9.29.11 by The Auburn Plainsman

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The Auburn Plainsman Thursday, September 29, 2011

A Spirit That Is Not Afraid www.theplainsman.com

Vol. 118, Issue 6, 18 Pages

ESPN creator visits Auburn LIZ CONN MANAGING EDITOR

Alex Sager / Associate Photo Editor

Doctorate students wait to receive their dipolomas at last year’s spring commencement.

Spring graduation moves to weekend Shanetta Pendleton Staff Writer

Alex Sager / Associate Photo Editor

President Jay Gogue congratulates graduates as they walk across the stage.

Graduates can finally celebrate their newfound alumni status on the weekend. Starting spring 2012, diplomas will be mailed to graduates after the commencement ceremony. By mailing diplomas, the commencement ceremony won’t be dependent on professors posting grades, and they will have an extra day to complete the grading process. “A happy professor makes for a happy grade,” said Laura Forest, Auburn University registrar. “The stress that is taken off instructors is phenomenal.” Diplomas will be mailed in a tube that comes with the Auburn seal. Previously, all diplomas were delivered before grades were completed and then organized by college, alphabet and honors. Two or three diplomas are or-

dered for each honor student, because honors status is unknown, and the correct one is pulled at graduation or mailed to the recipient. “We pull the one that is right and we shred the other two,” Forest said. “So I just shredded $26. Just put it in the blender.” Forest is responsible for implementing this new cost-effective system, condensing multiple diplomas for $13 each to one packaged and mailed diploma for $9.85. Brian Isbell, senior in aviation management, said he supports the new mailing system, especially if it saves money. “It makes sense,” Isbell said. “I’m glad they finally realized they could do it for cheaper.” Forest said last spring’s graduation cost about $30,000 for diplo» See Graduation, A2

Have you HeAUrd that? SGA creates online student feedback system Robert E. Lee Assistant Campus Editor

The Student Government Association passed a $4,000 motion Monday night to design the new student feedback system “HeAUrd That.” The system will be available to students via a link on Auburn’s “current students” tab under most popular applications. Students will have the ability to give feedback on eight different areas: dining, facilities, student life, academics, parking, housing, Tiger Topics and international students. The facilities section will include updates on current and future projects on campus, and the student life section includes topics such as athletics, conduct and

disabilities. Tiger Topics will include the topic of the month or any other concern not listed in other sections. The program was initially a goal of SGA President Kirby Turnage and his platform for election in February 2011. “We wanted to design something that is available to students 24/7, 365 days a year,” Turnage said. The system will also allow students to access frequently asked questions and answers about the specific sections. If more help is required, a student can then log in using their Auburn ID and give feedback on their concern. Turnage said a major goal of the program was to create “a platform for students to express themselves.” Assistant Vice President of Information and Technology Will Hardison, a major contributor to the project, explained his reasoning behind establishing the sys-

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We wanted to design something that is available to students 24/7, 365 days a year.” —Kirby Turnage SGA President

tem. “(We needed) to make it easier for students to submit feedback,” Hardison said. “With this being online, it gives students a way to submit feedback all the time.” The idea was presented in July to the OIT staff, who will begin building the page this week, Hardison said. Turnage was hopeful for a 3–4 week site build and a release date close to Thanksgiving. He also said he hopes this to be the beginning of more improvements for student feedback.

Bill Rasmussen was told his idea was “television suicide.” Thirty years later, his idea stands as the most-aired program in television history. Rasmussen, the “SportsCenter” creator and founder of ESPN, gave a speech Wednesday night sponsored by the University Program Council. UPC selected Rasmussen in part because of the strength of Auburn’s business program, said Jessica Howard, junior in international business and theatre. “Because we had just won the national championship and because Auburn is such a big sports school, we thought it was something the students would really enjoy,” Howard said. At its start, ESPN cost 2.4 cents per subscriber per month; today that cost has grown to $4.02. Hard work and a little luck gave birth to the creation of a 24hour sports network, Rasmussen said. “I believe the harder you work the luckier you are,” he said. “That’s been my mantra forever.” Rasmussen said his upbringing gave him the positive attitude and confidence to start an entrepreneurial venture. “Growing up at the end of the Depression and going into World War II … it was instilled in us

Contributed

Bill Rasmussen visits the set of “SportsCenter.” that we would be positive and do things,” he said. In the summer of 1978, Rasmussen was fired from his job as communications director for the New England Whalers after the hockey team failed to make the playoffs. “So there I was on Memorial Day weekend—no job, (and I had) a freshman in college, a junior in high school and a daughter who was in eighth grade, all of whom like to eat regularly,” Rasmussen said. “I had no other great resource at that time to feed them, so we had to come up with an idea.” Early skeptics of ESPN said Rasmussen’s idea was futile be» See ESPN, A2

Alabama receives public safety grant Jaimen Perez Writer

Law enforcement will not be letting down its guard on the roads. The Central Alabama Highway Safety Office, which serves Lee County, is slated to receive $128,399 in funds for traffic safety programs. The amount is a portion of $1.9 million awarded to Alabama by the federal government. “What we do is the money comes from the National Traffic Hi g hw ay Safety AdministraBentley tion, and we administer the grant,” said Bill Whatley, program manager at the Alabama Department of Community and Economic Affairs. “We have nine regions that are part of our community traffic safety program, and so we administer the grants to the nine different traffic safety offices around the state.” Whatley said the funds, which are to be used throughout the year, are independent of funds allotted to the two major annual traffic safety initiatives,

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I commend our law enforcement officers for their daily dedication to the safety of Alabama’s residents.” —Robert Bentley Governor

the Click It or Ticket and Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaigns. “There’s money for selective enforcement, which they’re able to use in parts of the year that may not coincide with a national campaign,” Whatley said. “It’s more localized, in case there are certain events going on in that area that may warrant extra patrols. A lot of it covers overtime for different types of increased patrols.” Whatley said the Auburn City Police Department, Opelika City Police Department and Lee County Sheriff ’s Office are all participating agencies. Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones said any and all funding is welcome. “We’ll have saturation patrols and checkpoints at different areas throughout the coun» See Safety, A2 Recycled paper

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DUI Arrests in the City of Auburn Sept. 23 – sept. 28, 2011

Crime Reports for sept. 23 – sept. 27, 2011

■ Jessica L. Parrish, 20, of Montgomery South College Street at Thach Avenue Sept. 23, 1:37 a.m.

Sept. 23 — South Donahue Drive Burglary of residence reported. One pistol and $1,500.

■ Taylor L. Beach, 22, of Greensboro, N.C. Hemlock Drive at West Glenn Avenue Sept. 23, 2:41 a.m.

Sept. 24 — Richland Road Burglary of residence reported. One gold red ruby wedding band, one gold wedding band and one bottle of vodka.

■ Rodney Gray, 45, of Opelika South College Street at East Veterans Boulevard Sept. 23, 10:35 p.m. ■ Leonardo M. Batista, 29, of Mexico Opelika Road Sept. 24, 6:34 a.m.

Sept. 24 — West Magnolia Avenue Breaking and entering of a vehicle reported. One pistol and one pair of sunglasses.

■ Mannie D. Paine, 19, of Pensacola, Fla. Wire Road at Lem Morrison Drive Sept. 28, 2:24 a.m.

Sept. 24 — West Magnolia Avenue Burglary of residence reported. One MacBook.

■ Lamarquis S. Beaty, 29, of Opelika Opelika Road Sept. 28, 2:57 a.m.

Sept. 24 — South Donahue Drive Theft of property reported. One cellphone.

Sept. 24 — Northlake Drive Breaking and entering of a vehicle reported. Two sets of prescription glasses, two iPods and three car chargers. Sept. 24 — West Longleaf Drive Breaking and entering of a vehicle reported. One semi-automatic handgun. Sept. 25 — South College Street Theft of property reported. One concrete statue. Sept. 25 — Northpointe Circle Breaking and entering of a vehicle reported. One multicolored purse, one GPS, one apron, one iTrip, one Canon Powershot, one bottle of pills, one bottle of perfume.

Cheers to Oktoberfest The Auburn Hotel hosts its first Oktoberfest

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Shanetta Pendleton Staff Writer

Life may not be all beer and Skittles, but it will be all beer and gourmet food at the Hotel at Auburn University Friday. The hotel is hosting its first Oktoberfest, Sept. 30 from 5:30—8 p.m. “After the success of Aprilfest, I wanted to host one more beer-tasting event and give our community a chance to taste fun and great beer, and pay homage to the real Oktoberfest but make it very relevant to Southern cuisine,” said Leonardo Maurelli, the catering and events chef at the Hotel at Auburn University. According to Maurelli, the event will feature a number of local and regional breweries. Beer enthusiasts will be able to taste 20 different beers that will be paired with a small plate to highlight the flavors of each beer. “I am passionate about all things ‘Alabama’—our cuisine, our breweries, our produce to cheese to anything that is from this beautiful state,” Maurelli said. “I feel that for a long time so many people have taken what we do here naturally and done a great job of showcasing it. However, I feel it’s time for Alabama chefs and artisans

Graduation » From A1

mas. She hopes to save $12,000 by printing and shipping the diplomas and even more by eliminating much of the human resources that have previously been required. Robert Samac, threetime Auburn graduate, said he had his diploma mailed every time. “I’m all for Auburn saving money,” Samac said. “I never had a problem with my diplomas being mailed

I really want to showcase who we are and what we do here in Alabama.” —Leonardo Maurelli Chef at Ariccia

to highlight and promote ourselves and our products.” The breweries featured at this event come from Alabama, Louisiana and Georgia to showcase their finest beers. The breweries included are Back Forty Beer Company, SweetWater Brewing Company, Abita Beer, Blue Pants Brewery, Tallgrass Brewing Company, Straight to Ale and Yellowhammer Brewing. Maurelli will be preparing each dish for the event. “I really want to showcase who we are and what we do here in Alabama,” Maurelli said. “I have an Italian and Latino background, and I have been in Alabama since ’91. So it’s fusion of old world techniques with highlights from my family’s influence and total respect for the cuisine of the South.” Some of the items on the menu will include dishes such as braised chicken thighs and guava wontons paired with the Naked Pig from the Back Forty Beer Company. Another option is crispy pork belto me.” Aside from the financial aspect, students appreciate not worrying about picking up their diplomas. “Cars are nowhere near where the actual ceremony is, so we have to walk over after sitting in the sun for six hours, pick up our diplomas in this crazy fort, then walk forever back to the cars and put it somewhere safe,” said Helen Goggans, Auburn graduate. “I was constantly worried about it becoming damaged even though it was in a plastic sleeve.”

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Leonardo Maurelli, chef at Ariccia, will use fresh herbs from a garden at the Auburn Hotel and Dixon Conference Center to prepare dishes for Oktoberfest. ly quesadilla, pico de gallo with grilled okra, tomatillo and roasted corn served with Monkeynaut from Straight to Ale. “I try really hard to create dishes that highlight the notes and flavors of each beer,” Maurellia said. “Much like wine, beer is a product that can really accentuate the flavors of each product used. I taste and write the flavors that come to mind on a piece of paper, and then I begin to weave a pattern of fla-

vor, texture, color and relevance to each beer.” Music for the event will be provided by local artist Patrick Bruce. Bruce teaches guitar full time for Opelika High School, but said he also enjoys playing locally for different venues. “I think everyone should support local music,” Bruce said. “It’s important to keep local musicians working. If we do that, we can keep good music in Auburn.”

Goggans said she would never go through the graduation process again. “Picking up the diploma was a bit stressful, and some just left before the alma mater,” Goggans said. “I was in the second to last row, so I had to stay the entire time. I was completely drenched in sweat walking to the arena for my diploma with sunburns on my hands, and then I walked to the arboretum where the graduation picnic was—all that in heels.” Traditionally, six weeks prior to commencement,

students are given a choice to have their diploma mailed to them or to pick it up the day of graduation. “Every institution in the SEC mails out their diplomas,” Forest said. “Our way is a tradition, but it is also very archaic, particularly since we have a population of 26,000 students.” A supplement package from the Auburn Alumni Association will come with the diploma that will have information and an application to join as well as a mini diploma that can fit in a billfold.

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ty,” Jones said. Law enforcement statistics decide specifically where the grant dollars should be directed. “The Alabama Center for Advanced Public Safety will run our statistics and tell us if we’ve had a certain number of fatal accidents in a certain area; for example, in Auburn you’d probably have a worse problem on Highway 280 or maybe Wire Road than you would on some smaller, less-traveled areas in the county,” Whatley said. The idea is for local law enforcement agencies to target their enforcement dollars in the areas where it’ll do the most good Whatley said. “What we’re really trying to do with these grants is change attitudes—behavior modification,” Whatleysaid. He said the goal is to discourage people from driving not just under the influence of alcohol, but any substance causing mental impairment, including prescription medications. “It’s a reminder: ‘Hey,

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drive safe, follow the speed limit, wear your seatbelt, don’t drink and drive,’” said Josh Carples, communications at ADECA. “Just to make the roads safer for all of us.” Whatley said the funds help in two ways: by establishing a more visible law enforcement presence and by increasing the actual enforcement. “Quite honestly, by doing checkpoints we catch a lot of drivers,” Whatley said. “People have open containers, or they have children that aren’t buckled. I’ve been there before, and you can smell marijuana from the car when they drive up. You’d think they’d cover it up or try to open a window or something, but they don’t. It’s quite amazing.” Gov. Robert Bentley, whose office is responsible for securing the funding, said the money would be well-used. “Unsafe and irresponsible drivers pose a danger to every motorist on the road,” Bentley said, speaking in support of the grant. “I commend our law enforcement officers for their daily dedication to the safety of Alabama’s residents.”

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Sports Christina Santee Coleman McDowell Brandon Miller

Rasmussen decided ESPN would air all the games. After that, Rasmussen said, ESPN exploded. In September 1980, 5.5 million subscribers signed up in one month—a feat that no network, even ESPN itself, has matched. In 1984, Rasmussen sold his equity interest in ESPN. He said he has no regrets about selling when he did. “I look at it as watching my kids grow up,” he said. “Wouldn’t you be proud to have your offspring grow up like that?” Rasmussen encouraged budding entrepreneurs to pursue their ideas, even if they don’t understand all the logistics. “Don’t ever worry about facts,” he said. “Whatever it is you choose to do, there’s always somebody you can turn to to answer your question, no matter what it is.” Rasmussen added that the current economic climate should not be a deterrent to entrepreneurs. “I am a forever unabashed American. I grew up thinking we could do anything, and I still think we can.”

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Sept. 27 — Center Place Burglary of residence reported. One 37” LCD TV, one laptop, one fire safe, seven DVDs, one U.S. passport.

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Sept. 26 — Beard Eaves Court Theft of property reported. One 10-speed road bike.

cause no one would want to watch sports 24 hours a day. Despite opposition from potential advertisers and other cable networks, Rasmussen said he always knew ESPN would be a success. “There is no limit,” he said. “People have an appetite for sports.” A $1.38 million advertising contract with AnheuserBusch—the largest advertising contract in TV history at the time—helped secure the funding necessary to get the network on the air. ESPN went live for the first time Sept. 7, 1979. “They really defined what sports media was,” said Lauren Smith, assistant professor of public relations. “When ESPN started, it really separated sports news from the rest of the news.” What propelled the network into the success it has today, Rasmussen said, was March Madness in 1980. At the time, the other networks aired only the regionals, semifinals and finals of the NCAA Tournament.

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Sept. 26 — West Magnolia Avenue Theft of property reported. $250.

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Sept. 25 — North Gay Street Burglary of residence reported. Sunglasses.

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Professors help wounded veterans get back on feet Chelsea Harvey Campus Editor

Some professors take serving the country to a new level. Auburn University is partnered with Tuskegee University and Mississippi State University for a project known as the Digital Forensics Retraining Program for America’s Veterans. The program, funded by the National Science Foundation, provides training in digital forensics, or retrieving information from electronic devices, for wounded veterans seeking a job after they return home. “If you’re a soldier and you’ve been severely wounded, you can’t continue being a soldier,” said Drew Hamilton, professor of computer science and software engineering and the program’s principal investigator. “So we have people who are in their 20s and 30s and 40s who have 10 years invested in their career, and so now they’re looking for another job.” The idea for the project was originally conceived by Hamilton, who is retired from the United States Army. The program has been in existence for more than two years now. “During the first Gulf War, I was stationed at Fort Gordon, Ga., and Eisenhower Army Medical Center is on that base, and I got a chance to meet some of the wounded soldiers who came back from the first Gulf War,” Hamilton said. “And the issue is, ‘What am I go-

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We have people who need jobs, we have jobs that need to be done. All that we need to do is teach the people how to do them.” —Eric Imsand Assistant Professor, Computer Science and software engineering

ing to do next, what’s my next job going to be?’ They were more worried about that than their medical injuries. And I mean if you’re 35, you’re not ready to just chuck it in and do nothing.” The program addresses this problem by sending participating professors and graduate students to military bases around the country to provide the training. Courses have been offered at bases as close as Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville and as far as Fort Lewis, Wash. The course is free for all participants and provides 40 hours of training. Everyone who completes the course receives certification for their training done. Hamilton said he has never heard of a soldier who did not complete the course after starting it. “There are no grades in this class,” Hamilton said.” We want a maximum outcome for each soldier ... and it’s very common for us to work with a soldier over

the lunch hour, you know to catch him up.” The courses typically take between one and two weeks to complete, said Eric Imsand, assistant professor of computer science and software engineering and program instructor. “A lot of times these guys have appointments that they have to go to, so we can’t just lock them in a room for eight hours a day because they have to go to physical therapy and things like that,” Imsand said. “So depending on their medical needs, the course may be one week, the course may be two weeks. It depends on how long it takes us to get through the material.” Imsand said the idea of working in digital forensics is usually well-received by participants in the course. “These are guys who are pretty well cut out for that job. These are people who are already sort of in the mode of serving their country,” Imsand said. “So convincing them to serve their country in law enforcement versus the army is an easier sell than it is for most people. So it sort of is, you know, we have people who need jobs, we have jobs that need to be done. All that we need to do is teach the people how to do them.” Hamilton said although the Veteran’s Association offers services and assistance for unemployed veterans, the digital forensics program helps fix the problem of unemployment before it occurs. “Our idea is that we don’t want someone to be unemployed,” Hamilton said.

SGA Meeting Box MONDAY, SEPT. 26 2011

• Improvements to make the SGA website more beneficial and practical are coming soon. • SGA Homecoming nominations: • ABBY BASINGER • CLAIRE TUCKER • KIMBERLY JONES • STACEY SHOCKLEY

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Professors Paul Holley (left) and Joshua Emig started the joint graduate program linking the schools of building science and architecture.

Building talent earns award Elizabeth Bonner Staff Writer

The College of Architecture, Design and Construction’s efforts to raise a new generation of architects haven’t gone unnoticed. Paul Holley, professor in the McWhorter School of Building Science, and Joshua Emig, assistant professor in the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture, will receive the Design-Build Institute of America’s Distinguished Design-Build Leadership Award at the organization’s conference and exposition in Orlando Oct. 20. The DBIA was established in 1993 and advocates an integrated form of design and construction. The organization believes the two services should be offered under one contract with a single responsible party. “The DBIA is an organization that promotes projects where the design of a building or structure and the construction of a building or structure are done by a single firm or by two firms that are collaborating together,” Holley said. This method is still foreign to much of the world

of architecture and construction, but the CADC’s Master’s of Integrated Design and Construction program is making strides to change this attitude among its students. “Paul Holley and I codirect the master’s in design-build program, and we really focus on the integration of design and construction in the process of building,” Emig said. The program is a oneyear, post-graduate degree for students with an undergraduate background in architecture, construction or engineering. Holley and Emig believe this program is what set the college apart and secured the award. “It’s very unique, and I think this is one of the reasons we were selected,” Holley said. “To our knowledge it is the only jointly housed degreegranting program in the U.S.” Susan Hines, DBIA managing director of public relations and information, confirmed their thoughts. “Design-Build is new on the project-delivery methods front, (but) it’s the fastest growing projectdelivery method,“ Hines said. “Auburn has worked to bring that level of integration to a university setting. Architects and con-

tractors are used to seeing each other as the enemy. A mental shift must take place. Auburn providing an opportunity for young people to learn this in school is incredible.” Holley and Emig’s design-build program is only one way the two support integration. “A primary way that we support it is through our own research and publishing in a variety of journals,” Holley said. “One way is through our outreach projects. Another way is through local and written advocacy of design-build project delivery.” Andrew Edwards, president of the DBIA SouthCentral Region, nominated Holley and Emig. “As you can see, Emig and Holley have quite a history of promoting design-build delivery and other integrated methods by virtue of Auburn’s master of design-build program,” Edwards wrote in his letter of nomination to the Distinguished DesignBuild Leadership Award Committee. “This program is clearly educating the next generation of designers and builders and is a model for other academic institutions from which to draw for post-professional and undergraduate education.”

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Professor Jennifer Collins sports a tattoo sharing the title of her novel, “Homegirl!”

Milwaukee’s best inspires Auburn Nick Bowman Opinions Editor

Jennifer Collins is a walking, talking, writing contradiction. She’s the daughter of an accountant and a banker who majored in English and a former resident of Milwaukee who can’t stand most of the city’s beer. After receiving her undergraduate and master’s degrees in English, Collins received her Ph.D. in creative writing. The coffee-drinking, baby sloth-loving novelist said she loves what she does. “What gets me up in the morning? Teaching and writing,” Collins said. “I’m teaching introduction to creative writing, which is awesome.” Collins has recently published a book with an independent press in London titled “Homegirl!” “I’d say it’s more neonoir,” Collins said. “It’s about a woman named Homegirl and she’s dating two guys. One is named Punkboy, and one is named Richboy.” As well as being an examination of gender, the novel is a glimpse of how love inspires and affects decisions. “I like to say it’s not safe for work—there’s a lot of profanity and sexuality,” Collins said. “I believe in gender equality. There are ideas about gender in there, but I try not to hit the read-

er over the head.” Collins said she enjoyed growing up in Milwaukee, describing it as a small town in a big city. “It’s not Chicago; it’s not New York; it’s not London,” Collins said. “Auburn is a small-town small town. I like the academic community and the closeness of everyone, but I kind of miss restaurants. I’m a vegetarian, and it’s really hard to find vegetarian food here.” Collins said being from Milwaukee ruins the appeal of some of their beers, like Milwaukee’s Best. “We call it ‘The Beast,’” Collins said. “Pabst we were very proud of, but then it left Milwaukee.” Sheyda Mehrara, undeclared sophomore in the College of Science and Math, was a student in Collins’ creative writing and English composition courses. “She’s quirky and not afraid to show it,” Mehrara said. “It’s refreshing. Teachers like her make classes enjoyable instead of a hassle.” Kenneth Novak, junior in English literature, shares Mehrara’s opinion of Collins’ personality. He said she is a quirky, funny, helpful professor. Collins teaches an “extremely enjoyable class, structured by freedom of thinking, positive energy and attitude, coolness and

creativity,” Novak said. Mehrara said some of her favorite writing was for her classes with Collins, adding that she was an influence. “She makes me feel confident in my writing skill and promotes my creativity,” Mehrara said. “She likes to focus her classes around identity and how different cultures recognize that, whether it’s through gender, race or class.” Collins said she had some preconceived notions about the South. “I’ve heard things about the South,” Collins said. “I know people up North think racist things, too, they just don’t say them. But I’ve heard people say racist things down here.” She said the only major thing she doesn’t like about Auburn is she doesn’t have the opportunity to teach more creative writing classes. However, she said the talent in Auburn is surprising. “I’m so impressed,” Collins said. “We talk the entire class, and then at the end I’m like, ‘Oh, it’s time to go.’ Then someone said, ‘I wish this class lasted all morning.’” Collins said of everything she’s accomplished, her writing, which can be found at www.amazon.com, is what she wants people to know about. “I’m pretty damn proud of my novel,” Collins said.

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Writers stir myth, mystery Hayley Blair Associate Campus Editor

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Fans throw their hands up to the sounds of Girl Talk Thursday for UPC’s fall concert.

Students talk Girl Talk Sloane Hudson Writer

Neon hats and glow sticks filled the Auburn Arena as 5,000-plus students attended University Program Coucil’s fall concert featuring Girl Talk with special guest Lupe Fiasco. The results of a spring survey conducted by UPC showed Girl Talk and Lupe Fiasco were the most requested artists that would be available for the Sept. 22 concert, said Meredith Walkup, a UPC graduate adviser. “This was the first major concert of this scale held at the Auburn Arena,” Walkup said. “We’re now starting to look for artists for our spring concert, and there’s a possibility it will also be held there.” Opening act Lupe Fiasco warmed up the crowd, playing songs familiar to

most Auburn students including “The Show Goes On,” which is played before Auburn’s home football games. “Coincidence or not, a lot of the music by both artists played into Auburn’s musical interest,” Walkup said. “‘All I Do Is Win’ and ‘Livin’ on a Prayer’ were played by Girl Talk and really got students excited.” Of the 6,500 tickets available, more than 5,100 were picked up by students for Thursday’s performance, Walkup said. The first 1,000 students at the door were granted wristbands and floor access. “Easily the best show I’ve been to at Auburn, by far,” said Grace Wilkins, senior in marketing. “I’ve been to Girl Talk before, and Lupe was amazing.” Prior to and during the concert, students were

able to tweet UPC using the hashtag “#UPCFallConcert” and watch their tweets appear on the AUHD Jumbotron and stage screens. One tweet even contained a marriage proposal, followed shortly by another reading, “She said yes!” “We thought the livetweeting was so cool. It definitely added to the show,” said Kaila Tiedemann, senior in pre-veterinary medicine. Lupe Fiasco’s violinist, Ashanti Floyd, also known as The Mad Violinist, was praised by the crowd throughout his performance, both in applause and in tweets. “Overall, we were very pleased with the artists and the shows they put on for Auburn,” said Walkup. “We had a lot of fun, and the students really enjoyed it.”

The Auburn Writers Conference, to be held Oct. 7–8, has been in the works for more than a year and promises to be as magical as the myths and hauntings that make up this year’s theme. The conference costs $40 for students, and each year it focuses on teaching different aspects of writing. This year’s theme is “Myth, Mystery and the Haunted Muse.” “We’re basically asking people to think about the way authors use the idea of the haunted in their work, either literally or figuratively,” said creative writing professor Chantel Acevedo. “In other words, what haunts characters, what motivates characters, and what moves the plot along?” Acevedo presented the idea to the director of the Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts & Humanities, Jay Lamar, who was able to add the conference to the already substantial list of programs the center hosts throughout the year. “I was talking to Jay Lamar, and I mentioned to her that I wanted to have a writing conference here in town,” Acevedo said. “I’m a writer, and I’ve been to many writers conferences, and I always thought they were so helpful. So Jay took out a notepad and said, ‘OK, how do we get started?’” The Writers Conference is one of the biggest events hosted by the CMDC, and

Contributed

planning for next year’s is already underway. Lamar said it is worth it, though, to be able to create a forum for writers to share and improve their work. “I think for established writers, like the ones who are leading the workshops and doing presentations, it helps connect them to their readers,” Lamar said. “I have never met a writer who didn’t want to encourage other writers.” Michelle Hopf, graduate student in English, said she had a great time at last year’s conference, and she looks forward to meeting the authors who will host the workshops this year. “It really was wonderful,” Hopf said. “I got to meet big names. Rachel Hawkins was there, and she’s absolutely wonderful in person. It was just a neat opportunity, and I don’t think this year is going to be any different.” Writers of different levels come to participate in the conference, and the hosts of the event do their best to make everyone comfortable. “What’s really nice is that everyone sort of sees

it as, ‘Well, we’re all writers,’” Acevedo said. “We’re all at different levels of that publishing game, but everyone in that room is a writer and a reader.” Hopf said everyone does a good job at making the participants feel comfortable, and being around such accomplished writers can help prospective authors gain more confidence in their own writing. “It just gives you a unique sense of confidence because you’re in this building with all of these writers,” Hopf said. “Some of them are nationally known at this point, and you get to know them on somewhat of a personal level.” All of the participants are encouraged to share their work with other members of the workshops for critique, but it’s not mandatory. “Sometimes it may be a little frightening to share your work, but the feedback is very valuable, and all of the workshop leaders are just so nurturing and supportive and enthusiastic about what they’re doing,” Lamar said.

Campus A6

The Auburn Plainsman

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Brave hearts change lives, bring people together Hayley Blair Associate Campus Editor

“Expressions of a Brave Heart,” started by social work professor Angie Burque, was created to allow people with disabilities a chance to express themselves through the arts, but it has become an outlet for Auburn students to show their compassion to those in need as well. “Every other week we host a little night for some fine-arts activities,” said Jennifer Reynolds, senior in psychology. “We do arts and crafts and music and dance. We offer classes for these kids that last about two hours on Monday night. Basically, as volunteers, we are paired up with a child or teenager and we escort them through the classes.” Opelika Sportsplex Assistant Director John Huling said he was happy to host the program in his building for free. Both he and Burque won the 2010 Innovative Program of the Year

award for their work. Burque said her main goal was to provide additional opportunities for people with disabilities, who she feels often aren’t catered to when it comes to extracurricular activities. “The mission of social work is to meet basic needs and enhance the quality of life and well-being for all people, with particular attention to the vulnerable, the oppressed and those who are in poverty,” Burque said. Those with disabilities are intrinsically more vulnerable than other people, she said, so Burque designed the program to target those with disabilities ages 11–21. Reynolds said the program has been beneficial to her, and she thinks it is a good way for others to get involved, too. “If somebody wanted to get started with this, it’s really not hard to do,” Reynolds said. “It’s only two Mondays out of the month

Contributed

Volunteers and Brave Heart participants break out of their usual routine at a dance session at the Opelika Sportsplex. for a couple of hours at night, so it’s not very timeconsuming at all. It’s just a great way to get started with volunteer work.” Burque said volunteering is also a way to understand

more about other groups one may not know much about. “With most people we just see the top of the iceberg, but for every individual for every group there’s

so much more going on that’s beneath the surface,” Burque said. It is easy to become close to one’s assigned student, and Reynolds said she was happy to be working this

year with the same person she was assigned last year. “All of the children are just so sweet, and you just love them the second you meet them, so it is really not hard to get used to,” Reynolds said. “Last semester I was paired up with one teenager, and I’m lucky enough that he’s back this semester so I get to work with him again. He has become my best friend, and I love him so much, so it’s been great.” Though students in social work make up the majority of those who volunteer, Burque encourages all students to get involved with Brave Hearts or any other social-service organization. “Step past your fear and discomfort to say person to person, human to human, ‘How could I possibly help?’” Burque said. “I think as humans we can all push ourselves forward and move toward the light as opposed to away from the light.”

CNN’s 9/11 memorial project hits close to home Shanetta Pendleton Staff Writer

Associate professor of art Zdenko Krtic was one of 23 artists commissioned by CNN to submit a piece of art for its project, “9/11 Ripple: Ten Years Later.” “CNN editors Teri Anvid and Steve Goldberg, the authors of the project, came across my work as they were looking for national artists whose work they felt would best express complexities of post-9/11 world,” Krtic said. “According to their own statement, although they were the ones creating and producing this online exhibition, they did not want to dictate the content. Instead, they allowed individual artists’ interpretations and responses to shape the content.” Each artist was allowed to send in five of their works they felt best reflected 9/11 to be considered for inclusion in the project. They could either create something new or submit existing work for the proj-

ect. “I have been dealing with universal issues of distress and recovery in my paintings for some time now,” Krtic said. “The events of 9/11 were only one of many tragedies that I was impacted by and that I chose to reflect on in my work. This particular focus in part of my work started even earlier, in early ‘90s, as a direct response to wars and tragic events that occurred in the Balkans—not surprising since I grew up in that part of the world and since I still have some of my family there.” Krtic is a native of Croatia who remembers the breakup of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, an event reflected in his work. The piece he contributed to CNN is titled “Sediments.” Krtic said it is part of a series of paintings called “Recovery” that focuses on the human body and the land that is inhabited during times of distress and recovery.

Krtic’s artwork has been exhibited in galleries and museums across the world. Some of his features can be seen in overseas exhibitions in Denmark and Croatia, while his works are also displayed in Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Alaska, Georgia and Alabama. “What is particularly interesting about professor Krtic’s work is that he combines very traditional methods of encaustic painting with contemporary stateof-the-art equipment such as laser cutting, and that’s what is shown in his piece on the CNN website,” said Barb Bondy, associate professor of art. Krtic has received a host of awards and grants for his dedication to the arts, including the Alabama State Council on the Arts Fellowship for 2008–09 and a 2007 Excellence in Research Award. He has also completed artist residencies at the American Academy in Rome in 2007 and 2009. Krtic received his Bache-

Alex Sager / Associate Photo Editor

Art professor Zdenko Krtic designs his office to show off his creative talent. lor of Fine Arts degree from the Zagreb Art Academy in Zagreb, Croatia, and his master’s degree from the University of Cincinnati. CNN divided the various

artwork into four themes: the day, absurdity, statements and symbolism. Krtic’s piece was placed under “symbolism” based on CNN’s interpretation

of the artwork and Krtic’s statement about the piece. The project is an online exhibit and will remain on CNN’s website through the end of September.

AU View

Contributed

Garmsir District, Helmand Province, Afghanistan—The Auburn Student Veterans Association has been collecting toys and sending them to Afghanistan in a mission they call Operation Playtime Afghanistan. Here the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment is seen partnering with the Afghan National Security Forces to hand out these toys and flags in celebration of the three-day Islamic holiday of Eid Il-Iftar, or “to break the fast.”

Community

www.theplainsman.com

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Community

LCHS pushes cat adoptions this fall Bianca Seward Writer

The cat’s out of the bag: Lee County Humane Society is introducing its fall feline promotion with the hopes of coordinating 100 cat adoptions before the Iron Bowl. “Our June promotion had such a great turnout, we thought a fall promotion could be even more successful,” said Stacee Peer, director of public relations and development. “In June we were able to coordinate 63 cat adoptions, and this fall our goal is 100.” The shelter will host Football Feline Freefor-All, in which all adult cat adoptions will be free and kitten adoptions discounted to $80. The promotion lasts until the end of November. Fifteen cats have been adopted since the start of the promotion in September. “Adopting from our shelter is safer than getting a cat from the classifieds, for example,” said Jessica Batson, executive animal health coordinator. “We make sure every pet is healthy and safe to bring to your home.” Every cat up for adoption is spayed or neutered, has up-to-date vaccinations, is dewormed, microchipped and given 30 days of pet insurance. Its owners also receive one free veterinary visit. “We wanted to give everyone a chance to think about adoption without the price factor,” Peer said. “This promotion may be what people need to convince them to adopt a cat.” On average, 6,000 pets come through the LCHS each year. The feline promotion stems from the lack of cat adoptions. “Dogs jump off the page, but it’s hard for some people to notice a quieter animal like a cat,” Peer said. The adoption process includes a onepage application and a counseling session, which prepares adopters with all necessary

paperwork and basic ownership information. There is a set process for animals that arrive at the LCHS. “Whenever we get an animal, it undergoes a full health examination,” Batson said. “We give all strays seven days for the owners to come and claim them. After one week, they are given an examination and then a series of vaccinations to make them healthy for adoption.” Before committing to an adoption, the shelter invites prospective adopters to come and meet some of the animals and learn more about the adoption process and what it means to own and take care of a pet.

“Sometimes we find that adopters don’t take into consideration their living situation or their schedules,” Peer said. “ We want to make sure that each person wanting to adopt und er stands the responsibilities.” The shelt e r of fe r s many ways to get involved so adopters can understand the commit-

ment and responsibility of cat ownership. “Cats are a 15-year commitment, and people can often forget that,” said Katie Brennan, sophomore in pre-veterinary science. “People don’t consider cats when they are given the choice between a dog and cat, but cats can be a much easier, less demanding animal to adopt.”

LCHS Cat Adoption Quick Facts

Through November cats: FREE kittens: $80

Adoption includes spay or neuter vaccinations 30 days insurance microchip one free vet visit de-worming

Adoption goal

Alex Sager / Associate Photo Editor

100 furry felines

Sophomore Sarah Allen cradles a kitten at the LCHS. Cat adoptions are free and kitten adoptions are discounted through the end of November.

On the Tracks is full steam ahead Jennifer Leonard Writer

Alex Sager / Associate Photo Editor

Beauty of fall on sale Saturday Anna Claire Conrad Staff Writer

The Auburn Beautification Council will host a plant sale Oct. 1 from 8 a.m. to noon at the Dean Road Recreation Center. “We will have a great selection of fall plants like violas, mums and kale,” said Becky Richardson, director of parks and recreation for the City of Auburn. “We’ll also have decorative color bowls and small hanging baskets of pansies.” Richardson said the plants will cost between $6 and $14, depending on the size and planter. “The proceeds from this sale will go toward beautification efforts mobilized by the Auburn Beautification Council,” said Meg Rainey, public relations specialist for the City of Auburn Parks and Recreation Department. Rainey said such beautification efforts for the city include

Alex Sager / Associate photo editor

A portion of the proceeds from the Auburn Beautification Council plant sale will help fund the gardens at Kiesel Park. the maintenance of the 20 hanging baskets downtown and the Rouse-Corely Garden at Kiesel Park. “The proceeds of this sale will also go toward the council’s Love-

liest Village Award,” Rainey said. “This recognizes individuals and businesses who maintain attractive landscapes and act as an in» See Flowers, A8

Wine, food, shopping and music will be the highlight of On the Tracks, a biannual event on 8th Street and Railroad Avenue in Opelika. The fall 2011 event will take place Oct. 7 from 6–11 p.m. and will feature wine tasting, food samples and entertainment. Downtown shops and restaurants will also be open. Pam Powers-Smith, manager of On the Tracks, says this will be the 12th installment of the event. It used to take place once a year, but has become so popular and well-attended it now occurs once in the fall and once in the spring. Powers-Smith said the wine trail is something to come and try. “It is best to get your tickets online at www.onthetracks.org ahead of time,” she said. “Tickets sell out fast the night of the event and are $25 each.” The wine trail consists of a group of tables where guests can sample each wine with a variety of cheeses. Powers-Smith said some of the stores will also have

“

There’s nowhere else in the South where they do something specific like this, and it is a lot of fun.” —Pam Powers-Smith manager, on the tracks

wine sampling as well as the outdoor vendors. Some of the food will be from restaurants downtown and the surrounding area, including Maestro 2300 and Café 123. “This is a chance for them to show off their talents with food, especially if they have a new fall menu,” Powers-Smith said. Three musicians will be featured this year, including Destiny Brown, senior in journalism. “I think the people of Opelika really like On the Tracks because it gives them a chance to hear local talent and also to sample local vendors,” Brown said. “I think it’s a really great event that they » See tracks, A8

Public safety department spreads holiday cheer to children Toys for Tots donation period begins Tuesday Rebecca Croomes Assistant Photo Editor

The Auburn Department of Public Safety is giving children in need a big surprise this holiday season by placing gifts under the Christmas tree. Beginning Tuesday, the department will register families for its annual Toys for Tots program. The gifts will be collected at dropoff locations around town and de-

livered to needy families throughout the city. Public safety specialist Debra Hoyett, who coordinates the project with help from Lt. Cedric Anderson and other officers of the Auburn Police Department, said she is always pleased with the community’s participation. “We have a lot of good people from Auburn and Opelika,” Hoyett said. “I just always thank the Lord for it.” According to the department, parents who wish to register must provide identification—either a child’s Social Security card or birth certificate—and a lease

“

We have a lot of good people from Auburn and Opelika. I just always thank the Lord for it.” —Lee Lamar Auburn Fire Chief

or rental agreement and current utility bill. Hoyett said the program is open to everyone who is a resident of Auburn.

Auburn Fire Chief Lee Lamar said the fire division on Magnolia Street always agrees to be a dropoff location because it is centrally located. He said the program is an opportunity to have a positive impact on children, who can see people care about them through the “multiple truckloads” of toys. “It’s a very genuine gift from people’s hearts,” Lamar said. Police officers will pick up the donations from the drop-off locations and take them to the fire division, where they will be sort» See Toys, A8

Toys for Tots

TOP 4

TOYS

1. Outdoor toys (bikes/ sporting equipment) 2. Brand name toys (Hot Wheels/Legos) 3. Gender-specific toys (Barbies/cars) 4. Board games (toys multiple children can play) *AVOID VIDEO GAMES

Community A8

The Auburn Plainsman

Thursday, September 29, 2011 Auburn Gas Monitor

calendar: Thursday, Sept. 29 – Saturday, oct. 8 Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Sundown Concert Series

■ Kiesel Park ■ 6–7:30 p.m.

Week of Sept. 29

Saturday 30

Location

Reg

Mid

Prem

Oktoberfest

Fall Plant Sale

Raceway - Opelika Road

3.10

3.22

3.44

at Auburn University ■ 5:30–8 p.m.

Recreation Center ■ 8 a.m. to noon

Exxon - Glenn Avenue

3.12

3.25

3.38

Big Cat - Opelika Road

3.13

3.31

3.42

Circle K - Glenn Avenue

3.15

3.28

3.40

QV - Moores Mill Road

3.15

3.24

3.37

BP - Samford Avenue

3.69

3.89

4.09

Chevron - S College Street 3.69

3.84

3.99

Sam’s Club - Bent Creek

3.08

3.30

3.48

Texaco - Oplelika Road

■ The Hotel

■ Dean Road

Lee County Fair

Fairgrounds ■ 6 p.m.

Fairgrounds ■ 4 p.m.

Pine Hill Lantern Tour

On the Tracks

■ Lee County ■ Lee County ■ Lee County ■ Lee County

■ Pine Hill Cemetery ■ 6–9 p.m.

Toys

» From A7 ed into categories based on age. Helpers will put packages together for families and deliver the surprises the week before Christmas. Public Safety Director Bill James said the gifts are different each year. “You just name it,” James said. “We get bikes and all kinds of toys.” When buying a dona-

Library director shares his passion Alison McFerrin News editor

When it comes to librarians, little curly-haired women with spectacles aren’t the only variety. “I love public libraries a lot, and I love being here,” said Tyler Whitten, assistant director for Auburn Public Library. Whitten’s library career began under the influence of a professor while he was earning his master’s in history at Jacksonville State University. “I knew it would open up at least two other avenues of employment,” Whitten said. Library school at the University of Alabama qualified Whitten to work at a university library or a public library. He had not yet com-

tion, Hoyett, Lamar and James said some important things to consider are the durability of the toy, the age it is intended for and whether a child would like it. Toys for Tots is a worthwhile program, James said, because a gift can be purchased for a relatively small amount, but the gesture means much more to a child who might feel left out during the holidays. “The child gets the gift, but the person who enables the child to get that pleted his schooling before he landed the reference librarian job at the Auburn Public Library. “I loved Auburn instantly,” Whitten said. “There was really no process for me of having to become accustomed to the area.” Whitten began working in 2001, and when a technical services position was created to be filled in-house, Whitten transitioned into that role. He became the assistant director in fall 2008 and now stays connected to every aspect of the library from his windowed office. Whitten said one thing keeps him motivated. “I think it goes back to enjoying my work and working with such great people and working for the City of Auburn,” Whitten said. “It’s a great place to work.” Others who work at the library feel the same way toward Whitten. “He works to make sure that we are able to take off when we need to,” said Carolyn Thompson, part-time library assistant. “I think more so, probably, than other folks would.” But creating staff schedules is not Whitten’s only responsibility, and his abili-

■ Pine Hill Cemetery ■ 6–9 p.m.

“

It’s just a great program that provides kids with something who might not get anything for Christmas.” —Bill James Director, Auburn PUblic Safety

gift receives a blessing as well,” James said. “It’s just a great program that proties have been noticed even by those outside his staff. “He’s very structured, and he multitasks very well,” said Kari Carpenter, children’s librarian assistant and senior in history. Carpenter doesn’t work directly with Whitten, but said she hears positive things about him from others. “He’s very organized, and that’s very important because as assistant director, he has so much responsibility,” Carpenter said. Whitten’s multifaceted job includes interaction with patrons and staff, handling problems and working with books and technology, especially the launch of the library’s new e-books program. “He’s very good with the technical (side),” Thompson said. “He’s very detail-oriented.” Although Whitten stays active even when not at the library as a self-proclaimed swimmer, cyclist and runner, the library business itself is more involved than some people think. “It’s a lot of hard work,” Whitten said. “A lot goes in to what you see here.” Cataloguing, labeling and processing new materials

■ Historic

downtown Opelika ■ 6 p.m.

vides kids with something who might not get anything for Christmas.” Those wishing to donate can bring new, unwrapped toys for children ages 1–10 to any Auburn fire station, police station and the two Uncle Bob’s Self-Storage locations at 1231 Gatewood Drive and 2020 S. College St. Donations are accepted any time before Nov. 30. Questions about Toys for Tots can be addressed to Debra Hoyett at 334501-3129.

3.12

3.41

3.61

Chevron - S College Street 3.39

3.54

3.69

Average

3.43

3.59

3.26

$3.80 $3.68 $3.55 $3.43 $3.30 Aug. 25

Sept. 8

Regular

Sept. 15

Mid

tracks » From A7

have in Opelika.” Brown said she will be playing in the street as people walk into the local shops and try the wines and foods. The event organizers and participants aren’t the only ones excited. “Even though I can’t enjoy the wine tasting, I will definitely check out the shops and food,” said Hannah Shaw, freshman in radio, television and film.

Sept. 22

Sept. 29

Premium

Lucy Bracht, freshman in pre-dental studies, also said she was excited to attend the event. “I am most excited about the shopping and music,” Bracht said. “I can’t wait to hear the bands.” Powers-Smith said little has changed this year. “We invite everyone to come out and enjoy,” Powers-Smith said. “It is a oneof-a-kind event. There’s nowhere else in the South where they do something specific like this, and it is a lot of fun.”

Maria Iampetro / Photo Editor

Tyler Whitten began his library career as an Auburn Public Library reference librarian. is a time-consuming task, Whitten said. Although his job keeps him busy, he said that’s how

Kiwanis Club invites community to fundraiser breakfast

Alex Sager / Associate Photo Editor

Caitlyn Johnson and Caitlin Henderson serve pancakes at the Kiwanis Club’s pancake fundraiser. Wake up and smell the pancakes. The Kiwanis Club of Auburn hosted its annual all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast Saturday. The group raised funds for the various charities it supports, including Storybook Farms and the Boys & Girls Club. The breakfast featured pancakes, sausage, juice, milk and coffee for just $5. “It seemed to be more crowded than usual,” said Eric Halverson, incoming president. “I think it was a big success.”

he likes it. He hasn’t taken a full two-week vacation since he began his job, but he does like long weekends.

“I see myself retiring from the City of Auburn,” Whitten said. “I have no plans to leave.”

Flowers

a good bit of effort to maintain,” said Peggy McDonald, public relations representative for the Auburn Beautification Council. “However, the hanging baskets would be a perfect addition to any porch or balcony since they only require water and sunshine.” McDonald said she would love to see more students get involved with keeping Auburn beautiful. Richardson said the beautification council hasworked and will continue to work with the city. Rainey said funding for such beautification efforts comes from the council’s various projects. “We depend on profits made from events such as this plant sale and from courteous donations,” Rainey said. For more information or to volunteer with the Auburn Beautification Council, visit the website at www.auburnbeautification.com or call 334-8442930.

» From A8

spiration to the community.” Richardson said some of the sale’s profit will go toward a fund for the Spring Azalea Tour. “This is an annual tour that takes place each spring,” Richardson said. “It is a self-guided tour of springtime gardens and yards of Auburn presented by the council.” Rainey said the reception among Auburn homeowners has been positive. “In past years, this has been a very popular sale,” Rainey said. “It’s a great opportunity for people to stock up for their fall planting.” Richardson said although University faculty members frequent the sale each year, few students have attended in the past. “This is probably because most of the plants we sell have to be planted and take

Opinions

A9 www.theplainsman.com

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Our View

UPC concert impresses, sets the bar high A surprising number of people don’t know anything about Auburn. Those who are familiar with us know we’re a quiet, polite community nestled in a state a lot of people would rather forget about. Somehow, we’ve climbed the academic and athletic ladder without making too many waves. It feels like our corner of Alabama is the best-kept secret in the collegiate world. But this is a double-edged sword. We preserve our precious smalltown atmosphere, but we also struggle to get big or interesting names to come to our titanically tiny town. However, this irritating phenomenon was run out of town for those in the Auburn Arena Sept. 22. University Program Council put on a fantastic show. Lupe Fiasco and Girl Talk are bigname acts, and they provided a spectacle not seen at a UPC concert for some time. The lighting was wonderful; Tate Beckham, out of Birmingham, did a bang-up job with the arena.

The Twitter feeds hugging the stage were interesting and gave the show a personal element. The arena itself is a great venue for these shows, and we hope UPC continues to make use of it. The sign-up process for tickets was smooth and efficient. People were in and out of the line in minutes. The type of performers made a big difference with this show. These dance-focused artists got the crowd moving and kept them moving. It was more than a concert—it was a party. The arena allowed concertgoers the opportunity to get concessions, and after a night of dancing, a bottle of water or Powerade appealed to a lot of people. With kudos given, we would like to suggest some areas that could be improved. The Twitter feed, while a great idea, had the same people on the screen multiple times. There were also tweets from people not at the event, or idiotic tweets that tried to call attention to the tweeter

and take away from the show. Any kind of system that differentiates between good or bad tweets and location is worth considering. The first 1,000 people at the arena received wristbands that let them onto the floor in front of the stage. This is in no way a bad idea, but the execution could be improved. We suggest that to keep people from piling up at the door and waiting hours to get in, UPC award the wristbands to the first 1,000 people who sign up for tickets. To cut lines even shorter, we suggest UPC develop a system that allows people to register for tickets online. In the days preceding an event, too often are there hundreds of people forming a line that meanders up and down the Concourse and the Student Center. We enjoyed Lupe Fiasco, and this opinion is in no way tied to his performance, but why did we have a big-name artist opening for a big-name artist? We feel like interest in Lupe Fiasco’s performance waned as people prepared for Girl Talk to take the stage.

Instead, why not give a local band the opportunity to open for one big-name headliner? UPC had the Battle of the Bands competition Sept. 9. It would be a simple thing to have the winner open at the fall concert. The money UPC saves from not booking two artists could be put toward booking a single, hugely popular one. Another idea worth considering is a post-event survey. It’s one thing to ask what people want. It’s another to find out how things went. A consolidated post-event survey gives students the chance to express praise or frustration, and would make it easier for UPC to respond to the student body. These are more suggestions than complaints. UPC did an outstanding job finding artists that students wanted to see. They played to students’ desires for a popular artist that wasn’t over-exposed or tired. This was, by far, the best UPC concert The Plainsman staff has seen, and we eagerly await whatever they’ll have for us in the spring.

Community Quote of the Week

“

Easily the best show I’ve been to at Auburn, by far.” —Grace Wilkins “GirlTalk” A5

The Plainsman Poll

Vote at www.theplainsman.com

Staff Columns

Journalistic ethics a greater concern than superficial sensitivities erywhere he can—the conversation over how his remarks were reported is what has me interested. On MSNBC’s “Up w/ Chris Hayes,” analyst Karen Hunter took issue with the Associated Press’ exclusion of the letter “g” from words in the president’s address, as I previously quoted. “I think it’s inherently racist to do something like that,” she said to the panel, adding later, “For them to do that in a publication, you know what that is,” and describing it as “Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finnish.” According to Hunter, we can now add the AP, arguably the only remaining unbiased news source, to the manifest of “youhate-him-because-he’s-black” enemies of the president.

Nik Markopoulos copy@theplainsman.com

Amid recent scrutiny from black congressional members regarding Barack Obama’s handling of the economy—particularly its impact on the black community—the president scolded the Congressional Black Caucus at its annual awards dinner this weekend, telling his all-but-copacetic supporters to “Shake it off. Stop complainin’. Stop grumblin’. Stop cryin’” and to “press on.” While the message itself isn’t all that surprising—Obama needs to rally support ev-

Even still, these comments don’t surprise me; I’ve watched Hunter numerous times and would expect nothing less from her than blind support for Obama and rebuke of any she haphazardly perceives as against him. Plus, it’s not like black people are the only ones who omit the “g” from a slew of words during conversation; I’d say it’s pretty freakin’ common. It was what she said next which perturbed me. “I teach a journalism class,” started Hunter, a professor in the department of film and media studies at Hunter College in New York and member of a 1999 Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial board, “and I tell my students to fix people’s grammar because you don’t want them to sound ignorant, right?”

Wrong. Here at The Plainsman, that’s not how we roll. You’ll see plenty instances of “gonna” and “wanna” and dropped letters in this publication if that’s how our reporters are spoken to. As a staff composed of still-learning student reporters and not professional journalists, mistakes and misquotations are regrettably more frequent. But once the door is opened to altering direct quotations for grammatical reasons, be it to hide or highlight a personal characteristic, less-disciplined reporters or editors may be tempted to do so for more impactful and unethical reasons. Quotation marks are sacrosanct, and we don’t hide anyone’s ignorance. Ms. Hunter just showed hers.

Tyler, The Creator, OFWGKTA the taboo-shattering future of hip-hop Brandon Miller Sports@theplainsman.com

Imagine the craziest, loudest, most obnoxious, belligerent group of teenagers you can. Now, imagine them joining together and forming a hip-hop group. Now, imagine one of them winning a Video Music Award. After Tyler, The Creator won Best New Artist at the 2011 MTV VMAs, there was an uproar on social media sites. Almost every status and tweet I read showed contempt for the Los Angeles hiphop artist winning the award over Wiz Khalifa, Big Sean and others. Not to mention “The Man” was crying in fear of these teens gaining more fans than

the cult-type following they already had. As for me, I was celebrating Tyler’s accomplishment. Tyler, The Creator and Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All, a group he founded, are the future of hip-hop, like it or not. The nine-member group of 16- to 20-year-old artists brings a new concept to the game that will be the new face of hiphop. In the 20-plus albums released, Odd Future doesn’t rap about money, drugs or cars. Instead, the group decides to speak on rape, killing, blasphemy and rebellion— not to mention the constant disses toward Bruno Mars, 2DopeBoyz, Tyler Perry and, most notoriously, Steve Harvey. Putting that aside, these kids have a vocabulary like none I’ve ever heard in a song. I have actually found myself on Google trying to figure out what some of their lyrics mean.

Aside from the vocals from Tyler, The Creator, Hodgy Beats, Mike G, Domo Genesis, Frank Ocean and Earl Sweatshirt, Odd Future also produces its own beats. Producers Syd the Kid, Left Brain and Tyler literally produce every song on any Odd Future album. For “Yonkers,” the video Tyler won the VMA for, he actually wrote the lyrics, produced the track and directed the video. Who else has the talent to do that? OFWGKTA also doesn’t have to worry about breaking up. Within the main group, there are subgroups, including MellowHype (Hodgy Beats and Left Brain) and EarlWolf (Tyler, the Creator and Earl Sweatshirt). Before Tyler won Best New Artist, his career had already taken off. In February, Nappy Roots’ Questlove helped him get booked performing on The Jimmy Fallon Show performing “Sand-

witches” with Hodgy Beats. That night, and on a regular basis, Odd Future puts on a show that you won’t get from many acts in the music industry. They’re known for stage dives, an occasional riot and stage rushes. Members have also appeared on television in the past several months. Domo Genesis and Mike G are featured throughout Addidas’ “All Originals” commercial, and Tyler, The Creator and nonmusical member Taco were on the first episode of the second season of Comedy Central’s “Workaholics.” While the closed-minded refuse to give Odd Future a chance, it appears everyone else has fallen in love. That’s probably good, considering it doesn’t appear the group is going away any time soon. Ladies and gentlemen, the future of hiphop looks … odd. It’s not too early to start chanting “Wolf Gang.”

Your View

True fans always cheer for the team, Auburn students should be ashamed How quickly a fanbase gets spoiled. We all entered this season with lowered expectations for our Tigers. Who could blame us? We lost upward of 20 seniors, including four seniors from our offensive line, a Lombardi-winning lineman and SuperCam himself from last year’s team. That would be a lot to overcome for a team that wasn’t about to play a squad with nearly half of the players in their first year of college. But we are. This team needs the fans to help out. This team needs us. Let me repeat that. The

team needs us. Homefield advantage means nothing if the crowd isn’t disrupting the opposing team’s offense. It’s easy to cheer for the Tigers when they’re making big plays and firing on all cylinders. It’s easy to cheer for the Tigers when they’re doing everything right. It’s even easier to do when we’re riding a 17-game win streak. What makes a fanbase truly loyal and truly committed to their team is supporting that team even when they aren’t playing well. When the Tigers fail to stop the

opposing offense on third down, that’s no reason to stop making noise; if anything, we need to make more noise. If you were one of the fans making noise on every defensive play last night, this isn’t aimed at you. But to the tens of thousands of students I saw checking their phones, tweeting funny messages and taking super-cute photos for their Facebook profiles, you should be ashamed. Until this crowd is on its feet shouting for every defensive play, at every game, and

staying until the end of the game, whether the Tigers are playing well or not, then Coach Chizik is lying every Saturday when he says, “You are the best fans in the country.” War Eagle.

Drew Roberts senior, English language arts education

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B1 Sports

Tigers seek win against Gamecocks Coleman McDowell Associate sports editor

After making it through September, the Auburn Tigers (3– 1, 1–0 SEC) open October on the road against the South Carolina Gamecocks (4–0, 2–0 SEC) Saturday at 2:30 p.m. So far this season, both the offensive and defensive units have shown flashes of brilliance during the first month, but have followed those flashes up with sustained periods of mediocrity. With September behind them, the Tigers turn their attention to an SEC gauntlet featuring road trips to South Carolina, Arkansas and LSU and home games against Florida and Ole Miss. Coach Gene Chizik emphasized the challenge that South Carolina, ranked No. 10 in this week’s Associated Press poll, presents the youthful Tigers. “This is a great challenge for us this week, our first SEC road trip and obviously in a great environment,” Chizik said. “It’s another tough environment to play in against a top-10 team, so for us it’s going to be a great challenge. We’re looking forward to the challenge and looking forward to getting back out there today and improving as a football team.” South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore was recruited by Chizik two years ago, but decided to stay in his home state. Lattimore has received increased Heisman consideration this season and is a dynamic offensive weapon for the Gamecocks. “He’s everything that we saw when he was coming out of high school,” Chizik said. “He’s quick, he’s fast, he has great vision. He really does a great job of cutting

the ball back and seeing things a lot of running backs can’t see, and then he can get there in a hurry. On top of that, he’s an incredible threat coming out of the backfield in terms of throwing the ball to him. He brings pretty much everything to the table.” Last year in the two games against USC, Auburn’s defense kept Lattimore in check, holding him to 37 yards on 14 carries in the regular season and 84 yards on 16 carries in the SEC Championship game. “We just tried to be very sound on our run fits and not jump the little gaps and things so our guys could see where they were fitting,” Chizik said. “Really, it’s a numbers game, trying to get enough people in there to stop him. We’re going to have to be physical up front. He’s just an all-around great back.” Even with a running threat like Lattimore in the backfield, coach Steve Spurrier will always be a pass-happy play caller, dating back to his “Fun ‘n’ Gun” offense at Florida. Spurrier has ample weapons in the passing game with first-team preseason All-SEC wide receiver Alshon Jeffery and preseason second-team All-SEC quarterback Stephen Garcia at his disposal. “Coach Spurrier does a great job of coaching the throwing game, and how their productivity in the air over the years has been great,” Chizik said. “As you know, they have really good receivers. They have a really good quarterback who is mobile and can do numerous things, not just throw the ball. Their air attack is something we are going to have to make sure we don’t give up any

big plays. That’s the main thing.” As much focus as will be on stopping Lattimore in the running game, he is, along with wide receiver Ace Sanders, just as effective on screens and passes out of the backfield. “They have a great screen game, and some of those yards you see and some of that production aren’t always from deep balls or guys making 10- or 12-yard catches and then turning those into a 30- or 40-yard gain,” Chizik said. “A lot of that is the screen game and some of their check-downs to Marcus, and he takes the ball and turns a five-yard gain into a 40-yard gain. Again, overall, their short game is very effective. Ace Sanders, No. 9, is a great screen guy, and they’re very good at it.” Against Florida Atlantic, the Tigers were not in sync offensively and sputtered all night, said offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn. From protection issues to the lack of dedication to the running game, the Tigers were inefficient. Chizik hopes getting two starters back, right guard John Sullen and tight end Philip Lutzenkirchen, will help the offense get its rhythm back. “I think that continuity on the offensive line certainly is important,” Chizik said. “Sullen didn’t play at all, our right guard. We have to continue to improve up front. That’s in both the run game in identifying and protecting, along with the running backs, identifying and protecting blitzers, which we did it well some the other night, and sometimes we did not. It was mainly inconsistency.” Defensively, the Tigers picked up some slack from the offense

with improvement from the Clemson game and sealed the Auburn victory over FAU with an interception returned for a touchdown. Chizik wants the progress to carry over Saturday in Columbia. “I think we did some things better Saturday night than we did the week before,” Chizik said. “No. 1, we got people in the right spots most of the night, which was part of our problem the week before. When we had opportunities to make plays, for the most part we did. I think definitely on the defensive side of the ball, there were some things we improved at. “I thought our tackling, although a t times w a s n’ t where we wanted it to be, got better. I think we definitely took a step forward defensively Saturday night. We’re going to continue to improve this week, and I believe that we’re working in that direction.” Spurrier knows that even with Auburn’s early season struggles, his team will get the Tigers’ best effort Saturday. “Auburn is a different team from last year,” Spurrier said. “I think they lost 18 starters out of 22. They have tremendous pride and tradition at Auburn, and history. They’re playing extremely hard, and we’ll get their best shot

Saturday.” Chizik knows every week will be a new challenge, but is pleased with how his young team has matured this season. “This is a new SEC road game,” Chizik said. “It’s a top-10 team on the road, so there’s still going to be some newness as the season continues to unfold. I’m proud of them. I think they’ve grown up a lot without much choice. I think they’ve done well up to this point.”

contributed

Auburn water polo struggles during its meet against Alabama.

Water polo starts season Anna Claire Conrad staff writer

The Auburn Water Polo Club is preparing for its home tournament Oct. 1–2 when the Tigers will take on other teams in the Southeastern Conference. Coached by James Fergusson, former water polo player and bronze-medalist of the 1972 Summer Olympics, Auburn’s water polo team is currently the underdog of its league. “These past couple years have been our building years,” said Patrick Gilday, team president and super senior in software engineering. “So we haven’t been winning as many games as we did in the past.” However, Gilday said he expects this year to be different. “We recruited freshmen with experience in water polo,” Gilday said. “So compared to the last two years, we will be a more successful team.” Gilday said the team’s chemistry is strong, and it correlates with how they compete. “The freshmen have been a great addition to the team,” said Jaclyn Wilson, junior in marine biology and team vice president. “Since last year, our team’s chemistry has grown. We’ve become more like a family than just a club team.”

Wilson said it’s this chemistry that makes Auburn water polo stand out from other teams in its conference. “I absolutely love playing Auburn water polo,” said Diamonne Scott, freshman in graphic design. “We work well as a unit, and I think we’ll do very well this season.” Scott said the key to being a successful team is doing more than just practicing and attending mandatory tournaments. Gilday said they participated in a preseason scrimmage last weekend. “We beat Emory and tied with Georgia Tech and UGA,” Gilday said. “Last year we couldn’t beat any of these teams, so this makes us think that we’ll have a much better season.” He said the team’s dynamic has a direct effect on what happens in the pool. “When we compete, we play in tournaments, not just matches that are over in a day,” Gilday said. “We spend the whole weekend together outside of Auburn. This helps in practices and in games when you get along with the people you play with.” Wilson said their practice routine is rigorous. » See polo, B2

rebecca croomes / assistant photo editor

Setter Christina Solverson and outside hitter Kelly Fidero block a spike from an Alabama player.

Tigers to play next game in Arena Brandon Miller Assistant sports editor

History will be made Friday as the Tigers play at Auburn Arena for the first time. “It’s exciting,” said coach Rick Nold. “Obviously it’s a new venue, a beautiful place. It offers us a little different venue for people to come into and see and appreciate here at Auburn.” Nold said the decision was made through the athletic department and was ultimately made because of construction around the Student Activities Center and the arena being available. Auburn will play No. 6 Florida for the arena debut. “We saw them play earlier this year, and they’ve got a great team and program,” Nold said. “We’re going to talk a lot, and we just have to play our game. And if we do that, we feel that we can compete.” Senior outside hitter Kelly Fidero said although Florida is a good team, Auburn always

seems to play well against them, especially last year. “We took them to five (sets),” Fidero said. “It was a tight game. Their coach actually made a comment about how we were almost there and no one had taken them that far.” Last Friday, Auburn surpassed the Student Activities Center’s capacity with the third-largest crowd in the program’s history, something the team is hoping will continue into this week’s match. “If it’s anything like last Friday, it’ll be awesome,” Fidero said. “Our crowd last Friday was awesome. If we can get the same crowd, we’ll be good.” Playing in the arena affords the possibility of having thousands more fans, as its capacity is listed as 9,131 compared to the Student Act’s 1,320. “It’s going to be different,” Fidero said. “I’m a little nervous. Playing in a new gym is always different, but it’ll be fun.” Fidero also pointed out the

arena is more spread out than the Student Act, meaning the same-sized crowd wouldn’t be as loud. Sophomore setter Chelsea Wintzinger said the team is going to practice twice in the arena to get a feel of the “bigger atmosphere.” This will mark the first time since 2006 the volleyball team has played outside the Student Activities Center. Auburn hosted Alabama at Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum that year, bringing a crowd of 1,211, which is believed to be the largest crowd of any match outside the primary venue. Friday also marks Auburn volleyball’s first social media night. “Our general athletic Twitter and Facebook are pretty big now, so we’re trying to help the other sports, so they can get out to their target markets because it gives them a chance to go after who they really want to,” said » See volleyball, B2

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polo

» From B1 “We practice four days a week, Monday through Thursday, from 7–8:45 p.m. in the Aquatics Center,” Wilson said. “A typical practice basically includes a warm-up swim of about 200 yards and about 100 yards of just treading water, a lot of drills to work on passing and controlling the ball, shots and our defense, and then we usually end with a full-court scrimmage that lasts about 30 minutes.” Gilday said some of the team’s most critical drills include a specific formation the University of California Los Angeles water polo team uses. “These drills focus on working with your team-

mates to score while being heavily guarded,” Gilday said. Wilson said Auburn will take on teams next weekend from the SEC, including Georgia Tech, University of Georgia, Florida and LSU. “The tournament generally lasts all day on Saturday starting at 8 a.m.,” Wilson said. “We’ll start just as early on Sunday, but we’ll be through a lot earlier, probably around 3 p.m.” Wilson said she would love to see a good crowd at this home tournament, as water polo can many times be overlooked. “It’s a great sport to cheer on and watch,” Wilson said. “We’d love for students to come show the other teams what Auburn pride is all about.”

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Blame 2007 for 2011 Tigers’ inexperience Coleman Mcdowell sports@ theplainsman. com

Since Gene Chizik and his staff came to Auburn following the 2008 season, 2012 was the year circled on the calendar. 2009 was the transition year from former coach Tommy Tuberville to Chizik. 2010 was going to be a senior-laden team, but a team short on any stars. 2011, if recruiting went as well as planned, was going to have an abundance of talent, but few upperclassman contributors. 2012 was the year, though—the year when everything was going to come together, and four of Chizik’s own recruiting classes would comprise the majority of the roster. But things didn’t necessarily go according to plan. Auburn was fortunate and landed two once-in-a-lifetime JUCO talents: Nick Fairley in 2009 and Cameron Newton in 2010. This took a team that was expected to be full of seniors with no star players to a team full of seniors with two of the best players in the country. A 14–0 season and a BCS National Championship followed.

volleyball » From B1

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Eli Wilkerson, assistant director of marketing for athletics. Wilkerson said it gives the volleyball program a way to gain more fans and have promotions.

But so did expectations. People quickly forgot that 2011 was never going to be an SEC Championship team no matter how you look at it. Tommy Tuberville’s last two recruiting classes in 2007 and 2008 were wellranked, sixth and 18th according to www.Scout.com. There were 30 signees in the class of 2007. Eighteen of those didn’t enroll at Auburn or left the team. There were 28 signees in the class of 2008. Twenty didn’t enroll or left the team. Why is that important? The majority of those players would be experienced contributors on this year’s team. Instead, all that remains from the 2007 class are redshirt seniors Quindarius Carr, Jared Cooper and A.J. Greene. Josh Bynes would be in that group, but Will Muschamp decided to burn his redshirt halfway through the 2007 season. The only remaining players from the 2008 class are Onterio McCalebb, Neiko Thorpe, T’Sharvan Bell, Barrett Trotter and Drew Cole. But this isn’t 100 percent Tuberville’s fault. Things happened that caused players to leave the program due to injury or disciplinary action. Phil Steele, author of Phil

Steele’s “College Football Preview,” is a renowned college football prognosticator and was one of the few experts that predicted Auburn would be undefeated going into the Iron Bowl last year. In his magazine he has an NCAA experience chart that outlines every team’s experience or lack thereof. Auburn is ranked No. 120 for our two-deep depth chart. In his system, Auburn received 25.4 points. The next youngest team in the SEC is Ole Miss, and they almost double our points with 50.6. Alabama is second in the SEC with 66.6 points. This isn’t an excuse for the poor play so far this season, but it does give hope for next year. We could be 1–3 this season, but we aren’t. We made it through September 3–1. It wasn’t in the most convincing fashion, but winning one game against Clemson or Mississippi State was what most reasonable fans predicted. Even though you can take one look at the twodeep depth chart and see it littered with true freshmen and sophomores, some fans still want to see coaches fired, quarterbacks benched and offensive philosophies changed. This coaching staff knows what

they are doing. Gus Malzahn might throw the ball too much on third-and-1, but there is still no better offensive coordinator in the nation. People have forgotten that Malzahn is replacing four out of five starters on one of the better offensive lines in Auburn history. Cam Newton wouldn’t have had all of those holes to run through if it wasn’t for four-year starters Ryan Pugh and Lee Ziemba. The replacements this year just don’t have the experience playing together or in the SEC to expect the same results. Even if you think Ted Roof knows nothing about defense, do you want Gene Chizik fired? Because I highly doubt—as good of a defensive mind that Chizik is—that he would let someone run a defense he didn’t think was inadequate. We have the players we need to be successful, just give them some time to develop. The team that takes the field in November will be drastically improved from the team we saw in September. With every game between now and then, our guys will only gain experience. Just back off the ledge and trust the coaches. They know more than you.

Wilkerson also expressed excitement in the ability to display tweets on video screens after Bradley Green had tweets streaming at the UPC fall concert. Along with a focus on social media, there will be prizes given throughout the night. “Our grand prize is go-

ing to be an iPod Touch, one of the new ones,” Wilkerson said. “We thought it’d fit in well with the theme. Throughout the night we’ll do Under Armour stuff we have. We have sweatshirts, autographed items, things like that to build up to it.” As the volleyball program continues to gain fans

through promotions, Wintzinger said word of mouth is one way fans are being introduced. “I’ve heard from people that they realize volleyball is exciting,” Wintzinger said, “and I hope the word gets around and everyone starts coming and starts supporting us.”

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Thursday, September 29, 2011

Sports B3

The Auburn Plainsman

Cooper breaks out of her shell, helps wins national title Sarah Cook Writer

“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” is a phrase by which Rachel Cooper, Auburn equestrian team member, tries to live by each day. Cooper, senior in journalism and business, began riding horses when she was 9 years old. Graduating from Dominion Christian High School in Powder Springs, Ga., Cooper decided to come to Auburn after visiting the campus and meeting the coaches and players. “I was looking at College of Charleston and riding for their equestrian team, but I visited Auburn and met the coaches and teammates and fell in love with it from there,” Cooper said. She also wanted to ride for a Division I school. Along with helping the Tigers claim the 2011 National Championship, Cooper has served as the Student Athletic Advisory Committee secretary and received various community service awards. “I think Rachel’s greatest asset is her ability to listen to her teammates,” said coach Greg Williams. “If any

of them are struggling or just having a difficult time, Rachel is probably one of the best ones for them to be able to get a sympathetic ear and support out of.” Other than riding horses, Cooper enjoys running, photography, watching scary movies and spending time with her family. The oldest of five children, Cooper said her parents are the greatest role models in her life. “They have always shown me, not only with their words, but with their actions, what it means to be a person who truly stands behind their values and who always, no matter what, puts others before themselves,” Cooper said. Coming from a small Christian school, Auburn overwhelmed Cooper. She sought out Lindsay Neubarth, a former assistant equestrian coach, for advice during her first year, Cooper said. “She always encouraged me to be true to who I really was and not let these new factors in my life make me a different person,” Cooper said. As the team enters the 2011–12 season, Cooper

said she expects nothing less than excellence from herself and her teammates. “I expect us to continue to strive for the same excellence we strove for last year, which led us to the national championship,” Cooper said. One of the biggest challenges of competing, Cooper said, is being able to mount an unfamiliar horse and within four minutes be able to ride it. A favorite memory of hers so far this season was traveling to Gulf Shores with her teammates for team-building. “The girls made me dance to rap music,” Cooper said. “It was so embarrassing.” Teammate Jillian Fuller, senior in health promotion, said Rachel is dedicated both on the field and in the classroom. “She’s a very reliable person,” Fuller said. “If you ever need anything, you can go to her.” Cooper said she wants to ride after graduating. “I would definitely love to be involved with some sort of hippotherapy, which is therapeutic riding for mentally or physically disabled kids.”

Soccer travels to Oxford, looks to extend streak against Ole Miss Kristen Oliver Writer

SEC West rivalries can be some of the most intense in college sports. The Auburn soccer team knows this well as it prepares to face Ole Miss Friday with a nine-match unbeaten streak after defeating Kentucky Friday and Vanderbilt Sunday at home. “We’ve been working a lot on just connecting passes, moving and just combining,” said senior midfielder Katy Frierson after the Kentucky game. “We had sprints where we played just great soccer.” The Ole Miss matchup is an even more intense SEC rivalry for coach Karen Hoppa and her team. “Ole Miss is a huge West rivalry and a special one for me,” Hoppa said. “Their head coach is my former assistant. We worked together for 11 years. It’s a fun and a friendly and a special rivalry.” Auburn is 8–1–1 overall and 2–0 in the SEC, while Ole Miss is 4–4–1 overall and 0–1 in the conference.

Ole Miss lost Friday to Arkansas in their first SEC game of the season. Last year’s match between the two teams resulted in an Ole Miss victory at Auburn. “We actually haven’t had a lot of success against them since I’ve been here,” Frierson said. Hoppa said the challenge Ole Miss presents is known, and she hopes the Tigers can improve their play this year. “We aren’t happy with our result last year against Ole Miss, so we’ve got to get prepared and have a tough week of practice,” Hoppa said. “They’re a tough team, and they play 90 minutes. They scored a couple of good goals and defended really well, and to go into any SEC away game is always difficult and extra challenging. “You’ve got to approach those games mentally like you are already down a goal. We’ve got to play with that type of mentality.” Junior midfielder Ana Cate said they know the mindset required to play

an SEC rivalry game away. “We try to keep it the same as if it was a home game,” Cate said. “Mentality-wise, we know anything’s going to be difficult, especially in the SEC. When we do go away it adds an extra sense of urgency.” Playing away isn’t going to affect the team’s intensity Friday. Cate said their plan is to come out strong and keep the tempo on their side. “We know we’re going up against a big crowd that’s going to be 100 percent against us,” she said. “When we talk about it in pregame, we talk about scoring fast and setting the tempo as soon as we get there, and try not to wait to the last minute when they have their fans behind them.” Frierson said the team will concentrate on its own play despite the high stakes. “There’s a lot on the line, a lot of emotion,” Frierson said. “But I think we are just going to concentrate on our game and continue improving where we can.”

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Sports B4

The Auburn Plainsman

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Simons says job is right for him Brandon Miller Assistant Sports Editor

Women’s basketball assistant coach Mark Simons has done everything he can for more than 30 years to coach the game he loves. Simons, 60, played basketball at Aquinas College, graduating from the university in 1972. “It was more or less, ‘What else am I going to do?’” Simons said. “I graduated and went to Michigan State and actually got a master’s degree in aquatic biology, and I missed the game badly.” Simons said he took a job without pay at Saginaw Valley State University in Michigan with the men’s basketball team just so he could coach. “The next year I made $500,” Simons said. “Eventually, I think I made $1,000. And then I got a part-time job at the university. I did everything I could just to be in coaching.” Simons remained at Sagi-

naw Valley until 1986, when he was hired as the men’s coach at St. Andrews College in North Carolina. In 1988, Simons was named the South Region and Dixie Conference Coach of the Year and the Carolinas Conference Coach of the Year in 1990. He also achieved a 100 percent graduation rate through those years. Simons took the men’s coaching job at Elon University in 1993 after a threeyear tenure at Georgia College and State University. He led Elon to a South Atlantic Conference Championship and their first postseason appearance since 1972. Despite Simons’ success at Elon, his coaching career took a turn in 2006. “Circumstances came and Nell (Fortner) asked me if I wanted to come and work with them,” Simons said. “I decided to try it, and I had a blast. I loved working with those kids. I had such a great time.”

Simons was hired as an assistant coach, focusing on working with post players and scheduling. After he finished the remainder of the 2005–06 season with the Tigers, Simons was hired at Georgia Tech as an assistant coach. Simons said the biggest transition in becoming an assistant coach was not making all of the decisions. “Being an assistant coach, it’s more of you’re making suggestions,” Simons said. “You just try to give the head coach as much information as possible.” Georgia Tech won 43 games in his two seasons, which marked the first time in school history the Yellow Jackets made the NCAA Tournament in back-toback seasons and won a NCAA Tournament game. However, in 2008, Simons returned to Auburn. “Coach Fortner is all about loyalty and feeling comfortable with who is in the offices every day,” said

getting to know

Simons

Kerry Cremeans, associate coach. “Mark is just solid. You’re not going to get anybody better than Mark as a person. It’s important that you’re around people that you trust every day, and Mark brings that.” Simons has remained on Auburn’s bench for three years now. “I’m very, very happy,” Simons said. “I love it here. I love Auburn. I loved Tech because Tech was a great situation. I wouldn’t have left Tech if it wasn’t for Nell.” Simons’ peers and team seem equally happy. “He’s a great teacher of the game,” Cremeans said. “Not only on the court, but off the court as well.” As Auburn continues conditioning, Simons isn’t afraid to admit he wants to be a head coach again. “That’s for public knowledge,” Simons said. “I’d like to be a head coach again. If not, I’m going to coach until they probably peel me off the sideline someday.”

Equestrian begins season with victory, seeks lasting success Christina Santee Sports Editor

The Auburn equestrian team set a positive tone for the start of its fall season Sunday after defeating the University of Tennessee at Martin riders in their hometown 13–5. The Tigers won all four events, pushing them ahead to earn MVP honors in each category against the Skyhawks. Auburn secured the equitation event after a 4–1 turnover. Auburn freshman Jenni-

fer Delman earned MVP of equitation after defeating Elizabeth Gay, 87–77. Senior Grace Socha defeated Hunter Ralston, 84–74; junior Anna Becker beat Kaylan Herbst, 87–81; and junior Lindsay Portela outscored Kara Bergenty, 80– 77. “Well, I’ve thought our practices have been good at home and it seems as though that was supported today,” said coach Greg Williams. “These girls came in with a lot of energy, and they never let up. We are off

to a great start.” Senior Maggie McAlary was awarded MVP honors after defeating Brittany Kasprack, 87–74, helping her team claim a 6–3 win in equitation over fences. In a family reunion, Kara Bergenty of UT-Martin beat Auburn’s Coryn Bergenty, 79–75, and Christina Lin beat Caroline Cramer, 8580. Both Socha and McAlary were awarded MVP titles in the previous season’s championship game, making them forces to watch out

for in the current season. The Tigers also won the horsemanship category, 4–1. Freshman Katsy Leeman earned MVP after defeating Heidi Grimm, 76–68.5. Freshman Danielle Long beat Michelle Chullock, 76–74.5, while Chelsea Zilner overtook Laurel Ellzey, 76.5–70.5. Freshman Katie Buff outshined Candice Fulcher, 73.5–70.5. With a developing score of 7–2, Auburn took reining. First, MVP junior Indy

Roper beat Michelle Chullock, 75.5–70.5. Following her success, sophomore Stephanie Rucci outscored Carly Lamb, 73–68.5, while sophomore Cheyenne Cracraft beat Amy Guenther, 71.5–65.5. The Tigers finished off their 2011 season with a national championship after defeating the then-No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs for the hunt seat title 6–2 April 16. “The biggest thing to me is how your team comes together,” Williams said. “I love to win, I always have.

It’s just part of my nature.” They also finished the season with two other titles after outscoring the Bulldogs for the SEC Championship title and the hunt seat national championship title. “We are not only pleased with wins in both huntseat and western, but with sweeping all four MVPs as well,” Williams said. The Tigers return to action when they host Texas Christian University Saturday at 10 a.m. at the Auburn University Horse Center.

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Thursday, September 29, 2011

B5 Intrigue

Journey continues for boy who lived New Harry Potter interactive website unites fans Raye May Intrigue Editor

The books and movies may have ended for the Harry Potter franchise, but the magical adventure isn’t over yet. Pottermore, an interactive fan website, is allowing the world of Harry Potter to live on beyond its pages and movie scenes. Author J.K. Rowling wants Pottermore to provide Harry Potter fanatics a more in-depth look at the world beyond the walls of Hogwarts, according to the site. Danielle Lowe, junior in environmental design, said Pottermore is an online Harry Potter experience where fans can explore the series in more detail by reading different passages from the books’ chapters. As users read, previously unknown information appears, including character profiles, magical history explanations and back-stories presented by Rowling. “You explore different areas of the book, and you go through it like you’re actually being accept-

Raye May / Intrigue Editor

Pottermore is a website created by J.K. Rowling to further immerse Harry Potter fans into his world. ed at Hogwarts,” Lowe said. “You can explore the school and pick up items, books and galleons.” Lowe was one of a select few granted early access to the site to test its functionality. She said only 1 million people worldwide were chosen.

“I’m a really big Harry Potter fan,” Lowe said. “I’ve read all the books, seen all the movies … I wanted to be a part of this. I didn’t know what to expect. I just knew I wanted early access.” Lowe said the process lasted seven days and began early in Au-

gust. “I was day three,” Lowe said. “There were scavenger hunts and daily questions we had to answer. Some questions came at like 5:30 a.m. I set an alarm every hour to do it. There was no pattern; it was completely random times every

night.” Once granted early access, Lowe said users created a character and went through the process of becoming a Hogwarts-style witch or wizard. “You get to go pick out a pet and go to Ollivander’s to get your wand,” she said. When the character creation and virtual school supply shopping are complete, users are quizzed to be sorted into the different houses. “My favorite part was being sorted. It was a lot of fun,” Lowe said. “The quizzes asked you to choose between things like sunset or sunrise, or black and white.” Users in the same house can chat on the message board and view updates, as well as check the status of the House Cup competition, a point-based contest between the four houses of Hogwarts. Points are awarded and revoked by Hogwarts professors for things like exceptional classwork and good deeds, or the lack thereof. Lowe said despite the Harry Potter series originally being thought of as only children’s books, the Pottermore website will be successful among all age » See Potter, B6

Sixth-annual FarmHouse Rodeo Classic raises hope Fraternity donates money for disabled Graham Carr Writer

Boots, cowboy hats and big trucks dominated the scene at the sixth-annual FarmHouse Rodeo Classic Friday night at the Good Ole Boys arena. Sean Vanden Heuval, senior in political science and organizer of the rodeo, said FarmHouse was expecting 2,750–3,000 people to attend. This year’s event started with professional rodeo cowboys holding a demonstration followed by students’ attempts at several types of rodeo activities, including bronco riding, bull riding, wild horse chase and wild calf roping and wrestling. After the rodeo portion of the evening, the country band Dirt Drifters opened for the Casey Donahue Band, whose 2009 album “Moving On” was 28th on the Billboard country albums chart. Currey Weaver, senior in business management, said he wishes he had gone to the rodeo in years past instead of waiting until his senior year. “One of the most fun

Rebecca Croomes / Assistant Photo Editor

Dancers move to the dubstep beats of DJ Esco at the monthly TKO dance party, now held at Bourbon Street Bar after the closing of The Independent.

Contributed

A participant in the FarmHouse Rodeo Classic readies himself before the gates open for his ride. times I have had in college,” Weaver said. “The rodeo was epic. It got pretty intense watching people on the bulls. The music was great also. I don’t know if I’ve heard someone as good live as Casey Donahue was. So with the

rodeo and the music, it was a great experience.” All proceeds from the rodeo were donated to Storybook Farms, a nonprofit, faith-based ministry that provides assisted equestri» See Rodeo, B6

FarmHouse Rodeo Classic

2,750 -- 3,000 Approximate attendance

$15

Price per ticket and T-shirt

900

Total number of Storybrook Farms participants last year

TKO knocks out stereotypes New venue draws diverse crowd Sarah Cook Writer

Although The Independent has closed its doors for good, the show goes on for TKO dance parties, now at Bourbon Street Bar. TKO hosted its first event of the fall at Bourbon Street Sept. 16 after being housed at The Independent for two years. “Obviously I was really upset about the change in location, but Bourbon Street stepped up and offered us the opportunity to do it there,” said Andy Belsterling, one of the creators of TKO. TKO, which stands for the boxing term technical knockout, is a party set to high-energy electronic dance music. A light show and pho-

tographers are usually integrated into the event, Belstering said. The events were building momentum and drawing large crowds at The Independent before the bar closed, said regular attendee of the dance parties Terrance Ferguson. “I’m disappointed about the number of people that are here,” Ferguson said. “It’s a lot less than it used to be, but I’m excited for what it will be.” Belstering said he was unsure of the impact of the change in venue. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t concerned,” Belsterling said. “However, we did host two events (at Bourbon Street) over the summer, both of which did pretty well.” Fans hope TKO will get more exposure and attract new groups of people at the location, Ferguson said. “You may be a country

music fan, and then you walk in there and it’s something new for you,” Ferguson said. “That would never happen at The Independent.” Bourbon Street offers a larger space than The Independent, with two levels allowing multiple disc jockeys the chance to play simultaneously. “I think it’s good because it’s a bigger place, and there seems to be a greater variety in music,” Ferguson said. TKO events are known to attract an eclectic crowd, Belsterling said. “That’s a big part of its appeal. It gives people that may not otherwise go out in downtown Auburn an opportunity to do so,” he said. TKO was established as a way for DJs to travel to different cities and get exposure for their music. » See Dance, B6

Intrigue B6

Rodeo » From B5

an activities for children and young adults challenged mentally, physically, socially or emotionally. Dena Little, founder of Storybook Farms, said the organization had about 900 participants in its horseback riding and other animal-related activities last year, all of which are free-of-charge. FarmHouse adopted Storybook Farms as its philanthropy in 2004. “FarmHouse has a great group of guys who volunteer their time out here, which we feel is a great investment with us,” Little said. “They really get to see the benefit of what we are doing out here, and partnering with us long term will help us continue to provide this culture of no-

Dance » From B5

“Over the years it’s kind of evolved,” Belsterling said. “We’ve been doing it for about three years. Auburn’s TKO has continued to grow where others have fallen behind a little bit.” Through promotion and word of mouth, TKO has gained a strong following in the Auburn area, said Amy Williams, senior in graphic design. “I’m guessing the same crowd will probably come out because there’s definitely a pretty big group

The Auburn Plainsman cost program for these kids.” Little said she believes FarmHouse’s prior experience working at Storybook Farms caused its members to want to help more. “They had worked a few years at the Farm after they adopted us in 2004, and I think they got the idea in 2006 to have a fall rodeo to counterbalance the Alpha Psi rodeo, who also works with us some in the spring,” Little said. Adria Vollemer, who works at the FarmHouse fraternity, said the Rodeo Classic adds to Farmhouse’s impact in the community and its partnership with Storybook Farms. “The boys have worked really hard this year to set up,” Vollemer said. “I know they really wanted to put on a good rodeo.” of people that just go out to TKO whenever there is one,” Williams said. Although The Independent was a unique venue, fans are hopeful Bourbon Street will still draw a large crowd despite the change in setting. “The atmosphere and the people and the scene will definitely change,” Belsterling said. “But now we’ve been given the opportunity to grow and reach more folks and be able to do more events.” TKO has numerous dates set at Bourbon Street Bar through December.

Youthfuloffender.com Justbecause because you you made made aa mistake Just mistake doesn’t doesn’t mean to carry carry aa record record with with you you mean you you have have to for your life. life. for the the rest rest of of your Don Eddins, Attorney. *Auburn * (334)821-9981 No representation is made that the quality of legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other attorneys.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

contributed

Theatre students perform David Hirson’s comedy “La Bete” at the fall opening of Telfair Peet Theatre.

Auburn theatre begins fall season with performance of ‘La Bete’ Becky Hardy Assistant Intrigue Editor

Auburn University’s theatre department opened Thursday night with a performance of David Hirson’s “La Bete.” The performance series is the first of the season and lasts through Oct. 1. The show is a comedy about a stubborn playwright named Elomire, played by Ben Young III, senior in theatre, and his acting troupe. The troupe is threatened by the appearance of a rival playwright, Valere, played by Eli Jolley, senior in theatre. Throughout the play Elo-

Potter » From B5

groups. “I think it’s going to have a really good audience,”

mire is constantly annoyed by Valere’s over-the-top attitude toward acting. Put through a test by the Prince Conti, played by Marcus Clement, junior in theatre, Valere is challenged to see if his acting skills are worthy enough to perform in the prince’s own acting troupe. Valere’s tendencies to overdramatize the simplest actions push Elomire to his limit by the end of the play. Elomire keeps from going mad because of his trusty friend Bejart, played by Houston Mahoney, senior in theatre. The interaction between all of the characters creates

a comical performance to be remebered. Taylor Galvin, junior in musical theatre and premedicine, plays one of the troupe members named Madeleine Bejart. Galvin started acting when she was in second grade, but said she never thought of herself as a comedic character until college. “Since I came to college that is all I’ve been cast as. I really enjoy comedic roles because it’s mostly about having fun and being goofy,” Galvin said. Behind the scenes, Galvin said she has a preshow ritual she likes to do.

“I like to say a prayer before each show to thank God for giving me such wonderful opportunities,” she said. “If it is a musical, I will usually do a vocal warmup and sometimes a physical one.” At Friday night’s performance, the actors and actresses received a standing ovation from the audience. “It was really good,” said Ben Robertson, sophomore in communication. “It was probably one of the best I’ve seen, and I’ve been to at least three or four plays.” Tickets are free for students with a valid student ID and can be obtained at the Telfair Peet Theatre.

Lowe said. “Even if it’s just mostly girls, it’ll have a good standing with college students.” Pottermore opens to the public in early October af-

ter feedback is received from the beta testers. With the opening date near, the site has generated so much interest the server is becoming overloaded

nearly every evening, and an automatic page refresher has been added. “It’s like you’re at Hogwarts,” Lowe said. “It’s really the coolest thing ever.”

Jane Random Neleigh Toner freshman, math education ──

What’s your favorite food? My mom’s fried okra. What’s your dream travel location? Western Europe. Where are you from? Birmingham Do you know any other languages? I don’t. I want to learn Spanish, though. 6

If you had $1 million, what would you spend it on? Probably on travel Have you traveled within the U.S.? Yes, I went on a lot of band trips in high school. What instrument do you play? The flute What song has been running through your head lately? “Set Fire to the Rain” --Adele

Food

B7 www.theplainsman.com

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Intrigue

Wining, dining transitions from summer to fall Kate Jones Associate Intrigue Editor

As the weather becomes cooler, the transition from summer to autumn wines begins. Sammi Boettcher, head of the beverage department at World Market in Tiger Town, said Rieslings are more popular during the summer, but darker reds become more popular during the holiday season. “A lot of folks do start going toward more of your darker reds, like the Merlot and the cabernets, come toward winter because they are room temperature wines,” Boettcher said. She said Southerners tend to gravitate toward sweet wines because of sweet tea and muscadines,

a grape originating in the South. “A lot of folks like this better because you can chill it,” Betcher said. “People really don’t like drinking dry wine.” In turn, the sweeter red wines tend to be top sellers at World Market. Boettcher said because there is no standard category for sweet red wine, like Merlot or cabernet, choices should be made by brand name. Boettcher said the brand Jam Jar sells sweeter red wines for the holiday season. These rich red wines can still be enjoyed on a college budget. Boettcher said, for example, when World Mar-

“

I would pay more money for a Spanish wine than I would for a U.S. one.” —Lauren Goetsch senior, international business

ket begins to sell the Electric Reindeer brand of wine during the winter holidays, it’s only $4.99; however, some are turned off by that. “And that’s because it’s so cheap,” Boettcher said. “We just try to bring our prices down.” Boettcher said World Market keeps the prices low for its exclusive wines to be

competitive. To pair with meals, Boettcher said pasta and steak tend to go with red wine. In contrast, traditional summer foods such as chicken and seafood pair with white. Lauren Goetsch, senior in international business, studied abroad in Spain last spring and said she could always tell what her host mother was serving for dinner. “You could tell what we were having by what bottle of wine she bought,” Goetsch said. “If there was red wine, we were having red meat.” Goetsch said they tended to eat the same types of meats on a daily basis that nat-

urally paired with red wine. For special occasions, Goetsch said her host mom would switch from her normal red wine at the dinner table. For example, when Goetsch’s parents visited, she served chicken and in turn white wine was served. Traveling through Spain Goetsch said she used the knowledge her host mom taught her. “She was our supreme educator,” Goetsch said. Cynthia Kissik, junior in hotel and restaurant management, said food pairings used to always be deter-

mined by the meat color. In addition there was a smaller selection of wine to pair with. “Since there are so many blended things, the lines are getting blurred a little bit,” Kissik said. Because of her experiences with different wines abroad, Goetsch is more aware of the types she buys. “I would pay more money for a Spanish wine than I would for a U.S. one,” Goetsch said, “especially for red wine.”

ou c

t kind of win y wha e she bou ght.” ld tell what we were ha ving b u o .” on ring the holid s “Y reds become more pop u a d r ay se ular e “Dark udget. b e n e b e l joyed g stil on a colle rich red wines can e “Thes

”

UPC holds Haitian cooking workshop Melody Kitchens Online Editor

University Program Council is giving students the chance to spice up their meals with a Haitian cooking workshop Saturday at 5:30 p.m. in Spidle Hall, Room 238. “We try to offer a diverse variety of events, and it’s one that is extremely popular, so we keep on offering them,” said UPC president Anne Smead, senior in public administration. UPC based the workshop on Tracy Kidder’s “Mountains Beyond Mountains,” this year’s choice in Auburn’s Common Book Program, which biographies the travels of a doctor combatting infectious disease and poor medical care in nations including Haiti. Director of Special Events Kaitie Gallahue, junior in human development and family studies and nursing, said every workshop is interactive and hands-on, giving students the chance to learn new recipes. “It’s about being able to learn so many different techniques and getting to meet a bunch of new people,” Gallahue said. “That’s what college is all about:

being introduced to new things.” Each cooking workshop is limited to 24 students who will be divided into six different stations. After each station prepares an item from the menu, the dishes will be brought to a main table where everyone has the chance to taste each recipe. Carol Duncan, professional chef and owner of Savory Solutions, and two assistants will be present to provide help and tips to students. “I love watching students learn. It’s a great age group to work with,” Duncan said. “It’s my passion—seeing them do what I love to do.” Students will be given a recipe packet of each dish made at the workshop. The menu will include fried plantains, coconut soup with cilantro and lime, Caribbean spiced pork tenderloin, coconut lime sorbet and various other Haitian foods. A waitlist is available in Student Center Office 3149 if the class is full. The next cooking workshop will be Oct. 20 and will feature a menu of healthy foods.

WHAT’S ON THE MENU? Fried plantains Sweet potato and black bean salad Coconut soup with cilantro and lime Haitian rice and beans Roasted Caribbean spiced pork tenderloin with jicama and mango salsa

Manicotti

Kerry’s recipe of the week Ingredients: Cooking spray 8 manicotti shells 1 (10 oz.) package frozen spinach, thawed and water removed 1 cup ricotta cheese ½ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded or grated 1 egg Black pepper, to taste 2 cups marinara sauce 1 cup mozzarella, shredded

Directions: Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray a medium-sized baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. Cook manicotti shells until al dente. Drain and immediately rinse with cold water. Spread onto an even surface and set aside. In a large bowl, mix the spinach, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, egg and black pepper together. Fill the manicotti shells with the mixture until full. Add 1/3 of the marinara sauce to the bottom of the baking dish. Place the filled manicotti on top. Top with remaining 2/3 of the sauce. Scatter the mozzarella cheese on top. Bake for 30 minutes. Serves: 4

Contributed by Kerry Fannon

MOST FASHIONABLE ON CAMPUS AnnaKay Winford

Megan Crowe

sophomore fashion design

TOP: PACSUN

TOP: FROM A GAS STATION

SHORTS: THRIFT

SKIRT: URBAN OUTFITTERS

SHOES: THRIFT GLASSES: H&M

SHOES: DOLCE VITA

“I like my shorts the best. I love high-waisted stuff and anything ‘80s.”

“I’m holding on to the crop tee trend. For me, it’s fun. They’re bigger, really comfy and look great over fitted skirts.”

Coconut lime sorbet Melody Kitchens / Online Editor

Home

Intrigue B8

The Auburn Plainsman

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Saving big on Southern style Southern Living inspires room decor, style Raye May Intrigue Editor

Four roommates in the Village have found inexpensive ways to recreate the pages of a Southern Living magazine in their dorm room. Kathryn Boswell, sophomore in business; Grace Devaney, sophomore in public relations; Taylor Fitzgerald, sophomore in early elementary education; and Hillary Street, junior in biomedical sciences, collaborated to develop a unique living environment. “The key word that we used was ‘homey’ and just really comfortable, lots of soft textures and fabrics that were really soft and warm,” Boswell said. She and her roommates worked together to create a comfortable atmosphere in their dorm room. The four used their own styles for their individual room décor, Boswell said. “It was definitely a collaboration,” Boswell said. “We all took different parts of our style and went with a warm color palette, something that would be great

to come home to after a long day.” Boswell said they used warm reds, earthy greens, browns and plum shades for the color scheme in the common room. For furnishings, the girls used wrought iron and stained, antique-looking wood. “It’s kind of a lot of red and green,” Boswell said. “I’m an Alpha Chi, so that was kind of part of it. It wasn’t the main goal, it just worked out that way.” The decorations for the dorm were also fairly cheap, with many coming from thrift stores and closeout sales, Boswell said. “I’m from Dallas, Texas, and we found a lot of stuff from Hobby Lobby because there was one in my hometown that was closing,” Boswell said. “We worked a lot on finding the clearance prices and stuff, and a lot of the stuff I found from home is stuff I’m going to get to use in my apartment next year.” The girls also saved money by creating some of their decorations and furnishings themselves. Boswell and her mother decorated a picture frame and wooden cutouts of a cross and initials with different colored beads, accenting the colors of the rooms.

Raye May / Intrigue Editor

Kathryn Boswell and her roommates decorate the common area of their dorm in the Village with styles inspired by Southern Living magazine. They used reds, greens, browns and plum shades for their color scheme. Fitzgerald made a table out of an old window, painted the frame to look antique and added photos under a panel of glass. Boswell said the four had a conversation at the end of last semester and decided on the common area’s theme, as well as how to be cost-efficient in decorating. “We decided on something really warm,” Boswell said. “Not anything super intricate and not super gaudy, but something that was kind of clean lines and basic and stuff that we could use for a while. “If we’re going to put some cash flow into it, we want to be able to use it for a while.”

Raye May / Intrigue Editor

A repainted window serves as a unique coffee table in Taylor Fitzgerald’s dorm room.

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