SINCE 1893
125
The Auburn Plainsman Years
online at THEPLAINSMAN.COM
A SPIRIT THAT IS NOT AFRAID • NEWS SINCE 1893
THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 2019
VOL. 126 • ISSUE 15 • FIRST COPY FREE THEN 50¢
CAMPUS
New year brings new dining options Permanent Steak ‘n Shake location, new Chick-fil-A food truck open on campus By STEPHEN LANZI Campus Editor campus@theplainsman.com
Steak ‘n Shake has moved indoors, and students will soon see a new food truck on campus — Chick-fil-A. Construction began in early October 2018 on a permanent Steak ‘n Shake to replace the Papa John’s in the Student Center, and the brick-and-mortar location officially opened for business Tuesday morning. “We philosophically look, every year, at what are we going to do for this year’s freshman class — how are we going to make it the best we can make it,” said Glenn Loughridge, director of Tiger Dining. A Steak ‘n Shake food truck had been serving Auburn’s campus for the fall 2018 semester while the details of the permanent location were being worked out. The Steak ‘n Shake truck, though popular during its short stay, will no longer be on campus. Tiger Dining was only renting the truck for the transition time. Tiger Dining specialist Gwen Ward said Tiger Dining is excited for the addition and that campus can expect just about the same menu that the restaurant offers at typical off-campus locations. The Student Center location offers a wider variety of options including burgers, fries, hot dogs, chili and all the popular milkshake flavors, which the food truck could not offer because of space limitations. “It’s got a really robust shake program, which I think is kind of a fourth meal for a lot of students,” Loughridge said. “We sell a lot of shakes on campus. We feel like it’s something that’s going to resonate in that afternoon when you need a little pick-me-up before your last class.” Steak ‘n Shake will be open Sunday through Thursday from 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. “It’s a really budget-friendly option for students,” Loughridge said. “It’s hot and fresh and made to order — all the things that make a good burger.” Because Chick-fil-A is closed on Sundays, Ward said it will be nice for at least one of the major retail restaurants to be open every day of the week in the Student Center. The Steak ‘n Shake will also be a Tapingo location, so students will be able to place orders ahead of time and not have to wait in line. Loughridge said Tapingo should be functional the second week of classes. Mobile, online
MADISON OGLETREE / PHOTO EDITOR
Students buy food at the new permanent Steak ‘n Shake location in the Student Center on Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2019.
ordering now makes up almost 10 percent of on-campus sales, he added. Though the Steak ‘n Shake food truck is departing from campus, students won’t be down an option. The only Chick-fil-A food truck in existence will be coming to Auburn’s campus in the upcoming semester as well as an additional permanent on-campus location, Student Government Association President Dane Block told The Plainsman last week. Loughridge said the plan is to have the truck on the intersection of Thach Concourse and Donahue Drive in front of the ROTC building near The Village, pending approval of corporate Chick-fil-A and Facilities Management at the University. Construction will also begin in the spring 2019 semester to bring a permanent, indoor Chick-fil-A location to Village Dining. The Plainsman in April 2018 first reported the addition of a new Chick-fil-A location in The Village.
» See TIGER DINING, 2
MIKAYLA BURNS / MANAGING EDITOR
The new Chick-fil-A food truck sits outside Jordan-Hare Stadium on Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2019.
COMMUNITY
From ‘The Loveliest Village’ to a booming city: Auburn’s path of growth By MEGAN FERINGA Campus Writer campus@theplainsman.com
CAMERON BRASHER / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Construction continues in downtown Auburn on Jan. 8, 2019.
Since 1836, Auburn residents have known one thing for sure: Auburn is The Loveliest Village on The Plains. Or at least that’s the nickname associated with calling Auburn home. It comes from Oliver Goldsmith’s 1770 poem “The Deserted Village” in which he writes, ”Sweet Auburn! Loveliest village of the plain ... ” Yet today, the city of Auburn has an estimated population of 63,793 and ranks as Alabama’s eighth largest city, ac-
SPORTS Auburn football: Who is staying. Who is going. We have the updates. Auburn’s 2019 roster takes shape with announcements from NFL-ready Tigers Page 8
www.theplainsman.com
go online
cording to the most recent United States Census estimates. It has undertaken nearly 40 new and expanded commercial projects since 1994 with a generated capital investment of more than $1.3 billion and 6,000 jobs. It has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the state, a stateof-the-art research park and the Auburn University Regional Airport. The city’s growth is pushed in large part by the growth of Auburn University and a city school system that consistently ranks in the top 10 in the state. Enrollment in city schools has pushed past 8,500 and is expected to reach nearly 11,000 by 2024, according
to the school system’s projections. “You know,” said former Mayor Bill Ham. “It’s changed a bit since I was a kid.” Born and raised in Auburn, the former 20-year mayor remembered the day the first Jack’s came to the town. He remembered when only one traffic light worked and no one believed in a prospective McDonald’s or a downtown building that could come close to rivaling the height of Auburn University’s Haley Center. He attended Auburn University when it was just shy of 21,000 students and had no plans
» See CITY GROWTH, 7
News 24/7 on our website Go online to theplainsman.com SCAN ME!
@TheAUPlainsman
@TheAuburnPlainsman
@TheAuburnPlainsman
news
2
THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 2019
THEPLAINSMAN.COM
NEWS
OVER THE BREAK
Auburn named R1 Carnegie research institution, achieving major goal The classification, which recognizes the top 120 research institutions, has been a long-term goal for the University and one of Auburn President Steven Leath’s main priorities since taking office in March 2017. Universities considered for the R1 designation must have at least $5 million in research expenditures. By CHIP BROWNLEE Editor-in-chief editor@theplainsman.com
Auburn University achieved a major goal Monday when it was named an R1 Carnegie research institution. The designation — being elevated to an “R1” institution by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education — is a major milestone for the University’s research efforts. The classification, which recognizes the top 120 research institutions, has been a long-term goal for the University and one of the main priorities of Auburn President Steven Leath since he took office in March 2017. The new honor follows Leath’s announcement in December 2017 that the University would allot $5 million for three years toward the Presidential Awards for Interdisciplinary Research. An R1 designation is reserved for doctoral universities with the highest levels of research activity. Auburn is among 120 institutions to receive the R1 designation Monday. The University was listed in the top 100 of R1 universities, raising its classification from an already lofty “high research” R2 classification to the new “very high research activity” R1 label. “This tremendous designation acknowledges the hard work involved in the pioneering discoveries happening at Auburn every day,” Leath said. “We are grateful to the University’s faculty and staff, especially Graduate School Dean George Flowers, for their unwavering commitment to elevating Auburn’s profile as a world-class academic institution.” One of Leath’s main goals since starting his tenure has been to raise Auburn’s national profile as a premier research institution. During his installation speech earlier this year, he promised to lead Auburn into a new age of research and innovation through reorganization, increased faculty and infrastructural advancements. The designation Monday is a positive affirmation of efforts
VIA AUBURN UNIVERSITY
Dr. Amal Kaddoumi, left, a professor in Auburn’s Department of Drug Discovery and Development, works in a lab with graduate research assistant Sweilem Al Rihani. Kaddoumi is leading a multi-disciplinary team in an investigation of oleocanthal, a molecule that appears naturally in extra-virgin olive oil, as a novel preventative treatment for such diseases as Alzheimer’s or dementia.
announced over the last year to hire new research-oriented faculty, among other initiatives to enhance research. Leath — who was recently named one of seven new members appointed to the National Science Board, a policy-making body of the National Science Foundation — said the designation is a positive step in the right direction. “Auburn is on the move, and this prestigious distinction recognizes Auburn’s critical role in creating new knowledge and helping others live better lives,” he said. Universities considered for the R1 designation must have awarded at least 20 research/scholarship doctoral degrees and had at least $5 million in total research expenditures, according to Carnegie’s classification website. Auburn has been growing its research efforts in both STEM and non-STEM areas in recent years. The University says it has an institutional commitment to offer solutions to
“
This tremendous designation acknowledges the hard work involved in the pioneering discoveries happening at Auburn every day. — Auburn President Steven Leath real-world problems and grow its reputation. “Auburn University is known for its innovative and transformational research, and receiving the R1 classification is a significant accomplishment,” said Jennifer Kerpelman, interim vice president for research. “This classification recognizes the dedication, commitment and hard work of Auburn’s faculty and student researchers across all disciplines.”
CITY UPDATES
Single-lane closures
CHIP BROWNLEE / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
South College Street lanes closed By STAFF editor@theplainsman.com
Two lanes of South College Street have been closed as Auburn University begins work to add medians and other improvements to South College Street. The inside lanes, both north- and southbound, closed Monday, Jan. 7, and will remain closed until June 2019. Stretches of the road between Woodfield Drive and Kimberly Drive are affected by the
TIGER DINING » From 1
“One of our priorities is to continually work with campus dining and ensure that students are excited to swipe their Tiger Cards,” Block said. The Chick-fil-A addition in The Village could be a welcome relief to the busy central location. The Student Center location is known for having long lines and high sales. In June 2017, it was recognized as the second-highest grossing on-campus Chick-fil-A
closures. Crews are adding new landscaped medians and electrical lighting as part of improvements ahead of the opening of the Jay and Susie Gogue Performing Arts Center. At a cost of $69 million, the center is slated to open in August 2019 and will be 85,000 square feet. It will provide performance venues in support of musical, theatrical, dance, guest speakers and other events. The city has advised motorists to exercise caution in the area.
Academic Support With midterm season quickly approaching, don’t wait until the last minute to get help! Contact the Office of Academic Support for personalized
Academic Coaching, Study Partners appointment-based and drop-in tutoring, peer-led Supplemental Instruction (SI)
in the country. “The idea is to bring the food to the students and minimize the time spent waiting in line and making it as easy and as enjoyable for the students — just running to class and want a quick bite or meeting friends to eat on campus and don’t want to sit in the Student Center or whatever it is. We’re just trying to provide the options and the accessibility,” Block said. Renovations to the Student Center Chick-fil-A are also scheduled to begin over
the summer, so the food truck and the new location in Village Dining will be able to provide campus with all its Chick-fil-A needs, Block said. Block praised Glenn Loughridge, director of Tiger Dining, for the work he’s done as Auburn has transitioned to Aramark, Auburn’s new food-service contractor, in the past semester. “(Loughridge) works with the students, and the students’ priority is his top priority, so I think the students should have confidence in that,” Block said.
sessions and other academic-related topics.
Visit academicsupport.auburn.edu to make an appointment or to learn more.
From Auburn Student Affairs @AuburnStudents
auburn.edu/StudentAffairs
opinion THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 2019
3 THEPLAINSMAN.COM
OPINION
OUR VIEW
University, city should accept responsibility for Northwest Auburn gentrification, displacement By EDITORIAL BOARD Spring 2019
As Auburn’s population of students and residents grows, so does its development. This increased development has been expanding into some of Auburn’s most established communities. These communities have been home to some residents and families for generations. And in some communities, longtime black residents are being displaced by new student housing developments, higher property costs and higher rent. This is gentrification. In Northwest Auburn, development has passed the point of encroachment and is now forcing residents out of their homes. Developers are buying and tearing down homes to make room for more profitable student housing, or they are buying and building student housing on plots of land in these residential neighborhoods. While buying and building on these empty plots of land may seem harmless, in reality, it drives up the cost of living, the monetary value of the land and, as a result, property taxes and rent for the rest of the neighborhood. Moreover, the new developments bring in new residents and, more often than not, that means displacement for long-term residents. While many historically white neighborhoods have faced unwanted student development, Northwest Auburn is facing more serious difficulties that amount to more than just an aesthetic nuisance. Simply put, these developments are forcing some of Auburn’s most marginalized communities to relocate from the neighborhoods they have called home for decades. This is a textbook case of gentrification. Upper-middle-class students who can afford this new housing are taking over these neighborhoods, or at the very least taking control of these neighborhoods’ future. But why? One reason is that student housing is more profitable. Landlords can charge students artificially inflated rent, or multiple students pay exorbitant prices as part of individual leases to live in one dwelling. Developers are currently constructing houses on Frazier Street that boast a five-bedroom, five-bathroom floor plan. These floor plans and their prices are obviously intended to house five students, and the signage surrounding the construction
site says as much. But the developers billed these residences as family housing to the city of Auburn. This allowed these developments to fly under the radar and skirt the edge of Auburn’s zoning laws and ordinances, which aren’t particularly protective of the Northwest Auburn neighborhood to begin with. More than five unrelated people can’t live in one residence in much of this area. But don’t be fooled. That’s a far more lenient zoning rule than those in historic, majority-white neighborhoods. A two-person unrelated occupancy rule along Payne Street and Dumas Drive in East Auburn caused uproar last year when groups of students were evicted from their housing for violating the rule. In both cases, landlords and developers didn’t care about much else besides milking students for rent money and, as a result, displacing marginalized families. Students can be blamed partly for moving into these homes and increasing demand, but it does not all fall onto the shoulders of students. Even with massive new apartment buildings in the downtown area, Auburn has a shortage of student housing, a city-commissioned report found as much. Markets are not perfect, but the demand for new housing developments affirms that fact. In this aspect, the University has failed. The University has failed to provide enough on-campus housing for students or on-campus housing that is affordable, even by Auburn’s high-rent standards. The cost of staying in an on-campus dorm is relatively high. And with most dorms only having one full kitchen per floor or, worse yet, one kitchen for the entire dorm, the cost of living and eating on campus can be expensive. It seems as though the University is doing very little to ensure that living for students is affordable. There is not a single dorm that has full kitchens in each suite, and university officials are not regularly sitting in any of the city council meetings advocating for the best interests of students and student housing. What would have been prime real estate for future dorms has been taken by developers and turned into high-cost, high-occupancy apartment buildings. So, students who look for more cost-effective housing are moving farther out, into family and residential neighborhoods.
MADISON OGLETREE/ PHOTO EDITOR
Northwest Auburn has been impacted by new student-oriented housing developments that have pushed some residents from their longtime homes.
Students are duped into believing they are getting a “deal” on rent, but are being crammed into houses five at a time, while some landlord is getting five times whatever that “deal” on rent is. Auburn students have almost no alternative than to move in these new housing developments. The University is not working with the city to zone the city in a way that benefits both longtime residents and students. That’s caused a mindset that only spurs competition between students and residents. Students and residents shouldn’t be adversaries; they should be on the same team. But to do this, we need to acknowledge a few realities. White middle- and upper-class residents of Auburn have been relatively successful in preventing student housing in their neighborhoods, though a few have sneaked in. While city officials have been slow, at times, to respond to complaints on the part of middle- and upper-class residents in Auburn, they have moved at a snail’s pace in addressing the concerns of residents in Northwest Auburn. But by preventing student-housing in some areas that are close to campus, zoning rules are thrusting new development into the minority neighborhoods of the city where zoning laws are still somewhat lenient on student-oriented housing, where the commute to campus is still pretty short and where residents likely do not have the
means or influence to protect themselves from such developments. In this aspect, the city has failed. It is the city’s job to protect these residents’ way of life. Instead, the city has allowed developers to manipulate and scheme their way into some of Auburn’s most established neighborhoods. Students are not going away any time soon — that’s a reality some city politicians and activists are eager to ignore. While students are only here for four years at a time, there’s another, probably larger class of students ready to take their place. Growth of the University and the city are inevitable — and a good thing — but it must be done in a way that protects everyone in the city, not just those who have the time and the influence to sway city officials. Ordinances must be put in place that protect both students’ and residents’ best interests. The University must do more to protect the community in which it resides, which means ensuring students have housing that does not negatively affect the Auburn community. It is time for the city and the University to work together to find a solution. The Plainsman welcomes responses to our editorials and opinion pieces. Please see our letter to the editor policies below for information on how to write a response.
HIS VIEW
Moderation hard to find as social media, news define heroes, villains By TRICE BROWN Campus Reporter
We live in a society filled with excess. Entertainment, material possessions and food have optimized over time to attract the greatest number of customers, and nothing attracts more customers than bigger, better products. The same can be said of our political climate. We get much of our political news from the same source as our entertainment — social media. Because of this, politics follows the same basic rules as entertainment for attracting the biggest audience: there needs to be a story with a clearly defined hero and villain. People click on headlines because they are interesting. A headline that reads “Local man rescues kids from burning orphanage” presents itself as more interesting than “City offi-
cials discuss new zoning development.” The former story’s hero, the selfless man, thwarted the diabolical plans of the anonymous villain, who, I suppose, can only be a guilt-ridden individual who forgot that microwaves and aluminum foil historically haven’t mixed. Political figures tend to have very different solutions to problems compared to their counterparts across the aisle. We have divided ourselves into these factions because we have different ideas of how government should function to best serve the people, and there is power in numbers. However, we tend to misidentify those who disagree with our ideas as our enemies — our villains. It’s important to remember that everyone is the hero in their own story. Despite how some things may seem from our perspective,
politicians across the aisle — more aptly described as an ocean — have the best in mind for the nation. These ideas call inspiration from personal values and experiences of that politician and their constituents. A common complaint against “the media,” meaning mainstream news sources, is an implicit political bias towards a particular side. For example, CNN and Fox News are often touted as left-leaning and right-leaning sources, respectively. While news sources strive to be as objective as possible, it can be undeniably advantageous to cater to a specific base. When a news headline is interesting to the “customers” of one of these sites, they are more likely to click the headline and read it. More clicks generate more ad revenue to keep the company afloat. The best way to maintain
OPINION PAGE POLICIES The Auburn Plainsman welcomes letters from students, as well as faculty, administrators, alumni and those not affiliated with the University. Letters must be submitted to editor@theplainsman.com before 4:30 p.m. on Friday for publication. 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.
THE EDITORIAL BOARD
COLUMNS & EDITORIALS The opinions of The Auburn Plainsman staff are restricted to these pages. 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.
CONTACT
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
a consistent amount of cash flowing into the company is to maintain a consistent base of users — and cater to what they want to see. After all, it’s entertainment. We want heroes, and we want villains. It’s an echo of our tribal days centuries ago. But we have to move beyond, despite how intoxicating it may be. Start by being more skeptical of everything you read. Examine situations from different angles. Try on someone else’s shoes and walk a bit. Learn why people believe the things they do. If we can understand our differences, we can see our similarities. Maybe then we won’t have to shut everything down because we don’t know how to compromise. Trice Brown is a freshman in mathematic education and writes for The Auburn Plainsman.
CHIP BROWNLEE
MIKAYLA BURNS
JESSICA BALLARD
Editor-in-Chief
Managing Editor, Operations
Managing Editor, Standards
ELIZABETH HURLEY
EDUARDO MEDINA
MADISON OGLETREE
Community Editor
Enterprise Editor
Photo Editor
SCOTT BERSON
BRYTNI EMISON
JENNIFER FARNER
Assistant Community
Opinion Editor
Video Editor
STEPHEN LANZI
NATHAN KING
LOREN KIMMEL
Campus Editor
Sports Editor
Lifestyle Editor
GABBY DANCE
TYLER ROUSH
ABBY SCHMIDT
Assistant Campus
Assistant Sports
Senior Graphics Designer
Newsroom: news@theplainsman.com Sports: sports@theplainsman.com Opinion: opinion@theplainsman.com Editor: editor@theplainsman.com Advertising: admanager@theplainsman.com
334-844-9108
344-844-9101
campus THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 2019
4 THEPLAINSMAN.COM
CAMPUS
SUSTAINABILITY
Students start business to limit plastic straws By MEGAN FERINGA Campus Writer
Porter Kennedy, senior in finance, said it all started with a simple video going viral on Facebook. “There’s a tortoise and he’s pulling plastic straws out of his nose, but it was that video that made this such a hot topic,” Kennedy said. “That one video.” Kennedy didn’t grow up at the beach. He doesn’t spend his breaks surfing nor does he have a pet tortoise, but he did have one thing: a business idea. That idea is what has become SOstraws, the bamboo-themed, paper alternative to the plastic straw crisis echoing across the nation, begun by Kennedy and his co-founder Kressie Kornish, a senior English literature major who also founded the Auburn for Bee’s club. The idea came to Kennedy while he sat at a rooftop bar overlooking the White House last summer during an internship. Kennedy couldn’t disregard the fact he and everyone around him sipped drinks through paper straws. “I researched everything I could about it,” Kennedy said. “It’s crazy. 500 million plastic straws are used every day in the United States.” That’s 1.6 straws per person daily, 182.5 billion straws as a nation per year. In other words, it’s filling 127 40-foot school buses with plastic straws to be used, and then thrown away. And then doing it again 364 more times. “And that’s the problem,” Kennedy said. “Straws are too small to be sorted out [in recycling centers], and that’s why they end up in the oceans.” Another issue lies in a straw’s lifespan. While a straw may be used only once or twice, its lifespan exceeds 200 years. According to Kennedy, there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish by 2050. But while the straw movement might seem like just a younger generation’s craze to seem cool and sustainable, Kennedy argues it’s much more than that. “It’s why a lot of legislation is being passed here, the UK and California,” Kennedy said. “Those aren’t 20-year-olds passing those bills, those are 45-50-year-olds, so it’s become a huge issue.” Across the United States, cities like Chicago, San Francisco, St. Louis and Portland, Oregon, are banning the use of plastic straws. The United Kingdom and Vancouver, British Columbia, have banned them all together
while Taiwan intends on entirely banning single-use plastic items. Starbucks has announced its straw suspension by 2020, and dining halls and on-campus restaurants at Auburn University are doing their part to raise awareness and halt the consumption of plastic straws as well. Still, Kennedy wanted to add his own voice to this movement, or in this case, to the straws. For the last six months, Kennedy and Kornis, have worked together to create the plastic-less solution, SOstraws. “This is the future,” Kennedy said. “There’s a massive market for this stuff, especially as everyone is switching, but this is something that can help the oceans. It’s an opportunity.” The paper straws come in thin cardboard boxes of fifty for $6.99 with the logo SOstraws written on the front in green and red bamboo-font. Customers can purchase SOstraws directly through social media platforms or via Amazon, but it’s not only about getting people to use paper. Thirty percent of all profits goes to benefiting the oceans directly through the charities Oceana, Coral Reef Alliance and the Ocean Conservancy. “I think getting people to switch and halt the usage of plastic is great, but one of the main things to make a difference is that 30 percent donated,” Kennedy said. The boxes and their straws are entirely biodegradable and compostable. Kennedy said the company uses no plastic in the boxes, wrapping or the straws in order to uphold their mission, which is quite simple: Oceans are dying. Sea creatures are dying. One of the largest culprits is plastic, so let’s get rid of the plastic. It seems easy enough, just get rid of whatever is sticking out of the tortoise’s nose, but plastic straws have been a staple in restaurants, fast-food joints and mothers’ pantries for years. They’re thrown on the table on top of a pile of napkins and silverware at a Mexican restaurant. They’re sitting in the ice-cold glasses of lemonade on a southern porch during a hot autumn afternoon, lying between the lips of friends sipping chocolate malts from a 24hour diner after a football game. Even serving as the ultimate bubble blower in your little cousin’s chocolate milk. There’s just something about a straw. Which is why Kennedy felt so compelled to give people an alternative that wouldn’t force them to cold-turkey cut straws from their lives. But paper straws can be uncertain. There’s
VIA SOSTRAWS
SOstraws sells paper alternatives to the plastic straw.
the issue of soggy paper, an understood truth from middle school. Paper beats rock but water beats paper, and everyone can remember a time of receiving a paper straw at a restaurant, wondering about the odd-feeling stick’s ability to do its job and then coming to the harrowing realization that by the third sip the paper had become a mushy culmination of water and spit, impossible to enjoy with the rest of the meal. But according to Kennedy, these straws are different. Like anyone else, Kennedy prioritizes a good straw. Durable, thick, not mushy. “These are the real deal,” Kennedy said. “You could leave them in there for hours, and they would still be sturdy and drinkable.” It might not be fun to admit, but Auburn doesn’t have an ocean. The closest ocean is nearly four hours away. Yet just because something might not be immediately noticeable from the heights of the Haley Center Eagle’s
Nest doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. “If this thing gets big, it would have started at Auburn,” Kennedy said. “We’re known for engineering, maybe a little bit of football, but I think this is one thing that if it really catches on, Auburn could be in the forefront of that environmental impact.” The business is only a baby, just officially a month old and celebrating its first New Year’s days ago, on the rocks with a paper straw, of course. The co-founders still haven’t come to a consensus on the name: Save the Oceans Straws or Save Our Straws. Yet even in its earliest days, SOstraws has a vigor it doesn’t intend on losing any time soon. The name will come, and as the business grows, Kennedy said he hopes to offer even more alternatives to plastic. “I think every action counts, even if it’s a little, so hopefully this will do just that,” Kennedy said.
ORGANIZATIONS
Project Uplift works with city to recognize National Mentoring Month By NATALIE BECKERINK Campus Writer
Members of the Auburn and Opelika communities are recognizing National Mentoring Month through the work that Project Uplift has done and plans to expand on. National Mentoring Month occurs every January in order to direct national attention towards the need for mentors in the lives of the youth. It focuses on not only what individuals can do for the movement but also how businesses, government agencies, schools and other local organizations can get involved with the mentoring efforts. Project Uplift is a program of the Lee County Youth Development Center, which is based within the psychology department of Auburn’s
College of Liberal Arts and has been a part of Auburn for 45 years. Project Uplift is an organization ensuring that the youth of the Auburn and Opelika area have mentors to guide them towards positive life decisions. Each mentor is paired with a child in the community to help guide them down a good path, and over the last 45 years, the program has affected approximately 10,000 adults and children, from those who volunteer to the mentees themselves. Chris Nunn has been involved with Project Uplift for 21 years and is the current coordinator of the program. He described the in-depth purpose that Project Uplift was created to fulfill. “This program is very similar to a Big Brother-Big Sister program in that we pair children,
ages through 12, with adult role models,” Nunn said. “We hope to reduce and prevent juvenile delinquency while we build children’s self-esteem.” The children in Project Uplift are referred to the program through various social service agencies and participate in the program voluntarily. Any person who is at least 19 years old can apply to be a volunteer and, if accepted, will be paired with a child, who they will spend a few hours a week with. The idea was that through the time spent between the child and mentor, a strong and sincere relationship would be formed. This year, Project Uplift held an event in which the mayors of Opelika and Auburn signed a proclamation supporting National Mentoring Month, which Nunn said was an
EDUCATION
Auburn starting online graduate certificate in restoration ecology By STAFF The Auburn University School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences recently started an online graduate certificate in restoration ecology, intended to serve the educational needs of working professionals. “This certificate will provide an essential understanding of ecological restoration best practices for the rehabilitation of degrading forests and other wildlife habitats,” said John Wigginton, Southeast Regional Director at Westervelt Ecological Services. Wigginton is recognized by the Society of Ecological Restoration as a certified ecological restoration practitioner.
The program is designed to help students improve their critical thinking and communication skills while gaining a greater understanding of terrestrial ecosystems and the practices used for their restoration. “Whether you are a private landowner, manage property for business, government or a land trust or are an environmental educator; a graduate certificate in restoration ecology will complement your professional skills or position you to transition to graduate school,” said Becky Barlow, professor and restoration ecology certificate program coordinator. The program was designed as an online program to best
VIA AUBURN UNIVERSITY
serve working professionals looking to continue their education and obtain advanced degrees in their areas of career interest while still working in the field. “Online certificate programs support graduate-level education for both non-residential and non-traditional students who would like to advance their knowledge and
careers, while still remaining accessible to their employers and families,” said Janaki Alavalapati, dean of the school of forestry and wildlife sciences. Students must complete 15 hours of online coursework to receive their graduate certificate. In their coursework, the students will develop different projects that use their academic and real-world experiences.
important moment highlighted by the organization. “Our organization is one that is working to ensure our community has young people who are making healthy decisions that will, in turn, provide a safe and strong community for us all to live in,” Nunn said. While Project Uplift has been around for a while, the organization is still working toward growing. Nunn said a few goals the staff is currently working towards are to recruit 200 adult role models and to reduce the number of children on not only their waitlist but other programs as well. For students that wish to get involved with Project Uplift, visit www.auburn.edu/projectuplift or contact the office at (334) 844-4430 for more information on the application process.
The Auburn Plainsman
THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 2019
PAGE 5
ROTC
CONTRIBUTED BY CONNER MORSCHAUSER
Auburn senior, Conner Morschauser, participates in Army ROTC excercises.
Auburn student finds passion in ROTC By HANNAH LESTER Campus Writer
Conner Morschauser grew up in a military family, moving from state to state, deciding early that the military life wasn’t for him. Though he knew his parents loved the life through the hardships and there were exciting opportunities involved in all the moves, Conner Morschauser had no intentions to pursue the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps or military life. When it came time for the North Carolina-based high school senior to choose a college, he took the best schools academically and lined them up with ESPN’s football schools. Auburn arose as a potential option. After a visit, Conner Morschauser knew Auburn was where he was supposed to be. “I toured nine schools, and then it came down to just Auburn,” Conner Morschauser said. “I really liked it, but again, my dad was in the service, so out-of-state tuition was kind of not really an option.” He hatched a plan with his parents since Auburn was where he wanted to attend. He would spend a year in ROTC and attend Auburn under scholarship. If he still didn’t like ROTC at that point, he could drop it and continue with his other plans. Three years ago, Conner Morschauser entered Auburn as a freshman in nutrition with 4:45 a.m. wakeup calls, five-mile hikes and a new uniform. “Growing up a military kid, it’s a lifestyle that I absolutely loved, and I’m so thankful I grew up in it, but it’s something that I thought I didn’t want myself, and until you put this uniform on, you don’t realize exactly what it is,” he said. “So it’s one of those things where you have to actually live it to actually get the appreciation for it.”
After a year ended, Conner Morschauser realized that ROTC and a military life was where he was supposed to be. Now, Morschauser is acting as Auburn’s battalion commander and received his branch, infantry. His father, Bob Morschauser served 30 years in the military before retiring and said he was very proud of his son’s choice. “He’s seen and lived the late hours, field training time and combat deployments that kept me away from him, his mother, and his sister,” Bob Morschauser said. “His response was that he has a desire to serve his country, and that’s a hard argument to counter.” Throughout his experience he has not just pursued a degree in business, handled life in a fraternity and built friendships, but he has also had some amazing experiences in ROTC. “You know the cool thing about just waking up Monday, Wednesday, Friday with the same group, you get super close,” he said. However, as a freshman, Conner Morschauser experienced some of the same challenges other freshmen face. “Your peers are staying up until 2 o’clock in the morning, and you know, they’re waking up for their 11 o’clock class, and they’re still tired, and you’re over here studying the same amount,” he said. ROTC students also have an extra class and lab to take in addition to their regular major courses. As students progress in ROTC they are given more opportunities. Conner Morschauser was also selected for the CULP Program in Madagascar and worked side by side with their troops. Because Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world, he realized that some of those soldiers didn’t even have helmets, and the experience allowed him to put his own complaints into perspective. Conner Morschauser was also able to go to air assault school, a 10-day program in which students learn to rappel from helicopters as well as go to West Point to go through training.
The culmination of ROTC training is advance camp, which Conner Morschauser completed in the summer of 2018. “It’s kind of like taking the MCAT or like the LSAT or something like that,” he said. “It’s kind of an assessment to get your branch and stuff like that.” Now, acting as battalion commander, Connor Morschauser has a chance to pass down what he’s learned to the younger cadets. Leadership is something the program is trying to increase, allowing sophomores to mentor freshman, juniors to mentor sophomores and seniors taking positions of leadership in the battalion. “Your senior year, you’re about to go into the actual force so they want you to see the planning aspect of it,” Conner Morschauser said. After advance camp, the seniors have a sense of responsibility to prepare the juniors as they head into their own program. “You have that kind of pressure, you want to make sure these juniors are actually ready to go,” he said. The senior has put in three top choices for where he wants to end up after his Auburn graduation: Kentucky, North Carolina and Italy. Having grown up in a military family, Conner Morschauser is more prepared than some might be for the life of moving around and the hardships that accompany the lifestyle. Bob Morschauser had some advice for his son as he prepares to leave Auburn and enter the military life. “First, I’ll tell him to be proud of what he’s accomplished at Auburn and to cherish the friends and memories he’s made over the past four years,” Bob Morschauser said. “Then, I will tell him to stay humble, to listen to his non-commissioned officers whom he may out-rank in position and responsibility but not in experience and to embrace the privilege of serving with and leading some of the finest men and women our country has to offer.”
MUSIC
Jazz ensemble to perform at Birmingham conference By JORDAN WINDHAM Campus Writer
To most, the words “jazz ensemble” stir ideas of a time and place now surrendered to the history books and provoke thoughts of an era long past when musicians like Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong ruled the airwaves. For Auburn, this sentiment could not be further from the truth. Jazz is alive and well in Auburn University’s Jazz Ensemble. On Friday, Jan. 18, the jazz band, directed by Michael Pendowski, will perform at the Alabama Music Educators Conference in Birmingham. The jazz ensemble has performed at AMEA once before and is excited to be able to once again showcase its skill. “We did it four years ago and to standing-room only, so they put us in a double venue this time because they’re anticipating everyone coming to see us, so we’re hoping it’s going to be really good,” Pendowski said.
CONTRIBUTED BY MICHAEL PENDOWSKI
The Auburn 2018-2019 jazz ensemble performs in Auburn, Ala.
After an intense, selective application process of submitting performance tapes, the jazz ensemble members are looking forward to an opportunity to showcase the talent, dedication and determination they have shown as they worked toward their goals.
“You can’t do it every year,” Pendowski said. “This is the first year that we could apply again. It’s a great honor to do this.” Pendowski credits the band’s prowess to its building process and experience. Each year, everyone must audition again for a spot on the en-
FACULTY
Visiting art professor shares artistic journey By NATALIE BECKERINK Campus Writer
Auburn instructor, Alexandra Giannell, discovered her love for art at a young age and now teaches her passion at the college level. Giannell spent several years in Europe during her childhood. Her family lived in Germany for most of her childhood, specifically in three southwestern states: Hessen, Rheinland-Pflalz and Baden. Eventually, she moved to Athens, Greece. Giannell emphasized the beauty of living in this area. “For me, living in Europe was an art historical dream in itself, being able to witness the beautiful landscape, historical architecture and masterworks in the museums,” Giannell said. Giannell said that being exposed to fine art at a young age caused her to develop a passion for it as an adult. “I have always been a maker, but I believe it was my exposure to an array of art and architecture at a young age that fostered my appreciation for the history of art, later reinforcing my art-making prac-
tice deeply,” Giannell said. “Perhaps it was when the making and thinking truly gelled that I discovered my love for art.” Giannell attended high school in the states, where she studied at the University of North Carolina School of Arts, specifically in the Visual Arts Program. After graduation, she went to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and earned a degree in Painting with a minor in Art History. Giannell relates her own college experiences to those of her students to help them succeed. “I recommend that art students seek a deep level of thinking and making while in school,” Giannell said. “Make time for courses that broaden and deepen your knowledge, engage in conversations that are challenging and productive, commit extended time to your studio practice and dig.” Since she left college, Giannell has been teaching courses in advanced drawing and painting for over five years at Clemson University, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Central Piedmont Community College, Rowan-Cabarrus Community College and, most recently, Auburn
University. At Auburn, Giannell is a visiting assistant professor of painting and drawing. She teaches painting I, drawing I and advanced drawing I and II. During her teaching career, Giannell said she has learned a lot of important life lessons that will carry her through the rest of her career. “As an educator, I am still learning, and as a maker, I am still asking questions in my practice,” Giannell said. “I have realized how imperative this is in becoming the best educator I can be.” In regard to her personal work, Giannell has published several projects and exhibited throughout the Southeast. One of her favorites so far has been her “Dead Bodies Series.” “I enjoyed the physical range of motion in the process of making this series, from the broad, powerful swing of the axe chopping to burn and making my charcoal, to the minutiae of the petite, slow gesture of later rendering with a pencil,” Giannell said. “Additionally, I enjoyed how such a physically demanding process produced such delicate, ephemeral products.”
semble, which builds a coalition of talented students from all corners of campus. “We, this year, probably have the best band the University might have had,” Pendowski said. “These last few years have been a crest riding up.” The ensemble plays not only vintage music but modern pieces, as well. In addition to classic pieces, the ensemble will be performing two of Pendowski’s own arrangements: “Sister Sadie” and “The Suite.” “I think they really enjoy playing music that, even when they got into school, they didn’t realize that they could play something this hard because everything we do is at the highest level,” Pendowski said. The ensemble enjoys the challenge of such a complex and diverse material, which allows them to sharpen their skills in preparation for what the members choose to pursue next. “There are no giveaways in this band,” Pendowski said. “I think that makes them play better. I think they rise to the occasion.”
community THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 2019
6 THEPLAINSMAN.COM
FOOD
CITY COUNCIL
Seasonal cooking
New board selection process approved By ELIZABETH HURLEY Community Editor
with Robbie Nicolaisen, The Hound executive chef By ELIZABETH HURLEY Community Editor
Chicken and dumplings splash into a pan with sizzling gravy as cooks work over hot stoves, filling the air with an aroma of bacon and other savory meats. Servers and other staff members move swiftly through the kitchen finding ingredients and preparing dishes. It’s the lunch hour on a weekday so the restaurant is starting to fill up. The sound of cooking utensils clanging together and hot pans being set on countertops ring through the air as the beeps and typing of a receipt printer echo through the kitchen. A staff member snatches the receipt and calls out an order. “…and two orders of fries,” the expo says. The staff echoes the order back to the expo, a staff member in charge of watching the kitchen to ensure everything runs smoothly. They work together to recall each item to ensure nothing in the order is forgotten and each item in the order comes out at once. This is the kitchen of The Hound, an up-scale restaurant tucked in a corner of downtown Auburn near City Hall. While the well-oiled machine may seem like no place for error, it is actually where many lessons take place. The Hound executive chef Robbie Nicolaisen prides himself on that. “For me, personally, there is nothing more gratifying than to take somebody that’s maybe green or never been in the business and shape them and show them the ways and give them the freedom to take the ball and run with it,” Nicholaisen said. Nicholaisen, 44, operates a scratch kitchen, meaning they make everything in-house from fresh ingredients. He wants to teach all of his staff members how to make dishes, not just order them to heat up on a stovetop or in the oven. It’s not just about teaching his staff to help them in their careers, it’s also about ensuring he has a product that he is proud to put his name on. “For a restaurant, that should be of utmost importance,” Nicolaisen said. “I wouldn’t have a whole lot of pride in ordering something that’s already done and complete and heating it up and serving it to a guest that’s paying good money. I just wouldn’t feel right about it.” That’s not worthy of being a chef, Nicholaisen said. Operating a scratch kitchen also allows Nicholaisen to experiment with food and create entirely new dishes. “When you’ve been in the business as long as I have, you watch, you observe, you see a lot of different things and how things are prepared,” Nicholaisen said. “You build your own mental glossary of, ‘I remember this went well with that,’ and you just keep expanding on it,” Nicholaisen said. “You have your fails sometimes, but you certainly have your
ELIZABETH HURLEY / COMMUNITY EDITOR
Robbie Nicolaisen’s chicken and dumplings featured on The Hound’s fall and winter menu.
ELIZABETH HURLEY / COMMUNITY EDITOR
Robbie Nicholaosen poses with his chicken and dumplings dish.
wins, also.” Nicholaisen often mixes and matches ingredients and puts a spin on classic dishes, like his chicken and dumplings. “For me, it was we can make it a little bit different, hopefully make it a little bit better than your average, everyday chicken and dumplings,” Nicholaisen said. He makes his dumplings from a cornbread batter. He uses chicken thighs, demi and other ingredients to create a chicken and dumplings dish like no other. It’s different and sets the dish apart from other chicken and dumplings served everywhere else, Nicholaisen said. The dish is a part of a seasonal menu. The Hound offers a fall and winter menu as well as a spring and summer menu. “It’s a good menu mix,” Nicholaisen said. “Everything is in competition with everything on the menu. That’s the ideal situation you want to have.” With each of his menu items, Nicholaisen strives to keep his practices as sustainable as he can. All of the beef the restaurant uses has no hormones nor antibiotics, they offer heritage bread hogs, and they try to get much of their produce from local farmers, he said. “Just trying to keep it, in a sense, as sustainable as possible,” Nicholaisen said. “I think that’s huge, it’s important.” Though The Hound offers several signature staples such as their seared steaks year-round, Nicholaisen begins prep work on the more seasonal items several months in advance. It takes time and many trials to find that perfect combination when Nicholaisen is experimenting. He begins with food magazines, other recipes and social media to look for ingredients that may seem unusual together but may taste great. “Then, make it your own,” Nicholaisen said. It’s important to know the seasonality of ingredients when creating new dishes because the ingredients have to be available in order to make the dishes for the entire run time of the menu, Nicholaisen said. Another reason Nicholaisen said he begins his planning several months before the menu runs full time is so that he can test the new, experimental items. He runs these items as specials to test the waters and see how well they sell. “You don’t want to find out once it’s in print that it’s a flop,” Nicholaisen said. Often times, when Nicholiasen creates new dishes, it’s not just about the food, it’s about what can go with the food. The Hound is known for its whiskey and bourbon bar. He said those that work behind the bar create drinks that match well with all of the dishes he offers. Occasionally, Nicholaisen will incorporate spirits into his dishes, such as his collard greens and the caramel for the bread pudding, to help carry the flavors of the drinks over into the food. One staple of the bar is their bourbon and whiskey flight, a sampling of several different bourbons or whiskeys. Nicholaisen created a bacon flight, a sampling of several different types of bacon — each with their own special twist. “Our tagline is ‘bacon and bourbon,’ so I thought it was only fitting to add something like that since we are a whiskey bar as well,” Nicholaisen said.
CITY COUNCIL
Council meetings: now live streamed By CORY BLACKMON Community Reporter
The City of Auburn is now officially live streaming City Council meetings via Eagle Eye TV. Auburn’s City Council had previously agreed on a desire to live stream council meetings, and as of the Jan. 8, 2019 meeting, all City Council meetings will be live streamed. Jim Buston, the Auburn city manager, said that while the Council had previously agreed to live stream the meetings, last night’s meeting was the first time they were able to do so. “The problem is ADA regulations require that if you are going live broadcast a public event, it has to be live captioned,” Buston said. “And so, the question for the Council was, do we want to spend the money to live broadcast and live caption, which is the expensive part.” Buston said setting up the technical pieces was easy, and the technology needed was readily available. The reason for the delay once the decision was made to live stream was figuring out who to contract with and if it was worth the funding.
COMMUNITY
Councilmembers were excited to see the live stream up and running. Beth Witten, the returning Ward 3 representative, said she had been pushing for a live stream since her first term. “Since day one of my original term, I’ve pushed for the live stream, so I’m very excited that it is now officially operating,” Witten said. “I always say families are fully scheduled, and so people who would love to be here in person but have other responsibilities can stay informed and hear it directly from us.” Bob Parsons, the newly elected Ward 6 representative, had pushed for live streaming during his campaign. Before Tuesday’s meeting he would live stream the meetings to Facebook. “I brought my tripod in the event that nobody came, and I was prepared to do it again,” Parsons said. “I’m pleased; it’s a good start. I will continue to stream every other meeting I go to that doesn’t have the Eagle Eye contract.” While Parsons thinks the current live stream is a good beginning, he is also looking forward to using the new building and technology to further the experience for
viewers. “The software that will come into the new building will have multi-cameras and will have the actual agenda items in real time,” Parsons said. Mayor Ron Anders was also excited to see how the live streaming experience would help include citizens throughout Auburn and get them involved in local government. “I appreciate the kind of local-yokel flavor we had of those early streaming meetings because someone took their time to sit there for hours and put it up on their own Facebook,” Anders said. Anders said with the new public safty building and the technology available there, viewers would be able to view documents and agenda items in real time during the stream to help further communication. “Whatever it costs to provide this professional level of what we do as a council to inform people on a greater level is worth it,” Anders said. “It’s going to be really cool, you can see a person talking with a map or document with what he’s talking about. There are some real opportunities to do some cool stuff with this.”
In a 5-to-3 vote, the Auburn City Council passed a resolution that outlines new procedures and qualifications for board and commission appointments. These new procedures will be put to use for the first time with upcoming appointment for a vacancy on the Board of Education, which Tracie West held before being elected to the Alabama Board of Education. Mayor pro-tem and Ward 3 Councilmember Beth Witten and Ward 4 Councilmember Kelley Griswold led the boards and commissions task force that created a draft of the resolution, which they presented at the Council’s first December meeting. In the following month the Council meet to discuss the draft to create the resolution that they voted on Tuesday night. The resolution faced some scrutiny after it was presented at Tuesday’s Council meeting. Each of the councilmembers gave their thoughts on the resolution. Griswold and two other councilmembers spoke against the resolution because it allows for non-residents to be selected for Auburn boards and commissions. During the discussion before the vote, Ward 4 Councilmember Brett Smith said all board and commission members are all volunteers working to better their community. “I appreciate all of the views and regarding that we may eliminate some talent as we restrict our processes but as [Smith] said people that want to come together to represent their community,” Griswold said. “Folks that live outside the city are not in our community.” Witten disagreed with Griswold, stating that just because someone doesn’t live in the city limits doesn’t mean they are not a member of the community. The viewpoints they each shared at the beginning of the discussion matched their votes as Griswold, Ward 1 Councilmember Connie Fitch-Taylor and Ward 6 Councilmember Bob Parsons, the three that spoke against it, all voted against on the resolution. Ward 5 Councilmember Steven Dixon was absent from the Council meeting and therefore did not vote. Mayor Ron Anders noted several times during the meeting that any resolution can be modified as the Council sees fit. Taylor also brought up advertising vacancies on boards and commissions, urging the Council and city staff to better advertise the openings as to attract more candidates and to allow everyone the chance to apply. Board and commission vacancy announcements are the first item addressed in the resolution. It states that announcements of vacancies must be made four weeks in advance of the appointment for all boards and commissions except Planning Commission and Board of Education, which must be made eight weeks in advance. The online application for each appointment will also be available four weeks before each appointment, and Planning Commission and Board of Education applications eight weeks prior. Announcements will include the qualifications for membership on the boards and commissions, which will be published on the city’s website, social media and other forms of city communication. The resolution also requires an annual open house where citizens can learn about each of the boards and commissions. Members of any board cannot serve on more than one board or commission at a time for no more than two consecutive full terms. When making appointments the Council will take residency status, current board or commission membership and length of tenure heavily into consideration but can make appointments of those that do not meet those requirements if a certain board or commission has certain needs such as time of appointment for continuity or experience. “In our task force one of the things that we came up with that we thought was especially important was that all members of Auburn Boards and Commissions were Auburn residents,” Griswold said. “The compromise will work, everybody will have an opportunity to consider that.” The resolution also creates an application deadline for all board and commission positions. The bulk of the resolution outlines the process in which applicants and councilmembers will go through to choose the appointees for all boards and commissions. The process is now defined and has a rubric-like system for scoring applicants. An interview was also added to the application process for Planning Commission and Board of Education appointments. “At the end of the day, what we were trying to do, specifically, is provide a system that our citizens would understand,” Anders said.
& Flea Mall
look for a new find each week!
tea towels 334-745-3221 • angelsantiqueandfleamall.com 900 columbus Pkwy, oPelika 36801 oPen everyday 10-7 • sun 1-5
THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 2019
CITY GROWTH » From 1
of a $25 million performing arts center or an $18 million engineering research laboratory. The town had only one movie theatre, a handful of grocery stores and absolutely no issue of traffic. “Auburn 25 to 30 years ago was not a place that necessarily a lot of people wanted to graduate and hangout,” Ham said. “It wasn’t necessarily a place that that many young couples or young people wanted to be. They were looking to get out.” But now that people are looking to get in, a question arises: Can Auburn still be considered a village? Does a village have looming parking decks and an imminent Southern Living Hotel to span nearly half a block of the downtown strip? Does it have 450-bedroom housing complexes that shadow the one- or two-story downtown shops beneath them? Or a public-school system bursting at the seams with plans to build a second high school and a university with an enrollment soon to reach over 31,000? “I think it all depends on what your definition of a village is,” Ham said. Auburn’s population has grown by an estimated 20 percent since 2010 and has more than doubled since 1990, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. “Simply put, the secret [of Auburn] is out,” Ham said. And one of Auburn’s best kept secrets: its school system. AN EDUCATIONAL CORNERSTONE According to Superintendent Karen DeLano, folks move to Auburn for a myriad of reasons, but one of the most influential factors that draws families to the community is the quality of education. “This community truly values education,” she said. “The diversity of the population is such a
The Auburn Plainsman
positive for the students in many ways, and I find that this has been true in Auburn since the inception of the school system.” Since 2012, DeLano has served as the Auburn City Schools superintendent. During her seven years, she has seen an influx of almost 2,000 students, as well as the opening of two new elementary schools and a new Auburn High School in 2017, now 350,000 square feet with a capacity for nearly 2,500 students. “The fact that we have more excellent applicants than we have positions allows us to get the very best teachers and administrators available,” DeLano said. “The board of education members have high expectations for all of us.” Thirteen schools comprise the system, with schools reaching maximum planned capacity or often times exceeding it. For the 2017-2018 academic year, Auburn City Schools provided kindergarten through 12th grade public education to over 8,501 students, an increase of 254 students from the 2015-2016 year. The system has seen an increase of over 2,100 students since the 20112012 academic year. And it’s not finished growing. The projected number of students in grades nine–12 is 3,400, DeLano said. That growth will necessitate looking at additional facilities for secondary students, as well as junior high and middle school facilities. “This being a university community, a community based on education and founded on education, the public schools, I think, the citizens just demand that they be good,” Ham said. It’s not just the citizens’ demand that keeps the school system a cornerstone of the community’s success. In 1986, then-Mayor Jan Dempsey put into place a funding mechanism in an attempt to make the school system a stable and increasingly effective part of the Auburn community. The council began an appropriation of $600,000 from the city’s general fund. The fund had nothing to do with property tax or state funding.
FILE PHOTO
Auburn City Schools recently built a new facility for Auburn High School. A second is planned.
PAGE 7
MADISON OGLETREE / PHOTO EDITOR
People walk down a sidewalk along Samford Lawn in downtown Auburn.
Since then, the council has maintained an annual appropriation. Currently, the council gives $17.5 million a year out of its general fund to support Auburn City Schools. Out of four efforts in the last 30 years to raise property taxes, only one has found success, Ham said. Instead, the council has initiated other ways to fund the schools, such as through sales tax and growing the economy with industrial bases like GE Aviation and technology companies like Briggs and Stratton. “As industries look to possibly locate in Auburn, the executives always ask about the school system and opportunities for children,” DeLano said. “The same things are asked by professors that are being recruited to Auburn University. The school system is a reflection of the community. Both are strong in Auburn.” Both the city school system and the university have played a substantial role in the city’s growth. Since the 2011-2012 academic year, Auburn University has grown from 25,134 enrolled students to 30,440 in the 2018-2019 academic year, with a 21 percent increase in applications from 2017. Yet the university’s enrollment is not the only factor it brings to the city’s development. The partnership initiated between community and university has led to city developments such as new commercial projects, the Auburn Industrial Park and, in recent years, the construction of several new apartment complexes in the downtown area to house the swells of new citizens and students. “I think the relationship has been there, but it’s grown through the years,” Ham said. “The city of Auburn would not be what it is without the university, and the university is growing.” In his installation speech in spring 2018, Auburn University President Steven Leath unveiled a plan to hire 500 new tenure-track faculty by 2022, growing the current 1,144 tenure and tenured-tracked faculty to an estimated 1,250, accounting for typical retirement and attrition. Leath said the increased number of instructors
would potentially increase enrollment numbers and research and development projects the university undertakes. Four major construction projects are also in progress on campus: the Jay and Susie Gogue Performing Arts Center, the Harbert College of Business Graduate Building, the Leach Science Center and the Gavin Engineering Research Laboratory. MOVING FORWARDS AND UPWARDS Auburn is growing, and it’s growing fast. “Dancing around the idea that Auburn is still a village isn’t necessarily fair,” Ham said. From parking decks seemingly sprouting of the ground overnight to the abounding industries flocking to lay claim to a piece of the area, the growth is undeniable. While Ham admits so many have jumped on the idea that Auburn will never be the same because of the copious changes, he remained focus on one aspect: the Auburn people. Go downtown, Ham said. See J&Ms, the Ware Jewelers, Big Blue Deli, Acre, a number of what he referred to as “mom-and-pop downtown characters.” “Those are the kinds of people that in my mind will always make Auburn what Auburn is,” Ham said. DeLano admitted she also has a difficult time giving up the label of the Loveliest Village. “We have several types of areas—university, industrial parks, city dwellings and suburban neighborhoods,” she said. “I don’t think the size will necessary change the entity of Auburn.” Like Ham, DeLano said Auburn’s future reputation depends entirely on its people. “Remaining the same as years of old is not possible,” she said. “The people and the leaders — elected, self-appointed, clergy, school and university — must plan and work together to keep the village mentality of all people coming together with a cooperative spirit working toward common goals.”
Get the news that matters to you. Our new Messenger service lets you pick the news you want to know about and when you want to know about it.
The Auburn Plainsman
SCAN THIS CODE. Then press “GET STARTED.”
sports
8
THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 2019
THEPLAINSMAN.COM
SPORTS
FOOTBALL
DECISIONS, DECISIONS Auburn’s 2019 roster takes shape with announcements from NFL-ready Tigers
FILE PHOTO
JOSHUA FISHER / PHOTOGRAPHER
TODD VAN EMST / AUBURN ATHLETICS
Jamel Dean, cornerback
Marquel Harrell, O-line
Darius Slayton, receiver
After Jarrett Stidham, junior cornerback Jamel Dean was the next Tiger to declare for the NFL Draft. “For me, words cannot even explain how thankful I am to attend and play football for Auburn University,” Dean wrote via his Instagram. “At one point in time, football was almost taken away from me before I could even play a snap of college football. Thanks to Auburn University, I was given the opportunity to play the game I love. Also, I was able to build relationships with so many people. “My family and I feel like this is the best decision for me. Once again, thank you so much Auburn!”
As expected, Auburn’s starting left guard, Marquel Harrell, will return for his senior year on The Plains. “The last few years at Auburn have been great,” Harrell said via his Instagram. “Therefore after talking with my parents and Coach Malzahn, I have decided to return to Auburn and play my final year.” Harrell started all 13 games for the Tigers at left guard this season. Including his starts from last season, Harrell has now started in 18 consecutive games in his 19 career starts for Auburn. Those 19 starts come from 30 career games, with Harrell being redshirted as a true freshman in 2015.
Darius Slayton recorded the best game of his Auburn career against Purdue late last month, snaring three passes for three touchdowns and 160 yards. The bowl victory will now mark the final game of his Auburn career, as well. The fourth-year junior will skip his final season on The Plains and enter the NFL Draft, he announced on his Instagram. “The past four years at Auburn have been the best of my life,” Slayton wrote. “I am proud to be an Auburn Tiger and forever thankful for my time at Auburn. With that said, after speaking with my family and giving this decision a lot of thought and consideration, I have decided to forego my senior year of football.”
FILE PHOTO
TODD VAN EMST / AUBURN ATHLETICS
FILE PHOTO
Derrick Brown, D-line
Prince Tega Wanogho, O-line
Marlon Davidson, D-line
Derrick Brown has been a steady anchor on Auburn’s defensive line for the past three seasons. He’ll make it four years on The Plains in 2019. Brown, who projected as a first-round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, will return to Auburn for his senior season, he announced via Instagram on Sunday afternoon. “The last three years have been amazing,” Brown wrote. “Auburn has become a second home for me. Nothing compares to Saturdays in Jordan-Hare. Seeing the fans down Tiger Walk, running out of the tunnel with my teammates and singing the fight song after a big win. This place is truly special. “I want to leave Auburn with my degree and a championship.”
After an inconsistent 2018 season, Auburn’s offensive line will likely begin the offseason with all five starters back. Namely, starting left tackle Prince Tega Wanogho will return to Auburn for his senior season and will not declare for the NFL Draft, the Nigerian announced Monday afternoon on his Instagram. “When I moved to the United States in 2014, my end goal was the NBA,” Wanogho wrote. “That goal has now switched over to the NFL and I am ready to do what it takes to be the best candidate I can be. After a long and thought out process, I’ve decided to return to Auburn for my final season to handle some unfinished business.”
Another veteran defensive lineman has decided to return for another year with the Tigers. Defensive lineman Marlon Davidson announced on Twitter that he is returning for his senior season despite next-level hype. “The past three years at Auburn have been more then I could’ve imagine!” Davidson announced on Twitter. “From the fans, the coaches, my teammates and the lives I have been able to impact through the sport I love; I wouldn’t trade a moment of my experience as an Auburn Tiger for one second. As I reflected on my time at AU, trying to figure out what to do next, I realized that I just wasn’t ready to say goodbye to Auburn football and all that it means to put on #3 and battle in the SEC.”
FILE PHOTO
MADISON OGLETREE / PHOTO EDITOR
FILE PHOTO
Jeremiah Dinson, safety
Daniel Thomas, safety
Javaris Davis, defensive back
The good news just kept rolling in for Kevin Steele and the 2019 Auburn defense. The Tigers’ starting safety duo of Jeremiah Dinson and Daniel Thomas will return to The Plains next season, Thomas announced on his Twitter on Tuesday afternoon. Both are juniors who were weighing their NFL options. “20 & 24 on the field again! That’s gone be some to see!” Thomas wrote . “One more brother for the last time.” After a pair of seasons as reserve defensive backs in Steele’s system, Dinson and Thomas took over the starting safety roles last season after 2017 starters Tray Matthews and Stephen Rob-
erts graduated. Dinson, who is often called the “brains of the defense” by teammates, was fourth on the team in 2018 in both tackles and interceptions with 64 and two, respectively. The Miami native also forced a fumble and broke up a trio of passes. Thomas, a Montgomery product, was one of the team’s breakout players last season, recording two interceptions, 74 tackles (second on the team) and two forced fumbles. With Dinson, Thomas and Javaris Davis’ decisions, Auburn will replace only Jamel Dean in the secondary. Freshmen Christian Tutt and Roger McCreary are the early favorites at corner.
Javaris Davis is the cherry on top. The junior DB announced he would be returning to Auburn for his senior season on Tuesday. “I feel that this team and our coaches are headed in a direction that my brothers and I can win us a championship,” Davis wrote on Twitter. Stories by NATHAN KING, SPORTS EDITOR • ZACH TANTILLO, SPORTS REPORTER • JAKE WEESE, SPORTS WRITER • BEN KEY, SPORTS WRITER
THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 2019
The Auburn Plainsman
MUSIC CITY BOWL
PAGE 9
MUSIC CITY BOWL
Jarrett Stidham closes AU career with MVP performance By OLIVIA HUSKEY Sports Writer
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Three years ago, Texas native Jarrett Stidham was fighting for a starting quarterback position with the soonto-be toxic Baylor football program. Now, he’s Auburn’s bowl MVP and will enter next April’s NFL Draft. For a final game, Stidham could not have asked for a better result. He was named the Music City Bowl MVP after throwing for 373 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions in Auburn’s 63-14 win over Purdue inside Nissan Stadium. His five touchdowns were a career-high, and the 373 yards is an Auburn career-high. Stidham and the whole offense had been inconsistent all year, but against Purdue, it seemed everything was finally going their way. “I mean, it’s nice personally to have a great day,” Stidham said. “For me, at the end of the day, it was all about the team. Obviously last year, bowl game, we didn’t finish well. This year a lot of ups and downs.” Stidham and the rest of his offense came out fighting in Nashville, scoring 56 points in the first half, an Auburn and bowl game record. In their first eight possessions, they scored eight touchdowns. “When we make explosive plays, we play fast. We’re a pretty good offense,” head coach Gus Malzahn said. “Today it all came together.” Of those eight touchdowns, four were on passes from Stidham. All year Stidham and his receivers have had trouble connecting on plays, but today they seemed to be in perfect sync. He threw three passes to Darius Slayton for three touchdowns, one of which was a 74-yard play. He also threw one to JaTarvious Whitlow,
a 66-yard play, and a short pass to Ryan Davis accounted for his fifth touchdown of the game. Last season, Stidham led Auburn to an SEC western division championship, and beat both Alabama and Georgia, both of whom were ranked number one when they played Auburn. He threw for 3,158 yards that season and had 18 touchdowns with six interceptions. Going into the 2018 season both Auburn and Stidham were predicted to be possible threats to a conference that has been dominated by rival Alabama. Then things went off the rails. A team that was thought to have a chance at competing for an SEC Championship before the season started was now facing a possibility of barely finishing over .500 going into the Music City Bowl against Purdue. But Auburn buckled down in practice leading up to the bowl. “We talked about playing our best game of the year, and we did that today,” Malzahn said. For the entire group of seniors who had done their best to lead a struggling team throughout the year, they knew what mindset they needed to have to get a final win. “We decided we were going to stick it out,” Stidham said. “It was a really great to get a win like this and to do it the right way.” During his time at Auburn, Stidham threw for 5,579 yards with 31 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 26 games. A final great win is the best way to finish out two years at a school Stidham has nothing but praises for, according to the quarterback. “It’s been a tremendous honor to rep Auburn University every Saturday the last two years,” Stidham said. “I can’t speak highly enough on Auburn University, between the administration, coaching staff, support staff, every single player. My time at Auburn has been, I mean, nothing short of great.”
TODD VAN EMST / AUBURN ATHLETICS
JaTarvious Whitlow (28) scores a touchdown during Auburn football vs. Purdue in the Music City Bowl on Dec. 28, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn.
Offense breaks records as Malzahn returns to playcalling By NATHAN KING Sports Editor
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — It only took eight minutes for Auburn to start breaking records. JaTarvious “Boobee” Whitlow scored on the game’s third play by way of a 66-yard touchdown pass from Jarrett Stidham. He scored again on his second touch — a 2-yard touchdown out of the Wildcat — then again on a 1-yard run after Javaris Davis’ interception set the Tigers up in the red zone. Those three touchdowns, all of which came in the first eight minutes of game time, set the Auburn bowl record for combined receiving and rushing touchdowns for a Tiger. After spotting the Boilermakers a 21-0 hole in a game it was favored by just 3.5 points, Auburn wouldn’t let up. It scored again, and again, and again, and again, and again and again. The Tigers dropped an SEC bowl record in points as they improved to 2-4 in bowl games under Gus Malzahn with a win in Nissan Stadium, 63-14 over Purdue in the Music City Bowl. Auburn did most of its dirty work in the first half. A 28-7 first-quarter lead marked the most points Auburn had scored in an opening period since 1998 (vs. Kansas). And with 56 points at halftime, the Tigers broke the Music City Bowl record for points in a game, the Auburn record for points in a half in any game and the record for most points in a half in any bowl game, ever. “You could just sense it,” said Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn. “It was completely different. They were focused in practice. They were really demanding of themselves. It doesn’t surprise me at all that we played
well.” After Whitlow’s trio of scores, junior receiver Darius Slayton found the end zone on back-to-back drives after Stidham overthrew him early in the game. On his latter score, Slayton turned a simple tunnel screen into a 52-yard scamper, using a hop-step in the secondary to outrun the Purdue safeties. It was the longest reception of Slayton’s Auburn tenure his third career 100-yard outing (three catches, 160 yards, three touchdowns). “It was pretty exciting,” Slayton said. “I just wanted to come out here and help my team get a bowl win. Like Coach Malzahn said, we were looking to play our best game today. Also for me on an individual front, it was my best day.” Slayton was the leading receiver for Stidham, but the redshirt junior spread the wealth in his final game in an Auburn uniform. His 373 passing yards are an Auburn-high for the quarterback, while his five touchdowns are a career-high. “I mean, it’s nice personally to have a great day,” Stidham said. “For me, at the end of the day, it was all about the team. Obviously last year, bowl game, we didn’t finish well. This year, a lot of ups and downs. Deshaun and I, the other leaders on the team, Darius and Ryan with the receivers... everybody came together throughout the entire year. We decided we were going to stick it out. “It was really great to get a win like this and do it the right way.” Auburn’s 63 points today were the most Purdue has ever allowed in a bowl game. The Boilermakers finish with a losing record after the program’s second straight trip to a bowl. “As you could tell, it was a bad day at the office,” said Purdue head coach Jeff Brohm.
FOOTBALL
Reports: Auburn football assistant athletic director leaving for Ga. Tech By ZACH TANTILLO Sports Reporter
TODD VAN EMST / AUBURN ATHLETICS
Jarrett Stidham (8) throws a pass during Auburn football vs. Purdue in the Music City Bowl on Dec. 28, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn.
Patrick Suddes, Auburn’s assistant athletic director for football, will be leaving the program to take a similar position at Georgia Tech, according to multiple outlets. 247Sports’ Brandon Marcello was the first to report this news. Suddes served as director of player personnel when he joined the Tigers prior to the 2016 season. He was promoted to assistant athletics director for football while also overseeing the recruiting department in 2017. Suddes played a large role in roster management for Gus Malzahn over the past three years. New Georgia Tech head coach Geoff Col-
lins and Suddes were on Nick Saban’s staff together at Alabama back in 2007. Auburn was one of many stops in Suddes’ young career. He has held positions at Arizona State, Texas and Alabama before coming to Auburn.
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS ATHLETICS
FOOTBALL
Daniel Carlson finishes rollercoaster season making history with Oakland By JAKE WEESE Sports Writer
2018 was a year with few bright spots for the Oakland Raiders. Under first-year coach Jon Gruden, Oakland (4-12) traded away two of its best players in Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper, who turned out to be defensive and offensive juggernauts for the Chicago Bears and Dallas Cowboys, re-
spectively. However, one of the brightest spots for the Raiders this season, and in their franchise history, came on special teams. The signing of kicker Daniel Carlson proved ingenious, as the rookie from Auburn set the franchise record for single-season field-goal percentage at 94.1 percent.
FILE PHOTO
» See CARLSON, 10
Daniel Carlson (38) lines up for a PAT attempt in the first half. Auburn vs Mississippi State on Saturday, Sept. 30 in Auburn, Ala.
The Auburn Plainsman
THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 2019
CARLSON » From 9
The previous record of 91.2 percent was by former first-round pick and longtime Oakland kicker Sebastian Janikowski, who was released by the team at the start of this season. Carlson did not expect his season to go this way, though. The year featured significant highs and significant lows for the rookie kicker. Carlson was originally drafted in April by the Vikings in the fifth round. Then in early September, he had a disastrous kicking game, going 0-for-3 on field goals against the Packers, which resulted in Carlson being cut by the Vikings before Gruden picked him up in October. Carlson was one of two kickers drafted this season and was the highest kicker taken in the draft. Expectations were high for Carlson as the Vikings thought they had drafted their franchise’s kicker of the future. The Vikings traded up to get Carlson and traded two sixth-round picks to get Carlson with the 167th pick. Carlson started strong, going 1-for-1 to start the season against San Francisco. In Week 2, Carlson had his nightmare game against Green Bay, which included missing the potential game-winner in overtime. Carlson postgame credited the final miss to his lack of confidence “It feels terrible. Obviously, I let my team down,” Carlson told ESPN after the loss. “That last one was probably more just confidence after missing twice early. “That’s frustrating. That shorter one I should never miss like that.” Carlson was cut by the Vikings the following day. Coach Mike Zimmer said the decision was “pretty easy.” For the all-time points leader in the SEC, it was quite a stunning turn of events, and from Sept. 17th to Oct. 23rd, Carlson’s NFL dream seemed to be over. The kicker said the waiting game after being cut was one of the toughest stretches of the rookie’s career. “It’s not fun sitting on the couch on Sundays,” Carlson told NBC Sports. “You really want to be out there and get a chance to prove yourself again and put all the work to the test.” Carlson decided to keep working on his game and headed to Iowa to see his longtime
kicking coach Jamie Kohl for some critical training. Carlson and Kohl have been working together since Carlson was a junior in high school. “My main goal for him was to be able to see the ball longer and smooth out his approach,” Kohl told the San Francisco Chronicle. “He was just making it more difficult for his natural talent to show than necessary.” Carlson waited for this second opportunity to come, and the Raiders called in October following the release of fellow rookie kicker Matt McCrane. Carlson would go on to make all four extra points in his debut against Indianapolis. In a Reddit AMA after joining the Raiders, Carlson spoke about being cut and what it was like to get a second chance. “I was obviously very hard working before to get to the NFL, all that work put in, and it’s the same thing after,” Carlson said. “You learn a lot from it though. You learn about the business side of the NFL. You learn about all the stuff off the field that changes — having to move around and stuff, that’s never easy. But you have to continue to be ready for that next opportunity, and I was really excited my next opportunity ended up being here.” The change of scenery and the second chance has been a great fit for Oakland and Carlson, as the rookie went 16 for 17 in his first season with the team, reaching the minimum number of kicks (16) for the percentage record. Carlson went on to win AFC Special Teams Player of The Week after a Week 11 win over Arizona, connecting on three field goals from distances of 49, 21 and 35 yards. The final kick was a game-winner at the buzzer. The 35-yarder was not only special for Carlson as it was the game-winner but also a form of redemption, as it was the same distance he missed in OT for the Vikings. Carlson has quickly endeared himself to the “Raider Nation” by representing their underdog status. The kicker was the fifth kicker employed by the team this season, and the newfound stability has been a welcome relief for the coaching staff. “He is the real deal,” Gruden said. “Hopefully, he is a long-term solution for us. It would solve a huge need for this franchise.” Oakland and Carlson’s seasons may have gone vastly different than either expected, but Carlson has found a new home, and the Raiders have found themselves their kicker.
PAGE 10
FOOTBALL
The rapid ascension of DJ Williams, Gus Malzahn’s newest running back By NATHAN KING Sports Editor
In early December, D.J. Williams was a Mountaineer. Williams had been committed to Appalachian State since the first week of July. In fact, it was one of just two Division-I offers (UMass). That’s unusual for an athlete like Williams, who decommitted from App State, then committed to and signed with Auburn as a fourstar running back. Offers were also pouring in from the likes of Georgia, Alabama, Texas, Miami and Michigan, among others. So how did Williams fly under all the aforementioned blue-bloods’ radars for the better part of his high school career? It primarily had to do with the depth in front of him at Sebring (Sebring, Fla.). As an underclassman, he waited in a crowded running back room, seeing occasional playing time and garnering a fair amount of buzz in the area. But with the talent pool in south Florida, the buzz wasn’t enough. And when he finally worked his way to the top before his junior season, the injury bug hit, meaning his senior season was his last chance to show out and earn a shot to play college ball. Sebring asked a lot of Williams. While mostly a runner, he technically play quarterback this past fall. Williams ran for 1,320 yards and 21 touchdowns, but it was his athleticism and natural running ability that began to stick out to scouts, not the numbers. “We had a very young line, a very small line when you look at our film — we played with a bunch of freshmen and sophomores,” LaVaar Scott, Williams’ coach at Sebring, told the Miami Herald last week. “So what he did was just phenomenal, and I think that’s what was able to let him showcase really what he can do because sometimes he was his own blocker and sometimes he had to bust through four or five tackles.” Translation: Williams was the No. 1 source of production for the offense — and he didn’t get much help. App State was the first to notice Williams’ ability, at least publicly. They offered him be-
Signature Wraps
fore the stellar senior season even began, and a month later, he was committed. But that was before the Power-5 bids began flooding in. Auburn was the first. Gus Malzahn said Wednesday that Williams caught the coaching staff’s eye about six weeks ago due to his running ability at the quarterback position. The more film they watched, the more they were impressed. “After we offered him, it seemed like everybody in the country followed with that,” Malzahn said. “He came on an official visit, really fit. He makes great, great grades; academics are very important to him. We fought everybody off and we think this guy’s got a chance to be a very good running back for us.” Down the stretch, the strongest competitors were Georgia, Alabama and Miami. Georgia was able to bring Williams in unofficially a week on Nov. 10, the day the Bulldogs beat the Tigers 27-10 in Athens. It was also a week before his official visit with Auburn. But the trickier decision came when Miami was pushing for Williams’ services. Williams grew up a massive Hurricanes fan in Florida. His uncle is Edgerrin James, one of the top running backs in their program history. He’s called Miami “his dream school” before. Something stuck about The Plains, though. “I just think (Auburn) is the best place for me to grow,” Williams told 247Sports after his commitment. “Mentally and physically, I feel like I always knew, ever since the visit. But I wanted to be sure.” Williams plans to early-enroll for spring ball. Auburn will continue to chase four-star back Mark-Antony Richards in the spring in hopes of adding another elite back to pair with Williams. But Auburn has known about and been grooming Richards’ recruitment for nearly a year. Williams’ first-ever trip to Auburn was just over a month ago, when Williams’ meteoric rise at the end of his recruitment was just beginning. “It feels great,” Williams said of signing with Auburn. “I’m pumped up and ready to start this new chapter.”
Savory Rotisserie-Style Chicken Caesar
Flavor-packed with double meat
Chipotle Southwest Steak & Cheese
Turkey, Bacon & Guacamole
Double Meat based on average 6” sub. Subway® is a Registered Trademark of Subway IP Inc. ©2018 Subway IP Inc.
submul_32427_W2_Signature_Wraps_Support_Materials_NP_4c.indd 1
Or make any sub a Signature Wrap 334 W Magnolia Ave, Auburn 600 Webster Rd, Auburn 1888 Ogletree Rd, Auburn 1791 Shug Jordan Pkwy, Auburn 7730 Alabama Hwy 51, Opelika
1550 Opelika Rd, Auburn 1017 Columbus Pkwy, Opelika 2101 Frederick Rd, Opelika 1599 S College St, Auburn
1/19/18 3:17 PM
lifestyle
11
THURSDAY, JANUARY 10 , 2019
THEPLAINSMAN.COM
ARTS
LIFESTYLE
FASHION
Making inexpensive jewelry leads student to start business By CARRIE JOHNSON Lifestyle Writer
VIA AUBURN UNIVERSITY
The Jay and Susie Gogue Performing Arts Center is expected to open in August 2019.
Gogue Center to open 2019 with nine series, 27 shows Construction on Jay and Susie Gogue Performing Arts Center should be completed by August 2019 By LOREN KIMMEL Lifestyle Editor
Well known for its athletics, Auburn may not strike most as a center for arts, but that could be subject to change. Since the announcement of the new Jay and Susie Gouge Performing Arts Center, anticipation has begun to build as Auburn positions itself as a place for fine arts. The new center that broke ground in August 2017 is expected to bring in numerous performers of different musical and theatrical backgrounds to expand upon Auburn’s art scene. Executive director Christopher Heacox said construction for the center is nearly half way completed. “We are closing in on 50 percent completion of the building, which includes all exterior walls, roof, exterior masonry work and roughing in plumbing and electrical,” Heacox said. “We are beginning the transition to installing all windows and the finish work throughout the facility.” Heacox said the project is on schedule for its anticipated first performance on Aug 22. The opening for the center will include a four-day festival beginning with the first performance for University students as a part of Welcome Week 2019. The event will take place in the center’s outdoor amphitheater and is free for students. Heacox said he is working with UPC for the selection of this act, which will be announced in the spring. The following days of the festival will include a performance for the community in the amphitheater on Aug. 23 and opening night performance on Aug 24. The final day of the festival will be dedicated to a community day including local and regional performers and tours of the facility. Weeks after the center’s opening multiday festival, the inaugural performing arts series will kick off in late September 2019 and run through May 2020. “There will be 27 acts on the first season spanning diverse performance genres touring Broadway, celebrity concert, dance, family, classical, global and more,” Heacox said. The center will also be programming performances for school-aged children, allowing local students to come to the Gouge Center to experience world-class performances, he said. “The Gouge Center’s performing arts series will span a wide array of musical and artistic genres from not only the United States but from around the world,” Heacox said. As executive director, Heacox and the director of programming and education are responsible for booking the center’s performances. “One week, you may see a touring Broadway production from New York, the next a jazz ensemble from New Orleans and the next a vocal ensemble from Europe,” Heacox said. He said ideas for these artists and per-
“
The Gouge Center will be an economic driver and will not only allow artists to come and perform but to offer education and engagement opportunities in the community. — Leah O’Gwynn formances come from everywhere as they draw inspiration from the community, faculty, staff, students and additional experiences they believe will have a positive impact on the campus and community. “Our mission is to bring the world to our campus and community through the performing arts,” Heacox said. The announcement of names of the artists and performances will take place on March 6. Students will receive access to discounted tickets to all of the center’s performances on a first-come, first-serve basis. A program will be in place for patrons to donate their tickets they cannot use to students at no cost. Members of the community will have the option to choose from multiple subscription packages and discount levels to purchase tickets. Located on South College Street across from the Jule Collins Museum of Fine Arts, the center and the museum are unified to create the Arts District. Director of Development Leah O’Gwynn anticipates cross programming and events incorporating both visual and performing arts in the future. “The Gouge Center will be an economic driver and will not only allow artists to come and perform, but to offer education and engagement opportunities in the community,” O’Gwynn said. She said the community has invested in the creation of the center and its continual support. “The City of Auburn has been one of the earliest supporters of this project,” O’Gwynn said. “It is important for the Gouge Center to support our community as it has supported us.” Auburn’s mayor and city manager, along with the president of the Auburn-Opelika Tourism Bureau, serve on the board for the Gouge Center. The center is named after Auburn University’s 19th president Jay Gouge and his wife Susie Gouge. Discussions are ongoing about numerous University-based events including ceremonies, graduations, lectures and seminars may occur in the center once it is opened, Heacox said. “We hope that Auburn will become a destination where people know they can come and see top-tier performances and enjoy the incredible offerings at JCSM,” O’Gwynn said.
What began as an Auburn student’s love for making jewelry on a budget exploded into a jewelry business that seemingly took off overnight by selling affordable jewelry. Boho Babes Jewels is handmade jewelry created by Logan McCabe, senior in marketing, whose means of affording trendy jewels quickly turned into this jewelry company that is now based out of the Auburn and Birmingham areas. “Boho Babes targets the college woman who wants to be fashionable without paying an arm and a leg for the pieces,” McCabe said. “This jewelry can be worn layered or by itself and is the perfect way to add a dainty piece to every outfit.” Boho Babes Jewels began during fall break 2016 when McCabe wanted to have trendy jewelry but did not want to break the bank for it. She made a few necklaces for herself, leading to her mom and sister wanting pairs for themselves as well. “I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit, as I am a business student here at Auburn, but it did not cross my mind to start this business until my little sister said all of her friends loved the pieces, but most importantly, the price tag,” McCabe said. Although Boho Babes started as a necklace brand, it has expanded to selling bracelets, earrings and rings. When she starts designing a new collection, McCabe typically starts with a mood board on her phone, which helps her narrow down color palettes and design shapes. After looking at how she wants to structure the pieces, she sources the supplies and begins to make the products by hand. After the products are made, she posts photos of them to her website, where they are made available for anyone to purchase. McCabe said her passion for branding has allowed her to experience new and different events that help grow the brand. She has done trunk shows, pop up shops and hol-
“
Whenever you start a new company, it is very overwhelming. You want people to love what you are doing, but you also want them to tell their friends. — Logan McCabe, senior in marketing iday shops and has attended AmericasMart twice. These events allowed her to grow her customer base and connect with boutique owners. Boho Babes was recently featured by AmericasMart as a trend-setting company, which McCabe expressed excitement for as she heads into a big market week, Jan. 9-13. As of now, McCabe plans to continue Boho Babes for as long as she can. She hopes to use her company as her case study for graduate school while she continues to grow the brand. Since Boho Babes has continued to grow at such rapid speeds, McCabe hired one employee, Maddie Buck, senior in rehabilitation and disabilities studies, who helps McCabe stay organized and travels to events with her. “For Bobo Babes, I assist Logan with organizing and working at various trunk shows and reaching out to boutiques,” Buck said. “I got involved in Boho Babes in the beginning as a frequent customer. This led to me being able to help her with various things with her business, which has been so much fun.” Buck said she loved Logan’s jewelry and believes it has been a cool learning experience to get to work for McCabe. Although McCabe is the sole owner of Boho Babes Jewels, she said her family and friends are essential aspects in the success of her company. Without family and friends helping her load her car for events, give her feedback on her email lists and social media, wearing her jewelry and more, her company would never have gotten to where it is today. “It has been so fun watching Logan pursue such a fun business opportunity like this,”
said Emily Stone, senior in agricultural communications and McCabe’s roommate. “She’s used her unique talents for marketing and business and mixed them with her interest in fashion to create something super successful.” McCabe said one of her favorite aspects of running this business is the joy and confidence she sees her jewelry bring to women. “It amazes me how she stays on top of it all — managing to create all of the jewelry, mail it to customers, market the products and still do her schoolwork,” Stone said. McCabe attributes much of her success to the Auburn Family. “Whenever you start a new company, it is very overwhelming,” McCabe said. “You want people to love what you are doing, but you also want them to tell their friends. Without my sorority, I feel confident that women on Auburn’s campus would not know what Boho Babes is, and the brand would not be where it is today.” McCabe recommended students wanting to open their own business to go for it and said there is nothing to lose. “I would recommend investing as little as possible financially to test the concept, and then once you prove your concept, invest your profits back into the company as long as you can,” McCabe said. She warned others to prepare to work hard. “I spend almost all of my free time working my business and scaling it for success,” McCabe said. “I am obsessed with succeeding, and I am determined to continue to grow my brand.” McCabe said as her business has grown, she learned big brands are not handed to entrepreneurs.
CONTRIBUTED BY LOGAN MCCABE
The Auburn Plainsman
THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 2019
PAGE 12
WELLNESS
Keeping up with healthy resolutions Trainer helps others achieve their New Year’s resolutions By LAUREN PIEPER Lifestyle Writer
Often people seek to lose weight or maintain a healthy lifestyle as a top priority starting Jan 1. But these resolutions to keep up with a fit and healthy workout regimen often falter soon after making the personal promise. Emily Loefstedt works directly with people on creating the proper workout routine that is best fit for them and offers advice to those who are looking to sharpen their workouts in 2019. Loefstedt, senior in fitness conditioning and one of the University’s personal trainers in the Campus’s Recreation and Wellness Center, said the best types of workouts for someone to do is whatever they enjoy doing. “There is no point in doing something you don’t enjoy just to workout,” Loefstedt said. “It kind of just depends on what you like to do and know how to do.” With the gym offering numerous options for a variety of exercises, Loefstedt recognizes it can be daunting to go as a newcomer, assuring those who are not comfortable in a gym setting that they can do what is needed in their home. Doing exercises at home can also be beneficial from a mental standpoint, Loefstedt said, adding gyms can become crowded during this season and have different hours, which can lead to frustration. “Bodyweight squats, running in place, or anything that can get your heart rate up can be done pretty easily at home — even just doing pushups,” Loefstedt said. Loefstedt said getting your heart rate
To Place an Ad, Call 334-844-4130 or email admanager@theplainsman.com
up is the key to burning calories. “Adding resistance will boost your metabolism so that you burn more calories after you’re done working out,” she said. While many exercises increase heart rate, Loefstedt said not all types of exercise affect it the same way. “Cardio gets your heart rate up and burns more calories in the moment, which can be as simple as going for a walk,” Loefstedt said. She said circuit training has a different effect due to higher repetitions keeping the heart rate increased for extended time. Getting into the habit of working out with smaller workouts regularly is more beneficial than longer workouts less frequently Loefstedt said, so one’s body becomes accustomed to a routine and the calorie burning will become more efficient. Loefstedt warned less frequent, larger workouts can be potentially dangerous. “Doing big workouts randomly could lead to possible injuries,” she said. For those planning to lift weights to achieve their goal, Loefstedt advised not packing on extra weight. “The key for calorie burning with weightlifting is lifting a lesser weight at more reps,” she said. “Instead of lifting a heavy weight one time.” Loefstedt said she speaks for herself and all the other trainers when saying they all want to help students achieve their fitness goals, recommending those interested in getting a trainer to go for it. “It’s just a good way to keep yourself accountable,” Loefstedt said. “There is not any judgment around it here.”
Nutritionist recommends personalized diets By CARMEN MCCRACKIN Lifestyle Writer
While starting a new diet may be a resolution for some Auburn students and faculty this new year, there are some health considerations to take into account before embarking on a lifestyle change. Restrictive diets, like low-carb, lowfat, keto, cleanses and detoxes can have unwanted repercussions, according to Abbigail Hickey, registered dietitian nutritionist and coordinator of nutrition services for Health Promotion and Wellness. “Restrictive dieting can put individuals at risk for harming their bodies,” Hickey said. “In extreme circumstances, an eating disorder or disordered eating can be a result of restrictive dieting and compulsive or over-exercising.” Hickey said restrictive diets greatly restrict an individual’s intake of nutrients or food groups and can also reduce calorie and energy uptake. Hickey said the keto diet requires its participants to greatly reduce the amount of carbohydrates that are consumed. “In my experience, participants tend to cut out fruit and grains,” Hickey said. “However, these food groups have nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and fiber that our body needs to burn energy, protect our immune system and keep our digestive systems healthy and normal.” If one is not eating enough, this will cause the body to resort to survival mechanisms, which will lower one’s metabolism rate. Hickey said optimal metabolism function and efficient burning of energy occur when we eat every 3–4
hours in adequate amount, making this a reason why individuals who use these dieting tactics often gain back the weight they had lost plus additional weight. Hickey urged students to start small and find what works well for them since diet modification is an individualized process, recommending individuals utilize the perspective “what can I add instead of what can I take away.” She gave the example that if an individual already eats eggs for breakfast, to consider adding vegetables to the eggs or adding a couple slices of whole grain toast on the side. Hickey said this mentality eliminates the “all or nothing” attitude that leaves many feeling disappointed and frustrated while trying to maintain their diets. “Our bodies are a lot less judgmental of our food choices than we are,” Hickey said. Hickey said she asks her clients to focus on incorporating as many food groups into each meal and snack. “I recommend eating every 3–4 hours by consuming 3 meals and 2–3 snacks,” Hickey said. “I try to work with clients to get 4–5 food groups in a meal and 2–3 in a snack.” This provides balance of macronutrients like carbs, fats and proteins as well of micronutrients including vitamins and minerals, she said. Hickey provided other improvements individuals can make that don’t require counting calories including increasing water intake, increasing fiber intake and adding foods with probiotics, like kefir and kombucha, which aide with gut health. Gut health can positively influence mental health, Hickey said. JOSHUA FISHER / PHOTOGRAPHER
TIGERMARKET
Abbigail Hickey, Auburn Universitys campusPrint dietitian speaks with The PlainsDeadline: man on Thursday, Aug. 23, 2018 in Auburn, NoonAla. three business days
prior to publication.
Release Date: Thursday, January 10, 2019
Line Classifieds
Display Classifieds
15 words................$6 Extra Words............40c Bold Outline.....$1 per ad
Local.......$11 per col inch National..$16 per col inch 1col x 4 min to 1col x 8” max
The Auburn Plainsman is not responsible for the content of the ads. Ads that seem too good to be true usually are.
Home Cleaner Needed $430 / Weekly
If interested, send information to:
richeedarell@outlook.com
@TheAUPlainsman
@TheAuburnPlainsman
@TheAuburnPlainsman
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
ACROSS 1 Online shopping units 7 8 Series automaker 10 Comics possum 14 Eagerly accept 15 Dinner table boors 17 Pinch pennies 18 Strictly religious 19 __ out a living 20 “My bad” 22 “Kidding!” 23 Toklas’ life partner 24 Cupid cohort 28 “The Hunger Games” president Coriolanus __ 30 Flaps 32 “A Little Nightmare Music” composer P.D.Q. __ 33 Hot under the collar 36 Canadian coin 38 Lowbrow stuff 40 58-Across type meaning “black dragon” 41 Disney’s Montana 42 Lamb’s lament 43 See 27-Down 44 Whole lot 46 Hamburger’s home 50 Hallowed 52 Starters 55 Durham sch. 56 ’70s-’90s Pontiacs 58 See 40-Across 59 Common campaign promise, and what four black squares in this puzzle create 62 Tailor’s measure 64 Person-to-person 65 Rather thick 66 See 38-Down 67 Frowny-faced 68 Chicken
8 Sheep prized for its wool 9 Power unit 10 Kiosk with a camera 11 Ref. work whose 2018 Word of the Year is “toxic” 12 Miracle-__ 13 Mac platform 16 In vogue 21 First word in titles by Arthur Miller and Agatha Christie 25 Flutist Herbie 26 Vaper’s need, informally 27 With 43-Across, feeling often fought 29 British courtroom fixture 31 Blackthorn plum 34 Bloemfontein’s land: Abbr. 35 Rhine whines 37 Ipanema greeting 38 With 66-Across, German philosopher buried in London’s Highgate Cemetery
39 “Bus Stop” dramatist 40 Not as current 41 Busy airport 42 Hand-dyed with wax 45 Place to put on a suit 47 Filmmaker with a unique style 48 Anxiety 49 Disgraced 51 Go sour
53 “Hasta mañana” 54 “The Beat with Ari Melber” network 57 Avant-garde sorts 59 Hiddleston who plays Loki in Marvel films 60 Santa __ 61 Boomer’s kid 63 RR stop
ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:
DOWN 1 Mary-Kate, Ashley and Elizabeth 2 S’pose 3 “Do I __ eat a peach?”: Eliot 4 Prefix with graph or gram 5 “Groundhog Day” director Harold 6 Mid-Mar. honoree By David Poole ©2019 Tribune Content Agency, LLC 7 Trite saying
01/10/19
01/10/19