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Thursday, July 19, 2012
A SPIRIT THAT IS NOT AFRAID www.theplainsman.com
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Vol. 119, Issue 10, 8 Pages
No fall break for 2012, but maybe for 2013? Nathan Simone ONLINE EDITOR
The results are in: students want a fall break. Yesterday, the Student Government Association issued a press release announcing the results for the recent student survey concerning the interest in a fall break occurring during the 2013-2014 school year. SGA President Owen Parrish said that the results were very positive and encouraging. “If you look at the data, students are indicating that they want a fall break,” Parrish said. The results do seem to indicate that students are in favor of the calendar change next year. According to the official press re-
lease, 69 percent of respondents stated that in general the University should add a two-day fall break. Seventy percent said they would personally prefer to have such a break. Approximately 21 percent of respondents did not want to see a fall break implemented, and 10 percent had no opinion. The press release also showed that 65 percent of students stated that they would be better prepared to perform academically if a fall break was implemented. Respondents stressed that students do not want a fall break at the expense of a week-long Thanksgiving break. The fall break task force and
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If you look at the data, students are indicating that they want a fall break.” —Owen Parrish SGA PRESIDENT
SGA have agreed that Thanksgiving break should not and will not be shortened. Only four percent of respondents suggested this option, but half of the respondents suggested that the two missed days could possibly be made
up by beginning fall semester on a Monday instead of a Wednesday. Now that the student survey is in, SGA Chief of Staff and student leader of FBTF Collier Tynes said there’s still a lot of work to be done. “Now that we have the student recommendations, we’ll be conducting a faculty survey,” Tynes said. “After we get those results in, if they’re both positive then we’ll send a recommendation to the University Senate Executive Committee.” According to the planning of the FBTF, after the recommendation is sent to the Senate, they will decide whether to forward it to the Academic Calendar Committee. If the Academic Calendar Committee decides that the Senate
should vote on the issue, then a recommendation will be sent to the Provost’s office for approval and then the President’s office for approval. If a fall break does occur during the 2013-2014 school year it would mostly likely occur in October, right after the middle of the semester, according to Tynes. However, the exact date of the proposed break will be decided by the Academic Calendar Committee. The survey, which opened on July 2 and closed on July 15, received approximately 4,700 responses. Seniors were the top class represented, with 32 percent of respondents identifying themselves as such.
Accused AU shooting accomplice sentenced to 20 years for manslaughter Andrew Yawn COMMUNITY EDITOR
Jeremy Thomas, 18, was sentenced to the maximum of 20 years in prison Thursday, July 12, for the manslaughter of 14-year-old Takira Gaston of Montgomery in June 2011. Thomas was a possible witness for the defense of Desmonte Leonard, the alleged shooter in the University Heights tragedy. Leonard's attorney Susan James had asked for Thomas to be brought to the Lee County Justice Center from Montgomery, however she elected not to call him to the stand in Leonard's preliminary trial on Wednesday June 11. Thomas had been originally charged with murder after he shot the Montgomery teenager in the chest, but was indicted on manslaughter charges after claiming it was an accident. A week before his trial, he was arrested on June 11 and charged with first-degree hindering the prosecution for his alleged involvement in helping Leonard evade authorities. Thomas was also purport-
DANIELLE LOWE / PHOTO EDITOR
The road-widening project on West Glen Avenue, between Donahue Drive and North College Street, should be completed by the end of August.
CONTRIBUTED
Jeremy Thomas, alleged University Heights shooting accomplice, was sentenced on Thursday, July 12, to 20 years in prison for manslaughter.
edly on the scene when the fight broke out at University Heights that culminated in three deaths and the injury of three others. On June 13, four days after the shooting, Thomas pleaded guilty to the manslaughter charges leading to his sentencing by Circuit Court Judge Eugene Reese. Thomas's defense attorney Wallace Mills said that the sentencing was a straight one and does not include probation. Leonard, a Montgomery
resident and the suspected gunman in the June 9 shooting at University Heights apartment, allegedly killed Auburn resident Demario Pitts and former Auburn football players Ladarious Phillips and Ed Christian. Leonard turned himself in to the U.S. Marshals Tuesday, June 12, after his attorney Susan James arranged a deal that he would be taken in peacefully and without media coverage, James said in an interview with WSFA Montgomery.
Glenn Avenue construction to be completed in August Robert E. Lee EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
The road-widening project on West Glenn Avenue, between Donahue Drive and North College Street, should be completed by the end of August, according to Auburn Director of Public Works Jeff Ramsey. “The contractor is making good progress,” Ramsey said. “They are putting in a curving gutter, some storm drains, and we’ve laid quit a bit of storm pipe already, and hopefully if the weath-
er holds out and everything continues on, we should be through with this project at the end of August.” The construction includes widening Glenn Avenue to three lanes from Donahue Drive to North College Street, with a middle turning lane to decrease traffic congestion. The city council approved the work in April and the job is under contract by D&J Enterprises. Other projects currently underway include the Moore’s Mill Road Improve-
ment Project and the Bragg Avenue widening project. Owen Meadows, junior in entrepreneurship & family business, travels on Glenn three times a week to go to Southern Union State Community College. “ The construction on Glenn has definitely affected me. But then again, not having solid sidewalks and safe roads down that part of town is extremely dangerous. It does affect my trip to southern union but in the end, it’ll be worth it for all us.”
Stadium deck solar panels next step for energy reduction Robert E. Lee EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
As Auburn tip toes toward reducing its carbon footprint, 24 solar panels have been installed on the parking deck of Jordan Hare Stadium to power 10 electric vehicles and other needs for the University. The panels installed are used to power the electric vehicle charging stations on the bottom level of the stadium. “Electricity basically flows where it’s needed,” said Energy Engineer for Facilities Ken Martin. “Most likely, it’s powering lights in the deck or things that are using power within the deck. If there are no cars being charged, the power generated from the panels is used on the electric grid within the University.” The panels were installed in late April and are capable of producing 6.6 kilowatts of power per day, which comes to about 13,250 kilowatthours of electrical energy per year. “It all started with a conversation that our office had with Dan King, the vice president
for facilities,” said director of Campus Sustainability Operations Mike Kensler. “He said that he was interested in providing funding for some innovative and prototype sustainability projects, and he said, ‘If you all come up with something interesting, then we’d be glad to provide the funding for it.’” Biosystems engineering seniors also worked with the office of sustainability and facilities on a potential expansion of the solar panels. Kensler said his office and King are working on ideas to move away from depending on fossil fuels and relying more on renewable energy sources. However, the questions remains on how to fund future endeavors. “(King) is being very aggressive and consciences about saving energy on campus,” Kensler said. “He’s leading the charge for the University to become more energy efficient.” The panels are located on the top of the two eastern stairwells in the stadium’s parking deck.
While Martin believes advances in renewable energy is feasible in the future, funding remains an issue. “While the prices are getting better on the panels … and efficiency is getting better, we also have really good electrical rates here,” Martin said. “We’re not in the best position to jump on solar (energy) because the payback can be longer, but I think if we were to expand we’d love to find some sort of grant funding to help with the cost. That would greatly help the payback.” Kensler also mentioned a possible new strategy in renewable energy for the University. “We’re also thinking about starting a fund working with facilities that would pay for this kind of energy conservation and renewable energy project,” Kensler said. “We are thinking about ways that can create creative funding sources to pay for this kind of thing.” Eight out of the 10 charging stations are occupied by
COURTESY OF BIOSYSTEMS ENGINEERING STUDENTS
A rendering of a possible expansion of the current solar panels places panels on the other two corners and middle of the parking deck’s roof.
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