The Auburn Plainsman 11.30.2017

‘A few years ago, it was The Kick Six.

Today, it’s gonna be...’

— Charles Barkley

The Auburn Plainsman A SPIRIT THAT IS NOT AFRAID

VOL 125 • ISSUE 13 • NOVEMBER 30, 2017

‘THE KICK ASS’ IRON BOWL 2017

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ADAM SPARKS | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2017

THE IRON BOWL

PAGE 2

A Party in Jordan-Hare

ADAM SPARKS / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Tigers quarterback Jarrett Sitdham (8) celebrates after a touchdown in the second half of Auburn vs. Alabama on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2017, in Auburn, Ala.

Tigers topple second No. 1 team en route to SEC Championship

By TYLER ROUSH Sports Reporter sports@theplainsman.com

Gus Malzahn said it would happen.

As the crowd flooded Pat Dye Field after Auburn’s 2614 win over top-ranked Alabama, ecstatic students and football players took out any residual emotions — collected from the slow start to the season and Tigers’ second loss at LSU — on the holly bushes lining the student section.

Before most of the fans could even get out of the stadium, Toomer’s Corner and Samford Lawn were blanketed in toilet paper.

With a blown 20-point lead in Baton Rouge seven weeks earlier, the Auburn head coach told a crowded media room that his team was going to reach the conference

championship despite their falling to 5-2 on the season.

“It’s our first SEC loss,” he said in October. “We still control our own destiny. We’ve got to win. We’ve got to win out. That’s what’s on our mind.”

Seven weeks later, Malzahn’s squad has the second-best odds at winning a national championship.

“We’ve been through hell and back, and now, it’s just a beautiful thing we have going on here at Auburn,” defensive back Tray Matthews said.

Before moving forward with any College Football Playoff aspirations, Auburn must first win a rematch of the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry in Atlanta Saturday.

Winning twice against the same team in the same season isn’t an easy task.

“Having been in the National Football League, one thing I learned really quick is it’s hard to beat somebody twice

in the same year,” defensive coordinator Kevin Steele said.

“Particularly if they’re a good football team, and if they’re a really good football team, it’s really hard.”

Just three Saturdays ago, Auburn toppled Georgia, then the No. 1 ranked team, before going on to take down thenNo. 1 Alabama. Heading into the championship game, the Tigers will have to return their focus to the Georgia running back tandem, Malzahn said.

Bulldog running backs Nick Chubb and Sony Michel combined for 28 rushing yards on 20 combined carries in Georgia’s earlier loss at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The pair are tied for third in the SEC for rushing touchdowns with 13 apiece.

“You’re talking about two of the more talented running

» See IRON BOWL, 15

... and an after party

ADAM SPARKS / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Cheerleaders celebrate in the final seconds of the 2017 Iron Bowl (Top Right). Auburn students storm the field after the Tigers beat Alabama 26–14 (Top Left and Bottom).

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NATIONAL

Grad students protest proposed GOP tax bill

By LILY JACKSON Managing Editor managing.editor@theplainsman.com

Graduate students and faculty gathered in a large circle on Cater Lawn chanting, "No grad tax," under gray skies.

The graduate student walk-out fits into a larger, nationwide walk-out coordinated by the American Association of University Professors in opposition to the proposed GOP tax plan and the changes it would make to graduate students' tax receipts.

Graduate students are currently able to teach or research in return for a stipend that goes toward living costs. These assistantships come with a tuition stipend that is not taxable, but with the new GOP tax plan, the waivers would be taxed as regular income.

"The beating heart of our plan is a tax cut for working families," said President Donald Trump at a press conference Wednesday. "The single most important investment our nation can make is in our children."

Lauren Clinton, a doctoral student in counseling psychology who coordinated the event in an effort to raise awareness and gather support, said her cohort and program have been concerned about the proposed tax plan and feel that the changes would continue to "systemically oppress" disadvantaged students.

The GOP has said the tax plan will lower taxes for the majority of Americas and reduce the burden on those in the middle-class. Non-partisan analyses, including one from the Senate Joint Committee on Taxation, say otherwise — that, in reality, taxes would increase over time for lower and middle class and decrease for high-income earners and corporations.

“This would leave many of us broke and in debt,” Clinton said.

“We would be taking out loans just to pay these taxes. Honestly, it would prevent most of us from continuing our graduate studies.”

ADAM SPARKS / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Auburn graduate students and faculty gather on Cater Lawn to protest proposed tax reform on Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017, in Auburn, Ala.

Jamy Carney, department head of special education, rehabilitation and counseling, marched along from the start at Cater Hall all the way to the Student Center Chick-fil-A in opposition to the GOP tax reforms.

“What [the House] is proposing would dramatically impact

the ability of students — especially first-generation students, students from low socioeconomic backgrounds — to go to college,” Carney said.

» See TAX PLAN, 4

CAMPUS

University offers sexual assault defense course for students

By BAILEY MURPHY Campus Writer campus@theplainsman.com

It started with Harvey Weinstein, and then all the other dominos fell. The men of Hollywood are being exposed for their sexual misconduct, but is not limited to Hollywood elites.

Violence against women is a pervasive problem. According to statistics by Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, 23 percent of undergraduate women will experience sexual assault while they are in college.

Auburn’s department of campus safety and security’s Rape Aggression Defense program seeks to educate female students on the best

self-defense techniques to defend themselves if they were ever to become the target of sexual violence.

The class concludes with a simulated fight where students apply the techniques they learned against a padded officer. It prepares them for attacks that evolve and change in the moment.

Cameron Carmello, junior in theater, participated in the class and says she feels it helped her be more alert and prepared.

“I work at Pieology, and I often find myself walking home alone at night after a long shift,” Carmello said. “It can be nerve wracking walking past the bars alone at night, but the course made me feel like I have the tools to hold my

own.”

The class focuses on empowering women both mentally and physically. It trains them to be alert and lessens the fear they have to experience on a day to day basis.

Elizabeth Turner, sophomore in pre-media studies, spoke about the psychological effects of sexual violence.

“It’s something I have to think about often, especially now that I am in college,” Turner said. “I haven’t taken a self-defense class. I feel like if it came to it I could fight off an attacker, but I hate that I have to think about that.”

Carmello said one of the things she practices when walking is holding her keys in her fist.

Carmello said she does this so her punch would

CAMPUS

have extra impact.

“It also just helped to know that I could be quick and react in the moment,” Carmello said.

“I now know that I could throw the weight of a 200-pound man off me if I use the right technique.”

In light of current events, more and more women who have experienced sexual assault have felt empowered to speak out in person and on social media as evident by the #metoo campaign.

“I think that all the cases coming up in the media are not surprising,” said Daphney Portis, senior in political science. “We’ve known

» See RAD PROGRAM, 4

COMMUNITY

Police make most public intox arrests after Iron Bowl

By SAM WILLOUGHBY Community Editor community@theplainsman.com

lice were provided with evidence from cellphone recordings.

Compton went on to say social media has also changed the way politicians spread their message to their constituents, for good or for bad. “[Politicians] have used modern digital media to take their own case to the American people,” Compton said. “The problem with that is they aren’t journalists, and they only tell their side of the story.”

Last weekend wasn’t the biggest for just the Auburn Tigers football team. Auburn police made the most arrests for public intoxication and other alcohol-related offenses during any weekend of the 2017 football season.

Twenty-one people were arrested over Iron Bowl weekend for public intoxication or driving under the influence, according to reports from the Auburn Police Division.

Auburn police Chief Paul Register estimated more than 100,000 additional people come to town for typical SEC games.

“Our community becomes the third or fourth largest population-wise [in Alabama] during those days when we have fans in attendance for the games,” he said.

Register said police prepared for the influx of people coming to town for the Iron Bowl with additional measures and resources.

The division often gets help from outside law enforcement agencies on game days to assist near the stadium. Away from Jordan-Hare, it’s all the Auburn police.

“I think it’s a matter of the numbers,” Register

» See CRITICAL CONVOS, 4

» See PUBLIC INTOX, 4

MADISON OGLETREE / PHOTO EDITOR

Donna Brazile, veteran Democratic political strategist, speaks during Critical Conversations on Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2017, in Auburn, Ala.

Former DNC chair, ABC journalist make case for civility

By ALEX HOSEY Community Reporter community@theplainsman.com

Former White House correspondent Ann Compton and political strategist and former interim Chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee Donna Brazile addressed social media, politics and diversity Tuesday night at Auburn University’s last Critical Conversation speaker series this year.

The event began with Taffye Benson

Clayton, associate provost and vice president for inclusion and diversity, introducing the two honored speakers and asking them about social media’s impact on journalism today.

Compton held up her iPhone and said so many people have the journalistic tools to photograph, record and publish immediately to the internet. This value was demonstrated in the Egyptian revolution of 2011 when protesters posted video and pictures directly to social media and in 2013 after the Boston Marathon bombing when po-

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PUBLIC INTOX » From 3

said. “We had more people here for the Georgia and Alabama games than we did for the other games. ... [T]here was just so much more emphasis on those games ... the fans that attended were all obviously very excited, so when we had that many people here it did increase the numbers.”

The weekend the Tigers faced the Georgia Bulldogs, 19 people were arrested for public intoxication, DUI or minor in possession of alcohol, the second most of the season.

For weekends during which the Tigers play at Jordan-Hare, Auburn police arrested, on average, about 13 people for public intoxication and other alcohol-related incidents during the 2017 season, almost double the away game weekend average of 6.6 people, according to public records.

“Most of the people we arrest [for public intoxication] are those that are in a dangerous situation,” Register said. “Many times we have people that are passed out — they may be lying in the bushes, lying on the side of the road.

“The typical person that’s walking home to avoid driving, they’re not going to interact with the police.”

Public intoxication is a general term that encompasses all controlled substances, but in a Southern town built around football, it is mostly related to alcohol consumption.

“I was a prosecutor for 14 years, and from my experience, most of the time it was from alcohol intoxication,” said Kisha Abercrombie, a defense attorney with the Walton Law Firm in Auburn who deals with drug crimes.

People charged with public intoxication for the first time can enter a pretrial diversion program where they will undergo counseling. If they complete the program, they can have their case dismissed.

“Regardless of whether they are convicted or if they go in the program, they would still be paying some sort of court fees and/or fine, usually both,” Abercrombie said.

Perhaps the most famous Auburn public intoxication game day arrest this year was that of former Auburn quarterback Sean White.

White, 21, was one of eight people arrested the weekend of the Mercer game for alcohol-related offenses, seven of which were public intoxication. And while other Auburn University students were arrested that weekend for public intoxication, White’s arrest was the only one that made headlines. “[White] has made poor decisions that are not in the best interest of our program, and more importantly, himself,” Auburn head football coach Gus Malzahn said in a statement following White’s arrest.

White was kicked off the team following his arrest.

TAX PLAN » From 3

U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, who represents Auburn, said earlier this month that the legislation proposed would help fix the “broken tax code.” His statement came after the House of Representative passed the Republicans’ $1.5 trillion tax package, dubbed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. “I appreciate President Trump’s leadership on tax reform and am thrilled to see the House pass this important legislation today,” Rogers said. “This bill will help families across East Alabama and the nation keep more of their hard-earned paychecks and will help small business thrive and create new jobs.”

The Senate is now considering the plan, holding preliminary votes on the package this week. The plan was passed out of committee on Tuesday in a party-line vote, and if procedural votes are successful, the Senate’s debate on amendments could begin on Friday.

The Senate will likely make some

RAD PROGRAM » From 3

this is happening, but women are taught to endure a lot. Many of the women subjected to these sexual advances felt voiceless.”

Portis said she felt it was a step forward, but there is still a lot more to be done.

“I think the current policy isn’t enough to protect potential victims and survivors,” Portis said. “Women don’t have the ability to speak out because the law doesn’t back them up. If they don’t have the right evidence, there is little the law will do for them.”

Senior in political science, Victoria Lewis, is a vocal feminist on campus. She said while she found

MADISON OGLETREE / PHOTO EDITOR

Ann Compton, former White House correspondent, speaks during Critical Conversations on Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2017 in Auburn, Ala.

CRITICAL CONVOS » From 3

Brazile said the rise in technology has changed the way people communicate. The political strategist expressed mixed views about the advantages and disadvantages that those changes bring, especially concerning the advent of “fake news” and the erosion of public trust in journalists.

“It’s undermining our democracy, and it’s undermining the institutions that protect the very standards and norms that we need in a civil society,” Brazile said. “If the public discounts the free independent press that Mr. Trump calls ‘fake’ then only those media institutions who are in agreement with Mr. Trump will be listened to. If we cannot agree on what objective facts are, then how can we debate the issues?”

Clayton asked about today’s political climate and the lack of compromise on issues between parties.

Brazile attributed the lack of political compromise to the polarizing effects of online discourse and the ever-shrinking amount of politicians considered to be centrists.

“We have to find people who are able to

alterations to the House plan.

Clinton stood in the middle of a circle of students and faculty, offering assistance and contacts to whom worried constituents could voice their concerns to representatives like Rogers. Carney said in order for something to change, the University must stand up against the proposed tax changes for the sake of future higher education.

Carney said it will create a ripple effect through the University that will impact the overall number of students able to attend graduate school at Auburn. Clinton said she is personally concerned for the graduate students who will soon matriculate. She said many students would be unable to receive graduate education, to begin with, if the GOP tax changes were to pass.

Clinton said she is hopeful that the University will acknowledge the current situation and come out in support of students facing the opposed tax changes.

“This perpetuates this awful standard that graduate school is only for

» See TAX PLAN, 8 the allegations themselves to be sadly unsurprising, she was surprised by the way they came out in rapid succession.

“I find it surprising and wonderful the way women are empowering each other to speak out,” Lewis said. “I am happy to see that those accused are receiving more backlash than the victims because, sadly, that has not been the case historically. Society needs to have a zero-tolerance policy for this kind of thing.”

These students said they felt the news was shocking and showed how, culturally, there is a long road ahead in order to end this kind of violence. However, many students expressed hopefulness that the more openly these instances of violence are talked about, the closer a solution.

go to Washington or go to your state capitol and forge compromises,” Brazile said. “After all, we’re one people, the American people, and I recognize that we wear different jerseys when we play, but when the game is over with we need to figure out how to come together as a country.”

Compton referenced the presidents she reported on as ABC’s White House correspondent in the past and said that they were able and willing to work across party lines in order to make change but that the nature of American congressional leaders has changed over time.

“Voters for the last 20 years or so have been sending an increasing number of members of Congress to Washington to break up the partnership, to not compromise, ‘My way or the highway,’” Compton said. “Until voters begin insisting that the members of Congress that they are electing go up there and get things done and not just simply tow their own line, I think we are in for a long period of this kind of gridlock.”

On the subject of increasing ethnic diversity in America and the implications it has for the future, Brazile said that our country still has a lot of progress to make in becoming more accepting of others.

“We’ve got to stop struggling with em-

bracing inclusion,” Brazile said. “Diversity is like bringing someone in a room, and inclusion is like inviting them to dance. We have to become more comfortable … [Diversity] is a good thing. It’s good for America, it’s good for the world and it’s good for each other.”

At one point, the issue of sexual misconduct and gender equity was presented by Clayton, who asked about its implications for democracy.

“For me, where it impacts democracy is if women can’t have full access … then democracy just isn’t as healthy,” Compton said. “I am stunned by the extent to which the last month or so women have stood up and said more. I hope it’s a permanent change; I don’t know that it is, but it’s been utterly remarkable to watch.”

Brazile commented on Alabama’s special election to replace Attorney General Jeff Session’s seat on the U.S. Senate this December.

“Alabama has a big decision to make on Dec. 12,” Brazile said. “I hope the message you send to this country is more than a partisan point of view. … The country is going to look to you on Dec. 12 and say, ‘What did you say about it? What did you do about it?’

Don’t be silent. Please go out and vote.”

TOP MISS AUBURN CANDIDATES JESSIE FLOYD

KATHRYN KENNEDY

SENIOR, ELEMENTARY EDUCATION

SENIOR, EXERCISE SCIENCE

JUNIOR, BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES

JUNIOR, PSYCHOLOGY

BONNIE DECARLO

CATHERINE MILLER

JUNIOR, MARKETING

SENIOR, MARKETING AND FRENCH

LAUREN SPIWAK

SARA KATHERINE PARKS

SENIOR, ACCOUNTING

JUNIOR, HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND FAMILY STUDIES

KAROLINE THORNTON

BRIA RANDAL

JUNIOR, ACCOUNTING

JUNIOR, POLITICAL SCIENCE

MARY SPENCER VEAZEY

SUSAN DISMUKES

JUNIOR, PUBLIC RELATIONS, COMMUNICATIONS

JUNIOR, REHABILITATION SERVICES

VIRGINIA SUMMERS

MIRANDA GRIGAS

JUNIOR, NURSING

JUNIOR, MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

LAUREN BRANDS

BROOKE WESTHOVEN

JUNIOR, MARKETING

JUNIOR, ACCOUNTING

ZURI FOSTER

SARAH LOUISE BOLAND

ROXIE FAULKNER

INGRID SCHNADER / PHOTOGRAPHER

BAILEY SULLIVAN

JUNIOR, ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND FAMILY BUSINESS SENIOR, INDUSTRIAL AND SYSTEMS ENGINEERING

ABIGAIL MERVIS

SARAH BETH NOLAN

JUNIOR, MARKETING

JUNIOR, NURSING

ELECTION DATE: Top 5 shown in red

Feb. 6, 2018

SEE FULL STORY ON PAGE 7 Hallie Patterson, junior in theater, said she had not taken a selfdefense class but strongly felt that kind of preparation was not enough.

“That will teach you to fend off drunk guys in bars, but the sad truth is it comes at you from more angles,” Patterson said According to RAINN, 45 percent of rapes are perpetrated by a friend or acquaintance of the victim. Patterson said she was saddened by the commonality in sexual assaults occurring by someone the victim knows or trusts like a friend or coworker. Patterson said they use tactics like coercion and manipulation instead of always just physical force.

“It scares me; we have probably all met an aggressor,” Patterson said.

“I feel helpless. I want to be a good feminist and a good citizen, but it

seems like there is so much darkness.”

Whether it is the guy at the bar whose comments made them uncomfortable or not having the luxury of walking to their car alone at night, Auburn women have shared their feelings regarding the awareness they have for the danger these aggressors pose.

Rachel Sugg, sophomore in English literature, told a story of a time she was at The Bean with friends and noticed a man sitting nearby acting strangely.

“He seemed to be looking at us a lot, and when he left, one of the women working there came over to where we were sitting and told us that she had noticed him taking pictures of us,” Sugg said. “She said that she had written down his license

INGRID SCHNADER / PHOTOGRAPHER

plate number and that if any of us saw him again or felt like he was following us that we could tell her, and she would give his plate number to the police.”

Sugg said the employee said women have to watch out for each other.

“The situation made me feel nervous and uncomfortable, but it was nice to know that I had other women out there looking out for me,” Sugg said.

As more women come forward it sparks dialogue about safety and encourages women to look out for each other against these aggressors.

Auburn has many resources for women on campus, and the green dot program teaches students how to be active bystanders in dangerous situations.

opinion THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2017

5 THEPLAINSMAN.COM

OPINION

OUR VIEW

We must preserve net neutrality It protects our nation’s political, intellectual and economic security

By EDITORIAL BOARD A board of five un-elected individuals will soon likely vote on an issue that looms much larger than the Iron Bowl, and, dare we say it, the National Championship.

They are the commissioners of the Federal Communications Commission, a government agency tasked with regulating interstate communications by radio, wire, television, satellite and cable.

These five will decide the fate of net neutrality, one of the last strong bulwarks American citizens have against the ever-growing sphere of corporate influence.

Net neutrality is the principle that internet service providers like Comcast, AT&T and Verizon cannot charge users different prices for using different types of data on the internet. For instance, Comcast cannot charge a higher price for users scrolling through Twitter than it would for users browsing news from NBC, a company Comcast owns.

Without net neutrality, ISPs could slow down, block and charge money for specific online content.

This has far reaching consequences, some of which are salient toward students and educators. Students need open access to online resources for research, and teachers need it to optimize their teaching. Academia re-

lies on access to open information, and anything that stands in the way of it is an obstacle to our nation’s education. Moreover, open access to the internet must be protected for those who don’t have any other resources in the communities to further their education. In this way, net neutrality protects the American Dream.

An open internet is a cornerstone of a successful modern democracy. It is powerful tool for political organization, as evidenced by the Arab Spring, numerous elections and the groundswell of interest in grassroots organizing — including the campaign to preserve net neutrality.

With it, people have freed themselves from despots and political ignorance. Placing more economic barriers on internet data undermines our country’s ideal of the free exchange of ideas; it amounts to censorship.

Deceptively, FCC chairman Ajit Pai tried to assure us in a recent statement that removing net neutrality would be a righteous attack on an imposing government, “Under my proposal, the federal government will stop micromanaging the internet.”

This red herring, that government is the greatest threat to Americans’ liberty, has been a reliable trick for several decades. Too often, it’s used to justify the degradation of society for the benefit of the rich.

Invariably, it conjures up scenes of the

very real tyrannies inflicted by governments throughout history: government sponsored syphilis experiments, failed government economic organization that resulted in the death of millions and so on.

It’s a mistake, however, to let these travesties define our stance on every issue relating to the roles played by the governmental and economic spheres.

Despite the murmurs of cynics, citizens have greater control over government than we do over private corporations; we can vote the levers of government in and out of office. There is no such mechanism for citizens to influence corporate behavior; it’s structurally unaccountable.

Some argue corporations can be held accountable because citizens won’t allow them to misbehave. Ostensibly, if they misbehave, citizens will take their money elsewhere.

However, this mechanism only really manifests in the long run, if ever. Corporations could, perhaps, be held accountable in the long run, but what does that do for the people who live their lives before that long-run result happens, if it does at all?

Proponents argue the removal of net neutrality would free up markets, and as a corollary, will promote market competition.

But it wouldn’t increase competition; it would throttle it. Large companies, like Facebook, Netflix and Google would gain a

competitive edge over smaller companies.

Higher earning companies would be able to comfortably pay the higher costs required to maintain high speed internet access to their online services. Newer and smaller companies, on the other hand, would see diminished access to the market and might be pushed out.

Small companies are likely to be excluded from package deals offered by ISPs, further hindering competition in markets already dominated by larger companies.

Let us be clear: removing net neutrality isn’t an attempt to free people from government. It is an attempt to place people under the rough and unaccountable tyranny of large, oligopolistic corporations.

Giving corporations the power to control what is accessed on the internet would be disastrous for our country’s economic well-being. Moreover, it would be an affront to our democracy.

In our times, there are two great equalizers: death and net neutrality. The former is inevitable, but the latter is not. It’s on us to protect it.

We encourage you to call your representatives. We have to raise our voices, as college students and concerned Americans, and let Congress know it needs to protect net neutrality — and we need to boot out politicians who aren’t brave or wise enough to do so.

THEIR VIEWS

Going across party lines: leaders we admire U.S. Senator John McCain

By EMILY HALE Contributing Columnist

Political disappointment didn’t seem to discriminate this year.

2017 has been rough on all of us. Democrat, Republican, Independent, or anywhere in between.

No matter your preferred primary or general election candidate, it’s safe to say most of us are not satisfied with the other political party. Or our own. Or either.

Even despite persistently pursuing critical and balanced analysis of an issue, it is easy to find ourselves in ideological echo chambers. Many of us self-described ‘politicos’ find ourselves talking about who we don’t like. What we don’t like.

What isn’t working.

What about who we do like?

My curiosity of Senator John McCain began when my father agreed to take me to one of his rallies in downtown Birmingham. In 2008, at the age of eleven, I didn’t quite have an extensive or wellresearched political knowledge. I just knew I liked the process of politics and government.

Only a few months later, I found myself emphatically supporting President Barack Obama.

While I still admire President Obama today, I would still argue my ideology at the time was still severely underdeveloped. I’ve remained ‘on the other side’ ever since, but my long-standing respect for Senator McCain hasn’t wavered too much.

He is undoubtedly a fiery and passionate man, never stepping back from the job of saying what is on his mind.

But he does not do so with reckless abandon.

Senator McCain - alongside fellow Senators Murkowski and Collins - famously dissented against the most recent GOP health care repeal attempt. Opposing a bill backed by your own party and the sitting President isn’t exactly the most politically savvy move.

But it is a moral move that upholds the integrity of the policy process. He is willing to stand up for those seemingly ever elusive democratic values in the face of potential political suicide.

Senator McCain’s rhetoric does not fall short of criticizing his fellow public servants.

Throughout the 2008 campaign, McCain and Obama’s ideological and policy differences were made clear whether it was healthcare, defense spending, or diplomacy and foreign policy.

The political climate certainly strayed from a total “kumbaya” moment during the campaign.

But when a woman told Presidential-hopeful McCain that she didn’t trust Obama because “he is an Arab,” McCain replied, “ “No ma’am. He’s a decent family man, a citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues, and that’s what this campaign is all about He is a decent person and a person that you do not have to be scared of as President.

If I didn’t think I’d be one heck of a better President I wouldn’t be running, and that’s the point.

I admire Sen. Obama and his accomplishments, I will respect him. I want everyone to be respectful, and let’s make sure we are. Because that’s the way politics should be conducted in America.”

While I also disagree with him on fundamental issues, Senator John McCain is a politician that engages in discourse that keeps a democracy functioning. Because he understands that serving citizens and not private, political parties ought to be the primary motivation for lawmakers, I respect him immensely.

Senator McCain is an excellent example of how political discourse should be approached. It feels sad to set the bar so low, but given the current political state, his example of remaining respectful in order to work together for the greater good is a powerful and useful reminder.

The views expressed in columns do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Auburn Plainsman.

President John F. Kennedy

By COLE DAVIS Contributing Columnist

It is not every day that a Republican talks about a Democrat he admires.

Today, though, I will be doing just that.

The 35th president of the United States, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, is a Democrat that I will be celebrating in this piece.

It is true that many Americans list him as one of their favorite presidents for his style and general “coolness,” and I believe it is also true that his image is one of the most recognizable when it comes to the presidency.

My adulation, I hope, may go a bit deeper than that by presenting to the reader why I, a red-blooded Republican, admire this Democrat.

John F. Kennedy is one of the 26 U.S. presidents that fought in a war.

Moreover, he was one of only a handful who served in WWII. A willingness to fight and die for his country is something to be admired in a president no matter the political party to which he belongs.

Kennedy’s service in that war was nothing short of heroic.

After his PT boat was rammed by the Japanese Kennedy spent hours swimming wounded sailors ashore before any other aid arrived.

This demonstrates a certain selfless quality that I find very compelling. Kennedy’s prepresident years were also filled with an abundant amount of writing.

Kennedy even won a Pulitzer Prize. Many presidents have written books, but none of them have had the distinction of winning this award except for him.

Now, I’m not necessarily pro-Catholic or anti-Catholic.

However, I do recognize the importance of Kennedy being the first (and only so far) Irish-

OPINION PAGE POLICIES COLUMNS AND EDITORIALS

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The opinions of The Auburn Plainsman staff are restricted to these pages.

Letters must be submitted before 4:30 p.m. on 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. Please submit no more than 400 words.

This editorial is the majority opinion of the Editorial Board and is the official opinion of the newspaper.

The opinions expressed in columns and letters represent the views and opinions of their individual authors.

These opinions do not necessarily reflect the Auburn University student body, faculty, administration or Board of Trustees.

The views expressed in columns do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Auburn Plainsman.

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Catholic being elected president. For a long time Americans were distrustful of Catholics (and Catholics gaining positions of power) for fear of them putting the Papacy’s agenda over that of the American citizenry.

Anyone who has seen the 19th century period movie “Gangs of New York” starring Daniel Day Lewis will know what I’m talking about.

Kennedy put these old fears to rest, however, and I believe he contributed greatly to the story of the Irish in America.

Kennedy died six years before NASA finally put a man on the moon, but without him it probably would not have happened.

To many Americans, Kennedy’s presidency is synonymous with the beginning of the victorious space race over the Communists.

I think this is one of the greatest facets of his legacy.

He devoted funding to space exploration and technology while paving the way for American dominance of the skies.

In 1961 Kennedy delivered his famous, “we choose to go to the moon speech,” and before the end of the decade, families around America huddled around their tiny living room TVs to watch Neil Armstrong step off the Apollo 11 Eagle and into history.

Ultimately, there have been few presidents that could captivate the hearts, minds and imaginations of Americans like John F. Kennedy did.

It is not simply just for his cultural and innovative qualities that I extol this Democrat.

On the contrary, his accomplishments as a person are something to marvel at. Because of this, if there is a Democrat that I choose to emulate and admire, it is definitely President John F. Kennedy.

LOREN KIMMEL CAMPUS EDITOR SAM WILLOUGHBY COMMUNITY EDITOR WILL SAHLIE SPORTS EDITOR

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ENTERTAINMENT

CAMPUS

CONSTRUCTION

Haley set to undergo renovations over break

By PAUL BROCK Campus Writer

INGRID SCHNADER

Cast members from “Floribama Shore” visit on Friday, Nov. 17, 2017, in Auburn, Ala.

MTV ‘Floribama Shore’ cast visits Auburn

By CHRIS HEANEY Campus Reporter

Although the closest beach is over 200 miles from Auburn, a little bit of the “Shore” showed up in Jordan-Hare, SkyBar and several other places on The Plains.

The cast of MTV’s new reality show “Floribama Shore” came to the University to promote their show, party at the local spots and tailgate for the ULM football game.

Before the celebrations began, however, they sat down with The Plainsman to talk about how they got involved with the show, what it was like going from small-town life to national TV spotlight and how they hope people respond to the “Jersey Shore” pseudo-spinoff.

Aimee Hall, Kirk Medas, Nilsa Prowant and Gus Smyrnios gathered on a couch on the ground floor of Auburn’s student center.

“The Sky Bar has Natty, right? The last place we went they didn’t even know what that was,” Hall said.

After that was settled and everyone was comforted by the idea of cheap beer in their futures, the cast was asked what every college student wonders: How do early-twentysomethings get asked to party in a house for several weeks all for a nationally aired TV show?

“My buddy called me and said, ‘I’m being interviewed for an MTV show, come be my comfort for this,’” Medas said. “I went over there, met some producers, they liked me, I started getting some phone calls and now I’m here.”

The 25-year-old Atlantan’s experience was echoed by his co-star Nilsa Prowant, a native of Panama City where the show was filmed.

“I had a friend getting interviewed as well,” Prowant said. “I charmed the producers and got on the show. I was cast maybe like three and a half weeks before the show aired. I had no idea what I was doing, I was like, ‘OK, here we go.’”

Twenty-two-year-old Gus Smyrnios and 24-year-old Aimee Hall had different experiences getting involved, but both used the show as an excuse to get away from their small town lives.

“I needed a break from home,” said Hall, who resides in Alabama. “They called me for an interview, I showed up and had everybody laughing so I just knew I had it.”

Smyrnios, a model from a small town near Tallahassee, Florida, reacted the same way when a producer of the show “slid into his DMs” on Instagram.

“I’m from a really small town where people don’t really get out of,” Smyrnios said. “They either work the paper mill or the cattle farm or whatever, so getting into the entertainment industry, even if it’s just an MTV show, is a big deal.”

As big of a deal as it may be, the cast members weren’t aware of exactly what they were doing when the show started filming. “[The producers] were like, ‘It’s a tv show for MTV, it will be six to 10 people,’” Prowant said. “We didn’t even know what we were getting ourselves into. They told us, ‘Come be yourselves, live your life, just do you,’ and that’s what we did.”

Being themselves was the most important thing, according to the cast. Coming off of the pop culture phenomenon that was “Jersey Shore” five years ago, they said their main goal to stand out on their own by not conforming to a character.

“It’s not about portraying yourself a certain way,” Prowant said. “To be relatable you have to be yourself.”

Smyrnios emphasized that point.

“I went into the whole casting process

with the mindset that ‘I’m gonna just be myself, if they don’t like it I can go the other way,’” he said. “That was the same for everybody; no one put on any kind of show, trying to be a certain character or anything like that. We are just completely ourselves.”

In response to the fans and old cast members of “Jersey Shore” taking to social media to bash the new show, the “Floribama” cast said the show will speak for itself and step out on its own.

“I think people were expecting us to come on and just try to act like Guidos because it’s ‘Shore,’ and they think it’s just a replica,” Smyrnios said. “We are so far from that though, it’s not even in the same realm.”

Prowant said it was unfortunate that there was any bad blood at all since she and her castmates were all fans of the old show when it was airing.

“We all like the Jersey Shore, I love the show, I like Snooki, I like JWOWW and I can relate to both of them,” Prowant said.

“People are calling me the ‘Great Value brand Snooki,’ and that’s OK because I love her, so whatever. I take it as a compliment.”

Worries aside, the cast said filming the show was a fantastic experience, but getting used to the cameras varied between each member.

“I’ve woken up in the morning, and there’s just a camera right there in my face,” Medas said.

Some had trouble with it.

“It was really weird because the cameras roll 24/7, they’re never off,” Smyrnios said.

“The first day we were there, we went to sleep, and I woke up at four or five o’clock in the morning because of nerves or whatever, so I figured I would go out and look at the beach. I go outside and sit on the little banister; I’m looking at the beach, and I hear something behind me and the whole camera crew is just watching me look at the water. I’m like, ‘it’s five in the morning what are y’all doing out here?’”

Others, not so much.

“It took a lot of adjusting for me because those cameramen were so hot,” Hall said. “It was about a week or two before we started forgetting they were there, which can be dangerous.”

Other than the initial awkwardness, though, the cast said that the show did a lot for them and hope it will do a lot for viewers as well.

“We just want to relate because we have all been through stuff, we all have different stories and its stuff that I feel like our demographic has gone through but its not really out there for people to relate to,” Medas said.

“Besides the drinking and stuff — yeah that happens but everyone our age does that — there was a lot of real life stuff that went on.”

The cast members hoped that the scenes in between the partying, drinking and fighting would make a difference in relation.

“I’m 23 and divorced, and I feel like that is kind of common now,” Prowant said. “I want to get out there that you can pick yourself back up, and you can do whatever you want to do and don’t let a human being tell you that you’re not going to amount to anything.”

“I just want people to stop using words that hurt and I want females to love themselves,” Hall said.

After a discussion of what bars to go to and which football players to flirt with, the cast members — all of whom were fans of other SEC teams — promised to shout “War Eagle” at the Auburn game they were attending the next day.

“Floribama Shore” will air Monday, Nov. 27 on MTV.

The refurnishing of the Haley Center has begun with test furniture already in place in the lobby.

“We are, right now on the SGA side, gaining feedback from students about the test furniture,” said Liberal Arts Sen. Ken Ward. “They’re going to use that to kind of determine what type of new benches and seating arrangements students want down there.”

The test furniture currently in place is surplus furniture that Auburn’s facilities management provided. The project was first proposed by the College of Liberal Arts’ Student Council, and Student Affairs has also had interest in reviving the Haley Center.

“We have to work with the people who work in that space,” professor Robin Jaffe.

“We want to do it right, make it a nicer place and make it inviting because Haley Center has always been this big thing in the middle that no one wants to go to.”

Jaffe is the Facilities/Administration Project Advisor for the College of Liberal Arts and is the Production Manager and Faculty Technical Director for the Department of Theatre.

“Right now [Facilities Management] is working on over 500 projects,” Jaffe said. “it’s not just Haley center, buildings all over campus need to be renovated.”

Over the winter break, construction is scheduled to begin on the two restrooms on the lobby floor of Haley. Work is expected to continue into February, and costs will be around $200,000.

“We would really like this process to move as quickly as possible, but we know when working with a budget how things can be,” Ward said.

232,544 POUNDS

The College of Liberal Arts Dean Joseph Aistrup said that the College of Liberal Arts will be replacing the metal benches currently in place with “more comfortable seating for studying and relaxing” and will be putting up monitors in the lobby for displaying information and notices.

Plans are also being made to add more seating to the courtyards at Haley.

Tables with solar-powered phone chargers like those at Chicken Salad Chick are soon going to be placed there.

“I mean there wasn’t any tables for Einstein,” Jaffe said. “It’s just the idea that you go get your coffee or your food, and you have to go sit on the floor just seems really kind of weird.”

Jaffe said that classrooms in Haley are going to be renovated in the near future to accommodate for Auburn’s department of mathematics moving into Haley when Parker Hall is torn down, and some classrooms will be converted into office space to accommodate this change.

“They’ve got to knock down Parker and Allison, but they’ve got to move people out of there before they do that,” Jaffe said.

After some renovations are made in the basement of Haley, Student Counseling Services is planning to move into the basement of Haley, and several other basement rooms are going to be repurposed for office space for various departments.

“Everyone keeps thinking that Haley Center is going to be knocked down, but you know, it’s just too much of a building to just throw it away, and especially since it’s in the center of campus,” Jaffe said.

“Rather than throwing everything away, and knocking down the building like they did the Georgia Dome, they’re going to work about re-purposing things.”

2017

260,453 POUNDS

thaNk yOU tO the aUbUrN UNiverSity family aND tO the cOmmUNity ParticiPaNtS fOr helPiNg tO fight the battle agaiNSt hUNger iN OUr cOmmUNity SpEciAL ThANKS to the OFFicE OF STuDENT iNvOLvEMENT and the Beat Bama Food Drive Team Members: Sarah English (president), Liv Taylor, Ashlyn payne, Matthew Ragan, hannah Shoener, and Katelyn Simpkins

FOOD BANK OF EAST ALABAMA

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2017

The Auburn Plainsman

PAGE 7

INVOLVEMENT

Miss Auburn changes up platform process Candidates will run on their favorite lines of the Auburn Creed, not philanthropic platforms

By LILY JACKSON Managing Editor

The Miss Auburn Top 20 was announced to a crowd of shivering students and faculty in the shadow of Cater Hall. Twenty-three hours later, the list was shaved to a mere five women.

This year, the women will be running on platforms centered around their favorite lines in the Creed instead of philanthropic platforms.

The Top 5 are Bria Randal, junior in political science; Mary Spencer Veazey, junior in public relation and communications; Bailey Sullivan, senior in industrial and systems engineering; Zuri Foster, junior in biomedical sciences; Kathryn Kennedy, senior in exercise science.

Miss Auburn has had a role on campus for the past 84 years and the role is serving as the official hostess of Auburn University.

Miss Auburn Ashley Moates said the switch to the Creed has been considered for a while and it was decided that the role of Miss Auburn should run on her achievements and passion for Auburn.

Moates said they hope the change will allow Miss Auburn to represent the whole University rather than a select few.

Lady Cox, assistance vice president of student engagement, said Miss Auburn candidates applied on their professional resumes and a letter outlining their credentials.

“It will really be them telling people about the roles that they have had in other organizations or different speaking opportunities they have had,” Moates said.

Catherine Milling, executive director of elections, said the switch to focusing on the Creed will better define the role of Miss Auburn as the hostess of the University.

The nominees are running on their own qualifications and how they plan to embody the role of Miss Auburn.

“Everyone who interviewed was fantastic and they did a really great job with it,” Milling said.

Cox said the attention and focus of Miss Auburn should be telling the story of the University and the “incredible work” taking place on campus.

INGRID SCHNADER / PHOTOGRAPHER

The Miss Auburn Top 20 pose in front of Cater Hall on Monday, Nov. 27, 2017, in Auburn, Ala. Top 5 pose on Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2017 (below contributed by SGA).

Milling said many of the girls connected their chosen line to their “walk at Auburn.”

Susan Dismukes, junior in human development and family studies, said she was surprised and thrilled to be apart of the Top 20.

Dismukes was nominated by Tiger Splashers.

Her platform is centered on the line, “I believe in the human touch, which cultivates sympathy with my fellow men and mutual helpfulness and brings happiness for all.”

Dismukes said her major, passions and future align with her selected quote from the Creed.

Milling said the lines, “I believe in the human touch, which cultivates sympathy with my fellow men and mutual helpfulness and brings happiness for all,” and “I believe in education, which gives me the knowledge to work wisely and trains my mind and my hands to work skillfully,” were a favorite among the nominees.

Bria Randal, junior in political science and Top 5 candidate, said she felt the selection committee had a hard job choosing from the long list of amazing candidates.

Randal said she has seen people in her own life

reach out to others for the best and because of that, she is where she is today.

Randal identifies with the human touch.

She said the focus on the Creed and the job of Miss Auburn are now clearer, and it gives Miss Auburn the chance to brag about her school from the start and focus on the school.

“It’s really fun to glorify what Auburn does well,” Randal said.

MANAGEMENT

Moates said everything the women have done during their time at Auburn will be looked at and seen as what has prepared them for the role of Miss Auburn.

Official platforms for the Top 5 will be released on Jan. 31 at 3 p.m.

The 2018 Miss Auburn vote will be held on Feb. 6 and the announcement will be made that night.

PROFILE

Auburn student named national College Dems VP

By NATALIE BECKERINK Campus Writer

INGRID SCHNADER / PHOTOGRAPHER

Toilet paper hangs from the trees that line College Street after the Iron Bowl on Nov. 26, 2017, in Auburn, Ala.

The Day After Clean Up

Big wins leave a big mess to clean up near Toomer’s Corner

By ELIZABETH HURLEY Campus Writer

Thousands of rolls of toilet paper covered Samford Lawn after the win over the University of Alabama on Saturday. Come Monday morning when the tailgates are all cleaned up and the last of the fans have left Auburn, Toomer’s Corner and all of Samford Lawn remained covered in the remnants of the Iron Bowl win.

Supervisor of Landscape Services within Facilities Management Justin Sutton manages the clean up after game day including the clean up of Samford Lawn after an Auburn victory. Sutton said the actual cleaning of the lawn is contracted out, including the removal of toilet paper, loose litter and any trash.

Clean up of the park typically takes about one or two days. After a big win, like this year’s Iron Bowl, the clean-up can be expected to take more time.

“They usually get started on Sunday morning, usually between 6 and 7 a.m.,” Sutton said. “But because it was such a big win this weekend, we pushed them back to Monday just to give the fans, and really all of the Auburn Family, time to come up there and celebrate and enjoy the park and toilet paper on Sunday.”

Sutton said there is a specific procedure

for cleaning up the park to ensure the trees are not harmed.

“The procedure usually is the Toomer’s trees and all of the descendant oaks that line the walkway are all handpicked,” Sutton said. “All the toilet paper on the ground is usually harvested first and a water hose is used to get the remaining toilet paper out of the more mature trees.”

The crew has to be careful with their clean up when it comes to the new oaks and any of the descendent oaks, said Alex Hedgepath, supervisor of landscape services.

“Typically what happens is once you apply water to toilet paper, if it covers the branches, all branches are covered,” Hedgepath said. “So if that toilet paper covers that bud, there’s no chance, it will smother it. There’s no chance that that leaf will come back out, essentially you’re putting a little bit of a glue on that section of the tree.”

For now, the oaks and any descendent oaks should remain untouched from an Auburn win, Sutton said.

“We’re asking fans to not roll those [the Toomer’s Oaks], especially if we win the SEC Championship and even the descendent oaks that line the walkway there, but we do have procedures in place to have those handpicked out by the contractor if they do get rolled again,” Sutton said.

After the Iron Bowl win, Samford Lawn

was a toilet paper wonderland. Most trees, including the Toomer’s Oaks and the descendent oaks, were rolled.

“The 2010 National Championship was pretty bad, but I think the Iron Bowl, as far as how broad it was, this Iron Bowl can compete a little bit,” Sutton said. “Since we’ve asked the fans not to roll the Toomer’s trees, they’ve pretty much started rolling the entire park. We’ve tried to designate certain trees for them to roll, but that seems like it’s spilled over into pretty much every tree in the park.”

Hedgepath said Samford Lawn isn’t the only place on campus where rolled trees can be found.

“It seems to be more common after a big win,” Hedgepath said. “We’re still cleaning up various rolled trees all over campus, so it’s a little slow going but we’ll get there.”

Only Samford Lawn’s clean up is contracted out, so when trees around campus are rolled, it’s up to Sutton, Hedgepath and their team.

“When it gets outside those limits, then it’s on landscape services. No matter what property it is as long as it’s Auburn University property,” Hedgepath said.

After every big win, including the Iron Bowl, Landscape Services has been and remains ready to clean up the park and the University.

Auburn University student Calvin Wilborn, senior in public administration, was recently named the vice president of National College Democrats of America.

The National College Democrats of America is a youth version of the Democratic National Committee.

There are over 100,000 members throughout colleges and universities in the United States.

Wilborn has been an active member of Auburn’s chapter of College Democrats for most of his time at Auburn. In fact, his sophomore year, Wilborn was named president of ACD. “It was an eye-opening experience into organizing on campus and the impact it has on college students,” Wilborn said . “Seeing the activism on our local campus inspired me to run for statewide president of the ACD”.

While he was president, Wilborn accomplished many tasks, one of which was expanding membership to chapters in other south Alabama universities, including University of South Alabama and Troy University.

Wilborn has even had the opportunity to travel to Israel with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee on behalf of ACD. One of the highlights for Wilborn during his time with the ACD was hosting Congresswoman Maxine Waters and Congresswoman Terri Sewell on Auburn’s campus for the ACD Convention this year. Wilborn made sure to mention how, while hard work is important, having a dedicated team committed to their values and his faith have played a major role in getting him where he is today.

“I know a growing number of liberals aren’t religious, but my faith has been my main source of motivation and inspiration in championing progressive causes,” Wilborn said.

Being a college democrat from a red state, Wilborn was extremely honored when he was named vice president of the National CDA. He was looking forward to working with students all across the country to help mobilize for the 2018 midterm elections.

“I believe the recent wins in Virginia and New Jersey are a harbinger of the exciting opportunities ahead of us to elect progressive values up and down the ballot,” Wilborn said.

When asked about an issue that he was really passionate about as an active political member, Wilborn easily answered with “voting rights.” He said how even though the Voting Rights Act has been passed, society still sees this right challenged every day.

“As an African American male born and raised in the Deep South, I grew up knowing and understand the sacrifices made by pioneers of the Civil Rights movement in order for me to have the basic right to vote,” Wilborn said.

community THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2017

8 THEPLAINSMAN.COM

COMMUNITY

SPOTLIGHT

Alabama Avenue strives for new band persona

By COLE McCAULEY Campus Writer

In 2005, fresh out of high school, Chambers County native Johnny Powell and a couple of his friends began the journey that fills the minds of adolescent music fans everywhere – starting a rock band.

Once the ball started rolling and the band started playing shows after high school football games around East Alabama, lead guitarist Johnny Powell knew this is what he wanted to pursue.

Self taught on the guitar, Powell began learning the instrument around 10 years old. He would practicing on his father’s acoustic guitar. Powell’s passion for music ignited, and from that point on, it became a central part in Powell’s life and something he knew he wanted a career in.

Growing up on Southern rock and country music as well as mega-bands like The Beatles, that’s where the band originally found its niche.

“It’s what we all grew up on,” Powell said. “That’s what we knew at the time.”

Aptly named after a prominent street in his hometown, LaFayette, Alabama, Powell said the band’s name has been the same since the group’s inception. While the name may be simple, the name has a pleasant ring to it, and the name is “as good as any,” Powell said.

However, as the music industry continues to evolve, Alabama Avenue is there to grow and expand with it.

“We’re expanding in terms of what we’re doing and the songs we’re playing,” he said. “We’re trying to create a party atmosphere.

We’ve really branched out.”

After about three years, the original band took a temporary hiatus for college, life and family, but after reforming in 2015 with primarily new members, Powell and the rest of Alabama Avenue are working on their music full time and are eager to pursue their passion.

The bands current roster boasts the triumvirate of lead guitarist, Johnny Powell; lead vocalist, Kevin Welch and drummer, Mi-

MADISON OGLETREE / PHOTO EDITOR

Johnny Powell, member of Alabama Avenue, on Nov. 14, 2017 in Auburn, Ala.

chael Ledbetter. However, the band has long-term plans to further develop the band, both in terms of musical influences and band members themselves.

“We’re hiring a bass player right now and have goals of expanding the band, including a horns section and keys and things like that,” Powell said. “We want to be able to do more and play a larger variety of songs, and to be able to do that you have to have multi-talented musicians.”

Despite the bands previous Southern influences, Powell described Alabama Avenue as primarily a “party band.”

“We want to provide the soundtrack of your evening’s entertainment,” Powell said.

The band has gone through plenty of style changes, a lengthy hiatus and a cast of new members, however, for the first time, all three members of “Alabama Avenue” are able to put all of their efforts into the band and music as a whole – a change that Powell believes will pay off.

After sticking to their Southern-rock niche, Powell realized that in order to evolve, he and the band would have to develop

new sounds and try out different genres.

Alabama Avenue recently played a show at Toomer’s Corner in Auburn on Nov. 10 and a multitude of other gigs lined up for the next couple of months. With new influences including pop, Motown and R&B, the band’s future seems bright.

“Our short-term goal right now is finding a bass player,” Powell said with a light chuckle.

After that, Powell admits that the next step is to continue to develop a unique sound, cater to their new “party band” persona and then build a fan base.

Eventually, the goal, as is for most bands, is to get signed by a record label or entertainment agency.

“They’ll take over booking, which will free up some time for us and allow us to start writing and composing our own original music,” Powell said.

With each member dabbling in writing original music on their own before coming together, Powell is excited by the possibility of collaborating with the rest of the band whenever the opportunity presents itself.

WRITING

CULTURE

Auburn library hosts November novel challenge

Auburn coffee houses offer AU students community setting

By CAMILLE MORGAN Community Writer

One of the most common tropes about millennials is that they are glued to their screens. Walking around Auburn’s campus, students can be found with laptops open, phones nearby and televisions blaring.

This new reality, complete with ubiquitous technology, has found suspension in a staple of college life: the coffee house. Auburn offers several options for social engagement and conversation at various venues including The Bean, Coffee Cat, Mama Mocha’s, SideTrack and the new Ross Coffee House.

This does not suggest that screens do not exist in such places – coffee houses are popular study spots complete with sticker-clad MacBooks. But, the warm atmosphere is something many students

feel Starbucks or the library could never seek to replicate.

“I prefer to go to the coffee house because it’s a friendly and homey environment,” said Sara Martin, student in veterinary medicine. “It’s a great place to go for fellowship because it feels more comfortable than a chain coffee place, and everyone that works there is genuine.”

Millennial social culture often dictates that it is acceptable to interact with strangers on the internet, but interacting with those same strangers in person is met with apprehension and even judgment. At the coffee house, the opposite is often true.

“I went to The Bean for my new job’s orientation with all of the new hires,” said frequent patron Eli Hiskey. “It was great because we got to know each other, and it was better than just going to the Student Center or something.”

Martin said this reinforces the idea

that coffee houses offer a rare space for patrons to let their guard down and engage with the people around them.

Ross Coffee House also features a community bookshelf where customers are welcome to leave and take books at their leisure. The space used to be student housing, but, with renovations, each old bedroom is complete with its own fireplace and room for students to study.

On any given day, one can find a student video chatting with a friend from home in one room, a book club meeting hosted in another room and live music from local artists in the back.

While the Starbucks drive-thru may be easy or the library convenient, students feel the coffee house celebrates the tradition of community. Students find the Auburn community to be vibrant, and the coffee house offers a chance to look away from a screen and across the table.

By MITCH McCULLOUGH Community Writer

Fifty-thousand words in 30 days is roughly 1,667 words per day.

November in Alabama isn’t just about turkey and football. Throughout the month, the Auburn Public Library hosted participants in the National Novel Writing Month program.

The goal of the program is to write a 50,000-word novel in 30 days.

“This is our fourth year [hosting the program],” said Auburn Public Library Engagement and Outreach Librarian Ashley Brown.

“We’re just here to support.

We have coffee, water, snacks and we try to provide a quiet place to work on the novel.”

There are also workshops, raffles and writing parties — all to motivate the participants to stay on track.

On Nov. 15, there was a halfway-point “write-in,” where writers met at the library to work on their novels together in writing sessions.

One writer was busily outlining the second half of her novel, which is about “real-life superheroes,” at the write-in. She said the sessions help her stay on track throughout the busy workweeks and fast pace of everyday life.

“It’s really a competition with yourself,” Brown said.

“You’re trying to write 50,000 words in November. If you make that goal, you win.”

If the satisfaction isn’t enough for some, winners of the 50,000-word National Novel Writing Month challenge receive online certificates, rewards and discounts for popular writing software by submitting their work to the National Novel Writing Month’s website.

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already rich and frankly, white people,” Clinton said. “I am really not about that.”

David Pascoe, professor of kinesiology, said students are already pressed for finances and taxing them on tuition waivers would limit their ability to support themselves.

Pascoe said he doesn’t see the issue as a Republican-Democrat issue, but rather an issue of standing with the future workers of America.

“I would hope the University would come out against this measure, and there have been some indications that they feel that way,” Carney said. “Universities, especially state universities, don’t do any good if we greatly limit the ability of a wide range of students and citizens in the state to get a higher education.”

ADAM SPARKS / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Auburn graduate students and faculty gather on Cater Lawn to protest a tax increase on Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017, in Auburn, Ala.

SUN SNOW OR

FOR SPRING BREAK?

Get Auburn credit for study abroad programs in Canada or Brazil during spring break.

Whether you want to bury your toes in the sand or try your hand a dog sledding, Auburn Abroad has a program for you.

Hurry! Registration deadline is December 8.

For more information and to apply, visit studyabroad. auburn.edu or contact auab@auburn.edu.

sports

10

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2017

THEPLAINSMAN.COM

SPORTS

FOOTBALL

Auburn moves to No. 2 in CFP rankings

By NATHAN KING Assistant Sports Editor

Auburn didn’t just survive “Amen Corner.” They kicked the door down and danced a whole lot on their way in.

Gus Malzahn’s up-and-down season reached its highest point Tuesday night, when the Auburn Tigers came crashing in at No. 2 in the College Football Playoff. It’s Auburn’s highest spot in the fouryear-old playoff era.Although daunting, the back end of the year didn’t scare Auburn. According to Malzahn, they had been embracing the pressure for a while.

“Since LSU we’ve been in the playoffs and having to win every game,” Malzahn said before the Iron Bowl. “We’ve had that mindset and with that comes a lot of pressure. But it’s healthy pressure, especially when you are able to do what you say.

“After that LSU game we stood in this room and we said ‘we have to win five in a row.’ We took it one game at a time, and we’ve won four. No. 5 is Saturday.”

And they got that No. 5 win. A 26-14, second-half dominating victory over bitter rival Alabama showed the nation that now-SEC West Champion Auburn is no

joke.

“You don’t ever say ‘Alabama got handled’,” ESPN analyst Jesse Palmer said.

“The score was not indicative of how dominant [Auburn] was.”

The team’s national respect has been earned after back-to-back double-digit wins over the top-ranked teams in the country. The only downside for Auburn: they have to play one of those teams again. Georgia has had its spot in Atlanta secured since the first matchup in Jordan-Hare. The Bulldogs will be angry, and Auburn might be without star running back Kerryon Johnson. The winner is likely a lock for the playoffs.

Alabama falls to No. 5 after the loss on The Plains, while Georgia sits just outside at No. 6. Auburn jumped No. 4 Wisconsin (12-0), although the Badgers will be a shoe-in if they can handle No. 8 Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship.

With the last rankings of the regular season in the books, Auburn played five Top 25 schools during its 2017 run (No. 23 Mississippi State, No. 17 LSU, No. 5 Alabama, No. 6 Georgia, No. 2 Clemson), including three in the Top 10, four including the SEC Championship.

ADAM SPARKS / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Dontavius Russell (95) celebrates after a stop in the second half. Auburn vs. Alabama on Saturday, Nov. 25.

SPECIAL TEAMS

AWARDS

Kevin Steele named Broyles Award finalist

By WILL SAHLIE Sports Editor

Auburn defensive coordinator Kevin Steele is finally getting the recognition he has long deserved.

Steele was named a finalist for the Broyles Award, given to the nation’s top assistant coach, on Monday.

“He probably should win it,” Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn said after Auburn’s upset of Alabama in the Iron Bowl. “I’ll go ahead and say that right now. I think it’s, I’m not going to say common sense, but it’s close. Our defense is playing as good as anybody in the country.”

Auburn has the No. 11 scoring defense in the country to go along with the No. 21 rushing defense and No. 14 passing defense.

Other finalists include Clemson co-offensive coordinator Tony Elliot, Wisconsin defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard, Oklahoma offensive coordinator Bill Bedenbaugh and UCF offensive coordinator Troy Walters.

“Well, it’s like anything else; it’s like any award that comes to a group in this business,” Steele said. “This is not golf. We don’t go out there and play with our own bag and our own clubs and our own ball and everything counts for us. It’s a group effort. The players play.

Coaches don’t play. Any award that comes, it’s the players. It’s the players. So my deal is whatever award that the group gets, they deserve it.”

The winner of the Broyles Award will be announced on Dec. 5, 2017, in Little Rock, Arkansas.

ADAM SPARKS / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Daniel Carlson (38) lines up for a field goal in the first half. Auburn vs. Georgia on Saturday, Nov. 11.

Carlson returns as Lou Groza Award finalist for third time

By WILL SAHLIE Sports Editor

Auburn kicker Daniel Carlson was a finalist for the Lou Groza Award, given to the nation’s top kicker, in 2015 and 2016.

He came up short both seasons, but he is hoping his senior year will be a different story.

Carlson was named a Lou Groza Award finalist on Monday along with Domink Eberle (Utah State) and Matt Gay (Utah).

This season, Carlson has made 21 of his 27 field-goal attempts, including four from 50 yards

or more. He is also a perfect 53 of 53 on extra points, running his current streak to 192 consecutive PATs made.

In Auburn’s 44-23 victory over Ole Miss, Carlson made three field goals and five extra points to become the SEC’s all-time leading scorer. He currently has 462 points, which puts him at No. 7 alltime nationally.

He also set a SEC record with 88 field goals made in his career.

The winner of the Lou Groza Award will be announced on Dec. 7 at the Home Depot College Football Awards Show on ESPN.

ADAM SPARKS / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Defensive coordinator Kevin Steele during pregame warm-ups. Auburn vs. Alabama on Saturday, Nov. 25.

FOOTBALL

Defense becoming elite after smothering Alabama

By ZACH TANTILLO Sports Writer

Coming off its second victory over a No. 1 ranked team in three weeks, the time has come to recognize Auburn’s defense as elite.

In the Gus Malzahn era as both offensive coordinator and head coach, the recipe for success has been a high-octane offense accompanied by a mediocre defense.

This is evident in 2010 and 2013 when Auburn made it to the national championship in both years, Auburn’s defense ranked 60th and 87th in total defense with the Tiger offense ranking 7th and 11th.

Now with the addition of defensive coordinator Kevin Steele, Auburn has taken their defense to a level that arguably surpasses the play of the offense. This 2017 Auburn defense ranks in the top 25 in eight defensive categories, including being ranked No. 9 in scoring defense.

The defensive line is the bread and butter of Auburn’s defense, and the line has consistently made life difficult for opposing quarterbacks and running backs. The Auburn defense is only giving up 125 yards a game rushing and has racked up 34 sacks this season – tied for 19th in the country.

“They’re a well-coached group with a lot of talent and they play hard,” Steele said. “They’ve bought into the relentless pursuit to the football, and being physically and mentally tough. They take

pride in that and we lean on it.

“Everything we do starts and ends with the guys up front, run and pass. Everything we do. They’re a talented group. They work very hard. They affect the quarterback. They have the ability to command double teams. They have the ability to get off a block and make tackles. They have the ability to affect the run game on the other side of the line of scrimmage.”

In the three top-5 matchups this year, the Auburn defense has not allowed more than 17 points and is only allowing 275 yards in such games.

The Auburn defense has a simple mindset, which drives their stellar play.

“One play at a time,” Steele said after the Iron Bowl victory.

“Just play one play at a time. Dominate your opponent on your real estate for that one play, and line up and do it again. Don’t let the last play affect you. It’s got a life of its own. It’s gone. Play the next play.”

After the Tigers deflating lost to LSU, they would need five straight wins, including four over SEC opponents to get to the SEC Championship. The feat seemed unlikely, but the players believed it was possible and took it one game at a time.

“Our coaches made us take it one game at a time, and we didn’t look past anyone,” junior linebacker Deshaun Davis said. “To win five in a row, you have to win the first one, then the second one and so on. That’s what we did, and it’s a great story.”

The defense has played so well this season, that Steele is now a finalist for the Broyles Award, which is the award for the best assistant coach in the country.

Auburn squares off against No. 6 Georgia Saturday for a playoff spot and the SEC Championship on Saturday. Another defensive outing that mirrors the recent dominating performances will finally make Auburn one of the most feared elite defenses in the country.

ADAM SPARKS / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Deshaun Davis (57) readies for the next play during the second half.

The Auburn Plainsman

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2017

PAGE 11

COLUMN

How Auburn turned its season around

ADAM SPARKS / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn gets animated on the sidelines during the first half. Auburn vs. Alabama on Saturday, Nov. 25 in Auburn, Ala.

By SUMNER MARTIN Sports Writer

What a difference a month can make.

For the second time in two weeks, the Auburn Tigers knocked off the No.1 team in the nation.

First came Georgia, and all eyes were on Pat Dye Field for the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry, and as head coach Gus Malzahn put it, Auburn “whipped the dog crap” out of the top-ranked Bulldogs.

Next came Alabama in the 82nd edition of the Iron Bowl, and as Charles Barkley put it, it wasn’t the “Kick Six”, it was the “Kick Ass.” Auburn beat its two biggest rivals in the two biggest games of the year, something Malzahn had been criticized for not being able to do the past three years, crushing Georgia 40-17, and handling Alabama 26-14. No miracles were needed this year; Auburn was just the better team.

Something clicked after the LSU loss, you could see it in Malzahn and you could see it in his team.

To say that these were must-wins for Malzahn would be an

understatement. Entering the Georgia game, the fifth-year head coach was one bad loss away from losing his job, due in large part to a 1-7 record against top 10 teams since 2014. In addition, he had been winless against the Bulldogs and the Crimson Tide since 2013, where he needed the Prayer at Jordan-Hare and the Kick Six to escape with wins.

Things were different this year.

Auburn dominated every aspect of the Georgia game in a convincing 40-17 blowout win, in which the Tigers held Georgia to only 46 rushing yards.

On offense, Malzahn’s team returned to its roots against the Bulldogs: they were physical in the trenches, they ran the ball for over 200 yards, and they played with tempo.

Against Alabama, they stayed hot. They pulled the upset, knocking off the Crimson Tide 26-14 in Jordan-Hare thanks to clutch performances by Kerryon Johnson, Jarrett Stidham and, how could we forget, Ryan Davis, who set an Auburn singleseason reception record.

When Malzahn has a talented quarterback, his system has worked.

The past two years he has had Jeremy Johnson and Sean

White, not what you would call SEC-caliber talent. Fans were quick to judge the system and, yes, Malzahn could’ve done a better job with those teams, but when the system has worked like it did with Cam Newton, Nick Marshall and this year with Jarrett Stidham, fans sing Malzahn’s praises.

I guess that is just life as a head coach in the SEC. After a disappointing loss to LSU earlier in the season, in which Auburn blew a 20-point lead, the majority of fans and boosters were calling for Malzahn to be fired.

The offense ran the ball 17 straight times on first down and failed to adjust to the LSU defense in the second half. Auburn lost 27-23 and Malzahn took full responsibility, but maintained to critics that this loss wasn’t the “end of the world.”

It turns out that he was right. Auburn is now 10-2 overall, 7-1 in the conference, and are ranked 2nd in the College Football Playoff rankings, with an opportunity to earn their spot in the College Football Playoff if they can defeat Georgia for the second time this year in the SEC championship game.

Just a few weeks removed from being on the hot seat, Malzahn has salvaged his job from the fire and now has the Tigers playing for the SEC championship and a playoff birth.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Tigers struggle in the Music City

By JOHN KOO Sports Writer

Auburn women’s basketball traveled to Nashville to participate in the Challenge in Music City tournament over the weekend, dropping the final two games of the weekend after a Friday night win.

Auburn had an extremely balanced effort versus Georgetown, getting contributions from all players, that allowed them to cruise past the Hoyas 60-40. The Tigers shot 51 percent from the field, having 36 points in the paint compared to Georgetown’s 10. Four Auburn players scored in double figures including senior Jessica Jones and freshman Unique Thompson, who had 12 each. Jones was perfect from the field, going 6-for-6 for the night.

“We were taking high-percentage shots,” said head coach Terri Williams-Flournoy. “I thought the twins (Jazmine & Jessica Jones) did a good job of picking up the scoring, Unique (Thompson) inside, too. We rebounded the ball well, but more than anything, we got points in the paint. We want to take those high-percentage shots.”

Another factor for Auburn’s win was the successful play of the bench.

“When you can get production off the bench, and we had 28 points off the bench, that gives us a chance to be able to rest some people,” Williams-Flournoy said. “When you’re playing three games in a row, you want to be able to rest as many players as you can.

By that third game, you want them to still have fresh legs.”

After a confidence boost against Georgetown, the Tigers faced Northwestern. The Tigers trailed most of the game, but remained persistent.

With 3:26 left in the third quarter, Auburn was trailing Northwestern 36-23. Auburn went on a 12-0 run over the next four minutes to cut the lead to one. In dramatic

fashion, the Tigers took the lead 46-43 lead after Tiffany Lewis’ three. The teams started to trade points, the Tigers managing a dismal lead until the final seconds of the game.

Northwestern took the lead with 13 seconds left to play on game-winning shot by Jordan Hamilton.

Unlike the game against Georgetown, Auburn had its worst shooting performance of the season, finishing 31.7 percent from the field.

Janiah McKay led Auburn with 12 points and four assists. Emari Jones had nine points, two shy of a career-high, and shared the team lead with six rebounds.

The final game of the tournament was played against Chattanooga. Despite McKay leading all scorers with 18 points, Auburn fell 50-41.

Once again, the Tigers found themselves trailing by double-digit points late in the first half. Despite efforts to cut into the lead, the early lead and momentum set by Chattanooga were too much for the Tigers to overcome.

The Mocs went 16-20 on the free throw line.

“We dug a hole too deep, and we couldn’t get out,” Williams-Flournoy said. “We have to be able to score. We can’t set up our press if we don’t score. We got steals, but we didn’t convert those. When we force a liveball turnover, we’ve got to be able to score in transition. The defense is not the problem; we’ve got to fix the offense. We’re playing great defense, holding opponents to 50 points or fewer. But we’ve got to be better offensively.”

The Tigers had another poor shooting night going 16-56 (28 percent) as a team.

Although the results were disappointing, the Tigers stayed true to their defensive mentality, forcing 20-plus turnovers in all three games.

The Tigers return back to Auburn Arena to play Louisiana-Monroe on Wednesday, Nov. 28th.

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Auburn Students INGRID SCHNADER / PHOTOGRAPHER

Jessica Jones (23) attempts to block her opponent, Kala Green (21), on Thursday, Nov. 16 in Auburn, Ala.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2017

The Auburn Plainsman

PLAINSMAN PICK ‘EM Auburn-UGA

Mich-Wisc

TCU-OKLA

Clemson-Miami

USC-Stanford

PAGE 12 VOLLEYBALL

Auburn falters in regular season finale

Will Sahlie (34-19) Sports Editor

Nathan King (33-20) Asst. Sports Editor

MADISON OGLETREE / PHOTO EDITOR

Alexa Filley (21) tips the ball over the net vs. Alabama.

By STAFF REPORT Sports Staff Tyler Roush (32-21) Sports Reporter

Sumner Martin (31-22) Sports Writer

Jake Wright (30-23) Sports Writer

Peter Santo (31-22) Sports Writer

Bennett Page Sports Writer

Auburn volleyball closed out the 2017 regular season on the road, falling to Arkansas, 3-0 (25-21, 25-22, 25-20). The Tigers finished the season with a 15-12 mark and an 8-10 record in the Southeastern Conference.

“We did not maintain momentum when we had the lead, and Arkansas took advantage of that,” head coach Rick Nold said. “Arkansas played very good defense, and we had trouble getting past that today.”

Senior setter Alexa Filley finished with her 20th double-double of the season, having 33 assists and 11 digs. Classmate Jesse Earl finished with a match-best 20 digs, and senior Macy Reece finished 13 kills.

Junior Brenna McIlroy had another double-digit kill performance, totaling 10 kills for the Tigers. Sophomore Shaina White and Gwyn Jones added seven apiece.

The Razorbacks (19-11, 9-9) were led by Pilar Victoria with 18 kills. Elizabeth Pamphile added 11, while Hailey Dirrigl finished with nine. Setter Rachel Rippee had a match-high 34 assists and libero Okiana Valle totaled 19 digs.

The first set saw 10 ties and six lead changes as the teams battled back and forth. Kills from White and Reece locked the stanza at 7-7 before the Razorbacks pushed a four-point run to take a 12-9 advantage. The Tigers came back with big blocks to go up 19-18, but Arkansas capitalized on Auburn hitting miscues to take the set, 25-21.

Auburn came out in the second with a 5-2 lead off kills from Jones and McIlroy. The Razorbacks responded with a run to go ahead 8-6, but solid play from McIlroy forced an Arkansas timeout with the Tigers up 13-12. Another Auburn run made it 20-16, but the home squad capitalized on solid defense to go up 2-0 in the match, 25-22.

Arkansas pushed an 8-5 lead in set three before a kill from McIlroy pushed Auburn to a 9-8 advantage. The teams battled back and forth and a kill from Reece tied the set up at 20-all. The Razorbacks, however, closed out the match on a five-point run to win, 25-20.

lifestyle THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2017

13 THEPLAINSMAN.COM

LIFESTYLE

ENVIRONMENT

‘Beautiful and diverse’

Arboretum strives to make Alabamians aware of state’s biodiversity

By CHRISTINA SULLIVAN Lifestyle Writer

From the base of the Appalachian Mountains to the Gulf of Mexico there is a large amount of elevation change. The Mississippi River and Tennessee River water systems also add to the landscape with the various streams and creeks feeding into them.

“The state of Alabama is beautiful and diverse which is surprising in so small a place,” said Morgan Beadles, Curator of the Donald E. Davis Arboretum.

Alabama is the fifth highest state in the diversity of wildlife or biodiversity and the most diverse state east of the Mississippi River according to the NatureServe report.

“This is surprising because it is number 30 in land area,” Beadles said. “With so many states so much larger it seems almost impossible that Alabama could be ranked so high.”

The arboretum has been making a push for Alabama’s diversity to be well known, as well as reflected in the arboretum. “We are ranked number one in so many things it would astound people,” Beadles said. “Number one in freshwater fish, mussels, crawfish, snails, turtles, carnivorous plants, oaks, magnolias, big trees and small trees.”

NatureServe and the Nature Conservancy wrote the report “State of the Union: Ranking America’s Biodiversity” which was the source of most of Beadles research.

“Between the ocean and rivers, Alabama has 18 different types of turtles which is more than any area this size

anywhere else in the world,” Beadles said. “This includes exotic places such as the Amazon.”

Because of these water systems, Alabama is home to over 350 types of freshwater fish.

“Alabama is the state of surprises,” Beadles said.

There are several reasons for this diversity in Alabama, but the main reason it has been protected is the large amount of private and undeveloped land in the state.

“Hunting is a huge industry in Alabama,” Beadles said.

“Many hunters rely on this private land for their sport.

This protects their game as well as the land to hunt on.

With the conservation of this land, they have also been saving several different types of wildlife.”

While these are all encouraging facts, Alabama is also number one in aquatic extinctions and number two in overall extinctions. These facts lead to Alabama being the fourth most at risk state, according to the NatureServe report.

“Alabama’s increase in population has done a large amount of damage to the natural lands,” Beadles said.

With the increase in urban development, these ecosystems are being damaged. When waterways are dammed, the area is changed. These changes make it impossible for certain species to then continue living there, according to the NatureServe report.

Certain species only exist in a few places in the world, including Alabama. The damming of these water systems changes the aquatic ecosystem, causing species to disap-

pear.

Another issue under discussion is water quality in the area.

The Arboretum is taking steps to raise awareness of the impacts on water quality. A way they strive to protect special ecosystems is by examining what is going into the water, from gardening practices to littering, Beadles said.

“The Arboretum is one of the headwaters of Town Creek,” Beadles said. “We take caution by starting at the top of the water source and keeping it clean.”

Not only does the water quality effect species of aquatic life, the trees rely on the soil as well, which is dependent on the water, Beadles said.

“In Auburn there is a lot of attention given to the famous oak trees on Toomer’s Corner,” Beadles said. “These trees are Live Oaks and not actually native to the area. Live Oaks are native to more southern areas of Alabama.”

The Arboretum has a large amount of the trees that Alabama is so well known for. Housing 38 of 39 native oaks and a native plant garden, visitors get a peek of the natural landscape. Their collection of oak trees are nationally accredited among other botanical gardens, Beadles said.

There are three other well-known botanical gardens across Alabama in Huntsville, Mobile and Birmingham.

Each garden is working together to get people more excited about their state and hopefully get involved.

“Alabama is a beautiful state and it’s a way to start that conversation,” Beadles said.

JOSHUA BRADFORD | PHOTOGRAPHER

SHOPPING

A complete guide to holiday shopping online

By EMMA RYGIEL Lifestyle Writer

Although the holiday season is one of the most exciting times of the year, college students are tasked with finding gifts and studying for the last few exams of the semester at the same time. Alongside the Christmas tree, cookies and lights, gift giving remains one of the biggest components of the season.

In order to help navigate the web and save time on holiday shopping, here are a few sites to find unique gifts that are college budget approved and available at the click of a button.

Uncommon Goods Finding a unique gift is made simple with this online shopping go-to. Uncommon Goods has created an easy way to narrow down your search through a selection of categories based on recipients.

Shoppers can find gifts for him, for her, for kids and teens — there are ideas for every type of gift. Uncommon Goods is a onestop shop to find more personal gifts without needing to leave the library or dorm.

Poketo.com Poketo offers modern-inspired gifts such as technology, accessories, jewelry and home décor. The online site has gifts for under $25, $50 and $100, therefore offering items for price ranges all across the board. Because it’s not as well known, there are more rare options that limit the chance of giving a double. The website encourages handmade products and even offers online workshops

to create some of the best sellers. The ability to add a personal touch from far away is what connects Poketo to the college consumer.

Urban Outfitters Known for a trendy, vintage-inspired ambiance, Urban Outfitters holds more than meets the eye. The gifts section, which is usually tucked away in the brick-and-mortar stores, has a bigger presence on the online website. Urban Outfitters has also included categories for gifts under $12, $25 and $50 to stress the brand’s affordability to younger age groups. Snow globes, records and cozy blankets are all able to purchase.Urban Outfitters is a great option for shoppers looking for a retro-inspired, yet modern gift.

Given Goods Pulling at the heartstrings, Given Goods brings back the meaning behind the holiday season with an array of “ethically minded and socially conscious goods” as described in its mission statement. Partnering with artisans, inspiring leaders and brands, Given Goods hopes to “use purchasing power for good.” The company focuses on jewelry and home décor, mainly on their website. Although the diversity of products is less than other options, the personal touch and opportunity to give back with a gift encompasses the true holiday spirit.

All in all, the holidays are a time for giving, showing your loved one’s how much you care and your friends how thankful you are for them. Finding the perfect gift means a smile on their face and yours.

VIA FLICKR

Online shopping can be a cheaper, easier way to buy gifts for friends and family.

PROFILE

Running Chick-fil-A lines and sound boards: Meet Ms. Nellie

By SAMANTHA STRUNK Campus Writer

Right up there with, “How’s the weather?” a popular question heard around campus is, “How’s the Chick-fil-A line?”

At certain points during the day, the Chick-fil-A line in the Student Center is not for the weak-willed.

However, when students finally reach the front of the line, they will likely meet beloved Chick-fil-A hostess Nellie Davis.

With a smile on her face, Ms. Nellie, as she is known, directs students to the next available cash register in order to keep the sometimes daunting line running smoothly. She can often be found conversing with students as they await their chances to order.

“My favorite part of the job is meeting new students,” Davis said. “I really do like meeting the students, and I really do like how nice they are.”

What students do not always know, though, is that Ms. Nellie is not Davis’ only name. In addition to her position as a Chik-fil-A hostess, she works as DJ Nellie “Vanelli,” or Nellie V for short, under her own business, Davis Enterprises.

Nellie “Vanelli” began her DJ career with her friend and karaoke DJ Jackie “Lee” Heard. She said she worked and eventually saved enough money through that job to buy her own equipment.

“I ventured out on my own, and the first place I ended up was Fat Daddy’s,” Davis said. “I played at Fat Daddy’s for years, and it has taken me from there to everywhere. I’ve been to Atlanta, I’ve been to Huntsville, I’ve been so many different places throughout my DJ career.”

Davis said Heard is also the one who gave her the name Nellie V. “When I first met Jackie-Lee, I went to sing karaoke at one of his gigs,” Davis said. “I turned in my name on a little slip of paper, and when he called me up he said ‘Nellie Vanelli’ and I liked that. And it stuck with me.”

Her DJ career ultimately took her to the airwaves. Radio station Mix 96.7 hosted a “mix idol” during which DJ contestants competed in the Auburn Mall. Among them was Nellie “Vanelli” and she performed and made the semifinals. Ever optimistic, at the idol’s end, she was left with one question.

“At the last performance I had, I went to the general director over there and I said, ‘Well, what does it take to get in radio?’ He said, ‘Come see me Monday.’”

She said she then paid him a visit.

“I went to see him, and next thing I know they gave me an application, and I’m hired,” Davis said. “That’s how I ended up in radio.”

Davis said she cannot remember exactly how long she has been in the business, but she has been operating Davis Enterprises since her two children, one with a master’s degree and the other pursuing one, were in grade school.

Davis worked as a seamstress designing custom-fitting clothing, re-upholsters furniture and did window treatments all under the same business as her DJ services, Davis Enterprises. She now DJs at downtown restaurant and bar Halftime every Friday night.

Her work as a DJ is what brought Davis to her job that Auburn students see her working every day as a Chick-filA hostess.

For several consecutive years, Compass Group, the company that runs most of the food industry on campus, hired her to DJ at an annual Christmas party. She also DJed at other events across campus, and people came to know her there, she said.

“The district director of Compass talked to me one day and said ‘Nellie, how would you like to come be the hostess for Chick-fil-A and be our entertainer on campus in the student center?’ and I said, ‘Sure’ and ended up here,” Davis said.

Davis loves the platform her work at Chick-fil-A has given her to brighten students’ days, she said.

She tries to welcome everyone with a smile and said that even if those she welcomes are having a bad day, they will generally smile back.

“I can look at their [the students’] faces and tell when they think, ‘Oh, I’m too sleepy,’ or ‘Oh, I’m overwhelmed,’ and I’ll always just say, ‘I hope your day gets better,’ or whatever I can do to try to uplift their day.” Davis said. “I don’t mind doing that.”

The Auburn Plainsman

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2017

PAGE 14

GAMING

Games on The Plains: ‘CoD WWII’ brings back the basics

By CHRIS HEANEY Campus Reporter

You’re huddled among your platoon, getting ready to throw yourself against one of the strongest military forces ever by storming the beaches at Normandy.

The landing craft gate crashes into the sand, most of your squadmates are mowed down, but you somehow manage to make it over the side and onto the beach.

Your mind is reeling, but the thought that stands out the most is, “Wait, I’ve seen this before.”

Thus begins “Call of Duty: WWII,” Sledgehammer Game Studios’ return to the franchise’s roots, both in theme and gameplay.

Returning to the setting that made “CoD” the juggernaut that it continues to be today, “CoD: WWII” takes players to the second great war for the same, largely unchanged formula of games of old, both for better and for worse.

The campaign hits the same beats as every other “Call of Duty” title but provides a much more straightforward war story than the quasi-futuristic, psychological thrillers of the last three installments.

The story is riddled with World War II movie cliches, starting with the opening Normandy sequence.

The player takes control of Pfc. Ronald “Red” Daniels, a tried-and-true, red-white-and-blue Texas boy that fails to stand out as a character.

Daniels has his “best girl” waiting for him back home, wants to make his older brother proud by being the best soldier he can be and stands against the odds even when they seem impossible.

He and his ragtag squad mates – who each fill their own war movie tropes – survive just about everything thrown at them all while getting barked at by their dichotomous Sgt. Pierson and 1st Lt. Turner.

If you’ve seen any WWII movies at all, you get the picture.

In terms of gameplay, everything is the same there, too, besides the return to health packs instead of regenerating health. This was a nice homage to CoD 2, but the health packs were so plentiful on the normal difficulty that it honestly didn’t feel any different than if the health did regenerate.

Since this game returns to boots-on-theground fighting, every level acted as a remind-

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er of “Call of Duty’s” ‘gallery shooter’ take on level design. You get pointed to an area, shoot enemies as they move out of cover, rinse and repeat. Sometimes the area has a machine gun or a sniper rifle, but it’s all basically the same.

Every level is peppered with cut scenes depicting epic events, like a church tower falling with the player inside it or an entire train derailing right toward the screen, and, as always, Call of Duty does an impressive job with the cinematic aspects of them, but the fact that the player character will always survive unscathed takes some of the weight away.

All of this isn’t to say the campaign is bad necessarily. There is a surprisingly good espionage mission in the second act and an exciting dogfight in the third, it’s just that the WWII setting the game is created around has been done before in much better ways.

The feeling when the credits roll isn’t one of accomplishment or emotion, just completion.

It didn’t really leave an impression – good or bad. It was just ... finished.

Luckily, the other two modes offer much better experiences.

The “Nazi Zombie” horde mode is fast, fluid and feels like it progresses evenly. I can’t speak to how it stands up to modes of the past, but this one was a lot of fun and didn’t seem as obscure and difficult to start playing than previous versions, but this review isn’t as valid as one from a seasoned Zombies veteran.

The multi-player mode, however, is a different story. Logging multiple hours into every game since “Modern Warfare,” I would say I have a good reference point to how this one plays, and boy does it play well.

The return to boots-on-the-ground warfare makes every match feel more tactical and less frustrating. “Call of Duty’s” attempt to imitate the vertical movement of “Titanfall” or “Destiny” fell flat in the last three entries, so Sledgehammer’s decision to revert back to the tried and true formula is actually refreshing.

That being said, if you have played any “CoD” game before “Advanced Warfare,” you know exactly what you’re in for. But unlike the campaign, which feels stale, this feels like a welcome return to form. The formula made the franchise what it is today by having the perfect balance of frantic action and thought-out maneuvers. Its a lot of fun.

Small changes were made to character customization, providing a mixed bag of positives

VIA ACTIVISION

“Call of Duty: WWII” takes the franchise back to basics.

and negatives. New class systems lock loadouts into certain perks that used to be assigned freely. The Airborne division can run faster and equip a suppressor to their SMGs but can’t use knife melees or hold extra magazines like the Rifleman division.

Segmenting off the perks like this could easily be frustrating initially to players used to the “pick-10” systems of previous games, but having each class have certain strengths and weaknesses makes for more tactical planning and gives the player counters to opponents’ loadouts.

“CoD: WWII” also adds a new “Headquarters” hub space that is supposed to act as a place

for players in between matches to chat, look at local leader boards and even play classic Activision games.

It’s a good idea in theory, but as of writing this over two weeks after the games’ release, the headquarters on all platforms remain empty due to server issues that Activision has stated they are working on.

Although the campaign is lackluster, the entire package of “CoD: WWII” makes for a very good time, especially for those who crave some classic Call of Duty action.

The game is a beautiful reminder that, for multi-player at least, going back to basics is exactly what the franchise needed.

Tigermarket

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

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11/27/17

11/27/17

iron bowl THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2017

15 THEPLAINSMAN.COM

LOOK AHEAD

IRON BOWL

IRON BOWL » From 2

ADAM SPARKS / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Kerryon Johnson (21) runs the ball in the first half of Auburn vs. Alabama on Saturday, Nov. 25, in Auburn, Ala.

Tiger Football Roundup Injuries loom large as Tigers prepare for Georgia rematch

By PETER SANTO Sports Writer

Following a heartbreaking loss to LSU on Oct. 14, Gus Malzahn and the Tigers knew they had to win five straight games to win the SEC West.

Auburn completed that goal with a convincing 26-14 win over Alabama on Saturday, setting up a rematch with Georgia in the SEC Championship game.

The Tigers dominated time of possession — holding the ball for 36 minutes to Alabama’s 23 — and outgained the Crimson Tide 408-314. Kevin Steele’s defense was dominant on third down as Jalen Hurts and company did not convert on third down until the fourth quarter and were just 3-11 overall.

The Rematch Auburn has little time to celebrate as they now prepare to face Georgia at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Saturday. The Bulldogs responded well after they were dominated by Auburn three weeks ago, outscoring Kentucky and Georgia Tech by a combined 82-20.

Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm played his worst game of the season against the Tigers. After going 3-3 for 56 yards on the opening drive, Fromm went just 10-25 for 128 yards the rest of the game.

Stopping the run and forcing Fromm to throw will once again be key for the Auburn defense. So far this season, the more Fromm has thrown the football, the more the Bulldogs have struggled on offense.

The Bulldogs will look to play more disciplined football after committing seven penalties for 75 yards in the first meeting, and the neutral site could favor Georgia after the crowd had a big impact on Auburn’s two straight upsets of top-ranked teams.

Injury Update Kerryon Johnson ranks second in the SEC in both rushing yards and touchdowns and has been held under 100 yards in a game just twice this season. So it was for good reason that the fans in Jordan-Hare Stadium collectively held their breath when Johnson went down with a shoulder injury in the fourth quarter against Alabama.

Johnson is currently listed as day-to-day for Saturday’s game. Johnson noted that everyone is banged up this time of year and that he expects to play Saturday.

“I’m working this week, getting back to as healthy as I can, obviously,” Johnson said. “We’ve been working for this game for a long time. I’m doing everything I can to get back out there on the field.

With Kamryn Pettway officially ruled out, Kam Martin would presumably get most of the carries if Johnson is unable to play.

New offensive wrinkle Facing a critical 3rd and 2 at the Alabama three-yard line in the first quarter, Auburn lined up in the wildcat formation, with running back Kerryon Johnson in the backfield. Usually when the Tigers run this formation near the goal line, it results in a Johnson run up the middle. But

this time, Johnson shocked the Alabama defense, throwing a perfect jump pass to Nate Craig-Myers for a touchdown.

The play capped off a 12-play, 95-yard drive and gave Auburn a 7-0 lead.

“It’s something that [offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey] has been saving,” Malzahn said. “It was the perfect time to call it.”

Auburn passed from the wildcat formation again early in the fourth quarter. Johnson lined up in the backfield, this time handing it off to Ryan Davis as the play looked like a jet sweep. But Davis then flipped it to Jarrett Stidham, who had made his way into the backfield, and continued down the sideline. With the defense fooled, Stidham found Davis wide open for a 25-yard gain.

Chip Lindsey’s different formations included lining up 312-pound tackle Austin Golson as the slot receiver on a two-point conversion play.

Golson claimed to be wide open, but Stidham said he wasn’t sure Golson would have caught it if the pass came his way.

Davis emerging Ryan Davis had been slowly becoming one of Jarrett Stidham’s favorite targets as the season progressed. But the St. Petersburg, Florida, native officially burst onto the scene Saturday with the best game of his career against Alabama.

Davis could not be covered Saturday — not even by Crimson Tide shutdown corner Minkah Fitzpatrick — on his way to a 11 reception, 139-yard performance.

Davis was particularly effective on third down, as his 5-foot-9-inch frame continued to find holes in the Alabama defense. Four of Davis’ 11 receptions against the Crimson Tide came on third down.

“Ryan is playing with a lot of confidence right now, and Ryan has been a talented young man for a while,” Malzahn said. “But he’s to a point now he wants the ball, and he’s desperate to get open. I know Jarrett has a comfort with him. He did a great job Saturday. He’s played well really all year.”

Stidham improving Jarrett Stidham has come a long way. The quarterback played for the first time in two years in the season opener against Georgia Southern and struggled as he took 11 sacks in Auburn’s loss to Clemson.

Stidham has consistently improved since that Clemson game, culminating in great performances in Auburn upsets over Alabama and Georgia. Stidham was 16-23 for 214 yards against the Bulldogs and followed that by outplaying Jalen Hurts and going 21-28 for 237 yards against the Crimson Tide.

While Stidham is proud of his improvement as a passer, his focus remains on the task at hand and the rematch with Georgia.

“I mean, at the end of the day, regardless of what happened three weeks ago, that’s three weeks ago,” Stidham said Monday. “It’s in the past. We’re both in the SEC Championship for a reason, and we know we’re going to have to bring our ‘A’ game because Georgia’s going to bring their ‘A’ game.

That’s really what it comes down to.”

backs in the country on the same team,” he said. “You have to stop the run.”

Auburn running back Kerryon Johnson is a “day-to-day deal” after suffering a shoulder injury in the win over the Crimson Tide, Malzahn said. Johnson, who finished the game with 104 yards on 30 carries in addition to a jump-pass touchdown, said he expects to be able to play Saturday.

“I’m working to get back to as healthy as I can be,” he said. “I’ll never count myself out until I’m officially out.”

Malzahn attributes Johnson’s return from injury to both experience and innate toughness.

“He’s not just a veteran guy, he’s one of the better players in college football right now,” Malzahn said. “He’s a great competitor, like I said before. This is a great game, and he’ll do whatever he can.”

Johnson is questionable to practice Tuesday, while Malzahn said the running back has improved each day since Saturday’s victory.

In preparation for Johnson’s potential absence in Atlanta, Kam Martin will start.

Matthews, a defensive back, who has missed games earlier in the season with his own shoulder injury, expects Johnson to return regardless of pain.

“He’ll be fine,” Matthews said. “It’s the SEC Championship. You’ve got to suck that up.”

Offensive tackle Austin Golson added that, in addition to the championship’s added sense of urgency, mental preparation was just as important.

“It’s the SEC Championship,” Golson said.

“If we can’t get mentally ready for that, we don’t deserve to be here.”

With a rematch with Georgia, and a potential spot in the College Football Playoff, Malzahn hopes to rely on quarterback Jarrett Stidham, who he said has improved since Auburn’s loss to then-No. 2 Clemson.

“If you have a chance to win a championship in our league, your quarterback has to play at a high level, and he’s done that so far, and we’ll need it again Saturday,” Malzahn said.

Malzahn added that Stidham’s ability to make every throw has opened up the playbook for offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey.

After defeating both top-ranked Georgia and Alabama at home in marquee rivalry matchups, Malzahn said he was impressed at the level his defense was playing, especially his defensive line.

“They are playing at a high level and at times they are dominating,” he said. “If you can control the line of scrimmage and put pressure on the quarterback, then that is as good as it gets.”

Auburn is the 11th-ranked defense in the nation, allowing 303.3 yards per game. In its win over the Crimson Tide, the Tiger defense held Alabama scoreless in the first quarter for the first time this season.

After earning Auburn’s first Iron Bowl victory since 2013, Malzahn said this team has been more stable than the one that last made the conference championship.

“We got in here Sunday, and the team meeting flipped the page,” he said. “They will not be distracted, I will tell you that.”

AWARDS

Jarrett Stidham, Nick Coe earn SEC POTW honors for Iron Bowl

By NATHAN KING Assistant Sports Editor

Redshirt sophomore quarterback Jarrett Stidham and redshirt freshman defensive end Nick Coe are the latest Auburn Tigers to earn SEC Player of the Week honors in the wake of Auburn's huge Iron Bowl victory over No. 1 Alabama.

Stidham was named the conference's Co-Offensive Player of the Week. The Texan passed for an efficient 237 yards on 21-of-28 attempts, while evading the dominant Alabama front four to the tune of 51 rushing yards and a score on the ground. His 16-yard gallop in the fourth quarter landed the contest at its final tally of 26-14.

The quarterback led Auburn’s offense to 408 total yards, the most allowed by Alabama’s No. 1 overall defense in the 2017 season. Stidham made Iron Bowl history with his 75 percent completion percentage, which now ranks second in the series’ history with a minimum of 20 passing attempts.

Ryan Davis was Stidham’s favorite target, snaring 11 passes for 139 yards and breaking the Auburn single-season reception record in the process.

Stidham proved clutch in third down situations, completing 7-of-9 passes for 106 yards on third. Six of those seven completions resulted in first downs.

Auburn’s young gun of its powerful defensive line, Coe recorded five tackles, including a sack and quarterback hurry of Jalen Hurts in Coe’s first Iron Bowl. Coe now has three five-tackle performances this season (No. 1 Alabama, No. 24 Mississippi State, Arkansas).

ADAM SPARKS / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Jarrett Stidham (8) points skyward before Auburn vs. Alabama on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2017, in Auburn, Ala.