The Auburn Plainsman
A Spirit That Is Not Afraid
Thursday, January 22, 2015 Vol. 122, Issue 25, 12 Pages
First copy is free. Additional copies 50 cents per issue.
Life without parole
Online
courts
ThePlainsman.com VIDEO: MLK Day: Students’ dreams
University Heights shooter avoids death penalty Jim Little
inside campus
Page A4
Sustainability Office releases informative presentation opinion
Page A5
todd van emst / Opelika-Auburn News
Council made the right Uber decision
Lee County Judge Jacob A. Walker sentenced convicted University Heights shooter to life in prision.
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Robertson. Family members of the victims addressed the court. Desmonte Leonard Barbara Pitts, DeMario Pitts’ will spend the rest of his The only thing I grandmother, was called to the life in prison after Lee want to say today stand first. County Judge Jacob A. is DeMario has “The only thing I want to say Walker sentenced him to today is DeMario has two kids too life without parole Tues- two kids too that he’ll never get that he’ll never get to see again,” day, Jan. 20. Barbara said. Leonard was found to see again.” Carlton Christian, Ed Chrisguilty of capital mur—Barbara Pitts tian’s cousin, said his cousin was der in the 2012 shooting Demario pitts’ grandmother like a brother to him. deaths of Ed Christian, “Because of one person’s acLadarious Phillips and DeMario Pitts on Oct. 7, 2014. The jury recom- tions, I will never get to tell him happy birthday again,” Carlton said. mended life in prison. Susan James, Leonard’s defense attorney, Walker said he has overrode jury recommendations in the past because there were circum- said she and Leonard were thankful and relieved Walker did not overrule the jury. stances jurors didn’t know about. “Emotionally, you know, you’re just drained “In this case, I don’t believe there was anything submitted to me that was not submitted to at this point because of the anticipation of what could happen,” James said. “While life withthe jury,” Walker said. Before the sentence was given out, Leonard out parole is obviously a very serious matter, at least his life has been spared.” addressed the court. James said the next step for the defense is to “I just want to say that I apologize from the bottom of my heart for the people who were file a motion for a new trial, and, if that is dekilled and to those who lost love ones, and even nied, they will appeal the case. Lee County District Attorney Robbie Treese to those who were injured,” Leonard said. Walker also sentenced Leonard to life in said Walker followed the law exactly as he was prison for the attempted murders of DeAngleo supposed to. “The other sentences as well, which everyBenton and Turquorius Vines. Leonard received 10 years for the second- one tends to forget, are also significant,” Treese degree assault of Xavier Moss and Eric Mack and 20 years for the first-degree assault of John » See sentenced a2 Community Editor
money
community
Earning every penny: salary comparisons Anne Dawson Intrigue writer
Page A6
Trees to be cut down at the airport sports
Page A8
Tigers thrive in The Jungle intrigue
Page A12
Cook more than rice in a rice cooker index Campus Opinion Community Sports Intrigue
A1 A5 A6 A8 A11
College professors and college head football coaches are paid noticeably different salaries. Gus Malzahn, head football coach, earned $3,854,500 last year, according to USA Today, while the average professor at Auburn earned $109,860 during a 12-month span from 2012-13, according to auburn. edu’s factbook. According to jobmonkey. com, football coaches work approximately 100 hours per week during football season. Drew Clark, director of Office of Institutional Research and Assessment, said the average professor, based on studies, spends approximately 58 hours during the week teaching, grading and advising. “Football coaches get paid so much because football... brings in a lot of money to campuses,” said John Carvalho, associate professor of journalism who specializes in sports reporting. Carvalho also said while academics bring in revenue, the amount of money brought in from television, tickets and the promise of a successful football season contribute entirely to the high salaries of the coaches. “It has to do with supply and demand,” said James Barth, Lowder Eminent Scholar in Finance. Barth said coaches’ salaries are higher because there are fewer successful coaches than
» See salaries a2
briana hess / graphics editor
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Campus A2
The Auburn Plainsman
Thursday, January 22, 2015
abroad
DUI reports The following were arrested and charged with driving under the influence by the Auburn Police Division from Jan. 12-19:
Auburn’s connections to Paris shooting Kris Martins
January 12 - Corey Good, 22 Webster Road
Campus Writer
“Je suis Charlie,” French for “I am Charlie,” has become a slogan around the world to those showing solidarity with Charlie Hebdo, a satirical magazine in Paris whose staff was attacked by two masked gunmen Jan. 7. Isabelle Kallenberg, senior in French and microbiology, said she was studying abroad in France during the attack. Kallenberg said she arrived back in Paris from Germany approximately two hours after the incident. “It definitely shook me up,” Kallenberg said. “We didn’t want to go out, and I didn’t feel safe going to public places.” On Jan. 9, Kallenberg and her sister were at a coffee shop as victims were held hostage at Hyper Cacher, a kosher grocery store, approximately five blocks away. She said she heard police sirens outside. Despite the attacks, Kallenberg said the support for France was a breath of fresh air. “I think I was really in awe by the fraternity you could see in (France) and the support that they received from adjacent nations and the United States,” Kallenberg said. “Despite all the horrible things that go on in the world, it was really nice to see the other side — the silver lining.” Samia Spencer, professor emerita of French and former honorary consul of France in Alabama, said the incidents in France were a wake-up call. “In a way, it’s tragic, it’s awful, but, for many, it’s not totally unexpected,” Spencer said. Spencer was also in France when the shooting took place.
January 13 - Tyler Walters, 23 Shelton Mill Road - Sung Koo Lee, 41 E. Glenn Avenue January 14 - Thomas Ingalls, 22 Bragg Avenue January 17 - Samuel Bruns, 19 Shelton Mill Road - Ralph Barton, 55 S. College Street - Clinton Kirk, 39 N. Gay Street Luke Christensen, 19 - E. Glenn Avenue January 18 - Daniel Robert, 20 N. Gay Street - Shannon Weldon, 27 E. University Drive - Ansley Evans, 25 E. Magnolia Avenue - Caitlin Grace, 21 Halal Court A full crime report provided by the Auburn Department of Public Safety is available online at theplainsman.com. –Reports provided by the Auburn Department of Public Safety
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sentenced » From A1
said. “As all of us, I would’ve much prefer this [crime] never had happened, that the judge never be put in the position of having to make these choices.” Treese said the victims’ families handled the trial since the shooting happened in 2012 with honor and grace. “It’s never easy for anybody involved in this kind of circumstance,” Treese said. “I’m proud to have known them. I’m just sad under the circumstances that I had to get to know them.” Leonard’s jail sentences are
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briana hess / graphics editor
Spencer said she was about to leave the house to meet a friend when her friend called, sobbing, and said, “They murdered my friends.” Spencer’s friend knew some of the cartoonists and writers at Charlie Hebdo. Evelyne Bornier, French professor, said French people tend to provoke to ellicit a reaction out of others. “It was extreme to publish this when you know you’re putting your life at risk and putting other people’s lives at risk,” Bornier said. “By the same token, freedom of speech is freedom of speech. You should be able to express yourself.” Spencer said the cover of the latest issue of Charlie Hebdo sent the right message.
salaries
While life in prison without parole is obviously a very serious matter, at least his life has been spared.” —Susan James
desmonte leonard’s defense attorney
consecutive. Consecutive life sentences means Leonard will be in prison for 30 years until his life sentence officially begins.
iHeartMedia\Auburn Bridal Show
“There’s nothing offensive about the cover,” Spencer said. “It’s actually quite the opposite. It shows the Prophet crying that people are using his name to commit murder, so he is sad that he is being used to kill. Furthermore, he is claiming, ‘All is forgiven,’ and carrying a sign saying, ‘Je suis Charlie,’ to express his support for freedom of the press.” From a French culture perspective, Bornier said French people are resilient in difficult times. “If you stop living, then the terrorists get what they want,” Bornier said. “By remaining stern and keeping your headup, you show them that they don’t win, that you’re strong.”
» From A1
there are professors.. “I am reluctant to say coaches’ salaries are too high and professors’ salaries are too low.” Barth said. “Both have to motivate people to be successful.” Auburn athletics department had no comment on the coaches’ salaries. “I think professors are paid fairly,” Carvalho said. According to Carvalho, while coaches are paid more, the salaries of professors are consistent and higher than most schoolteachers.
Michael Milford, assistant professor in the School of Communication and Journalism, said football brings in a lot of money to the University. According to Milford, professors are paid according to how they contribute to the University. “Part of me says, ‘No, it’s not fair,’” Milford said. “(Malzahn) never had to grade quizzes or lecture or any of that stuff.” Milford also said, just like in any occupation, there was an element of fair and unfairness in the salaries of coaches and professors.
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East Alabama Plastic Surgery The Clothes Rack Scott Holley State Farm Columbus Convention and Trade Center Elegant Bridal Studio 3:19 Special Arrangements The Event Group Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art Ursula’s Catering Spa Auburn AO Tourism The Hotel @ Auburn University Jim Massey’s Formals And More…..
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Campus A3
The Auburn Plainsman
sustainability
rankings
University ‘among most fun’ schools Anna-Claire Terry Campus Writer
Contributed by Don Andrae
Bike-share program will roll onto campus in 2015
Tracy Awino
Campus Reporter
Don Andrae, manager of Auburn University Parking Services, said Auburn University is bringing a bike-share program to campus that will enable students to borrow a bike for free for 24 hours. Sean Flood, CEO of the GOTCHA Group, founded the program known as GOTCHA Ride, an on-campus transportation system that allows passengers to tip the driver, according to Andrae. Andrae said the Gotcha Bike is the first smart bike and has an app available for Android and iOS. The app enables Parking Services and the bike user to monitor the whereabouts of the bike and control lock and unlock functions as well. “When you download the app, it’s going to ask you for who you are, some address information and then it’s going to ask you for some credit card information,” Andrae said. “At the end of 24 hours, if you have not returned it then there will be an amount of charge. I think, right now, they are setting it maybe $4 a day.” The University will purchase 75 bikes
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According to Don Andrae, the bikes will be available for use in 2015.
The Gotcha Bike is good for your personal body, it’s healthier, it helps society, as well as with issues of obesity.” —Jennifer Morse
communications and outreach manager
for the office of sustainability
and place them at various locations across campus. The placement of the bikes will enable Parking Services to monitor where the bikes are needed most and increase or decrease the amount of bikes in that area, according to Andrae. Jennifer Morse, communications and outreach manager for the Office of Sustainability, said the Gotcha Bike is useful for many reasons. “The Gotcha Bike is good for your personal body, it’s healthier, it helps society, as well with issues of obesity,” Morse said. Morse said the program is economically efficient because students are not spending
UPCOMING EVENTS
Dates to remember: Thursday, Jan. 22
• King Week: Flute Juice Production presents: Galen Abdur-Razzaq • Honors College k(no)w poverty? Lecture Series: Michael Lynch, Project Horseshoe Farm
Friday, Jan. 23
• King Week: BlackPoetsSpeakOut • King Week: Community Justice Forum
their money on gas and parking permits. According to Morse, the Office of Sustainability has previously worked on a project known as War Eagle Wheels, a 2013 program that never made it past the development stages. Andrae said War Eagle Wheels was not able to give a location for the bike, so students did not know where and when the bike was in use. Andrae said the service is aimed at making commuting for students more efficient. Daniel McGee, freshman in pharmacy, said the bike will come in handy when he runs into problems with his current bike. “I know some people who haven’t used their bikes because they might have been broken, so they can use it as a replacement,” McGee said. Andrae said the bikes will be ready for use before the end of the year. “They are going to Germany next month to finalize plans to get the bicycles produced, and I’m hoping no later than mid-June to first of July to get us implemented for fall semester,” Andrae said.
Auburn University came in at No. 19 in Business Insider’s 2014 “Top 20 Most Fun Universities” list. According to Business Insider, the Top 20 schools were sorted using The Princeton Review’s rankings in 15 categories. Auburn received many points by being ranked the No. 1 jock school by The Princeton Review. According to Peter Jacobs, education reporter for Business Insider, Auburn made the list because there is great quality of life on campus. “We thought that if the students have such a strong connection with the school, they must really love it there,” Jacobs said. There was a “Top 20 Most Fun Universities” list published in 2013, and Jacobs said if Auburn wasn’t on it, it was probably close.
Lauren Harris, senior in human development and family studies, said she is not surprised Auburn made the list. “It’s a big college with a small-town feel,” Harris said. In the Top 20 article, Business Insider points out these universities are not known for “all play and no work.” According to Jacobs, many of the ranked schools were also ranked for their academics. Anna Bobo, junior in business, said she was surprised Auburn was in the Top 20 because it’s not often you hear of a school being known for its great academics and also for being fun. “It’s like Auburn is the whole package,” Bobo said. Schools ranked the highest had strong Greek Life, competitive athletics and student involvement. “We looked for the happiest students,” Jacobs said.
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To buy or to rent? Tracy Awino
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Book prices and renting prices often differ. This contributes to the decisions students will make on whether to rent or buy, according to Russell Weldon, assistant director of the Auburn University Bookstore. Weldon said students often go to the store to get advice about buying and renting. “There are a lot of things that still wouldn’t necessarily be rented, and even if they were available to rent, like a twosemester package, you are not going to rent it for one semester and turn it back in and then rerent it,” Weldon said.
Madelyn Black, senior in laboratory technology, said she prefers buying. “Buying is a good option because you can always have the chance of selling back,” Black said. According to Charles Snoddy, store manager of Anders Bookstore, renting books is cost effective for stores and students. Trey Johnston, CEO of J&M bookstore, said sometimes students don’t return rented textbooks. “We don’t enjoy it for those 10 percent or 15 percent of students that do not bring it back,” Johnston said.
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Thursday, January 22, 2015
Campus A4
The Auburn Plainsman
environment
diversity and multicultural affairs
New international program coming to campus fall 2015 Kris Martins Campus Writer
Kris sims / multimedia editor
According to Mike Kensler,Tiger Transits keep approximately 5,000 cars off the road each day.
Office of Sustainability releases Auburn’s ‘Sustainability Story’ Rebecca Oliver Campus Writer
The Auburn University Office of Sustainability has condensed the history of the University’s sustainable resource efforts into a Prezi. The Office of Sustainability has a mission of focusing on nature, economy, society and wellbeing. The Office of Sustainability has a commitment to bettering individual health, fulfillment and happiness, according to Director of the Office of Sustainability Mike Kensler. According to Communications and Outreach manager Jennifer Morse, the presentation provides students with information on sustainability related organizations and initiatives they can become a part of. Morse said she hopes the presentation will give viewers information about the different aspects of sustainability and projects within the University. “This presentation doesn’t even cover the full story,” Morse said. “This is just a sampling of all the efforts the University has been and is currently involved in. We wanted to make this a resource of information to be made available to anyone who wants to know more about any of the aspects of sustainability.” Kensler said some of the projects featured in the presentation are the increasing of energy
efficiency at the Auburn Arena, Tiger Transit keeping approximately 5,000 cars off campus each day, Alabama Water Watch training students to monitor local streams and the newly introduced Gotcha bike-sharing program. “It’s a comprehensive overview of a broad spectrum of sustainability projects at Auburn,” Kensler said. An excerpt within the presentation from the Auburn University Sustainability Policy states, “Auburn University is committed to integrating sustainability into all aspects of the University including: operations, instruction, research and outreach activities. Auburn University considers sustainability a core value and strives for excellence in sustainability through continuous assessment and improvement.” According to the Office of Sustainability’s website, sustainability efforts at Auburn enhance all aspects of the University’s mission of research, instruction and outreach. Chelsea Roadman, summer intern at the Office of Sustainability, said she used Prezi to create the presentation. “It’s very visual and extremely effective as a story telling format,” Roadman said. Morse said the Prezi shows how those four areas are connected to the components of sustainability—nature, economy, society and well-being—over the course of Auburn’s history with a focus on current projects as well.
Auburn University has partnered with Shorelight Education, a company that funds and manages partnerships with universities, to establish Auburn Global, an international accelerated program to bring more diversity to campus by recruiting more international students beginning fall 2015. Emmett Winn, associate provost, said the project began with the University’s comprehensive planning process for its five-year strategic plan, which spans from 2013-18. “The various stakeholders from the districts felt that Auburn University needed to do what it could to internationalize its campus,” Winn said. “Both for the good of Auburn University and also, more importantly, for the good of our undergraduate students so they could have the benefit of studying and learning from people from other cultures.” The University enrolled 317 international undergraduate students in fall 2014, which, according to Winn, is extremely small. “There are so few international undergraduates that, I would have to say, I have seen very little impact [on diversity of Auburn’s campus],” Winn said. Auburn Global will bring Auburn’s undergraduate enrollment from 317 to more than 1,000 students in the next five years, according to Winn. Recruiting from 30 countries, Shorelight Education will design the non-academic aspects of the first-year experience for students, provide an international recruitment network and handle the logistics of traveling to the University. Winn said Auburn is primarily looking to target countries with partnerships in Alabama, such as South Korea, Germany and France. Tom Dretler, CEO of Shorelight Education, said Auburn, as a top 100 school, has an extremely low percentage of international students compared to other institutions of Auburn’s academic ranking. Dretler said most Top 100 schools have an 11 percent international demographic, whereas Auburn has less than 2 percent. “Our goal is to provide a diverse student population and to not just create an
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Our goal is to provide a diverse student population and to not just create an opportunity for international students at Auburn, but to create a wind for domestic students at Auburn so they can have an opportunity to learn in a global environment.” —Tom Dretler
CEO OF SHORELIGHT EDUCATION
opportunity for international students at Auburn, but to create a wind for domestic students at Auburn so they can have an opportunity to learn in a global environment,” Dretler said. Nevertheless, Dretler said international students unfamiliar with Western academic culture need special attention in transitioning academically, socially and culturally. Lidiane Garcia de Sousa, freshman in animal science from Brazil, said incorporation into the University’s culture is a united effort. “I don’t know how to relate with North American students,” Sousa said. “I think it doesn’t only depend on the University, it depends on the students.” Winn said Auburn Global is a chance to improve campus culture in the future by further diversifying it. “This is an opportunity to expand the Auburn Family globally,” Winn said. “We’ll welcome many, many new and wonderful members into the Auburn Family.” Dretler said he’s grateful to be working with Auburn’s administration, which has a vision for and value of international students aligning with Shorelight’s values and goals. “Students don’t know about Auburn right now,” Dretler said. “It hasn’t been part of the University strategy to recruit around the world, and I think (Auburn) is such a gem, and I’m excited for what it will mean for domestic students to have an international learning environment.”
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Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis ACROSS 1 Pod used to thicken gumbo 5 Moonshine containers 9 “24” superagent Jack 14 __-chef 15 Jacob’s twin 16 Happen next 17 Military bedmaking features 20 Rose pest 21 Pimply breakout 22 On the __: precisely 23 Civil rights activist Parks 26 Chancellor von Bismarck 28 Classic jazz vocal group originally composed of four siblings, with “The” 33 Financial claim 35 Sport __: versatile wheels 36 OB/GYN test 37 Goof 38 Comic strip with Snoopy 41 Md. neighbor 42 Pierre’s “There it is!” 44 Bigheadedness 45 “Should __ acquaintance ...” 46 “Special” lobbying faction 50 Mideast strip 51 In the mail 52 Magazine fillers 55 Intravenous process 57 Ride without pedaling 61 UN organ ... or what the first words of 17-, 28and 46-Across comprise? 65 San Antonio battle site 66 Cookie added to a McFlurry 67 Banned fruit spray 68 Make into confetti 69 Enjoy a Kindle, e.g. 70 Printed goof DOWN 1 Fed. workplace monitor
Solution to last Sunday’s puzzle
Solution to last Sunday’s puzzle
12/7/14
Complete the 10/19/14 grid so each row, Complete the column and grid sobox each row, 3-by-3
2 Surgeon general under Reagan 3 Make haste 4 Pain-relieving pill 5 Jumbo __ 6 Stars and Stripes land: Abbr. 7 Black-tie party 8 Relief 9 Italian pistols 10 Cape NNW of Cod 11 Second-hand 12 Franc replacement 13 What’s leftover, with “the” 18 Revered star 19 Not hoodwinked by 24 Revolve on an axis 25 Nick and Nora’s dog 27 Electrical unit 28 Be worthy of 29 Poet Stephen Vincent __ 30 Turn out to be 31 Cambodian currency 32 Happy sign for a Realtor 33 Jeans maker Strauss
34 Crease remover 38 Send down using chutes, as supplies 39 Fleecy footwear brand 40 Injured, as a ligament 43 Table support 45 Quaint coin-op eatery 47 Poet Pound 48 Crew member
49 A single time 52 Lab gel 53 Pastrami purveyor 54 Lose it 56 Remove, as a peel 58 With skill 59 High-five, e.g. 60 Rookie 62 Outback bird 63 Mediterranean __ 64 Clump of turf
ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:
xwordeditor@aol.com
By Gareth Bain (c)2015 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
01/19/15
01/19/15
Opinion
a5
Thursday, January 22, 2015
ThePlainsman.com
Opinion A5
Our view
Taxi drivers in Auburn need Uber updates Topic:
SOCIAL MEDIA ON THE PLAINS
Uber operations have been suspended in auburn
Viewpoint: Auburn City council was within their right to impose regulations; taxi drivers in the city should make improvements to their operations
Responses to “Uber halts operations in Auburn” Dalton Ashley “This isn’t a nanny state the city council should not be worried about where citizens choose to spend their money.”
Taxi drivers in Auburn breathed a sigh of relief after Uber temporarily suspended operations in the city. While the Auburn City Council made the decision to make new car-for-hire regulations, which was within their authority, taxi drivers within the city should now focus their attention on modernizing their systems. Even if someone does not agree with the City Council’s decision to control aspects of Uber’s operations within the city, it is well within the Council’s authority to regulate business operations in the AuburnOpelika area. Uber has decided to halt operations after City Council passed ordinances requiring all vehicle-for-hire cars to pay licensing fees, undergo background checks, have commercial insurance and have marked signage on their cars in Auburn. The Council did not ban Uber from operating. According to David Dorton, director of public affairs for the city of Auburn, the Council negotiated with Uber for six months. New regulations for cars-for-hire operations came after Uber’s appearance in the city, but that is only to be expected. As new businesses are introduced into the city, it should be assumed City Council will adjust existing policies to maintain the safety, fairness and security of operations within the city. However, taxi drivers in Auburn should take note of some of Uber’s policies. Had taxi systems modernized before
Lee McBride “Seems smart to me. Since they refuse to do background checks on the drivers. Who’d want an 18 year old girl getting a ride from them? The Driver, driving his own car, and virtually not responsible to anyone who might be a criminal. Too many young kids and too many chances for trouble.” emily enfinger / photo editor
Uber made plans to come to Auburn, the threat of the system would not have been nearly as substantial to taxi drivers. According to businessinsider.com, Uber, founded in 2009, was recently valued at $18.2 billion. A company with those kind of figures must be doing something right. Uber has attracted many of its customers through its smartphone app, which allows customers to make payments, has a GPS locating system and reach drivers online within minutes. These features lead to quicker pick-up times and more straightforward prices. Taxi drivers within the city should modernize their ride services with similar attributes to become more attractive to customers. Cities around the United States have started proposing and implementing apps that enable customers to hail cabs through their smartphones. According to The New York Times, such apps have made appearances in Chicago and New York City. According to reuters.com, mobile phone apps for regular taxi services have been made mandatory in San Francisco. To further taxi services, the Council could look into similar policies passed and consider making the apps man-
question of the week: Did Auburn City Council make the right decision regarding Uber regulations? Yes, it helps control operations and keep customers safe No, they shouldn’t have messed with it I don’t use Uber
datory as well. While it was within City Council jursidiction to make decisions that benefit Auburn as a whole, this experience should be looked upon as a learning opportunity for taxi drivers within the city and encourage them to update their systems.
Bottling it up to have it all explode Emily Esleck online@theplainsman. com
College can be an exciting time — the anticipation of living alone, making your own decisions and meeting new people consumes most high school students’ thoughts as they prepare to voyage into this vast, unknown place. For me, transitioning from high school to college was probably the most exciting and the most difficult thing in my life. My 17-year-old cousin, Anna, died my senior year of high school from leukemia, blood cancer. One minute, I was applying to colleges, signing my life away — or what seemed like it at the time — and the next, I felt like I couldn’t breathe. Death is hard to accept and the process of grieving is even harder. I kept thinking I could cover it up, go
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of our emotions bottled up just waiting to explode. In these situations, holding on to your family and friends and leaning on them for support is crucial. You can’t do it alone. No matter the situation, express yourself. Everyone goes through tough times. Keep a journal to write in whenever you’re down. It might help to get those thoughts out of your head and onto paper. Reach out to others who might be experiencing something similar. You never know what people have going on in their life. A simple “War eagle” might just make someone’s bad day a good one. When life gives you trying times, express your feelings and talk to people about them. It helps, or at least it helped me. Emily Esleck is the online editor at The Plainsman. She can be reached at online@theplainsman.com
The Auburn Plainsman welcomes letters from students, as well as faculty, administrators, alumni and those not affiliated with the University. Letters must be submitted before 4:30 p.m. on Monday for publication. Letters must include the author’s name, address and phone number for verification, though the name of the author may be withheld upon request. Submission may be edited for grammar and/or length. Please submit no more than 400 words.
Responses to “Car crash at South Donahue and South College Street” Mike Gardner “A green yield light.....” Lee McBride “The need for a left turn light there is ridiculous. So many wrecks have happened just like this. And if you go that way in the afternoon you will wait all day to turn left. How many more wrecks does it take to get a turn signal?” Stephen Walton “When are they going to do something about this intersection? When I lived by it I can’t tell you how many accidents I saw. Does someone have to die for them to do something? Oh wait...”
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Policy 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.
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out with my friends and forget it happened. But that’s not the reality. When something bad happens, we just need to figure out how to cope. The hardest part of grieving for me was accepting it. She died. Even though it didn’t seem like I could just go on living in a world where she wasn’t, it had to happen. The earth keeps spinning. Next was denial and dealing with family members. The only thing that made this better for me was opening up to my family and telling them what I was feeling. The last thing you want to do is go on family vacations and get-togethers, where there is a lump in your throat the entire time. Instead of pretending like everything is fine, tell your loved ones what you’re experiencing. Talk about the things that are consuming your thoughts, or at least jot them down in a notebook. We’re human, and we can’t keep all
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Community Thursday, January 22, 2015
A6 ThePlainsman.com
Community
Environment
Trees climbing too high near University airport Pierce Ostwalt Community Writer
Several high growing trees, which line the properties of the Auburn University Regional Airport and the Indian Pines public golf course, will be cut down to compliy with FAA and the state of Alabama’s air regulations. Trees on the Indian Pines Golf Course lie at the north end of the 5,265-foot runway and are coming too close to air traffic, according to Ron Pilz, Auburn University director of air transportation. “It’s all safety related,” Pilz said. “We’ve gotten complaints from corporate pilots as well as passengers. We’ve had quite a few passengers that have said, ‘Wow, those trees are pretty close,’ and they are.” Kevin Pettit, the club manager at Indian Pines, said the University has talked with the golf course for two years to remove the trees. “(The University) came to us and told us what needed to be done,” Pettit said. “We said we wanted to do a one-time cut and get them all the way so they can have what they needed, but we needed a fair amount of funds to fix the course back and then everyone would be happy.” Pettit said the compensation to Indian Pines for the cut is $225,000. Pettit said he believes they deserve more and said the majority of the compensation is going to go toward the cutting and clearing of the trees. “We have a $150,000 grant from the state and
then we offered up an additional $75,000 just to be a good neighbor,” said Bill Hutto, Auburn University airport director. Indian Pines will be paying for the initial cost of clearing the trees, though the University will reimburse the golf course. “I don’t know how it changed, but we didn’t get the funds that I think we need to get [the course] back looking to the way it needs to be,” Pettit said. “I don’t think the University anted up on their part.” Pettit said he disagrees with the amount of compensation, but is not concerned the loss of the trees will impact the overall play of the course. However, approximately three-quarters of the golf course will be affected, and it will change about four holes severely, according to Pettit. Pettit said the majority of the damage will be seen in the aesthetics of the course’s design, “but it needed to be done.” Pilz said the damages to the course seem small in comparison to what could happen if the trees are not removed. Pilz said. “It takes someone to get hurt, a serious accident, a lot of damage to an aircraft or even someone being killed before they move to make some correction to mitigate that obstacle or that cause of the accident.” Hutto said the flying public must be protected. “We wouldn’t be doing our jobs if we stuck our heads in the sand and ignored it,” Hutto said.
business
Kenny Moss / Assistant Photo editor
A Beechcraft King Air sits at the Auburn University Regional Airport, which is paying $225,000 to remove trees.
Events
Freezing fundraiser fun Rachael Taylor Community Writer
Contributed by the City of Auburn
Newks, rendered here, will appear on South Gay Street if the City Council approves the proposed ordinance.
Newk’s approval delayed Kailey Miller
Community Reporter
Fans of Newk’s Eatery will have to wait longer to find out whether or not the restaurant will be filling the space on 340 and 344 S. Gay St. The City Council delayed a vote on the ordinance at the meeting, Tuesday, Jan. 20 until the next meeting Feb. 3. Councilwoman Lynda Tremaine, Ward 5, denied the unanimous consent necessary for the ordinance to pass on a first reading. “I’m going to find out some more about the development,” Tremaine said. “I was under the impression that it was going to be more in keeping with Gay Street, but it’s more in keeping with the development on South College, so that was my concern.” The ordinance in ques-
tion would be a development agreement between the city of Auburn and Orange-Auburn, LLC. Nancy Davis, who represents Jason Price, landlord for the property, was unavailable for comments by deadline. Beth Witten, Ward 3, said she thinks it would be a draw for students and families to downtown Auburn. “The way they plan to build is keeping it in the same manner as the rest of the Heart of Auburn development,” Witten said. Dick Phelan, Ward 6, said some of the concerns the Council had are not an issue anymore. “It doesn’t have a drive-thru and that’s what the majority of us were opposed to, was having a drive-thru where people that either lived adjacent or
across the street could hear them at 10 p.m.,” Phelan said. Treamaine said architectuarally the building didn’t fit in with Gay Street. “I think it’s important for Auburn to maintain some of the old-town charm, and I see developments like this and it’s kind of sad to me,” Tremaine said. Tremaine is not completely opposed to the development and said she would eat there if the restaurant were built. Phelan said he believes construction would follow soon after if the ordinance was approved. “I think they’re ready to go with construction whenever it’s passed,” Phelan said. “They’re cleaning off the top dirt on both sides of the street that goes from Gay over to College.”
Young adults around Lee County are getting ready to take the plunge to support the Lee County Special Olympics. The Third Annual Polar Plunge to support the Lee County Special Olympics will take place Jan. 31 at 9 a.m. at Samford Pool on Wrights Mill Road. Contributed by ryan molt According to Ryan Molt, who hosted the first Polar Polar Plunge 2014 participants prepare to make a splash in Samford Pool. Plunge in his backyard, parsaid she got involved in the ticipants will jump into the event’s Facebook page. The money raised from the organization via her daughpool, and some may attempt to event will pay for the trav- ter Sherrell, 24, who has spedo laps. “Last year the pool was 38.4 el and uniforms for the ath- cial needs. Sherrell participantes in letes of the Lee County Spedegrees,” Molt said. track and field with the Special Molt said the event is free, cial Olympics. Dana Stewart, director for Olympics. She first started parbut they ask for at least a $20 the Lee County Special Olym- ticipating with the orginization sponsorship. Molt said the first year, the pics said the Lee County Spe- when she was in sixth grade. Cynthia is now a certified event had 18 participants and cial Olympics is “so thankful raised $4,000. Last year the for community and support” coach in track and field for the event had 55 participants and they have received from the Special Olympics. “She remindes me when it’s Lee County community. raised $10,000. Stewart said the Lee County time to go to practice,” CynMolt said prizes will be given to participants with the best Special Olympics has approx- thia said about her daughter’s costumes, as well as prizes imately 500-600 athletes, in- involvement in Special Olympics. awarded to those who raise the cluding adults. Cynthia said the order of Eunice Kennedy Shriver most money. Usually, the prizes are gift founded the Special Olympics events for the Special Olymcards for local businesses, ac- in the 1950s when she realized pics is a local tournament folchildren with disabilities need- lowed by the state tournament cording to Molt. There will be a post-plunge ed a place to interact with oth- in Troy and then the national party at Finks Craft Bar & ers, according to the Special games. “The program has helped Grill with live music from Olympics website. Cynthia Caldwell-Jackson change my life,” Cynthia said. Joey Young, according to the
Arts
‘TRUCKS’ pulls into Auburn Rachael Taylor Community Writer
There will be a new exhibit rolling into Auburn soon. Artist John Himmelfarb’s “TRUCKS” will be open Jan. 24-May 10 at the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art. The sculpture “Penelope Awaiting Her Chamberlain,” constructed out of a 1946 Chevrolet truck, is currently displayed in front of the museum. The exhibit is a survey of Himmelfarb’s expressive art, from drawings to actual trucks, according to the museum’s website. Himmelfarb will be in the museum the first week of the exhibition to finish a piece for the exhibit. He said he thought the piece was completed, but then decided he wanted to add more. Dennis Harper, curator of collections and exhibitions
at the museum, said there is a camera in place to capture Himmelfarb painting the piece and it will be streamed online. “We will be able to compile it and compress it so it will be like a time lapse,” Harper said. While people can watch the painting be created online, Harper said he hopes people come and interact with Himmelfarb as he is creating the piece. “He hopes that people will come and engage in conversation with him and give him their feedback,” Harper said. The title of the piece is “Grace” and the piece is 35 feet long, according to the spring 2015 edition of the museum’s member magazine. The exhibit has been in the making for approximately three years, according to Harper. “Abstract expressionism was the predominant style when John was coming up in the art
world,” Harper said. The exhibit includes a variety of artwork because Himmelfarb works with many materials, according to Harper. Charlotte Hendrix, communications and marketing specialist with the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art, said Himmelfarb enjoys talking to people about his work and working in front of his audience. The exhibit offers something for a variety of ages. There will be a film series that goes along with the exhibit called FILM@JCSM. Before each movie, there will be an introduction from Auburn scholars and guests. The movies that will be shown during the series include “Annie Get Your Gun,” “Strangers on a Train” and “Fruitvale Station.” The series starts Jan. 29. More info can be found on eventbrite.com.
Ellen Jackson / Photographer
Artist John Himmelfarb’s “Penelope Awaiting Her Chamberlain” is part of the “TRUCKS” exhibit at the museum.
Thursday, January 22, 2015 events
Aw-shucks, oyster social at Acre Kailey Miller
Community Reporter
Oysters, beer, bourbon, freshly foraged foods and scholarship money will all be on the table Jan. 30 at the Alabama Oyster Social. Acre’s restaurant staff is partnering with the Auburn University Shellfish Laboratory to host the event, and the proceeds will benefit the laboratory. “We’re donating the money in the form of a scholarship for the professors at the shellfish laboratory and the students going into the studies of stable shellfish harvesting,” said David Bancroft, chef at Acre. The event will have six chefs preparing oysters: Caleb Fischer, Jason Stanhope, Adam Evans, Rob McDaniel, Wesley True and Bancroft. They will prepare fried oysters, chargrilled oysters with garlic and parmesan, oyster stew with chickweed and smoked ham, poached oysters with ham hock broth, raw oysters and catfish from Auburn University fisheries. Bancroft said research for sustainable oyster farming has helped oyster farmers. “(I was) speaking with a few other chefs, and everybody just
really agreed that it was something we wanted to highlight, such an awesome resource to have off the coast of Alabama,” Bancroft said. Bill Walton, associate professor in the School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences, said they will use the money raised for student research to develop their own methods for better oyster farming. “Because our waters are so productive, the oysters grow fast, but so does everything else, and so baskets that you’re raising the oysters in will get covered up with seaweed and barnacles,” Walton said. “You’re spending so much time keeping them clean.” Walton said they recommend farming oysters by taking them out of the water to dry for a period of time because the oysters will survive, but the things growing on them will not. Each of the oyster farmers providing oysters for the social raises their oysters in different waters, which gives them a different taste. “Even though they’re all Alabama oysters, they’re grown in three different locations,” Walton said. “They’re going to get a variety of taste.”
Community A7
The Auburn Plainsman
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Two oyster-farm workers sort oysters from a haverst in Bayou La Batre.
Cullan Duke, oyster farmer from Dauphin Island, said there is a historical difference in oysters from different regions of the country. “The best part is just kind of seeing what everyone has going on in Alabama and realizing we can produce world-class oysters right here in Alabama,” Duke said. The event will start at 6 p.m. and tickets can be purchased online at alabamaoystersocial. com for $57.92 after taxes and fees.
Bill Walton, associate professor, shows off a freshly harvested oyster from the Alabama coast on December 2012.
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Sports
A8
Thursday, January 22, 2015
scoreboard M. basketball (10-7, 2-2)
ThePlainsman.com
Sports
Welcome to the Jungle
men’s basketball
LAST WEEK Win vs. South Carolina, 71-68 Loss at Florida, 75--55 POST-DEADLINE Jan. 21 vs. Mississippi State UPCOMING Jan. 24 at Alabama
W. basketball (9-9, 0-5)
LAST WEEK Loss vs. Tennessee, 54-42 TODAY Home vs. Alabama UPCOMING Jan. 26 vs. Mississippi State Jan. 29 at Arkansas
Gymnastics (1-1)
RECENT Loss at Florida 197.200-195.650 UPCOMING Jan. 23 vs. Arkansas Jan. 30 vs. Air Force
Swimming and diving
RECENT (M/W) Loss vs. Texas (156-135 / 174-126) UPCOMING Jan. 24 vs. Florida Jan. 29 at Missouri
Equestrian (3-3, 1-2)
photos by emily enfinger / photo editor
Auburn fans cheer and use shakers during the Tigers’ 71-68 home victory over South Carolina on Saturday, Jan. 17.
Tigers thriving in front of home crowds
David McKinney Assistant Sports Editor
It’s as if there are two different teams playing basketball for Auburn this season. The players are no different, but the play differs greatly. One team, the one who plays at Auburn Arena, is 9-1. The other is the team that travels, and they hold a 1-6 record. Center Cinmeon Bowers said the team’s road woes have a lot to do with effort and energy. “On the road, we tend not to play together and not to come out hard,” Bowers said. “We slack on defense on the road. At home, we play with more energy and we play together. We have to carry that over to the road.” Several members of the team believe the newly energized crowd in Auburn Arena, ushered in by the excitement surrounding the hiring of coach Bruce Pearl, is a large part of the success the team sees at home. “That’s probably the loudest it’s been since I’ve been here,” said senior guard KT Harrell after the team’s close home win against South Carolina. “When you have that type of atmosphere, that type of crowd, it makes you feel like you can’t lose, and it makes you play that much harder.” Pearl said he also believes the crowd is a factor, but said the fans need to be energetic throughout the game, not just in the first half. “The crowd is still coming back from the concession stand, and we weren’t as sharp,” Pearl said, speaking of the slow start in the second half of the South Carolina game. “The start of the second halves has been a problem for us this year.” Pearl said he has an idea to try and fix this problem and thinks the solution lies as much with the
ery time there is a third down situation on defense or when it is a big play or big time in the game. Our fans are getting in.” Pearl said the crowd can affect opponents’ offensive rhythm. “What happens is when you struggle to rebound the ball because of our size and you turn South Carolina over 17 times, that is 17 less shots that they take,” Pearl said. “When they shoot 50 percent and they get 17 less shots, you do the math.” Since Pearl arrived, the excitement surrounding Auburn basketball has soared to new levels, and it’s shown in the Auburn Arena crowd so far. But if the Tigers hope to have a successful season, they’ll have to learn to take their stellar home play on the road with them.
NFL’s arbitrary OT rules need changing sports@ theplainsman.com
UPCOMING Jan. 30 vs. SMU Auburn University Horse Center Auburn, Alabama
fans as it does the team. “One of the things I am going to ask the crowd and I am going to ask our fans to help us is to get back from the concession stand early in the start of the second half,” Pearl said. “I am actually going to see if I can start a new tradition here at Auburn Arena. I would like everybody standing and cheering and going nuts, for no apparent reason other than the fact that my guys need to wake up and act like they are down 10 every time we come out of the locker room. They can help us.” Pearl compared the crowd situation to JordanHare Stadium on Saturdays. “You do have a sense when that needs to happen,” Pearl said. “It happens in the football stadium every time we are on defense. It happens ev-
his view
Eric Wallace
RECENT Loss vs. Fresno State 9-8
Auburn head basketball coach Bruce Pearl (standing) said he believes Auburn fans can be even more effective by showing energy throughout the game.
The Green Bay Packers have never hurt me quite like they did in blowing a potential Super Bowl berth in Seattle Sunday, Jan. 18. But after the 12th Man’s dreams were resurrected and Russell Wilson so ruthlessly finished off one of the most thrilling comebacks in NFL history, one question lingered: Could Aaron Rodgers have done the same if the Packers won the coin toss? It’s a fair question, considering he’d led his team 48 yards in 1:11 just five minutes before, picking apart the best defense in the NFL on one leg, and
eventually setting up Mason Crosby’s game-tying field goal. We all know what happened in overtime. Seattle won the coin toss, and three minutes later Wilson hit Jermaine Kearse to seal a Super Bowl berth. The NFL has slowly been changing the rules of its sudden-death overtime. Until 2010, a simple field goal would seal a win in overtime. Now a first-possession touchdown is required to achieve sudden-death victory. It’s an arbitrary line to draw, and it’s one that places too much emphasis on the outcome of a coin toss. If the goal is to create a completely fair overtime competition, then why not require the team that scored first to play defense also? Imagine if extra inning games in the
contributed by nfl.com
Seattle’s Bobby Wagner (54) and Cliff Avril (56) prepare to tackle Green Bay’s Eddie Lacy (27). Lacy and the Packers’ offense never saw the field during overtime of a 2822 loss in the NFC Championship.
MLB were decided in this way. A coin flip could play a big role as to whether or not your offense ever comes to the plate. College football has always had it right on this one. Their rules allow both teams equal opportunity to score and test a team’s offense and defense. From conservative play calls to
Brandon Bostick attempting to catch a football with his helmet, the Packers earned every bit of their sudden death. But it’s now time for the NFL to provide a sudden death to its own arbitrary rules. Eric Wallace is the sports editor at The Plainsman. He can be reached at sports@theplainsman.com
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Sports A9
The Auburn Plainsman
Ellen Jackson / photographer
Junior Marko Krickovic stretches out to hit a shot during the Tigers’ spring opener against The Citadel. Krickovic won both of his singles matches in the opener.
This Week in Auburn Sports Gymnastics
No. 21 Auburn gymnastics lost in its SEC opener at No. 3 Florida Friday, Jan. 16, 197.200195.650. Auburn junior All-American Caitlin Atkinson won the all-around title with a 39.500, as well as the beam event title with a 9.925. The Tigers earned 48.950 on bars, 49.150 on vault, 49.075 on the floor and 48.475 on beam. The meet aired on SEC Network, making it the first live SEC gymnastics competition in conference history. Auburn’s next meet is Friday, Jan. 23, in Auburn Arena against Arkansas.
Women’s Tennis
The Auburn women’s tennis team finished their first pair of matches of the spring season with wins. The first match against Middle Tennessee State finished with a score of 4-1 with two matches unfinished because the Tigers clinched. Junior Pleun Burgmans won her court one match 6-1, 6-4, despite leading 5-0 in the second set. After her match, Burgmans said her opponent started to play better while she regressed slightly in the second set. “She started to make a lot more balls,” Burgmans said. “After 5-0, every second or third ball was a mistake, so I just had to adapt a little bit as
she was making more balls.” Emily Flickinger, senior and second court singles, had one of the four matches that went to three sets against MTSU. She was unable to finish her match because the team already clinched the win, but she walked off the court with a score of 6-7, 6-4, 6-6. Afterwards, Flickinger said she was happy to have not given up a loss. “Honestly, I was just focusing on trying not to lose 6-1 in the third and crawling back,” Flickinger said. “I climbed my way out of that one.” The second match against Alabama A&M wasn’t nearly as close. The Tigers came out with a win by the score of 4-0. After the matches, head coach Lauren Longbotham Meisner said she felt the MTSU match provided invaluable experience for her girls and said she expects the Blue Raiders to be ranked fairly soon. “It’s a good start-off for us before the ITA kickoff,” Meisner said. “We wanted to play a good team. They were good from top to bottom and made us work. It was a good test.” Meisner also said the three set matches against MTSU are an early test and something they need, even though three set matches aren’t the ideal situation to be in. “You’ve got to make sure that from the very beginning you’re ready to fight,” Meisner said. “We’re not a team that we can get our matches
easy. Every one we have to show up for. Obviously, you don’t want to be in three sets, but if you have to, you’ll take it.” Junior Paula DeMan, who won in three sets against MTSU with a score of 7-5, 5-7, 6-3, served as another big time performer to clinch the match for the Tigers. Despite a close match against the Blue Raiders, the Tigers never lost a doubles match against either team.
Men’s Tennis
The Auburn men’s tennis team began their spring season versus The Citadel Bulldogs on Sunday, Jan. 18. The Tigers won both matches against the Southern Conference team 7-0. One of the key performers for the Tigers was senior captain Lukas Ollert, who won all four of his matches, two doubles matches and two singles matches. After the match, Ollert said although the Citadel isn’t the same as playing Georgia, he thinks these earlier, less competitive matches are important. “We get a lot of confidence by winning these matches,” Ollert said. “We can try new stuff and some of the stuff from practice. If it works out, then we know we can use it against the good opponents.” Ollert won his first singles match 6-2, 6-4 and
his second singles match 6-2, 6-0. Junior Marko Krickovic also went undefeated as well. His two wins in singles were some of the more dominate tennis played as he won the first 6-1, 6-1 and the second 6-0, 6-2. Krickovic said he felt he improved as the day went on and said most of his focus was on staying aggressive. “I worked on stepping in more,” Krickovic said. “I think the second match was actually really good. The first one was OK too, but the guy was just playing different.” Although most of the Auburn players won handily, senior Petar Tomic had a couple of close matches. He won his second tennis match by a score of 7-5, 6-4, but his first singles match was the only three set match of the day. Tomic pulled out the win 3-6, 6-4, 7-6. “The thing is, when it’s your first match of the season, guys are a little tight,” said head tennis coach Eric Shore. “You need to play through that and the focus is a factor. That’ll help you down the road when you’re playing the tougher matches.” The Tigers are past the season opener unscathed, but the competition will be upped at the Ohio State ITA Kickoff tournament Jan. 23-25. Compiled by Eric Wallace, Andrew Monson and Patrick Lucas
football
Six Tigers represent Auburn at Senior Bowl
emily enfinger / photo editor, kenny moss / assistant photo editor
(LEFT TO RIGHT) Quarterback Nick Marshall, center Reese Dismukes, defensive lineman Gabe Wright, running back Cameron Artis-Payne, wide receiver Sammie Coates and tight end C.J. Uzomah will represent Auburn at the 2015 Senior Bowl in Mobile on Saturday, Jan. 24. Each will reportedly work at their collegiate positions except Marshall, who will work out as a defensive back.
Sports A10
Thursday, January 22, 2015
The Auburn Plainsman
Keep calm and Kerryon
football: recruiting
Alabama’s Mr. Football is versatile addition to Tigers’ recruiting class Sam Butler Sports Writer
photos contribiuted by madison academy
Kerryon Johnson is set to join Jeremy Johnson and Racean “Roc” Thomas as former Mr. Alabama Football winners on the Auburn roster.
With senior running backs Cameron Artis-Payne and Corey Grant graduating, Auburn’s stable of playmakers in the backfield seemed to be running dry — that is, until the Tigers knew they would be getting the best player in the state of Alabama to call the Plains his home for the next few years. Kerryon Johnson. A name that has stricken fear into the hearts of high schools across the state for the past four years will more than likely elicit the same reaction across the SEC and possibly the nation. The star tailback from Madison Academy (Madison) committed to the Tigers in April 2014 and hasn’t wavered since. He was named Mr. Football in the state of Alabama recently, and with his commitment, Auburn will have the past three Mr. Footballs on the roster for 2015 in Johnson, Roc Thomas and presumed starting quarterback Jeremy Johnson. Johnson played on the varsity squad at Madison Academy for five years, blazing a trail through the high school ranks during his career, one that saw him capture three consecutive state titles, the last of which the Mustangs claimed in December 2014 in Auburn. His high school coach, Eric Cohu, said he thinks Johnson has a chance to be special. “(Johnson) is a lot like the guy you give the basketball to for the last shot of the game to win it, and so he’s going to be the guy — if used properly — that will really change the dynamic of the team because he’s a mismatch nightmare for defenses,” Cohu said. “He’s really a different-style player, one that just comes along every now and then.” Johnson played multiple positions in high school, spending time at tailback, slot receiver and even on defense as a safety, which he was positioned at during the Under Armour All-America Game on Jan. 2. Regardless, the coaching staff at Auburn has been set on Johnson playing offense during his time on the Plains. “He’s a guy that could probably play four or five positions, but in this offense, I think he’s a guy that fits perfectly as a guy that can play tailback,” said Jason Caldwell of AUTigers.com. “He can play as a true running back, but he has the skills to play wide re-
Johnson dons an Auburn hat during his commitment announcement April 15, 2014.
ceiver, so he can give you a lot of different options on offense, and that’s probably going to be his strength.” This season Johnson will vie for playing time with two talented backs in front of him in Roc Thomas and Jovon Robinson, but Johnson may simply be too talented to keep on the bench. “I think Kerryon is a special player, and I don’t think you can keep special players — special talents like him — on the bench for long,” said Rivals.com’s Bryan Matthews. “I definitely think Kerryon’s going to play as a true freshman, and if he plays and plays well, I think he’ll earn more playing time as the season goes on.” As Signing Day rapidly approaches, plenty of recruits are deciding which school they will spend their next few years at, but Johnson has been solid to Auburn, never reconsidering his commitment. “Kerryon’s smart, savvy, efficient,” Cohu said. “I think his early commitment was based on him making a decision, and wanting to focus on his senior year of high school and not have as many distractions. After his pretty thorough look at several unofficial visits to four or five schools, he made a decision based on what he felt like was the best thing for his career for the future.” If everything goes according to plan, Auburn’s coaching staff will sleep easy as well. The same can’t be said for Auburn’s future opponents.
Better late than never for Reed men’s basketball
7-footer relishing a second opportunity Lauren Christopher Sports Writer
Trayvon Reed, 7-foot-2-inch center, was added to the Auburn basketball roster this season after transferring from the University of Maryland. As a four-star recruit, Reed ran into trouble, pleading guilty to second-degree misdemeanor assault. According to police reports, Reed was being watched inside of a 7-11 convenience store late one Wednesday night in College Park, Maryland, when he was caught carrying out a Twix ice cream bar, a fourpack of Reese’s Cups and a two-pack of King Reese’s Cups in his pocket without paying. When confronted by an undercover officer, Reed resisted arrest, breaking two of the officer’s fingers. Reed was charged with theft under $100 and assault of an officer. This altercation resulted in Reed losing his spot on the Terrapins defense when the University of Maryland prohibited him from enrolling. “I thought basketball was over for me,” Reed said. But that wasn’t the end for Reed. After leaving Maryland, Reed said in addition to community service, he had some work to do to receive more
academic credit for his eligibility to join a university team. According to Rich McGlynn, senior associate athletic director, there are certain NCAA standards a recruit must uphold to be officially admitted as a student-athlete. McGlynn said before being accepted to Auburn, a recruit must have completed four years of English, three years of math including an algebra 1 course and above, two years of a natural or physical science with one year of lab and one additional hour of any course in English, math, or science. Two years of social science and four years of electives were also required. After completing a year of training and earning additional academic credit at ELEV-8 Sports Academy in Delray Beach, Florida, Reed was eligible to be added once again to the recruiting pool and, after receiving offers from a couple of schools, took his spot with the Tigers. “I just felt comfortable at Auburn,” Pearl said. “I liked the way Bruce Pearl, Chuck Person, the whole coaching staff were talking and I just ended up here.” Reed said he was also excited to commit to Auburn because of its proximity to his hometown of Mo-
Wade Rackley / auburn athletics
Trayvon Reed (4) reaches for a rebound with teammate KT Harrell (1) against North Alabama.
bile. Head coach Bruce Pearl said the coaches were pleased with Reed’s addition to the roster. “I think the biggest thing for Trayvon is he’s a dimension,” Pearl said. “Can he get his game from being a dimension to being more of a factor? The answer is yes, he has that kind
of ability.” Reed made his first on-court appearance in Auburn’s match against Clemson on Dec. 14, which he said was a bit of a struggle. “In the first game, it was kind of difficult for me because I wasn’t in shape, so just running up and down the court, I was getting winded a lit-
tle bit and then coach snatched me after like three minutes,” Reed said. The future looks bright for Reed’s second chance, this time with Auburn basketball. “I feel like I have my ups and downs,” Reed said. “I can bring a little more to the team, but as of now, I’m a defensive person.”
Intrigue Thursday, January 22, 2015
A11 ThePlainsman.com
Intrigue
student spotlight
Creating connections through the art of printmaking Andria Moore Intrigue Writer
Cassidy Kulhanek, senior in fine arts, slid a sample of her work across the table. It was a print of a blue sky with a hill and a bone lying in green grass. Kulhanek said printmaking is the process of making artwork by printing ink on a blank page through the artist’s wood screen or engraving. “You take a chemical photo emulsion and then you put it on the screen, and that reacts to light the same way film does,” Kulhanek said. “Then you have an open space to push ink through and that’s how you make the print.” Kulhanek’s work has been featured in local galleries and within the University. “In Biggin, there’s one show open for any student, and then one for seniors at the end of each semester,” Kulhanek said. Kulhanek has been able to display her work in the Field Work Projects Gallery on Gay Street. She said she feels her work has begun to improve recently because she is no longer afraid “to talk about the bad parts” of herself. “My art tends to come off as a little revealing or harsh sometimes, but I think that’s a special
part of it because it gives it a little bit more of an intimate relationship with the viewer,” Kulhanek said. Kulhanek said she strives to give all of her work that intimate feel because she thinks “it’s easier to have a connection to the work if you feel like you have a connection to the artist.” Kulhanek said she began as a zoology major before switching to drawing and then printmaking. “Printmaking is really quick, and it’s easy to make a lot at once, and that’s good for me because I’m really impatient,” Kulhanek said. “I think that’s why I gravitated toward it.” After graduation, Kulhanek said her goal is to earn a master of fine arts in printmaking so she can teach, but she said she wants to continue making prints as well. Forrest Badington, sophomore in studio art and Kulhanek’s friend, said majoring in artistic disciplines such as printmaking may seem difficult, but there are certain jobs specific only to those majoring in an art field. Kulhanek said her father, an engineer, is extremely supportive. “He’s just happy I’m doing something that
makes me happy,” Kulhanek said. “He understands it’s not going to be easy for me, but he knows that I also know that.” Kyle Taylor, recent alumnus in fine arts and friend of Kulhanek, said Kulhanek has the ability to succeed in printmaking. “She seems to work hard at what she does,” Taylor said. “I hope she can be around people that want to learn.” Badington said he also sees Kulhanek’s drive. “The day I left for winter break, she was in the studio working,” Badington said. Kulhanek said she loves her major because of how different it is from other subjects. “There’s no right or wrong way to do it, and there’s no right or wrong answer in the end,” Kulhanek said. Kulhanek said many people do not realize the amount of hours artists spend in the studio, and the frustration they feel from their work. Even with the trials and tribulations, Kulhanek said she still loves what she does and is thankful she gets to do it every day. “It’s a very personal action to make art,” Kulhanek said. “So whenever you make art, you are making little pieces of yourself.”
all photos by emily enfinger / photo editor
Kulhanek said her family approves of her major in the arts.
Cassidy Kulhanek, senior in fine arts, said she likes to make her art as personal as she can to create a connection with the viewer.
alumni
contributed by cory huston / nasa
The Orion crew module is recovered for its trip back to the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, after completion of its four-hour test flight Dec. 5, 2014.
From the Plains to space: graduate helps design NASA capsule Kyle Nazario Intrigue Editor
The Orion space capsule blasted into orbit atop a Delta IV heavy rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Dec. 5, 2014. NASA and Lockheed Martin engineers collected data for testing during its four-hour flight, according to NASA’s website. Orion flew 3,600 miles into space, farther than any craft capable of carrying humans has flown in more than 40 years. Jeff Hampton, Lockheed Martin systems engineer and Auburn alumnus, said the flight tested how the capsule would perform at 85 percent of its potential speed when re-entering Earth’s atmosphere. “Our heat shield’s got to meet that criteria to survive re-entry at that speed,” Hampton said. Hampton said he helped the Orion teams work together. “One of my main tasks is to make sure the hardware guys are talking to the software guys, and the software guys are talking to the hardware guys, and everyone’s talking to the lab guys,” Hampton said. Hampton said he also did a compatibility analysis of Orion’s software to ensure the ship’s computers could handle the data it collected. For his work on Orion, Hampton received a program manager’s commendation and a Silver Snoopy. Beth Schulze, software team lead at Lockheed,
said the Silver Snoopy is a prestigious NASA award that is difficult to earn. Schulze said she helps direct Hampton’s team in Houston from her office in Denver. She said Hampton is a talented worker and “very brilliant,” even by the standards of rocket scientists. “We consider Jeff to be one of our big-brain kind of guys,” Schulze said. “He understands a lot. He’s good at putting together small parts into the big picture. It’s not always easy to find people who can do that.” Hampton graduated from Auburn University in 1990 magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in computer science. He originally attended McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana, where he “burned out” after a year and a half. He then dropped out and moved to Alabama. He lived there for a year to establish residency and applied to Auburn. Hampton finished his undergraduate degree at Auburn and master’s degree in computer science at the University of Colorado at Boulder. As a student, he worked at Auburn’s veterinary school and co-oped to support himself. “It was persistence that got me through,” Hampton said. After graduation, he tried to fulfill a lifelong dream of working at NASA. He did not get a job at the space agency, instead signing on at Lockheed Martin. In 2008, Hampton began to pursue a position
Contributed by Jeff Hampton
LEFT TO RIGHT: Astronaut Randy Bresnik presents the Silver Snoopy award to Jeff Hampton alongside his daughter Meghan, wife Deborah and Lockheed Martin’s NASA program manager Rick Jackson.
on the Orion team in Houston. From his position at San Dimas National Laboratories, he knew recruiters within Lockheed and convinced one to take his résumé to Houston. Now Hampton helps put together the nittygritty details behind Orion’s launch. He said it’s a dream job. “Ever since I was a kid, that’s what I wanted to do,” Hampton said. “I wanted to be on a project like Apollo. It’s one of those once-in-a-lifetime programs.”
After the December 2014 test flight, Hampton said his team is already planning ahead for another test flight in 2017-18. Hampton said the work makes time fly. Beating the clock is Hampton’s other goal. He said he hopes to see humanity’s next big steps in space. “If I could be alive when man sets foot on Mars, I would be happy,” Hampton said. “It’s my hope and my dream that the work I’m doing gets us closer with every test flight.”
Intrigue A12
Thursday, January 22, 2015
The Auburn Plainsman
foodie corner
No more Mr. Rice guy: recipes for rice cookers Jordan Hays
copy@theplainsman.com
Rice cookers are the quintessential college cooking contraption. They’re ideal because you can head to Asian Super Market off of Opelika Road and pick up a 10-pound bag of rice when you’re short on cash. It’s just more than $10 and will help feed you for more than a month. First and foremost, there’s a trick to cooking perfect rice every time without using a measuring cup, called the knuckle method. Place as much rice as you want into the ricepot, and then place your palm on top of the rice.
Fill the cooker with water until it’s almost past your knuckles. Turn the cooker on, wait (time depending on your cooker) and you’re done. However, just making rice is a disservice to what a rice cooker is capable of cooking. Rice cookers essentially operate like a stovetop, which makes them perfect for Auburn’s dorms, because technically, they’re not stoves. A rice cooker will, generally, turn off after a set period of time or once it reaches a certain temperature. But rice cookers are easy to fool. Simply turning them back on will do the trick. With this in mind, I came up with macaroni and cheese and chili. Jordan Hays is the copy editor for The Plainsman. He can be reached at copy@theplainsman.com.
MACARONI & CHEESE Macaroni and cheese is a college staple. After cooking this recipe, you’ll ditch Easy Mac. You’ll just throw all of the ingredients into the cooker and slam the lid. Mac and cheese doesn’t get much easier than that. Even better, you’ll have enough for days. It’s still great after reheating—dare I say, better. It’s also great to bring to office parties and get-togethers. Place the macaroni, chick-
en or vegetable stock, butter and heavy cream into the cooker. Then throw in all of your cheese and stir so there is an even mixture of cheese throughout the cooker. Try to keep the cheese off the bottom of the cooker; it may burn. Open the rice cooker every 20 minutes and stir. Repeat this step until finished. If the cooker turns off and your mac and cheese isn’t done, just turn it back on.
Ingredients
• 16 oz of elbow macaroni • 3 cups of chicken or vegetable stock • 1 and 1/2 cups of heavy cream • 3 tbsp of butter • 1 and 1/2 cups of cheddar • 1 cup of mozzarella • 1 cup of parmesan
all photos by EMILY ENFINGER / PHOTO EDITOR
CHILI Chili has many variations, and it seems as if everyone has their own special recipe. It is either delicious or terrible. In both cases, you have to grin and say it’s good because the cook is convinced of their prowess. If you don’t have your own chili recipe, don’t feel judged. Here’s a recipe you can use. Oil the pan. Brown the sausage and beef on high heat. Place a lid over the meat and allow it to sear. Searing will create a coating on the pan that will add flavor to your vegetables when you sauté them later. While the meat is
searing, dice the bell pepper and half a sweet onion. Place the meat into the pot once it is finished. Drain the beans, throw them into the cooker and add the water. Take the diced vegetables and place them onto the pan. Sauté them for a minute, then place all of your seasoning on top of the vegetables and sauté further. Your vegetables should have a dark brown color once you have properly mixed in the seasoning with the vegetables. Place the vegetables into the cooker once they are done. Stir the cooker and close the lid. It should be done after approximately 45 minutes.
Ingredients
• 1 green bell pepper • 1 medium sweet onion • 1 lb of ground beef • 1 pack of Chorizo • Kidney beans • 1 can of black beans • 1 can of diced tomatoes • 2 cups of water • Salt and pepper to taste • 1 and 1/2 tbsp garlic powder • 1 tbsp oregano • 2 tbsp of chili powder • 3 tsp of cumin • 1 tsp of ginger • 2 tsp of cardamom • 1/2 tsp of ground cloves
app of the week
SAMFORD
Earn your graduate degree in health sciences For more than 90 years, Samford University has been preparing compassionate health-care professionals who pursue innovative opportunities locally, nationally and globally. Samford is located in Birmingham, one of the largest health-care centers in the U.S.
Kyle nazario / intrigue editor
Letterpress finds opponents and friends through Game Center.
Letterpress challenges vocabulary
Schools and Degrees Ida V. Moffett School of Nursing Master of Science in Nursing • Family Nurse Practitioner (online) • Health Systems Management and Leadership (online) • Nurse Anesthesia • Nurse Educator (online) • R.N. to M.S.N. (online) Doctor of Nursing Practice (online)
School of Public Health Master of Public Health (online) Master of Social Work Dietetic Internship School of Health Professions Master of Athletic Training+ Master of Science in Speech Language Pathology* Doctor of Physical Therapy**
McWhorter School of Pharmacy Doctor of Pharmacy
*The Master of Science program in Speech Language Pathology has filed application to become a candidate for accreditation by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA). Candidacy approval from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) is pending. Students are encouraged to apply now but will not be accepted until after Samford has received appropriate notifications and approvals from CAA. **Graduation from a physical therapist education program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 1111 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, VA 22314; phone 703-706-3245; accreditation@ apta.org is necessary for eligibility to sit for the licensure examination, which is required in all states. Samford University is seeking accreditation of a new physical therapist education program from CAPTE. The program has submitted an Application for Candidacy, which is the formal application required in the pre-accreditation stage. Submission of this document does not assure that the program will be granted Candidate for Accreditation status. Achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status is required prior to implementation of the professional phase of the program; therefore, no students may be enrolled in professional courses until Candidate for Accreditation status has been achieved. Further, though achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status signifies satisfactory progress toward accreditation, it does not assure that the program will be granted accreditation. +Samford University is seeking accreditation of a new master of athletic training program from the CAATE. The program will submit an Application for Accreditation including a Self-Study and on-site visit. Submission of this document and completing the site visit does not assure that the program will be granted Accreditation. Students who graduate prior to the program’s achievement of accreditation will not be eligible to sit for the BOC examination.
samford.edu/go/healthsciences-AU
Kyle Nazario
intrigue@theplainsman.com
Letterpress surprised me. I’m not much for Scrabble, Boggle or other word games. Letterpress changed my mind with its addictive approach to vocabulary ability-based multiplayer games. Letterpress is a hyper-competitive, one-onone version of Scrabble. There’s a board of letters. Players score points by stringing them together into words, the longer the better. Picking a letter makes it that player’s color; picking an opponent’s letter changes its color and takes their points away. Any letter surrounded by the same color does not give the other player points for using it. The game is easier understood in practice than it sounds. With all the rules in play, Letterpress becomes a game of choosing long words to surround one’s own letters while taking away letters from one’s opponent. The extra layer of tactics atop basic vocabulary testing adds fun. Unfortunately, what should be a basic vocab-
ulary test often becomes cheapened when someone starts using Google. It’s easy to feed letters into Google and find playable words. Since Letterpress isn’t played in person like Scrabble, one has no idea if the other player is playing fair. For example, one opponent beat me by playing “fynbos,” which the University of the Western Cape said is a shrub from the Western Cape of South Africa. Either that player has an impressive knowledge of South African shrubbery, or he or she looked it up. There’s plenty of time to look words up during a match since Letterpress is played asynchronously. One player makes a move and waits for the other to react. I rarely played a game in one session, instead making moves between classes every hour or so. It’s good for a quick 30-second hit of entertainment in the Starbucks line or while waiting for class to start. Letterpress is free on the App Store, but not available Android’s Play Store. There is a $1.99 in-app upgrade for multiple simultaneous games and seeing the history of every word played in a game. I’d recommend it to any word game fan. Kyle Nazario is the intrigue editor for The Plainsman. He can be reached at intrigue@theplainsman.com.