “My goal is to be faster than last year and for the team relays,” said junior swimmer Marcelo Chierighini. In regard to the season so far, the team has been nearly perfect in terms on the score board. “The season is great so far,”

Writer

The Auburn men’s and women’s swimming and diving team is ready to dive into the Georgia Invitational Meet starting Friday, Nov. 30. The team remains undefeated after beating Kentucky Friday, Nov. 2, with the women earning a 212.5–87.5 win and the men a 205.5–94.5 win. At the Georgia meet, the team is scheduled to compete against California, Indiana, UVA and Georgia. “I am excited to compete against teams outside of the SEC, and this will be a test run for (the SEC Tournament Dec. 3),” said Becca Jones, senior swimmer who races in

Chierighini said. “I’ve never done this well.” Chierighini swims the 50 and 100 meter freestyle events and has won the SEC Swimmer of the Week award twice. However, according to Chierighini, even the underclassman are ready to plunge into the rest of the season. “I’m happy with the team,” Chierighini said. “The freshman class is good, and they are excited as well.” For personal improvement, Chierighini said he would like to perfect his start, which he said is his biggest weakness in the pool. As for the team, Chierighini said it needs to continue its hard work.

“I want to make the most out of my senior year, which I think has shown in the dual meets, because I have gotten my season’s best times,” Jones said. The team’s energy has been high along with its level of excitement for the upcoming meets. “Everyone has been bringing each other up, which has shown in meets,” Jones said. So far, the team has shown its roster is deep with talent. “The coaches have been putting us in off events,” Jones said. “People have stepped up and have proven to do something they didn’t think they could.” The team is now pushing toward the championship

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end of the season. With the team racing for a 16th consecutive SEC victory at the end of the season, Chierighini said the team knows how difficult it will be. “I think it’s really important for another win,” Chierighini said. “This year will be the toughest, but we’ve been working hard.” The women haven’t earned an SEC title since 2008. “This is the strongest team right now, and I think we have our best shot,” Jones said. “I would love to hang a banner up my senior year.” Although the team wants another SEC title, Hawke wants more. “An SEC title is important, but we are focused on a

This is the strongest team right now, and I think we have our best shot. I would love to hang a banner up my senior year,”

—Becca Jones senior Swimmer

NCAA title,” Hawke said. The Georgia Fall Invitatioal will be held in Athens, Ga. on Friday, Nov. 30.

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Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

ACROSS 1 Eugene O’Neill character? 11 Without gaps in coverage 15 Orbital position nearest the sun 16 Capture, in a way 17 Commercial identifiers 18 “The Tourist” author Steinhauer 19 Run like the wind, e.g. 20 More than equaling 22 Strike setting 23 Confused 26 Oldies syllable 27 “M*A*S*H” dramatic device 30 Graphic designer’s deg. 33 Spurious 34 King Faisal’s brother 35 Poet’s liberty 39 Passing remarks? 40 “__ Plays Fats” (1955 jazz LP) 41 R.I.’s Sheldon Whitehouse, e.g. 42 Left nothing in the tank 46 Brown, for one 47 Paul or Lloyd of Cooperstown 48 Hebrew letter before shin 51 Mythical Aegean Sea dweller 53 Short drop-off? 55 Farm hauler 56 Not blown up 60 Bone: Pref. 61 Cleese role in “Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life” 62 Work on a bed 63 Picasso medium DOWN 1 Complex gp. 2 Thin ice, say 3 Slangy advertising suffix 4 Short stretch of track

5 Air Canada Centre team, informally 6 Peace Nobelist Cassin 7 Ipanema greeting 8 Milne’s “Mr. __ Passes By” 9 Earth mover 10 Results 11 Overlying 12 Curse repellers 13 Realtor’s come-on 14 Where gravel may represent water 21 Tuba note 23 NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby 24 How most maps are drawn 25 Bake 28 Map coordinate: Abbr. 29 Exhaust 30 Balcony alternative 31 Like playing tennis with the net down, to Robert Frost 32 “Be that as it may ...”

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Intrigue Thursday, November 15, 2012

B5 ThePlainsman.com

Intrigue

Magic of OZZ : 36 years and still spinnin’ Nathan Simone Online Editor

Charles Barkley can tell you who his favorite disc jockey in Auburn is, because Barkley used to crash at his apartment in the ‘80s and watch him box in the Coliseum. Ralph ‘Shug’ Jordan, Doug Barfield, Pat Dye and Tommy Tuberville have all known him on a first-name basis. Chizik received a plate of cookies from him each Saturday during football seasons, until scheduling conflicts arose. Michael David Calton, better known as DJ Ozz, acknowledges that in his 36 years performing in Auburn, he’s met all the superstars: Bo Jackson, Kevin Greene, Charles Barkley and Chuck Person, to name a few. And yet, his 57-year-old balding head hasn’t grown any larger. “Just about every way that I can reach out to communities with music, I’ve been blessed to be a part of,” Ozz said. From 13-year-old birthday parties to founding the ever-popular Daddy-Daughter dances in Auburn and Opelika, Ozz has tried to DJ it all. But for someone who’s been a visible part of the Auburn-Opelika community for so long, there’s definitely a thing or two residents don’t know about Ozz. “I used to do intramural boxing as part of The A Club,” Ozz said. “We’d get 20,000 people in the bottom of the Coliseum, all there to see guys beat the heck out of each other. I was pretty fit, so I was OK.” While he bleeds orange and blue, Ozz was born in Houston, and lived with his family in Birmingham and Phenix City before landing in Auburn in time for him to enroll in Auburn High School. Ozz said that his nickname arose from first being called “Wiz kid” by a football coach for his smart mouth. Later, peers adapted it into “Ozz,” and the name stuck. “The only person who still calls me Michael is my brother,” Ozz said. “My friends call me Ozz. My wife calls me Ozz. Everybody does.” Even on his mortgage, Ozz said that all his official documents usually contain “a.k.a. Ozz” at the end. What is now Bourbon Street used to be a bar called Courtney’s, where Ozz first started performing professionally in 1977. “It was disco back then, the first disco place,” Ozz said. “I had to bid with the DJ who was already there for a time slot.” Ozz’s nickname then took on a professionally appropriate tone when he started working at a new record store in Auburn called Oz for Music, owned by Emerald City Records out of Atlanta. Ozz pursued the job to get a discount on music, and because of his yellow-brick road-decorated Converse shoes, the owner obliged. At the time, he was studying communications/public relations at Auburn, but he couldn’t find a job. The owner at Oz for Music offered to let him run a store in California, but he declined in order to take care of his ill mother and continue to DJ. “I couldn’t find a job, and so my mother said ‘honey, do what you love,’” Ozz said. “I told her I’d try as best I could.” From there, Ozz said his glory days were spent from 1981-85 at a bar called The Hungry Hunter on Opelika Highway, a big hangout for the majority of athletes. It was at The Hungry Hunter that Ozz bestowed mercy upon a dancing Bo Jackson with two left feet. “He was losing so bad to another guy in a dance contest,” Ozz said. “I said ‘Bo, you got to do something,’ so he went back out there and ripped his shirt off and flexed. The whole place went crazy. He won.” After The Hungry Hunter, Ozz played a variety of venues around town before hosting karaoke nights at Bourbon Street in the mid–’90s. “Heath Evans used to come by a lot,” Ozz said. “He’d sing ‘Ice, Ice, Baby’ by Vanilla Ice and just break it down. All his friends would dance behind him, and people just loved it. You don’t see too much of that anymore.” After Bourbon Street, a friend at Quixote’s suggested Ozz try out for a permanent weekly spot. Since 2007, Ozz has been known as the Wednesday resident DJ of Quixote’s, where Ozz said he will stay as long as he can. Having DJed 461 weddings in his career, Ozz said that eight of those couples met since he’s been at Quixote’s. “I have people come up to me all the time and say ‘we met when you played our song,’” Ozz said. “Usually with a little prodding, I can remember what it is.” Many venues in Auburn have some mark left by Ozz, such as the “love booth” at Niffer’s, where Ozz proposed to his wife, Karen. “Niffer’s is one of my favorite places to eat, and I’ve been doing their Christmas parties for over 19 years,” Ozz said. “I proposed to my wife in one of their booths; it has a special place in my heart.” Tyler Bowden, Auburn University alumnus and graduate of

Courtesy of DJ Ozz

DJ Ozz performed at the first Veterinary School National Symposium. “They were party animals,” Ozz said.

Courtesy of DZ Ozz

Courtesy of DZ Ozz

Ozz sits at the DJ booth in The Hungry Hunter. “It was the Jackson era,” Ozz said.

DJ Ozz performed at the 10th annual Daddy-Daughter dance. “Those are my favorite dances,” Ozz said.

Auburn High, said he remembers Ozz performing at a variety of school functions in Auburn, including his senior prom. “He was always at our dances,” Bowden said. “You knew if there was an event to expect some Ozz.” Quentin Torbert, junior in business management and graduate of Opelika High, said Ozz is a down-to-earth person and wellliked entertainer in many communities. “I feel like everybody loves DJ Ozz,” Torbert said. “He’s so approachable. I see people walk up to him and have conversations all the time. He’s DJed my dances from middle school to college now. It’s like we all grew up with him.” Torbert thinks most students appreciate how Ozz keeps up with new music trends. “Even for his age, he knows all the new stuff to play,” Torbert said. “He also knows when to go old-school, balance it out.” Ozz said he studies all sections the Billboard 100 and Top Hits USA every Monday morning so that he can stay relevant with his sets. “There’s not any section you can beat me in,” Ozz said. “I’ve lived my music and studied it as well.” He acknowledges that most people his age are slowing down, not looking for opportunities to speed up and stay up late. “Most people my age are in bed by 8 p.m.,” Ozz said. “Last night, I got into bed at 2:45 a.m., but it doesn’t bother me because I’ve been doing it all these years. If that what makes my audience happy, I’m there for them.” Ozz’s personal philosophy is to make his crowd have as much fun as possible and to constantly keep the number of people on the dance floor high. He only plays edited music and stays away from music with “a bad message.” “Sometimes guys will get on me for playing ‘N Sync or Backstreet Boys,” Ozz said. “Then I tell them to look at the 40 or 50

girls that just went screaming onto the dance floor. If the girls are happy, then the guys are happy.” The only criticism fans seem to have of Ozz is a lack of incorporating listener requests into sets. “Sometimes people don’t realize that when they ask me for certain songs, especially if they’re dirty, I can’t play them,” Ozz said. “At schools and other events, I have to follow the guidelines of where I’m at.” Ozz said he sincerely tries to honor listener requests to the best of his abilities. “I get put in tough situations sometimes,” Ozz said. “I’d like to play every song requested, but I also would not like to get fired or offend someone.” For now, Ozz reaffirms that he’s been doing what he loves for 36 years and doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon. However, he’s always admired the job of fellow classmate, Jordan-Hare Stadium announcer Ric Smith. “I still have a dream of being an announcer at the stadium or some other sporting event,” Ozz said. “I’d say ‘Auburn Tigers, it’s time to get up!’ and then play four or five songs to get them pumped. That would be my dream.” Ozz is confident that his goodwill will continue to be spread around Auburn and other communities, as long as there is music to bring people together. “The best thing that I can reflect on is how many people have told me ‘you made a difference for me at Auburn, you helped me have fun,’” Ozz said. “I’ll never have a star or banner like the big guys, but my greatest gift is to know that I can go anywhere: Auburn, Opelika, Beauregard, Smiths Station … and have a friend or help somebody.” For event requests or quotes, Ozz can be contacted at djozz1@ hotmail.com or 334-559-4699.

Local bands deck the halls for The Gnu’s Room Caitlin Wagenseil Writer

The Gnu’s Room has given many local bands and musicians an opportunity to play in front of a live audience, and now those bands are looking to give back — in the form of a Christmas album. Teacup and the Monster, Adventure of the Great, Low June, Ellington Way and Lonely Wolves are just some of the bands recording songs for the album. Ellington Way, formed by Auburn University students Benjamin Hoefling and Carley Boone, were more than happy to be a part of the production.

“Jake Carnley of Teacup and the Monster asked us to jump in on the project with them and some other artists,” said Boone. “We loved the idea, so we were a ‘yes’ right off the bat.” Boone said because they have only been playing together for about three months, they’re still figuring out their style and sound, but would describe it as easy listening. “We’re laid back and acoustic,” she said. “We play there (The Gnu’s Room) like once a month, so it’s pretty consistent,” Hoefling said. “It was the first legit show we played, and it’s been a good home for us.” Scott Waters, broadcast as-

sociate at WEGL91.1, formed Low June along with his wife Ashley, and they will be recording one song for the album. “Whenever we have new bands come in, which has been a lot lately, I’m the one who records those,” Waters said. “I met Jake when they came into the studio one day, and we recorded three or four tracks for them.” Waters and local Neil Kelly recently put on the Gnu Fall Festival, a fundraiser for The Gnu’s Room. “I asked Jake if they’d be willing to play and they were up for it, and from there they asked if we wanted to do the Christmas

album,” Waters said. “There’s 10 bands involved, and we’re all going to do one song.” Waters said there was supposed to be a show to promote the album, but mainly the sales of the record will go to benefit The Gnu’s Room. “We had intended on doing the collaborative album and kind of having a kickoff night with it there with everybody playing, but it may or may not happen at this point with finals coming up,” Boone said. Live show or not, The Gnu’s Room has given local artists a place to play, which is why many want to help raise money. “I think all of us have in com-

mon that The Gnu’s Room has really benefited us and supported us in our music endeavors,” Boone said. “So we all just want to give back.” Low June will play Friday, Nov. 16 at The Gnu’s Room, and Ellington Way will play a kickoff show for its Christmas house show tour Thursday, Nov. 29. It will also release its first EP this spring. Those interested in purchasing the Christmas album or making a donation can go to IndieGoGo.com/TheGnusRoom. The goal is to raise $600, and all proceeds will go straight to The Gnu Arts. According to the website, for

a $15 donation, the donor will be recognized with his or her name printed under the “Special Thanks” section, and for the $20 donation, the donor will receive an autographed poster. For donating $50, the donor will receive a CD package with albums from Teacup and the Monster, Adventure the Great and Dave Potts. Those contributing $100 to the cause will receive handwritten lyrics to a Teacup and the Monster song, as well as an Adventure the Great song. For $75 more, the donor will enjoy a private show by the two bands.


Intrigue B6

The Auburn Plainsman

Thursday, November 15, 2012

How to: pick a formal date Lane Jones Lane@ theplainsman. com

Melody Kitchens / Intrigue editor

Misch Masch Soaps handmade soaps are sold at The Overall Company in downtown Opelika.

Misch Masch handmade soap bubbling around town Anna Beth Jager Intrigue Reporter

Misch Masch Soaps, a local business started by Lyndsay Fukai, sells handmade bars of soap in an abundance of different flavors. The name developed from her love for Lewis Carroll, the author of "Alice in Wonderland." “My niece calls me Mimsy, and I looked up the name and it's a Lewis Carroll name," Fukai said. "Then I started looking at a bunch of Lewis Carroll stuff, and Misch Masch was the title of one of his books and I just thought, 'wow. That would be an awesome name for my business,' mostly because I don't know what I want to do with it. I love vintage, I love sewing and making clothes and I love interior design, so I didn't really know what I wanted to do in the future. I figured Misch Masch would be a good brand because it kind of accommodates everything.” Fukai’s love for making soap started when she received a bundle of them from a friend and her friend's daughter for Christmas. “Her daughter is only 4, and I was kind of like, 'if you guys can make soap, I'm so gonna make soap,'" Fukai

said. "I've always wanted to, and I maybe want to open a bed and breakfast someday, so I thought it would be really cool to have handmade soap for guests. So, I just set out to make it one day. Just researched it and learned how to do it all. I gave the friend who I mentioned earlier one of my bars of soap and she was like, 'did you make this?' and I was like ‘yeah, didn't you?’ She had bought them all at Hobby Lobby. But that's how I learned; I just kind of taught myself.” The soaps are made with all-natural ingredients without any artificial dyes. Everything is handmade, and the scents are inspired by a multitude of things. “I love to cook, so I read cookbooks all the time and just kind of get different flavors off of that," Fukai said. "I also love anything fantasy book, so I make goblin soap and witch soap and then of course I get inspiration from Harry Potter. I love all that.” While there aren’t any Butterbeer-flavored soaps (yet), there are still many to choose from, and Fukai is open to any flavor suggestions. “I made one soap called 'Witchy,' and it has like worm-

wood and witch hazel and all kinds of stuff like that in it," she said. "I just made a Jack Frost one for Christmas, so I used coconut shavings and made it white and added peppermint to it, which is cool.” Fukai has also been a huge supporter of local businesses, buying coffee beans from Mama Mocha's and grease from The Hound. “I definitely believe in supporting local because that keeps everything in your town and provides a creative support for other artist types," Fukai said. "I really think that most coffee shops, and even grocery stores, should definitely buy local. I have a passion for food, and I also think that local farmers are a dying breed. If we don't start supporting them more, then places like Wal-Mart will take over the world and we're gonna have, like, mass-produced weird tomatoes that are overly perfect. I don't know; I just really support local, plus I want my environment around me to be people that I respect and enjoy, and I know where my stuff comes from.” Misch Masch Soaps are sold at The Overall Company in Opelika or MischMaschVintaggio.blogspot.com.

Girls gripe about the lack of initiative coming from guys who are too shy or just too lazy to ask them on a proper date. They blame their perpetual singledom on boys who just can’t work up the nerve to break through the friendship zone. So, sororities have schemed up an event that is perfectly designed to give girls an excuse to get dressed up and dance with dudes. In the dating culture of the South, these organizations provide an opportunity that gives them their one and only chance to make the first move: formal. Finally, they are able to single out the guy they’ve had their eye on for so long and take him on a magical night that will culminate in a whirlwind romance! Finally, all their complaints will come to an end and they can express interest in the cardigan-clad cutie in their chemistry lab! This is their chance to make dreams come true. But, inexplicably, that’s not what happens. Girls wait around in terror, doodling their crush’s name in the margin of their notebook, but never make a move. It’s time to rise up, ladies. Formal season is looming (and for you non-Greeks, there’s always the Honors ball). Start using this opportunity to its fullest potential. Kelsie Nussel, recent Auburn graduate and seasoned formal-goer, has offered her advice in hopes that our readers will avoid making the same mistakes she did. 1. Look past your best guy friend. One of the biggest

Lane jones / intrigue reporter

mistakes girls make is inviting their token ‘guy friend’’— the one who has been passed around the sorority like a good cupcake pan. They takes guys who have been permanently friend-zoned, precisely because they pose no romantic threat. Nussel admits to having fallen victim to this behavior during her senior year. But, she claims, there was a time when she mustered up the moxie to do it right. “Sophomore year I asked boys I liked and had crushes on.” Nussel said. “Multiple times. Multiple boys. Sometimes it was the same boy multiple times. At that point I had my list of boys who I thought were cute. The cute boys, the nice boys and the boys I knew but wanted to get to know better.” 2. Take a risk. Formals are a chance to take a risk under the guise of being casual. Pick someone who makes you vaguely nauseated at the thought of approaching. Arm yourself with the reminder that what you’re going to say to him is “want to join me for a fun night of dancing?” even if what you’re thinking is “will you promise to grow old with me?” 3. Go in blind. Maybe there isn’t a single man on the ho-

rizon that you can bear the thought of spending an evening with. At some point in our college careers, we’ve all felt this way. Don’t use this as license to stop looking, though; use it as an opportunity to go blind. The beauty of a blind date is in its presumed informality. You guys are just getting to know each other, even if you have used his Facebook thumbnail to photoshop pictures of what your children would look like. “If you have a sorority sister that’s from Birmingham and knows half of Auburn, get her to set you up,” Nussel said. “That’s what I did freshman year to get to know boys.” 4. Settle for the story. Even if you hit every item on our checklist to guarantee a flawless night, it could still go wrong. Maybe you run out of things to say in the first couple minutes of the ride there or a dance battle turns violent. Nussel advised to keep in mind that romance is not the only positive outcome of a formal date. “It could end in a boyfriend or a really, really good story,” she said. “I feel like I have more stories than boyfriends.” To Johnny: Formal? Fannie Mae


Thursday, November 15, 2012

Intrigue B7

The Auburn Plainsman

Rhode Island seventh graders hope to learn more about Alabama

Seventh graders from Goff Junior High School in Pawtucket, R.I. ask our readers for help with their state project and request information on Alabama. We want to know what life is like in the area you’re from ... pictures of what it looks like if you look out your back window, what is your town like, what do you do for fun, what kind of attractions are there in the local area. Postcards help, pictures and newspapers. Folks usually send letters.” —Brian Gilmore Goff Junior High Geography teacher

Ariana B. 974 Newport Ave. Pawtucket, R.I. 02861

Carlos G. 974 Newport Ave. Pawtucket, R.I. 02861

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An event to showcase the talent of artists featured in the Auburn Circle.

NOVember AUSC ballROOM

6-8 PM

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PERFORMANCE BY

ADVENTURE THE GREAT LIVE READINGS

POETRY, FICTION, & NON-FICTION EXHIBITION

ART & PHOTOGRAPHY Circle


Intrigue B8

The Auburn Plainsman

Jane

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Healthy eating guidelines in time for exam week

Random Lily Clark sophomore business

Martha Ryals

1. What’s your favorite post-election tweet?

Last year’s, because he was really cute.

I like the ones that weren’t too radical in any way. Just like the humorous ones, like “an elephant would win in a real match.”

4. If you could hang out with Aubie for a day, what would you do?

2. If you could abolish one class at Auburn, what would it be?

I would just go with him everywhere for the attention and see what it’s like with all the screaming girls.

COMP1000. That’s a bad one. It’s not helping anyone.

3. Which former SGA president would you most want to slow dance with?

6. What’s your favorite method of coping with Auburn’s crippling losses this season? War Eagle anyways. Sometimes I like to pretend it’s a bye week.

7. What’s your thoughts on the denim-on-denim trend?

5. What Auburn professor has the best hair?

I’m cool with that.

Stephen Swann. He keeps it together. It’s very well done.

8. Who would win in a fight: Gogue or Chizik? Gogue. Chizik is kind of losing his touch all around.

Graduate student in nutrition

Exam week marks the beginning of a time for those of us in the academic world, and with it, long nights at Ralph Brown Draughon libary and Starbucks, Caribou coffee cravings, and the old familiar take-out bags, delivered pizzas and an array of plastic utensils. Let’s be honest, where college is concerned, a healthy diet typically is not. We’re too busy, too poor and too preoccupied to worry about making healthy food choices. However, additional to inadequate physical activity and increased levels of stress, poor food choices are directly related to weight gain in college students. According to the American College Health Association, obesity among college students has increased from 27.4 percent in 2006 to 29.2 percent in 2011. Studies show that obesity increases the likelihood of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes, as well as other life threatening conditions. As convenient and appetizing as some fast foods and junk foods may appear, they are more than inconvenient when it comes to maintaining good health. Research shows that diets high in saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium and refined carbohydrates, and low in fruits and vegetables, greatly increases one’s risk of chronic diseases, some types of cancer, high blood pressure and obesity.

lane jones / intrigue editor

What can you do this year to make healthier food choices? What does a healthy diet look like? Some basic guidelines to keep in mind are balance, variety, moderation and proportion. Balance, simply put, is incorporating all of the different food groups in the diet; these include grains, meats and beans, vegetables, fruit, dairy and oils. Eating only one food from each food group, such as french fries for a vegetable serving, isn’t going to cut it. We college students have a knack for redundancy in our diets, but since there is no such thing as a “super food,” there is no one food that can meet all our nutritional needs. Variety asks us to eat many different foods within each food group. A good tip when practicing balance and variety is to pay attention to the colors of the foods on your plate; typically, the more variety in colors, the more variety and balance in your meal. Lastly, practice moderation and proportion. No food has to be excluded from your diet, there just needs to be some control as to how often and how much of it you eat. Moderation will keep “how often” under control, while propor-

tion takes care of “how much.” With basic dietary knowledge, you’ll be able to make healthier choices when deciding where and what to eat. Keep in mind that your college life does not have to exclude your good friends Papa John, Jimmy John, Moe or McDonald, but as with any friendship, you two don’t need to be attached to the hip; it just isn’t healthy. Get out of the box, and try mixing up the foods in your diet. There are many tasty, affordable and healthy food options on and off of campus; one only needs will power and a little nutrition knowledge to make better food choices. We are the future, and right now, studies show that our future is becoming a “weighty” issue. Even though making better food choices can seem daunting, eating healthily doesn’t have to be hard. It doesn’t have to be a migraine or an empty stomach. You don’t have to be a rabbit, exile your snack foods or avoid McDonald’s. Get familiar with healthy diet guidelines, learn to read food labels. Most importantly, practice moderation, and just maybe this year, Auburn can become greater on a completely different scale.

UPC Presents WINTER C

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Wednesday, November 28 th AU Student C enter 2nd flo or 10 AM - 2 PM

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Take a break enjoy freferofom your stressful sch ed od and make a craft! ule,

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Thursday, Nov ember 29th “The Beach” at Donahue and Lem Morr ison 8:00 PM

n: Informa/tiUoPC t n e v E r o u F urn.ed www.au7b88 or follow us on r -4 (334)-84e4b and Twitte k o o c Fa UPC @Auburn


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