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Thursday, March 29, 2012

Vol. 118 , Issues 25, 16 pages

New information revealed in student’s death Lane Jones CAMPUS BEAT REPORTER

When Kyle Nixon, an Auburn senior in political science, died unexpectedly last September, the cause of his death was unclear. Six months later, his family still had no answers.

A toxicology report was required to determine if any substances in Kyle’s system had led to his acute heart failure, and Barbara Nixon, Kyle’s mother, finally received the results of the report Friday.

“The information we got in the tox-

icology report is that there was nothing in Kyle’s blood that shouldn’t have been there,” she said. “He’d taken some muscle relaxants for an injury he’d had, so there was an appropriate amount of that in there and the trace of one other medication he was taking. That’s the only thing it turned up.”

Kyle’s personal belongings, including a brand new smartphone, had been held at the Auburn Police Department since his death. Nixon said they would not be released until after the toxicology report came back.

“We had to keep sertion. vice on his phone this Nixon said she had whole time,” Nixon said. no idea that the pro“Even though it’s kind of cess would take this the least of my priorities, long. that’s $20 a month for his “Initially they told cell phone when it had litus that we should tle to no use during that know something withtime.” in three days,” Nixon NIXON Capt. Tom Stofer of the said. “We thought that APD declined comment on three days was an awfully the reason for the delay in getting re- long time to wait.” sults to the family; the case is still conAt the end of the three-day period, sidered an ongoing death investiga- the family was told that more testing

had to be done at a lab in Montgomery.

“They said it could take up to 60 days to get that information,” Nixon said. “Right at the end of 60 days, I called and they said, ‘No, we don’t have anything back.’ Once a month after that I would call and ask for an update.

“Because there was no suspicion of criminal wrongdoing, I think that’s why it got pushed to the bottom of the

» See DEATH, A2

OIT, SGA team up to evaluate performance Bradley Roberts WRITER

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION

Technology is ever changing, and with those changes comes room for improvement.

Auburn University’s Office of Information Technology and Student Government Association teamed up with student volunteers to evaluate OIT’s performance and structure March 8.

The meeting of volunteers and SGA representatives was conducted by a team from Auburn University Montgomery’s Center for Advanced Technology.

“We had consultants on campus talking to different constituency groups to review our processes, how we do business and really looking internally at what we need to do in our own organization with our own personnel,” said Ellyn Hix, director of OIT user services.

Hix said OIT asked for honest feedback from the group of students, faculty and administration regarding services offered.

“These consultants met with the students, but we didn’t want to be present because we wanted them to be honest and forthright with their answers and not be influenced by us,” Hix said.

Teachers without benefits

» See OIT, A2

Gay employees don’t receive same benefits as straight

Hayley Blair INTRIGUE BEAT EDITOR

Campus LGBT advocacy groups have voiced concerns about the lack of benefits for the partners of gay University employees.

Kelly Price, chairwoman of the Auburn Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual Caucus, a faculty-run gay advocacy group, said Auburn currently will not grant benefits to couples without a marriage license—something the state of Alabama will not issue to gay couples.

“We’re still trying to get that added to the employment nondiscrimination policy,” Price said. “I myself am transsexual, so I’ve been working to have that added for many years. The administration really hasn’t moved on anything. They kind of like to avoid the issue I think.”

Price said the current policy has caused potential employees to avoid the University, including the original founder of AGLBC, Becky Liddle, who moved to Canada in 2000 to work at the University of Toronto and marry her wife.

Karla McCormick, executive director of payroll and employment benefits, said there have been deliberations regarding a change in the policy, but the resources the University would need are not yet available.

“

The administration really hasn’t moved on anything.

They kind of like to avoid the issue I think.”

—Kelly Price CHAIRWOMAN OF AUBURN GAY/ LESBIAN/BISEXUAL CAUCUS

“A committee with representatives from campus constituency groups recently looked at a number of employee benefit questions, including this one,” McCormick said. “At that time, there were several other pressing benefits issues that needed to be addressed, and as there had been a lack of expressed interest in expanding benefits beyond the current eligible population, the committee agreed to table this topic for future consideration. While we’re still looking at the issue, the committee hasn’t recommended a change in policy at this time.”

Bliss Cook, junior in biomedical sciences, said that while she still loves Auburn, she can see why these kinds of policies might discourage potential employees from work-

ing here.

“I can understand it,” Cook said. “If they can get better benefits somewhere else, then they might as well go there.”

Despite the current policy, there are many reasons a supporter of LGBT rights might wish to stay at Auburn.

Gwen Thomas, associate professor of engineering, has had a role in helping the LGBT population in the community and said she understands the difficulties they face.

Thomas is intersex, meaning she was born indistinguishable as male or female; soon after birth she underwent surgery to make her a male, only to later find she identified more as a female.

Although Thomas said she believes Auburn’s policies are discriminatory, the University provides the resources she needs to make a difference with her work.

“I stay here because I can do good research here,” Thomas said. “The reason I am alive is not because I am an intersex person.

The reason I am alive is because I have a mission, and that mission is to protect people with the research I do. I make things that

COMMUNITY // A5

INTRIGUE // B5

Earth Fest brings tunes to campus

Social media seminar to show importance of ‘digital world of mouth’

Taylor’s trek with reality TV

Robert French will present “Leveraging the PR Power of Social Media” at noon Thursday.

Auburn Speaks

Which UPC Spring Concert artist are you most excited about?

None of them

NeedToBreathe

» See BENEFITS, A2

CAMPUS // A3

The Environmental Awareness Orangization will host its 22nd annual Earth Fest March 31 at the arboretum.

CHRISTEN HARNED / ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR

Allison Chandler, IT specialist, takes a look at the computer of Tyler Claxton, junior in forestry.

Auburn sophomore Taylor Davis appears on Sytle Network’s new show, “The Amandas.”

INSIDE Campus » A1 | Community » A5 | Opinions » A7 | Classifieds » A8 | Sports » B1 | Intrigue » B5

8.3%

58.3%

20.8% 12.5%

Ben Rector

Young the Gia Young the Giant NeedToBreath

Ben Rector None of Them

Recycled paper

Campus A2

The Auburn Plainsman

OIT

» From A1 Hix said she did not know when she will hear the outcome of the meeting, but OIT is expecting a full writeup of the results.

“They are going to be submitting a report for everything,” Hix said. “This is being done per the request of Bliss Bailey, and we have a contract with them.”

Collier Tynes, SGA chief of staff-elect, said she appreciated OIT’s desire to keep the surveyed group unbiased.

“They wanted it to have no conflict of interests and so they didn’t attend so we could get the best review possible,” Tynes said.

Tynes said she thought it was a great thing for OIT to ask for the students’ opinions in hopes they could help the office perform at a higher level in the future.

“I think so often we have this disconnect with them because you don’t see them everywhere, and so for them to come to us meant a lot,” Tynes said.

Hix said the meeting came after several organizational changes at OIT. “We’ve had some retirements in our organization, and Bliss Bailey had come on as our new executive director,” Hix said. “He looked at it as an opportunity to see if we might should make some changes.”

Tynes said SGA members also participated during the meeting.

“I represented the people that don’t know anything about technology to be quite honest,” Tynes said. “It was interesting kind of hearing from all of the tech gurus about their opinions of OIT and seeing how they conflicted with my opinions.”

Owen Parrish, SGA president-elect, said he called upon various members of governance groups and students of all majors and ages to participate in their survey.

“I was unbelievably surprised by the response,” Par-

rish said. “It was a three-hour meeting.

We asked 30 students to set aside three hours on a Thursday afternoon right before spring break, and 24 were there and stayed the whole time.”

Parrish said the meeting initially centered around OIT’s problems, but also highlighted the things they do well.

“First we talked about their faults,” Parrish said.

“Unreliable Internet, spam emails and Canvas and Blackboard issues, but toward the end of the meeting we went through and ranked on a clicker system what specific things were most important to us.”

Parrish said SGA was pleased with the professionalism of the Center for Advanced Technology team and OIT. “It was an exceptionally well conducted meeting,” Parrish said. “They made it a comfortable yet productive atmosphere.”

Bliss Bailey, OIT executive director, said he feels it is important for OIT to always remain in contact with the students.

“We interact with the SGA on a regular basis,” Bailey said. “We want to find out what priorities are for the students and to get input from the students to make sure what we are doing syncs up with what the students need.”

Parrish said he hopes other organizations will soon follow OIT’s lead.

“I hope that the lines of communication can be opened up between students and many different organizations on campus,” Parrish said.

“That is our mission as the Student Government Association, to represent students to all of the on-campus organizations, all of the auxiliaries, all of the services provided by the University and make those the best that they can possibly be to serve students, faculty and administration.”

CRIME REPORTS FOR MAR. 21 – MAR. 27, 2012 Mar. 21 — Aspen Heights Lane Theft of two Dewait skilsaws and one Makita skilsaw reported.

Mar. 22 — East Glenn Avenue Theft of one Nissan Altima reported.

Mar. 22 — Stonewall Road Burglary of one 29-inch flatscreen LCD television, one 16GB iPad, one Otterbox iPad cover, 60 prescription Flexeril, 60 prescription Zoloft and one half-gallon of tequila reported.

DEATH » From A1

list.”

Nixon still doesn’t know what caused a three-day process to be stretched over six months.

She said that even after the long wait, she still doesn’t have a medical explanation as to why Kyle died.

“I believe that the informa-

BENEFITS » From A1

keep people from getting hurt and injured, and I’ve had a lot of opportunities to do that here.”

Price said she also enjoys living in Auburn and has experienced relatively little discrimination here beyond certain policies enforced by the University. “(It affects me) a little bit,” Price said. “It affects insurance and costs and things like that, survivorship benefits and so forth. With the marriage thing there’s still the question of whether it is recognized under Alabama law. We’re still a step below the point of worrying about benefits. This being Alabama they have to get things forced on them from the federal level I think.”

Such a policy may not be implemented for some time, however, and Thomas said she will do everything she can to help the LGBT community until a change is made.

“Part of that protecting peo-

Mar. 25 — Kuderna Acres Theft of one 22-caliber pump rifle, one 30-30 rifle and one 16-gauge shotgun reported.

Mar. 26 — Lee Road 12 Burglary of one 42-inch flatscreen television, one Macbook, one end table, $1,000 cash, miscellaneous DVDs and one picture of Cam Newton reported.

Mar. 27 — Annalue Drive Theft of one 14-kt gold cyma quartz on a 3-strand band with 28 diamonds around the face reported.

— Reports provided by Auburn Department of Public Safety

toxicology is required because the cause of death is not clear, results take longer.

“If we’re going to have to do toxicology to determine the cause of death, it can take several months to get results back because there’s some backlog right now,” Harris said. “It takes approximately two years to train a scientist.

“They are short-staffed right now at the state and there’s no

money there to hire anyone else.”

At this point in the investigation, Nixon said she is not holding out hope for any more answers.

“What we know now is just slightly more than what we knew before, that Kyle died from acute heart failure,” Nixon said. “We still have no idea what caused a healthy 22-yearold’s heart to fail.”

ple from getting hurt is helping people in the LGBT community deal with the stress,” Thomas said. “It ranges on a spectrum from people who would just rather not be around you to people who openly despise and hate you and wish you were dead, so it becomes quite unpleasant to live that way, and I can understand that.”

Thomas said while she has lived through the office of many Republican presidents, starting with Dwight Eisenhower, she has never seen a group of GOP candidates as socially conservative as those currently running, making her think the LGBT community will not be getting a reprieve as soon as she’d hoped.

“Let’s go back to around 2000 when you had candidates that were people you would consider fiscal conservatives or moderates,” Thomas said.

“Look at this election where Romney is the most moderate of the group. Some of them are radically, radically social conservatives, and you can see a very strong shift to the right.”

Price said the current conservative political atmosphere may be one of the reasons the administration might choose not to change the policy.

“Generally the faculty is supportive of LGBT issues, but the administration tends to just sit on it and let it die,” Price said. “I guess they’re concerned about donors or finances or whatever. That was an issue with Dr. (William) Walker. He was concerned about how the Board of Trustees would react; that was years ago.”

Cook said as a student she feels the University should be more tolerant, even if a loss of money is possible.

“In my opinion I think (the policy) should change,” Cook said. “They weren’t true donors of Auburn if they can’t give to the Auburn population, no matter what they are.”

Thomas said despite her opinion of the political outlooks represented in the upcoming election, she is thinks the mainstream public is becoming more willing to compromise on gay rights, and big

businesses are becoming more tolerant as well.

“Companies like Starbucks are coming out saying they will be nondiscriminatory in their policies,” Thomas said. “This is not the big deal to them. How somebody has sex with someone else should not be anyone else’s business. For someone to be so focused on that in order to hate someone, to me, is a far larger type of perversion than for someone to be born with a certain orientation.”

The current government policy regarding the LGBT community is based on religious beliefs not everyone believes in, Thomas said, and she hopes the government will eventually dissolve any law denying rights to a certain group.

“People have the responsibility to choose for themselves.” Thomas said. “They also have the right to choose for themselves. If you want to impose frameworks of lifestyle on someone, there’s a fine line between religious dictatorship and having responsible laws for society.”

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Mar. 26 — West Thach Concourse Burglary of one Hewlett-Packard LaserJet 8000 printer reported.

tion is going to go back to the medical examiner now,” Nixon said. “He said he would get in touch with the Alabama organ donation to see if they found anything at all in their testing, because Kyle is an organ donor.”

Bill Harris, Lee County coroner, said initial investigation usually yields a cause of death within 24–48 hours.

In cases like Kyle’s, when

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Thursday, March 29, 2012

Campus A3

The Auburn Plainsman

Research initiative works toward cancer treatments

Earth Fest brings tunes to campus

Becky Hardy CAMPUS BEAT REPORTER

In Auburn’s College of Veterinary Medicine, a new initiative is making headway in cancer research.

The school received $1 million from the state of Alabama and obtained the largest collection of breast carcinoma and melanoma of dog tissue in the world.

“The program’s focus is not on identifying treatments for cancer in the dog exclusively and then transferring it to humans (or vice versa),” said Bruce Smith, director of the Auburn cancer research initiative and professor of pathobiology. “What we want to do is use our ability to perform investigations, to do research and to identify ways in which we can treat cancer regardless of the species.”

The researchers will be working with client-owned pets for their experiments.

“You might ask, ‘Why those animals?’” said Curtis Bird, director of flow cytometry for the cancer initiative and professor of pathobiology. “(These pets) live in the same environments we live in, the same homes, and a lot of the time they eat the same food, breathe the same air and sleep in the same beds. They live in our environment and are exposed to the same genetic assaults that we are.”

Smith and Bird said all the animals are volunteered by their owners for the research.

“It’s inescapable that many of these ways need to be tested in research animals first for safety and for the ability to make (the cells) do what we want them to do,” Smith said.

The initiative began when Speaker of the House Mike Hubbard lobbied for cancer

“It’s kind of unique. (University Program Council) has its concert and WEGL has Battle of the Bands, but other than that it’s really the only multi-band music festival that’s outside at the University. It’s focused on music and we do have vendors and try to have speakers get up and talk about environmental issues.”

–Donnie Addison, adviser, Environmental Awareness Organization

DANIELLE LOWE / ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR

Curtis Bird, professor of pathobiology, works on cancer research in the veterinary school. The school currently works mostly with breast and melanoma cancers.

research funds from the Alabama legislature.

“With the money, we will be giving out C-grants to people at Auburn, which will help leverage funding,” Smith said.

Auburn’s veterinary school will give researchers a sum of money to collect preliminary data for cancer research in order to build a larger grant, Smith said.

“We’re willing to work with other colleges here at Auburn, like the College of Engineering may be working on a new ways to package a drug that (the vet school) might be working on,” Smith said.

The initiative will focus on a wide range of tactics to try to find a way to treat cancer.

“The program goes everywhere from the laboratory bench, like working with cell cultures and individual cells and genes, to working with viruses that might transfer genes, to developing a new pharmaceutical compound in chemistry laboratory, to finding a new way of packaging that compound so it goes directly to defective cell, instead of causing bad side effects,” Smith said.

Smith said new discoveries

are being made every day in research, but Bird believes a cure might still be out of reach.

“I’m not a big fan of the word ‘cure,’ because unlike a disease where you catch it, like a cold or the flu where you don’t have it until you catch it, cancer’s not like that,” Bird said. “Cancer’s a lifetime of genetic abuse that you encounter living your life. During that time the abuse accumulates in single cells, and eventually enough damage occurs and those cells become cancerous.”

Smith said this is an exciting time to be in cancer research at Auburn.

“We’re looking for people all over the University who are interested in cancer research to join us,” Smith said. “That means this is an initiative that involves students and staff. We can use help anywhere from filing to public relations to artwork.”

Auburn’s cancer initiative team hopes to make leaps in cancer research to extend patients’ lives, Smith said.

“There’s a saying that oncologists are fond of: ‘They want the patients to die with the tumor, not from the tumor,’” he said.

CONTRIBUTED BY ROSCO DAVIS

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Campus A4

The Auburn Plainsman

Thursday, March 29, 2012

UPC utilizes budget for variety of campus events This week, The Auburn Plainsman concludes its examination of Student Activity Projects Becky Hardy CAMPUS BEAT REPORTER

University Program Council works with this year’s budget increase of $31,107 to create diverse activities for Auburn students.

UPC received $771,122.03 from SGA’s Student Activity Project budget this year, the

largest allotment of any student organization.

“Our mission is to provide an engaging atmosphere that enhances the Auburn experience by programming events planned, organized and executed by students for students,” said Anne Smead, UPC president and senior in public administration.

UPC offers a variety of events including skill-building workshops, comedy shows, movies on campus and musical acts.

UPC events are categorized and organized by the committee they fall under.

“The programming committees are Films, Fine Arts, Major Entertainment, Speakers and Comedians, Special Projects and Tiger Nights,” Smead

said. “The support committees include Publicity, Public Relations, Technical Productions, Research and Evaluation and Volunteers.

“The programming committees plan a variety of events that range from smaller to larger scale events in order to meet the diverse needs of Auburn students.”

UPC’s smaller events, like Open Mic Night, usually cost around $300 for the use of the venue and refreshments.

“We typically have anywhere from 75–125 people at these events,” Smead said. “One of our most popular smaller events are cooking workshops, which allow students to have hands-on cooking and preparation experience from a chef.

“These workshops cost around $600 for the venue, graduate adviser, chef and materials.”

UPC’s larger events are concerts, Tiger Nights and comedy shows. The concerts and comedy shows usually vary in price depending on the artist fee, Smead said.

“We have brought in talent before that costs anywhere from $10,000 to $100,000 for musical acts,” Smead said. “Comedians can cost anywhere from a few thousand up to $10,000 for really well-known artists.”

Smead said last fall’s headlining artist, Girl Talk, had fees totaling $115,000.

“The rental of the Auburn Arena, security costs, EMTs, AUHD, hospitality areas, ven-

ue cleaning and staging cost around $25,000,” Smead said.

“The sound, lighting and labor costs totaled around $12,000.

Hospitality costs totaled at just over $4,000 to feed all artist per rider requirements.”

Tiger Nights usually cost around $35,000, but include everything from police, food and vendors to inflatables, giveaways, entertainment and facilities.

“These larger scale events have the ability for lots of students to take advantage of the entertainment,” Smead said.

UPC’s budget covers the costs of its events, so the group doesn’t raise funds to host them.

“We try to offer free events for students to enjoy,“ Smead said.

The top three executive officers—the president, vice president and treasurer—are paid out of the budget.

“There is a pay scale that is set by the University,” Smead said. “SGA doesn’t go by it because they added an officer.”

If any money is left over at the end of the year, UPC reports it to SGA’s Budget and Finance Committee.

“Our understanding is that it goes into a reserve fund to be used as needed for future programs and events to benefit Auburn students,” Smead said.

“Our goal is to further develop the leadership skills of the students that are a part of our organization and provide opportunities for other students to enjoy the events that they plan.”

Community

A5

www.theplainsman.com

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Community

Contributed by Tipi Miller

Annual Opelika event features gardens and art Heather Allen Writer

Flowers are blooming, pollen is in the air and the Opelika community is ready to get outdoors and tend to their gardens.

Keep Opelika Beautiful is hosting the seventh annual Garden in the Park Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Opelika Municipal Park.

The event features local garden vendors encouraging patrons to buy plants and offering tips to keep gardens healthy and attractive, along with artists selling their handmade crafts.

Admission is $2 for adults and $1 for children.

“It is a really fun event, and we try

to keep admission costs low to really encourage people to come and walk through,” said Tipi Miller, director of Keep Opelika Beautiful. “We have so many cool things for sale like plants, trees, bird houses, photography, paintings, children’s clothes, hair bows—everything.”

Piedmont Fertilizer Company in Opelika participated in the event last year and will be returning this year to sell their products.

“We take our flowers, ferns, plants and vegetables, and we are there to encourage and help people with any questions they may have about their garden,” said Jane Randall Jackson, a fourth-generation family employee of the company. “It’s a good way to

let the community know that we offer those things along with ways to help your garden.”

In addition to merchant booths, live entertainment will be on stage throughout the day, Miller said.

School choirs, bands and dance teams from the Opelika school district will perform, along with Celtic Traditions, an Irish dance performance group.

“We will have the Rocky Brook Rocket, which is an antique train that circles the park,” Miller said. “It is a really cool thing, especially for people who love trains.”

There will also be a variety of food, including funnel cakes, boiled peanuts and hamburgers, available for

events that allow aspiring artists to sell their work.

“As an art major, I know how important it is to get your work out there for people to see and want to buy,” Shearin said. “This event is a great way for students to buy handmade gifts and see a variety of local art.”

Miller encourages students to come and participate at Garden in the Park to learn more about gardening and art.

“There is a wide range of items that I think will suit all different tastes,” Miller said. “We really want it to be family-oriented. All different age groups can come and find something that interests them.”

Social media seminar to show importance of ‘digital word of mouth’

‘Mama Rose’ serves customers with charity and home cooking

Abigail O’Brien Writer

Alison McFerrin Community beat reporter

Rosezena Gunn began cooking when she was 14 by helping her mother in Cincinnati and has been cooking ever since.

Now she serves up home cooking every day—not just for her family, but for everyone at Mama Rose restaurant on South College Street in the Eagle’s Crossing Shopping Center near Walmart.

“It was always a dream of mine to have a restaurant,” said “Mama Rose” Gunn. “I used to tell my pastor that it was a dream that I had that wouldn’t die.”

Gunn’s first foray into the restaurant business was in 2010 when her son and daughter-in-law asked her to cook in the restaurant they had opened on Opelika Road, Mother Rose. But when they transferred for their jobs with the military six months later, the restaurant closed.

Gunn’s passion for cooking and baking continued, however, and about a month ago she opened her own restaurant.

“Even when I didn’t have the restaurant, I cooked every day,” Gunn said. “My joy is really just feeding people and seeing people eat.”

Gunn was born in Selma and moved to Auburn in 1989, but not

purchase.

“You name it, and we will have it,” Miller said. “There is a lot going on for the day.”

Over the years, the Garden in the Park has grown from featuring only local artists to including ones from across Alabama and Georgia.

“It started off as local artists that we knew or that one of the board members or volunteers might have known, but it has really grown,” Miller said. “I have used the Internet to recruit people from outside the Auburn area. We have several artists from Columbus, LaGrange, Montgomery, Alex City and the Birmingham area.”

Laura Shearin, junior in art, said she understands the importance of

Rebecca Croomes / photo editor

Rosezena “Mama Rose” Gunn serves the Auburn community with home cooking. She said she treats her customers the way she would want to be treated.

until she had traveled around the country and overseas with her military husband, whom she married in 1967.

“I never did have a steady job until after he retired,” Gunn said.

She would bake for the people who lived in their same building, and she worked in the military commissary when they lived in Germany.

After her husband retired in 1983, Gunn worked at Food World, Walmart and Sam’s Club until she became a cook at Mother Rose.

“I’ve always worked in custom-

er service,” Gunn said. “I’ve always liked to intermingle with the customers.”

Beginning work in the restaurant was a natural transition for Gunn.

“I wasn’t really nervous about it,” she said. “I do catering all the time … I feed from 150 up to 300-something people, sometimes 400-something people.”

Now she cooks for the public, serving an all-you-can-eat buffet of meat and vegetables plates.

» See People, A6

Robert French will give a lunchtime seminar titled “Leveraging the PR Power of Social Media” at noon Thursday at the Opelika Sportsplex.

French has been a public relations instructor at Auburn for 13 years and saw the potential of social media early on. He said he hopes the free event will encourage members of the community to see the benefits of using social media for multiple purposes.

For French, the beginnings of social media were a way for him to broaden his students’ horizons.

“This was the first time I could ever expose the students to what leaders in PR were thinking,” French said. “Before then, you could buy one of two PR magazines and get snippets.”

He said that many of his students have landed jobs and internships through the use of social media. In speaking at the Opelika Sportsplex Thursday, French hopes to encourage all ages about the usefulness of this technological tool.

“In the past we had conversations over the backyard fence called word of mouth,” French said. “This is digital word of mouth. It’s the same thing.”

An example of this digital sharing is family.auburn.edu, a social networking site featuring audio and video posts about the University and community.

The site is maintained by PR students and updated frequently. A particularly popular element of the site

shows the live video stream of Toomer’s Corner managed by the City of Auburn.

Laura Leigh Pierce, public relations and special activities coordinator at the Opelika Sportsplex and a former student of French’s, said she hopes the seminar will help others see the benefit of social media in business, among other things.

“We’re hoping just to … spread the knowledge about it,” Pierce said.

Pierce said social media can be used as a tool for restaurants and businesses to attract customers.

Agreeing with French, Pierce said social media is an excellent tool for interaction.

“I think the interaction on Twitter is a lot better because you can hashtag something,” Pierce said.

“People can type that in and see what you’re saying as opposed to what everyone else is saying. You get a lot of feedback that way.”

Victoria Lavinder, sophomore in pre-nursing, said she follows the activity of some of her favorite organizations and restaurants on Facebook to get updates on special deals.

“Generally, it’s only if … I use it a lot will I look into it,” Lavinder said.

Lavinder said while she sees the importance of social media growing, she makes a point to keep interaction personal and face-to-face as much as possible.

As the importance of social media

» See media, A6

Auburn CityFest now accepting submissions for juried art show Jenny Steele Writer

All local and regional artists 18 and older are invited to enter the annual Auburn CityFest juried art show.

“We would like to encourage student artists from Auburn University to enter as we are always appreciative of their participation each year,” said Sara Hand Custer, co-coordinator for CityFest, Auburn’s free annual outdoor festival.

Artists from anywhere in Alabama and surrounding states are welcome to submit one work in any fine art medium. Many of the participants are regional artists, Custer said.

“The most common medium is painting, but we really get a variety of

mediums every year,” Custer said.

Custer has seen works on paper, three-dimensional works like ceramics and sculpture, mixed-media pieces and photography at the show over the years.

The Auburn Arts Association chooses the jurors for the show.

“They have ranged from art faculty at Auburn University to curators at local and regional museums to local artists,” Custer said. “We’ve had a wide range of jurors over the year.”

Wendy DesChene, associate professor in the art department, juried the show one her first years at Auburn.

“There was a significant amount of paintings and ceramics,” said De-

sChene, who said she remembered being impressed by a carved ostrich egg, something she had never seen before.

“Everyone seemed to be having a good time,” she said. “There were a lot of vendors from the surrounding areas and folk jewelry sellers.”

Jewelry has been a recent addition to the array of works displayed.

“It has actually become quite popular,” Custer said. “We have a lot of jewelers who exhibit and sell their work at Auburn CityFest.”

CityFest opens with a preview reception of the works the evening of April 27.

“Attendees can come and get a sneak preview,” said Meg Rainey, pub-

lic relations specialist for Auburn Parks and Recreation. “They can see all the beautiful pieces and enjoy a great evening in the park.”

Rainey has attended the art show for several years, even before she began working for Auburn CityFest.

“It’s always been a great event and a great addition to CityFest,” she said.

Works will be on display in the Nunn-Winston House, a historic antebellum house in Kiesel Park. The house is not original to the park, but has been made to look as though it is, Rainey said.

“This is the second year we’ve had it at the park,” Rainey said. “We’ve always had amazing venues throughout the City of Auburn. We decided

last year to move it out here, and it’s worked out great.”

Ten cash awards will be given.

“We have $1,200 in merit awards, including two $250 special awards by the Auburn-Opelika Tourism Bureau,” Custer said.

The preview reception and Saturday show are both free to the public.

“It’s a great opportunity to enjoy some art in the park,” Rainey said.

Entry forms and the $25 entry fee are due April 11 at the Jan Dempsey Community Arts Center, and works must be brought to the center April 16 or 17.

For an application form and more information, visit AuburnCityFest. com.

Community A6

The Auburn Plainsman

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Alabama House discusses several new bills Sydney Callis Writer

Alabama’s House of Representatives reconvenes Tuesday for the 16th day of the 2012 Regular Session to discuss new legislation.

Two bills passed unanimously in the House March 22 are now awaiting Senate approval and Gov. Robert Bentley’s signature before becoming law. House bills 288 and 340 came about in the wake of last year’s April 27 tornadoes.

The first was sponsored by Rep. Mac Buttram (R-Cullman) and deals with lowering the price of storm shelters. Rep. John Merrill (R-Tuscaloosa) sponsored H.B. 340, which would make looting during declared emergencies

a felony.

“Prior to April 27 of last year, storm shelters were not regulated at all,” Buttram said.

The attorney general’s office first decided the Alabama Manufactured Housing Commission should regulate storm shelters after last year’s storms, Buttram said.

However, adhering to the regulations and fees of the Alabama Manufactured Housing Commission raised the price of storm shelters by $1,000 or more.

“This bill removes residential storm shelters from Manufactured Housing Commission,” Buttram said.

Also in the wake of the tornadoes, Merrill was informed of extensive looting in affect-

ed towns and cities and went to talk about it with the attorney general’s staff.

“They had had numerous instances reported to them all over the state where this had occurred,” Merrill said.

“So they drafted the legislation and I sponsored it in the House and got 53 cosponsors.

That’s one of the reasons why the bill passed 102 to nothing.”

By making looting a Class C felony, it is punishable by incarceration of one to 10 years and a $15,000 fine.

Other House bills being discussed deal with creating incentives to bring film, coal mining, data processing and aviation and aerospace jobs to Alabama. There are bills which propose to enhance

education, restrict funeral disruptions and reorganize the Alabama Department of Transportation.

On March 20, the Senate passed the Heroes for Hire Act, which will offer businesses in Alabama a $2,000 tax credit to employ veterans.

Todd Stacy, communications director for Speaker of the House Mike Hubbard (RAuburn), said students should learn about the many bills being discussed and voted on because they will be affected by the decisions made in the legislature.

“There are students right now preparing to graduate and preparing to embark on a career,” Stacy said. “They want to be able to land a job,

and we want them to be able to start their career here in Alabama to keep their talents and their art and their learned skills in the state.”

Stacy said several of the new bills are working to create jobs by recruiting companies to Alabama.

“The unemployment rate has gone down, which is a good sign,” Stacy said. “We’re obviously moving in the right direction, but there’s still a lot of work to do.”

Buttram said students should be aware of how the government can affect them.

“Government can get overly involved in our lives and when they do, it ends up costing, ultimately, the consumer.”

Buttram said.

CALENDAR: THURSDAY, MARCH 29 – THURSDAY, APRIL 5

Media » From A5

Social Media Seminar 3/29 Lunchtime ■ Opelika Sportsplex

■ 12 p.m.

Pilobolus

■ Opelika Center for Performing Arts ■ 7:30 p.m.

Mania 3/31 Mud ■ Southern Springs Equine Farm

■ 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Garden in the Park

■ Opelika Municipal Park ■ 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Opelika Lions Club Pancake Jamboree

■ Opelika Middle School ■ 6–11 a.m.

and Jazz Duo 4/2 Dinner ■ Hamilton’s on Magnolia Avenue

■ 6:30–9:30 p.m.

Hospitality Gala 4/5 2012 ■ AU Hotel and Conference Center

■ 6:30–8:30 p.m.

grows, French stresses remembering to observe.

“The important thing is to first listen,” French said. “So find people that have an interest like yours and listen to them, and then begin to have a dialogue with them—not about what you’re trying to promote … but talk to them about what they’re doing.”

He likened the process to any other friendship.

French said he hopes the seminar will ultimately spur more to try new social media tools and not fear its complications.

“Don’t be afraid of it,” French said. “Embrace it. Try it. You can be actively involved without ever writing a thing. Read.

Listen.

“Once you’ve done that long enough, you’re probably going to recognize there’s a way you can use it to your own advantage, whether it’s personal or business.”

People » From A5

Gunn’s priority is still the customer service aspect. She calls food her ministry.

“A lot of people, they think about their parents when they go into a restaurant and they have different foods, and it just brings back a lot of memories for them,” Gunn said. “So it’s just a ministry that I like to do, just to feed people—and I love for them to eat.

“I believe if you talk to people and you treat them right, and you have that faith in God, God will work things out.”

God had a hand, Gunn said, in helping her and her husband start the restaurant. A church they worship with in Columbus donated the chairs, and a friend in the restaurant supply business got them a discounted rate on booth seating.

But not everyone was initially as supportive. Gunn said her children weren’t thrilled when she came up with the idea to open Mama Rose.

“At first everybody was kind of hesitant,” Gunn said. “‘Are you sure, at 65, you want to open up a restaurant? You should be maybe joining a senior citizen group.’

“I said, ‘No, this is my dream,’ … Now, they see how much joy it brings to me, so they’re all for it.”

Gunn said she tries to make her customers feel just like her children, and she tells them to make themselves at home.

“I always come by and talk to them and ask them if everything is OK, if the food’s OK, and thank them for coming,” Gunn said. “The customer service is a lot in a business … You have to come out and greet your customers and let them know who you are and let them know that you appreciate them coming out. They could have went to any restaurant, but they chose to come here.”

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Opinions

A7

Thursday, March 29, 2012

www.theplainsman.com

Reaction to Martin shooting warranted

Our View

Community Quote of the Week

“

“Blacks are under attack … Our disparities are great.

Targeting, arresting, convicting blacks and ultimately killing us is big business.”

-The Rev. Jesse Jackson

The Plainsman Poll Vote at theplainsman.com

Chelsea Harvey campus@ theplainsman.com

In the wake of the recent outcry in response to the shooting of Trayvon Martin, I have heard some people express the opinion that the media and public response has gone too far—that the attention the case has received has been too dramatic, not well-reported, sensationalist, etc. I would like to offer my thoughts on this subject.

Martin’s death has two major inflammatory components. First, he was only 17 years old, and second, the circumstances surrounding his death are not clear. In fact, they are extremely suspicious. The more evidence that comes out in this particular investigation, the more questions are raised.

Taking this into consideration, I think nobody should be surprised that the public—and the media— has reacted the way it has. A minor has been killed, and it is questionable whether his killer’s actions were justifiable in the name of self-defense. It’s an extremely sensitive case, and certainly something for people to be upset over.

I will concede that tweeting Zimmerman’s home address or posting a bounty for his capture is a violent, and therefore inappropriate, response. But I stand by my point that the death of any person under questionable circumstances, particularly that of a minor, merits an aggressive emotional reaction. I do not believe the public outcry is unwarranted in the slightest. People have a right to feel the way they feel. People have a right to grieve in whatever outspoken way they see fit.

I have also heard the argument made that the media has been irresponsible in the way it has presented the new developments in this case.

Some people believe the media has presented the facts of this case in an excessively provocative light. I am also forced to disagree with this argument.

The media’s job is to report news— that is, things that are new. While some may argue that it is irresponsible for the media to report developments in a case that is not yet clear, I would argue that it is precisely the media’s job to report developments as soon as they occur. In a case as shady as this one has become, I would say it is the media’s responsibility to inform the public of evidence as it is revealed, particularly evidence that causes people to reevaluate what they thought they knew about the case. It is the spirit of journalism to provoke discussion by presenting facts that other people have tried to bury.

Finally, I have also heard it argued that the discussions of race relations that have arisen as a result of this case are inappropriate and uncalled for.

On this note, I can only say that as long as the events of Feb. 26 remain unclear and in need of investigation, it is not inappropriate for dialogue to continue about the motivations behind this case and others like it.

Trayvon Martin’s death is still too shadowy for anyone to declare a public response inappropriate or dramatic, and the unexplained or poorly explained death of any individual is always cause for outcry. Rather than wishing this case would receive the minor attention that most events like it receive, we should be wishing that all cases received as much attention as this one.

Stop using deaths and tragedies for political gain The media coverage of the Trayvon Martin shooting has been nothing short of a circus.

We’ve heard people say Zimmerman is a racist—that he was targeting Martin because he was black. We’ve heard Martin was shot because his hoodie made him look like a thug. We’ve been told about his marijuana suspension. We’ve been shown outdated photos of Zimmerman and Martin and recent photos and fake photos. We’ve been told they both initiated the conflict.

And there’s no sign the show will end soon.

The media must be able to break news even when all the facts aren’t apparent. This, however, was a race among political pundits to capitalize on the death—unjust or not­—of a 17-year-old boy.

There was news value in the story, no doubt, but anyone paying attention to people like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson could nearly hear them salivating when the news broke.

The national outcry, not the news, began with charges of racism. The accusations were pointed at Zimmerman, the police and the town of Sanford, Fla.

Jackson and Sharpton traveled to the town to lead rallies. Both made bombastic claims about the state of the nation.

Jackson said that “blacks are under attack” in America. He’s lowered himself into the deepest, most hypocritical pits an idealogue can find by using race to curry favor and stir up anger. His statements are, at the least, ridiculous and, at the worst, inciteful.

Sharpton said, “People who know what Trayvon was all about as a person all say they can’t believe he attacked Zimmerman.”

Sharpton is framing the opinions of thousands of people in the United States without having any evidence. He’s taking Martin’s side because of what he sees as racial injustice. As of yet, there’s just not enough to prove Zimmerman was motivated by hatred.

These men are doing nothing short of using Martin’s death to futher their own ends.

Worse yet were the reactions of the morally bankrupt organization the New Black Panther Party. They quickly put out a wanted poster for Zimmerman offering a $10,000 reward for his capture— dead or alive. We should, as hu-

man beings, be able to rise above this reprehensible behavior.

Then there was the reaction on Twitter. People tweeted furiously about justice for Trayvon, but what did they mean by justice? It became clear when people began tweeting and retweeting what they thought was Zimmerman’s home address along with enlightened messages like, “Lets go smash this nigga,” and, “LET’S TURN UP THE HEAT ON HIS BITCH ASS.” These people are undoubtedly fools, but they don’t speak for the entire reaction to Martin’s death. Many held vigils in churches across the country and donned hoodies to mourn his death. Some chose to involve themselvs in their communities. These are appropriate reactions. These are the ways Americans respond to tragedy.

There is nothing more disrespectful of Martin’s death than a call for more bloodshed. Sadness is understandable. Anger is understandable, but a call for violence is unforgivable. To selfishly use his death is unforgivable.

If Zimmerman is guilty of anything, he will face justice, but not at the hands of the mob. We are not savages.

Auburn must stand for justice Victoria Rodgers online@ theplainsman. com

There are times like these when I believe Auburn University lives inside a little bubble thinking the world revolves around a conservative small, town that is only affected by crimes like tree poisonings and point shaving, and leaves the rest of the world to deal with its own issues.

How wrong can that be?

Two weeks ago most of America was introduced to Joseph Kony, the leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army, a Ugandan guerilla group. Kony kidnaps children out of their homes, kills their parents and puts boys to work in the LRA group and sends girls off to be sex slaves.

Stopping Kony became a national issue. Social media was full of statuses that wanted to capture Kony and stop his evil reign.

Celebrities tweeted about it, and #StopKony was trending for days.

Americans all over found creative ways to spread the word and seek justice for the people of Uganda,

but the movement seemed to skip over Auburn.

Although Kony is still out there and many people are still raising awareness, a new and bigger issue has come to light—one closer to home—Trayvon Martin.

Martin was a 17-year-old black male who was shot and killed

by George Zimmerman, 28, in a north Orlando community.

Zimmerman confessed to killing Martin, but claimed it was self-defense, even though Martin was simply walking in a neighborhood wearing a hoodie, carrying a bag of Skittles in one hand and a bottle of iced tea in the other.

Though Zimmerman was arrested and questioned for the shooting, police later released him after questioning once they too determined he acted out of self-defense.

Clearly a teen carrying bag of Skittles and iced tea are nothing to be afraid of, so what was Zimmerman so scared of that he had to shoot and kill this 17-year-old teenager?

It has left many wondering the real reason behind Martin’s shooting, and the evidence seems to reveal actions of a hate crime, not self defense. Yet Zimmerman has

been walking as a free man since the shooting occurred Feb. 26.

Martin’s case has gained national attention through social media, television, newspapers, magazines, celebrity notice and community marches, but once again, where is Auburn?

The Miami Heat posted a picture on Facebook and Twitter of the team wearing hoodies in support of Martin. Notable figures like President Obama, the Black Panthers and (of course) Nancy Grace have all made statements about this crime and push for justice.

People all over the country from Los Angeles to Tuskegee have begun to wear hoodies in support of Martin, except on the Plains.

The American people seek justice, but the Auburn family turns its head and says, “That’s not my problem.”

There’s more to the world than Auburn and it’s time to stand up for what we believe in and burst the bubble.

Whether it is for Kony, Martin or whatever issues that may arise, Auburn must unite with the rest of our great country and begin to seek liberty and justice.

How the hell did we network back then?

Sarah Newman design@ theplainsman.com

I am graduating in May, and I’ve begun thinking about moving back home, looking for a job, and how my parents are going to kind of be all on my back about it. So I got to thinking about their job search after they graduated in the early 1980s and how their experience may have been.

Now I’m imaginative enough to visualize a world without the Internet or cellphones. But how the hell did anyone ever get their name out there?

How did people network? I wonder if I am at a severe social and professional disadvantage for relying so heavily on emails and digital files.

The bulk of my graphic design is done on computers, as are so many other jobs, and they have been for a very long time. All of the internet resources that have become popularized by students are invaluable to our education. Sparknotes once only existed as actual books, same with encyclopedias and scholarly journals.

No Googling anything—ever. Can you imagine how much working at Foy would have sucked back then?

I don’t want to be some stupid child of the ‘90s that barely grew up with film cameras or cassette tapes. I remember when we got our first computer, cell phone and DVD player.

These items were really exciting and novel. Now it’s nearly impossible to get through elementary school without these electronics.

I commend my parents on creating great professional pathways for themselves without any extra help from the Internet. It makes me think that because of the technologically simpler society they lived in, opportunities were given more objective equi-

» See network, A9

The Editorial Board

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Editor

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Contact

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

The Auburn Plainsman welcomes letters from students as well as from faculty, administrators, alumni and those not affiliated with the University. Letters must be submitted before 4:30 p.m. on the Monday for publication. Letters must include the author’s name, address and phone number for verification, though the name of the author may be withheld upon request. Submission may be edited for grammar and/or length.

The opinions of The Auburn Plainsman staff are restricted to these pages. These unsigned editorials are the majority opinion of the 9-member editorial board and are the official opinion of the newspaper. The opinions expressed in columns and letters represent the views and opinions of their individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the Auburn University student body, faculty, administration or Board of Trustees.

Community A8 Campus A

Network » From A8

ty than they are now.

Any old schmuck can say they are a graphic designer because they have a couple Pinterest boards and CS3.

Employers know this and to avoid it they use designers they already know to refer a new potential candidate for a job.

Most jobs in my field are not even posted on job forums, but exist fluidly only through hearsay and are made open to those who cross paths or networks.

This is a prospect that terrifies me to the core. In some

The Auburn Plainsman The Auburn Plainsman

respects, I could enjoy an insular design career focusing on beautiful, sensitive publication type-setting. But I also am a huge fan of the exposure I am offered with the vast design blogs and portfolio websites. In fact, I’ve had at least three projects in my coursework that involved researching online design firm portfolios. These resources are invaluable!

I guess every aspect of the job search process sucks no matter what decade you are in.

It’s a scary life transition, but in my mind the Internet will definitely help us. Class of 2012, you better work!

Cover girl!

Editor’s note: The best part of my job is receiving and reading letters from Auburn students and citizens.

But remember, if you want your letter in the

paper the week you send it, you need to have it in by 4:30 p.m. the Monday before publication.

Please keep your letters coming.

Thursday, March 29, 2012 Thursday, March 8, 2012

Trayvon Martin another bandwagon Brandon Miller senior, journalism

Have you heard about this kid Trayvon Martin?

It’s become the newest nonsports bandwagon in America. That’s right, bandwagons aren’t just for sports—or Tim Tebow, for that matter.

The Martin case, along with other cases in the past, has shown the ignorance of Americans.

Yes, George Zimmerman shot and killed the 17 year old. Was it self-defense? A witness, meaning someone who watched the incident take place, says it was.

That’s irrelevant. America watched the news, and America decided Zimmerman killed Martin for what? Just to do it?

That’s justice.

Is anyone aware Martin was suspended from school at the

time of his death? Not for anything small, but for marijuana residue found in his backpack.

His mother’s response is everyone is trying to ruin her son’s reputation. Ironically, she’s doing the same thing to Zimmerman.

America’s moral conscience is a monster.

Is the race card being played with the killing of Martin? Absolutely.

Why else would people get so defensive about the term “racist” even in a casual conversation?

It’s not just society’s fault.

It all starts with the way the media reports it. It needs to be done carefully. Instead, the details are thrown out before all the information is out.

And now, Zimmerman will be guilty forever.

At least, he will be guilty in the eyes’ of the public. You know, the public that has never done anything wrong. We’re American, we do no wrong.

We are perfect.

The bandwagon before Martin was Joseph Kony.

Thank God that’s over.

Whoever decided we needed to make the Leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army known country-wide is an idiot.

The LRA came into existence in 1988. Twenty-four years later, let’s start talking about it.

And who exactly was supposed to do learn about Kony and do something to stop him?

I’m 100 percent sure the government has known about it for years. President Obama has had his slip ups over the last four years, but this certainly isn’t one of them.

What about the general population? If so, what are we supposed to do about it? Delta doesn’t fly to Congo … or does it?

More locally, Auburn has its moral issue with smoking.

There’s nothing wrong with getting plastered on a Monday afternoon, but as soon as a cig-

arette is lit, the talk begins.

You’ve heard that girl in the bar: “Ewww. Are you smoking?”

Remember, she’s blackout drunk.

Standards are so high in this country that they cannot be achieved. At the same time, everyone is going to at least pretend like they care about everything and everyone—except Tuscaloosa.

Why worry about Martin when in the last two weeks an Auburn High and Opelika High student have been killed?

That’s not in Florida. That’s right here.

In the SEC, Mississippi State had a shooting on its campus over the weekend.

But no one wants to talk about those incidents.

Just continue looking around to make sure everyone sees you wearing your hoodie to support a family who is trying to turn America against a possibly innocent man, and everything will be fine.

Getting into social media worthwhile Patrick Tighe sports@ theplainsman. com

Entering into the Twitter and social media sphere, there are opinions as if those who tweet are brilliant or just spoiled young people. Many

cons exist, such as distractions from school and work, information overload and information leaking that one might not want to be made public.

There are enough positives that make Twitter a social media road worth driving down.

“It’s basically the same thing as Facebook but it keeps getting more streamlined,” said sophomore Jake Raplee. ”I feel

like Facebook gives you more time to dress yourself up. Twitter shows who you really are.”

Twitter has all the amenities of a Facebook and MySpace.

You can upload photos and update others in small status text boxes. Twitter allows these text boxes to express yourself in a maximum of 140 characters.

Twitter can also be used as

Youthfuloffender.com

a creative space for those who need to vent or to get something off their chest. I have read tributes about deceased family members and vents about exams all crafted on Twitter.

Read the rest online at www.theplainsman.com

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First-time dunker Gabriel selected in group of eight for national dunk contest—a first for Auburn Robert E. Lee Sports Beat Reporter

danielle lowe / assistant photo editor

Senior gymnast Laura Lane practices before a meet. In addition to being named to the SEC Community Service Team, Lane also earned her second-straight Scholar-Athlete of the Year honor at the SEC Championships.

Lane named to SEC Community Service Team

Ali Jenkins

ment in the community.

Lane has participated in hours of community service since she Gymnast Laura Lane earned a spot on the 2012 SEC Communi- became a Tiger.

“I do a lot of little projects,” Lane said. “I’ve tutored at Drake ty Service Team in recognition of her ongoing involvement in the Middle School with the sixth and sevAuburn community, the league office anenth graders; I have worked for the last nounced March 19. year or so at church on Sunday mornings “I came to college and there was a lot playing with the 3-year-olds; I’ve done of opportunities to do community service some volunteer reception work and just work, and our first two years the coaches Knowing her character, other things, you know just visiting elepromoted it and I really enjoyed doing it,” mentary schools and a lot of things with Lane said. “I’ve been given a great oppor- it doesn’t surprise me in youth.” tunity being on a team here and being part the least bit to see how Along with tutoring and working at of something bigger than myself, and so it’s much she has done to Cornerstone Methodist Church, the sea way for me to give back in a new way benior from Glen Allen, Va., has participatcause I like giving back for what I’m given.” impact the city of Auburn.”

In an ongoing effort to recognize the ac—Jeff Graba ed in the Auburn Gymnastics Academy Big Sis/Lil Sis Program, volunteered at complishments of student-athletes outGymnastics coach Dean Road Elementary and Auburn Earside the realm of competition, the SEC sely Education Center and was an event volunteer at the Reading is lects a Community Service Team for all 20 sports it sponsors.

The gymnastics Community Service Team honors seven gym- Fun 3K and the Toys for Tots race. nasts, one from each competing school. Athletes are chosen to represent their team and university based on superior involve» See Lane, B2

Ask any Auburn basketball fan who Kenny Gabriel is, and they will likely reply with an answer referencing his slam dunk ability.

Gabriel will participate in the State Farm College Slam Dunk Championship Thursday night at Tulane University in New Orleans in hopes of representing the talent he displayed all season.

“I am excited and really honored to be in it,” contributed by todd van emst Gabriel said. “It’s just an Auburn’s Kenny Gabriel durhonor for me to do it. I’m ing practice March 7 in New Orleans. excited that I get a chance to experience all this. I’m a blessed individual. I know there’s a lot of people in college basketball that can really dunk, so I’m just honored to be one of those top guys.”

Associate vice president for the event Drew Russell said Gabriel was a great fit for the type of athlete the event was looking for.

“We’re looking for guys that can display the athleticism and do the things that people are accustomed to on the

» See Dunk, B2

Writer

“

Equestrian expects tough match Patrick Tighe Sports Beat Reporter

The Auburn equestrian team will ride against the Georgia Bulldogs and the South Carolina Gamecocks this weekend at the Southern Equestrian Championships.

Auburn has faced these opponents multiple times in recent regular and post-season competitions. Auburn defeated South Carolina and Georgia at last year’s SEC Championship on their way to a National Championship.

The Bulldogs will host Auburn and South Carolina in Bishop, Ga., Friday and Saturday. Auburn went 0–2 against Georgia and 1–1 against South Carolina during the regular season.

Georgia has won three SEC Championships in the tournament’s nine years. Each of the three victories has occurred when the Bulldogs hosted they event.

“When we talk about competing and pushing really hard, these are the teams you have to do it against,” said Auburn coach Greg Williams. “You can’t play to not get beat, because you will. You really got to go out for the win every single ride.”

Junior Western rider Indy Roper has had success against both teams. Last year’s SEC Championship meet against Georgia saw Roper score a 148.5 in reigning.

This season, Roper earned reigning points in the Tigers’ February home defeat to Georgia. Roper also claimed horsemanship victory against South Carolina in Auburn’s victory last October.

“I think collegiate riding is about being mentally prepared,” Roper said. “If you’re mentally prepared you don’t let a horse take you out of the game. I’m just going to work on getting along with all the horses and getting mentally ready to go.

“I think we are all very good riders. If we can mentally go in prepared and know that we can win, the rest will take care of itself.”

Tennis face Gators and Gamecocks Tennis teams face off against Florida and South Carolina John Holtrop Writer

The Auburn men’s and women’s tennis teams are set to take on Florida and South Carolina in another weekend of SEC play.

The No. 15 men’s team (14–5, 3–3) will travel to No. 11 Florida (10–7, 3–3) at 4 p.m. March 31. They will then travel to No. 40 South Carolina (13–7, 0–6) at noon April 1.

“This is just another SEC weekend; I do not look at this as any more special than any of the others,” said men’s coach Eric Shore. “They are all especially tough, and you have to be ready to play each and every match or you are not going to be successful.”

Shore said the team is not making any special preparations for either team and that they will just play their game.

“We have Florida to focus on now, and we will worry about South Carolina on Saturday,” Shore said. “We are down to single digits in the SEC matches left to play and we will just lock in at one at a time.”

The Tigers defeated No. 19 Vanderbilt and lost to No. 7 Kentucky last weekend and are using the two games as motivation for this weekend.

“Like coach said after our Vanderbilt match, we are trying to build some momentum as we are getting into the latter part of the season,” said sophomore Daniel Cochrane.

» See tennis, B2

Putting to the finish Golf teams look for strong performances in upcoming tournaments Robert E. Lee Sports Beat Reporter

“I think it comes down to helping my teammates the best that I can. If I don’t have a good round, there are four other girls that can go in there and I can help them try to win their points.”

After two top-six finishes in their last two tournaments, Auburn’s men’s and women’s golf teams will soon compete in their last rounds of golf before the start of the SEC tournament. The women will play March 30 at the Liz Murphy Collegiate Classic, and the men will compete in the Gary Koch Invitational April 7.

“I think we’re a little bit more mature this year than we were last year overall, on and off the golf course,” said men’s coach Nick Clinard. “Last year we had a great year and ended up 14th in the country, and there’s nothing negative about that, but this year we’re just a little better. We’re deeper from a talent standpoint as well, which pushes the guys at home to improve their game.”

The men tied third in the March 18 Schenkel Invitational, with junior Blayne Barber the only player on the course to have a bogey-free tournament.

“We’ve had some good finishes, won a couple tournaments, and we’re playing well and shaping up nicely for the end of the season which is most important,” Barber said. “I think we’re on the right track. We’ve got to be a little more consistent and get all the guys playing well at the same time.

We’ve got some weeks where guys play well and others don’t … We’re doing the right stuff and it will all come together.”

» See equestrian, B2

» See golf, B2

Christen Harned / Assistant Photo Editor

Christina Lin, sophomore hunt seat rider, approaches a jump at equestrian practice Monday.

Senior All-American hunt seat rider Maggie McAlary is no stranger to the spotlight. McAlary was named MVP for flat in last year’s national championship victory and scored a 175 against Georgia last season.

This season McAlary helped earned points in equitation over fences against Georgia and an MVP award in equitation over fences in a loss against South Carolina.

“I think I know and trust my teammates, and we know that we can beat anyone on those teams,” McAlary said. “On a personal level, I’ve had a good streak at SECs. It’s just about beating your opponent—if you need a 50 to beat a 40 that is all that matters.

“

You can’t play to not get beat, because you will.

You really got to go out for the win every single ride.”

—Greg Williams Equestrian coach

Sports B2

The Auburn Plainsman

Golf

» From B1 The Gary Koch Invitational in Tampa, Fla., will be just 12 days before the SEC tournament, but Clinard said the team is coming off an intense schedule that has prepared them for the long haul.

“We’ve had two wins and in our sport that’s quite an achievement when you have 15 teams at an event or more,” Clinard said.

“We’ve got some areas we need to get better in (like) patience and maturity, and we have to make sure we maintain our focus when we’re out there for that many hours and long days.”

The women’s team tied for sixth at the Lady Gator Invitational March 18, and sophomore Marta Sanz finished with her fourth top-10 performance of the season.

The women began the season with a second place finish in The “Mo” Morial tournament in College Station, Texas, and look to finish the season in similar fashion.

Prior to the Gator Invitaitonal, women’s coach Kim Evans told auburntige rs.com that her team could use a few more adjustments.

“It is still early and we are going with a different lineup– a good lineup,” Evans said.

“We will see exactly where we are and what we need to do.”

The women finished strong in the Gator Invitational with a month remaining before the SEC tournament.

With both teams playing at a consistent level, Barber said practice is focused on simple ideas.

We want to get the most out of practice every day; we said we wanted to be strong mentally and beat people with our minds,” Barber said.

“If you use that goal of winning tournaments or winning nationals or stuff like that because that’s what everyone wants to do, it’s still important to look at the process and the other things that get you to that goal.”

Dunk

» From B1 dunking side of the sport,” Russell said. “We’re going out and kind of scouting the country, and then we’ll offer invites to those folks that will put on the best show for us.

“He’s obviously a good player. Just type in Kenny Gabriel on YouTube and you get a plethora of videos that’ll come up, and everybody can see for themselves that the guy has outstanding athleticism. He’s known in a lot of circles—and most likely in the SEC—as one of the better athletes, and we really expect him to be one of the front-runners in this competition.”

Earlier this season, Auburn coach Tony Barbee told al.com that Gabriel was a definite standout on the team all year.

“He’s the stat-sheet stuffer for this team,” Barbee said.

“Those are hard to find in today’s game.”

Judges include current New

Thursday, March 29, 2012 Orleans Saints running back Pierre Thomas, current Saints tight end Jimmy Graham, former Duke point guard and two-time national champion Bobby Hurley and former LSU defensive lineman and projected first-round draft pick Michael Brockers, as well as a fifth social media vote from the fans to determine the winner.

Russell said there will be eight dunkers in the first round with four being eliminated.

Those remaining will have two chances to flaunt their abilities and impress the crowd, and the winner will be determined in the final round.

“We’ve been hosting this event in the Final Four city since 1989,” Russell said. “This is a long-standing tradition that we started, and at that point in time the love affair everybody had with the NBA dunk contest and superstars that were participating in that decided that there was an opportunity to host one on the

college side, and it has grown and developed ever since.”

The competition will be televised after the National Invitation Tournament championship game.

Russell said the participants are chosen because of their ability, but the selection is limited.

“We are limited to seniors or underclassman that have signed with an agent and declared themselves eligible for the NBA draft,” Russell said.

With possibly his last collegiate event looming in the future, Gabriel said he has been preparing, but hasn’t worried about it too much.

“I’ve been practicing a little bit, but some stuff I just might have to wing a little bit. I guess it depends on what the others do,” Gabriel said. “(My family) keeps telling me to win. All my friends and my family back home are like, ‘I’m not gonna watch it if you lose,’ so I guess I have a little bit of pressure on me.”

Contributed by Media Relations

The No. 2 Tigers pose with their trophies from the Hootie at Bulls Bay Tournament March 25–27 in Awendaw, S.C.

lane

» From B1 “Laura is one of the main leaders on our team and she is always giving of herself,” said coach Jeff Graba. “She’s done a great job of being selfless and giving back through her career, and I’m glad to see her receive recognition for those sacrifices.

“Knowing her character, it doesn’t surprise me in the least bit to see how much she has done to impact the city of Auburn. She provides a great

example for our team of how they should give back to others through their role as a student-athlete.”

For Lane, being active in the community isn’t something to be taken for granted.

“It just brings me joy knowing that you can make a kid’s day or you can spend time with them and see how happy they are that you’re there,” Lane said.

Other members of the SEC Community Service Team include Ria Domier of Alabama, Kelci Lewis of Arkansas, Ran-

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dy Stageberg of Florida, Mariel Box of Georgia, Whitney Rose of Kentucky and Ericka Garcia of Louisiana State.

“We stress community service with the team, but don’t push it,” Graba said. “We want them to understand that they should be involved because they are important to the community and they need to send a positive message. Laura is a perfect example of that philosophy. She’s the type that makes others around her better. Our team is better for being around Laura Lane.”

equestrian » From B1

Williams will try to help the team keep its cool in the midst of a chance at a championship.

“I think the level of competition moves up—as you often see in other sports when it’s

tennis » From B1

The Tigers beat South Carolina twice last year, once in the regular season and once in the SEC tournament, and lost to Florida once in the regular season.

The women’s squad (8–7, 3–3) faces the defending national champions in No. 2 Florida (10–7, 3–3) at noon March 30 and South Carolina at noon on April 1. Both matches will be held at the Yarbrough Tennis Center.

“A good philosophy that we have had all year is that we will only worry about the things that we can control, which are

Rebecca Croomes / Photo Editor

Senior forward Kenny Gabriel is the first Auburn basketball player to be selected for a post-season dunk contest. The contest will be Thursday night after the NIT Championship.

ple of Auburn and our athletic department. That is just one of the goals Jay Jacobs sets out for all of the coaches.

“Just the competition alone, you’re really looking at who I would think is going to be the biggest competition for the national title.”

the playoffs or the finals—the intensity does move up,” Williams said. “The one thing that you got to do is control your emotions so you don’t make any mistakes; the horses will feed off that. You can actually cause errors with your horse by being too excited.”

Williams thinks one of the three teams competing this weekend could ride for the national title down the road.

“My money would go on one of these three schools winning the national title this year,” Williams said. “We just want to win the SEC title for the peo-

how we practice and how we play physically and mentally,” said women’s coach Lauren Meisner. “We do not cater to who we are playing because we treat every team as if they are the same.”

The team has won five of its last six doubles matches, and senior Taylor Schreimann said preparation is key.

“We don’t look at the ranking or get scared; they are SEC teams and we all are going into the matches confident and ready to compete,” she said. “No matter who we are playing we are going to go out and prepare the same way, with the same fight, expecting to win.”

Junior Lucas Lopasso serves in a doubles match Sunday afternoon.

Rebecca Croomes / Photo Editor

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The Auburn Plainsman

Tigers to host Bulldogs after second-straight series win Akaash Singh Writer

Danielle Lowe / Assistant Photo Editor

Ryan Tella rounds the bases after hitting a home run against LSU Sunday afternoon.

The Auburn Tigers are the talk of campus after winning the weekend series against No. 8 LSU. This weekend put the Tigers’ record at 15–9 overall and 4–2 in the SEC. The only loss to LSU came Sunday, 4–3, snapping a five-game winning streak.

This is the second weekend in a row Auburn has won a series against a top-15 SEC opponent. The week before last the Tigers traveled to Ole Miss and took two of three from the Rebels.

Coach John Pawlowski said any time Auburn plays LSU, the game will come down to the wire.

“You look at the track record of

the games we have played with LSU, and it goes back a while to when either side has had a big lead,” Pawlowski said. “It was no different today and no different this weekend.

When you get in these close games, it seems one pitch, one play, a walk, a hit or a ground ball is the difference.”

Senior outfielder Creede Simpson said the last two series have given the Tigers confidence that they can compete with any team in the SEC. “It was a great win for us, especially after last week against Ole Miss and going on the road to win two out of three,” Simpson said. “I think that we have proven ourselves in the past two weekends, and we can hang with anybody and beat

anybody on any given day.”

The Tigers open a weekend series against the Mississippi State Bulldogs Friday.

Mississippi State is 16–9 overall and 2–4 in the SEC, losing a home series two to one against No. 4 Arkansas last weekend.

The Bulldogs are led by Adam Frazier, who has a .340 batting average and 22 runs scored, and pitcher Chris Stratton, who has a 5–0 record with 53 strikeouts on the season.

Both teams are familiar with close contests, as the Bulldogs have lost five games by one run while seven of Auburn’s nine losses have been by two runs or less.

The first pitch of the series will be at 6 p.m. at Plainsman Park.

LSU praises Auburn’s handling of injured player In Sunday’s game against LSU, freshman LSU outfielder Chris Sciambra suffered a neck injury when he crashed into the center field wall after a diving attempt at a ball.

The Auburn medical staff provided Sciambra with medical attention, and Athletic Director Jay Jacobs authorized him to be taken to Baton Rouge on an Auburn University plane.

“Their team doctor flew all the way to Baton Rouge with him on the plane and then flew back to Auburn on the plane,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. “I just think that’s phenomenal, and I think Auburn is to be commended for their tremendous class and concern for all athletes.”

Sciambra has a nondisplaced fracture in his C1 neck vertebra and will be out for the season.

Softball looks to rebound in Oxford Andrew Yawn Writer

The No. 23 ranked Tigers softball team has gone 3–8 since beginning SEC play earlier this month and looks to bounce back this weekend against Ole Miss in Oxford.

After going undefeated in the War Eagle Classic, the Florida Atlantic Tournament, the SEC/ACC/Big 12 Challenge and the Tiger Invitational, the Tigers (24–11) have had difficulties playing within their own conference.

Auburn began SEC play March 14 in Baton Rouge with No. 20 LSU snapping their four-game winning streak.

The Tigers then went on to lose two series to No. 14 Georgia and Kentucky and both games in the doubleheader at home Tuesday against No. 1 Alabama.

The Tigers boast an impressive home record, having gone 14–4 at Jane B. Moore Field this season; however, improving their 4-4 record on the road has been met with opposition by the strength of their opponents, not a lack of preparation, said coach Tina Deese.

“Definitely the quality of the opponents (has been a factor),” she said. “When you look at facing North Carolina, LSU, Georgia—we’ve had some quality opponents out on the road.”

Auburn is looking to improve that record against an Ole Miss squad sporting a 4–6 home record and ranking fourth in the SEC West at 2–6.

The game will feature the Tigers’ experience pitted against the youth of the Rebels.

First-year coach Windy Thees fields a team with 10 of her 20 players being underclassmen and six of those being freshmen.

The Rebels (14–16) just ended a seven-game losing streak with a 5–3 win over Southern Mississippi Tuesday.

The main weakness for Ole Miss this season, however, has been pitching.

Collectively the Rebel bullpen has pitched a 5.19 ERA so far this season, ranking last in the SEC. Ole Miss opponents are hitting .309 with an on-base percentage of .421, compared to Auburn’s opponents’ batting average of .186 and .253 onbase percentage.

Still, Ole Miss has the firepower to be dangerous.

The Rebels will lean heavily on the bats of senior Corrine Doornberg and sophomore Loren Ladner, who are ninth and 10th in the SEC with batting averages of .400 and .397, respectively.

Ladner has five home runs on the season.

“The Rebels have a little mo-

“

When you look at facing North Carolina, LSU, Georgia—we’ve had some quality opponents on the road.”

—Tina Deese

Softball Coach

mentum right now, so we have to go in there … and shut them down early,” Deese said. “Obviously they can hit the ball; they scored seven with Bama.”

The Rebels will be matched at the plate by Auburn senior catcher Elizabeth Eisterhold, who is slugging a 13th-ranked .380 and has an SEC-leading 10 home runs, while trying to get hits off an Auburn bullpen with a collective 1.39 ERA, second only to Florida.

Both teams field five players with a batting average greater than .300. “(We have to) go at them hard, do the best we can and leave it all on the field,” Eisterhold said. “(We) just gotta put our bats together.”

Auburn has won the last four series against the Rebels.

The first game of the series will be at 6 p.m. Friday in Oxford.

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Intrigue

#ineedacareer

Streamlining your social media profiles can brand you as a marketable potiential employee Kate Jones Intrigue Editor

Don’t hesitate to use Twitter, Facebook and other social media outlets in your search for a job.

“There are are companies who post jobs through Twitter,” said Katie Mantooth, career counselor at the Auburn University Career Center. “And that’s the only way you are going to find out about that job with that company is through their Twitter post. There are people who get picked up by recruiters because of their Twitter feed.”

Steven Chappell, student media specialist at Simpson College in Iowa, recently spoke on social media strategies at the College Media Association conference in New York City.

He said a misconception about social media is that when students first start using it, their personal information and posts are public to everyone, unless privacy settings are changed.

Using Twitter as an example, he said many people believe their tweets aren’t being seen unless they are being followed by someone.

“That’s not necessarily the case,” he said. “Everyone sees what you post.”

Both Mantooth and Chappell said “branding” different accounts is a way to use social media effectively.

Chappell said branding is establishing a specific persona on social media accounts based on a user’s posts, comments, links and followers. He said content can either vary or be consistent accross social media sites or accounts.

For example, Mantooth has branded her Twitter account as a place to find career information.

Mantooth said when people search for her on Google, not only will people see her professional profile on LinkedIn, but

also her Twitter account with job search strategies for students and adults. Her blog and Facebook will appear as well, each adopting the same brand.

“Absolutely within two pages of a Google search, you should find all that stuff,” Mantooth said. “And students can do that strategically.”

Mantooth said it’s hard to determine whether one’s Facebook should be set to completely private and depends on the industry the applicant is in. She said applicants could be hurt in the recruiting process if employers aren’t able to see a candidate’s social media accounts.

Mantooth suggested using multiple accounts as a way to separate personal posts from a brand that would be inviting to potential employers.

“I think that’s a good solution,” Mantooth said. “I don’t know that that’s ideal because again they can still find your other stuff.”

She said all it would take is for someone to find followers in common between Facebook and Twitter and a connection could be made.

“So again it’s not clean, but I think it’s at least better,” Mantooth said. “And again for your field, it at least shows that you know what you’re doing and know that it matters.”

In fact, even if a user has set their account to private, Mantooth said it’s not unheard of for employers to ask for applicants’ login information.

In a recent article on msnbc.com, Justin Bassett of Seattle was asked to provide his interviewer with access to his Facebook account to his bypass privacy settings.

Questions to ask yourself about social media 1. Brand * What is my area of expertise? * Is my brand going to be the same across feeds? * Are my avatars and user names the same?

2. Strategy * What will each account focus on? * What is my goal with this account?

3. Presence * Do I have a consistent posting schedule? * Are there large time gaps between posts?

4.Content/Audience * Am I posting the appropriate content for my brand? * Am I following other users that have content similar to my brand? * Who is following me?

5. Personality *Is it an accurate reflection of yourself?

» See Twitter, B6

Information provided by Steven Chappell and Katie Harrison, College Media Association Conference 2012

Laugh tracks to mockumentaries: sitcoms’ evolution Kendall Wangman Writer

Courtesy of Taylor Davis

“The Amandas” is a new TV show on Style Network whose cast organizes living spaces. From left: Savannah Cernosek, Havilah Malone, Auburn sophomore Taylor Davis, Dustin Canez, Amanda LeBlanc, Rachel Vicknair and Alicia Lewis.

Taylor’strekwithrealityTV Elizabeth Bonner Writer

Taylor Davis spent last semester commuting between Auburn for classes and Birmingham for her role on Style Network’s “The Amandas,” a show featuring the projects of Amanda LeBlanc’s organizing company.

“The business owner (LeBlanc) is my aunt,” said Davis, sophomore in broadcast journalism. “Before the show came about, I had been working for her whenever I could help— just whenever she needed an extra set of hands.

“When the show came around, it just happened that they would be filming in the fall semester, and I had a light class load and a flexible schedule. That’s why I’m not always on the episodes because I had to go back and forth between Auburn and Birmingham a lot.”

LeBlanc started the business in 2003 and began her career helping people manage and makeover their living spaces.

“We’re all organizers,” Davis said.

“We go into cluttered spaces and pull everything out and start from scratch. We redesign the room so it’s aesthetically beautiful. We set up organizing systems so things are easier to access and less likely to be lost. It helps create a less stressful environment.”

When she was approached by the network about doing the show, LeBlanc said Davis was an obvious choice for the cast.

“It was just natural to me to have to her there,” LeBlanc said. “I knew we would be doing lots of high-end projects in really tight time frames, and I needed to make sure I had someone working with me that was going to be able to get the job done and do it right.

“She got that family gene of knowing how to organize and make things look the way they’re supposed to. She has a great eye for design. At her age, to have the kind of work ethic she has is very rare.”

Dustin Canez, LeBlanc’s personal assistant, expressed similar sentiments about Davis’s role on the show and in the company.

“Having Taylor was invaluable,” Canez said. “We felt a lot the days she wasn’t with us and was at school. When she would rejoin us, it was always a communal sigh of relief that she had returned.”

Canez said a lot of Davis’s success results from the qualities she shares with her aunt.

“She’s so much like Amanda,” Canez said. “She has a natural ability to work well with clients, especially with the hard stuff like getting them to purge unnecessary items and setting up new organi-

zational systems. They’re both very sweet, kind-hearted people who enjoy helping others.”

While Davis’s organizing prowess got her on the show, she saw a great opportunity in working on a television show, because of her major.

“My major is broadcast journalism; it fit hand in hand,” Davis said.

“It was the perfect experience for something I want to do. It gave me an insight for the business, and I met people who are going to be influential in my career.”

She said her time on the show expanded her outlook of her future career.

“Reality television never even crossed my mind,” Davis said.

“What are the odds a 19-year-old girl from a very small town would get such a huge opportunity? It really took me by surprise. I love being in front of the camera. Who’s to say that I won’t try acting? The sky is the limit.”

This stint in showbusiness hasn’t solidified a celebrity life for Davis yet, however; she still holds true to her Auburn roots.

“Whenever I’m in Birmingham I get recognized, especially when I’m with members of the cast,” Davis said. “I’ve been asked for pictures and stuff, but not in Auburn.

I’m just a normal sophomore here.”

From TV classics like “I Love Lucy,” “The Brady Bunch” and “Cheers,” to the more recent “Modern Family,” “30 Rock” and “How I Met Your Mother,” situational comedies have been an integral part of American television culture.

Although the classics possess similar characteristics to the modern, sitcoms have come a long way from the cookie-cutter family shows broadcast in black and white.

“A sitcom usually establishes the situation at the beginning of the episode,” said Susan Brinson, mass communication television scholar, “and the humor derives from the characters’ involvement and resolution of that situation.”

Hunter Ries, junior in cinematic arts and projection engineer at the University of Southern California, said sitcoms started with a multi-camera setup where three cameras shot a stage in front of a live audience with a laugh track. “‘I Love Lucy’ was one the first successful multi-camera setup sitcoms,” Ries said. “After that, sitcoms began experimenting with visual effects requiring a one-camera setup.”

Each decade the sitcom produced something new and characteristic of that period.

“The ‘80s brought about an era of stand-up comedians,” Ries said. “Jerry Seinfeld, Bill Cosby, Ray Romano, Rosanne Barr all had their own sitcoms. The ‘90s were big on the animated sitcom like ‘The Simpsons.’”

Ries said sitcoms today have fallen back to single-camera setups.

“One of the bigger differences between multi-camera and single-camera sitcoms is the absence of a laugh track,” Ries said. “‘It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia,’ ‘Arrested Development,’ ‘30 Rock,’ ‘Community,’ are all singlecamera sitcoms.”

Ries said “The Office,” “Parks and Recreation” and “Modern

“

Sitcoms are beginning to tackle more controversial issues … ‘Glee’ addresses tough situations that weren’t really talked about before on TV.” —Jeremy samuels Senior, rtvf

Family” are all single-camera “mockumentaries.”

“There’s more of an unscripted feel and the characters usually address the audience directly,” he said.

Along with shows’ settings, Brinson said the language has changed in sitcoms and reflects the “reciprocal relationship” between the audience and the show.

“Many current sitcoms use language that would not have been allowed just 10 years ago, particularly language referring to sexual organs,” Brinson said.

With this reciprocal relationship, sitcoms have worked into their stories certain lifestyle trends in order to remain relevant. “‘Will & Grace’ features two gay characters,” Brinson said. “‘The New Girl’ revolves around a female sharing an apartment with three males, including an African-American. Even the longest-running sitcom, ‘The Simpsons,’ manages to remain current.”

A broken nose before a date was the dilemma for Marcia Brady on “The Brady Bunch.” In contrast, teen pregnancy, gay relationships and suicide are issues today’s TV teens are dealing with.

Jeremy Samuels, senior in radio, television and film, said the subject matter of sitcoms has

» See sitcoms, B6

Intrigue B6

The Auburn Plainsman

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Sitcoms » From B6

clearly become more provocative.

“Sitcoms are beginning to tackle more controversial issues,” Samuels said. “‘Glee’

Rebekah Fowler

freshman, precommunication

French Connection

twitter » From B6

“My favorite is probably the highwaisted shorts. I love how they’re in right now, and they’re much more comfortable to me.”

Mantooth said being able to log in to a professional account would be beneifical in this event.

Chappell said a consistent presence on social media is

Urban Outfitters

addresses tough situations that weren’t really talked about before on TV.” The suburban family with a husband, wife and two kids is part of TV’s past, and the characters on sitcoms have developed into a more realis-

tic depiction of society. “‘Modern Family’ is just one sitcom defying the typical all-American family,” Samuels said. “There are also significantly more sitcoms based on African-Americans on TV today.”

another strategy to implement, adding that it can lead to more followers.

He said it doesn’t matter how often someone posts, but the important thing is to stick to a schedule so followers can know when to expect a post.

Content and personality are the last two strategies to implement.

Chappell said in a specialized account, users should follow or consume information specific to the brand while still showing personality.

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Oatmeal Raisin Bars

Kerry’s recipe of the week

Ingredients: 1/4 cup (1/2 a stick) butter, softened 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour (or whole wheat flour) 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon pinch of salt 2 and 1/2 cups rolled oats 1 cup raisins

Directions: Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease an 8” x 11” pan. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Stir and set aside. In a large bowl, combine the butter and brown sugar. Beat with an electric mixer. Slowly add the applesauce and eggs.

Add the dry ingredients and beat until fully incorporated. Lastly, stir in the oats and raisins. Transfer to greased pan and evenly press down. Bake for 30–35 minutes or until golden brown and firm.

Serves: 15

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Health and wellness www.theplainsman.com

Thursday, March 29, 2012

B7 Intrigue

AU Medical Clinic not limited to primary care Brandy Volovecky Writer

Danielle Lowe / Assistant Photo Editor

Aimee Sacks, lab technician at the Auburn Medical Clinic, works to determine illnesses, allergeries and diseases from blood and other samples from patients.

The Auburn University Medical Clinic offers more than just primary care, expanding its services to many types of tests and even massage therapy.

Juan Barnes, laboratory supervisor at the clinic, said the clinic can test for the flu, strep throat, anemia, mononucleosis, diabetes and even colorectal cancer, among other things.

Many test results can be obtained on-site.

“The test we have is one of the best tests I’ve seen for colorectal cancer,” Barnes said. “It’s also a very quick test, a very easy test.”

He said the A1c diabetes test allows doctors to look back two to three months.

“With the old test a person could just fast the night before and this would tell the doctor

nothing about their glucose,” he said. “This new test helps doctors monitor diabetics much more effectively and can actually help identify diabetes in a person.”

Barnes said the clinic can also test for HIV and STDs. “We see a lot of students that are not really knowledgeable about sexually transmitted diseases,” Barnes said. “They do take comfort in knowing that they can come in here and find out their status.”

Drug testing is also available to patients and is done on-site.

“Results aren’t sent to anyone or to the authorities,” he said.

“The drug screening we do here is for the patient and to make sure the physician knows what’s in the patient’s system before prescribing them anything.”

Barnes also said many par-

ents want their children tested.

“We have a lot of parents monitoring their children,” he said. “This is usually as a condition of paying for their education.”

The medical clinic also offers massage therapy, which includes therapeutic massage, hot stone massage and Japanese facial massage.

Terri Gilmore, one of the massage therapists, said a massage is a great way to help eliminate stress.

“Massage is very important no matter what stage of life you’re in or no matter how old or young you are, because everyone has stress,” she said. “Keeping ahead of stress is vital for total wellness. Massage is one great way to do this.”

She said students most often come in for neck and shoulder

massages.

“They sit in the study position,” Gilmore said. “Their backpacks are too heavy and a lot of times they aren’t getting enough sleep. All of this tension in turn leads to headaches.”

Gilmore said only about a third of the people she massages are students, and the rest are faculty and community members.

“I’ve had the privilege of working on quite a few professors and associate professors,” she said. “Those staff members are also grading and reading, and they get aches and pains too.”

Gilmore said gift certificates are available for massages.

“A lot of parents like to reward (students) by giving a gift certificate after a big exam or a final,” she said.

Dri-Fit, leggings better workout outfit than cotton Melody Kitchens Online Editor

Workout clothes aren’t just for looks.

“I definitely can’t work out in a big T-shirt,” said Hannah Berryhill, sophomore in public relations. “I hate to say I’m kind of a workout clothes snob, but I really can’t work out in cotton. It doesn’t breathe well.”

Ben Wernette, sales associate at Big Dog Running Company, suggests avoiding cotton.

“A lot of companies now make Dri-Fit shirts, which is just a fast-wicking, breath-

able material,” Wernette said.

“A couple companies also do body mapping on their clothes, and they put different materials on different parts of the shirt according to where the body expends the most heat.”

Wernette said cotton becomes heavy and uncomfortable while running in the heat.

“The breathable materials stay loose, and they don’t start to feel heavy when it gets wet,” Wernette said. “It’s lighter and cooler overall, which you need this time of year to keep you running.”

Berryhill, an avid perform-

er of Crossfit—a high intensity workout for strength and conditioning—prefers the brand Lululemon Athletica.

“It’s a bit on the pricey side, but I love their cropped leggings,” Berryhill said. “They have a special fabric that breathes really well. I usually pair it with a Lululemon tank top that has a built-in sports bra, so it’s super comfortable and easy to move in.”

Courtney Treater, co-owner of Pure Barre Auburn, said leggings are her preferred choice.

“We like to keep the muscles warm by wearing pants or leg-

gings in class,” Treater said.

As for large T-shirts, Treater said people should dress to stay comfortable.

“However, a lot of people have told us feedback when they started wearing more fitted clothes, they were able to see themselves better and really focus on what they were doing and what area of the body they are working on and seeing how it pays off,” she said.

Berryhill said confidence is key.

“If you feel like you look good, sometimes you perform better,” she said.

SUBWAY® is a registered trademark of Doctor's Associates Inc. © 2012 Doctor's Associates Inc.

Intrigue B8

The Auburn Plainsman

Thursday, March 29, 2012