The Auburn Plainsman Thursday, April 21, 2011
A Spirit That Is Not Afraid www.theplainsman.com
Vol. 117, Issue 27, 20 Pages
UPC cancels annual spring concert Eric Austin Managing Editor
The University Program Council’s stage will remain silent this spring as the concert set for next Tuesday evening was officially cancelled Wednesday. “We just got an email from Taio Cruz’s agent saying he canceled,” said Brittany D’Angelo, UPC director of major entertainment. “There were no specifics about it; nothing more was said.”
Following notification of Cruz’s cancellation, an online survey was quickly put together Monday to decide if Neon Trees, who were set to open for Cruz, should still come to campus. “In order to have a good concert we needed at least 2,500 students attending,” D’Angelo said. “So we needed 6,000 people to fill out a survey online and out of those 6,000, we needed at least 2,500 to say yes and that ended up
not happening.” D’Angelo said all funds would be returned to the University and would go toward another concert in the fall semester. “It was upsetting because we put so much hard work into it, and it was only a week out, and it just kind of fizzled out basically,” D’Angelo said. D’Angelo said she did not know if the funds for the canceled show would be combined with UPC’s
budget in the next fiscal year, which begins October 1, to potentially lure a better artist to campus or if two separate concerts would be held. “I just want to apologize to the student body for any inconvenience,” D’Angelo said. “No one saw this coming. “Just know that student funds are still going to go toward a great concert, it’s just not going to be next week.”
“
Just know that students funds are still going to go toward a great concert, it’s just not going to be next week.” —Brittany D’Angelo UPC Director of Major Entertainment
Committee assigns trustee members Bobby Lowder, ‘controversial’ Board member, is reappointed Jillian Clair News Editor
Emily Adams / Photo Editor
Harvey Updyke Jr., leaves the Opelika courthouse Wednesday after waiving his preliminary hearing.
Updyke, May cases bound for grand jury next month Jillian Clair News Editor
The alleged Toomer’s oaks poisoner and the man who is accused of shooting into a vehicle at Southern Union State Community College appeared in court for preliminary hearings Wednesday. Both men will appear before the grand jury in May. harvey updyke Harvey Updyke, the man accused of poisoning the Toomer’s Oaks sometime after the Iron Bowl game, waived his preliminary hearing Wednesday and will appear before the Lee County grand jury next month. Updyke is charged with one count of criminal mischief, a class C felony. He could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted. Updyke’s lawyer, Glennon Threatt, asked District Judge Russell Bush to allow Updyke to reside in Louisiana with a family member until the trial. District Attorney Robbie Treece said he had no issue with the resi-
dence change. Bush granted Threatt’s request, but reminded him none of the other bond conditions would change. According to the Opelika-Auburn News, Threatt said he tried to reach a plea agreement with Treece, but was denied. Threatt said he wanted to keep his client out of jail. After appearing in court, Updyke told the Opelika Police Department he was assaulted in the parking lot of Tiger Express on Hwy. 280 in Opelika. Updyke said he arrived at the gas station between his 1:30 p.m. court appearance and 2 p.m. Updyke told police he thinks more than one person assaulted him, but he never saw them. Updyke said he was treated at East Alabama Medical Center and was treated for a blow to the face and several small abrasions and scratches. After receiving treatment, Updyke said he went back to Tiger Express to see if the staff had surveillance video of the incident. Updyke said he is interested in
seeking prosecution for the people who attacked him if they can be identified. Threatt called the Paul Finebaum show after the incident. “Somewhere right outside of Opelika, Harvey stopped at a gas station to get a drink and some gas, and when he got out of his car, it went black,” Threatt said. “He woke up on the ground. He had been hit in the head with something, so he wandered into the gas station in pain, and they directed him to a local emergency room. He has got facial bruises and a split in his brow.” Threatt said he was not with Updyke during the incident. Thomas may Thomas May III, accused of the April 6 murder of his mother-inlaw Brenda Watson, 62, and the attempted murder of three other family members at Southern Union State Community College, will appear before the Lee County grand jury next month. » See JuRy, A2
The University’s governing body, the Board of Trustees, may have three new members in addition to six returning trustees if approved by the state senate. All six trustees eligible for reappointment were selected to serve on the Board for seven more years. Three new trustees, Ben Thomas “B.T.” Roberts of Mobile, James “Jimmy” Hopson Sanford of Prattville and Elizabeth Huntley of Clanton were selected to represent districts 1, 4 and 6, respectively. The Process The trustee appointment committee consists of Gov. Robert Bentley; current Board members John Blackwell, District 8, and Raymond Harbert, at-large; and Alumni Association members Bobby Poundstone, Nancy Fortner and Howard Nelson. Fortner and Nelson rotated in and out of the voting process because of the large number of applicants, said Brian Keeter, director of public affairs. Poundstone, president of the alumni association, said the appointment committee reviewed the materials submitted by each of the 195 applicants, but did not conduct interviews. Poundstone said the 2003 amendment to the state constitution is the only guideline the committee has for selecting trustees. Each time the committee convenes, there is a different process, Poundstone said. “I feel very strongly that one thing we do need in moving forward—we need to come up with some guidelines for con-
Lowder
sistency in the way that we handle the nomination process,” Poundstone said. The constitutional amendment has only three requirements in selecting trustees. The nominee must be under the age of 70. The nominee must reside in the district he or she represents or must be a U.S. citizen if an atlarge trustee. The nominee must not be an employee of the University. Keeter said Trustees do not receive any monetary compensation for their service. Poundstone said monetary contributions are not an official factor in selection, but contributions do show dedication to the University. “It doesn’t hurt,” Poundstone said. “Obviously, it’s one of the things that you can look at and see if someone is committed toward Auburn’s betterment, and part of that equation is, ‘Have they supported Auburn financially?’ But it’s certainly not the sole factor for me—I look at the big picture.” Prior to 2003, trustees were appointed by the governor and served 12-year terms. The 2003 amendment states trustees can serve two 7-year terms. However, the amendment allows a trustee like Bobby Lowder, who was first appointed by Gov. George Wallace 28 years ago in 1983 to finish his current term and be eligible for reappointment. Bobby lowder Some have questioned the re» See Trustee, A2
College of Architecture, Design and Construction names new dean Annie Faulk Staff Writer
Vini Nathan is climbing the ladder toward being the new dean of the College of Architecture, Design and Construction. Nathan will take over June 1. Nathan is the current dean for Philadelphia University’s School of Architecture. She has taught architecture and interior design programs for Philadelphia University, New York Institute of Technology, Michigan State University, University of Minnesota, Eastern Michigan University and the University of Michigan.
“I am not arriving with a boilerplate list of goals that I wish to impose,” Nathan said. “Instead, I look forward to working with the CADC faculty, staff, students, alumni, our friends from all over the world and our University administration in continuing and extending our impressive legacy.” Nathan’s design experience stretches across the globe. She has worked on design projects in India, New York and Virginia. While in India she worked for design projects for corporate buildings and public areas of tourist hotels.
“I was chosen as the dean of College of Architecture, Design and Construction through a highly competitive national search,” Nathan said. “This multistep process included four stages of well choreographed, comprehensive, intense and focused interviews.” The search committee interviewed many applicants and narrowed down the group to eight people. The eight applicants were taken to an off-site interview conducted by the search committee, and this group was narrowed down to four. » See Dean, A2
Contributed photo
Vini Nathan works with architecture students at Philadelphia University, where she is currently architecture dean.
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The Auburn Plainsman
DUI Arrests in the City of Auburn April 15 – april 19, 2011
Crime Reports for April 15 – April 19, 2011
■ Cameron E. Gray, 19, of Hoover North Ross Street at East Magnolia Avenue April 15, 11:53 p.m. ■ Courtney B. Roth, 21, of Birmingham North Ross Street April 16, 5:07 a.m. ■ Eddie J. Madison, 49, of Aliceville South College Street April 16, 11:06 p.m. ■ Martin Valencia-Govea, 24, of Michoacan, Mexico Professional Parkway at Gatewood Drive April 18, 1:43 a.m.
Trustee » From A1
appointment of Lowder, who was called “a lightning rod” for controversy in a 2006 third-party University evaluation. “Our investigations suggest this Board member did overstep his appropriate Trustee role on multiple occasions in the past and that he permitted and even encouraged the notion that he was the power behind the scenes at Auburn,” the report stated. “Perceptions persist that Mr. Lowder ‘has a financial hold over other Trustees’ and even over some members of the University’s staff.” However, the report also noted Lowder had shown improvement and that no reports of micromanagement or inappropriate behavior had been reported during the yearlong evaluation. “While certain of Mr. Lowder’s actions over time can and should be criticized, it is also true that he has become a convenient scapegoat for any and all of Auburn’s problems and shortcomings,” the report said. Lowder was approved 3–2 to represent District 3: Lee County. Poundstone and Fortner voted against his reappointment. According to campaign documents obtained online through the secretary of state, Lowder’s wife Charlotte donated $25,000 to Bentley’s gubernatorial campaign Sept. 21, 2010. Bentley’s press secretary told the Associated Press the donation had nothing to do with Bentley’s vote to reappoint Lowder. Poundstone said he did not vote for Lowder because of any controversy or personal dislike, but instead voted for Michael
April 16 — South Dean Road Theft of property reported. One cellphone, one purse, $20.
April 15 — Lee Road 10 Theft of property reported. Vehicle parts: One Kia trunk lid, one Dodge door, one Oldsmobile door, two Cadillac fenders.
April 16 — Teague Court Theft of property reported. Two demo saws, one screw gun, one 1/2” drill, one laser level, one builders level, one transit level.
April 15 — West Magnolia Avenue Theft of property reported. $94.
April 16 — Patrick Road Theft of property reported. One lawn edger, one lawn hedger, one leaf blower, three 2-gallon gas cans.
They were brought in for interviews conducted by students, faculty, staff, alumni, advisory board members and college and university administrators. “All of the CADC programs are highly ranked nationally and reflective of the string leadership and direction that Dean Dan Bennett had for the college over the 10 years that he served as Dean of the CADC,” said Richard Brinker, dean emeritus for the school of forestry and wildlife sciences and chair of the dean search committee. “The Committee feels very strongly that Dr. Vini Nathan will continue the upward trajectory of the CADC.” Nathan’s work does not stop with architecture. Currently, she participates as a board member for Families for Children in Montreal. She has also worked as a board member for Charter High School of Architecture and Design in Philadelphia. “We were looking for the best candidate who could bring the skills and experiences needed to continue the upward trajectory of the College of Architecture, Design and Construction,” Brinker said. “Leading the faculty and connecting with the students and alumni are essential requirements of the dean.” Nathan will work with graduate programs to combine architecture, landscape architecture, interior architecture, building science, industrial design and graphic design. “She will have the same duties as dean as any other college,” said Kerry Ransel, provost and vice president of academic affairs. “She will run the departments within the college.” As the dean of CADC, she will work within the college to create a relationships with other programs. “The College of Architecture, Design and Construction at Auburn University has a formidable reputation as an intellectual, entrepreneurial, and innovative powerhouse,” Nathan said. “I am thrilled and honored to join the CADC and the Auburn community.”
■ The board voted to raise tuition 4 percent for the 2011–2012 academic year. ■ They also voted to raise on-campus housing rates by up to 6.8 percent. ■ In addition, a new facility for parking services was approved. ■ Tuition rates for graduate students at AUM were also raised 12 percent.
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Thomas May, left, speaks to one of his lawyers during his preliminary hearing Wednesday. May allegedly opened fire in the Southern Union parking lot.
Jury
» From A1 May is represented by William Whatley and Todd Crutchfield and is charged with one count of capital murder, three counts of attempted murder and one count of shooting into a vehicle. The prosecution called one witness, Opelika Police Department Sgt. Ben Bugg. Bugg said when officers arrived at the scene after receiving a 911 call at about 3:30 p.m., Watson was receiving CPR next to a bullet-riddled 2010 Toyota Sienna parked in front of the Higginbottom Academc Center. Maude
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Marshall, 93, was in the front seat; May’s wife Bethany, 36, and their 4-yearold daughter were in the back seat. Marshall was wounded by bullet fragments and was transported by helicopter to Columbus Regional Medical Center. Bethany was shot in the arm, and the child received cuts from flying glass. District Attorney Robbie Treece asked Bugg why the 4-year-old was not shot. “The mother laid on top of her child to protect her,” Bugg said. Several 9 mm bullets, casings and bullet fragments were found at the scene, in May’s vehicle and at his home at 936 Peartree
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April 17 — Mell Street Theft of property reported. One laptop.
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April 18 — Lee Road 137 Breaking and entering of a vehicle reported. One computer and one MP3 player.
Dean
If approved, three new nominees will join the six returning trustees. Roberts will serve District 1. Roberts graduated from Auburn in 1972 and is president of Roberts Brothers Commercial and Property Management, Inc., Realtors. He is also Alumni Association chairman of scholarship development and serves on several University committees. Samford, who will represent District 4, graduated from Auburn in 1968 and is director of Alabama Power Company. He is also involved with the colleges of agriculture and veterinary medicine. Huntley, who will serve District 6, is a 1993 graduate of Auburn and received a law degree from the University of Alabama in 1997.
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April 18 — Teague Court Theft of property reported. One concrete vibrator, two pairs of bolt cutters, one gas blower.
April 17 — East Longleaf Drive Theft of property reported. One Georgia license plate.
April 15 — East Longleaf Drive Breaking and entering of a vehicle reported. One iPod and one Army Ranger knife.
New Trustees
A SPIRIT THAT IS NOT AFRAID
April 15 — Teague Court Theft of property reported. Copper wire, 300 feet.
April 15 — Mulberry Court Theft of property reported. One basketball goal.
Williams, a minority candidate who he thought had qualities that would serve the board well. “My vote was really about looking at the nominees and seeing what the board needed as far as diversity and finding the best candidates that would help the board in the broad spectrum,” Poundstone said. The length of Lowder’s service was also a concern, he said. “The main consideration for me was I think, regardless of how you feel about his contributions, I did feel like that there was a sort of consensus that other people should have an opportunity to serve,” Poundstone said. “That was the main thing for me. He’ll do a fine job and serve Auburn in a meaningful way like he has— just for my particular vote, it was mainly the length of service that I thought it may be time to give somebody else a shot.”
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Thursday, April 21, 2011
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Road in Auburn. The evidence has been sent to the forensics lab. Targets were set up at May’s residence as well, Bugg said. Police are still looking for the Taurus 9 mm semiautomatic handgun they believe was used in the shooting. Southern Union student Austin Flincham and Bethany identified May as the shooter through a photo lineup. At about 6:30 p.m. April 6, Bugg said May drove back to Southern Union and told members of the media, “I did all this,” and asked for Capt. Allan Elkins of the Opelika Police Department.
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The full Spectrum of gender bending Elizabeth Fite Staff Writer
Elaborate dresses, big hair and colorful makeup are not typical weapons in the fight for equality, but they were in full force Saturday night in the Student Center ballroom. The Spectrum Alliance, Auburn’s gay-straight organization hosted its third annual drag show to raise awareness for the organization and promote its petition to add transgender individuals into the nondiscrimination clause of the University’s constitution. Sexual orientation was added to the clause in 2007, but gender identities are not included. “Transgender people get harassed a lot on campus, and we want people to get in trouble for that because it’s getting to the point where it’s almost violent— everybody needs to be protected,” said Mickey Riis,
freshman in psychology. The stage was adorned with streamers, balloons and a “diva” backdrop. Performers danced and worked hard to pump up the audience and earn dollar bills. Riis, whose stage name is Ben Gettinsom, made her drag show debut last Friday night. Although she said she was nervous at first, she had a blast on stage. “I did four songs—the first one was Mulan’s ‘I’ll Make a Man Out of You,’ which is just ironic and funny,” Riis said. She said a valuable aspect of participating in a drag show was getting to see the world from a different perspective. Adam Gatlin, an organizer of the show and last year’s winner, said his initial reason for participating was to raise money and awareness for a great cause.
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It’s really kind of to poke fun at the whole gender role thing—that’s what the drag show is about.”
emily adams / photo editor
Trever MoEuen performs as Camille Von Trapp.
—Adam Gatlin Drag Show organizer
“It’s really kind of to poke fun at the whole gender role thing—that’s what the drag show is about,” said Gatlin, whose stage name is Trangelina Jolie. “It’s a little nerve-racking on stage because all eyes are on you, but it’s a lot of fun,” Gatlin said. Vanity Jaslynne Mac, junior in apparel merchandising and design, was another first-timer. “My stage name is Vanity, so I knew I had to do something that incorporat-
ed that, and Christina Aguilera made a song called ‘Vanity,’ so I knew that was the song I had to do cause it described me fully,” he said. Mac said he was nervous at first, but once on stage he was in his element and thought the experience was fun. “It’s a place where LGBT people can just be themselves with no judgments,” Mac said.
emily Adams / photo editor
Braxton Tanner performs as Miss Joan Oulett Wolfe.
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Thursday, April 21, 2011
Campaign Complain weighs thoughts, opinions Chelsea Harvey Assistant Campus editor
“More monster truck rallies.” “Wish they offered a class on the Portuguese language!” “Tiger Transit buses are too cold! Turn the air down!” These are a few of the more unconventional complaints written on the Student Government Association’s Campaign Complain board last week. Campaign Complain takes place twice a semester. SGA places a large board on the concourse for students to record their complaints, opinions and suggestions for improvements on campus. This semester’s Campaign Complain took place Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. According to Kirby Turnage, SGA president, it is the more unusual sugges-
tions that help SGA members get an idea of what students are concerned about on campus. “A lot of people mentioned COMP 1000,” Turnage said, “and not even complaining about the actual class, but saying, ‘Hey, can we have COMP 1000 on Mac?’ And I was like, I never really thought about that, but that’s kind of a cool idea, you know. Are we offering opportunities for those people who are just Mac people? Why are we restricting them to the PC?” According to Collier Tynes, student interest chairman for the SGA Senate, some complaints were more common than others. “One popular complaint was registration,” Tynes said. “Tiger i is not the most popular means of registration just because it’s so confusing, so people were kind
of upset about that. Of course, you’re going to have the complaints about parking and dining.” Turnage said the point of Campaign Complain is to determine students’ concerns and how to incorporate them into SGA’s initiatives for the year. Starting last semester, students had the opportunity to address their con-
cerns by taking a survey in addition to writing their complaints on the board. SGA senators stood on the concourse with iPads on which students could take the survey. The survey was also available on the SGA Facebook page. According to Vanessa Tarpos, SGA vice president, the iPads have made it easier for SGA to evaluate stu-
dent complaints. “That’s been something that I hope they continue for a lot more years because that is probably the best way to get the most information for us and just really consolidate the data,” Tarpos said. “It’s just really hard to get all of that information from the board, and my group did it last semester, and we just had to write everything down, calculate it manually, so the survey just makes everything easier.” Tynes said SGA was also hoping to respond to this semester’s Campaign Complain with an answer board next semester. “We found that students were just not informed on a lot of the things,” he said. “There are answers to these questions and complaints that they had, so we’re going to have another board that basically is in reverse
where the SGA puts all these answers to why parking is not available and why dining is so expensive and normal complaints that we get.” Other concerns with less concrete answers will be taken into consideration by SGA next year when communicating with administration. “A lot of that data we might use as administration—if we’re talking to administrators, and we’re saying, ‘Two semesters in a row, this many students are concerned with the prices of dining or the healthy options of dining,’” Tarpos said. “We can actually use that hard data and have a graph and all of those numbers. It’s not like one of us sitting there saying, ‘This is the problem.’ We actually have that data to back it up when we’re talking to administrators.”
New campus wellness center promises to impress Elizabeth Fite Staff Writer
Students and faculty gathered Friday afternoon in the parking lot off Heisman Drive for the groundbreaking of the new Recreation and Wellness Center. “Today is the day that we break ground on an incredible facility,” said Ainsley Carry, vice president of Student Affairs. “About 18 to 24 months after today, we will be walking into one of the best recreation and wellness centers in the Southeastern Conference.” Features of the center include a large cardio and weight room, a one-third mile indoor inclined track, an outdoor pool, a threestory rock-climbing wall, eight basketball courts, an indoor soccer field and a game room. The wellness center will also feature multiple locker rooms for men and women with showers, and a wide
variety of fitness classes as well as personal training options will be offered. The 240,000-square-foot center, which is 2.5 times the size of the current recreation center, will cost approximately $72 million, according to former SGA President Kurt Sasser. SGA President Kirby Turnage acknowledged the student body, past SGA presidents, the board of trustees and President Gogue for their help in making the dream of a new recreation center a reality. “This facility really is long overdue—we’re standing here today, students, mainly because of your voice,” Turnage said. “It’s finally time to bring a premier recreation and wellness center to Auburn University.” According to Carry, 74 percent of students voted in 2008 for construction of a new recreation center during the administra-
“
About 18–24 months after today, we will be walking into one of the best recreation centers in the Southeastern Conference. —Ainsley Carry Vice President of Student affairs
tion of SGA president Lauren Hayes. “This is a story about the power of students—when you believe in something and collectively work toward that, you can make a huge difference for this University,” Carry said. “This is also a statement from our student body about the importance of a sound mind, a sound body and a spirit that is not afraid.”
Maria Iampietro / associate campus editor
SGA President Kirby Turnage speaks at the Recreation Center groundbreaking event.
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Thursday, April 21, 2011
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Rally lights up the night ‘Take Back the Night’ unites victims of sexual assault Blakeley Sisk Writer
Emily Adams / Photo Editor
The Halliday-Cary-Pick House was donated to the College of Human Sciences for the establishment of the Cary Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies.
Old house, new purpose Ellen Weathers Writer
The Women’s Philanthropy Board will soon move from its cubiclecramped office in Spidle Hall to the Halliday-CaryPick house, the second oldest home in Auburn. Fran Pick Dillard, current steward of the home and member of the WPB, donated the home to the College of Human Sciences, which is affiliated with the WPB. This donation allowed for the establishment of the Cary Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies. “We have the pride of place to launch this center which we believe will be unprecedented anywhere through the country,” said College of Human Sciences Dean June Henton in her speech April 11 at the WPB’s ninth annual Spring Symposium. Henton called Dillard’s donation an act of “absolute altruistic generosity.” “There’s really a large connection between the house, the University and the community as a whole,” Dillard said. The house was built in
1852 and bought by Dr. Charles Allen Cary, founder of the College of Veterinary Medicine, in 1892. Cary’s daughter, Alice Cary Pick Gibson, lived in the home until her death in 2006 at the age of 101. Dillard was Gibson’s daughter-in-law and became steward of the home at this time. “She was an Auburn graduate and did a lot of civic work,” Dillard said. “She was a fantastic woman in her own right.” The Cary family’s impact on Auburn will be honored in the center. “We’ve stayed in close touch with the vet school through the years,” Dillard said. “Dr. Cary’s study in the house will remain intact.” The study will be open to students interested in learning more about veterinary medicine and Cary. Architecture students are invited to visit the house to observe its construction. The home’s impressive condition has earned it a spot on the Historical American Buildings Survey, a forerunner to the
National Register of Historic Places. In her April 11 speech, Henton praised Cary’s contributions. “The home symbolizes his commitment to education and the spirit of a true philanthropist,” she said. “Our conclusion is that the center could bring widespread recognition for the work of the WPB.” This work includes the recent approval of a new minor in philanthropy and nonprofit studies. The WPB developed the course Gender, Wealth and Philanthropy, which evolved into the new minor that will be offered through the College of Human Science’s Department of Consumer Affairs. The Cary Center will serve as the venue for the minor. “The house will accommodate a variety of activities involving many constituent groups,” Henton said. “It will be a place where current students will gather, teeming with the energy and idealistic spirit of those veterinary students who went before them.”
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As Sexual Assault Awareness Month comes to a close, students are encouraged to “Take Back the Night” on Cater Lawn. Take Back the Night is a march through downtown Auburn that provides an opportunity for victims of sexual abuse to tell their stories on Cater Lawn, said Ellis Diment, senior in communication and co-chair of the event. “We carry our signs, and we march and chant through the downtown streets of Auburn, and that is part of the awareness campaign,” said Carrie Kilpatrick, diversity initiatives coordinator for the Women’s Resource Center. Police Chief Tommy Dawson, SGA President Kirby Turnage and artist and activist Teresa Ro-
driguez are the scheduled speakers. Victims of sexual assault are invited to share their stories by speaking or having a friend read their story, Kilpatrick said. “You get to come and hear a lot of cool experiences and participate in a hugely emotional thing,” Kilpatrick said. The main focus of the night is for victims to be able to speak out about their experiences. “For victims, this is important for their healing process because they are around people who also have a story,” said Finley Hurth, sophomore in human development and family studies and co-chair for SAAM, who helped plan the event. “They are able to talk freely about their experiences in a safe environment.” Take Back the Night is the culminating event of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Diment and Kilpatrick said Take Back the Night is their favorite event because of its symbolism.
“I think it is an important issue, and I feel like people need to be more aware about it and that people aren’t really aware of how prevalent it is,” Diment said. Statistics show that one in four college-aged women will be sexually assaulted in some way—3,070 women on Auburn’s campus, Hurth said. Take Back the Night is also an opportunity to spread awareness to men and teach them ways to prevent sexual assault. “We are taking back our lives and our security, and we’re standing up to say this is not right, and we won’t be fearmongers anymore,” Kilpatrick said. A candlelight vigil will be held for all those affected by any type of assault. “This event is the opportunity for victims and friends of victims to show support and spread awareness for something that deeply affects peoples’ lives,” Hurth said. Take Back the Night will start April 21 at 6:30 p.m. on Cater Lawn.
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The Auburn Plainsman
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Professor combines love for environment, writing Madeline Hall Writer
Emily Adams / Photo Editor
Auditions for AU Singers, Auburn’s show choir, will occur from May to August.
AU Singers recruits new show choir performers, enthusiasts Elizabeth Bonner Writer
The birds aren’t the only ones starting to sing as spring settles in. AU Singers spring and summer auditions are now open. There are six more auditions between May and August. Dates are listed online, and students can contact Farmer with any questions. Auditions consists of four parts: sight reading, a music reading exercise, a prepared song and a dance. “The people in the group are really close,” said Dale Farmer, director of AU Singers. “They really are a family.” AU Singers was founded by 39 years ago. It was one of the first collegiate show choirs in the South, and Farmer was a member of
Auburn’s first group during his freshman year. “It started to provide a new dimension of choral music, which was choral entertainment,” Farmer said. The group consists of 36 auditioned members. The diversity of the members adds depth and personality to the group, and not everyone in the group is a musician. “We have majors from business to accounting to HDFS,” said Marlin Ward, senior in music education. “I’m one of the only music majors in here.” These distinctions are only a portion of what sets AU Singers apart from other show choirs, according to Farmer. “The thing that separates this group from many others is their heart and soul,” Farmer said.
“Our philosophy is that you don’t sing for yourself, you sing for others.” Since AU Singers was founded in 1972, the group has continued to prosper. Along with its band of nine instrumentalists, the group performs at campus events, conferences and conventions around the state, country and even abroad. “Auburn Singers has become one of Auburn’s greatest traditions,” Farmer said. “It’s a great recruiting tool for the University. A lot of people have come to Auburn because of the AU Singers.” Anyone interested in auditioning can see an example of a performance at one of their next shows: April 30 at 7:30 p.m. and May 1 at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. at the Auburn High School Performing Arts Center.
Derek Ross has accomplished what was thought to be near impossible. He made class fun. Ross, assistant professor of Auburn University’s Master of Technical and Professional Communication Program, makes going to class worth getting out of bed. “With Dr. Ross, class is never boring,” said Zachary Fritz, junior in English. “He does a good job of keeping students involved in the class, and I found it really enjoyable.” For Ross, his job is his passion. “I absolutely love teaching,” Ross said. “I love research and writing, too, but most of all, I love seeing folks get excited about their own world and seeing how they can make a difference.” Jo Mackiewicz, associate professor in English, said she knows Ross is a committed professor. “I hear his dedication when he talks about his students,” Mackiewicz said. “He considers the assignments carefully, makes the grading rubric clear and takes time to be a detail-oriented instructor.” Fritz had Ross as a professor and as a mentor when he applied for a fellowship. “He’s extremely relaxed as a teacher while also incredibly enthusiastic,” Fritz said. “He clearly knows the subject matter well.” Ross said his research is primarily on environmental rhetoric, or how environmentally-themed arguments are perceived by the public. “I look at the problem of proof-making and how you and me and everybody else
Christen Harned / Assistant Photo Editor
Derek Ross emphasizes local involvement to students. in the world has to vote, understand arguments and figure out how to spend their money,” Ross said, “essentially, how we make decisions in relation to our world.” Ross said he will be teaching a class this summer on environmental rhetoric and ethics policy. “We’re going to take on the problems of how all the corporations in the world try to shape your perception of what’s going on,” Ross said. “For example, Obama and Glenn Beck make arguments that superficially sound good, so we look inside their heads to see what is really going on.” Ross said his definition of technical communication is clear and concise writing that forms a bridge between specialists and nonspecialists. The writer should consider audience, context and design. “Everything from the influence of vaccines and the latest NASA discoveries to what’s happening in genetics,” Ross said. “That’s all information that someone steeped in the culture of mathematics and science has created, and often those folks don’t do well ex-
plaining it.” Ross said his activism was teaching and that he feels like he is making a difference in the world. “One of our recent projects was to do research proposals for something we would improve in the local area,” Fritz said. “They range from anything like implanting credit card machines in Jordan-Hare Stadium to providing healthy eating options on campus; it just had to be something that could realistically be done in this area.” Ross said he puts a lot of emphasis in class on being involved in the community and helping the environment. “I want to teach students how to shape and change public policy because they can make a difference,” he said. “You don’t have to be an expert, you just have to know who to talk to and how to say it.” Ross said he feels most rewarded when students’ work results in interviews, job offers and pay raises. “Doing work that teaches them and makes a difference at the local level is about the best thing we can be doing as teachers,” Ross said.
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Thursday, April 21, 2011
Campus A7
The Auburn Plainsman
Senior earns $120,000 research fellowship Colton Campbell Writer
Patrick Smyth, senior in mechanical engineering, said he was surprised and honored when he opened an email from the National Science Foundation telling him he’d been awarded $121,500. “I’m just humbled and grateful that the work we’re doing here at Auburn University is not going unnoticed,” Smyth said. The 22-year-old from Dickson, Tenn., was awarded the foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship, which provides three years of support at $45,000 annually, a base of $30,000 and an additional $10,500 to cover other educational expenses. The grant was awarded to Smyth to continue his work with the College of Veterinary Medicine, where he is helping to develop a material that could serve as cartilage in the joints of horses.
“The NSF money does two things. It pays for tuition at the school of my choice and pays me to perform research. The way it allows me to research equine cartilage is that instead of being paid to work on a project for a professor, I can choose my own project, as it doesn’t cost the professor anything.” Paul Harris, associate director of National Prestigious Scholarships for the Honors College, said Smyth used his knowledge of mechanical engineering and applied it to veterinary science. “When bones need to be replaced, that can wear joints out,” Harris said. “Patrick has paired some engineering principles with veterinary concerns.” Harris said the fellowship is awarded to students who show promise in any area of academic research. Smyth’s research could
lead to a better understanding of what controls the performance of joints in horses and humans. “I think being awarded this fellowship is just a reflection of everything I’ve learned here at Auburn and all the great opportunities I had set before me,” Smyth said. Smyth, member of the Honors College with a 4.0 grade point average, learned he was awarded the fellowship April 5 and will be attending Georgia Institute of Technology in the fall to pursue a career in research and possibly teaching. Robert Jackson, professor in mechanical engineering, served as Smyth’s academic mentor in the rigorous application process and the development of a research proposal. Smyth said Jackson encouraged him to apply for the fellowship. Jackson said Smyth is
one of the best students he’s ever had in his class. “He aced every test I gave him,” Jackson said. “I mean, got 100s on every test. I don’t think any other student has done that. He is just a very good student and one of the best in mechanical engineering. He has a mind for research, that’s for sure.” NSF’s mission is to enhance science in America and how it affects society, Smyth said. “It can include all disciplines—both the hard sciences and social sciences,” he said. “For instance, I know someone who was awarded the fellowship for research in psychology.” Smyth currently serves as the Honors College liaison to the Committee of 19, a student organization dedicated to the war on hunger. Smyth said in his spare time he likes to run, read and do carpentry work.
Rebekah Weaver / ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR
Patrick Smyth inspects the stylus profilometer. His work with this instrument helped him earn the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship.
Theta Delta named best Kappa Alpha Psi chapter in region Annie Faulk Staff Writer
The Theta Delta chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi stomped out the competition after being named Southern Province Region Chapter of the Year. “This is almost unarguably the greatest achievement in our chapter’s history,” said Raynard Butler, first-year pharmacy student and current president and polemarch of Kappa Alpha Psi. Theta Delta was honored during the Southern Province Regional meeting April 9. “The (National Pan-Hel-
lenic Council) is a fairly small organization when compared to other on-campus Greek organizations,” Butler said. “This is big in regards to exposure, visibility and merit.” This was the chapter’s first time receiving the award. “For the chapter, such an award garners national exposure and recognition,” Butler said. “It counters negative stereotypes associated with Greek life, demonstrating that Greek organizations do things within the community and do more than simply party and put on social functions.”
The Southern Province Region consists of undergraduate and graduate Kappa Alpha Psi chapters in Alabama, Florida and the Bahamas. “It is an honor to be a part of a bond that has been going on for over 100 years,” said Jeremy Foster, junior in public administration and current keeper of records for the fraternity. “I like to think how can I benefit the fraternity, not
how the fraternity has benefited me.” After being named regional chapter of the year, Theta Delta will be eligible for the Nationa l Chapter of the Year award. “I am currently preparing our presentation application/packet to submit for the title of National Chapter of the Year,” Butler said. “The chapter has already commenced plans to nab this award as well.”
The chapter has received the Claude Reese Memorial Scholarship, Dwight Daniel Leadership Award, Nelson Mandela Greek Unity Award and the National Pan-Hellenic Council President of the Year award. The chapter is also a three-time Tiger Stomp champion. “I honestly feel that this year has been one of the greatest years in the life of our chapter and take great pride in the initiatives that we have accomplished under my administration,” Butler said. To be eligible for the award, Theta Delta had
to submit a presentation showcasing the chapter’s achievements. The Theta Delta chapter chose to highlight the chapter’s awards, members, leadership, activities and community service. “Receiving the undergraduate chapter of the year award for the Southern Province of Kappa Alpha Psi is a prestigious honor,” said Christopher Jones, alumni member of the chapter. “Members from all across the world will be able to identify the Theta Delta chapter at Auburn University as an elite chapter within our fraternity.”
TELL US WHAT YOU WANT TO SEE AT AUBURN! PLEASE E-MAIL UPC@AUBURN.EDU FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT: WWW.AUBURN.EDU/UPC OR CALL: 844-4788
Campus A8
The Auburn Plainsman
Thursday, April 21, 2011
On the Concourse
Question:
What is your biggest complaint about Auburn?
“The location of the Transit. It’s a little far from classes.”
“Trying to get classes because sometimes they get filled.”
“Parking, especially at the library.”
—Spencer Jay, junior mechanical engineering
—Mason Jenkins, freshman mechanical engineering
—Emma Weldon, junior studio art
“Probably the parking situation.”
“All the construction.”
“Probably better food selection.”
—Mary Clair Thompson graduate student, math
—Erin Rogers, junior apparel merchandising
—Trey Palmedo, freshman psychology
SGA senate Recap Monday, April 18 meeting
Liz Conn Associate Campus Editor
The SGA Senate passed a resolution supporting a strategy to make Auburn a smoke-free campus no earlier than Aug. 1, 2012. Of the senators who were present, 28 voted in favor of the resolution and three voted against it. The vote followed an announcement of SGA’s smoking survey from earlier this month. Of the 3,724 students who took the survey, 64 percent said administrators should enact a smoke-free policy on campus. Joseph Cortopassi, senator-at-large, said the policy would not prohibit smoking at fraternity houses or any property leased by the University.
Representatives from the University Program Council said Taio Cruz, the headlining act for the UPC spring concert April 26, has canceled. This week UPC will administer a survey to decide whether the concert will still take place with opening act Neon Trees or if the concert will be rescheduled for the fall. SGA President Kirby Turnage announced the commencement speaker at May’s graduation ceremony will be former White House press secretary Robert Gibbs. The senate also passed resolutions installing Haley Bagwell as chaplain; Trevor Ramsey, executive director of SGA boards and committees; and Lorie Johnson, senator for the graduate school.
SGA survey: Auburn University is re-evaluating our on-campus smoking policy. Would you agree with Auburn University becoming a smoke-free campus? Strongly Disagree:22% Disagree: 10% Do not care: 4% Agree: 13% Strongly Agree: 51% Contributed
Katelyn Reed, 20 From Huntsville, this journalism major may be learning to write like a top-notch reporter, but following graduation she’ll be fighting for peace. Our loveliest said she’s known since high school she wanted to serve the country as a member of the Army ROTC. “The opportunity of travel” brought her into the service, she says. In the meantime, “I’ve met some of my best friends through ROTC,” she says. We were happy to meet you, Katelyn, and with you keeping us safe, the enemy is sure to see all the loveliness Auburn has to offer. Think you know an Auburn woman who has what it takes to be the Loveliest Lady on the Plains? Send submissions, with names and contact information, to campus@theplainsman.com
B Community Miracle League covers all the bases 280 Boogie
Litter cleanup
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www.theplainsman.com
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Page B1
Elizabeth Fite Staff Writer
For three years, the Miracle League of East Alabama has made sure America’s pastime is accessible to residents with special needs in the Opelika-Auburn area. “Everybody deserves to play baseball, and of course this was inspired by special-needs children needing to have the same opportunities as everybody else,” said Rusty Melnick, vice president of Miracle League of East Alabama. Melnick, who coached youth baseball in Opelika for 25 years and varsity baseball at Lee-Scott Academy for 10 years, said his passion for baseball initially prompted his interest in Miracle League. Since becoming involved in the league, the baseball aspect is just a small part of what keeps him coming back. “Just come out and watch it,” he said. “It will touch your heart, and you’ll want to be a part of it.” Michelle Key and her 14-yearold son Jared became involved in Miracle League for the first time this season after recently moving to the Opelika area. “It brings him a lot of pleasure and a lot of joy, and it’s an opportunity for him to get outside and get some exercise and be with other people,” Key said. The East Alabama Miracle League has 135 players ranging from ages 5 to 62, and each team plays eight games per season from the end of March to May 22. “We’ve seen several children with autism that would not even come out in a crowd like that in the past, but now they’ll go out and hit a ball and run the bases,” Melnick said. “You see them looking forward to the Sundays to play baseball, and their interaction skills with other children their age and adults improves in that setting.”
Maria Iampietro / Associate Photo Editor
Gunter Nawrocki scores a run for the Mets Sunday at Billy Hitchcock Miracle Field, part of the West Ridge Baseball Complex in Opelika. He said common disabilities of players include Down syndrome, autism, cerebral palsy and accident victims, but any person with special needs is welcome to play. Approximately 200–250 volunteers, or buddies, are needed to run the program. “We have one person that goes around with each player when
they bat, and they go out and go around each base,” Melnick said. “Then when they go out in the outfield, they go out with them.” The Miracle Field in Opelika, also known as Billy Hitchcock Field, has rubberized turf and is wheelchair accessible to accommodate all participants. According to Melnick, there is
no cost to join a team and participants receive major league hats and jerseys, which they get to keep after the season. The Miracle League of East Alabama, a nonprofit organization, and Hitchcock Field relied on private donations to build the field, and they still rely on donations to keep the league running today.
More information about Miracle League can be found on the website, www.miracleleague. com. For information on the East Alabama Miracle League and Hitchcock Field in Opelika and how to get involved as a buddy, visit www. miraclefield.org or the league’s Facebook page.
Proposed bills would be a drag for smokers Liz Conn Associate Campus Editor
Two bills before the state House of Representatives will monitor smoking and tobacco use if passed. The first would raise the tax on cigarettes to 75 cents per pack from the current 42.5 cents. “I support it because obviously we want people to stop smoking, and one way to do that is to raise the price of how much they have to pay to get cigarettes,” said Rep. Patricia Todd, D-Jefferson, the sponsor of the bill. “Most people start smoking when they’re teenagers. If we can stop them from starting smoking, the better off we’re going to be.” Todd said the bill would raise more than $200 million for the general fund. The bill is currently in the Ways and Means General Fund committee. “I think the problem with my bill is a lot of Republicans took a pledge of no new taxes, and they’re hesitant to raise any taxes, even if it is a sin tax,” Todd said. “That’s the challenge I have before me—to convince them this is a good tax that will actually help people in Alabama contribute to the general fund and help people stop smoking.” The second bill, which is in the Health committee, would prohibit smoking in any public building
and would require smokers to be 15 feet from the doorway. It would also ban smoking at outdoor public events, including sporting events. “Secondhand smoke is cancercausing,” said Rep. Mary Sue McClurkin, R-Jefferson and Shelby. “It causes all kinds of respiratory problems, and people should have the right to breathe clean air and not be exposed to smoke.” McClur kin, the bill’s sp ons or, sai d many cities and counties in Alabama already have a smoking ban. An ordinance passed in November 2003 prohibits smoking in Auburn’s public buildings, including restaurants and retail stores. “I support protecting people against secondhand smoke and smoke in public places, be it restaurants, bars, whatever,” said Mayor Bill Ham. “It would be in keeping with what we’re already doing.” With one bill sponsored by a Democrat and the other by a Republican, legislators are reaching across the aisle on the topic of smoking, Ham said. “On this particular issue, it addresses health concerns, and obviously that’s not a partisan issue,” Ham said. “While the ObamaCare bill was painted as a partisan issue, smoking in public places I don’t think is partisan. I think it’s just generally trying to protect those that are having to be subjected to smoking.”
Contributed
Face painting is one of the many activities that will be available for children at Auburn CityFest.
Party on the Plains with CityFest Mackenzie Cogle Writer
What started as an idea between two Auburn Parks and Recreation employees during lunch at Niffer’s Place back in 2000 has now become Auburn’s largest free outdoor festival. Providing fun for all ages, the 11th annual Auburn CityFest will be held April 30 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Kiesel Park. CityFest 2011 will feature more than 150 vendors offering food, fine art, arts and crafts exhibits and various booths to support nonprofit organizations. The event is open to all ages and dogs on a leash are allowed. The Weston Burt Band will headline CityFest after spending the past year in Nashville recording their second album. “They will be bringing their 46-foot tour bus, which will be a great addition to CityFest, as well as signing autographs and taking pictures,” said Kellie Camuso, intern for the Auburn CityFest committee. Kicking off this year’s event is
Contributed
The SkyRiders! are professional trampoline acrobats. They will perform three shows at this year’s CityFest. the first ever Auburn CityFest 5K race and Fun Run. Proceeds benefit the Auburn Parks and Recreation Scholarship Program. For $15, participants can register online or at 7 a.m. the day of the event. Tshirts are guaranteed for people
who register by April 22. The 5K race will start at 7:45 a.m. with the one-mile Fun Run following at 8 a.m. Awards will be given to the top three males, top three females and top three finishers in each age group for » See CityFest, B2
Community B2
The Auburn Plainsman
Thursday, April 21, 2011 Auburn Gas Monitor
calendar: Thursday, April 21 – Saturday, april 30 Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
21
Take Back the NIght
■ Cater Lawn ■ 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
AU Rhythm Tryouts Info Meeting
22
Opera Performance: “Masters of Melody”
■ JCSM ■ 5 p.m. to
23
Mid
Prem
Baseball vs. Ole Miss
Walmart — South College 3.629
3.749
3.869
■ Plainsman
Shell — Glenn and Gay
3.629
3.749
3.869
■ 1 p.m.
Park
Circle K — Glenn and Gay 3.629
3.769
3.999
Shell — Wire
3.669
3.809
3.949
Chevron — South College 3.799
3.949
4.099
Chevron — Wire
3.849
3.899
4.049
Exxon — Wire
3.849
3.949
3.999
Chevron — Glenn
3.849
3.999
4.149
BP — Samford and Gay
3.849
3.999
4.249
Chevron — University
3.859
3.999
4.149
Average
3.761
3.887
4.038
7:15 p.m.
■ AUSC 2310 ■ 5 p.m. 24
25
26
27
AU Rhythm Tryouts
■ SC Ball-
28
29
room
30
Lee County Gathering
CityFest2011
ka
4 p.m.
■ Kiesel Park ■ 9 a.m. to
■ Loachapo-
■ 6 p.m.
Week of april 21
Saturday
■ Continues
Location
Reg
$4.10 $3.68
through May 1; see website for schedule
$3.25 $2.83 $2.40 March 3, 2011 March 10, 2011 April 6, 2011
Regular
CityFest
painting. The carnival benefits Campfire USA, one of the leading nonprofit youth development organizations in the country. “We always get really excited to do this,” said Kelly Peterson, president of Gamma Phi Beta. “It’s a really fun time for all of our sisters to interact
» From B1
the 5K. The overall top three Fun Run finishers will also receive awards. Auburn University ’s Gamma Phi Beta chapter will be sponsoring its kids’ carnival with traditional carnival games and face
with our community.” More than 15 inflatables will be available for children and adults to enjoy, as well as shows from performers such as Bama Air Dogs, The SkyRiders! and Lew-E the clown. My Big Green Bus will debut this year. The converted school bus offers a safe
gymnastics facility for children, complete with a balance beam, vault, zip line and monkey bars. In conjunction with CityFest, the seventh annual Juried Art Show will be held by the Opelika-Auburn News. The show is open to all artists 18 years and older.
Mid
A reception honoring participating artists will be held April 29 at the Historic Nunn-Winston House at Keisel Park from 6 to 8 p.m. Applications are available online. Camuso said the committee is still looking for volunteers to help with the event. Volunteers for the
April 21, 2011
Premium
day will receive a T-shirt and free Chick-fil-A lunch. Students can also earn spirit points by volunteering. “We’re really looking forward to CityFest 2011,” said co-coordinator Sarah Hand. “It’s a great family event that grows every year.”
Emily Adams / Photo Editor
Sarah Newman, junior in graphic design, hula hoops in front of the stage at the 280 Boogie in Waverly Saturday.
Boogie in Waverly Morgan McKean Writer
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An estimated 1,600 people boogied to Waverly Saturday afternoon to enjoy the 11th annual arts and music festival. Seven bands performed, and approximately 15 vendors showcased various art from wood carvings to pottery to hula hoops at the Old 280 Boogie. Folding chairs and colorful blankets transformed the space in front of the stage into a patchwork quilt, threaded together with people from all walks of life. For the first time in its history, the festival cost $10 to enter. The event was also confined to the property of Standard Deluxe, a design and silkscreen print shop owned by Scott Peek. Peek said he was pleased with how the changes affected the event, especially since this was the first year that the bands profited. “It was just more professionally run, and we were more organized this year,” Peek said. Rob Davis, junior in ho-
“
I love to go crazy and dance in front of the stage like an idiot and make everybody get up and dance with me.” —Rob Davis boogie attendee
tel and restaurant management and second-time visitor, said the $10 price tag made him think twice about coming back. “But I still ended up here,” Davis said. “I love to go crazy and dance in front of the stage like an idiot and drag people from the ground and make everybody get up and dance with me.” Daniel Hayes and his wife Tammy were selling handmade pottery at the event for the third year in a row. “I think it was more toward what he (Peek) was looking for,” Daniel said. “It’s a really friendly, tightknit crowd.”
Emily Adams / Photo Editor
Magician Dewayne Reynolds of dRmagic makes balloon shapes at the 280 Boogie in Waverly Saturday.
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Opinions
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Thursday, April 21, 2011
Community
Our View
Lowder’s appointment a missed chance The new appointees to the Auburn University Board of Trustees were announced this week, and the theme of the appointments was familiarity. Of the nine open slots, six were filled by trustees who were reappointed to yet another term. The most familiar of all those faces was Bobby Lowder, whose power and influence on the board has stirred controversy since 1983 when he was first appointed. Lowder’s reappointment was a blow to many in the Auburn family who had hoped to see new blood on the Board, and questions remain as to whether it was truly Lowder’s qualifications that landed him the spot, as the Governor’s office has claimed. It may be that Lowder’s lingering influence in Auburn and state politics played a hand in his reappointment. While it may not be a correlation, state taxpayers should at least be aware that Lowder’s wife Charlotte donat-
ed $25,000 to Robert Bentley’s Gubernatorial campaign in September 2010. What better way to repay the Lowder family than a reward of another term on the Board of Trustees? Political motives aside, this year’s appointments highlighted the flawed process of selecting the Board, something that has not been consistent from term to term. It is clear a more careful selection process is needed that better reviews the credentials of each candidate in an objective fashion (See “Trustees,” A1). While the six reappointed candidates are undoubtedly enthusiastic about serving the University again, surely the selection committee could have found six candidates out the 195 that applied who were more than qualified and could have brought a new perspective. Apple Computers Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook, an Auburn alumnus who applied for a seat on the Board and was denied was just one of many
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I did feel like that there was a sort of consensus that other people should have an opportunity to serve.” —Bobby Poundstone “Trustees” A1
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missed opportunities. A top executive in one of the world’s largest computer companies that continually masters the art of innovation obviously had more to bring then a retired C.E.O. of a failed bank that has been investigated for financial wrongdoings. In a time when public education is suffering across the country and in Alabama, change is needed. New men and women with new perspectives are required to deal with budget cuts and rising tuition that are on the horizon. Unfortunately, Gov. Bentley and his selection committee
only continued the “good ole boy” culture of state politics that has plagued the higher education system in Alabama for far too long. The students, parents and alumni of Auburn University want to see this school succeed and continue to grow in both enrollment and academic standards. The governor’s selection committee, on the other hand, would apparently rather prop up the unceasing political power of a few than listen to the cries of thousands in the Auburn Family who want, and deserve, better.
Your View
How Kelly Tsaltas’ column landed me a job To the editor: Dear Miss Tsaltas, I would first like to apologize for some of the content in my rebuttal to your article about Greek life. The ad hominem personal attacks really didn’t really help my argument. Nothing gets done when people just yell at each other over the Internet. After all, this isn’t a train station and yelling is unproductive.
But, I digress. I’m sure both of us received ample praise for our articles, but I also received something else; a job. My article was posted to a popular website among Greeks, totalfratmove.com (probably not your scene, it may induce indigestion), and was seen by an executive member of Olympia Media Group. Olympia Media Group
is an all-Greek advertising company that produces and facilitates a newspaper called the Odyssey. The Odyssey is given to all fraternities and sororities on campus. The ladies will read it and eat their Coco Krispies out of pocket tees, and the fraternity men will read it wearing their visors and Croakies in zero-sun weather. The Odyssey was started
because the school newspaper at the University of Indiana had a slanted view on Greek life. There’s always a little bit of truth to a stereotype; I’m sure I came off as a complete asshole in my rebuttal. Certainly, there are tons of fraternity men who ride in private jets to their own island in the Caribbean and blow a grand at the bar every week.
A pro-smoking ban rebuttal To the editor: After reading many reports and comments in the Plainsman and on the designated blog, I feel it is appropriate to offer a perspective from a medical professional regarding the possibility of changes to smoking policy at Auburn University. Several arguments have been offered in opposition to tighter restrictions on smoking, and they generally fall into one of three categories: 1. Smoking restrictions will represent some sort of infringement of rights. 2. Smoking restrictions are unfair because there are other unhealthy behaviors that are not in turn strictly regulated. 3. There is skepticism
that passive exposure to tobacco smoke is sufficiently harmful to warrant smoking restrictions. Permit me to briefly address these arguments. The first argument is absurd on the surface. There is no existing right to smoke, and there never has been. An activity that is enjoyed by a minority segment of the population does not automatically attain the status of a “right.” This argument is a subterfuge, and a logically poor one at that. The second argument is a classic straw man fallacy. The existence of other unhealthy behaviors has no bearing whatsoever on whether or not smoking policy should be changed. The third argument is
worth addressing reasonably. There is overwhelming data that passive, or so-called second-hand, exposure to tobacco smoke is a health hazard. Recent studies have demonstrated that the mere presence of tobacco smoke residue on the clothing of a co-worker or cohabitant increases the incidence of respiratory irritation, asthma exacerbations, ear infections, and other illnesses. There is no safe zone for exposure to tobacco smoke, and anyone who claims that there is not sufficient evidence to justify such a statement is either delusional or willfully ignorant. Let us be clear. Restrictions on smoking are not an indictment
of the morals or worth of smokers. This is a public health issue. In light of current knowledge, it is irresponsible to consider anything other than establishing Auburn University as a smoke-free campus, even though that means inconveniencing and annoying smokers. I urge the Auburn community to support Eric Smith and his committee as they seek to improve the health and welfare of the entire Auburn family. I also urge any smokers who would like help in quitting to contact any of us at the Auburn University Medical Clinic. We would be happy to discuss options with you. —Shannon Cason, MD, AU Medical Clinic
Clubs must maintain standards To the editor: Auburn University is privileged to be the home of very active political organizations on its campus: the College Republicans, the College Democrats, the College Libertarians and the Young Americans for Liberty.
With such a strong political presence on campus, there should be a buzz of activism in all directions. Campus political organizations claim they exist to promote their party’s ideals on campus and in the community. Is that best accom-
plished by functioning as Political Action Committee, writing checks, lobbying over fancy meals and endorsing candidates? Are we here to boost our resumes or are we here to create real change? The 2012 elections will be important to all par-
ties and people across the board. So let’s get out the vote. And let’s do it with honesty and truthfulness, with which you will win the respect and confidence of your fellow Americans. —Beth Clayton, junior, public relations
I myself am no saint, but please recognize that I value hard work. The short of it is, I’m working to change the view of Greek life through the Odyssey. I don’t have a trust fund, but my children will. I don’t drive around singing “Sweet Child O’ Mine” in a Range Rover sitting on 28’ chrome wheels, more like a ‘98 4runner with 208,000 miles on it.
I don’t get everything I want, but I’m pulling allnighters in RBD to make sure my children grow up blessed and fortunate like I was. Thanks, Kelly Tsaltas. I just got leveled with a lot of responsibility that will prepare me for the future, and I wouldn’t be here without your article. —Jake Sciotto, sophomore, pre-engineering
The naked truth about Playboy To the editor: I was very disappointed to read an article last week about Playboy’s visit to Auburn. Inasmuch as Auburn is family, all Auburn women are my sisters; men, ask yourselves, do you really want to see your sister in an issue of Playboy? I find the fact that young ladies would allow themselves to be viewed in such crude ways by men disheartening, but even worse might be that women often don’t realize the way in which men see them. This is because men are more physically (i.e. visually) oriented, whereas women are more emotionally oriented, and there is nothing wrong with that. In fact, there is a beautiful complementarity in it, but it prevents women from understanding how pornography affects men. There is nothing intrinsically wrong with the human body, which is beautiful and reflects the creator; the problem is some people’s reaction to it. When men view pornography, and Playboy and similar magazines are definitely pornography, they inevitably reduce women to
mere body parts—objects to be used for pleasure. Pornography leads men to have unrealistic expectations that real-life women cannot live up to. This attitude translates over into all areas of life with a host of terrible consequences: rape, abuse, unfaithfulness, the inability to respect women, etc.. This, in turn, leads women to dress more provocatively in a misguided attempt to compete against this fantasy woman for man’s affections. Ladies, you might be hesitant to believe this, but I know men who have overcome addiction to pornography, and that’s exactly what happens. In short, Ms. Dollarhide’s initial impression of Playboy was correct. Chances are that anyone who reads Playboy for the articles goes to Hooter’s for their hot wings, too. I invite all men who care about the dignity of women to join me and many others in standing fast against Playboy and all similar institutions which reduce women to sexual commodities. —Michael LaPointe, senior, mechanical engineering
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Community B4
From catering to caring to confections Trent Erwin Writer
Martha Venable used the creativity learned in cosmetology school and tailored it to baking. Immediately after high school, Venable went to cosmetology school in Montgomery and later became a hair dresser in Tuskegee. Venable said the creativeness of hair dressing and the food industry go hand-in-hand, leading her to start her own bakery. After running a hair sa-
The Auburn Plainsman lon and working for a family business, Venable learned how to manage a business and become profitable. “You learn by doing it,” Venable said. Venable became interested in the food industry when she worked for a catering business here in Auburn. She combined her experience in catering with her enjoyment for entertaining guests at home. “The first restaurant I had, I catered and did lunch. It was sort of an upscale Southern concept,” Venable said. “I wasn’t open for dinner, but I did a lot of rehearsal dinners and private dinners, and that kept us real busy.” Moving on from the restaurant, Venable became the house mother of Auburn’s Sigma Chi fraternity for a few years. “They were the sons I
never had,” Venable said. “I truly loved them. “Sometimes they were little angels, and then other times they had horns; they were my frat brats.” Venable was responsible for managing the house kitchen and events that took place at the house. Venable left the Sigma Chi house after five years. Her passion for entertaining and cooking food continued to grow till she began her own sweet shop, Venable’s Sweet Shoppe, in Opelika on Ninth Street. The shop opened last December, and Malisa Harris has been working with Venable since then. “I enjoy baking,” Harris said. “It gives me an outlet to do that, and it gives me an opportunity to be around the community.” Through owning a local bakery, Venable expresses the importance of supporting the community
through small businesses that line the downtown Opelika streets. “Support your local community,” Venable said. “We have a real tight knit group down here, and I just think all these little stores in this area support each other, and I just think it’s your part to support your fellow business people and be kind to them.” Venable said it is hard work to maintain a local shop, especially in today’s economy, but she does it because of her customers. “When the customer calls and says what a wonderful cake I made them, or wonderful dessert, it just makes it all worthwhile,” she said. “When you hear those words you just say, ‘Yeah, I think I can do it again.’” Even though the hours can be long and demanding, Elizabeth Green and Harris help Venable keep
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Maria Iampetro/Associate photo editor
Martha Venable opened Venable’s Sweet Shoppe in downtown Opelika after working as a house mother. the bakery up and running. Green emphasize a message the bakery works to
send to the community: “Life is short; eat dessert first.”
Local volunteers keep highway from looking trashy Jade Currid Writer
Saturday, Auburn American Fishery Society removed unsightly garbage from highways during its yearly Adopt-A-Mile litter cleanup. The organization held the litter cleanup with Lee County People Against a Littered State as part of the “Don’t Drop It On Alabama” initiative. “Don’t Drop It On Alabama” is a statewide spring event to clean up roadways through April 23. “We’d like to get as many volunteers—local volunteers—as we can,” said Liesa Simpson, vice president of Lee County PALS. “It’s really good for local residents to come and see what is going on in their
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community—how other organizations are making an effort to clean up their roadways.” Fisheries graduate student Laurie Earley said the public should volunteer at a litter cleanup to see how much of a problem pollution is in the area. “If people just drive by, they don’t have any idea what is on the side of the road,” Earley said. “When you’re on foot picking up everything, you actually see what is going on.” She said she was shocked by the amount of pollution she found on the roadside. “I come from areas where you don’t see this on the side of the road,” she said. “From an environmental standpoint, there’s so much stuff we’re putting into it.
“It’s really important to have these cleanups—especially stream cleanups and road cleanups.” Earley said she thinks there are a lot of unknowns about how pollutants affect the environment. Recent studies show that pollutants have reversed the sex of fish, Earley said. In two-and-a-half hours, 10 volunteers picked up 30 bags of trash along one mile of highway. Besides water and Coca-Cola bottles, most of the containers volunteers find are beer bottles and beer cans, Simpson said. “People don’t want open containers in their vehicles—they’re driving and drinking anyway, but they’re just throwing them out on the side of the road.”
Erin Cash, graduate in fisheries, said she was amazed by the type of litter she found. “It’s surprising how many things you find on the side of the road, especially litter for companies that don’t exist in Auburn,” Cash said. “It gives you a good idea of how many people come into town and leave their stuff around.” Drivers should keep each other accountable when it comes to keeping roadways clean. “Citizens can ticket for seeing someone throw litter out of their vehicles,” Simpson said. Drivers can call in the license plate number of the vehicle from which the offense was committed to the local police.
Christen Harned / ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR
Bochaor Hu, graduate student in fisheries, and Savannah Warren, senior in fisheries, help pick up trash along the road Saturday. “A lot of people don’t want to take that responsibility, but I think if a lot
more people did, we’d have a lot cleaner roadways,” Simpson said.
Intrigue Thursday, April 21, 2011
Relay for Life
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The Planet’s Proponents Local Earth enthusiasts share their passion for sustainability, seek to save the planet’s resources Stories by Kate Jones Emily Adams / Photo Editor
Engineer wants to improve water treatment
Plant specialist discusses sustaining local native horticulture plants Patrick Thompson has been interested in sustainability since he was kid. Originally interested in animal preservation, Thompson, arboretum specialist, came to college and realized he knew nothing at all about plants. So he began working at the arboretum. “I started working as a student and have been here for 10 years now and still learn new things every week,” Thompson said. He said the arboretum has a collection of native plants that has been here for approximately 50 years. Thompson said non-native plants are not part of the ecosystem. “The bugs don’t eat (non-native plants), so it’s not making any food for the birds or the lizards or anybody else,” Thompson said. “So if you have a land-
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If you have … all nonnative horticulture plants, then you don’t have an active ecosystem; you have a desert.” —Patrick Thompson Arboretum specialist
scape of all non-native horticulture plants, then you don’t have an active ecosystem; you have a desert.” Thompson said every time he goes into the woods looking for native plants, it seems there are fewer of them. “Being able to sustain these things in an urban ecosystem— that’s one of the big things we are encouraging here,” Thompson said.
Rebekah Weaver / ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR
Patrick Thompson, specialist at the arboretum, checks a plant label on an azalea.
Recycling advocate educates Earth Fare customers about products Tabatha Carter said she believes there is no such thing as throwing something away. As a cashier at Earth Fare, Carter, senior in human development and family studies, encourages customers to bring in their own bags. Rather than plastic bags, Earth Fare uses paper ones that can be recycled. Carter also shows her dine-
in customers what is recyclable. Carter said customers usually think the paper cups and to-go boxes are trash. “When they eat there, they don’t really know what’s recyclable,” Carter said. “Everything that we have is recyclable. They don’t understand; they think it’s all just trash. But I help them put it in the right re-
Writer
cycle bins.” Carter said her interest in working at Earth Fare began simply because she needed a job. She has been interested in sustainability, organic and healthy eating since she took Global Consumer Culture, a class in human sciences. “They both kind of play off of each other I guess,” Carter said.
Carter said the biggest impact Earth Fare has is through Itty Bitty Bites Night. Every Thursday, for each adult who purchases a meal for $5 or more, up to six kids can eat for free. “It’s not about making money,” Carter said. “It’s really just about teaching the younger generation about eating healthy and recycling.”
Nathan Warner has a passion for people. An ecological engineering major, an option under biosystems engineering, Warner wants to look at alternative water treatment methods in developing nations. Warner said the United States’ system of providing water is not possible in developing nations because it is so expensive. Warner started as a chemical engineering major wanting to study alternative energy, but through involvement with the Committee of 19, he realized his focus was more on the people behind the projects. Warner said there are 1 billion people without access to clean water and 2 billion people without access to proper sanitation. “(Clean water) has huge impact on how we live our lives and how other people live,” Warner said. He said lack of clean water affects their lives, health, and education. “Children have to walk miles to get water instead of going to school,” Warner said. Warner said he wants to play a role in making their situation better. “That’s why I am here on Earth—is to make other people happy,” he said.
Freshman promotes use of tap water
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION / Rebekah Weaver
Enrique Doster, freshman in preveterinary medicine, began an initiative to promote using tap water to refill reusable water bottles.
Enrique Doster realized about a month ago he was paying for something that should be free. As creator of the “Auburn takes back the tap” initiative, which can be found on Facebook, Doster said he aims to educate everyone on why tap water is so much more important than bottled water. Doster said the initiative is in the planning process. “I definitely want people to pledge to drink tap wa-
ter instead of bottled water,” Doster said. “(I want) tables on the concourse showing statistics.” Doster said four of every five water bottles aren’t recycled. “I’m not going to push people to change their own minds, but by just educating them, I’m hoping people will change their own minds,” Doster said. Doster said he loves water and thinks it is a big part of everyone’s life. “It’s such an important part of sustainability be-
cause we need water to survive, and yet nobody knows just how harmful that it is—what we are doing by drinking bottled water,” Doster said. Doster said he saw pictures of where the bottles end up and of animals with trash in their bellies. He said he didn’t want to be a part of that. “I don’t have a hybrid car, my apartment doesn’t have solar energy, but even a little step in the right direction will make the world a lot of good.”
Intrigue C2
The Auburn Plainsman
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Fox’s ‘Glee’ sings to potentially controversial tune Kelly Nicastro Writer
“Glee’s” catchy tunes and lively cast make fans “gleek out” over each episode, but it may be the controversial spin the show brings each week that has them coming back for more. “I think that ‘Glee’s’ controversial topics are a good thing,” said Betsy Greer, junior in radio, television and film. “It’s a mainstream show, and by putting really controversial topics out there, it makes people more aware of them.” Susan Brinson, alumni professor and editor of Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media, said she believes the program ad-
dresses controversial topics to attract viewers. “The more viewers the program draws, the more FOX can charge for advertising during the program,” Brinson said. “Advertisers are willing to pay more because FOX delivers their target consumers.” Shocking episodes filled with drama may lure in an audience, but the question is where the program draws the line between juicy and inappropriate. In a recent episode, Gwyneth Paltrow made a guest appearance as a sex education teacher and sang a 1973 hit, “Do You Want to Touch Me,” by Gary Glitter, a convicted sex offend-
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er. After the episode aired, Glitter’s song made it on iTunes’ top 30 songs, giving him royalties for the song’s success. “The inclusion of the song in the scene sounds like the slightly edgy use of poppy musical numbers that ‘Glee’ specializes in: a glam-rock song about sexual exploration sung to a group of high school students,” said Deron Overpeck, RTVF assistant professor. “So it makes sense that the producers would choose it.” Overpeck also said songs such as “Great Balls of Fire” by Jerry Lee Lewis, who married his 13-year-old cousin, shows how works of art produced by people
whose personal lives were offensive are regularly used. “What makes this different is that Glitter still stands to benefit from the use of his songs, when the awareness of his convictions for sexual assaults on minors is still fresh,” Overpeck said. “So while the song certainly makes sense for the scene and series in general, the fact that it was written by someone convicted of molesting girls in this age range undercuts a lot, if not all, of the pleasure of the scene.” Glitter’s song is just an example of the many questionable topics in the show. The spotlight has continued to be on the homosex-
ual relationships; however, some question if the topic is even considered controversial anymore. Greer said when the two male characters Kurt and Blaine kissed, most of her friends said they weren’t shocked at all and were expecting it to happen. “I think homosexuality is much more acceptable in this generation, and television programs are just now catching up with that,” Greer said. Brinson said some people in the television industry argue that some programs are 10 to 15 years behind the times. “Perhaps the program depicted a kiss between two
gay men because the writers and producers believed that it was already accepted in society,” Brinson said. So are the producers of “Glee” reeling in their audience with controversial gossip, or just providing sheer entertainment for their viewers? “They’ve established a loyal audience; I don’t think they needed controversy to generate ratings and buzz that such issues or scenes often provide,” said George Plasketes, RTVF program director. “But that, too, may be part of the point. We are established and successful—let’s see how far we can push and maybe explore some new directions.”
Studying to help improve the environment Kelly Nicastro Writer
As the debate about the Earth’s fate circulates around the nation, environmental science majors are taking the initiative to learn about what they can do to help the environment. Wes Wood, agronomy and soils professor, said the students who graduate from environmental science are well-trained and will have opportunities to serve society through environmental consulting firms, the government or private corporations. “I enjoy teaching environmental science students because they are enthusias-
tic and highly motivated,” Wood said. Sara Geonczy, freshman in environmental science, said she is curious about the relationship of the natural world and humans. “I feel that this relationship may be the most important relationship to consider,” Geonczy said. “It determines and will continue to determine the success of our human race.” Geonczy said she believes the future of humankind may depend on how we decide to move forward in managing energy, food and water. “Whether we are able to tackle the increasing degra-
dation of our home will be a true test of human cooperation and ingenuity,” Geonczy said. Scott Bolch, senior in environmental science, chose his major because of its interdisciplinary studies of chemistry, biology and geology. “During my time in the program, I have become interested in the various aspects of groundwater geochemistry, specifically groundwater remediation,” Bolch said. “I’ve been seeking employment as an environmental consultant and hope to work with remediation of oil and chemical leaks, as well as geothermal
energy sources.” Geonczy said she also found environmental science interesting because of its mission-oriented field. “Environmental science is also very broad in nature,” Geonczy said. “I enjoyed getting a taste of all the different sciences and seeing how they interconnect and complement each other.”
Crossword Puzzle
Answers to last issue’s crossword
63. Frond producer 65. “Mack the Knife” singer 66. Buyer 67. Sheik’s cartel 68. Cesspool 69. Sleighs or luges 70. Cummerbund 71. Hot drinks
Across 1. Railroad siding 5. __ Minor 9. Pack animal 14. Madame X portrayer 15. Caroler’s tune 16. PC chip maker 17. Tel __ 18. By heart 19. Vista 20. Small sizes
22. Vanna and Pat 24. Address the crowd 26. Luau fare 27. Strolled 30. Vestment 35. Mumbai wraps 36. Sicilian landmark 37. Bachelor party 38. Links org. 39. Put away a sword
42. Joule fraction 43. Captain Kirk’s home 45. Low voice 46. Fiesta Bowl site 48. Talk 50. Pursued 51. Paneling wood 52. Auctions 54. Martial art 58. Pouched animal 62. Crumble away
Kerry’s recipe of the week
Sudoku Puzzle 2
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Ingredients: 1 (11 oz.) log goat cheese 1 egg, beaten 1 cup seasoned Italian breadcrumbs 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 lemon, zest and juice ½ cup extra virgin olive oil salt and pepper, to taste 16 oz. mixed salad greens 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 tablespoons butter
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Crispy Goat Cheese Salad
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shows 25. Probate concerns 27. Tomato jelly 28. Myopic Mr. 29. Brains’ alternative 31. Golden Rule word 32. Tabloid twosomes 33. __ diem (seize the day) 34. Urged on Down 36. Morays and congers 1. Give a high-five 40. Listens closely 2. Blacktop 41. Fred Mertz’s wife 3. Volt or watt 44. Shunned 4. Pasta dish 47. Least hard 5. Like junk mail, usu- 49. Carnivores and ally herbivores 6. Perch 50. Make a fist 7. Clique 53. __-ski wear 8. Guinness or Baldwin 54. Nozzles 9. Miter wearer 55. Eurasian range 10. Straightens out 56. Prank 11. AAA suggestions 57. Alien craft 12. Monthly expense 59. Gumshoe’s find 13. Corrida shouts 60. __ mater 21. Long lock 61. Has a snooze 23. Big name in talk 64. Envir. monitor
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• Every row of 9 numbers must include all digits 1 through 9 in any order • Every column of 9 numbers must include all digits 1 through 9 in any order • Every 3 by 3 subsection of the 9 by 9 square must include all digits 1 through 9
Directions: Slice the goat cheese into ½ inch slices (dip knife in water each time). Coat each piece of goat cheese in the egg and then in the breadcrumbs. Place the prepared goat cheese rounds in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. For the dressing: in a small bowl, combine the Dijon mustard, zest and juice of one lemon. While constantly whisking, stream in the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over the salad and toss until evenly coated. Add the vegetable oil and butter to a sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the goat cheese rounds to the hot pan. Cook for one minute and carefully turn. Cook for one additional minute. Place on top of dressed salad and serve immediately. Serves: 4 Contributed by Kerry Fannon
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Intrigue C3
The Auburn Plainsman
Cancer survivor walks for the cause Holly Collier is one of two cancer survivors on the Relay for Life committee Alison McFerrin Associate News Editor
Relay for Life brings together people who have been touched by cancer. Some relay in honor or memory of someone they knew. But for some, cancer is a more personal enemy. Holly Collier, junior in electrical engineering, participates in Relay for Life because of her own battle with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. After catching a cold from her sister during her junior year of high school, Collier said she woke up the next morning with a bump on her neck, which she told her mom about. “(We) went to the doctor’s office, spent the entire day going through tests and playing the waiting game,” Collier said. “Finally my doctor came in and said, ‘Well, I have some good news and some bad news. The bad news is, you have cancer. The good news is, it’s Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and that’s the best type you can get.’” According to the Mayo Clinic’s website, Hodgkin’s lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphatic system that causes cells to grow abnormally large and travel beyond the lymphatic system. Eventually this weakens the immune system. Collier had a biopsy at Nemours Children’s Clinic in Pensacola the next day, confirming the original diagnosis. “When we came home and we told my dad, that was the first time I’d ever seen him cry,” Collier said. Collier said it was hard to share the news with her friends, and she didn’t tell any of them for several days. But once word got out, Collier said they were supportive. “They did all these posters and brought all these things to me,” Collier said. Her schoolmates showed support as well. “For a while, I rode around—with lots of field trips—I was riding in a wheelchair, and so they all took turns pushing me to the point of one point where they almost literally caused me to crash,” Collier said. After her diagnosis, Col-
lier began chemotherapy. “My treatment was a little bit special because I managed to be that problem person,” Collier said. Collier said she had multiple problems with her port. A port, according to the American Cancer Society’s website, is a longterm, drum-shaped device used for injections. It is surgically placed under the skin, runs into a large or central vein and is accessed with a “non-coring” needle. “My surgeon, because I was in high school and because I was female, was like, ‘I’m going to put your port down on the side of your torso, so that you don’t have a scar when you go to prom and wear a dress,’” Collier said. But after the line fell out twice, the surgeon had to move the port to her chest. Additional complications led to several more surgeries that should have been unnecessary. “I had a total of six surgeries for a total of six rounds of chemo,” Collier said. “By the time I came to that last surgery, my surgeon said, ‘I never want to see you again,’ and I said, ‘The feeling is mutual.’” Collier said she didn’t have much of a negative reaction to the chemotherapy, which surprised her doctors and nurses. “The only time I ended up getting sick was the last round of treatment right before Christmas, and my white blood cell count was down so low that I got sick, and I was stuck in the hospital up until two days before Christmas,” Collier said. She was able to go home for the holidays, but the reprieve was short-lived. “My doctor called on Christmas and said, ‘I’m not going to make you come in today, but you have to come in tomorrow,’” Collier said. Collier was in and out of the hospital for treatment for about four months, but said she was able to keep up with school during that time. “I’ve always been involved in school, and it’s always been what’s kept me going,” Collier said. “Even though I hated doing homework, and I hated being stuck in bed all the time, school was where I felt normal. Even though I had a cap on or a scarf on, it never really felt strange to me. It was always comfortable being at school.”
Rebekah weaver / assistant photo editor
Cancer survivor Holly Collier, junior in electrical engineering, and Jordan Hullett, senior in electrical engineering, proudly walk together in Relay for Life Friday. Collier said when she first found out she had Hodgkin’s lymphoma, she wanted to drop her International Baccalaureate classes, but her teachers wouldn’t let her. Instead, they were helpful about making arrangements for her when necessary. “Instead of having to take notes, my history teacher allowed me to buy my own paperback version of the book and just highlight it and show it to him,” Collier said. “I actually ended up getting better grades than most of the people who were in class all the time.” One positive experience Collier had was with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which grants wishes for children with life-threatening medical conditions. Through Make-A-Wish, Collier’s dream of working for Disney was brought to life. “They worked it out for me to go meet an Imagineer, who are the people who design the parks, the hotels (and) the rides for Disney,” Collier said. Collier spent the day behind-the-scenes at Animal Kingdom and said the experience increased her desire to work at Disney. “That kind of helped me decide to become an engineering major,” Collier said. Though Collier had a hard time sharing the news when she was first diagnosed, she is open to telling her story now via Relay for Life.
Rebekah weaver / Assistant photo editor
Collier’s bright purple survivor shirt shows her victory over Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a cancer that causes lymphatic cells to enlarge. “It was really nice to have somebody on the committee who was actually a survivor,” said Luis Rodriguez, sophomore in premedicine and Survivorship chair. “Most of us aren’t survivors, we’ve just had somebody in our family, so we don’t have that completely personal experience of having to go through that.” Collier said although Relay is something that she was involved in long before she had cancer, it means even more to her now, and she always encourages people to get involved. “Relay isn’t just about cancer research,” Collier said. “It’s about providing money for women to come in and learn how to
“
It was really nice to have somebody on the committee who was actually a survivor.” —Luis Rodriguez Survivorship Chair
take care of wigs or to look at themselves beautifully when they’re going through cancer treatment.” Collier said her favorite part of Relay for Life is the Luminaria ceremony. “You get a chance to sit back and really think about what’s going on,” Collier said. “It kind of gives you
that chance to cry and not feel awkward about it—just to know that it’s not a big deal. It’s OK.” Catherine Bonner, sophomore in elementary education and co-chair of Auburn University’s Relay for Life, said Collier’s enthusiasm was an asset to the committee. “She was one of the first people to jump on any responsibility,” Bonner said. “Tasks come up that no one’s assigned to, so it’s been nice to have her and her willingness to help with all those things. “You can really tell the passion that she puts behind what we’re doing because how important it is to her.”
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Thursday, April 21, 2011
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Drawing tablet brings new life to design Kate Jones Writer
So long are the days where meticulous drawing and shading must be done with pen and paper. Wacom, a maker of drawing tablets, has released an update to its consumer-level “Bamboo” line. Drawing tablets allow drawing, shading and photo editing to be done on a computer with a pen instead of a mouse. Cameron Cotney, sales associate at Best Buy, said some industrial design students use drawing tablets to design blueprints or touch up digital photos. “You aren’t going to be controlling a game with it; it’s more of an artistic feel,”
Cotney said. Bret Smith, industrial design chair, said the tablets remove the limitations of a computer mouse and allow students to input continuous forms more naturally. “It allows you to have the human touch,” Smith said. The tablets come in different versions to suit each unique user. The Bamboo Pen is the cheapest at $69. It allows input from an included pen. It includes Corel Painter Essentials, a drawing and painting program. Cotney said Corel Painter Essentials is like a beefier version of Paint on a regular computer. The Bamboo Pen is great for drawing, coloring and
editing images. Aside from its use as a drawing tablet, Cotney said the Bamboo Pen is also popular with teachers. It can aid in slideshow presentations and it allows drawing on the screen. The Bamboo Pen and Touch is the next step up. Priced at $99, it supports input from an included pen and multi-touch input from your fingers. It comes with Adobe Photoshop Elements, a stripped down consumer version of Adobe’s popular professional photo editing software. The support for multitouch input allows the tablet to be used as a large trackpad. Cotney said it’s like using
charcoal and using your finger to apply shading. The most expensive consumer tablet, priced at $199, is the Bamboo Fun. The Bamboo Fun supports both pen and touch input, and is slightly larger than its cheaper brethren. The Bamboo fun comes with both Adobe Photoshop El-
ements and Corel Painter Essentials. “The most expensive one is a little bit bigger and it comes with [all] the programs,” Cotney said. When used with the included programs or other supported software, all of the tablet’s surfaces are pressure sensitive—the
harder you press on the surface with the pen, the darker the shade or the larger the stroke. Those looking for more may be interested in Wacom’s professional line of Intuos tablets. Starting at $229 and increasing in price based on size, Intuos tablets offer better sensitivity and a better drawing surface. Cotney said the tablets are easy to use. Installation takes several minutes and requires loading the drivers on the included CD. The tablets support both Windows and Mac. Overall, Cotney says that the tablets allow you more freedom and better control.
Information Technology: the Geek Squad of Auburn’s campus Jenna Moran Associate Copy Editor
IT may seem like an ambiguous concept, but on Auburn’s campus, it means something more. IT, which stands for Information Technology, supports all the computers and networking in a specific college. “We control all the labs and the servers,” said Michelle Fish, sophomore in software engineering and IT technician for the College of Business. “We do a lot of fixing computers and programming scripts.” IT also serves as a help
desk for students who have computer questions. “We can fix anything from computers to cell phones to printers and also any classroom equipment,” said Shelley Snipes, senior in accounting and IT technician. Since IT controls the domain that every lab computer is logged onto, IT also installs all the software. “At the end of the semester, we do what’s called a ‘refresh,’” Fish said. A refresh allows for every computer to be updated with new software. “We just redo the com-
puters to make them fresh and ready for the next semester,” she said. IT is a small part of OIT, the Office of Information Technology, which assists the entire University. Most colleges, like the colleges of business and engineering, have their own IT groups. “We still talk to OIT about some things because since we are part of Auburn we have to coordinate with them on certain things, but for the most part we control the college,” Fish said. Fish has worked with IT for the past year to help her
obtain more experience within her major, while Snipes has worked for three years both repairing computers and assisting at the help desk. IT technicians begin their mornings before most classes are even in session. Fish’s day starts at 7:15 a.m. when she arrives on campus to open the student labs and check on the classrooms in Lowder. “We have to make sure all the classrooms are always working, like the projectors and the speakers and the computers,” Fish said. Snipes, who works part
time, enters the office at 7:45 a.m. and is finished around 12:30 p.m. While in the office, Snipes and Fish work on their projects for the day, while also fixing any problems that occur in the classrooms throughout the day. “Computers break every day,” Fish said. “We always have at least 10 computers in our office that we’re working on. Something somewhere is always broken, and we have to get it fixed. Our first priority is students and classrooms. Every time there’s a problem, they’ll send a student
and we’ll go run and fix it for them.” Common problems have ranged from fixing simple software issues to viruses. “You would not even think how many people have viruses on a daily basis,” Fish said. “Most viruses come from employees’ computers.” Most people aren’t sure what exactly is wrong with their computer, they simply know that something isn’t working right, Fish said. “Once we figure it out, fixing it isn’t as hard as trying to figure out what it is,” Fish said.
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Thursday, April 21, 2011
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Leffie Dailey / Auburn Media Relations
The women’s golf team poses with the SEC Championship trophy after winning the title at home Sunday. The Tigers finished 11 strokes ahead of second-place Alabama.
Weekend of titles for Auburn teams Women’s golf takes SEC title at home, finishing 11 strokes ahead of second-place Alabama Destiny Brown Writer
The season isn’t finished for the women’s golf team. After a weekend victory at the SEC Women’s Golf Championship, next is the NCAA Regional Championships. The NCAA Regional Championships will be held May 5–7 at golf courses in Daytona Beach, Fla., South Bend, Ind., and Auburn, Wash. The competition will consist of the 24 topranked teams in the country and will determine which teams will compete in the national tournament. The golf team expects to see the competition come out in regionals, and the team has an idea of a few teams to look out for. The women’s team collegiate rankings puts UCLA, Southern California and Alabama in the top three positions. Auburn comes in at No. 12. “The scariest teams we play will be UCLA, Alabama of course, Arizona State, Arizona, USC and Purdue,” said junior Patricia Sanz. Last weekend at the SEC Championships, Sanz’s
score of 67 set the Auburn record for low round in an SEC Championship. Marta Silva of UGA ranks No. 1 in the women’s collegiate individual standings, followed by Lizette Salas and Lisa McCloskey of USC. Auburn is ranked No. 12 in women’s collegiate individuals with senior Cydney Clanton. “I am very happy with our performance; it was a team effort,” Clanton said, “It is a great way to start the postseason.” Clanton was the top Tiger at the SEC tournament this weekend, finishing in third place in the 60-player. Her 54-hole score was 214, or two under par. Coming off of the SEC Championship win, Auburn expects the best for regionals and nationals. “I think this team wanted it so bad, and all year I’ve been working together to piece some great tournaments,” said head coach Kim Evans. “They decided that they were going to put their head in it, mainly their heart, and pulled it off.” According to Sanz, confidence should not be an issue, as every player prepares to give it their all.
“Every single player in our team is going to bring it for nationals,” Sanz said. “We started the season slow, but now we found some momentum that we are going to carry through regionals and nationals. We are all going to bring it.” Auburn looks to bring experience to the tournament with a team that returns four starters. “We have been very positive lately, and the fact that we have a really experienced team will help us. We have four returners from last year that have played in regionals and nationals,” Clanton said. “I think as long as we stay patient and just play our games it will be a successful week.” The golf team is preparing for regionals at its home course at the Auburn University Golf Club, where the SEC Championships were held. “We are doing the same we do for every tournament. We work hard every day, and we stay positive and committed to our work,” Sanz said. The golf team hopes to represent the Auburn motto for the upcoming regionals. “The strength about Auburn golf team is that we are all in,” Sanz said. “We are a family, and we are all working with the same objective: be the best we can be out there.”
Equestrian takes overall title, hunt seat title and three MVP awards at national championships Christina Santee Writer
After earning bragging rights for ending the 2010– 11 season with a national championship title in Waco, Texas, last weekend, there’s not much else for the Auburn equestrian team to do except bask in the glory and prepare for next year’s string of obstacles. “When you win the national championship, it’s perfect,” said head coach Greg Williams. “It’s glorious. It was fun this weekend. It’s obviously stressful when you’re competing for something like that, but this team deserved to be national champions. I’m glad they were able to finish it.” The Tigers took home three MVP awards for their applaudable precision. Junior Grace Socha for over fences, junior Maggie McAlary for flat and senior Paige Monfore for reining. “I don’t know who to be most proud of,” Williams said. “Very few people can endure that (stress), and there’s a very, very small number of teams that will ever accept it. They accepted the hard work, they accepted the responsibility of putting everybody else
in front of themselves, and that’s why they won.” With 10 event wins, an SEC Championship and a Varsity Equestrian National Championship, the season practically unfolded without a hitch. “Day one we felt really confident,” Socha said of nationals. “We were 4–0 on the flat and so in defenses we knew we just had to win one point, but winning one point wasn’t enough— we wanted all of them. We all rode really hard and we were rewarded. We couldn’t have done it without everybody as a whole.” Though the season was a seemingly effortless one, the women viewed every event as an opportunity to strengthen and polish what skills they already acquired. “The season was amazing. We really kind of just kept building. We didn’t really have a low point, but there were a few meets where we knew we needed to improve.” With an outcome like the one the team has experienced, it’s hard to find anything to complain about. “I thought this season went perfectly,” McAlary said. “When I signed, coming in as a freshman this
was always a goal for me— winning a national championship. To finally be able to achieve such a high and prestigious goal is just an awesome feeling.” With a strong start in the beginning, an equally strong finish was in sight for the Tigers. “I couldn’t have asked for anything to be different or for anything to be better,” Monfore said. “We had so much fun the whole way and worked really, really hard. I truly believe we honestly deserved every win.” Instead of upping practices, the girls were encouraged to stay focused, but relaxed. Overworking them was not something they or their coaches wanted before performing. “A lot of it was just them being mentally prepared and being in the saddle a lot,” said Lisa Helfer, assistant western coach, of the national championship, “just feeling comfortable and confident about anything and everything that was thrown at them. They continued to do what they had been doing all year long and not change anything.” During the summer, many of the girls will travel overseas to continue riding. New recruits will be considered, but the time off is really a chance to “sharpen the ax before swinging again,” William said.
Baseball braces for Rebel invasion this weekend Taylor Jones Writer
The Auburn Tigers are returning to the Plains after sweeping the Kentucky Wildcats in Lexington and taking two of three games against No. 21 LSU in Baton Rouge. The Tigers (20–15, 7–8 SEC) now hope to continue their recent success against the Ole Miss Rebels (23–14, 8–7 SEC) in a threegame series this week. As the season is coming to the final stretch, each win is important, especially in the SEC West. Currently, Ole Miss is tied with Arkansas and Alabama for first, with Auburn one game behind. If Auburn wins at least two of the three games against the Rebels, the Tigers could potentially
take first place in the West. While the Tigers are loaded with talent, there have been some rough stretches this year. After dropping all three games against the Vanderbilt Commodores, team leaders were needed to boost team morale. “When confidence is down you rely on your teammates to pick you up, and that’s exactly what my teammates did for each other,” said junior pitcher Zach Blatt. In order for Auburn to beat the Rebels, Tiger defense will have to silence outfielder Tanner Mathis, who is currently leading the Rebels with a .418 batting average and 28 hits. The Rebels are led on the mound by junior left-handed pitcher Matt Crouse.
Emily Adams / Photo Editor
Creede Simpson congratulates Dan Gamache after he scored a run in the fourth inning against Vanderbilt at home April 3. Crouse has an ERA of 2.79 with six wins and two losses, and has compiled two complete games this season with 61 innings
pitched and 42 strikeouts. Auburn pitcher Corey Luckie also believes confidence is key for the Tigers, emphasizing the team
can’t relax with their SEC schedule. “Our recent success is because we have confidence,” Luckie said. “We know we can win.” In order for the Tigers to win the games needed to take first place, everyone on the team will have to play to their full ability, and after the past two series, the Tigers are confident that they can win the SEC West. Coach John Pawlowski said conference games take a physical and a mental toll on the players, but added his team has stayed tough, even calling a players only meeting to encourage one another. “The older guys and the captains have really stepped up and » See Baseball D2
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Ortman’s pregame rituals create wins
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led by example,” Pawlowski said. Pawlowski said several players such as Tony Caldwell, Kevin Patterson
Ethan Bernal
and Wes Gilmer have really stepped up. “Zach Blatt and Corey Luckie have been great out of the bullpen,” Pawlowski said. “The biggest thing for us on offense is our timely hitting and quality at bats.”
Thursday, April 21, 2011 As he has been throughout the year, Coach Pawlowski is still confident that the Tigers can win the SEC and make it to Omaha for the postseason. The Tigers and Rebels square off at Plainsman
Park for game one Thursday at 6 p.m. Several promotions will be occurring during the series, including fireworks after Friday night’s game and an Easter egg hunt for kids after Sunday’s matchup.
Writer
Auburn Tigers pitcher Dillon Ortman has had a busy week. It started with a road trip to Kentucky, ended with a trip to Louisiana and between he split the SEC Freshman of the Week honors with Dominic Ficociello of Arkansas. The Huntsville native, in his first collegiate season, is adjusting nicely to the new level of competition. “He’s performed pretty well, even early in the season,” said assistant coach Scott Foxhall. “He earned the right to get more innings, and that’s what’s happened as of late.” Ortman was a threesport athlete in high school, playing baseball, football and basketball until he shifted his focus entirely to baseball after his sophomore year. Although he no longer plays, Ortman said his favorite sport is still football. “Football is my favorite; baseball is my second,” Ortman said. “I felt baseball would be my best chance to get a scholarship and go to the place I want to play, Auburn.” Ortman followed his father’s footsteps when he chose to come to Auburn as well as when choosing his major, business. With one semester under his belt, Ortman said he understands the academic challenge that Auburn University presents and does his best to juggle all of his responsibilities. “It’s a lot different,” Ortman said. “The hours studying, the hours playing baseball, there’s not many hours in the day where I can just chill and relax.” During his downtime, Ortman spends his time relaxing with roommate and fellow freshman Tyler Dial. “I just like to hang out with friends,” Ortman said. “We’ll just watch TV or talk baseball.” While not too superstitious, Ortman makes sure to stick to his pregame routine before running out of the bullpen. “Before I come into the game, I always throw a strike,” Ortman said. “So I finish on a strike, and hopefully start the game on a strike. If it’s not a strike, I would stay in there. I might hold up the game a little bit, but I at least got to throw a strike before I go in there.”
Ortman
Even though it’s early in his career, Foxhall said Ortman has already earned a reputation for staying cool under pressure. “If you walked in the gates, you wouldn’t be able to tell if he’s pitching great or pitching poorly,” Foxhall said. “He’s a very humble guy, more of a laid back personality. I think that helps him on the mound; he’s got ice water in his veins on the mound. He doesn’t get too high if he strikes someone out; he doesn’t get too low if he gives up a hit. I think that helps him focus on what he’s trying to do with the next pitch.” A starting pitcher in high school, Ortman is adjusting to his new closing duties in college. “It’s very different; I enjoy it a lot though,” Ortman said. “They say the last three outs in baseball are the hardest to get, so it’s a good challenge; it’s fun.” Despite the stress that comes along with assimilating to college life and increased difficulty in competition, Ortman does not let the pressure get to him. “Knowing that the team has your back, these guys are the best at what they do,” he said. “Knowing that they have my back really takes pressure off of me.” When the tension does get to him, Ortman said he looks to senior catcher Tony Caldwell to ease the situation. “Every time I come into the game, Tony always calms me down, gives me some kind of work advice and makes me laugh.” Ortman said. “That’ll help the pressure out there, just laugh and go have fun.” Ortman has not let the SEC Co-Freshman of the Week honor go to his head and remains hardworking and humble. He and the team grind through the season toward their national championship aspirations. Ortman and the Tigers take the next step on their journey this weekend at home against Ole Miss.
Maria Iampietro / Associate Photo Editor
Senior Latoya Parkinson runs the 100-meter hurdles at the War Eagle Invitational held in Auburn April 15–16. Parkinson won the Olympic Development hurdles in 13.86 seconds.
Track preps for SEC tourney Nick Van Der Linden Associate Sports Editor
Auburn’s men and women’s track and field team added seven titles to its resume following the War Eagle Invitational as they continue their preparations for the Southeastern Conference Championships, just a few weeks away. “The SEC Championship is the ultimate meet for us for the biggest part of the season,” said head coach Ralph Spry. “So at that meet we try to be rested and sharp so we can rock and roll.” Before competing for a conference championship, the Tigers will compete in four meets, including the Mississippi Open this weekend. Spry said the next few weeks the team will back off a little and mainly focus on speed and technicalities rather than strength. During this period Spry said the team will try to get rested, get sharper and try to peak at the right time. “We have a few nicks and cuts and a couple of people that we have to get healthy, but it has been a transition,” Spry said. “Every weekend we seem to get a little better, and everybody is stepping up and answering the challenge, and that’s all we really ask for. We have a week to prepare for the meet at Ole Miss and then get ready for
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SECs.” The Tigers will aim for another performance like that of the War Eagle Invitational last weekend where they won seven events against five nationally-ranked teams in both the men’s and women’s fields. Auburn won five events in the women’s field while the men posted two wins of their own. The Tigers also posted two top collegiate marks, broke a school record and had one NCAA-leading performance. Spry said he was pleased with the performance, knowing the competition has increased as the season has progressed. “We try to give ourselves the opportunity to run fast, and this is another measuring stick for us right now,” Spry said. “We had some of the best kids in the country that were here today, like Ole Miss, South Carolina, Penn State, Iowa, Georgia, Florida State; those are some of the top programs in the country. “We ran well and won our fair share of events, so I’m really pleased with how we lined up and competed, but more so that we put some good times down.” Junior sprinter Nivea Smith won the 200 meters with a time of 22.97 seconds that ranks fourth in the NCAA this year and is third
“
The team overall is progressing very well. We are looking great and exceptionally strong out there.” —Keenan Brock freshman sprinter
in Auburn outdoor history. “After today the team has come a really long way,” Smith said. “I feel that we are running a lot better than we have been running all season and things are finally coming together.” Smith also ran on the winning 4x100 meter relay team and the 4x400 meter relay that won with a season-best time of 3:36.02. This time puts them in the top 15 in the NCAA this year. Sprinter Keenan Brock continued to add to his freshman resume after finishing third in the men’s 200 meter with a time of 20.77. This time ranks him 10th in Auburn outdoor history and puts him in the top 20 in the nation. Brock also won the men’s 4x100 meters with the team of senior Stephen Fly, freshman Clay Porter and sophomore Harry Adams, with a time of 40.02 seconds.
“Today went really great,” Brock said following the invitational. “We started off again by winning the 4x100 relay and then came back with a personal record of 20.77. “The team overall is progressing very well. We are looking great and exceptionally strong out here.” Other notable Tiger performers included senior distance runner Holly Knight and junior distance runner Ben Cheruiyot, who both posted wins in the 5000 meters. Knight won the 5000 meter with a time of 16:06.25, breaking a school-record in the process, while Cheruiyot clocked a personal best of 13:41.80. “I’m really excited with our performance,” said head coach Ralph Spry. “I knew this was going to be a big measuring stick for us with the teams that were here for us to compete against, and we stepped up in a lot of ways.“ This weekend, the teams will split between the LSU Alumni Gold tournament in Baton Rouge, La., and the Mississippi Open in Oxford, Miss. The Alumni Gold will begin at 9 a.m. at Bernie Moore Stadium and the Mississippi Open will take place all day Saturday at the Ole Miss track and field complex.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Sports D3
The Auburn Plainsman
Tigers to square off against Devils Victoria Rodgers Writer
The No. 24 Tigers are coming off a series sweep against the No. 10 Florida Gators and will face the Mississippi Valley State University Devilettes this weekend at home on Jane B. Moore Field. Auburn lost all three games against the Gators, but plan to shake off its defeat to continue the fight for the rest of the season. “The biggest thing to remember here is that a loss doesn’t necessarily mean a step backward,” said junior infielder Morgan Murphy. “We’re still a team of goals that we set out in the beginning of the season that we
can obtain, so we look on to the next game. Our most important game is always the next one.” The Tigers are facing a confident MVSU team in a double header Saturday and will continue to play their best on the field. “We always have to keep fighting and keeping digging to stay on the board and keep scoring and pushing runs across,” said freshman pitcher Hilary Mavromat. Although the Devilettes lost their last SEC game 5–1 against the Mississippi State Bulldogs, MVSU came back to sweep the Alabama State University Lady Hornets, giving them the SWAC
Eastern Division title. The Devilettes have a power hitter in catcher Nicole Burr, who hit five RBIs and a three-run homer against ASU. Joining Burr is MVSU shortstop Diana Parada, who hit her first inside-thepark home run in the series sweep. Devilette’s pitcher Kim Spivey was recently named the SWAC Pitcher of the Week for the third time. Spivey has thrown for more than 120 strikeouts this season and has proven her stamina after throwing 200 pitches within a double header. “Every win from this point on is huge,” said head
coach Tina Deese. “Hopefully we’re playing for seeding, getting into the tournament. Each win helps us in the seeeding because the last thing we want to do is go against Florida into conference tournament.” Though Auburn struggled defensively against Florida, the Tigers still need to create more hits on the offensive side of the ball. “We’ve got to find a way to put the ball in play and manufacture more runs and put more runs on the board,” said junior infielder Lauren Guzman. “Just a couple aren’t going to do it for us.” Auburn will host MVSU Saturday at noon.
Johnson: a coach both on and off the field Rachel Hampton Writer
Steve Johnson played it all as a kid—baseball, basketball and football. He even played college football at Wartburg College, a Division III school in Waverly, Iowa. But you won’t find Johnson on the football field anymore. Now, Johnson is only interested in diamonds—softball diamonds. “I got into fast pitch because my girlfriend at the time played, and I just started following it,” Johnson said. “I was kind of burnt out by baseball and kind of turned off by not being able to play anymore. I just started following her game and fell in love with it and decided to make a career of it.” Johnson, an Iowa native, had intentions of being a multidimensional coach and teacher. “I was going into education to coach football and softball and was a high
school coach for four years,” he said. “When I was at Kennedy (High School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa) I had an opportunity to go to college on the softball side. From a football perspective, I just didn’t have the connections to get a college job.” Johnson said he thought there would be more job security coaching softball. “I thought there’d be at least less moving around,” Johnson said. “Then four jobs later, here I am in Auburn.” Before coming to the Plains, Johnson was head coach at UNC-Pembroke and eventually led his team to a Peach Belt Conference championship. “No one expected anything from Pembroke,” Johnson said. “We went 17–1 in the conference and finished as high as fifth in the country.” This wasn’t the first time Johnson and his team forced their way onto the
johnson
national radar. “My third year coaching high school, we lost a lot of kids to injury and graduation, and no one expected anything of us there,” Johnson said. “We stuck together as a team and made it to the state tournament that year. Those are probably two of the biggest accomplishments, and hopefully we add to it this year.” After coaching at Pembroke for four years, Johnson made his way down to the Loveliest Village on the Plains. “I actually knew (head coach Tina Deese) because I interviewed for a job and always stayed in contact
with her,” Johnson said. “When the job came open, it happened that we had just won the conference title at the school I was at, so it kind of worked out. We actually called each other on the same day.” Johnson and his wife of almost four years, Heather, have been a part of the Auburn family ever since. “I love working with Coach Deese,” Johnson said. “I have a lot of input in the program.” As a coach, Johnson said he wants his players to be the best people they can be, on and off the field. “We take these girls from living with their parents and mold them through sports to become better in society and better athletes,” Johnson said. “When they graduate the goal is for them to be productive members of society.”
Christen Harned / assistant photo editor
Junior pitcher Lauren Schmalz winds up to pitch during last Sunday’s game against the Florida Gators.
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