Housing Guide 2016 by The Auburn Plainsman

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Professional organizer gives advice to keep living space neat

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Housing Guide

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Students rate 319 Bragg and 160 Ross

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The Auburn Plainsman: Housing

Table of Contents 6 8

Need help organizing your space? Follow these tips from a professional organizer. Ever wonder why guys choose to live in a fraternity house? These recipes will make cooking in dorms easier.

Plans for Caroline Draughon Village

Out with the old, in with the new. Check out these new planned apartment complexes.

Students give reviews of 319 Bragg and 160 Ross.

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The Auburn Plainsman: Housing

Thursday, January 28, 2016

G e t t i n g o rg a n i ze d Professional organizer shares tips for keeping spaces neat and clean Amanda Myles Intrigue Writer

When organization comes to mind, some people think of it as a simple and natural aspect to their daily lives, but many cannot fathom the word without cringing as they think of the dirty clothes scattered across their rooms or the stacks of papers spilling out of their desk drawers.

1. Getting started

Beginning the process of becoming more organized requires you to decide if you are really ready and want to start the journey, according to Moore. “You can’t force someone to be a certain way or to be more organized if they don’t want to be,” Moore said. “Someone that doesn’t want to be organized … [is] not going to appreciate it.”

2. Manage your time

Moore said other ways to maximize productivity is waking up five minutes earlier every day. “Anything you can do to cut down on time and the more that you think about it, the more your mind starts thinking in that way, [and] the easier it’s going to become for you and more natural it’s going to become,” Moore said.

3. Form goals

Once you admit to yourself you are ready to become more organized, the next steps include prioritizing and setting goals. “A key to getting organized is just to pick a space and to start, and just start anywhere,” Moore said. “Any progress is good.”

Organization can appear to be an unattainable goal, requiring too much time, effort and thought, but Ann Marie Moore, professional organizer and productivity consultant with the Birmingham-based company, Moore Organization LLC, reminds us attaining a desired level of organization takes committed dedication and hard work like any other goal people strive to achieve.

4. Consolidate

“Really try to pare down to those few pieces of paper that are important, and most likely a lot of those don’t have to be physically retained,” Moore said. “They can be scanned and saved electronically. So, if you can start at the beginning of the every semester with an empty folder, you’re going to feel more organized, and you’re going to feel less overwhelmed.”

5. Collaborate with peers

Moore said to meet up with three organized friends and ask them how they stay organized. “If you ask three people and they give you three different answers, that’s maybe nine different ideas, and maybe two of those will work for you that you can incorporate,” Moore said. “That’s success.”

6. Develop good habits

One good habit is to start asking yourself questions when you are considering purchasing an item. Moore said ask yourself if the item is useful, if it will improve your life, if it will help you achieve your goals and if it will make you happier.

Megan endt / Photographer

Notebooks are organized on desk in a dorm.

Thursday, January 28, 2016

The Auburn Plainsman: Housing

Style your space Marissa Luckie Intrigue writer

Decorating a small space is a challenge most college students will encounter at least once during their four years at school. And although decorating any space is firstly about what makes its inhabitant happy, there are a few things small-space dwellers can do to take full advantage of their room. For Suzanne Merlino, graduate student in consumer and design sciences, and Erin Williams, senior in interior design, making a small space feel bigger is all about light.

megan endt / photographer

Mirrors make small spaces look bigger, according to Merlino.

Williams recommends keeping larger items at a minimum and instead decorating up. “It’s important you don’t focus on bigger furniture,” Williams said. “Decorating up is more important in smaller spaces, because if you have too much furniture in the room, it looks really cluttered. So like picture frames or any kind of decorative accessories that go up instead of on the floor. Bigger pieces of furniture aren’t really essential.”

Merlino suggests making use of any natural lighting a space has and steering away from darker paint colors on the walls. “First, utilize any natural light because the more natural light, the bigger the space will feel,” Merlino said. “And on top of that, using light colors on the wall will make the space feel bigger than if you use a darker color.”

Williams advises using accent pieces for pops of darker colors and patterns and focusing on using light colors for the larger items. “It is really based on light colors,” Williams said. “If you keep all of your bedding and all of your bigger pieces neutral, you can really play around with color and your accessories, and you can really play with pattern and color in your drapery and in your rugs.”

An inside look at life in the eAE house 8

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Jonathan Hefner SPORTS WRITER

Living in a fraternity house is much like being at an Auburn football game or any college stadium for that matter. Like Jordan-Hare Stadium, my fraternity house could easily be described as beautiful and perhaps inspiring from the outside, but not so much on the inside. And though the inside may not be as aesthetically pleasing, the people in it are typically great. This is a key element to house living, and without them, your experience is ruined as a whole. Constantly being around your friends is quite simply awesome. Walking to the house after class, knowing at least a few of your buddies will be around to re-

lax with you is a terrific feeling, and the positive ambiance this creates is almost contagious. Countless fraternities have different amenities that make living in the house entertaining, ranging from pool tables to loudspeakers to basketball courts. All of these things make house living down time unrivaled. Walking outside to enjoy the property or playing pingpong really draws people in and often turns a two-man pool game into a big group of buddies relaxing and making plans. Plus, with food coming out 12-15 times per week, it’s incredibly easy to walk to the kitchen to have hot food waiting for you. This kind of convenience is luxurious. It’s difficult not to consider certain negative connotations that come with fraternity life, and indeed there are disadvantages to living in a large house with 10 or so 20-year-olds. One argument is it can be messy or not clean enough to live in. As old as some houses are, every dirty house

ADAM SPARKS / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

A view of a Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity bedroom can be seen.

seems to be impervious to a good cleaning. Not only do house-dwellers use and live in the house, all other fraternity members use it as well. It’s not hard to collaborate on a good time to meet and clean the house, and it is a vital tool to make house living that much more enjoyable. Another worry can be finding a place to study or getting sleep. Personally, studying in your bedroom is tough, if not impossible. A good alternative is to go to the fraternity house library or the house study. Many fraternities have this feature, but if yours doesn’t or if the house library is too crowded, then simply go to Auburn’s library. As packed as RBD can get, there is almost always a place to go, and it is seemingly the easiest place to finish homework. As for sleeping, it’s almost inevitable a good night of sleep will elude you unless you remove yourself completely from your friends. And that’s not just for people in fraternity houses.

Thursday, January 28, 2016

Everyone struggles to sleep well. That being said, goofing around at 2 a.m. with your friends is much more fun than being in your apartment watching a movie by yourself. Assuming you’re going to forfeit your beauty sleep — which you most likely will — it might as well be for the right reasons. It would seem like class, physical health and getting things done would be unattainable with so many different activities constantly going on around you. However, with self-discipline, it’s not impossible to find structure in your life by simply removing yourself and going to the rec, library, et cetera. You only get four years in college, so take advantage of this hallowed time. Don’t let youth be wasted on the young. Live in the house. You will not regret it. Jonathan can be reached at sports@ThePlainsman.com

Thursday, January 28, 2016

The Auburn Plainsman: Housing

Thursday, January 28, 2016

Nothing but the kitchen sink Simple dorm room recipes for cooking without a stove Rachel Sprouse CAMPUS WRITER

JOHN LEE / MULTIMEDIA REPORTER

Chop cauliflower into small pieces.

Cauliflower fried ‘rice’ Start to finish: 25 minutes 1 head of cauliflower, washed 2 tablespoons sesame oil 2 eggs, scrambled or fried 1 cup peas, frozen are best for this recipe 1 cup carrots, frozen are best for this recipe 2 tablespoons soy sauce, or more for taste Optional: 1 onion, chopped. If cooking in an electric skillet, heat to 350 F. If using a wok or skillet on a stove or hot plate, wait until the prep work is done to heat up. Take the peas and carrots out to thaw. Rinse and chop the cauliflower into small pieces. Depending upon how much time you have, you can chop the cauliflower into fine pieces or keep it a bit chunky. If using the onion, chop into small pieces.

Using the electric skillet, wok or skillet and hot plate, crack open eggs and cook them to your preference. Set aside in a bowl for later. Pour the sesame oil into the skillet. Make sure it spreads throughout the skillet. Add the peas and carrots (and onions), and let them cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the eggs in next and begin to stir the ingredients in the sesame oil. If desired, add another tablespoon of sesame oil if the bottom of the pan looks bare. Add the cauliflower in on top and then the soy sauce. Add as much as you want, especially if you love soy sauce. Stir all ingredients until the cauliflower turns brown. Take the skillet off heat and serve the fried ‘rice.’ Tip: I use a “slap-chopper,” or a food chopper that dices up food in a small container, which will save you about an hour of time instead of chopping the cauliflower by hand.

Cooking can be daunting in a college dorm, especially if you’ve never done it before. Without the same regular access to a stove, oven and other appliances, it may seem impossible to cook for yourself on a college campus. But after spending two years on campus, I’ve learned how to make the most out of the communal kitchen space and make different meals for myself and my friends. I found this cauliflower rice recipe a

Cook cauliflower in skillet until brown.

few weeks ago and have made it seven times, at least. What I like about this meal is most of the work is in the preparation. It is a bit harder to make without a food processor, but not impossible. The ambrosia salad is the perfect, lazy day, last-minute recipe that can be made with a bowl, spoon and a fridge. And it’s a great treat to share with friends or lastminute dessert for a function. The thin crust fruit pizza was a food fail that turned out well. I’m not a big fan of making cookies in a microwave, but I’m glad I tried, or else I would never have learned this recipe. Rachel can be reached at campus@ ThePlainsman.com.

Thursday, January 28, 2016

The Auburn Plainsman: Housing

Ambrosia salad Start to finish: 10 minutes 1 tub frozen whipped topping (8 ounces at least) 2 1/2 cups shredded coconut 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional 1 can fruit cocktail 1 can mandarin oranges 1 can pineapple chunks 3 cups mini marshmallows 1 jar maraschino cherries, optional 1 teaspoon nutmeg 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Pour the entire tub of frozen whipped topping into a bowl with the coconut and the marshmallows. Empty the cans of mandarin oranges, pineapple chunks and fruit cocktail into a strainer, allowing the excess liquids to pour out. Then put the fruit into the bowl. If using maraschino cherries and walnuts, add them. Add the nutmeg and cinnamon, then stir all contents together for 3 minutes. Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator to cool or serve immediately. Serve ambrosia salad chilled and share with friends.

Thin crust fruit pizza Start to finish: 4 minutes Chocolate chip cookie dough (Try to get the ones that are pre-shaped) A microwaveable plate

A spreading knife/butter knife Greek yogurt (any flavor will do) Fruit Place 1 piece of cookie dough onto the plate and cook it in the micro-

wave for 45-60 seconds (depending on how well your microwave works). Set out to cool. You’ll notice the cookie has bubbles forming. If it does not, put it back in for 5 seconds.

After it cools, apply a thin layer of Greek yogurt for the “sauce” on your fruit pizza. Apply fruit. Eat immediately while it’s hot, or put it in the refrigerator to let it cool. Both options are delicious.

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Lease-hopping through college years Emily Esleck MANAGING EDITOR

It’s my fourth year on The Plains, and I’ve called four different places home. Freshman year, home was the Hill, the not-so-nice version of on-campus living. Compared to the South Donahue Residence Hall, my thirdfloor Boyd dwelling is nothing. One year later and I needed space. Sharing a room with another person is a great experience, but not one I wished to repeat. Copper Beech Townhome Communities was my next stop. I had all the space in the world. My bedroom looked like it ate two of the Hill-sized rooms. It was a two-floor spacious apartment with a kitchen large enough to cook for 10 people. Too bad it was just me and my roomie. Junior year it was on to Edge West. I was

back to cramming all my stuff in the dorm organizational boxes I used freshman year. Downsizing wasn’t too bad, considering I was way closer to campus. Edge West was probably the best compromise. I didn’t have to share a room, and I had my own bathroom. Living area was decent with a medium-sized kitchen. We tried to stay in that apartment, but with my luck, our landlord’s son needed it. So it was on to apartment No. 3 and a fourth time to lug all my furniture and clothing. Because of a miscommunication with paperwork, the place we had our sights on decided to give our unit away to the next bidder. Some quick calls when we returned from winter break resulted in finding an adequate apartment at The Hub at Auburn. Trying to accommodate four different people’s ideas of good price, location, amenities and size isn’t easy. You would say I should be done moving, but that’s not the case. I’m coming back for a fifth semester. Dual major and a minor takes a little longer than the average

ELLEN JACKSON / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Be cautious and read everything when signing leases.

bachelor’s degree. I will be packing up and relocating next fall to a location that is unknown at this point. However, I’m not worried since by now I should be a pro at this moving stuff. My parents originally wanted my brother and I to share a duplex during our college years, but that obviously didn’t end up happening. Even though I’ve moved every year, I would say it hasn’t been a problem for me. Moving

has been smooth since my parents always come to help. Thanks, Mom and Dad. Some tips for moving: store things in organizational bins so when it’s time to move, all you have to do is pick it up and get it out, make sure you have a destination for your items and finally, make sure you have understanding roommates to help you out, because you’ll need it. Emily can be reached at managing.editor@ ThePlainsman.com

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What’s next for old dorms by The Village? Corey Williams CAMPUS EDITOR

Caroline Draughon Village, located near the resident overflow parking lot, has been abandoned since The Village dormitories were built in 2009. The building will likely one day be torn down to make room for a parking lot, said Dan King, assistant vice president of Facilities Management, to The Plainsman in 2014. The only documented mention of the lot is on page 20 of the Executive Summary of Facilities Management’s Master Plan. The ground on which CDV stands could provide an estimated 900 parking spaces for event parking, according to the plan. But the fate of CDV is still up in the air. There have recently been rumors of asbestos in CDV. That’s common in old buildings, though, according to King. “A lot of old buildings have asbestos and mold, and that is pretty standard,” King said. “You just have to go and eliminate both, as

well as any other hazardous materials, before you demolish them. We have done that on other buildings we have had to demolish.” CDV was originally housing for married students. The buildings were named in honor of Caroline Draughon, wife of the University’s 10th president, Ralph Brown Draughon, in 1959. During her time as first lady of Auburn University, Caroline became invested in the lives of married students. As Auburn’s enrollment increased following World War II, Caroline began to notice an increase in married students. She also realized many male students had working wives helping them pay for school. Caroline began the Dame’s Club to provide a way for spouses to be involved in college life. Before each graduation, she held a special ceremony, where she presented each graduate’s wife with a “PHT” (Pushing Hubby Through) degree.

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G ing green Office of Sustainability gives ways to live eco-friendly Corey Williams Campus editor

1. Ditch bottled water

Stop buying plastic water bottles and use a pitcher with a filter instead. Americans throw away approximately 29 billion plastic water bottles a year, according to National Geographic. Bottled water is not always cleaner than tap water, said Jennifer Morse, communications and outreach coordinator for the Office of Sustainability.

2. Leave the lights off

Opening your curtains and using the sun as much as possible conserves energy, according to the Sustainability Office’s website.

3. Leave your car at home

Living on campus doesn’t require a lot of driving. Use Tiger Transit to get where you want to go. Better yet, ride a bike, Morse said. “Taking a look at transportation is one of the most important things people can do,” Morse said. “There are so many alternatives to taking your own personal vehicle. It’s one of the best things you can do to make a positive impact.”

4. Brighten up with air-cleansing house plants

Not all chemical air fresheners are good for your health or the environment, according to Morse. Plants such as aloe vera, chrysanthemums, azaleas and weeping figs cleanse the air without emitting toxins.

5. Recycle

dakota sumpter / photo editor

Top: Fill water bottles up at water stations found around campus. Bottom: Make sure to recycle plastic bottles and aluminum cans.

It might seem obvious, but recycling is one of the easiest and best ways students can live sustainably on campus. There are recycling bins near every residence hall and recycling bags are provided in dorm rooms.

Turning off the lights can conserve energy.

6. Eat at Plains to Plate

Plains to Plate features locally- and-responsibly raised meats and produce, Morse said.

7. Get involved

There are various sustainability-related clubs offered on campus, such as Auburn Real Food Challenge, Committee of 19 and Auburn for Water. “Of all the things someone can do to make a difference, the most important one is to try to work in your community,” Morse said.

8. Grow food at the community garden

The Auburn Real Food Challenge runs a community garden in collaboration with the College of Agriculture. Plots are rented out each year and are available to anyone who wants to garden.

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The Auburn Plainsman: Housing

Maria McIlwain COMMUNITY EDITOR

Development has exploded all over Auburn, especially downtown, in recent years, and luxury student housing is a hot topic for many in the community. Several projects are under construction, some were recently completed and some have yet to be approved by city officials. The Parker, 222 Lofts and The

Thursday, January 28, 2016

Balcony are being built within walking distance to campus. Each have their own features: The Parker offering underground parking and retail on the botton, while 222 Lofts and The Balcony focusing on entertainment features such as TVs in each unit. 160 Ross opened its doors to students this year. A large development is planned for Gay Street, where Checkers is, but it has not been approved yet.

GURDEN SMITH / GRAPHICS EDITOR

Tips for dealing with a difficult roommate Thursday, January 28, 2016

The Auburn Plainsman: Housing

John Lee

MULTIMEDIA SPECIALIST

Picture it: You’ve just moved into a new housing situation. Most of your belongings are still in boxes as you figure out where everything should go. Is it going to be an exciting year? Yeah, maybe. That is, as long as your roommate doesn’t turn out to be the absolute worst. About that ... You don’t have to look too far to come across someone’s bad roommate horror story. Luckily, advice for handling such a situation is readily available online. But sometimes roommates can turn out to be so shockingly awful, and you’re left completely off guard. The simple solution might be to keep your head down and avoid your PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY DAKOTA SUMPTER / PHOTO EDITOR roommate as much as possible, but Notifying your roommate of what they’ve done can help solve the problem. that seems like an awful situation. eggs if you boil ble and Internet provider, thus giving You shouldn’t feel them too long?” you the option of taking their Wi-Fi uncomfortable in he said. “They ex- away. That’s what I’d do, at least. your own home. While this still forces you to live After talking Do you know what plode.” What’s more, in with that person and will likely cause to Hans Goss, a the morning the guy an argument of some sort, it brings friend of mine, happens to eggs if woke up and moved the bonus of forcing your terrible, about past room- you boil them too the pot — which terrible roommate to acknowledge mate experiences long? They explode.” was extremely hot the situation. one thing became Actually, you should probably try from sitting on the clear: Always try to put yourself in a situation where stove all night — over to the kitch- to talk to your housemate about the en counter before leaving for the day. issue as soon as possible. you’re the one in control. Ideally, you’ll be able to come to He always signed his own leases And the counter melted. Since my friend’s name was on some sort of understanding and sort and would only allow people he althe lease and the roommate’s name everything out. It’s nowhere near as ready knew to move in. This mostly worked for him until wasn’t, my buddy had the ability to fun as punishing them, but maybe one guy decided to boil some eggs kick that guy out. Although Auburn it’s the more mature choice. in the middle of the night, but passed housing leases typically don’t offer John can be reached at opinion@ this sort of freedom, you might try out before the eggs finished. “Do you know what happens to being the one to sign with your ca- ThePlainsman.com.

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The Auburn Plainsman: Housing

Thursday, January 28, 2016

Student reviews of two newest apartments Emily Esleck

MANAGING EDITOR

As Auburn University gains more students, new housing developments have been built with more to come. 160 Ross and 319 Bragg are the two most

recent apartment complexes that have been built for student living. Dorian Ashford, senior in media studies, and Sara Martin, sophomore in English language arts education, gave their reviews of each development.

Sara: 160 Ross

Dorian: 319 Bragg

MATTHEW BISHOP / PHOTOGRAPHER

319 Bragg is located beside Family Dollar on Bragg Avenue.

Rent: $770 per month, including utilities and $20 garage parking fee Amenities: pool, tanning salon, fitness center, Internet, volleyball, study rooms Q: How long have you lived in 319 Bragg? A: This is my second year living here. Q: How many people do you live with? A: I live with one other roommate Q: Where have you lived other years in college, and how does 319 Bragg compare to those places? A: My freshman year I lived in the dorms, and then I moved to The Grove my sophomore year. And then moved here for the two years after that, and I like Bragg a lot. It’s probably a little bit more expensive than The Grove was, but it has, I guess, better amenities than The Grove, so I guess you get what you pay for. And you can also choose to get a parking spot under the little parking deck, and my car’s electric so it’s like I have a charging station for my car, so it’s like really easy that way too. Q: What are the things you like about it and also what are the things you don’t

like about it? A: Well, my friends live here, so I like that. Everyone here’s really nice, and also the management is really nice. If you need anything, they’re always there to help you. And I like how big the apartments are. You have a lot of space. And then I guess what I don’t like is the price. Q: Do you think Auburn needs more apartments? Do you think 319 Bragg and 160 Ross were needed? A: I mean, I think so. All these people talking about not being able to find an apartment because they get full so fast. So I guess so. Auburn, like the population is growing with students, so I think it’s fine. Q: What do you think about the location? A: I mean it definitely could be closer, that would be nice ... I walk to campus and it doesn’t take that long to get there, so I think it is a good location. Plus if you’re going out, you can walk downtown.

160 Ross is located on the corner of Glenn Avenue and North Ross Street.

Rent: $650 per month, including utilities Amenities: pool, hot tub, media center, Internet, racquetball courts Q: How many people do you live with? A: I live with three other girls. Q: Out of all the other apartments, why did you choose Ross? A: We looked a lot, and it was a good price and it was already furnished and utilities were already included. Q: What are the things that you like or don’t like about it? A: I like it because it’s a lot of community things. Like they have a lot of activities for all the residents to do, which is kind of fun. Sometimes they’ll have free pizza, or one time they had ice cream in the lobby. But something I don’t like about it is since it’s brand new, things are still breaking ... and we have had a lot of problems with some of our appliances. Q: Do you think Auburn needs more

apartments? A: I do think things are filling up fast and more people are wanting to live off campus. Yeah, I do think we needed [160 Ross]. I don’t think we necessarily need more. Q: Is it enough room to accommodate three other people? A: Oh, definitely. I mean it’s pretty big and the kitchen, I mean, we’ve all been in the kitchen and cooking before and we can get around. I mean, it’s kind of a squeeze for all four of us, but it’s a pretty big apartment. Q: Would you recommend 160 Ross to someone else? A: I would. I think they’ve definitely done a good job with it being so new. Stars from Wikimedia Commons

Thursday, January 28, 2016

The Auburn Plainsman: Housing

Life working in the leasing office Jake LeGrone CAMPUS WRITER

Work at a leasing office is interesting, according to Chris Kearns, owner of Badger Properties, and Copper Beech Townhome Communities leasing agent Lauren Smith, senior in graphic design. Kearns said Badger Properties owns 14 units and manages 60. He said at Badger they do occasional repairs, tours and bookkeeping. Badger Properties has 4.9 out of five stars on Google reviews. Despite his high ratings, Kearns said the job is complex. “Hours are so crazy at some times and easy at others,” Kearns said. “It is hard to balance your staff.” Kearns said it’s busy from January to March, and late July to August are crazy. According to Kearns, he still enjoys his job. He said he likes having fun and getting to know his tenants. He even recalled a funny story.

Kearns said he had a Ph.D. student lock himself out of his room, who then tried to unlock the door with a butter knife. Ironically, his shirt read, “Genius,” according to Kearns. Kearns said the rewarding part is turning a piece of property around. “Looking at a piece of property that has been mismanaged or has been run in a less then ideal way and having the ability to make it into something somebody really wants,” Kearns said. Smith has worked at Copper Beech as a leasing agent for three years. According to Smith, it can get busy at Copper Beech. “Right now it’s been absolutely crazy,” Smith said. “Sometimes 10 tours a day.” Smith also said parts of the job are hard. “In the summer, after people are done with their leases, we walk the units,” Smith said. “You wouldn’t believe what people leave. Sometimes we have to walk a unit three or four

Lauren Smith has worked with Copper Beech for three years.

ELLEN JACKSON / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Chris Kearns owns Badger Properties.

times. It’s my least favorite part of the job.” There are rewarding aspects for Smith too. According to Smith, they have resident events. She said they have Taco Tuesday, resident bingo, resident appreciation week and other events that involve food. “We do a lot with food,” Smith said. For Smith, she said the most rewarding part of the job is observing new tenants.

“Seeing people come to the apartment complex at the beginning of a semester and they’re just happy,” Smith said. “They are excited for the new change in their lives.” According to Smith, the residents make her job easier. “We have really good residents.” Smith said. Despite their real estate experience, neither plans on running for president anytime soon.