The Auburn Plainsman 01.09.2020

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CAMPUS

University suspends fraternity following violations

By EDUARDO MEDINA Editor-in-chief editor@theplainsman.com

An Auburn fraternity is being suspended for four years following violations of the University’s anti-hazing policy.

Delta Zeta, a chapter of Beta Theta Pi comprised of 164 undergraduate Auburn students, is being suspended for violations involving “physical abuse,” servitude and alcohol, according to letters obtained by The Plainsman that were addressed to past and present Beta Theta Pi members and a statement from the national organization.

The national fraternity also disbanded its chapter at Auburn because of the same offenses.

The letters did not offer any details about the accusations.

The incidents involving alcohol and physical abuse spanned several years, according to the letters, and “defied multiple interventions from the university, alumni and General Fraternity.”

Ryan Powell, director of Greek Life at Auburn, did not specify how long the University was aware of the incidents involving alcohol and physical abuse.

“Auburn University was made aware of

the misconduct through a report and subsequent conduct investigation,” Powell said in an email.

One letter states that “the activities that led to [a four-year suspension] were serious.”

“All told, these violations establish a dangerous pattern of behavior and a level of operational risk that is not acceptable for any Beta chapter,” one letter states.

Auburn’s Interfraternity Council judicial board found Beta Theta Pi to be in violation of multiple University policies and codes of conduct at a hearing held on Oct. 22. The board recommended a four-year suspen-

LIFESTYLE

sion.

Beta Theta Pi appealed the hearing, but the IFC Council of Presidents upheld the decision to suspend the fraternity for four years.

The suspension means Beta Theta Pi is no longer recognized as a student organization or as a fraternity in good standing. Beta Theta Pi was also forced to vacate their fraternity house, which is located at 930 Lem Morrison Drive, by Dec. 31, 2019.

The fraternity has since moved out and the house has been emptied.

The organization can request to be reinstated as an organization in August 2023.

COMMUNITY

Demolition begins on historic Cullars house

By JACK WEST Managing Editor managing@theplainsman.com

JOSHUA FISHER / PHOTOGRAPHER

Azucena Santillanes Rodriguez is the owner of La Plaza, a Mexican supermarket and taqueria that sells various foods from Mexico.

A taste of Mexico in Auburn

By EDUARDO MEDINA Editor-in-chief editor@theplainsman.com

There are mangoes — dried, chili-dusted pieces of mango that make kids pucker their cheeks after tasting the lemon squeezed on it. There is dulce de tamarindo, a sweet that makes adults pause and remember the way they’d ask their madres for some pesos so they could feel the sticky maroon candy wedge between their teeth. And there is the fast, wispy sound of Latinos on TV who are talking sports to the pace of musica ranchera, songs that swell with accordions and horns and whatever else can get people dancing.

All of this is housed in La Plaza, one of the Auburn area’s Mexican supermarkets and taquerias located in the Tiger Crossing Shopping Center near Winn-Dixie.

“This place is like a piece of home,” said Oswaldo Cruz, 30, whose family is from El Salvador. “I come here after work a lot, and I don’t know, you just feel less alone when you see the food from your country. My kids love it.”

Azucena Santillanes Rodriguez, the owner of La Plaza, said she is grateful to hear such comments from her customers.

Seeing customers eat her food makes her want to go back in time to tell herself that

it would be OK, she said, to tell the little girl from Durango, Mexico, who prayed to la Virgin de Guadalupe that her family would one day have the basic things they needed.

“When I came to the United States in 1999, I was 18 years old, so I didn’t have any plans of opening a business,” Rodriguez said. “I was just waiting tables at my uncle’s restaurant, trying to learn the language and save money.”

Her uncle, Tino Rodriguez, had settled in Opelika in 1999 and opened a restaurant named after the place of his family’s birth: Durango’s Mexican Restaurant.

Rodriguez said she enjoyed working with her family.

Some of the customers, however, could be offensive.

A few male customers, she said, expected the women working at the restaurant to be flirtatious.

“I remember some of the customers treated the waiters wrong,” she said.

“They just expected some of [the waiters] to be flirting with them, but of course that wasn’t our job.”

After eight years of working as a waiter, Rodriguez said she came home one day to her son, Sebastian Santillanes, who was 10 months old, and her mother, Cristina Santillanes, who helped Rodriguez raise him, and felt stuck in place.

She realized how quickly the months had passed since Sebastian was born. It would be up to her to raise him, she said, up to her to be the mother and father for this child that “had cheeks big like balloons” and “eyes so pretty” they made her look to their future and see what she had to do for their sake.

“You know how it is with Latinos and saving money. I had been doing that the whole time I was a waiter,” Rodriguez said. “I asked my brother for a loan, and with that plus the money I had, I decided I had to open a business.”

She decided she’d open the city’s first Mexican supermarket along with a taqueria. The two locales would be right next to each other.

“Of course I was nervous,” she said.

“But I knew this was for me to get ahead and to help mi hijo.”

Some family members cautioned her about the risk of starting a business. It was 2011, and the recession was still causing people to reel from the economic impact.

Rodriguez decided the risk was worth taking. She can remember the anxiety she experienced as a child, stressing about her parents’ financial uncertainty. Her child would not have that, she said.

JACK WEST / MANAGING EDITOR

» See LA PLAZA, 2

The Cullars house was constructed in the late 1800s and was a subject of spirited City Council debates last fall.

SPORTS Auburn enters offseason without offensive line coach Auburn and J.B. Grimes parted ways Tuesday, opening a key job on the assistant staff. Page 5

Early Tuesday morning, construction workers began dismantling the Cullars house, a 126-year-old home on South College Street.

Workers in respiratory masks and reflective vests pulled boards and bricks from the remnants of the house while a large excavator rolled on top of the site.

According to Campbell Holmes, freshman at Southern Union State Community College and a resident of a neighboring apartment building, crews arrived at the house at about 6 a.m.

“They were out here tearing some of the trees out, and I thought they were just doing some landscaping,” Holmes said.

“Then this Cat [construc-

tion vehicle] pulls off of a trailer, and they just start tearing the building down.”

The Cullars house and its impending deconstruction were the subject of lengthy City Council debates last fall.

Last June, Orange Development LLC, the owners of the house since 2017, sent a notice to the occupants of the building that their lease would end in October 2019, and the building would then be demolished.

In the months leading up to that deadline, Auburn City Council members said they received dozens of emails, calls and letters about the fate of the Cullars house.

In response they held forums with community members, and voters offered ways that the City could either purchase or relocate the historic home.

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NEWS

OVER THE BREAK

Bond revoked for teen charged in fatal Bramblett crash

By EDUARDO MEDINA Editor-in-chief editor@theplainsman.com

The teen arrested in connection with the death of Rod and Paula Bramblett had his bond revoked and will be heading to rehab.

Johnston Edward Taylor, 16, had his bond revoked by Lee County Judge Russell Bush on Dec. 18 after his recent traffic citations for speeding and reckless driving.

The Lee County Sheriff’s office now has custody of Taylor.

Tommy Spina, Taylor’s attorney, said he thought the judge’s decision was “fair and balanced and appropriate under all circumstances.”

In the courtroom, Spina asked the judge that Taylor be allowed to “address these issues professionally with professionals outside of the county jail.”

The hearing took place in front of numerous people including family members of both Taylor and the Brambletts.

Taylor is charged as an adult with two counts of manslaughter.

Officials said Taylor ran into the Bramblett’s vehicle while traveling 89-91 mph.

Rod Bramblett was the lead broadcaster for Auburn University athletics for 16 years.

Taylor was out on bond, but he was issued three traffic citations since the deadly crash in May, according to a motion filed by Lee County District Attorney Brandon Hughes.

Hughes said his motion was “based on the safety of the public.”

Bush also ruled that Taylor is not allowed to operate a motor vehicle and that Spina is the custodian of his driver’s license.

A toxicology analysis report from the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences taken after the incident indicated a blood sample from Taylor contained THC — the main psychoactive component of marijuana.

Taylor told police he fell asleep while driving and did not remember what happened, according to the traffic crash report.

Taylor’s case involving the Brambletts has yet to be heard by a grand jury.

He waived his preliminary hearing in July, but there is no indication of when a grand jury will hear the case.

JOSHUA FISHER / PHOTOGRAPHER

La Plaza is a Mexican supermarket and taqueria located in the Tiger Crossing Shopping Center near Winn Dixie. The supermarket sells various candies and spices from Mexico and handmade piñatas.

LA PLAZA » From 1

The fridge would be full, and the mailbox would be empty of overdue billing statements, she promised herself.

“Nobody other than God knows what will happen to you,” she said.

She prayed that God had written her story and that it included a chapter on a successful La Plaza opening.

Her prayers weren’t answered initially.

During her first year of business, almost no customers came. For a twoweek stretch, only two customers entered the store. She worked 12 hour days, seven days a week.

“When you have a son, and it’s up to you to raise him, you don’t think about the hours,” she said. “I was going to get us ahead on my own, so I had to stay hopeful.”

It would be 8 p.m., no customers all day, and still, she’d stay in the store until closing time.

“I used to say to myself, ‘Well, there was nothing today, but I think tomorrow will be better,’” she said. “You have to be constant and disciplined when you start something like this.”

Again, she prayed to her Virgincita de Guadalupe.

And after several tomorrows, a few Latinos began going to the store they heard was selling treats from Mexico.

Then a few students began entering the store with curiosity. Then those students told other students. Soon, Rodriguez had to hire an extra hand. Eventually, she hired more.

La Plaza now employs five Latinas who bring dedication and talent to the dishes that make their restaurant known, Rodriguez said.

The dishes are her grandmother Josefa Ramirez’s recipes. She used to

show up unexpectedly like an inspector and make sure the sauces were up to her standards, Rodriguez said.

“It started with her recipes back in Durango, and ...,” she said before receiving a call from her son.

She apologizes and answers.

“OK, but don’t get burned,” she tells her son, who is hungry.

She rolls her eyes and smiles.

“I think he’s happy there’s soup,” she says.

In a few hours, she says, she will honk her horn in the driveway and be home with him. She will see a fridge filled with food and tell her son that there is a place where you can step inside and taste the candy of a people that picked mangoes in the sun, that dried the slices of fruit he holds in his hands as his madre whispers to him goodnight.

She will tell him that they are the owners of this place.

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OPINION

EDITORIAL

Auburn taking steps torward inclusion

By EDITORIAL BOARD Spring 2020

Months after being ranked as having the “happiest students” by the Princeton Review and as being the fifth-worst campus for “LGBTQ unfriendliness,” Auburn University has decided to make some changes. This also comes after a tenured professor at the University made disparaging remarks toward the LGBTQ community on his then-public Facebook page.

It would be hard to blame students in the LGBTQ community for feeling unwelcome on campus. There was no reason for them to feel any other way until now.

Students and professors alike condemned the rhetoric that Bruce Murray, the owner of the Facebook page, used. A week later, 186 members of the Auburn Family sent a letter to LGBTQ students

on campus saying that “they do not stand alone.” This was followed by administrators holding a meeting, including interim President Jay Gogue, on how best to support and address the problems affecting the group.

This is a good step forward.

The University saw a problem, and they are looking for ways to improve it. That’s what you want from a public institution that stresses the closeness of its campus.

There is, of course, the potential that this may fall by the wayside, but, regardless, strides are being made.

One of the most important things when dealing with problems of an oppressed group is to acknowledge and broadcast that there are fundamental problems in place. Often minority groups are silenced by statements of “it’s all in your imagination” or “this isn’t that big of a deal.” This is

evident even here from the number of residents who found Murray’s posts inconsequential.

Auburn should be commended for hosting this meeting at the risk of upsetting the traditional nature that surrounds the school. It’s a move that potentially could be damaging but overall supports the general welfare of all students. Some may say that these steps came a little too late. That’s understandable, but they’re here now, and the University is trying to make the best of it.

Hopefully they follow through. Auburn should not let this be some public relations stunt that’s here today and gone tomorrow. This shouldn’t be about appeasing the disenfranchised so they’ll shut up and not make a big stink. Right now, the administrators have an opportunity to better the lives of future classes enrolling in Auburn for decades to come.

It’s hard enough to be a person in the LGBTQ community who lives in the South.

The place they go to school should be a safe haven for students to explore who they are.

Ultimately, that’s what college is for.

Some people will always disagree with their way of life, but it’s the University’s job to protect and cultivate a community that makes these students feel welcome.

The campus as a whole should be the happiest in the country, not just for the students who are in the majority.

So, to the administrators, please continue making strides to improve inclusivity for the LGBTQ student body, even if there is a chance people will respond negatively in the Facebook comment section or shake their fists at how the University is changing.

You have a job to make this a family that includes everyone.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Mayors say rollout of 5G tech needs to be local

By RON ANDERS Mayor of the City of Auburn

Wireless providers are promising a revolution in mobile data with 5G. Just add “/5G” to the web address of any of the major cell phone carriers to see what they plan to offer.

The City of Auburn is excited to work with them on getting 5G locally, but we need to talk about how they’re trying to do it.

The physical infrastructure that will enable 5G service is called “small cell,” reflecting a relatively small coverage area for each device.

This small coverage area requires a proliferation of these mini cell towers throughout a service area.

These devices will be attached to buildings and structures, and they will be on the ground and on poles in rights of way, adding to what’s already on the ground and on poles for power, cable, phone, etc. Wireless providers have sought, at both the state and federal level, to limit the authority and role of cities regarding 5G installations.

In 2018, a Federal Communications Commission order severely restricted municipalities’ control over local rights of way and gave wireless providers relatively unfettered access to install 5G infrastructure. That FCC order has faced numerous legal challenges, which continue as of this writing.

Nevertheless, the wireless industry has continued to try to sell our state legislature on going even further than the FCC has allowed.

Indeed, a 2019 bill considered by the state legislature would have further overridden our authority over public rights of way in favor of giving wireless providers almost unchecked ability to utilize the right of way.

We believe that bill was contrary to the constitutional authority granted to municipalities in Alabama to maintain and regulate the use of our public rights of way and what goes in them.

The bill would have forced you, the taxpayer, to subsidize installation of small cell facilities by limiting the fees the city could charge

wireless providers. The bill would also have imposed unrealistic application approval timeframes on us and restrict our ability to protect against liability issues or the aesthetic impact this new technology would have in our community. As with the FCC order, similar bills in other states are facing legal challenges.

It is my understanding that in 2020, the wireless industry will continue trying to sell our state legislators on the need to regulate not the industry, but the municipalities. The industry claims such regulation is necessary for them to deploy small cell facilities to enable 5G in Alabama.

This is not true. Cities around the state, including Auburn, are already working with wireless providers towards small cell deployment. Customer demand will lead wireless providers to work with local authorities to make 5G happen.

And frankly, it’s in our interest as a municipality to work with them to make sure you have access to 5G data speeds.

Locally is where that work needs to take place. Every municipality is unique. The City of Auburn is better equipped than the state or the wireless industry to address the concerns our residents have regarding Auburn’s rights of way. Municipalities are better equipped to work directly with wireless providers on how best to get 5G/small cell technology in their communities while maintaining a local aesthetic and protecting local taxpayers.

I’m joining with other mayors throughout the state in writing to urge our lawmakers in Montgomery to resist passing legislation that removes authority over local matters from your local elected officials, giving it instead to the statehouse and the wireless industry.

Perhaps more importantly, I’m writing this because I want Auburn residents to know that we’re working to get 5G for you while defending our constitutional authority to make local decisions that impact our local infrastructure. We will continue to work with providers towards that end. Locally.

By GARY FULLER Mayor of the City of Opelika

5G is the next generation of mobile broadband that will eventually replace or augment the current 4G LTE connection. With 5G the customer will possibly see exponentially faster download and upload speeds. Carriers started rolling out fixed 5G to selected cities about two years ago, and mobile 5G has already started making an appearance in cities around the United States in 2019 with more comprehensive rollouts expected this year.

With the rollout of 5G Internet service, carriers will be deploying “small cells,” a type of wireless technology for broadband infrastructure. Generally, small cell refers to both the small coverage area of the wireless signal and the smaller size of the infrastructure.

Small cell installations generally cover much smaller geographical areas — measured in hundreds of feet — than traditional macrocell towers (cell towers) that can cover miles in each direction.

The small cell antennas are much smaller than those deployed at macrocell sites and are often attached to buildings, rooftops and structures in the public rights of way, including utility poles. Pole or ground-mounted equipment accompanying the antennas may be needed. Clusters of small cells can be visually unappealing and detract from the aesthetic of the community. Deployment and installation of small cells can potentially interfere with existing technology such as wireless traffic signals and other municipal technology in close proximity.

In Alabama, most wireless infrastructure siting is governed by local governments. Cities and counties assess applications for permits to build new or other existing wireless facilities for a variety of purposes, including public safety, overall management of public property and rights of way, environmental issues, land use and community aesthetics. Small cell deployment is already happening

COLUMNS & EDITORIALS

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

Letters must include the author’s name, address and phone number for verification.

Submission may be edited for grammar, style and length. Please submit no more than 600 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.

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ing the Legislature in hopes in getting the small cell bill passed in the next session. Senator Orr has said he will take up the issue in the 2020 legislative session.

Senator Orr’s bill is an attempt to override local government control over the installation of wireless equipment, like small cells, in neighborhoods across Alabama.

The proposed legislation will significantly impede local governments’ ability to serve as trustees of public property, safety and well-being. This legislation will transfer significant local resources to private companies, such as AT&T, without securing any guarantee of public benefit in return.

The bill will deprive Alabama cities of their authority to regulate public rights of way and will leave municipalities minimal ability to control the aesthetics of their rights of way.

The Opelika City Council and I are vigorously opposed to Senator Orr’s bill. This bill will preempt local jurisdictions from enacting sensible laws to protect their right of way and other public property.

And, remember there are already federal rules and regulations that we must adhere to.

AT&T and other large carriers are pursuing small cell wireless legislation because lobbyists and special interests know it’s easier to influence a few state lawmakers than hundreds of mayors and city councils across the State of Alabama. This is a move by powerful corporations and a few state legislators to expand the power of the state over local control and to strip powers from cities and counties.

The ability of local governments to manage their poles and rights of way is critical. Therefore, we urge state policy makers to resist the temptation to pass unnecessary statewide legislation that will override the ability for communities to make decisions locally.

Alabama’s local communities are in the best position to make policy decisions for their local citizens regarding the use of public rights of way, and these agreements are already happening around the state.

THE EDITORIAL BOARD

OPINION PAGE POLICIES LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

in Alabama through locally negotiated agreements. These negotiations are conducted in good faith to balance the demand for new technology while protecting public assets and aesthetic qualities unique to each community.

Local governments have long advocated for universal access to high-speed broadband services, as these services are critical for the delivery of education, economic development, employment and a variety of essential services necessary for success and progress in the 21st century.

Local governments have been leaders in developing innovative solutions for ensuring reliable high-speed broadband wireline and wireless services are widely available in their communities through the management of public streets and other public assets in a manner that balances competing interests and needs of various constituents.

In Opelika, we welcome 5G technology. It is a crucial foundation for smart city initiatives. In 2019, the City of Opelika enacted ordinances to manage and streamline small cell deployments. Opelika’s small cell ordinances include provisions to protect safety and aesthetics.

In October 2019, the City Council approved our first small cell deployment. Our new ordinance complies with the Federal Communications Commission’s small cell order that was issued last September. The order is a blatant effort by the FCC to strengthen the hand of carriers, such as AT&T, in their negotiations with local governments.

In spite of the FCC order, during the 2019 Legislative Session, Senator Arthur Orr introduced a bill aimed at establishing even more rules for small cell deployments and amending existing statutes to additionally limit local governments’ ability to regulate such deployments. This bill was widely criticized by local governments across the state. This bill failed in the 2019 legislative session, but AT&T is actively lobby-

EDUARDO MEDINA

JACK WEST

LOREN KIMMEL

Editor-in-Chief

Managing Editor, Operations

Managing Editor, Standards

ELIZABETH HURLEY

TRICE BROWN

BRYCE JOHNSON

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TIM NAIL

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CAMPUS

DIVERSITY

BRANTLI DENNIS / GRAPHICS EDITOR

Roll Toomer’s Rainbow Students plan to roll Toomer’s Corner with colored toilet paper to promote an inclusive campus

By TRICE BROWN Campus Editor

Rolling Toomer’s Corner after a gameday win is an iconic aspect of the Auburn experience. Some students, aiming to make a more inclusive environment for all students, feel it is time to expand the TP gamut.

Roll Toomer’s Rainbow is an event jointly sponsored by Spectrum and the Auburn Justice Coalition, a community organization that formed last year after the Southern Poverty Law Center’s student organization shut down.

Students will have the opportunity to throw toilet paper across the color spectrum after an Auburn basketball win next month.

Lucas Copeland, senior in psychology, serves as the programs director for Spectrum and the LGBT+ Equity project manager for the Auburn Justice Coalition.

In an email to The Plainsman, Copeland said the all-white toilet paper draping off trees on Toomer’s Corner could be seen as a representation of the current state of Auburn’s culture and classrooms, where “students of color, LGBTQ students and religious minorities experience isolation and marginalization.”

Last year, the Princeton Review ranked Auburn as the fifth most “LGBTQ-Unfriend-

ly” school in the nation. The University was also ranked ninth in “Little Race/Class Interaction.”

Copeland said there have been many issues surrounding minority students at Auburn within the last year, such as associate professor Bruce Murray’s Facebook posts that some students, faculty and staff viewed as homophobic and the low number of black students being enrolled as new first-time freshman.

Copeland said he was frustrated with the time it took the University to respond after The Plainsman brought Murray’s posts to light. However, he was happy with the decisions that were being made as a response.

The University made a statement of support for the LGBTQ community six weeks after The Plainsman published a story on Murray’s posts. With the Critical Studies Working Group, a group of professors “committed to the critical analysis of education,” the University committed to more LGBTQ-friendly practices in Camp War Eagle and Successfully Orienting Students sessions.

In the fall 2019 semester, 4,808 students were enrolled as new first-time freshmen. 179 of those students were black, according to the Office of Institutional Research.

Copeland said while Roll Toomer’s Rain-

bow is a protest of the status quo, it is more of a celebration of the presence of minority communities on Auburn’s campus.

When the white nationalist Richard Spencer came to campus in 2017, students held the Auburn Unites Concert to protest his presence on campus and provide a positive space for all students. Copeland said he was assigned to standing guard on the perimeter, watching for any protestors who may disrupt their concert and make students unsafe.

“During that event, some students decided to physically protest and other students organized a concert where we had people playing instruments, we had speakers and all sorts of different things,” Copeland said. “That was a protest, but it was also a celebration of the community in defiance of the individual that was speaking over a couple buildings away.”

When the SPLC’s campus group did not return last fall, it was decided that the new group should be a community organization as opposed to a student organization in order to reach groups beyond Auburn’s campus, so the Auburn Justice Coalition was created.

According to Hannah Krawczyk, junior in public administration and AJC executive director, the AJC is working on other projects like awareness of the need for reform in Ala-

bama’s prison systems.

The group is trying to get a polling location on campus, which is a goal that has carried over from the group’s days as the SPLC Auburn chapter.

Roll Toomer’s Rainbow will have a community meeting at Auburn Unitarian Universalist Church’s Busch Center on Monday, Jan. 13, at 5 p.m. for those interested. At the meeting, a date for the event will be decided and a statement of purpose will be drafted.

“We want this to be a community event ­­­­­— it’s not going to be explicitly run by one group,” Copeland said. “At our meeting, we want community buy-in and we want it to be for all students who want to participate in the event.”

Copeland said he views this event as a pilot program to see what kind of support it would gather if it happened more often, such as once in the fall and once in the spring. He said he thinks rolling Toomer’s Corner with colored toilet paper could have an impact even if it only happens once.

“I feel like once it’s out of the box, like once people realize, ‘Oh, you can roll in any color,’ maybe that will encourage other students to do that,” Copeland said. “It’s not too expensive to buy your own toilet paper.”

HISTORY

Monkey astronaut spent final days at vet school

By TIM NAIL Assistant Campus Editor

The future of space exploration seems to be close, as recent steps like the creation of the United States Space Force signal its approach.

The path toward the final frontier was built by many pioneers during the space race of the mid-20th century.

One such figure was a squirrel monkey named Miss Baker. She was closer to Auburn than one might expect ­— she called it her last home.

NASA sent Miss Baker into orbit in 1959 with another squirrel monkey named Able. The animals were used to test the effects of space on a living creature, which were unknown at the time, as well as the effects of being shot into the atmosphere in a tube three years before Russia sent the first man into space.

The two survived, and from then on, Miss Baker took up residence at the United States Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Miss Baker was a hit among visitors, especially children, who wrote letters to her answered by Space and Rocket Center employee Rita Bell, coined “Secretary of the Monkeynauts,” according to a Huntsville Times article dated Oct. 26, 1981 by Deborah Roop.

“The amount of mail she got I think was around 1,100 letters a month,” said

Charles Horton, a veterinarian who served as Miss Baker’s personal caretaker after the historic spaceflight. Horton graduated from Auburn in 1968 before becoming associated with the Space and Rocket Center and earned his degree in veterinary medicine after six years of study at the school.

After her return to Earth, Miss Baker was sent to a facility in Pensacola, Florida, where she stayed until 1970. From there, she was transferred to the Space and Rocket Center, and it was then that Horton’s involvement began with the monkey, as her health needed to be more closely monitored.

“The conditions they established when the Pensacola lab station agreed to let the museum have her were that a veterinarian was on call for her at all times, and that, should she die, they wanted to have a veterinarian have her prepared to do an autopsy,” Horton said.

Horton managed Hampton Cove Animal Hospital in the Huntsville area until 1999, according to the veterinary office’s website. Because of this background, he was chosen to be the doctor to oversee Miss Baker’s medical needs. He says he remembers her as a very temperamental animal.

“When they brought her up here [from Pensacola], they brought her and her husband Big George, and one of the Space Center em-

CONTRIBUTED BY CHARLES HORTON

Charles Horton (center) taking Miss Baker to Good Morning America.

ployees was trying to catch him,” Horton said. “One of the first things Miss Baker did was jump on this guy and bite his back. We always handled her with big leather gloves because she wasn’t a pet at all. They told me at Auburn one of the last things she did was bite one of the students.”

At the Space and Rocket Center, Miss Baker was featured as a highlight of the museum during her life. She was given an exhibit with jungle-like conditions to mimic her birthplace in Iquitos, Peru.

“They always kept the hu-

midity around 80 to 90% and the temperature around 80 degrees year round,” Horton said. “Even when we took her on trips to Philadelphia, New York and Los Angeles, when we’d get checked in at the hotel, we’d turn the shower on with relatively hot water and put her in a cage in the bathroom so she wouldn’t dry out.”

The purpose of the 1959 experiment had been to determine if there was any potential radiation in space that could harm a living primate, Horton said, but scientists weren’t sure of any long-term effects after vis-

iting space. Able had died just days after the flight following a medical procedure, but Miss Baker outlived her colleague by 25 years, earning her the record of longest-living squirrel monkey.

Her age led her to become a sort of local legend in Huntsville, and in 1979, mayor Joe Davis declared June 29 as “Monkeynaut Baker Day” with an official proclamation. In a document provided by Horton from his personal collection, he discussed the monkey’s 25th birthday and the attention it received from the media.

“Accustomed to dealing with local or regional press, I was surprised by an international call from the London Daily Times,” Horton said in the document. “The reporter asked if I felt Baker’s longevity was due to her space flight. My answer, ‘no,’ was accompanied by my standard reply that factors such as her controlled environment and indomitable spirit were probably key.”

As 1984 was coming to an end, however, so was Miss Baker’s long life. In late November of that year, she was diagnosed with kidney failure and needed urgent treatment. With its proximity to the center, she arrived at Auburn’s College of Veterinary Medicine — Horton’s alma mater.

“They brought her into my hospital and [after a blood test], I knew she was in kidney failure,” Horton

said. “I knew we needed her to get the best possible care she could get, and I couldn’t have a 24-hour team taking care of her, but I knew they could do that at Auburn.”

Once Miss Baker arrived at the college, her condition seemed to be improving as reported by a press release from Ray Dillon, the director of its small animal clinic at the time.

But at 10:10 a.m. on November 29, she passed suddenly, per an Associated Press article from November 30.

Auburn veterinary students and faculty had given it their all, but her unusual age had taken its toll on her, far exceeding NASA’s estimate of 9 years in captivity and 13 in the wild, as Horton shared in a contemporary Birmingham Post-Herald article.

“When she died, they asked me to prepare her for burial,” Horton said. “I took a lock of her hair off the end her tail, which is the longest I could find, and I kept it for many years. I had an occasion to meet with Deborah Barnhart, director of the Space and Rocket Center, and I presented her with that lock of hair.”

Today, Miss Baker is honored with a tombstone at the entrance to the Space and Rocket Center. Because of her work in the field, Auburn now has a footnote in the history of space exploration.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2020

The Auburn Plainsman

PAGE 5

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COMMUNITY

EMPLOYMENT

KENNEDY GOODYN / PHOTOGRAPHER

Some students say the flexibility of working for Uber is what attracts them to the job.

Driving for Uber: the college edition

Flexibility is key for college students with a job, so many are turning to ones with working hours all day and night

By CHARLIE RAMO Community Reporter

A responsible college student with a full class schedule works many hours each week doing schoolwork. Still, many students look for a job to make money during the school year, and some students turn to the flexibility found in companies like Uber.

Taylor Berry is a graduate student at Auburn University who drives for Uber in his spare time. He has been driving since February 2018 and has an Uber rating of 4.96 out of 5 stars.

“I’ve only ever gotten one ride that wasn’t 5 stars,” Berry said.

“That’s because I didn’t rate them 5 stars. They weren’t the best rider.”

His driving doesn’t get in the way of his academics or his social life. The money he earns goes toward his apartment rent, but his parents support him sometimes if necessary, Berry said.

“In undergrad, I had an on-campus job that I would typically work like 10 hours a week,” Berry said. “That same job has transitioned to a [graduate assistant] position right now, so I have to work 14 hours a week and then do Uber on the side.”

Berry takes advantage of Uber’s flexible working hours to fit driving around his classes and his on-campus job. He mainly drives on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, driv-

ing multiple days a week without missing out on social events.

“I get to drive around Auburn and meet new people sometimes and talk to people,” Berry said. “I love chilling in my car, driving and listening to music.”

Berry is also involved in intramural teams on campus and was a part of multiple clubs during his time as an undergraduate student. He said he has never needed to drive for Uber over going to class or participating in an event.

Thomas Knight, a freshman in aerospace engineering, drives for Uber on weekends. He has been driving for the ride-share company since August, and he has an Uber rating of 4.91 out of 5 stars.

“It wasn’t hard going through and getting all the registration stuff, then I had to go get the car checked out,” Knight said. “I know a lot of people doing both [Uber and Lyft]. I just never got around to doing all the registration stuff for them.”

Knight is currently involved in multiple clubs and organizations around campus, including the Rocketry Association. He plans to work in the Veterans Resource Center in the spring, because he began college this year after four years in the Air Force.

He appreciates both the flexibility of working and the relative ease of the application process. He does not drive every week, choosing to put time toward academics or social events.

“Contrary to belief, picking up drunk people really is not as bad as I thought it would be,” Knight said. “They’re kind of entertaining. I haven’t had anyone throw up or do anything crazy in my car yet.”

Most of his rides are not particularly memorable, but he has had a few odd situations that stick out to him.

“I Ubered this one girl, and as she was about to go to the car.

She looked at me and just burst into tears,” Knight said. “Once she got into the car, she was fine, and she gave me a big hug and asked me to pray for her, and I told her I would. It was just so random.”­­ Knight said he can earn $150 to $170 on a good night, usually on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday. His earnings are boosted during surge hours, thanks in large part to parties.

He likes to start driving between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. and stops when he sees that he is not getting many rides, usually between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m.

Knight said he does not give up anything except sleep to drive, though he does not mind going to bed at 2 or 3 a.m. on a weekend. He also said he makes sure to finish his schoolwork before accepting any ride requests on Uber.

“I don’t [drive] on home football weekends,” Knight said.

“I love going to football games, and I don’t feel like fighting gameday traffic at night.”

applications close Jan 17

@emergeauburn emerge at auburn

The Auburn Plainsman

THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2020

PAGE 7

BUSINESS

Auburn Pharmacy serves up retro feel

By TARAH YEAGER Community Writer

Like a relic from the past, Auburn Pharmacy serves up an old-fashioned vibe at its combined pharmacy and gift store.

After opening in late November, Auburn Pharmacy now serves the community from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday through Friday. Chris and Nicole Finley own and operate the pharmacy.

Prior to establishing Auburn Pharmacy, Nicole Finley ran a successful women’s boutique in Bainbridge, Georgia, for five years before selling the company and joining her husband Chris, who was a student at the Harrison School of Pharmacy at Auburn University.

Chris gained experience in multiple roles in various pharmacies over the course of eight years before opening Auburn Pharmacy.

“It quickly became our dream to go into business together and she would run the gift shop while I ran the pharmacy,’’ Chris said. “We felt a calling that this was our purpose and when given the opportunity we took the leap.”

Unlike other orthodox pharmacies, Auburn Pharmacy is an independent pharmacy that tries to incorporate an old-fashioned atmosphere and aesthetic, Chris said.

“We designed it to be very efficient but have the same comfortable feel that you get from your old local pharmacy on the square,” Chris said.

Auburn Pharmacy does, however, function as most chain pharmacies do by offering conventional services like free delivery, free medical packaging, vaccinations, prescription fills in five to ten minutes and coverage under all major insurance companies.

“Our mantra has always been to take care of people and let the rest take care of itself,” Chris said.

KENNEDY GOODYN / PHOTOGRAPHER

Auburn Pharmacy is located at 643 N. Dean Road.

In addition to its retro and quaint appeal, Auburn Pharmacy is different in that it houses a large gift shop that includes “shopping from the drive-thru” and free gift wrapping.

“These first few weeks have been amazing in how we have

been embraced by those looking to support local businesses and keep their hard-earned money within our beautiful community,” Chris said. “We will continue to pay it forward to the benefit of this community.”

GOVERNMENT

Citizens raise concerns with City Council over HealthPlus Fitness closure

By CHARLIE RAMO Community Reporter

Several citizens brought concerns to the Council during the citizens’ open forum portion of Tuesday night’s City Council meeting. Most concerns were about the recently announced closure of East Alabama Medical Center’s HealthPlus Fitness Center, which includes a heated saltwater pool.

Many citizens mentioned the pool in their remarks. Several said many community members use this pool for exercise to help with health problems such as ALS and arthritis. A physical therapist was among the citizen crowd and spoke about the benefits of the pool.

There are other heated, indoor pools in the

Auburn-Opelika area, but citizens had concerns over the temperature and offerings at those pools, such as therapy and water fitness classes.

The Auburn Parks and Recreation Master Plan includes plans to add an aquatic center to the Boykin Community Center, though the Council did not know whether it would meet the needs of the citizens that spoke Tuesday night.

Mayor Ron Anders said that the current Parks and Recreation plan, which is a $40 million five-year plan put into place last year, evaluated the community’s needs at the time, taking into consideration HealthPlus, which was not expected to close at the time.

“Here we are in year one, beginning the process of building some of these new facili-

ties and the game has changed on us,” Anders said.

The Council and City staff said they would contact EAMC to speak about options for keeping the pool open either permanently or until a similar facility can be built.

“HealthPlus was a place I spoke of at my dad’s funeral,” Anders said. “He lived there for three hours a day, three or four days a week.

His community was there. He loved that place and loved the people he worked out with and he saw at his time there.”

The Council also unanimously passed an ordinance that makes it illegal to trespass in vehicles. State law currently only covers trespassing related to real estate property such as a home or business, said Municipal Judge Jim McLaughlin.

The judge said the need for this ordinance mainly comes from the need to combat one man’s actions that have recently scared college students and other community members. The man has repeatedly gotten into vehicles with the vehicle’s owner and made them take him places under false pretenses, McLaughlin said.

The municipal court and police have been working to prevent individuals from doing something like this, but there were no laws or ordinances that apply to the situation. Police will now be able to charge offenders with violating the ordinance.

The punishment for violating the ordinance will be the standard ordinance violation punishment, which includes up to a $500 fine and up to six months in county jail, McLaughlin said.

Finding and applying for scholarships can be hard work. With the Auburn University Scholarship Opportunity Manager (AUSOM), it has never been easier.

Through AUSOM, students view available scholarships for which they may be eligible, complete applications for consideration, accept scholarships awarded and more.

Students must complete the scholarship application through AUSOM at auaccess. auburn.edu by 4:45 p.m. CST on the following dates: • February 1 for accepted incoming transfer students and current students • June 1 for nursing or veterinary medicine students accepted into the professional program and pharmacy students enrolled in the professional program Students should complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)*, available October 1 at fafsa.ed.gov. Students selected for FAFSA verification will not be eligible for financial aid, including need-based scholarships, if this process is incomplete. The FAFSA and other requirements, if necessary, should be received by February 1 for priority consideration of financial aid.

For more information on AUSOM and available scholarships, visit auburn.edu/scholarship. * The FAFSA is the only form a student is required to complete to be considered for student assistance from any of the Title IV HEA programs, except for information needed to ensure the student’s eligibility for such assistance (e.g., information needed to complete verification or to demonstrate compliance with the student eligibility provisions of the HEA and the regulations). Additional information, if requested, will be listed on the student’s AU Access My Finances page after results of the FAFSA are received. For additional information, visit auburn.edu/finaid.

ausom@auburn.edu



/AUScholarships



/AUScholarships

sports

8

THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2020

THEPLAINSMAN.COM

SPORTS

FOOTBALL

3 underclassmen declare for NFL draft

By CHRISTIAN CLEMENTE

By CHRISTIAN CLEMENTE

By HARRISON TARR

Sports Writer

Sports Writer

Sports Writer

Rising senior Arryn Siposs has elected to forgo his remaining eligibility and declare for the NFL draft. The punter ranked sixth in the SEC and 28th nationally in punting average (43.8 yards) during his junior season.

Siposs came to Auburn from Australia two years ago and immediately became the starter. His 44-yards-per-punt average ranks second in Auburn history behind Terry Daniel’s 44.5.

“Auburn has provided me with opportunities and experiences I could not have dreamed of,” Siposs said. “I have been so proud to put on my Auburn jersey and walk onto the field with an amazing group of men. I’ve made lifelong friends and memories. Thank you to the coaches for pushing me to be the best I can. To the fans - Thanks for your ongoing support. You make games truly special. That being said, it’s my time to move forward and declare for the NFL draft. I’ll be forever grateful for the Auburn family. War Eagle from the punter from the land down under.”

Punter immediately becomes a major need for the Tigers next season with just freshman walk-on Patrick Markwalter on the roster.

The only player currently on the roster to attempt a punt is quarterback Bo Nix, who punted three times on pooch punts, averaging 37.3 yards per punt with two punts landing inside the 20.

Auburn redshirt junior Nick Coe pass rusher has announced on his Instagram that he will be forgoing his senior season with the program. Coe also did not play in the Outback Bowl.

It was a rocky season for Coe as he failed to continue his success from his sophomore season. Last season, Coe had 23 tackles, seven sacks, 13.5 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles, but only had 15 tackles with no sacks during his junior year.

Coe was also held out of Auburn’s matchup with Arkansas after Gus Malzahn said that he “did not meet our standard in practice this week.”

“We took our brother up under our wing,” Davidson said.

“We were like, ‘Man, you get another opportunity next week.

Let’s do better this week. Let’s find something to improve this week. Even though you didn’t play, let’s change something about your lifestyle, whatever it is that is the case.’”

While it wasn’t the season Coe had been hoping for after choosing to return, Coe could still be desirable NFL talent, as many mocks still think he could be drafted.

“Hopefully, my time at Auburn will be a foundation for success in pursuing my long standing dream of playing in the NFL,” Coe said. “I will continue working towards becoming an “Auburn Man” and I will always take Auburn with me no matter where my path leads me. I will be forever grateful for my coaches, my teammates and the Auburn Family.”

The Auburn faithful knew ahead of time that the 2019-20 campaign would be the last time a large chunk of the Tiger defense would take the field at the collegiate level. What many fans likely did not know is that defensive departures would extend beyond the given stars of the front seven — such as Derrick Brown and Marlon Davidson — as junior defensive back Noah Igbinoghene made his decision to forego his senior year and enter his name in the 2020 NFL draft.

On Jan. 4, three days following Auburn’s loss in the Outback Bowl, Igbinoghene posted an official announcement to his Instagram page explaining that he would be entering the draft.

“My last three years at Auburn have been nothing but a blessing and have been some of the best experiences in my life,” Igbinoghene’s post read. “...With that being said, I am ready for the next step of my journey and will be declaring for the 2020 NFL draft.”

Throughout Igbinoghene’s three years at Auburn, the receiver-turned-defensive back was able to produce 87 total tackles, 65 solo tackles, 18 pass deflections and an interception. He emerged as one of the Tigers’ top defenders in coverage at the back end of the 2019 season.

The Tigers will now turn to sophomore Roger McCreary to step up and fill the hole in their secondary. McCreary recorded 30 solo tackles and an interception during the 2019-20 season.

MARIE LIPSKI / PHOTO EDITOR

FILE PHOTO

JOSHUA FISHER / PHOTOGRAPHER

Arryn Siposs (90) punts during Auburn vs. Georgia on Nov. 16, 2019, in Auburn, Ala.

Nick Coe (91) pressures the quarterback during Auburn vs. UCF on Jan. 1, 2018, in Atlanta.

Noah Igbinoghene (4) celebrates a pass deflection during Auburn vs.

Florida on Oct. 5, 2019, in Gainesville, Fla.

FOOTBALL

FOOTBALL

Seniors excited for 2020 potential

By CHRISTIAN CLEMENTE Sports Writer

KATHERINE MILLER / PHOTOGRAPHER

J.B. Grimes during Tiger Walk on Sept. 15, 2018, in Auburn, Ala. prior to Auburn football vs. LSU.

Auburn, Grimes part ways

By JAKE WEESE Sports Reporter

Not only will Auburn have to replace four starters on its offensive line before next season, but the Tigers will now have to replace offensive line coach J.B. Grimes, as well. The news of Grimes stepping down was first reported by 247Sports’s Jason Caldwell.

Grimes has been involved in coaching for over 30 years and had two stints as Auburn’s offensive line coach.

He first coached the Tigers offensive line from 2013-15 before

leaving for stops at Cincinnati and UConn.

Grimes returned to Auburn ahead of the 2018 season and has spent the last two seasons as the offensive line coach. Auburn’s offensive line struggled in 2018, allowing 26 sacks in 14 games, but the Tigers rebounded in 2019, allowing 18 sacks in 13 games.

The offensive line’s struggles mostly came in the run game, where Auburn averaged 130.17 yards against ranked teams this season.

Most recently, Auburn finished with 56 rushing yards against Min-

nesota in the Outback Bowl.

Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn not only worked with Grimes at Auburn, but also at Arkansas State in 2012. In his statement, Malzahn thanked Grimes for all that he had done for Auburn and wished him well.

“J.B. has decided to move on and pursue other opportunities,” Malzhan said. “I appreciate everything he’s done for Auburn. J.B. and his wife Jennifer will always be a part of the Auburn Family.”

Auburn’s signed five offensive line recruits during the 2020 early signing period last month.

TAMPA, Fla. — Even with a stacked senior class with the likes of Derrick Brown and Marlon Davidson leaving, the players aren’t concerned about a potential dropoff.

“They got enormous potential,” senior Sal Cannella said of next season. “It’s crazy. I was just telling Seth, telling Anthony that if you just keep working man, like I said, if you just put your mind to something man, I told them too, like, they could be great.”

Cannella ended his Auburn career with one catch for 37 yards and a touchdown. This was Cannella’s second straight game with a touchdown after not having one in 13 consecutive games. Cannella believes that the new players could begin to make an impact as well.

“Their ceiling is super high,” Cannella said.

Defensively, the seniors are expecting the team to be perfectly fine next season even with their two All-American defensive lineman leaving.

“We got All-Americans coming up,” Davidson said after the game.

“Big Kat (Bryant) is gonna be an

All-American. Tyrone Truesdell’s gonna be an All-American. Derrick Hall is gonna be an All-American. ... Next year they’re gonna take the step forward to be the best.”

The team also expects freshman Bo Nix to continue to progress and improve going into the next season.

“I feel like I’ve grown a lot as a player,” Nix said. “Obviously there’s a lot of difference between high school and college. I feel like as the season progressed I got a lot better, and I saw a lot more by the end of the season than I was at the beginning.”

Nix says he plans to get bigger and stronger during the offseason while also continuing to grow as a quarterback.

Head coach Gus Malzahn continues to believe in the freshman.

“Bo, I’ve said this before, he’s gonna win a championship for us before he gets out of here,” Malzahn said.

Even with a loss to end their careers, the seniors don’t have any regrets.

“It was an exciting feeling but also a sad feeling,” Davidson said. “... If I had another four years, I’d come back. Auburn is a special place and it’s special to me.”

THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2020

The Auburn Plainsman

In Memoriam Samuel Ford Butler Aug. 3, 1994 — Jan. 1, 2020 The Auburn Plainsman family mourns the loss of Sam Butler, who passed away New Year’s Day at 25.

Sam is remembered fondly by all who interacted with him as a friend and a coworker. A journalism student in the College of Liberal Arts during his time at Auburn, Sam worked tirelessly and passionately as a writer, reporter and editor at The Plainsman.

The Plainsman extends its love and prayers toward Sam’s family. On the following page, former Plainsman staffers recount their fondest memories of Sam — and express what his friendship meant to them.

PAGE 9

THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2020 Last week, something (I honestly don’t remember what) triggered a memory from college.

I was at home in Birmingham the weekend of the 2016 Auburn-LSU game and fell asleep early. I woke up to a missed call and a text from Sam. I can’t recall exactly what he said, but here’s the gist: “Hey. I’m looking at Toomer’s Corner and it’s on fire. Anyway, call me later.” I drove back to Auburn and we spent the next 72 hours in The Plainsman office.

I wrote and re-wrote the same 500 words while he ate Chick-fil-A and watched horror movie trailers on YouTube. He’d effortlessly written and published a beautiful, award-worthy piece in the minutes after the game, so he had plenty of time to kill.

I picked up my phone to text him about those few days in the office more than three years ago, but got caught up with something trivial and never sent the message.

I really regret that today.

Not only was Sam one of the kindest and most genuine people I’ve ever met, but he was a better writer at 20 years old than most seasoned journalists are at 50. He was just so stupidly good at his job.

We didn’t talk much after graduation (when we did, it was like no time had passed), but I’ve thought about his talent often. So many times over the last few years I’ve wondered, “How would Sam structure this sentence?” or “How would Sam start this article?” If you know me, you know that’s the highest praise I can give.

The Auburn Plainsman Sam was a great writer, exceptional editor, and a loyal friend to many, but I’m most honored to have been a colleague of his.

His professionalism was that of a seasoned journalist with many years of experience under his belt, and I know he inspired those around him.

The last time I saw Sam was when I photographed him just before graduation, not knowing it would be the last. I looked through those photos recently on an old hard drive and laughed at the outtakes of him and Evan.

But there was one photo that really struck me: Sam is sitting at Samford Hall looking off the frame, with the whole world ahead of him.

He excelled at The Plainsman, he was going to excel when he left for Dallas, and I know he will continue that pattern in the hearts and minds of those he left down here.

— Dakota Sumpter The Plainsman ‘17

PAGE 10 It’s a little ironic — after the hundreds of thousands of words that Sam and I wrote shoulder to shoulder in the windowless Plainsman office, local Chick-fil-A parking lots and press boxes around the SEC, I can’t seem to find any that are adequate now.⁣⁣ I’m devastated and stunned that Sam’s time with us is up, but somehow I find myself even more thankful for all the great memories made together. I’ll never forget the late nights of pickup basketball at Frank Brown (which always morphed into early mornings at Waffle House), the back-and-forth newsroom humor that made the stressful times manageable, the deep conversations on life’s three biggest F’s — faith, family and football — on road trips across the South, the spontaneous trips for quesatacos at Durango and so much more.

My only regret is that we can’t go back and live it all again.

I’m grateful that, while Auburn brought Sam and I together, our bond stretched far beyond our time on the Plains. Till the end, Sam was a confidant, a shoulder to cry on, a joke waiting to happen, an editor when my writing needed it (so, always) and a friend that felt more like a brother.

He is dearly loved and terribly missed.

— Forever Sam’s assistant sports editor

— Evan McCullers The Plainsman ‘16

I don’t think I ever told him how much I deeply admired his skill and his relentless, sincere, and nonjudgmental faith in God. I’ll never talk about movies, eat pizza, or drink beer with Sam again. I’m so grateful, though, that his words aren’t going anywhere.

He was a good friend, a good writer, and a good person. The world is a suckier place without him in it.

— Corey Williams The Plainsman ‘17 It’s not fair.

That’s what I originally told myself. It’s not fair.

Of all the people in this world, good or bad, it’s not fair that it had to be you.

But if you were here attempting to write these words (which would be incredible - just about everything you’ve written is), you wouldn’t interrogate the will of the One you worshipped.

Your unapologetic faith would shine through in dark moments like this. You seemingly hardly worried.

The last time I felt I saw you worry, outside of playoff baseball games and tight deadlines, we were preparing our papers to submit to MLB.com for a summer internship position.

I was the multimedia editor when Sam started at The Plainsman and I covered a lot of sports events with him. During the 2015-2016 football season we did post game wrap up videos and Sam had the most effortless approach to telling the story of each game.

This made my job very easy when I edited the video.

In the office, Sam was very stoic and dedicated to his work. After the work was done, Sam and the crew had no problems having a bit of fun, and I’ll never forget all of the inside jokes. One in particular that caught on through the office is a hand gesture of appreciation where it is basically the hand gesture for saying things are okay.

We would take pictures of us doing this hand gesture after football games and I will cherish those memories forever.

I want to thank Sam for making me and so many others feel like a legend. The Auburn Plainsman was my family during my three years working there, and he was a real brother to me. Rest In Peace.

— Kris Sims The Plainsman ‘16

I found mine the other day. With your marks on it for some suggestions. I remembered when I read yours I couldn’t even find anything to adjust or suggest.. I kind of just knew you’d get the spot and rightfully so.

You deserved it. I wish I hadn’t just smiled and thrown that paper away now. I wish I would’ve texted you to reminisce or just checked in to say hey.

When we graduated from Auburn, we knew the countless hours of editing, press box food grades, scholarly arguments with Carl and a post deadline brew or two were done. Gone. But it’s hard to grasp how long gone that truly is now that you too are gone.

To us your life was cut short. But you lived.

You did so many things most of us still dream of doing and we’re still here. Getting that internship and covering the shenanigans of Adrian Beltre and your favorite team was one of them.

I’ve never met someone who was on the exact same wavelength as me more than you, Sam. We clicked from the day we met — standing in a Sam’s Club and hauling stuff for a tailgate.

We shared a unique sense of humor, love of movies and a bizarre geographic list of favorite sports teams.

I wish we had more time together. But I’m glad we had those early days at Lakeview, that time we were both on the football beat, all those late-night pickup games at Frank Brown and the conversations at Waffle House that would stretch to 4 in the morning. I’ll forever be thankful for the NYC trip.

I’ll miss the steady stream of goofy jokes in the group chat. I’ll miss our battles to post the wittiest movie reviews on Letterboxd. (You always won.)

You lived fully through your Lord and Savior and I’m grateful to witness the joy you brought others and to have known the bits of joy you brought to the office, and to me.

I’ll even miss you bragging about Liverpool’s runaway march to the title. Most of all, I’ll miss our talks about Jesus, faith, doubts, hope and what it meant to make an impact in this hopeless world.

Rest easy, Sam. Thank you for sharing your talent, faith, kindness, humor, and life well lived.

You are one of the best friends I’ll ever have.

— Emily Shoffit The Plainsman ‘16

You had a rare ability to make someone constantly feel loved and cared about, even from several states away. I may never know why God called you home now — but I know I’ll see you again someday, man.

— Justin Ferguson The Plainsman ‘14

lifestyle THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2020

11 THEPLAINSMAN.COM

LIFESTYLE

DEVELOPMENT

NATALIE BECKERINK / LIFESTYLE EDITOR

Almost Anything antique store is located in Downtown Opelika.

Opelika residents find community in businesses

By NATALIE BECKERINK Lifestyle Editor

Looking around Auburn University people notice construction and new apartment complexes popping up everyday. Approximately 20 minutes down the road in Opelika, Alabama, members of the community see a new appreciation for their small, railroad town.

White settlers started to migrate to the area in 1830, but the town was not officially chartered until 1854. At this point in history, railroad tracks were being placed throughout the nation, and Opelika worked to build a connection from their location to the rest of the world.

The 19th century was focused on building and rebuilding, but by the 20th century, the town had gained several new features, including a cotton mill, a training school for nurses and the Pepperell Manufacturing Company.

One larger development of Opelika was the Uniroyal Tire Company. The specific plant came to Opelika in 1963, but was closed in 2009 due to an overall loss of demand, according to an article by WTVM in April 2009.

Standing in a shop crowded with antiques, Roland Lee, the owner of Roland’s Thift Store, stopped sweeping the floor to reflect on the many jobs he’s worked in Opelika, including his job at Uniroyal.

“I’ve been here a long time,” Lee said. “I worked at a tire plant for 27 years. I’ve worked in the thrift store for 14 years. I was the store manager of the Salvation Army for three years.

It’s been a long time.”

Since he has been in the town so long, Roland now holds a great appreciation for the people he has met and the time he has spent, and doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon, he said.

“80-year-old man, good retirement, good Social Security, good insurance, just enjoying working,” Lee said. “I have a lot of friends and Facebook, and I just enjoy people. I also think it’s a safe town, and we don’t have much problems around here. Everyone seems to work together nice.”

Toward the end of the 20th century, Opelika began to see an increase in non-agricultural employment, which is what mainly dominated the area since the creation of the town. One addition Opelika saw was in the medical field

with East Alabama Medical Center, which saw its formation in the mid-1900s. In addition to EAMC, the first internal medical practice was established in Opelika in 1969 in order to provide further medical care to the people of the community.

The creation of this internal medical practice not only impacted people in need, but also Barbara Patton and her husband when it brought them to Opelika for his career in 1973.

Barbara looked around her shop, Heritage Gifts & Gourmet, as she attempted to express her story of living in Opelika.

“We bought a house on 7th Avenue and had a bed-and-breakfast,” Patton said. “We had a friend who owned the gift shop, and when she retired we took the gift shop. We were there for ten years, we sold the bed-and-breakfast, and they didn’t want the gift shop, so we took it and moved it downtown.”

The gift shop has been at its location on S. 8th St. since 2004, where Patton has watched the different people and businesses come and go.

“It’s a small town with a lot of big-town amenities,” she said. “We have a lot of things that people can get involved in that don’t cost a lot of money. The footprint of Opelika has changed a lot though. Tiger Town came in back in 2005— we have a lot of new industries, but a lot also left, so we have a balance.”

What especially makes Opelika stand out to her, are the people in the community who she gets to interact with who have a fire inside of them for making Opelika a better place, Patton said.

“Well, I love the people,” Patton said. “I love the fact that people care about their community, that they’re involved and that they have different interests.”

Walking outside of Heritage, there is a vintage clothing store just a few steps away. Sitting behind the counter is Usse Verma—a small woman surrounded by large, bright clothes from the ‘80s. She is a part owner of New York Fashions, along with her husband. The couple moved to Opelika in 1987 and never looked back, she said.

“My husband was driving around from North Carolina, and he found this place,” Verma said. “It’s like a family here. I know every-

body and my customers know me very well, so I enjoy it. I enjoy my business.”

Verma has watched Opelika grow into an amazing town that she is proud to be from, she said.

“Opelika has changed so much,” she said.

“There are so many restaurants, and people enjoy it. It’s also a lot safer and the parking lot is always full. It’s a very peaceful downtown, and people really enjoy it.”

In the center of downtown sits a large fountain with benches placed around the perimeter for people to sit and enjoy the view. Colored leaves have fallen off the trees, and, as people walk uphill towards First Baptist Church Opelika, they hear the crunch of the leaves below their feet. Almost Anything, a vintage store located on S. 9th St., sits on top of the hill. Inside the shop, Ben Cash stood behind the counter among the comic books, vinyl records and other various knick knacks.

Since he moved to the city, Cash said that Opelika has welcomed him more so than anywhere else he has been.

“Nobody wanted to deal with us in Auburn; we were the odd man out,” he said. “But here, you know, every other business owner when we got up here came to come see us. They came to get excited about it. The owner has asked to be involved with so many events, even if they aren’t in our niche.”

Living in Auburn and working in Opelika, Cash has seen and experienced both environments. Though Auburn provides a vibrance and energy from the students, Opelika has a community that Cash wouldn’t trade for anything, he said.

“I feel like Auburn haunts everything for football and sports, but Opelika picks up everything else,” Cash said. “They’re way more personable, and everyone is all in for Opelika.

They’re more excited about Opelika than any place I’ve ever been. There’s very little drawback to this town.”

Without any hesitation, Cash brought up how the businesses surrounding each other in the historic downtown district have all become like a family.

“There’s very little competition between two businesses,” he said. “Even if you have two of the same kind of shops, which we do, they’re all

incredibly friendly. Everyone stays in their own circle, but no one is afraid of any one group of people.”

On the other side of downtown, entering the historic district, sits the Lewis Cooper Jr. Memorial Library. The main floor of the building is open and filled with rows of bookshelves.

Upstairs in the quiet reading area, Library Director Rosanna McGinnis sat at a table cutting out pieces of paper for a project she was working on.

“Don’t mind me, I’ll have to work while I talk,” she said.

McGinnis moved to Opelika in 2016 to take the position in which she currently works, but the city has already had an impact on her, she said.

“I feel like I moved here at the best time,” McGinnis said. “Things are up and coming in Opelika; we’re making a lot of ‘Best of Small Cities’ lists—one just came out this past weekend.”

Before coming to Opelika, McGinnis lived in Birmingham, so she was a little cautious when moving to a smaller city like Opelika.

“I was hesitant to move here, I mean the job was a great opportunity, but I loved living in Birmingham, and I loved how many things there were to do,” she said. “I’ve been pleasantly surprised on how many things there are to do in the area.”

After learning more about the city and its people, McGinnis discovered that she loved the atmosphere and vibrance that a small, up-andcoming city radiated, she said.

“I think there are a lot of people in Opelika who want Opelika to be better and are willing to stay and do the work to help the city grow and change,” she said. “I don’t think you see that in Birmingham or larger cities. People want to complain about things, but they don’t actually want to do the work. I like living in a place where people are passionate enough about their personal passion projects to do the work to make them happen.”

In 1854, success for the city of Opelika was just a goal of the early settlers that first chartered the town. Now labeled by Southern Living Magazine as one of the South’s best small towns, this small railroad town has become a community beloved by many of the people who comprise it.

BUSINESS

Local bakers share passion for serving variety of treats

By ABIGAIL MURPHY Lifestyle Writer

From baked goods to custom cakes, Auburn has several local bakeries supplying the community with different types of treats.

Miriam Terry, a pastry chef and founder of Sweetly Sifted, said she focused her business on custom cakes.

Terry said before she started Sweetly Sifted, she graduated from Auburn’s food and restaurant management program and then, after interning at Acre, was its head pastry chef.

She said every cake she makes is different for each event, but there are some favorites.

“My signature cake is the Milk ‘n’ Cookies cake, which is a chocolate chip buttermilk cake with cookie dough frosting, topped with chocolate chip cookies,” she said.

Terry said she makes cakes for events like weddings, birthdays, baby showers and bridal showers.

“My favorite aspect about making custom cakes is having the ability to be a part of a customer’s special event and working with the client to tailor a cake that fits their style perfectly,” she said.

Terry said one of her favorite cakes she did recently was a gold leaf-detailed cake with a pyramid of macarons on top. The more unusual the cake, the more fun it is to make, she said.

Outside of cakes, Terry has partnered with Whimsy to make gluten-free and vegan baked goods, and Hornsby Farms with making baked goods for their produce baskets.

She said she will be partnering with Sword and Skillet and is planning on making holiday pies.

Anna Freeman, the owner of Serenity Farms and Bakery, said they focus their goods on breads, brownies and cookies.

Some of their breads are sourdough, wheat, banana, lemon blueberry and pumpkin spice. For their wheat bread, they grind their own wheat berries and make it 100% whole wheat, she said.

Freeman said her sister, Mary, founded Serenity Farms and Bakery. It started when their brother was asked to bring vegetables to a farmers market, and her sister brought some baked goods to the market as well, and it took off from there.

Freeman said she has been baking

COLE TANGYE / PHOTOGRAPHER

Miriam Terry bakes different treats for the Auburn community.

for farmers markets with her sister since she was 13. When her sister got married, she passed the business on to her. Now her younger sister helps her at the markets, she said.

“It’s been a great opportunity to spend time with my sisters and bake with them,” Freeman said.

During the summer, they frequent the farmers markets, while in the winter, they take special orders, she said.

Freeman said they will be at Auburn’s Strawberryfest in April, Opelika Farmers Market every Tuesday from May to August and Auburn

City Market every other Saturday from May to August.

“I pretty much just bake all day and sometimes into the night,” Freeman said. “Then I get up the next morning before the market and bake, and then we are off to market.”

The Auburn Plainsman

THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2020

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ACROSS 1 Doris or Dennis 4 Simon of “The Mentalist” 9 Marg Helgenberger series 12 Retirement acct.

13 Ascended 14 “__ in Cleveland” 15 Curved bone 16 “Return to __” 17 90 degrees from NNW 18 Shish __; BBQ favorite 20 “The __”; George Peppard series 22 Actress on “The Conners” 26 Late for school 27 “Not __ Stranger”; Sinatra movie 28 Actress Larter 29 “Snakes __ Plane”; Samuel L. Jackson film 32 Thickheaded 35 “Dancing with the Stars” host 39 Program for Al Roker 40 __ Michelle Gellar 42 Garden tool 43 “The flowers that bloom in the spring, __…”

47 FBI crime lab evidence Solution to Last Week’s Puzzle

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So. state Sultan’s wives Suffix for differ or exist __ Aviv Sajak or Trebek Bread variety

DOWN 1 Actor __ Benedict 2 Sign of spring 3 “__ Dabba Doo!” 4 “__ Black Sheep”; Robert Conrad military series 5 Ulna’s place 6 Backyard pond fish 7 Suffix for host or heir 8 Recommendation to an addict 9 Series for Ted Danson 10 Hyundai sedan 11 Dating couple talked about 19 Actor Carney 21 “__ and Sympathy”; Deborah Kerr film 23 “Eighth __”; 2018 Elsie Fisher movie 24 Ne’er-do-well 25 “The Invention of __”; 2009 Ricky Gervais film 29 Peter or Annette 30 “Deal or __” 31 “I __ Rock”; Simon & Garfunkel hit 33 “__ Street” 34 Historical period 36 “Saved __ Bell” (1989-92) 37 “Law & __” 38 Fran Fine’s position 39 “__ ’70s Show” 41 “10 Things I __ About You”; Heath Ledger movie 44 Male animal 45 “Joan of __”; film for Ingrid Bergman 46 Brandon or Jason