The Auburn Plainsman 9.8.16

Auburn vs. Arkansas State Gameday Section Inside

The Auburn Plainsman A SPIRIT THAT IS NOT AFRAID

Thursday, September 8, 2016 Vol. 124, Issue 4, 12

COMMUNITY

First copy is free. Additional copies 50 cents per issue.

CAMPUS

‘Because This is Auburn’

Campaign reaches historic $1 billion goal early

ELLEN JACKSON / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Joe Lovvorn, Republican candidate for House of Representatives District 79, speaks at a forum at the Auburn City Council chambers on Aug. 22.

Lovvorn refunds $10,000 donation Chip Brownlee COMMUNITY EDITOR

House District 79 candidate Joe Lovvorn has refunded the single largest donation of the campaign, according to the most recent campaign finance report filed with the Alabama Secretary of State’s Office last week.

Lovvorn refunded a $10,000 donation he originally received in July from The Halstead Family Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization, records show. Lovvorn said the donation was made by a friend who “just wanted to help his campaign.”

“That donation in particular originated from a friend in college, that grew up in Auburn and is an Auburn High School grad, and he and I served in some groups together through college,” Lovvorn said. “He called me and said he knew I was a man of integrity. He said there was no better man for this job, and ‘I want to make a contribution.’”

The donation, however, was against IRS regulation. Nonprofit charitable organizations that file under 501(c)(3) status are tax exempt and thus barred from taking part in or making any donations to political campaigns, guidelines on the IRS website show.

“It is a family foundation group,” Lovvorn told The Plainsman.

“It is a 501(c)(3) corporation. It was perfectly legal for us to accept that contribution, and we could have kept the money in the campaign, but it would have affected his longterm tax situation. But we did the right thing, just like we’ve done from the start of this campaign.”

If the contribution had been reported to the IRS, the Halstead

Corey Williams EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Auburn is the first university in the state to raise $1 billion in a comprehensive fundraising campaign.

Because This is Auburn — A Campaign for Auburn University reached its goal more than a year earlier than projected.

“This $1 billion is a legacy to the future,” said University President Jay Gogue. “It’s an important statement to kids who will be here decades from now who will make a difference in our state, our region and beyond.”

The campaign launched publicly April 18, 2015, after 1957 graduates John and Rosemary Brown made the largest donation in University history — $57 million to fund a new performing arts center and a student achievement center in the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering.

The campaign first made history two years ago, when it surpassed the $608 million raised in the 2008 campaign It Begins at Auburn.

To date, the University has received 393,113 gifts through the campaign from more than 95,000 donors, and 131 of those donors have given $1 million or more.

More than 70 percent of campaign funds have come from Auburn “alumni and friends.”

“The Auburn that we enjoy today — somebody made possible for us 50 years ago,” said Thom Gossom Jr., chair of the Auburn University Foundation Board. “We’re trying to make this possible for the people that come behind us.”

Of the $1 billion, $252 million will go to student support, $80.8 million will go to faculty support, $488.1 million will go to program support and $178.2 million will go to facility support.

The University will continue raising funds through the 16 months remaining in the campaign.

“We have to keep moving forward,” said Auburn University Foundation President Jane DiFolco Parker. “We are not finished. We are not finished helping to advance Auburn University’s mission through increased philanthropic investment.”

» See CAMPAIGN, 2

» See DONATION, 2

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY DAKOTA SUMPTER / MANAGING EDITOR

COMMUNITY

Boarts family provides toxicology report, police stand by description Kris Martins

COMMUNITY REPORTER

The family of Melissa Boarts, who was fatally shot by Auburn police in April, said information released by the Auburn Police Division wrongly portrayed her as a “pill-popping drug addict,” citing a police statement released last month.

A toxicology report along with prescription confirmations released by the family’s attorney and obtained by The Plainsman show Melissa was prescribed the medications listed on the toxicology report aside from ibuprofen.

Ibuprofen is commonly taken as an over-thecounter pain killer and can be bought at most supermarkets and drug stores. However, it can require a prescription when in high dosages or when combined with other drugs.

The toxicology report does not specify the dosage present in her system at the time of her death.

An APD statement released Aug. 19 said the toxicology report indicated Melissa ingested six medications near the time of her death on April 3.

Police said not all of the medications were prescribed to her, something the family refuted in a statement sent to media the following week.

“The medications that she … was on are her daily, everyday medications that she took on a daily basis,” said Melinda Boarts, Melissa’s twin

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CHIP BROWNLEE / COMMUNITY EDITOR

Michael Boarts, Julian McPhillips and Terry Boarts meet with the press July 30 in Montgomery.

sister. “She did not just pop six pills and go on … some rampage.”

Prescription records show that doctors prescribed Melissa at least seven medications near the time of her death including an antidepressant, two seizure medications, one anxiety medication and a sleeping pill. Five of the seven prescribed medications were in her system at the time of her death, the toxicology report shows.

APD Chief Paul Register said the statement

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that “not all of which were prescribed her” is accurate, but the main purpose for mentioning her prescription medication was to call attention to potential adverse effects when combined with alcohol.

According to the toxicology report, Melissa had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.097 percent. A blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent or more is considered driving under the influence in Alabama.

Page 8

“We can’t know if a medication is prescribed or not if it’s certain types,” Register said. “Ibuprofen, in some situations, is prescribed. It’s not necessarily over the counter. And without knowing that, I think that that’s the point of it. We won’t know if that’s prescribed."

In defense of the Aug. 19 statement from police, Register said regardless of whether or not Melissa was taking a prescription-strength ibuprofen or an over-the-counter form, she did not have a documented prescription for the drug in her system.

Melissa, 36, was shot on Red Creek Road in Macon County on a Sunday afternoon, April 3, after her parents called police when she got in her car, left and began driving erratically on Interstate 85. Terry Boarts, Melissa's mother, said she informed police Melissa was suicidal and carrying a small pocket knife.

Police said they received a call reporting a bipolar, suicidal motorist and confirmed that they did receive the parents’ report of the knife. And after following Melissa for several miles along Interstate 85, police stopped the car on a rural road in Macon County to "check her welfare."

Police said she then charged officers with a

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» See BOARTS, 2 INDEX Campus

3

Opinion

5

Community 6

Sorority seeks to ‘diversify Auburn’

Heritage group remembers rail line

Basketball schedule announced

Students give new meaning to ‘Auburn Family’

Sports

8

Intrigue

11

News 2

The Auburn Plainsman

Thursday, September 8, 2016

COMMUNITY

Judge denies restitution payments for Hubbard Chip Brownlee COMMUNITY EDITOR

Lee County Judge Jacob Walker today denied a motion from the prosecution requesting that the court order former House Speaker Mike Hubbard to pay $1.125 million in restitution to the state of Alabama. Walker didn't rule on any of the remaining three post-trial motions filed by the defense.

Today's ruling was the second time Walker has dismissed the prosecution's request for restitution.

The state has said $1.125 million is the total amount of Hubbard's ill-gotten gain, and he has no right to keep the money.

"It would be a just order for this court because this defendant has no legitimate right to this money because the jury found he illegally obtained it by using his public office," said Deputy Attorney General Michael Duffy.

Hubbard was found guilty in early June of 12 felony violations of state ethics law — the same ethics laws he himself pushed through a December 2010 special session, which was also his first session as Alabama House speaker.

Defense Attorney Bill Baxley urged Walker to deny the motion.

"They made this same ludicrous claim earlier," Baxley said. "Your Honor asked them further questions, they couldn't answer them and you quickly denied it. ... They're seeking a windfall and trying to be vindictive to Mike Hubbard."

Baxley said the prosecution's argument that the

state is a person capable of being victimized is not valid. He also said the state, even if it was considered a person, had not been victimized by Hubbard's actions.

"For the purpose of this motion, even if they're right, what difference does it make?" Baxley said.

"The state is not a person. They have to prove the state is a victim, even if they are a person. ... They can't be a victim, because the victims were named in the counts ... theoretically. ... In none of these counts has the state suffered any pecuniary loss or any pecuniary damage."

Walker denied the prosecution's motion because of a lack of precedent. He said he didn't have the authority to force Hubbard to pay the state restitution.

The defense has also filed three post-trial motions, one requesting an investigation into juror misconduct, another requesting a new trial or dismissal of charges and a new motion this morning requesting the court unseal documents in the record.

Walker didn't rule on any of the defense's motions today.

Last month, the defense filed a motion with the court seeking an investigation into alleged juror misconduct after one of the jurors from the trial signed an affidavit with the defense that said another juror was making inappropriate, biased comments during the trial.

Jurors are not allowed to discuss the trial with one another or anyone outside of the courthouse prior to deliberations. Walker reminded the jurors not

to discuss the trial throughout its length.

Two bailiffs testified on the witness stand during the hearing today. Both said they did not witness any improper discussions or comments from the jurors. "[Patricia] Campbell asked me to talk to a juror who was making comments under her breath," said Bobby Bond, a Lee County bailiff. "So I called her aside and told her that if she was making comments under her breath, not to do it because it could influence other jurors."

Bond said he never heard the jurors discussing the case firsthand, but Patricia Campbell, the Lee County Court administrator, said she received a complaint from a female juror about another female juror who was making comments under her breath during proceedings.

"Another juror was making comments in the jury box like, 'Uh huh, yeah, now the truth is coming out,'" Campbell said.

Baxley requested an investigation by the Lee Count Sheriff's Department into the alleged juror misconduct. The prosecution said they had full faith in the jury, the court and Walker's ability to render a fair verdict in the case.

"There is no case law that would allow for another agency to come in and investigate," said Assistant Attorney General Katie Langer.

Langer also said the jury's split verdict was also evidence the jury did not hold an inherent bias towards Hubbard. Walker was skeptical of Baxley's

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

request for an investigation by the Lee County Sheriff and later denied it because he could find no precedent or case law.

"I'm not inclined to be a pioneer," Walker said.

However, the general motion on juror misconduct was left open.

Walker said he would be open to testimony from the juror who made the complaint, but the defense would have to call her as a witness before a 60-day limit on the new-trial motion expires. The motion was originally filed last month.

The 45-day window for Hubbard to file for an appeal won't begin until Walker rules on the remaining motions. The judge did not set a date for another hearing or indicate when he would rule on those post-trial motions.

If he files for appeal once the motions are ruled on, Hubbard will remain free on bond until a verdict is rendered in the appeal. The appeal will be handed up to the Alabama Criminal Court of Appeals or the Alabama Supreme Court.

Upon conviction in June, Hubbard was immediately removed from both his office as Alabama House speaker and his seat as Auburn's House representative. A special election was called by Gov. Robert Bentley in late June to replace Hubbard's seat.

Four Republicans and one Libertarian are running to fill the seat.

The Republican primary election will be held later this month on Sept. 13.

CAMPAIGN » From 1

“Because this is Auburn” goals by the numbers:

MADISON OGLETREE / PHOTO EDITOR

College of Agriculture $51.4 million College of Architecture, Design and Construction $26.0 million Raymond J. Harbert College of Business $100.0 million College of Education $19.0 million Samuel Ginn College of Engineering $200.0 million School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences $19.8 million Graduate School $500 thousand Honors College $2.8 million College of Human Sciences $30.0 million College of Liberal Arts $22.9 million School of Nursing $13.6 million Harrison School of Pharmacy $10.0 million College of Sciences and Mathematics $30.0 million College of Veterinary Medicine $69.0 million

Cam Newton, former Auburn quarterback, during the Auburn vs. Clemson football game on Saturday, Sept. 3.

DONATION » From 1

Family Foundation could have lost their tax-exempt status, the IRS website states.

“Contributions to political campaign funds ... made on behalf of the organization in favor of or in opposition to any candidate for public office clearly violate the prohibition against political campaign activity,” the website reads. “Violating this prohibition may result in denial or revocation of tax-exempt status and the imposition of certain excise taxes.”

The $10,000 donation was not only the largest donation Lovvorn received, but it was also the largest donation to any candidate in the race thus far.

“It was a great offer of his passion for me, and for the job he feels I can do,” Lovvorn said. “But we also respect his situation more than ours, and we were happy to refund it.”

Even after the $10,000 refund this week, Lovvorn is far in advance of his rivals, with more than $14,000 remaining in his campaign account.

Brett Smith, an Auburn attorney and candidate who has been second to Lovvorn in fundraising, has raised $14,000 since June.

Sandy Toomer has raised nearly $8,000 since he announced his candidacy. Jay Conner has not filed any reports because he has not raised more than $1,000 in any reporting period.

Lovvorn, on the other hand, raised $51,325 in the month of July alone, and in total, he has

CORRECTION Gamma Phi Beta’s bid list, which ran August 25 in the Greek Life special section, was incomplete.The women who were not mentioned include: Pinder, Emily Prachar,Alyssa Ramey, Baylee Rogers, Calista Rowell,Anna Sellers,Annie Sellers, Karley Selmeski,Amelia Sleeman,Anna Southerland,Ali Stidham, Michela Strom,Anna Catherine Sugar, Beth Thornberry, Bridget Toothman, Lindsey Treloar,Taylor Vaughn,Ashley Waldeck, Kailyn Williamson, Morgan Woodley, Kalei Wordlaw, Lauren Wright, Lauren We regret the error.

raised more than $70,000. In his first month, political action committees — including BIPAC, NEW PAC, TRUK PAC and SAVEPAC — contributed $10,000 to Lovvorn’s campaign.

In the past two weeks, $3,500 of Lovvorn’s fundraising came from PACs, including $1,000 for Montgomery-based lobbying firm SAHR and $2,500 from the Retailers of Alabama Political Action Committee.

The remainder of Lovvorn’s funding came from individual donors, businesses or corporations, and Lovvorn said the PAC donations won’t influence his decision-making at the Statehouse.

“Only a very small percentage of our funding has come from a group,” he said. “It has all come from individuals or from compa-

BOARTS » From 1

lock-blade knife, and two officers fired at her, with one shot hitting her in the chest and killing her. A Macon County grand jury ruled the shooting justified last month after the Macon County district attorney's office presented evidence from an investigation conducted by the Alabama State Bureau of Investigations.

The Aug. 19 APD news release also said Melissa knocked an officer to the ground during the confrontation, something her family said would be unlikely because of her shoulder issues. Terry said Melissa had three or four shoulder surgeries in the past and could not lift her arms above her head.

“Her shoulders were held together by pins and stuff,” Melinda added. “When they said that an officer got knocked over … it’s just weird. We want to see that video because we know that she had no upper-body strength at all because her shoulders were totally messed up.”

When asked if he was aware of Me-

nies in this district. ... I stand by any contribution we’ve received. We have not accepted contributions from anyone I would call an extreme leveraging PAC, and we don’t intend to. Those are organizations that people in this district are members of and pay into, and that’s how that money originated. Three of them I’m a member of myself.”

No PACs have donated to any of the other candidates.

“Whether they’re a campaign contributor or not will never influence me in voting for what’s right for the people of this district,” he said. “I’ve dedicated 20 years to the fire service to looking out for this community, and I’ve proven that I put people first.”

Updated campaign finance reports will be filed next week.

lissa’s shoulder issues, Register said he wouldn’t “get into the facts of the case” outside of officially released information because of the ongoing lawsuit.

Melissa dealt with mental health issues for several years, her family said, but was never violent.

Melissa suffered from seizures since she was 15 and began suffering from Bipolar disorder in her early 20s, Terry said. In her 30s, Melissa was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and manic depressive illness, she added.

However she never threatened to kill herself before that day, Terry said.

Auburn police had mental health training several weeks before Melissa's death, Register said, but the Boarts have doubts about its effectiveness.

Register said he couldn’t “speak to all the contents” of the training specifically.

“There are a number of tactics that they receive in training such as that, and it would be the things that you would expect in dealing with those who are mentally disturbed,” he said.

Melissa, raised in Montgomery and a Robert E. Lee High School graduate,

worked as a medical assistant for different doctors in Montgomery until her shoulder problems took her out of work about four or five years ago, her mother said.

In her final couple of years, she focused her energy into raising Skylar, her 2-year-old daughter, whose birthday she celebrated the day before she was shot, Terry said.

The city filed a motion Wednesday to dismiss a claim in a lawsuit filed by the Boarts family Aug. 2.

The complaint stated officers “negligently, and/or recklessly, and or/wantonly allowe(ed) a firearm to be discharged, which proximately caused the death of Melissa Boarts,” also claiming that officers committed assault and battery upon her, causing her death.

The family attorney Julian McPhillips said their next action will be to pursue other documents and body- and dash-camera footage, even if through third-party subpoenas to other law enforcement agencies.

“I think we’ll eventually get it through a litigation discovery,” McPhillips said.

Campus

Thursday, September 8, 2016

3 ThePlainsman.com

Campus

DIVERSITY

Multicultural Center changes its name and location to ‘promote campus-wide inclusion’ Romy Iannuzzi CAMPUS WRITER

The Auburn University Multicultural Center’s title has been changed to the Cross-Cultural Center for Excellence, effective immediately.

Allen Sutton, Cross-Cultural Center for Excellence director, said the change in name is symbolic of efforts to create more dialogue between people of various cultural backgrounds.

“The decision to rename the Multicultural Center coincides with the recent renaming of the Office of Inclusion and Diversity and the relocation of the center to 2103 Student Center,” Sutton said. “It also signals a shift in focus from the mere celebration of multiculturalism to one that focuses on dialogue and interaction between all cultures, which is something that is sorely missing in today’s society.”

Sutton said all of these factors contributed to the decision to change the facility’s name.

“With the new location and renewed focus, it just made sense to change the name,” Sutton said.

The name change will also reflect the cultural center’s updated mission statement, Sutton said.

“Our main focus is to ensure that all students gain a sense of belonging while here at Auburn and our secondary focus is to prepare all Auburn students for a multicultural world and global marketplace,” Sutton said. “In order to be successful in today’s workforce one must have the ability to relate to people from different cultural backgrounds and no matter what profession they enter, they’ll find themselves working with people who either look, think, or act differently.”

Sutton said he encourages every student to come to the Cross-Cultural Center for Excellence’s events throughout the year in order to broaden their cultural perspectives and have people from different backgrounds learn from each other.

“The center aims to help students by offering programming that explores various cultural viewpoints and perspectives on the issues,” Sutton said. “We encourage people to come out to our programs and expand their worldview.”

Sutton said he knows there is potential for varied reactions to the removal of the word “multiculturalism” from the name of the center. “‘Multiculturalism’ like ‘diversity’ is a word that elicits strong responses both for and against, but research has consistently shown that we learn more from people who are different from us,” Sutton said. “Diversity and multiculturalism promotes creative thinking by expanding how we view things.

Sutton said these words are most controversial in the political realm.

“The controversy around both words is mostly political as people view them as a give and take,” Suttong said.

We have the ability to gain different perspectives when we learn from others, Sutton said.

“When done correctly, diversity and multiculturalism is a win/win,” Sutton said. “A college campus is like having the world at your fingertips without the travel. Why not take advantage and learn from our fellow peers?”

Sutton said multiculturalism is not about conforming to ideas, but rather learning from them.

“If college is indeed about the communication of ideas, then multiculturalism must be one of those ideas that we aspire to learn from,” Sutton said. “I try every day to ensure that I am communicating that message to our students.”

Everyone that works at the center strives to support the Auburn Family, Sutton said.

“I think there will be those that will love the new name and there will be some who do not,” Sutton said. “Our philosophy is: we are here for both.”

EVENTS

SGA announces 2016 Miss Homecoming Top 5 at call-outs Claire Tully CAMPUS EDITOR

Leah Bostany, Kelsey Guyan, Kate Hardman, Maggie Smith and Victoria Starks were named the 2016 Miss Homecoming Top 5 at callouts on Wednesday, Aug. 31 at 9 p.m. on Cater Lawn following their interviews earlier in the day.

Lucy Anne Link, SGA executive director of elections, announced the Top 5.

Kesley Guyan, senior in psychology, said she can’t

believe she was chosen.

“I feel like my whole world is flipped upside down in a good way,” Guyan said.

“I’ve been nervous all day and the fact that there have been so many amazing women that did this and we’re the ones chosen for this ... it’s just the opportunity of a lifetime.”

Victoria Starks, senior in nutrition science, said she couldn’t stop smiling after her name was called.

“I’m extremely honored

and speechless,” Starks said.

“I can’t stop smiling from ear-to-ear.”

Leah Bostany, senior in biomedical sciences, said she’s honored to be among the Top 5.

“Obviously there’s a lot of work ahead, but I’m so passionate about my platform,” Bostany said.

Kate Hardman, senior in nursing, said she’s eager to meet people during the process.

“Wow, I am completely

blown away and honored to be in this position,” Hardman said. “I can’t wait to honor the women of Chi Omega.”

Maggie Smith, senior in human development and family studies, said she is both speechless and excited.

“I cannot express how thrilled and honored I am to get to share my platform and heart with Auburn’s campus,” Smith said. “I am so excited for this opportunity to be a part of the homecoming tradition.”

DAKOTA SUMPTER / MANAGING EDITOR

Leah Bostany, Kelsey Guyan,Victoria Starks, Maggie Smith & Kate Hardman.

MENTAL HEALTH

Student Counseling to make changes following recent Task Force findings Emmy Leberte CAMPUS REPORTER

Student Counseling Services is undergoing changes following the release of the Mental Health Task Force findings during the 2016 spring semester.

Jesse Westerhouse, SGA president, said the Mental Health Task Force analyzed a variety of surveys and focus groups including students, faculty and staff to determine what Student Counseling Services can do better for the student body.

“We need more resources to take on the challenges we face with mental health, because we have administration that is receptive to student needs, those resources will be allocated,” Westerhouse said.

“We are very thankful to go to a school that is so willing to work with and hear out students.”

Doug Hankes, director of Student Counseling Services, said there is an overwhelming number of students seeking counseling each year.

“The biggest one [Task Force finding] is having additional resources and the recommendations, I think this is over the next 5-6 years, is to double the size of the staff,” Hankes said. “There is no way to hire all those people at once, but the University has made a financial commitment to doing that over the next 5-6 years.”

Hankes said Student Counseling Services plan on hiring more psychologists, psychiatrists, counselors and an additional case manager.

At the end of the last two springs semesters Student Counseling Services has had a waiting list.

“One of the people we’ve hired since the recommendations have come out is a case manager and we are go-

“

STUDENT AFFAIRS S P OT L I G H T See Hazing, Stop Hazing

We need more resources to take on the challenges we face with mental health.

Because we have administration that is receptive to student needs, those resources will be allocated.”

—Jesse Westerhouse SGA president

ing to be hiring a second one,” Hankes said. “This case manager’s job is solely to keep track of how people are doing on the waiting list so there is more one-on-one attention and to make sure some of these symptoms or issues have not worsened.”

Students will be able to schedule consultation sessions with the case managers.

They will check in to see how they’re doing until they get assigned to a counselor, Hankes said.

Westerhouse said SGA hopes there will be program expansion with the additional resources being added.

“With more resources we will see an increase in counselors and with that, the hope is that wait times will decrease dramatically,” Westerhouse said.

Student Counseling Services also received recommendations including a 24/7 mental health crisis line and the development of a APA Credited Doctoral Internship, which would give the service four more professionals who are almost done with medical school, Hankes said.

“The intern functions as a full time employee,” Hankes said. “They can come from anywhere in the country.”

Hankes said that they offer the counseling service free of charge because they want to

see students be successful.

“Some students are not successful because they don’t do the basic stuff like going to classes, studying enough and just doing the work,” Hankes said. “Some students struggle academically because of mental health related kind of stuff.”

Hankes said college is a stressful time for many students and can bring out underlying mental health issues that may not have been addressed in the past, Hankes said.

“We market ourselves as the Auburn Family and if that is the case then you take care of the members of your family,” Hankes said. “If there is something going on mental health related, then why wouldn’t we offer that assistance.”

The primary focus of Student Counseling Services this year is suicide prevention, Hankes said.

Westerhouse said he wants to see the “stigma” surrounding the resources change.

“College is such a highstress time for so many, having accessible counselors allows students to work through mental health problems such as anxiety, depression, eating disorders and etc.,” Westerhouse said.

“It is one of the most important things for a student body to have access to these resources.”

As Auburn men and women, we should be vigilant about protecting one another from power-based violence, including hazing. Make an anonymous report at www.auburn.edu/stophazing.

R E C O G N I Z E I T. R E P O R T I T. E N D I T.

auburn.edu/StudentAffairs

@AuburnStudents

facebook.com/AuburnStudents

@AuburnStudents

Auburn Students

Campus 4

Thursday, September 8, 2016

The Auburn Plainsman

ACADEMICS

New social studying app ‘Spitball’ launching for students Claire Tully CAMPUS EDITOR

CONTRIBUTED BY JORDAN WEISS

TOP: Justin Liao, Head of Business Development, and Jordan Weiss, Head of US Operations.

BOTTOM: Spitball user opening the app.

Spitball, a social sharing app, was founded in Israel by college students. This semester, the free app is launching as a studying resource for students.

Jordan Weiss, Spitball U.S. operations head, said it is the only free social studying app available.

“Spitball is a communication and social studying app for college students,” Weiss said. “On Spitball, you can share and access study materials, chat with your classmates, create custom quizzes and more.”

The app allows students to interact with each other by sharing stuyding tools and asking each other questions, Weiss said.

“Spitball works by allowing students to find and follow all of their classes and then creates a customized dashboard which acts as a central hub for studying for the semester,” Weiss said. “Each class has an individual feed where students can share and compare notes, ask questions, create quizzes and chat with their classmates.”

Weiss said students can create and take customized quizzes, then make them available to their classmates.

“Students can share their study guides and notes on Spitball, either with the entire class or with selected friends in a private study group,” Weiss said. “Additionally, students can communicate with each other via our chat feature, which is available both on the web and through the Spitball app.”

There are several Auburn files available on the app for students to begin studying with, Weiss said.

“We also have a database of nearly 300,000 documents uploaded by students, including class notes, study guides and practice exams,” Weiss said. “In fact, we have over 1,900 documents from Auburn alone.”

Weiss said Auburn is not the only American university to launch Spitball.

“Spitball has officially launched at 13 American universities,” Weiss said. “They are Auburn, Florida, Iowa, Iowa State, Michigan, Michigan State, Missouri, Ohio State, Penn State, Texas A&M, UNC, Vanderbilt and Wisconsin.”

Spitball is the most popular social studying app in Israel, Weiss said.

“Spitball was founded in Israel and has over two-thirds of Israeli students on our platform,” Weiss said.

Weiss said the app is also available in some European and Asian countries.

“Many students in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Russia are also Spitballers,” Weiss said.

Professors will have the same access to Spitball as students, Weiss said.

“While Spitball is a platform designed for students, we have seen some professors use the app as a communication tool for the class and as a way to share lecture slides, class notes and practice exams,” Weiss said.

Weiss said his favorite feature on the app is chatting.

“It’s great to find and message classmates whether you’re on your phone or laptop,” Weiss said.

Weiss said he wishes there was something like Spitball available when he was a student.

“I always remember studying the night before tests and having last minute questions that went unanswered,” Weiss said. “Now students can log on Spitball, message their classmates who are online studying at the same time and get an immediate response.”

Spitball’s goal is to help students improve academically, Weiss said.

“Spitball has many great features designed to help students study smarter, not harder,” Weiss said.

FACILITIES

Charles E. Gavin III breaks ground on engineering research laboratory Claire Tully CAMPUS EDITOR

Charles E. Gavin III, 1959 Auburn graduate in textile management, spoke at the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering on Saturday Sept. 3 and helped break ground on The Carol Ann and Charles R. Gavin III Engineering Research Laboratory for renovations.

Gavin said his late wife, Carol Ann, was a driving force in his efforts to make this research laboratory renovation possible.

“The groundbreaking for the Gavin Engineering Research Lab was Carol Ann’s dream for me,” Gavin said. “My hope is that each of you

will join us in making this dream come true for her.”

Gavin said he is proud Auburn has a devoted Board of Trustees.

“Their vision is focused on students’ success,” Gavin said.

Michael A. DeMaioribus, vice president pro tempore, said Gavin has supported the University in several ways, one being through his scholarships.

Gavin’s support of Auburn academics, facilities and athletics shows his deep love for the university, DeMaioribus said.

“We’re celebrating a new beginning for one of

the most iconic buildings on Auburn’s campus,” DeMaioribus said. “This building…will serve as a physical reminder of, and a very fitting tribute [to Carol Ann].”

Christoper B. Roberts, dean of engineering, said Gavin’s passion was the catalyst for this project.

The building also serves as a reminder of Auburn’s academic and professional strength even during economically challenging times, Roberts said.

“It’s an iconic building that was finished in 1921,” Roberts said. “It’s really going to be a beautiful facility.”

“

The groundbreaking for the Gavin Engineering Research Lab was Carol Ann’s dream for me. My hope is that each of you will join us in making this dream come true for her.”

—Charles E. Gavin III 1959 Auburn Graduate

GREEK LIFE

CONTRIBUTED BY HAILEE WALLS

LEFT: Erika Vargas and Janet Gembe hold bouquets before a Kappa Delta Chi social.

RIGHT: Kappa Delta Chi chapter on Samford Lawn.

Kappa Delta Chi seeks to ‘diversify Auburn’s campus’ Claire Tully CAMPUS EDITOR

Kappa Delta Chi, a multicultural sorority, sought to attract an interest group on Auburn’s campus after being approached last semester; Now they’re in the middle of the ongoing process of becoming an official university chapter

by November.

Hailee Walls, Kappa Delta Chi president, said it’s not been a simple process.

“Establishing a multicultural sorority at Auburn is not exactly an easy thing to do,” Walls said. “It takes a lot of time and patience, but it’s definitely been worth it.”

While the sorority welcomes people from all backgrounds, bringing together a large group of women proved to be a struggle, Walls said.

“We were approached by Kappa Delta Chi last semester — they were wanting to establish a chapter here,” Walls said. “The hardest part was recruiting enough girls to make an interest group.”

Walls said unfamiliarity and lack of diversity presented a challenge in recruiting potential new

members.

“Mostly because no one is familiar with KDChi and minorities make up a small percentage of Auburn’s demographics — although, don’t get me wrong, KD-Chi wants girls from every background,” Walls said.

Walls said the sorority was overwhelmed with support once they began fundraising in order to establish themselves as an official campus organization.

“Once we established an interest group and held a few social events, we needed to fundraise $500 in order to have colony status,” Walls said.

Walls said the sorority was able to fundraise by raising awareness through event-hosting and social media.

“We held a fundraiser at BurgerFi and we created a GoFundMe [webpage],” Walls said.

Facebook was an important tool in fundraising and getting word out about Kappa Delta Chi, Walls said.

“Our goal for GoFundMe was to get friends and family involved in what we are doing, as well as to get the word out about KD-Chi via Face-

book,” Walls said.

Walls said the sorority’s mission is to bring a group of women together that understand one another and feel welcome.

“Mainly, we want to bring girls from diverse backgrounds, particularly Latina backgrounds, together so that they have other girls they can relate to and so that, in a sense, they can feel more at home,” Walls said. “A lot of girls don’t feel like they fit into the sororities on campus so we want to create a group that promotes all of these girls’ diversity and heritages.”

Kappa Delta Chi’s long-term goal at Auburn is to promote diversity and bring cultural awareness to campus, Walls said.

“In the same manner, we want to bring more diversity to campus through KD-Chi,” Walls said. “We hope KD-Chi will attract more Latina girls and girls from other cultures to Auburn.”

Walls said the sorority is dedicated to service and their national philanthropy is the American Cancer Society.

“Kappa Delta Chi focuses on academic and professional development, as well as communi-

ty service,” Walls said. “Among all of our chapters, we contribute 40,000 hours of service every year.”

Walls said in the next couple of weeks the sorority will begin to officially establish itself on campus.

“We will begin the 8-week process of becoming an official chapter here in Auburn,” Walls said. “Our main goal is to finish this process by November before finals begin.”

Kappa Delta Chi will be the first multicultural sorority in the state when the 8-week process is completed, Walls said.

“Once we have completed that, we will have initiation and our ‘coming out’ to campus,” Walls said. “Then we will officially be the first multicultural sorority in Alabama, and we’re pretty excited about that.”

Walls said she believes they organization will diversify Auburn in the coming years, particulary the Latina population.

“If everything goes as planned, we will be able to increase the Latina population here in Auburn over the next few years,” Walls said.

Opinion

5

Thursday, September 8, 2016

ThePlainsman.com

Opinion

In defense of Parking Services OUR VIEW

Fall Editorial Board 2016

At almost every school, it’s popular practice for students to deride their universities. Whether it’s for serious issues such as a lack of Universityled action toward sexual assault or more benign issues such as dining options, the complaints are there and plentiful.

Specifically, people here are upset about the University changing the times for A-zone parking, a decision rooted in the faculty’s need to have consistent parking for work.

Some students argue more parking lots need to be created on campus, an idea that isn’t inherently wrong, but may not be easily reconciled with the way Auburn’s campus is designed.

Too often, students complain about the need for more spaces without fully appreciating the balance the University must maintain between keeping a decent number of parking spaces available and keeping Auburn from becoming a huge parking lot.

Auburn’s walkability has become a staple of its campus design. Students want to be able to walk all around campus without having to navigate a sea of vehicles.

There are some ways to appease folks who want more parking spaces.

One way the University has answered these complaints is by buying the North Parking Deck on the corner of West Magnolia Avenue and Wire Road. This adds more than 900 parking spaces

STERLING WAITS / GRAPHICS EDITOR

for students and faculty, and it isn’t a detriment to Auburn’s walkability because it is on the edge of campus.

Another way the University is combating increased demand for parking is by facilitating the

use of alternative transportation.

The University established a bike rental service in spring 2016, which accommodates students with good, reliable transportation.

This way, fewer people require cars while at-

tending Auburn and therefore fewer parking spaces are needed. Instead of trying to add several more lots, we should push alternatives.

We believe steps such as these will do well to preserve Auburn’s lovely, walkable campus.

HER VIEW

So why does my punctuation make you insecure, exactly?

Lily Jackson INTRIGUE EDITOR

Receiving a message lacking exclamation marks, Emojis and other exuberant punctuation has become a sign of passive-aggressive anger.

You know what I mean, that three-word text message ending with the “dreaded” period.

We’ve all received it and immediately questioned whether the relationship is in grave danger.

I don’t see the reasoning there. Periods have been the poster-child of punctuation since written language emerged.

Think back to when you learned how to compose a sentence. Did you learn how to use a question mark first? What about an exclamation mark?

No. You poked that sheet of triple-lined beginner’s paper with the tip of your pencil and called it a period.

Why now have we correlated being short with people with the use of the period? The culprits are overcompensation and the fear of assumptions.

If you think about it, what do we not want more, more, more of? Even when need becomes excessive want, we continually press on to reach those ever-growing American consumption rates.

It’s the same case with punctuation.

We want more and more and more, so when we put the very minimum, a period, we come off as an uptight, uninteresting grandparent. I mean, like who uses correct, like, grammar anyways?

Language is the most advanced it has ever been, yet we crave a weekly extension to our

Emoji board, and we accessorize simple sentences with an excessive amount of exclamation points and question marks.

We overcompensate and butcher the English language for the fear of offending others. It’s interesting to me that so many people can have their sanity and confidence uprooted by a tiny, itty-bitty period.

I thought cursing people out was bad until I sent someone a simple sentence ending with a period ... sheesh.

In a world of social-media-absorbed robots, why have we shunned the one punctuation mark that is supposed to imply the least?

Questioning creates nerves. Exclamation implies anger or excitement.

Periods ... well, they only imply a statement being made. I would estimate that three-fourths of what we say are plain, simple statements that require a period.

Over analysis leads to skewed assumptions that cause more stress and worry in our lives — like we needed any more. Assuming the use of a period might rock your friend’s world or assuming the period that topped off the last text you received is a “bump in your friendship” is a waste of time and brain power.

And we’ve all heard what assuming does...

We fear the assumptions others might make, while at the same time, we constantly make assumptions on what hidden messages could be encrypted in “No, I can’t come to your house tonight, I’m busy. Sorry.”

People’s minds go bonkers when they receive that message, and the sincerity and underlying meaning is questioned.

There is a reason why some correlate passiveaggressiveness with spherical punctuation. It’s because it has been used, in the past, by the send-

The Editorial Board Corey Williams EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Claire Tully CAMPUS

Madison Ogletree PHOTO

Dakota Sumpter MANAGING EDITOR

Chip Brownlee COMMUNITY

Anne Dawson SOCIAL MEDIA

Shannon Powell COPY

Emily Shoffit

Parker Aultman MULTIMEDIA

Weston Sims OPINION

Emily Esleck

SPORTS DESIGN

Lily Jackson INTRIGUE

Submissions

Policy

The Auburn Plainsman welcomes letters from students, as well as faculty, administrators, alumni and those not affiliated with the University.

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.

STERLING WAITS / GRAPHICS EDITOR

er to relay a passive-aggressive message of anger, irritation or any other unpleasant emotion.

It circles right back to overcompensation.

Current generations are accustomed to dressing everything to high-heaven with Emojis and excessive sporadic exclamations. Therefore, when one is attempting to relay a cold-shoulder vibe the period is the only punctuation with which we are left.

“Well, why not just leave the punctuation off to show no emotion,” I ask rhetorically.

No punctuation: normal and trendy.

Correct punctuation: ALERT, ALERT. You must have peed in the cereal of whomever sent you that message.

These habits haven’t been chained to iMessage, but have creeped their way into profes-

sional emails, official documents and some media.

Before long, people will no longer be able to tell the difference between your most recent Facebook rant and your resume.

It all starts with how you operate on a daily basis.

Whether you explode with insecurities after receiving a grammatical phrase through text or you accept that not everything has to be screamed or accessorized, you are creating habits and crafting your personal nature.

In the end, you decide whether a drop of ink makes you insecure.

Lily can be reached at intrigue@ThePlainsman.com

Community Thursday, September 8, 2016

6 ThePlainsman.com

Community

CITY GOVERNMENT

HISTORY

Council tables budget vote Kris Martins

COMMUNITY REPORTER

The Auburn City Council delayed further discussion and a vote on the city’s biennial budget for the 2017 and 2018 fiscal years.

The proposed budget would create several new full-time public safety positions designated specifically for the campus of Auburn University.

Ward 3 City Councilwoman Beth Witten denied unanimous consent required for the budget approval at Tuesday’s council meeting, saying she wanted more time to review the information. The budget will reappear on the next meeting’s agenda Sept. 20, and the 2017 fiscal year will begin Oct. 1.

Over the two-year period, the budget proposes 31 new full-time jobs, 24 of which would be in the Auburn Police Division.

Of those 24, 16 would be designated for the University campus.

The new campus positions would include nine officers, two detectives, three lieutenants, a sergeant and an administrative secretary. They are a part of the city’s planned oncampus precinct to be staffed by 39 sworn officers.

The precinct would be located on Magnolia Avenue where the University’s public safety department is housed, and officers assigned to the University would report there rather than at the city police headquarters on Ross Street, which is the current procedure.

Over the last 12 years in which the city

has presided over University public safety, there have been “very minimal” additions to campus public safety personnel, said City Manager Charles Duggan.

“In talking with the University, there was some extra patrol we’d like to do to … continue to keep campus safe, so the University was very receptive to us adding officers to each shift to make sure as much of campus is covered as possible,” Duggan said.

Witten added that the new Universitydesignated officers would allow officers currently juggling city and University calls to focus on one area, making the workflow more efficient.

“We still will share resources, but this will have a more dedicated presence on campus and provide for … more security for campus itself and the students on campus and also more security for our residents within the city, just to make it a little … more dedicated service for campus and the city,” Witten said.

Education and construction take priority alongside public safety The $82.25 million general fund budget for 2017 would see about a 6-percent decrease from the $87.63 million budget for fiscal year 2016. But the 2018 budget is set to surpass 2017 by about $1.5 million.

Public safety; education; and general government, planning and staff support programs would see an increase in expenditures in the next fiscal year, while parks,

leisure and culture; public works and maintenance; and economic development programs would see cuts.

The increase in expenditures reflects the city’s monetary priorities for the past couple of years.

Auburn’s public safety program, which includes the judicial, public safety and environmental and animal control departments, takes the city’s first priority, as it would make up 29.9 percent of the 2017 general fund budget. In 2018, it would make up 31.4 percent of it.

The public safety department would take most of the program’s funds, with nearly half of its expenditures dedicated to increasing all police personnel.

Despite cuts within the public works and maintenance program, it still takes up 17.5 percent of the 2017 budget expenditures, second only to public safety. In 2016, it took up 25.9 percent.

Both the public works department and environment services, which are within the program area, will see increases in expenditures, with the $1.83 million for construction being the largest fund allocation in the department for 2017.

The allocation, a 14-percent increase from 2016, would go toward the projects on the city’s Capital Improvement Plan, such as new sidewalks, downtown improvements and Americans with Disabilities Act compliance.

CONTRIBUTED BY CONSTANCE ROSENBLATT

ROTC members leave for World War II from the former train depot.

'War Eagle Special' Heritage group remembers rail line

Tiara Bond

COMMUNITY WRITER

“The Crescent” passenger rail line had a long history in Auburn. It operated from 1925–70 and connected the cities of New Orleans and Washington D.C. Auburn students at the time dubbed the railway the “War Eagle Special,” said Constance Rosenblatt, a member of the Auburn Heritage Association. During the time the train ran, it was the only one that serviced Auburn and was one of the few ways students got to the school. Many had never seen Auburn University until they got off the train.

The train is a local movie star as well, having appeared in the 1991 box office hit “Fried Green Tomatoes.”

It was also used as a form of retaliation against Georgia Tech when then-Auburn students greased the tracks of the train and painted them orange so that the train couldn’t stop until it was miles past Auburn. The Georgia Tech players had to walk all the way back.

Auburn won 45-0.

“It’s part of Auburn’s heritage as the Loveliest Village on The Plains,” Rosenblatt said.

Rosenblatt has lived in Auburn since 1976 when her husband, also a member of the Auburn Heritage Association, took a job at the University. Rosenblatt has held a teaching position at Auburn

PLANNING

Residents discuss northwest area plan Sam Willoughby COMMUNIY WRITER

Over 200 Auburn residents gathered in the Boykin Center Auditorium to discuss the future of northwest Auburn, an area of the city that houses nearly 3,000 residents, in the first of several meetings being held by the city to collect community input.

Residents and community leaders met in August to brainstorm the neighborhood plan currently being developed by the city. Mayor Bill Ham, who was among the crowd, was pleasantly surprised at the turnout.

“It surpassed any number I thought would come,” Ham said.

Ward 1 City Councilman Clemon Byrd, a lifelong resident of the area, said he is eager to see the parks updated, which are concurrently undergoing assessment by the Parks and Recreation Department, and improved infrastructure within his ward, especially along Highway 14.

“There are a lot of buildings that need attention,” Byrd said. “Some things are just an

eyesore.”

For the city, the meeting also served as a chance to clear up any misconceptions about future blueprints. “[Some residents] had concerns that the city had a preconceived plan of what was going to go on, which wasn’t the case,” Ham said. “The meeting was held absolutely to find out ... what the citizens want to see.”

Auburn Planning Director Forrest Cotten echoed Ham’s statement.

“We very much want the integrity of that neighborhood to remain intact, and so we’re not going to do anything that would go against preserving that neighborhood,” Cotten said.

But Cotten said the city’s latest zoning changes, enacted last March, should alleviate fears of rising prices for the 39 percent of the population who rent in the area.

Construction of student-housing apartments is prohibited in the neighborhood.

However, apartments for students are encouraged in an area only a few blocks south

of the neighborhood north of West Magnolia Avenue and south of Highway 14.

“We feel like we really eliminated that concern of their’s because purpose-built student housing is no longer permitted in any of the zones that cover this neighborhood,” Cotten said. “But we are aware of that concern, we understand it, and we agree with it.”

To Ham and many residents in Byrd’s ward, the plan is long overdue.

“We had a number of citizens in the northwest Auburn community that contacted their council member ... and said, ‘When are we going to see some things done to this part of town?’” Ham said.

He maintained that previous attempts at revitalization, like a plan put together in 2004, were plagued by absentee or stubborn landowners unwilling to restore their property.

This time, Ham insisted, it’s different.

“I think that the city and the City Council are committed to moving forward,” he said.

University as well for the last seven years.

The Heritage Association installed a historic marker near the Auburn train depot, now the site of a restaurant called The Depot, on Mitcham Avenue. The marker was installed Aug. 21 in front of a crowd of about 60 people.

Those who had a history with the train — the railroad workers or their descendants and people who had once been passengers — were encouraged to attend the dedication.

The process of getting the plaque was both lengthy and costly, said Mary Norman, president of the Auburn Heritage Association.

“The marker cost $2,000, and the whole process took about nine months,” Norman said.

The process included going through various organizations including the Auburn City Council and the owners of The Depot. The marker honoring the Crescent Line was the 20th historic marker the Auburn Heritage Association has placed in the area.

Auburn is the only stop along the entire former rail line from Washington D.C. to New Orleans to have a historical dedication to the train.

Once Amtrak took over the line in January 1970, the train no longer stopped in Auburn.

But the train remains a part of the city’s history, Rosenblatt said.

ELECTIONS

House candidate Joe Lovvorn believes small-town values could help Alabama Chip Brownlee COMMUNITY EDITOR

Most people’s hometown at least has a traffic light or two, but Joe Lovvorn grew up in a town with only a stop sign. And instead of a Dollar General or a Walmart, Graham, Alabama, Lovvorn’s hometown in Randolph County, boasted only two small country stores.

“In a small town a lot of the issues of the day are discussed in the small stores,” Lovvorn said. “I would sit with parched peanuts on rainy days and hear the other farmers coming in, talking about their struggles. ...

The rainy days in farming — that’s when politics were talked about.”

One of Lovvorn’s grandfathers owned a saw mill, but he also served on the school board and as a small-town mayor.

Lovvorn’s dad served on the county commission. He said they instilled in him the values he holds dear today as he runs for the Republican nomination for House District 79.

“Small town values, understanding and the appreciation of sitting down at that kitchen table to tighten the belt on your budget to live within your means, I feel like we could apply some of that common sense to how we run our government on all levels,” he said. “Live within your means, prioritize

CHIP BROWNLEE / COMMUNITY EDITOR

Joe Lovvorn is a candidate in the House District 79 Republican Primary.

and be true to the people who are around you.”

Lovvorn said the couple hundred people who lived in his small hometown always picked one another up by the bootstraps. His family owned one of the country stores in the town, but if something ever happened, they knew they could rely on the store across the street.

“We had a country store beside us that some of our family friends ran, and we always got along and worked well,” he said. “Because if one of us fal-

tered, all of us faltered. We got along so well with the neighboring store that if we were out of Reese’s Cups at my grandma’s store, I could take a Snickers over there and swap it for a Reese’s.”

Lovvorn said he learned early that he should always try to give back to his community.

“They instilled in me that you work hard every day,” he said. “You be true to your religion, true to your family and true to your neighbor. That’s what they instilled in me. As a farmer, you may work in the

fields all day,x but there’s usually a meeting somewhere in the community that you’re going to to try to make your church better, try to make your school better and try to make your county better.”

Now, Lovvorn balances a day job at the Auburn Fire Division, where he works every third day as a battalion chief, with his work at Berkshire Hathaway Real Estate and the dedication he has for his franchise of Two Men and A Truck, a moving company located on Opelika Road.

Lovvorn said he is ready to sacrifice his time for the district, though, if he’s elected.

“It’s always been instilled in me that it’s hard work, keep pushing,” Lovvorn said. “I have amazing people through our company. ... I’ve surrounded myself with good people who help me daily, who have strong family values. ... I wouldn’t be running for this if I didn’t feel like I could wholeheartedly represent the people.”

He’s also taking a step back from his work in real estate, a business in which his wife Jen-

nifer now works full time. Lovvorn and his wife both received degrees from Auburn, and they have two kids who attend Auburn City Schools.

He’s the only candidate with a degree from Auburn.

“I had a lot of family who were Alabama fans,” Lovvorn said. “But I have always been pulled toward Auburn. I think it may be my love for agriculture and agribusiness, knowing it’s the land grant school. ...

I have bled orange and blue for my whole life, even when I had family who didn’t. I was a believer in Auburn, and I still am today.”

Lovvorn will face off against real estate developer Jay Conner, attorney Brett Smith and small-business owner Sandy Toomer in the Republican Primary to be held on Tuesday, Sept. 13. If no one clenches 50 percent in the election, there will be another primary runoff held in November.

If no runoff is necessary, the general election is scheduled for Nov. 29.

This article on Joe Lovvorn is the fourth and final piece in a series of profiles on all of the House District 79 Republican candidates. To read full-length pieces on all of the candidates, including their views on the issues, visit The Plainsman.com

Thursday, September 8, 2016

The Auburn Plainsman

Community 7

Sports Thursday, September 8, 2016

8 ThePlainsman.com

Sports

BASKETBALL

SCOREBOARD SOCCER (3-3-0)

FILE PHOTO

LAST WEEK vs Iowa State (L, 1-0) vs USC (L, 2-0) THIS WEEK Sept. 9 vs Vanderbilt Auburn Soccer Complex 6 p.m. CST UPCOMING Sept. 11 vs Baylor Auburn Soccer Complex 2 p.m. CST

VOLLEYBALL (3-4-0)

DAKOTA SUMPTER / MANAGING EDITOR

Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl celebrates a three-point shot during the second half of the NCAA Division I basketball game between the Auburn Tigers and the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville,Tennessee on Saturday, Dec. 12.

Tigers welcome rivals

2016-2017 Men’s Basketball conference schedule released Jack Winchester SPORTS REPORTER

For the first time in 28 years, the Auburn men’s basketball team will face a conference opponent in December.

The Tigers will tip off conference play on Dec. 29 when the Georgia Bulldogs visit Auburn Arena, the SEC announced Tuesday.

Auburn will play a home-and-home with their three common opponents in Alabama, Georgia and Ole Miss, and will also play a home-and-home with LSU and Missouri. Bruce Pearl and the Tigers will play Florida, Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi State on the Plains, and will travel to Kentucky, Vanderbilt, South Carolina and Texas A&M. A new look Auburn roster faces the possibility of playing 15 games against 12 teams that reached the postseason last year. Seven of those potential games will be against NCAA Tourna-

ment teams and eight will be against NIT Tournament opponents.

The Tigers will play in Auburn Arena 15 times this year, with two of those match ups tipping off at 8 p.m. CST. All 18 conference games will be televised.

Of the nine home SEC games, Auburn will play five during the week and four on Saturdays.

After Auburn’s SEC opener vs.

Georgia, the Tigers play three consecutive games on the SEC Network at Vanderbilt on Jan. 4, Ole Miss on Jan. 7 and at Missouri on Jan. 10. Auburn will be on ESPN or ESPN2 in two of its next three games at Kentucky on Jan. 14 and Alabama on Jan. 21, with LSU on Jan. 18 on the SEC Network.

Auburn plays six of its next nine games on away from home at South Carolina on Jan. 24 on the SEC Network, at TCU on Jan. 28 in the SEC/ Big 12 Challenge on ESPNU followed by a pair of SEC Network games vs.

SOFTBALL

Tennessee on Jan. 31 and at Alabama on Feb. 4.

The Tigers play Mississippi State on Feb. 7 on ESPNU, at Ole Miss on Feb. 11 on the SEC Network, Florida on Feb. 14 on the SEC Network and backto-back road games at Texas A&M on Feb. 18 on ESPNU and at LSU on Feb. 21 on SEC Network to close out the tough stretch.

Auburn’s final home game will be on March 4 as the Tigers take on Missouri.

Seniors T.J. Dunans, Ronnie Johnson, Laron Smith and Devin Wadell will be recognized in a senior day ceremony before tip off. The SEC Tournament is March 8-12 in Nashville, Tennessee, at Bridgestone Arena.

Pearl released the Tigers non-conference schedule on July 19. With the complete schedule in place, Auburn will be tested early and often before reaching conference play.

“I’ve always believed that you

schedule where you want your program to be regardless of whether it is ready or not,” said Pearl. “This is one of the toughest non-conference schedules in college basketball and our program will be challenged. But, if we can manage to win a couple of games that we are not supposed to and grind out a few others, we could put our program in position to go someplace we haven’t gone in a long time, and that is postseason.”

Coming off a season where injuries lead to an 11-20 record. Tough road contests include UConn, UAB and TCU. The Tigers will also meet Boston College and Oklahoma on neutral floors.

“If we can manage to win a couple of games that we are not supposed to and grind out a few others, we could put our program in position to go some place we haven’t gone in a long time, and that is postseason,” Pearl said.

National runnerup announces fall schedule Emily Shoffit SPORTS EDITOR

ADAM SPARKS / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Auburn head coach Clint Myers looks on during the Tigers’ game against the Sooners.Auburn vs Oklahoma,WCWS Finals Game 1 on Monday, June 6, 2016 in Oklahoma City.

Head coach Clint Myers and his staff released the Auburn softball fall schedule on Wednesday, featuring five home dates with games to be played at Jane B. Moore Field.

This year’s fall camp has the Tigers facing five community college opponents and one Division II opponent.

Auburn will kick things off with the alumni game on Oct. 2, to wrap up Alumni Weekend at Auburn University. The day will begin with a brief warm-up period followed by a slow pitch softball game at 11 a.m. Alumni will then have the chance to square off with current members of the 2016 softball team at 1 p.m. CST. Auburn returns to the field two weeks later when it hosts a three-team tournament on Oct. 15. Opponents include Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and Wallace State Community College-Dothan in a doubleheader at 2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m., respectively. The two visitors will face off against each other before

the doubleheader at 12 p.m.

On Oct. 16 Daytona State Community College is set to face off against the Tigers in two games, with first pitch set for 12 p.m.

The Tigers then take on Wallace State Community College-Hanceville in a doubleheader on Oct. 21 with a 4 p.m. start time.

Auburn will conclude their fall schedule with an all day tournament involving three teams on Oct. 29. Auburn faces Northwest Florida State Community College and Columbus State in succession, beginning at 2:30 p.m. Both of those teams will play each other before taking on Auburn later that afternoon.

The Tigers are coming into fall camp riding on the heals of program history. Auburn faced off against the Oklahoma Sooners in their first World Series berth, falling in game three. The national runners up look to continue their momentum from the historic season with a new freshman class and leadership from familiar seniors Kasey Cooper and Haley Fagan.

Admission is free to all fall Auburn softball games.

FILE PHOTO

LAST WEEK at Stony Brook (W, 3-0) at Santa Clara (L, 3-1) at Louisville (W, 3-2) THIS WEEK Sept. 9 vs Memphis Auburn Arena 12 p.m. CST Sept. 9 vs Miami (Oh) Auburn Arena 7:30 p.m. CST Sept. 10 vs Jacksonville Auburn Arena 1:30 p.m. CST

Football (0-1)

FILE PHOTO

LAST WEEK vs Clemson (L, 19-13) THIS WEEK Sept. 9 vs Arkansas State Jordan-Hare Stadium 6:30 p.m. CST

Cross Country (1-0)

FILE PHOTO

LAST WEEK at JSU Strut’s Opener (M – 1st, W – 1st) THIS WEEK Sept. 10 – Furman Classic Greenville, South Carolina All Day

Thursday, September 8, 2016

Sports 9

The Auburn Plainsman

Malzahn and Pearl invest in Auburn

FUNDRAISING

Emily Shoffit SPORTS EDITOR

FILE PHOTO

Gus Malzahn (left) joins Bruce Pearl (right) at a press conference welcoming Pearl to Auburn.

Auburn head football coach Gus Malzahn and head men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl have come together to pledge $500,000 toward the campus-wide Because This is Auburn comprehensive campaign.

Both coaches have structured their gifts to create two endowed scholarships for first-generation students, which will be named the Gus and Kristi Malzahn Endowed Scholarship for First-Generation Scholars and the Bruce and Brandy Pearl Endowed Scholarship for FirstGeneration Scholars.

The remainder of the gifts will be used for the investment in Auburn Athletics academic programming for student-athletes. StudentAthlete Support Services provides a number of programs to help ensure student-athlete academic success from the time they enter Auburn as a freshman to graduation. These programs include academic counseling, mentoring, tutoring, life skills and career development.

“We’re a family here at Auburn,” Malzahn said. “Investing in the students and their future is important to me and it’s important to Kristi. The success of this campaign is a credit to the Auburn Family and everybody being in this thing together. We believe in Auburn and what it stands for and that’s what makes it special.”

“To whom much is given, much is expected,” Pearl said. “Brandy and I feel blessed to have this opportunity to make a gift that will make a difference in the future of Auburn Uni-

versity. We both believed we should provide some leadership in this campaign. Our gift is a gift to all students and to Auburn University, not just to Athletics.”

On Friday, Auburn University announced the Because This is Auburn comprehensive campaign had reached its goal of $1 billion in record time with 16 months remaining in the campaign. Launched on April 18, 2015, the University has to date received 393,113 gifts from more than 95,000 donors, 131 of which have given $1 million or more.

“Gifts like these from coach Malzahn and coach Pearl allow us to make dreams come true for the outstanding young student-athletes who represent Auburn,” said Director of Athletics Jay Jacobs. “These gifts are particularly special because they will also provide an incredible opportunity for future first-generation college students who aren’t athletes.”

“The generous contributions made by Coach Malzahn and Coach Pearl show us what I already knew to be true: They believe in Auburn and love it.”

Because This is Auburn supports four major areas: students, faculty, programs, and facilities. Presently, the campaign has resulted in the creation of nearly 1,000 new scholarships for students and 89 new endowed chairs and professorships for educators and researchers.

Donors have invested more than $537 million in new programs, and gifts of more than $132 million are building new facilities and reimagining existing campus facilities.

This Week in Auburn Sports

Volleyball Sept. 2

The Auburn volleyball team came out victorious with a 2-1 record at the Active Ankle Challenge last weekend. The Tigers opened the series on Friday, Sept. 2, by sweeping Stony Brook 3-0 (25-19, 25-19, 25-20), in the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky.

Auburn totaled 11 service aces against Stony Brook. Junior libero Jesse Earl tied a career-high with

four, while junior setter Alexa Filley set a season-best with three.

The Auburn blockers also had a solid night and finished with a season-high seven blocks. Senior Breanna Barksdale was a part of five team blocks, while freshman Gwyn Jones had her hand in four. The back row also produced with Earl having 14 digs and Filley adding seven.

Offensively, it was a collective effort from the Tiger attackers. Sophomore Breanna McIl-

roy led the way with seven, while Barksdale and senior Emily Klitzke chipped in six. Freshman Enija Bidzane tied a season-high with five.

The Seawolves held a slim lead to start the third set and utilized Tiger errors to go up 10-6. Kills from Bidzane and Barksdale highlighted a five-point Auburn run that put the Tigers up 12-11. A kill by McIlroy and back-to-back Filley aces pushed Auburn up 16-13 and a kill by Bidzane sent the Tigers on a four-point rally to close out the

Sept. 3 match, 25-20.

In Auburn’s second match of the Active Ankle Challenge, the Tigers fell to Santa Clara 3-1 (29-31, 2516, 25-23, 25-19), Saturday, Sept.

3.

Earl set a season-high with 28 digs and a career-high with 14 assists. Filley had 32 assists and a season-best 15 digs, while McIlroy totaled 12 kills and 13 digs.

Klitzke led the Tigers with 14 kills and Jones added 10. The Auburn blockers had a season-best 11 stuffs with senior Barksdale leading the way with seven.

The Broncos jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead in the second set and used an eight-point run to go up 178. Kills from Jones and McIlroy cut into the Santa Clara lead, 22-15, but the Broncos closed out the set to win 25-16.

» See THIS WEEK IN SPORTS, 10

Sports 10

Thursday, September 8, 2016

The Auburn Plainsman

PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED BY AUBURN ATHLETICS

TOP: Casie Ramsier (24) shoots for Auburn on Friday, Sept. 2 in Auburn.

LEFT: Gwyn Jones (10) sends the ball over the net.

RIGHT: Senior Veronica Eder runs for Auburn.

THIS WEEK IN SPORTS » From 9

A McIlroy service ace and a Bronco error gave Auburn an early 4-2 advantage in set three. Santa Clara battled back and used a run to go up 12-7. Another long Bronco run made it 17-11, but the Tigers responded with a rally to make it 1715. Santa Clara pushed to set point at 24-19 before Auburn came back with a fourpoint run, 24-23. An Auburn error closed out the set, 2523, Santa Clara.

The Broncos grabbed an 8-3 lead to start the fourth set, forcing an early Auburn timeout. A kill from Macy Reece sent the Tigers on a five-point run to tie the set at 10 apiece before a couple Auburn errors gave the Broncos another lead, 13-10.

Santa Clara pushed to a 1712 advantage and the team held on for a 25-19 win.

In Auburn’s final match, the team went into intermission trailing No. 21 Louisville, 0-2, and came out of it swinging, using tough serves and solid defense to pull off a 3-2 (15-25, 17-25, 25-14, 25-22, 15-8) comeback victory over the Cardinals Saturday night.

“Louisville is a really good team and were very efficient the first two sets,” Auburn head coach Rick Nold said. “We came out with a new mentality in set three and started really fighting for points. When you do that, things start working out in your favor and that’s what happened to us tonight.”

The Tiger servers took care of business beginning in the third set, putting the Cardinals (4-2) out of system on a consistence basis

and allowing the Auburn offense to capitalize on free balls.

“We really tightened up our serving after the break and got them out of system a lot,” Nold added. “That forced Louisville into some errors and we took advantage of it.”

The win moved Auburn to 3-4 on the season. Santa Clara captured the tournament title after going 3-0 on the weekend.

McIlroy and Filley were placed on the All-Tournament team for the Tigers.

McIlroy led the Auburn offense with a season-high 18 kills, while Filley finished with another double-double of 48 assists and 19 digs.

Defensively, Earl put together a 16-dig performance, while sophomore Abigail Miller had a career-best 10 digs. Junior Tate Pember added six digs and a teambest two service aces.

The Tigers return to Auburn Arena, Sept. 9-10, and host the Auburn Invitational. The team opens with a pair of matches vs. Memphis and Miami (OH) Friday and close out the weekend with a 1:30 p.m. match vs. Jacksonville.

Soccer Sept. 2

Despite registering 19 shots, No. 21 Auburn fell at home to Iowa State, 1-0.

“We played a great game and dominated play, but we just didn’t finish our chances,” said head coach Karen Hoppa. “I thought our decisions in the final third were

poor and we kept frustrating ourselves, but credit Iowa State; they defended their tails off.”

Casie Ramsier had five shots on the night, including three on frame. Kristen Dodson was close behind with three attempts, including one on goal.

The Tigers notched nine shots in the first half and were level at 0-0 with the Cyclones heading into halftime.

Iowa State opened the scoring just two minutes into the second half when a cross was played in off a corner and was finished at the back post. The Cyclones maintained a 1-0 lead from there on out.

Haley Gerken and Karli Gutsche each recorded shots on frame as they attempted chances from 30 yards out, but were unable to sneak past the goalkeeper.

Courtney Schell had a shot that ricocheted off a defender in the 87th minute.

However, the Cyclone defense kept it out of the back of the net and went on to snap the Tigers’ three-match winning streak.

Sept. 4 The Auburn soccer team could not hold the USC Trojans at the Auburn Soccer Complex on Sunday, Sept. 4, as they fell 2-0. The Tigers had 13 shots, eight which of were on target.

“I’m really proud of our team,” said head coach Karen Hoppa. “I thought we played some great soccer. Obviously, USC is a great team and really wellcoached. I thought it was just a really quality soccer

game and we were unlucky to not finish our chances, but give credit to USC. They scored on two corners and were able to come out of here with a win.”

Ellie Leek led the way on offense with three shots, including two on net, while Casie Ramsier and Courtney Schell contributed two shots each.

The scored stayed at an even 0-0 until the 26th minute, USC broke the tie with a goal from a corner to make it 1-0. The Trojans kept that margin going into halftime.

The opening of the second half kept the Tigers hot on their feet, with Ellie Leek forcing the USC goalie to make a diving save to keep the score at 1-0.

USC doubled its lead with 14 minutes to play on a ball that bounced around the box and ended up finding the back of the net.

Auburn brought out more intensity and fought until the very end, but it wasn’t enough for the Tigers as they were unable to find the goal.

USC head coach Keidane McAlpine returned to The Plains for the first time since he was an assistant coach at Auburn under Hoppa from 2006-11.

“It’s always a bit emotional having someone you work with for so long on the opposite bench,” stated Hoppa on McAlpine coming back. “There’s also a source of pride in what he’s doing with that program and how good they are. There were a lot of emotions.”

USC goalkeeper Sammy Jo Prudhomme and Iowa State netminder Lindsey Hendon were awarded Co-MVP honors for each producing back-to-

back shutouts in the Auburn Soccer Classic.

Auburn will return to its home field on Friday, Sept.

9, when it opens up conference play against Vanderbilt. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.

CST and will be broadcasted on the SEC Network.

Cross Country Sept. 3

Auburn cross count r y got t he 2016 s ea son started with a sweep at the JSU Strut’s Opener on Friday, winning the men’s and women’s races.

The women scored 31 points behind a 1-2-3 finish from senior Veronica Eder, junior Anna Nelson and senior Rachel Givens.

Eder captured the individual title in the women’s 5k with a time of 13:46.6. She was followed

by Nelson with a time of 14:25.0 to edge out Givens who clocked a 14:33.9.

Kenzley Defler finished sixth for the Tigers with a time of 14:37.2 while Claire Kennedy rounded out the scoring for Auburn, finishing 23rd with a 15:21.4.

On the men’s side, Auburn scored 15 points and finished with the top five runners. Kevin Wyss took the individual title in the men’s 6k with a time of 15:20.6.

Wyss was follow by juniors Wesley Curles (15:20.6), Coleman Churitch (15:20.9), Wesley Pectol (15:21.8) and Mitchell Gomez (15:21.9).

Junior transfer Jay Speiler finished 10th in his first race with the Tigers, finishing with a time of 15:44.6.

Auburn returns to action at the Furman Classic on Sept. 10 for an all day event in Greenville, South Carolina.

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Students, Faculty and Staff Come Meet Our Community Partners!

For more information, visit

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Intrigue Thursday, September 8, 2016

11 ThePlainsman.com

Intrigue

FAMILY

Students give new meaning to phrase ‘the Auburn Family’

Christina Bianca INTRIGUE WRITER

Third generation Auburn student Frances Pittman and her husband Andrew Pittman are redefining the definition of the Auburn Family.

Frances, senior in foreign language education and her husband Andrew, who has earned his bachelor’s degree in fitness, conditioning and performance and is currently earning his second degree in science education, are expecting their second daughter in the next three months.

The couple married two years ago and continued their education after their first daughter, Corinne, was born.

Paige Conway, Frances’ mother said, “I don’t know how they did it. I really don’t.”

Frances wakes up around 5:30 a.m. and drives to her internship where she spends her day teaching students to speak Spanish. She doesn’t return until around 4:00 p.m.

Andrew works in lawn service between classes and watching their daughter. The Pittmans receive help

from Frances’ sister, Lilli Conway, sophomore in mechanical engineering.

Every week, Frances creates a schedule for the three of them that designates the times each person will watch Corinne.

Corinne, whose favorite toy is a stuffed animal named Aubie or in her words, “Bobbie,” is the definition of a born and raised Auburn fan.

Her parents bring her into the student section of Jordan-Hare stadium where she sleeps through the excitement of Auburn football, she learned to crawl in the Quad Center while her parents studied for their respective classes and she can be seen riding through campus in her stroller or on her father’s shoulders.

“You should see us break some necks, it’s hilarious,” Lilli said.

Most people observe them with a curious eye while they walk through campus, but Frances said it doesn’t bother them.

“We know it’s different to walk through campus with an infant,” Frances said. “Sometimes people will want to come up and look at her

and we usually let them. A baby on campus is a bit of an oddity.”

They don’t mention their child or pregnancy to professors unless it comes up in conversation, Andrew said.

“There’s really no need,” Andrew said. “We know what our course requirements are and we know that we need to meet them. We don’t need special treatment.”

The Pittmans said they receive a great amount of support from their families.

The couple has not run into any major problems with having a baby as undergraduate students, Frances said. But, they have run into a few problems on campus.

“Finding somewhere to nurse was a disaster,” Frances said. “It’s also difficult to find an accessible entrance.”

“There are no baby-changing stations in the male bathrooms,” Andrew said.

His wife agreed it is difficult to find a sanitary spot to change Corinne’s diaper on campus. They have noticed that the only plac-

DAKOTA SUMPTER / MANAGING EDITOR

FROM LEFT: Frances Pittman, left, Corinne Pittman, Andrew Pittman and Lilli Conway at the Pittman’s home on Friday, Sept. 2 in Auburn.

es with baby-changing stations are spots that have a lot of traffic during game days.

The Pittman family said they never let their growing family get in the

way of their education.

When Frances graduates in December, they hope to stay in the Opelika area and plant their roots for their family to grow.

MUSIC

The Knights of Auburn: Jazzing up The Plains since 1930

Lily Hendrix INTRIGUE WRITER

One of Auburn’s oldest groups is still keeping swing music alive.

The Knights of Auburn is a professional big jazz band. The band started in the 1930s Alabama Polytechnic Institute’s campus. The Knights of Auburn is primarily student led.

Ryan Blackwell, senior in mechanical engineering, and Richard Nelson, senior in aerospace engineering, are both members of The Knights of Auburn.

Blackwell, who plays trumpet for the ensemble, said it’s a big band swing group that not only plays music from the ‘30s, but also plays music from every decade. Blackwell said he loves being able to play music professionally.

“It’s not something you want to give up, and I have a love for jazz music,” Blackwell said.

Nelson, who plays bass for the band, was a member of band through high school.

“It’s very motivational,” Nelson said.

“It’s also more challenging, which I

love. When you’re assigned a new song in the band, you need to know everything and you need to know it well.”

Blackwell said the ensemble hosts a large summer concert every summer, called “Reunion.” The event welcomes those who performed with the band back in the day.

“All of our alumni will come back [for “Reunion”] and say if they played in the band in the ‘60s, all of the members get together and play their music from their decade,” Blackwell said. “At the end it ends with the current mem-

bers and we play a little bit of everything from Ella Fitzgerald to Bruno Mars. It’s all good dance music regardless.”

Sororities and fraternities are able to book them for socials, Blackwell said.

“For whatever reason, people here in Auburn love to swing dance,” Nelson said. “They swing dance to music that’s not even real swing music, so why not just swing to the real thing.”

“I think it’s unique that we have this mission that we’re taking care of by ourselves promoting swing music,” Nelson said. “People don’t understand that

while they’re swing dancing to music, we’re having just as much fun as they are.”

Blackwell said The Auburn Knights team up with Auburn University Swing Dance Association.

The Knights of Auburn will be hosting is “The Back To School Dance” on Sept. 9, at The Clarion Inn on South College, Nelson said.

“Anyone who shows interest in playing their instrument for us can always give one of us a call or contact us on Facebook,” Blackwell said.

Intrigue 12

Thursday, September 8, 2016

The Auburn Plainsman

TECHNOLOGY

Pocket Points: an app created by college students, for college students Sarah Partain INTRIGUE WRITER

Pocket Points, a new app circling the campus, is designed as an incentive for students to lock their phone in class and pay attention, rewarding time spent off the phone with points that can be used at various local and online retailers.

The app, created by Mitch Gardner and Rob Richardson at California State University, Chico, began as an idea to fight young adults’ obsession with technology.

“We were both students and saw that there was an obvious problem of people being on their cell phones and not paying attention in class,” Gardner said. “We were trying to come up with ways to at least mitigate that problem, and the best solution we had was Pocket Points.”

The app first launched at Chico

State in the fall of 2014. Penn State was the second launch, gaining momentum quickly with 40 percent of the campus on the app within a few weeks.

As a junior and sophomore, Gardner and Richardson struck technology gold, having since taken breaks from school to pursue success for the company.

“The moment I really had faith in this was when I was going around signing up businesses that summer,” Gardner said. “There was one business I signed and they were offering awesome deals for the students. I called Rob right after the meeting and was like, ‘Dude, this is gonna be huge.’”

The launch at Auburn hits close to home for Gardner; his younger brother, Luke Gardner, is currently a sophomore studying pre-business at the university.

“I was looking at who was using the discounts [in Auburn] and we saw my brother’s name come up,” Gardner said. “He went to Cheeburger Cheeburger.”

AJ D’Antonio, an Auburn campus representative for Pocket Points, said roughly 2,000 students have gotten the app in the past two weeks.

“My favorite thing about the app is the leader board,” D’Antonio said. “I am very competitive and love to challenge myself to stay off my phone in class and earn enough points to stay at the top of the board.”

The app currently partners with local businesses Anders Bookstore, Ellie Boutique, Marble Slab Creamery, NK a Boho Boutique, Palm Beach Tan, Philly Connection, Pieology, Smoothn-Groove, The Pink Room Boutique, and Waffle House. Points can also be redeemed for online businesses such

PHOTOGRAPHY

as Frankies Bikinis and Cabana Bro Shorts.

Pocket Points is constantly adding new businesses to their range of partners. They recently finished a deal with Panda Express and are working on adding the restaurant’s locations.

There is also an option to suggest new businesses in the app’s menu.

The app has reached incredible success after almost literally bursting into flames before the official launch.

In the early stages of production, the fraternity house at which Gardner and Richardson lived suddenly caught on fire.

“I go into my room and I’m going to sleep, and out of nowhere I hear pounding on my door yelling ‘Get up, the house is on fire!’” Gardner said.

“So I ran outside and the house is in legitimate flames. I ducked back into the house and grabbed all of the Pock-

READING

Auburn dog of the week

To read or not to read?

Caroline Stone INTRIGUE WRITER

MADISON OGLETREE / PHOTO EDITOR

Aria, a German Shepherd puppy, with her owner at Samford Hall on Sept. 3, 2016.

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Reading for fun is a concept that some college students find foreign, while others would never dream of giving it up.

Between reading for class, studying and extracurricular activities, many students can’t seem to find the time to read a book they don’t have to.

“I’m not a big fan of reading because I can never find a book that interests me enough,” said Rach Reid, sophomore in elementary education.

Many students feel they read enough for class and in turn don’t want to have to read anything else. However, some are still able to find the time.

“I actually love reading for fun,” said Peyton Maddox, sophomore in elementary education. “All my friends think

it’s so weird.”

Allegra Lynch, sophomore in business, also felt she was the only one of her friends that like to read.

“I love to read,” Lynch said.

“I’m a low-key book nerd, but I’m positive a lot of my friends don’t like reading.”

Both Maddox and Lynch enjoy mainly reading fiction. Lynch’s favorite book is “Perks of Being a Wallflower,” and while Maddox doesn’t have an all-time favorite, her most recent read is “Gone Girl.”

While some people assume books in juvenile fiction are only to be read by children, they are surprisingly popular among people of all ages.

“My favorite series is Harry Potter,” said Olivia Reda, junior in nursing. “I started read-

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et Points marketing material, stickers and posters, making sure that it was all safe.”

Luckily, the app eventually made it to the official launch injury-free.

“It was one of those ‘If there’s a fire, what do you save first?’ moments,” Gardner said. “It was pretty wild. We laugh at it now.”

The business owners credit their success to the mentors and advisors they sought out from the beginning.

Gardner’s advice to anyone trying to reach a goal is to find people who genuinely want to help; most will understand because at one point in their life, they have been in the same position.

“I think that if anyone tries to start a company, they need to make sure to surround themselves with really good people,” Gardner said. “That’s what will really make your company great: the great people.”

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ing the series in eighth-grade.

So I’ve been reading them as I grew up.”

Some students shy away from classic literature. Hannah Marsh, senior in chemical engineering, disagrees.

“My favorite book is ‘The Sun Also Rises’ by Ernest Hemingway,” Marsh said. “I love that book so much; I’ve read it so many times. I even wrote a paper in high school about it.”

Marsh believes reading classics allows the reader to be more creative.

“Hemingway wrote in the exact opposite way than I think,” Marsh said. “He left all the flowery details up to the imagination, so when you read, you have total freedom.

That’s why I truly love reading.”

Print Deadline Noon three business days prior to publication

RELEASE DATE– Friday, August 19, 2016

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

ACROSS 1 “Anaconda” rapper Nicki 6 Sizable chunk 10 “Yuck!”

13 Carne follower, in Mexican fare 14 Roll at the airport 15 Former Vietnamese emperor Bao __ 16 Reason kept to oneself 19 Barack Obama, astrologically 20 Old Venetian magistrate 21 Boy in the first family 22 Wig out 25 Country singer Clark 28 Cold weather word 29 Thorny thicket 34 1953 automobile innovation 35 Catch something 38 Put away 39 Some caviar 42 Johnny Olson catchphrase 43 West Indian sorcery 47 Young partner 48 Bum rap 53 Low-cost home loan org.

54 Lug 55 Letters left of center?

58 Leisurely lakeside activity, and a clue for the circled letters 62 “If __ again I meet him beard to beard ... ”: Shak.

63 “Yuck!”

64 Whiz 65 Carefree syllable 66 Fun 67 Sarcophagus holder DOWN 1 Stake-driving hammer 2 Part of a chain 3 Defense acronym 4 Thirst quencher 5 Rattle

6 Bend 7 Slow passage 8 Guitar players, slangily 9 Dust jacket info 10 Safe to put away 11 Encourage to score, as a base runner 12 Brandishes 17 First name in despotism 18 Zap 22 Set up 23 NYC commuter line 24 Ordinal ending 25 TV sched. uncertainty 26 Aunt with a “Cope Book” 27 Divide 30 El __ 31 Maroon 5 singer Levine 32 Counter square 33 Lake of Lombardy 35 Auto company founder CitroÎn 36 Golf bag item 37 Not the best of times 40 Universal donor’s type, briefly

41 Uvula doc 42 “Evita” role 43 Counterbalance 44 Loan officer, e.g.

45 Twain’s New York resting place 46 “Make it snappy!”

49 Country about 12 times longer than its widest point 50 Underwear brand 51 Zero

52 Literary monogram 55 Green attitude?

56 Sound often not allowed?

57 “It __ Right”: 1956 Platters’ hit 59 Lunchbox staple, familiarly 60 Cinephile’s TV choice 61 Tool sometimes used for steering

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:

xwordeditor@aol.com

By Bruce Haight ©2016 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

08/19/16

08/19/16