National Signing Day page 8
The Auburn Plainsman A Spirit That Is Not Afraid
Thursday, February 4, 2016 Vol. 123, Issue 18, 12 Pages
First copy is free. Additional copies 50 cents per issue.
campus
“A New Day For Auburn”
“This Is Your Auburn”
“Winning With Westerhouse”
Presidential candidates share platforms Drake Pooley
Corey Williams Campus Editor
Adam Brasher
Jesse Westerhouse
Brasher, junior in organismal biology, decided to run for SGA president last year when three major candidates ran unopposed. “That’s not the way it should be,” Brasher said. “The Spades, they can choose who they want to be on there, but I don’t think they should run unopposed. I think it’s important for the system to have as many people running as possible to get lots of ideas out there and to keep the system honest.” Brasher is finishing his first year as a photographer for the SGA cabinet, and he’s a member of Committee of 19 and the Society for Conservation Biology. “I think having a variety of experiences in different leadership roles and being put in different situations will help a lot if I’m president,” Brasher said. There’s room to improve SGA’s approachability and accessibility, Brasher said. “You have to be in SGA to get in SGA,” Brasher said. “You have to get in as a freshman and go through all the steps they want you to in order to get in. I don’t think it’s really accessible to the common student, which makes it not representative of the student body as a whole.” Diversity is essential to Brasher’s campaign as well. He wants to create a new position: director of diversity.
Drake Pooley, senior, is triple-majoring. He’s working to earn degrees in finance, economics and international business with a Chinese concentration. He decided to learn Chinese because his grandmother knew six languages but never got around to learning that one. He’s already fluent in Spanish. Pooley currently juggles his classes with his three SGA positions. He serves as assistant vice president of Student Affairs, a senator for the College of Business and the chairman of the Diversity and Multicultural Affairs Committee. He attributes his ability to multitask to capable coworkers and preparing projects in advance. “I’m very much a prepper,” Pooley said. If he is elected, Pooley said he wants to improve the student experience for everyone, not just SGA members and their friends. “I feel like when some people think about what SGA can do, they say, ‘What programs or initiatives can we do that will attract more attention to SGA?’” Pooley said. “I believe we’re here to enhance everyone’s time at Auburn.” Pooley wants to focus on student safety, particularly bringing Uber back to Auburn. It would promote safe habits and help students get home safely, Pooley said, but it would also provide jobs for students.
Westerhouse, junior in finance, was involved in some of the largest SGA initiatives in recent memory — Tiger Scheduler, the Auburn Memorial project and the Mental Health Task Force. He believes his student government experience, along with his fraternity membership and service as a Plainsman, has prepared him for SGA presidency. “They’ve given me different perspectives about so many parts of campus,” Westerhouse said. SGA is already a great organization, Westerhouse said, but members could work to improve student perception. “People either think we’re pretentious or we don’t do anything,” Westerhouse said. “We need to show we’re everyday students, and we just want to serve this campus.” Westerhouse also wants to work on diversity in SGA. “SGA, while it’s an awesome organization in so many ways, isn’t always representative of the student body,” Westerhouse said. “I think it’s extremely important so that when we talk to administrators, we can have full confidence that we are completely representative of students.” If he is elected, Westerhouse wants to work with department heads to ensure students know who is teaching each class while they register. “When students are registering for classes they shouldn’t have to worry, ‘Who the heck is my teacher going to be?’” Westerhouse said. “There are so many different teaching styles. The teacher affects the class almost as
» See Brasher, 2
» See pooley, 2
» See Westerhouse, 2
Health
Student recalls encounter with Zika virus
Residence life
Maria McIlwain Community Editor
When JennaBeth Brittain, junior in communication disorders, began to feel achy and fatigued, she wasn’t sure what was happening. She had returned from a mission trip to Haiti in January, where she and her friends were bitten by many mosquitoes. Her doctors also didn’t know what she had, because they had never seen the Zika virus before. “They told me that if I didn’t get worse, and I didn’t get a fever, then I had Zika, and then if I got worse and I did get a fever, then I had Dengue Fever,” Brittain said. At first, she thought it could be mono but knew it was Zika when the rash appeared. “I developed the rash the day before I went to go spend the weekend with my boyfriend’s family,” Brittain said. “It was very bright and blotchy red. But I was still able to go ... I was there when I got the joint pain. It just kind of hurt to move, but I could still function.” In total, six Auburn students contracted Zika
File
Movers help students transport luggage into The Village dorms during Move-In Mania on Aug. 13, 2015.
James Gathany, CDC
A mosquito found in Brazil carries the virus.
on the trip, Brittain said. Symptoms typically include joint pain, fever, rash and conjunctivitis, with muscle pain and headaches occurring sometimes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
» See zika, 2
Housing backtracks on plan to only allow freshmen in dorms Corey Williams Campus Editor
Students were outraged this weekend after news of a freshman-only housing policy hit social media. According to the since-rescinded plan, only South Dona-
hue residents and sorority dorm residents would be immune to the policy. A petition, Keep Upperclassmen On Campus, gained 689 signatures in two days. The policy marginalized “upperclassmen of a lower so-
cio-economic status who cannot afford to live in South Donahue,” according to the petition. President Jay Gogue and Vice President of Student
» See housing, 2
The Auburn Plainsman’s social media
index
Campus...............3
Opinion...............5
Intrigue..............11
Community.......6
Sports..................8
ThePlainsman.com
TheAuburnPlainsman on Instagram
@TheAUPlainsman on Twitter
Visit our Facebook page
News 2
The Auburn Plainsman
DUI reports
Brasher
Pooley
Westerhouse
“I know a lot of people see SGA as the ‘WSO,’ or the White Student Organization,” Brasher said. “The makeup of SGA is very homogenous. I think making it more accessible, more open and just educating people about how they can get involved will help a lot.’” If he is elected, Brasher said he would do everything in his power to make Auburn more sustainable. “We paved over an endangered habitat to build the osteopathic building,” Brasher said. “There are buildings on campus that leave their lights on all the time, people playing video games on the new video board that uses God knows how much energy.” Brasher was shocked last year when students became excited about the dining referendum. He said students should always be involved in campus decisions. “I don’t think it should be a special occasion when the administration listens to us,” Brasher said. Winning is not the point of this campaign, Brasher said. “If I win, I win,” Brasher said. “If I lose, I lose. It’s about the message.”
Uber would also be an invaluable resource for international students, Pooley said. “If they don’t live close to campus and they don’t drive, they’re spending hundreds of dollars a month on taxis,” Pooley said. “It’s incredible that we don’t have this cheap, efficient transportation system in Auburn.” In addition to bringing Uber back, Pooley wants to expand the ways the University uses its own technology. The College of Business’ Radio Frequency Identification Lab specializes in the implementation of radio frequency identification technology in retail, supply chain and manufacturing settings. Numerous large corporations work with the lab. Pooley wants to find inventive ways to utilize that technology on campus, specifically, he wants to create a virtual TigerCard. That way, Pooley said, students can use them even if they forget them at home. “We have companies like Amazon and Walmart working with that lab,” Pooley said. “So, why can’t we use our own resources to benefit campus?”
much as the material does.” He also wants to renovate the old Student Activities Center to create an auditorium-style venue for organizations to host events. Currently, Westerhouse said, most organizations rely on the Student Center Ballroom or Auburn Arena. Those venues seat up to 650 people and 9,121 people, respectively. The Student Activities Center would provide a middle ground, with 1,200-1,500 seats. “It would save student organizations so much money,” Westerhouse said. Westerhouse also wants to work with the City Council to bring Uber back to Auburn. “Students who live off campus either have to pay $30 for a taxi, drive drunk or walk,” Westerhouse said. “With Uber, you can pay $6 or $8 and you’re home.” In addition to these new ideas, Westerhouse wants to finish the projects he’s started. “I want to further the Auburn Memorial project,” Westerhouse said. “And this mental health beast is not going away. This task force has been awesome, and there will be some really great proposals, but the stigma is still attached to it.”
» From 1
The following were arrested and charged with driving under the influence by the Auburn Police Division from Jan. 26-Feb. 2: Jan. 29 - David Lee Dunaway, 31 South College Street at 3:34 a.m. Jan. 30 - Matthew Dale Dubose, 24 Solamere Court at 3:15 a.m. 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
» From 1
(334) 329-7777 2059 S College St, Auburn minor SGA candidates Amanda (Mandy) Claire Kelly SGA At-large Senator Briar Cranston SGA At-large Senator Coleman Hank Davis SGA At-large Senator Cooper Douglas Elkins SGA At-large Senator Davis Brock Hendon SGA At-large Senator Harper L Stephens SGA At-large Senator Reagan Drake SGA At-large Senator Sarah Beth Cape SGA At-large Senator William Stewart Tynes SGA At-large Senator Benjamin Fox Carlson School’s Council Vice President Christopher Henry Savoie SGA College Senator Emma Suzanne Clark SGA College Senator Harrison Cornforth School’s Council President John Walker SGA College Senator Emily Stone SGA College Senator Jacquelyn Elizabeth Terrell School’s Council Vice President Brady Jernigan SGA College Senator (Dixon) Richard Earl Simmons IV SGA College Senator Chandler Martin Donegan SGA College Senator Chris Smillie SGA College Senator Cristina Marie Maddock SGA College Senator Evan Kinchler Senate Vice President Frank Lester McEwen SGA College Senator Jalisia Renaye Cook SGA College Senator John Haninger Fruin SGA College Senator John Hardin Morris School’s Council President Jordan Kelley SGA College Senator Kathryn Kori Chirico School’s Council President Mary Katherine Manakides School’s Council Vice President Quintin Dupper SGA College Senator Reed Franklin Adams SGA College Senator Schaefer Amos SGA College Senator Tyler Kapish SGA College Senator Anna Carroll School’s Council Vice President Anna France Laws School’s Council President Emma Grace Laird SGA College Senator Jessica Perry SGA College Senator Katie Gray Carlson SGA College Senator Layton Dyess SGA College Senator Lindsey St. Hilaire SGA College Senator Mary Jackson Hardin School’s Council President Rebekah Kennedy SGA College Senator Sarah (Maggie) Beans School’s Council Vice President Stephanie Sorrell SGA College Senator Edward Lewis Washington Senate Jacob Russell Smith SGA College Senator Jeremiah Mitchell SGA College Senator Justin Smith SGA College Senator Marvis Colton Pollard SGA College Senator Sarah Cressman School’s Council Vice President Sarah Grace Mitchell SGA College Senator Shelby Hall School’s Council President Taylor Jennings School’s Council President Sarah Shaner School’s Council President Camden Coulter School’s Council President Madeleine Schulcz Senate President Rayme Batts Senate President Alex Patrick SGA College Senator Cody Jamaal Bass SGA College Senator Jacqueline Keck SGA College Senator Kayla Warner SGA College Senator Taylor Austin Johnson Senate President William Kendrick Ward Senate Vice President Freelie Mitchell SGA College Senator Elizabeth Marks School’s Council Vice President Ryan Elkins SGA College Senator Sahar Moghadam SGA College Senator Stephen Stejskal Senate President William Van Deventer SGA College Senator Benjamin Tyler Arnberg SGA College Senator Paul David Paratore School’s Council President Stephen Caton SGA College Senator Jacob Parker School’s Council Vice President Mason Easterling SGA College Senator Rachael Abrams School’s Council Vice President For a more detailed list of minor candidates, including personal statements, visit ThePlainsman.com
Thursday, February 4, 2016
» From 1
Gurden Smith / Graphics Editor
Source:The Center for Disease Control
Zika » From 1
website. One in five people with the virus develop symptoms. Only two people from the trip who had Zika experienced the conjunctivitis, or red eyes, according to Brittain. Fred Kam, director of the Auburn University Medical Clinic, said he has not seen a case of Zika but has seen other viruses with similar symptoms. He said there is no vaccine yet for Zika. “It’s all supportive treatment,” Kam said. “You treat the symptoms.” Brittain said she was still able to begin classes on time, even with Zika. “I think the only reason it’s scary to Americans is just because it’s new,” Brittain said. “It’s not something that researchers have had time to work on.” Derrick Mathias, assistant professor of entomology and plant pathology, is one of those researchers. He studies tick- and mosquito-borne illnesses. Zika is transmitted by Aedes aegypti mosquitos.
housing » From 1
Affairs Bobby Woodard addressed the issue at the Black Student Union’s General Assembly Address on Monday, Feb. 1, after a concerned student asked about the plan. Gogue was quick to denounce the policy. “It was a bad idea,” Gogue said. “I don’t know why they dreamed it up. You can stay here. Don’t worry about a thing.” Woodard said resident assistants received an email detailing the freshmen-only policy from Housing and Residence Life last week. That email was “errant,” accord-
“It’s always been a very benign virus,” Mathias said. “It hasn’t really caused a lot of illness. 2007 was the first time it had caused any sort of disease outside of Africa.” It started to cause illnesses in South America last year, according to Mathias. Mathias said the disease usually goes away after approximately one week, and fatalities are rare. Mathias said the major concern is the birth defects in babies whose mothers had Zika while pregnant. He said the biggest issue is microcephaly, or unusually small heads. “It’s correlated with brain development not being complete,” Mathias said. “A lot of these children, we don’t know what the long-term effects are going to be, but most of them are going to have some sort of mental impairment.” Mathias said the severity of the defects could depend on when the mother contracts the illness. He said if Zika is contracted in the first semester, the defects could be more severe than if it’s contracted later in the pregnan-
cy. Mathias said Aedes aegypti are not in Alabama. He said Aedes albopictus, which is common in Alabama, could also transmit the disease, but they don’t yet. “We have something like 50 [types of] mosquitos or so in Alabama, and most of them aren’t going to be able to transmit the virus,” Mathias said. Kam said a major concern is people contracting the virus and then being bitten by mosquitos, which will then pick up the virus. Kam said people should take precautions against mosquitos, such as wearing repellent, avoiding going out at dusk and dawn and wearing long sleeves. Mathias said contracting Zika is more of an issue for people living in tropical areas. “If you’re not pregnant, if you’re fairly healthy, I don’t think you have a lot to be concerned about,” Mathias said. “I would much rather get Zika than I would Dengue virus, for example.” Brittain said having Zika was not a big deal to her. “Dealing with it wasn’t fun, but neither is the flu,” Brittain said.
ing to Woodard. He didn’t know about it until last weekend. “They didn’t pass it by anybody, to be completely honest,” Woodard said. The University is looking for ways to provide more housing for freshmen but not at the expense of older students. Upperclassmen are like “parents” to freshmen, Woodard said, and it would be a mistake to prevent them from living on campus. An updated policy was posted to Housing and Residence Life’s website on Feb. 1. Returning residents will be able to live in Aubie Hall in The Village, Harper Hall in the Quad, Hollifield in the Hill and South Donahue, according to the policy.
The website lists important dates for the renewal process. Students will receive an email on Monday, Feb. 15, at 9 a.m. with a link directing them to the renewal application. The application closes at 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 16. Those students will receive a notification of renewal on Feb. 17. This notification will include a time slot to claim a room or a stand-by notice until the claiming process has been completed. Students will be able to select their rooms Feb. 18-19. Housing and Residence Life did not respond to The Auburn Plainsman’s requests for comment.
Sga senate
Administrators talk diversity with BSU Corey Williams Campus Editor
Hate speech, diversitybased classes and scholarships were among the topics President Jay Gogue and Vice President of Student Affairs Bobby Woodard discussed with students at the Black Student Union’s General Assembly Address on Monday, Feb. 1. The first question was about Yik Yak, specifically what the University is doing to curb hate speech and threatening messages posted to the app. Contrary to popular belief, Yik Yak is not anonymous, Woodard said. Messages are tied to each user’s device and can be
tracked. The app has not been banned at Auburn because of legal issues, according to Woodard, and several universities faced lawsuits after attempting their own bans. However, Woodard said, the University employs people to constantly monitor the app. If a student posts a particularly threatening message, they will be subject to the University’s Code of Student Discipline. Gogue said he understands these legalities, but he’s disturbed by some of the offensive posts. “It’s wrong,” Gogue said. Diversity in the classroom
was another hot topic at the address. The University is exploring its options, according to Woodard. Two committees are researching diversity at Auburn. Their findings will be presented to the University senate and the Curriculum Committee and possible courses will be discussed. It will probably take at least one year for these changes to become official, Woodard said. “Realistically, because I’m not here to blow smoke up you, the earliest will be the freshman class of fall 2017,” Woodard said.
Many students were concerned about a lack of scholarships for minority students. Most scholarships are merit-based, Gogue said. “More and more, we’re pushing for need-based scholarships,” Gogue said. “Those are the ones that have tremendous impact.” Erica Rutledge, BSU president, asked how students can improve the diversity atmosphere on campus. “You’ve got to let me know what’s going on,” Woodard said. “My job is to represent every student, whether they’re taking one hour or 18 hours. But if I don’t know, I can’t help. You’ve got to be vocal.”
Campus
3
Thursday, February 4, 2016
ThePlainsman.com
Campus
Meet your 2016 VP candidates
Vice president
Auburn University
Nathan Rigby Brandon Honeywell, junior in biomedical sciences and pre-medicine, is running for SGA vice president and hopes to use his three-year experience in SGA to make positive changes in office. “Essentially, my platform boils down to a promise to execute the VP office well,” Honeywell said. “I aim to do that through three major goals, including making senate familiar and accessible to all students, seeing past projects through to fruition and communicating effectively.” Honeywell said his priority will be to make sure students’ voices are heard. “I also promise to faithfully voice student concerns and act as a responsible, transparent and committed delegate as an SGA executive officer,” Honeywell said.
Nathan Rigby, senior in mechanical engineering, is an SGA vice presidential candidate hoping to improve security at Auburn. “It’s important to me that every Auburn student, alumnae and visitor to our campus can enjoy everything that Auburn has to offer without ever worrying about their security, safety or well-being,” Rigby said. “While the University has improved security measures in the last several years, I believe that there are still more steps that can, and need, to be taken.” Rigby said one thing he is focusing on is drunken driving and having Tiger Ten transit services available on game day. “The Tiger Ten transit service is an invaluable resource available to Auburn students looking for a safe ride home,” Rigby said. Rigby also said he wants to improve the security shuttle system.
According to Honeywell, being SGA vice president would be a chance to give back to Auburn. “I am running for vice president because I feel called to give back to Auburn students,” Honeywell said. “I do not want to waste the valuable experience I have gained over the past three years, which has both kept me very interested in growing in my involvement with SGA senate and given me a sense of responsibility to build on the opportunities that I have been given.” Honeywell said his time in SGA has prepared him to take on the responsibilities involved with being SGA vice president. “The primary duty of the SGA vice president is to preside over the student senate,” Honeywell said. “As a current three-term COSAM
“I believe that students would use the security shuttles more often if we implemented better routes and features,” Rigby said. “If elected, I plan to implement a tracking system for the shuttles and potentially a way to request shuttles via an app, very similarly to the way the Uber app works.” Another safety feature to improve is campus lighting, according to Rigby. “I believe that no one walking across campus at night should feel unsafe,” Rigby said. “While much of Auburn’s campus is well-lit, there are still areas that could use more lighting.” Rigby also said escort services should go beyond the library. “Another way to improve security across campus is expanding the escort services to beyond just use at the library,” Rigby said. “Improving all these measures will make every stu-
[College of Sciences and Mathematics] senator with additional senate experience through Freshman Forum, I have had the privilege of invaluable exposure to SGA senate and its procedures, members and advisers.” According to Honeywell, the relationships he has built in SGA thus far will help him serve the student body well. “I have developed relationships with the people involved, know how the system works and have already become invested in what it aims to accomplish,” Honeywell said. “And I believe I can use those things to best serve the student body in the coming year.” Honeywell has worked on The Oaks Retreat and spent time volunteering with East Alabama Medi-
dent’s Auburn experience safe and make this campus even better than it already is.” Rigby said his love for Auburn grows daily. “I have been blessed to have the opportunity to be involved in both academic and extracurricular activities,” Rigby said. “My freshman year was spent serving on the community service FLP [Freshman Leadership Program], which introduced me to the several opportunities Auburn has to offer.” Rigby said his involvement has made him feel welcomed by the Auburn Family. “Since then, not only have I enjoyed supporting our sports teams and interacting with our incredible staff here at Auburn, but have also loved volunteering with IMPACT, working for Auburn Outdoors … and performing undergraduate re-
cal Center and IMPACT as well as being a member of Omicron Delta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi, AED, Lambda Sigma and Phi Gamma Delta. Honeywell said he is also interested in hunting, golfing, watching Auburn football and listening to music. Honeywell said he has loved his time so far at Auburn. “I am truly blessed to say I could never justify asking for a better Auburn experience than the one I have received thus far,” Honeywell said. Relationships amount to more than paperwork, according to Honeywell. “One of the most valuable things I have learned in Auburn is that quality time spent with people is far more valuable than any one position,” Honeywell said. “Relationships far outlast paperwork.”
search,” Rigby said. “I have truly felt like I’ve become a part of the Auburn Family.” Rigby said his various experiences at Auburn make him a good candidate. “I think the Auburn Family should vote for me because of the diversity of my experiences and involvement here at Auburn, from participating in leadership activities ranging from building leadership through community service and working in group research environments, to learning outdoor ethics and leadership skills,” Rigby said. Rigby also said he wants to be vice president to ensure a positive Auburn experience for students. “I want to be vice president so that every current and future Auburn student that attends the University has the same opportunities that I have had.”
Auburn University
Brandon Honeywell
BY CLAIRE TULLY / CAMPUS wRITER
NEW! MAKE YOUR SUB
DELUXE GET 50% MORE MEAT 50¢ F O R
A 6 INCH •
$1
F O R A F O OT LO N G
LIMITE TIME D ONLY!
LIMITED TIME ONLY. 50% MORE MEAT COMPARED TO OUR CLASSICS. PRICING
AND PARTICIPATION MAY VARY. EXCLUDES BREAKFAST SANDWICHES. ADDITIONAL CHARGE FOR EXTRAS.
©2015 DOCTOR’S ASSOCIATES INC. SUBWAY® IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF DOCTOR’S ASSOCIATES INC. 11.457232.15
1888 Ogletree Rd, Auburn 826-1207 1599 S College St, Auburn 887-7460
1017 Columbus Parkway.opelika 749-3528
1719 Shug Jordan Parkway, Auburn 826-1716 Store
600 Webster Rd. Auburn 821-9996
1550 Opelika Rd, Auburn 821-7835 Info
2300 Gatreway Dr, Opelika 749-2309 334 W Magnolia Ave, Auburn 826-2476
1
Campus 4
The Auburn Plainsman
Thursday, February 4, 2016
James vs. James: the race for treasurer Treasurer
‘Pay it forward with Pinkleton’
James Pinkleton, junior in accounting and finance, has been around campaigns for most of his life. “My brother has worked on a few different political campaigns and actually ran for local office a few years ago,” Pinkleton said. “Helping him with his campaign made me realize that I would really rather be on the side funding the campaign.” If elected treasurer, Pinkleton said his goal is to teach students how to manage money. “Knowing that only 57 percent of Americans are financially literate, and many collegeaged students are financially illiterate, made me want to do something to change that,” Pinkleton said. “I want students to be prepared for the real world; to know how to pay student loans and taxes.” “Pay it forward with Pinkleton” encompasses Pinkleton’s plan to teach students how to have an active role in their finances. “I have friends all the time tell me they wish Auburn had a one-hour class that taught you how to manage money,” Pinkleton said. “Auburn doesn’t really have anything like that, and I plan to work with administration to provide an office or support system where students feel safe to come and ask any questions they have about finances.” Pinkleton said whether he is elected or not, he will continue to work on providing a financial advising service for students. “This is something I’ve been working on with the current treasurer,” Pinkleton said. “I’m currently the assistant vice president of SGA finance, and I got the idea to work on this about a year ago.” Managing money is something Pinkleton is truly passionate about and an area he feels he has experience in. Along with being the director of academic affairs, he is also involved in a few other extracurricular activities. “I really love volunteering because I love be-
Auburn University
ing busy,” Pinkleton said. “Right now I do taxes for underprivileged families. I’ve also gone on mission trips the past two and a half years.” Pinkleton feels his experience with the campaign world and his upbringing are two of the reasons why he would make a good treasurer. “I have a lot of experience with knowing how to properly use money,” Pinkleton said. “My parents raised both my brother and I to understand how to stretch the dollar. Finances and money are something I’m passionate about. I couldn’t decide between accounting and finances so I did both.” During campaign week, Pinkleton plans to raise awareness for financial literacy and gauge students’ opinions and reactions to his platform. “I’m trying to prepare a survey to get just a baseline of where students are at with understanding finances,” Pinkleton said. “This is something [Walker] Byrd really wants as well, to better prepare students for the real world after they graduate.” In the upcoming week, Pinkleton will work to determine the best ways to survey students about finances and prepare for his campaign.
‘Invest in BEST’ with James Beauchaine
James Beauchaine, junior in biomedical sciences, thoroughly enjoys handling money. Sophomore year, he served on the finance branch of SGA in the Verizon Wireless position. “I really enjoyed it and got to see the benefits of a partnership that Auburn and Verizon have,” Beauchaine said. In the past year, Beauchaine said serving on the Budget and Finance Committee is what sparked his interest in running for SGA treasurer. “I really got to see more of the monetary side of things,” Beauchaine said. “It really opened my eyes to some areas that need change.” Growing up in Birmingham, Beauchaine has been a fan of handling money and business since he was a teenager. “I had a vending machine that my grandfather gave me when I was 14, and it stays on my parents’ farm,” Beauchaine said. “Surprisingly, it actually does pretty well. I pay a guy to stock it for me.” If elected treasurer, Beauchaine plans to channel his passion for finance into reform. “Invest in BEST stands for being a bold voice: allowing the students to have more of a say in where their student activity fee goes; excellent experience: providing the students with an excellent college experience by growing revenue and building the quality of these programs; salary review board: We used to have one, and I think we need to bring it back to make sure student money isn’t wasted; and transparency: letting students see the process from the inside out,” Beauchaine said. Beauchaine said his main goal for improvement is to allow the students to have a more active role in seeing where their money is being sent. “A lot of students don’t know what a SAF [student activity fee] is,” Beauchaine said. “And that it’s the Budget and Finance Committee’s job to allocate that money out to the student activi-
Auburn University
ty portfolio.” Beauchaine plans to have the Budget and Finance Committee records placed online so students can have easier access to them. “It’s really the role of the treasurer — and it hasn’t been utilized in past years — to have these budgets presented online,” Beauchaine said. “My goal is to get the budgets online and have an overview with a link to how each line item is spent with the overall budget that is given.” Beauchaine believes it is also important to have more of a checks and balances system on SGA’s budget. “Not only do I want to make sure SGA is spending their money appropriately and doing it in the student’s interests, but also that these other SAPs [satisfactory academic progress] are using the money effectively as well,” Beauchaine said. Along with this goal is why Beauchaine feels it is important to collect feedback from students on what they want from SGA. “We have to have student feedback and insights to make sure that they [administration] aren’t just collecting a payment without doing their job,” Beauchaine said. by Andria Moore / CAMPUS REPORTER
miss Auburn
Auburn University
From left: Jennifer Ashman, Madison Gaines, Jordan Eva Mavrakos, Madison Rolling and Meredith Thomley are competing for the title of Miss Auburn, the official hostess of Auburn University. For detailed information about each candidate and her platform, visit ThePlainsman.com.
voting
How to vote
Last year... • SGA received a total of 8,318 votes, which amounts to 33.59 percent turnout of the 24,763 voters. • 51.56 percent of voters were involved in a
1. Login to AU Access 2. Click on the Campus Life tab 3. Click on the SGA election link
Greek organization.
OR
• 54.12 percent of voters were female, while males accounted for 45.88 percent.
Vote directly from SGA’s website, auburn.edu/sga. *Don’t forget to go to the debate on Tuesday, Feb. 8, at 7 p.m. in the Student Center Ballroom.
column
SGA voting is your right, don’t pass it up Corey Williams Campus Editor
Almost 26,000 students are enrolled at Auburn University and most of them won’t cast a vote in the SGA election next week. Only 33 percent of students voted last year. Granted, every major candidate ran unopposed.
Participating probably seemed like a waste of time to many people, and understandably so. But 34 percent voted in 2014. The year before, it was about the same. The significant majority has been indifferent for a while now, and their apathy is only going stronger. I don’t know why. I don’t think it’s because they don’t care at all. In fact, I believe most Auburn students secretly care a great deal about their University. It could be the general fatigue and lack of
interest that’s slowly consuming our generation. We don’t want to care. It’s cool to be bored. Or maybe we’re jaded by the barrage of colorful ads we’re accosted with as we make our way down the concourse during campaign week. You can’t get to class without collecting at least a dozen fliers, a few buttons and, if you’re lucky, a piece of candy or two. Maybe it’s a little bit of both. I don’t know the answer, and if somebody else does, they’re not telling me. I do know this though: We go to a great
school — for the most part — and it seems like these candidates want to try their hardest to keep it that way. Then again, maybe not. But somewhere, deep down in this student body, remains an optimism. Underneath the eye rolls and the narrow escapes from overzealous campaign staffers, there is concern for the state of the University. So I beg of you, read about these candidates. Ask them questions. Go to the debate. And don’t ever think your vote doesn’t count. Just look at Iowa.
Opinion
5
Thursday, February 4, 2016
ThePlainsman.com
Opinion
OUR VIEW
SGA election bylaws should be revised
SOCIAL MEDIA ON THE PLAINS
Spring 2016 Editorial board
On Dec. 1 every year, SGA candidates participate in candidate orientation and take the election law test, beginning the short but significant process of becoming a part of Auburn’s student government. After over a month of idleness, campaign preparation begins Jan. 14, and formal campaigning begins Feb. 3. Six days later, voting begins, and the creation week of student government winds down to a close, assuming all elections end with winners holding majorities. We implore the SGA to revise the current model of elections to increase student voter turnout and give students a better chance to scope out the candidates’ platforms. But credit must be given where credit is due. Last year, all three major candidates ran unopposed. This year, all major candidates have some opposition. More people are running for senate seats this year. This seems largely because of SGA efforts to inform students about what SGA does and how it affects daily life at Auburn. By extending the window for campaigning by just one week, we believe student involvement will grow. In the spring 2015 election, 33.59 percent of eligible voters caste their ballots. In comparison, the University of Alabama’s SGA election, which has a campaign window of approximately two weeks, had 43.51 percent of eligible voters participate. Not to imply extra days for campaigns to operate is the only reason UA’s voter turnout is markedly better, but it’s hard to argue it doesn’t help. If more Auburn students participated in the creation of their governing body, the market of ideas would improve. If more students get involved, greater diversity and a clearer reflection of student
Response to “Iowa never fails to surprise” Alan Lee “What really happened in Iowa last night? Cruz got 9 delegates... Trump and Rubio got 8 delegates each. In other words it was a 3 way tie.”
Response to “Auburn falls to Oklahoma State in SEC/Big 12 Challenge”
GURDEN SMITH / GRAPHICS EDITOR
ideals will manifest. Some may argue increasing the window for campaigning will serve only to distract students. Even if that is granted, there is no denying SGA elections hold great importance and increasing the window for campaigning would have a positive effect on Auburn. Students being “distracted” by the enhanced opportunity to understand and learn about SGA candidates is a nonissue. An extension would also provide students more time to reflect upon the various platforms presented and allow time for a second debate, which would serve to further showcase the candidates. Along with the campaign process being extended, we believe advertising should be increased.
While it’s great that candidates have a chance to publicize their platform during student club meetings, more could be done. We call for a streamlined form of communication that would inform students about SGA elections. Candidate and platform information could be disseminated through emails sent to the student body. By doing this, SGA would better extend its reach to all students. SGA elections ought to be treated as something more than a brief stint that allows some popular students to capitalize on their friendships. SGA elections should be viewed as the potentially campus-morphing events they truly are, and efforts to promote student participation should reflect that.
HIS VIEW
To hell with your apathy, it’s killing our democracy chip brownlee COMMUNITY REPORTER
As church and gym doors shut at 7 p.m. in towns all across Iowa, from Sioux City to Davenport, Iowan voters braved freezing temperatures and an impending blizzard to do their democratic duty, and every single one of them mattered. The Republican Party caucuses broke their previous record by a long shot. In 2012, about 120,000 voters cast ballots for their respective Republican candidates. 2015 shattered that record by more than 60,000, with 180,000 Hawkeye Republicans voting. The results were some of the most evenly spread in history. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz took home 28 percent of the vote, Donald Trump took 24 percent and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio took 23 percent. Cruz was awarded eight national delegates, and both Trump and Rubio were awarded seven. The Democratic caucuses had massive turnout as well, but did not break the record set in 2008. Results were much, much closer — literally the closest in history. Nearly 1,400 county delegates were awarded by precinct to determine the winner. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton took 701 county delegates, or 49.8 percent, and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders fell slight-
ly behind by four, totaling in at 697 delegates, or 48.6 percent. The winners of dozens of delegates across the state were determined in many of the 1,683 voting precincts by only one or two votes, and in many cases, the flip of a coin after an exact tie. Yes, a couple dozen voters almost assuredly determined the outcome of the Democratic caucuses, and resultantly the direction of the entire race for the White House. Monday night again proved there is no excuse for not caring about politics and absolutely no excuse for not voting. Many people claim politics is repulsing, that it makes them feel dirty because of lying politicians and corrupt institutions. That argument is counterproductive, and it flies in the face of the principles upon which our country was founded. Yes, big money rules our government. Yes, most of us have no representation. And yes, the system is rigged against the average American. However, the more we fail to hold our elected representatives accountable, the more likely they are to become corrupt and the less likely they are to represent our interests. Congress has a nearly unanimous disapproval rating, but most of the country has no right to complain, considering 63 percent of eligible voters chose not to vote. Fewer than 37 percent of eligible voters in 2014 chose the 435 men and women who are currently representing us in Washington, D.C. 2014 voter turnout for the mid-
term elections followed an increasingly negative trend, and they were the lowest since World War II. So no wonder they don’t care about what we think. No wonder they don’t respond to our letters. No wonder they make intentional decisions that undermine the average American. Why should they care what we think when they can bet, and they would probably be right, that we aren’t going to vote them out anyway. The American people have a duty and an obligation to vote. Otherwise, the universal suffrage fought for by Susan B. Anthony, Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. has absolutely no meaning. Charles Montesquieu once said, “The tyranny of a prince in an oligarchy is not so dangerous to the public welfare as the apathy of a citizen in a democracy.” His words still ring true today. The lack of political consciousness is not solely because our political system is morally bankrupt. I agree that it plays a role. It’s a vicious cycle. Votes are easy to buy these days, and there’s plenty of money out there to fund those acquisitions. But one man, one vote is still the law of the land when we head to the ballot box. If we educate ourselves and vote, Charles and David Koch, Shelden Adelson, George Soros, Time Warner, Citigroup and Lehman Brothers will not be able to buy our elections.
Emily Esleck MANAGING EDITOR Kris Martins COPY Weston Sims OPINION
Corey Williams CAMPUS Maria McIlwain COMMUNITY Sam Butler SPORTS
Response to “SGA executives reflect on term accomplishments” Paul Tucto “We still can’t buy Chipotle with our tigercard, nor park close to campus. everything else is irrelevant.”
Response to “What is it like being a Muslim in Auburn?” Faye Jones “As an elderly white woman from AL having lived from coast to coast and N to S I appreciate greatly how AU is receiving the Muslim community as a whole and appreciate the students for their comments!! I have lived and and associated with Muslims across the states and never had a negative response. Again thanks AUBURN!!”
Response to “Auburn’s road woes continue in 80-63 loss to Ole Miss” Randy Edwin Brouillette “Keep up the fight Tigers!!! War Eagle”
Response to “Republican candidates for Lee County District attorney face off in forum” Rhonda West “The fox hole is crowded!!!”
Response to “Caffeine consumption not dangerous if moderated” Atticus Wise “A double shot of espresso is an interestingly small amount of coffee to cause problems; two cups of coffee typically contain more caffeine. When I was in Jr. High, I accidentally learned that 2 cups of coffee, 2 monster energy drinks, and 2 regular sodas were my caffeine limit.”
Response to “Krispy Kreme construction delayed, now moving along” Jon Knighton “Is the other 32,000 square feet under ground? Or is it going to be 65 feet tall like every other new building in Auburn?.” Ronald Alan Davis “Doesn’t 35,000 square feet sound a little large for a donut shop? Surely they mean 3,500..”
255 Heisman Drive, Suite 1111, AU Student Center Auburn, AL 36849 Newsroom - (334) 844-9108 Advertising - (334) 844-9101
Kristen Keeter SOCIAL MEDIA Kris Sims MULTIMEDIA Anne Dawson INTRIGUE
Submissions
Policy
The Auburn Plainsman welcomes letters from students, as well as faculty, administrators, alumni and those not affiliated with the University.
The opinions of The Auburn Plainsman staff are restricted to these pages.
Letters must 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.
Jordan Broadhead “Somebody sucks at keeping it concealed.”
The Auburn Plainsman
Dakota Sumpter PHOTO
Editor-in-Chief - Jim Little
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.
Managing Editor - Emily Esleck
NEWSROOM
ADVERTISING
CAMPUS
OPINION
Editor - Corey Williams Reporter - Andria Moore Writer - Claire Tully Writer - Ameera Steward Writer - Rachel Sprouse Writer - Jake LeGrone
Editor - Weston Sims
COMMUNITY
Letters must be submitted before 4:30 p.m. on Monday for publication.
Response to “Unauthorized weapon spotted on campus, no threats identified”
Chip Brownlee can be reached at community@ThePlainsman.com
The Editorial Board Jim Little EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Debbie Humphries Norton “Au did well to only lose by what they did... we have a good team... they will get better game by game.. it wasn’t a blow out and OKU had to Work to keep the lead... shows we are growing..”
Editor - Maria McIlwain Reporter - Chip Brownlee Writer - Liz Maddux Writer - Lily Jackson Writer - Alex Wilkerson Writer - Chris Jurkiewicz
SPORTS Editor - Sam Butler Asst. Editor - Evan McCullers Reporter - Emily Shoffit Reporter - C.J. Holmes Writer - Nathan Deal Writer - Bailey Rogers Writer - Andrew Monson Writer - Jonathan Hefner
COPY DESK
Editor - Kris Martins
PHOTO AND GRAPHICS Photo Editor - Dakota Sumpter Staff Photographer - Adam Sparks Staff Photographer - Ellen Jackson Staff Photographer - Jordan Hays Photographer - Megan Endt Photographer - Armand de Laureal Photographer - Matthew Bishop Photographer - Madison Ogletree Graphics Editor - Gurden Smith Graphics Designer - Sterling Waits
SOCIAL MEDIA
ADVERTISING AND MARKETING ADVISER Elizabeth Snider (334) 844-9101 admanager@theplainsman.com
ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES Caitlin Griffith Lacey Gossett
DESIGNERS Grant Peterson Montana Cole
Editor - Kristen Keeter
MULTIMEDIA
DISTRIBUTION
Editor - Kris Sims Reporter - Parker Aultman Reporter - John Lee
Dakota Sumpter Jordan Hays Zack Clark
INTRIGUE
EDITORIAL ADVISER
Editor - Anne Dawson Writer - Marissa Luckie Writer - Amanda Myles Writer - Ben Ruffin
Alec Harvey adviser@theplainsman.com
Community Thursday, February 4, 2016
6 ThePlainsman.com
Community
politics
Iowa caucuses never fail to surprise the nation Chip Brownlee
community reporter
Depending on whom you ask, the results of Monday night’s Iowa caucuses mean many different things. Hawkeye Republicans cast a record number of ballots, selecting conservative Texas Sen. Ted Cruz as the candidate to ride a wave of Evangelical support to victory. As for the Democratic caucuses, delegate tallies were much closer and more complicated. For Donald Trump, the Iowa caucuses were the first chance Americans have to cast a vote in his favor, but not enough Iowans took the New York real estate mogul up on the opportunity — at least not enough to award him first place. Trump’s second-place finish, which to many would have been a sign of strength, exposed a weakness in Trump’s unconventional campaign: his ground game. Cruz is now in a more competitive position heading into next week’s New Hampshire primary, a state where Trump hasdominated the polls. According to William Franko, associate professor of political science, the Iowa and New Hampshire primary contests are less about winning and more about exceeding or falling short of expectations. “The question then becomes how much influence do Iowa and New Hampshire really have over this process?” Franko said. “One of the more consistent findings researchers have shown is that it’s not necessarily winning or losing in these states that is as important as meeting or not meeting expectations.” Cruz captured 28 percent of the vote, Trump took 24 percent and Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., finished with 23 percent, according to the Iowa Republican Party. Since 1972, only one candidate has taken the nomination of either party without finishing in the top three in each party’s respective contest.
“In the case of Trump, it’s not necessarily a bad thing that you lose, but it is when you are expected to win,” Franko said. “You’ve been leading the entire prenomination process, and then you go and lose in Iowa. That might be a bigger deal [for Trump] than somebody like Rubio who actually didn’t do terribly, and he exceeded expectations.” For the Republican establishment, the Iowa results offer many in the party a long-awaited opportunity to derail Trump, who maintains extensive leads in almost every other state polled. Rubio finished in a strong third, setting up a more solidified three-man race and positioning himself as a potential front-runner for the moderate, “establishment” wing of the Republican Party. “It may be a boost for Cruz, whom maybe people didn’t see as a coming into the lead,” Franko said. For former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Iowa was an opportunity to return to the stable
outreach
she inevitability touted for much of 2015. Clinton narrowly edged out Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., 701-697 in terms of county caucus delegates, capturing 49.8 percent of the votes compared to Sanders’ 49.6 percent. Results from Democratic caucus sites were still being reported early Tuesday morning, Feb. 2, and the Associated Press did not choose to report a winner until nearly noon. The drawn out contest and the .2 percent lead Clinton secured over Sanders were representative of the entire contest — the closest in history. At least six county caucus delegates were awarded via coin toss, according to the Des Moines Register and the Washington Post. Clinton won all six of the coin tosses. For Sanders, Iowa was the first opportunity to translate rallies and millennial support into votes. In the majority of polls leading into caucus night, Sanders trailed Clinton by 3-7 percentage points, depending on the poll. Extremely high voter turnout most likely
closed the gap between Clinton and Sanders, as first-time caucus-goers preferred Sanders 59 percent to Clinton’s 37 percent, according to entrance and exit polling conducted by CBS News. Voters younger than 30 supported Sanders at a rate of 84 percent, and voters from ages 30-45 supported Sanders at a rate of 58 percent. Monday night’s virtual tie gives Sanders momentum leading into New Hampshire, a primary contest where he has maintained a 20-30 percentage point lead over Clinton for several weeks. Out of 11 caucuses since 1972, Hawkeye Democrats have predicted the nominee of their party seven times, but with no decisive winner in Iowa, the primary competition will march on. The Iowa caucuses have been arguably one of the most important primary competitions in the presidential nomination process for more than 40 years. Many wonder why it matters so much, considering Iowa generally doesn’t represent the demographics of either party — especially the Democratic Party, according to Ted Becker, professor of political science at Auburn. More than 92 percent of the Iowan population is Caucasian, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and the state maintains an unemployment rate of less than 4 percent. “Sometimes it’s accurate, sometimes it isn’t,” Becker said. “It takes too long and costs too much money. It’s so susceptible to big money and hidden agendas.” Iowa is considered by many as most important simply because it’s first, according to Becker. “It’s like a focus group,” Becker said. “You’ve got to go in person, stand in a line, and it’s kind of more of a face-to-face community event. It’s kind of an odd system, but it gets the media excited because it gets people enthusiastic about who all the people are running for office, and it sells ads.”
business
Overall moves to distillery Alex Wilkerson community writer
madison ogletree / photographer
Justin, a black lab puppy, sits during guide dog training.
Students train puppies to become service dogs Liz Maddux
community writer
Samantha Warner, a thirdyear vet student, looked down at Serena and quietly commanded her to lie down. Serena, wearing her banana-colored vest, immediately obeyed and happily lowered herself to the floor. Serena is a golden retriever and the eighth dog Warner has raised for the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind. In a few months Warner will give Serena back to the Guide Dog Foundation, where Serena will begin the next part of her journey in becoming an assistance dog. Warner said trainers still receive updates on their dogs after they give them up and can even attend their graduations. “Letting go of the dogs is definitely the hardest part about this program, but that day is also the most exciting to me,” Warner said. “My first dog was definitely the hardest to give
up, but it is such an accomplishment when you do.” Olivia Sicard, freshman in business, is currently raising her first assistance dog. “I am going to be devastated when I have to give him up,” Sicard said. “I did a lot of fostering back home so I am kind of used to it, but I have never had a dog for this long. You just have to remember that the dog is going to an amazing cause, they are going to be helping someone. It is what they are bred for, and it is the dog’s passion.” Jennifer Lyons, first-year vet student and a puppy raiser in Auburn, said her favorite part about raising an assistance dog was the end goal of knowing she is going to be helping someone. “Just impacting someone’s life in the way that raising an assistance dog will do is so amazing for me,” Lyons said. “That is why I like to do it.” Warner first started raising
assistance dogs during her time completing her undergraduate degree at the University of Georgia. “There is a group of about 100 puppies there,” Warner said. “During my first year, I saw someone else raising a puppy, and I just stopped her and asked her about it. Growing up, my grandma’s neighbors also raised service dogs, but my main interest in it came from my time at University of Georgia.” Warner glanced down at Serena, checking to make sure she was behaving properly. “It is not necessarily hard to do this,” Warner said. “It is not something where you have to have dog training experience or anything like that. The Guide Dog Foundation teaches you everything you need to know and is with you every step of the way. Each dog is also so different, you could train multiple dogs and each experience be different. It never gets boring.”
After three years of running The Overall Company at its original location, owners Jay and Laura Pritchard knew it was a time for a change. “The space was too large for what we need, so we decided to leave that space and open a pop-up store at John Emerald Distillery,” Jay said. The Overall Company is a boutique coffee and popsicle shop originally located in downtown Opelika. The original space was so large the Pritchards felt they had to rent out the space for events and the upstairs room for art shows, and they didn’t like that. “For us, we don’t want to be in the event business,” Laura said. “We want to be in the coffee and pops business.” Jay and Laura based their decision off the model of other small businesses that went on to thrive. “I read about great companies and ‘the pivot,’” Jay said. “Like when Chick-fil-A started out, they weren’t Chickfil-A. They were the Dwarf House. They sold hamburgers, and then there was the pivot that took them to where they are now. This is kind of like our pivot moment.” The couple knew the old space of their shop would be hard to replicate. “You just can’t do 5,000-square-foot buildings wherever you go,” Jay said. After closing the original shop, Jay and Laura worked out a deal with longtime friends John and Jimmy Sharp, owners of John Emerald Distillery. “John and Jimmy have been great customers and friends to us, and our businesses, Overall Company and John Emerald, are very similar in likeminded spirit,” Jay said. Jimmy was glad Overall would be coming to their tasting room. “We talked to them a lot when we were first opening, and they were helpful to us,” Jimmy said. “And I was a patron of theirs regularly as well,
Chip Brownlee / community reporter
The old Overall Company location was too large for the business’ needs, according to the Pritchards.
so when it came time for them to be looking for somewhere to be, while they’re trying to decide where they are going to be permanently, it seemed like a good fit. We felt good about it, they felt good about it, so here we are.” Jay said he is particularly excited for the opportunity to make custom drinks featuring both John Emerald spirits and The Overall Company coffee. “Some of our hours are going to overlap when the tasting room is open, and so that gives us an opportunity to have some of our coffees mix in with some of their spirits,” Jay said. “So you might get some signature drinks that cross pollinate, and that will be fun.” The owners of Overall also find music important and like the shows that already occur at John Emerald. “There’s already a lot of collaboration for music happening down there, a lot of
great shows already at the distillery, which also compliments our brand because it is something we believe in,” Laura said. The Pritchards hope their new model for The Overall Company will put more emphasis on the customer, and with the downsizing of Overall and by simplifying their menu, the couple hopes to make sure their company is known for hospitality in the coffee community. After approximately one year at John Emerald, the owners plan to build a new location for The Overall Company and later branch out to other cities. “It would be in-state first, but we would go out from there,” Jay said. “We got some eyes on some cities, but we can’t really discuss it because we aren’t ready to release it. But you will see us in other cities, and that’s exciting.”
Thursday, February 4, 2016
Community 7
The Auburn Plainsman
Nightlife
Local bar looks to keep the party going Alex Wilkerson community writer
Early morning partiers can buy a drink after 2 a.m. again. For many, the War Eagle Supper Club was an Auburn tradition, but it was also the only bar in Auburn that could sell alcohol after 2 a.m. The bar was eligible for a club license because it was located near city limits. After the legendary bar closed, Auburn had lost not only a local landmark but also the only club in Auburn. Fat Daddy’s, a bar located off Wire Road next to the veterinary hospital, recently changed that. The bar, which will celebrate 15 years in July, decided to apply for a club license in respect for the Supper Club’s authority. Chip Carter, owner of Fat Daddy’s and longtime Auburn local, said he holds high regard for the Supper Club and knew he didn’t want to compete with them while they were open. “A lot of my friends really didn’t want to step on their toes, and I didn’t see a problem with that,” Carter said. “I’ve got a lot of memories, I’m from around here ... I was jumping the fence to get in the Supper Club when I was 18.” Carter, now 54, has owned and operated Fat Daddy’s since 2001, when it was just a restaurant with a small bar. In the mid-2000s, Gin Tilley Station, a bar and neighbor to Fat Daddy’s, closed. It was then Carter saw an opportunity for expansion. “This place had been a bar since the ‘60s or ‘70s,” Carter said. “It was called Gin Tilley Sta-
tion. Anyway, so that guy got crossways with the landlord and moved, and I had already decided to take this space, but I thought, ‘Gosh, why let somebody else move in and take a business that’s been here forever?’” Michael Price managed Fat Daddy’s when it was just a restaurant, and he was present when the bar expanded. Though he has since left the business, he still enjoys the bar and is good friends with Carter. “It just has that homey feel to it, kind of has an ‘everybody knows your name’ type of feel, a honky tonk-type of feel,” Price said. Price also said the music is an important part of what is great about Fat Daddy’s. “It’s almost a guarantee they have live music, and it’s always a good variety,” Price said. Fat Daddy’s presents live music three nights per week where performers will play early into the morning. Carter is dedicated to playing live music at his bar. “We really try to support local people if we can, and I got to tell you, it almost feels like a dying thing, the live music around here,” Carter said. Carter said he wants to make sure the art of live music stays in Auburn. “I like live music,” Carter said. “When you get good live music, it’s better than canned or whatever they got ... I’m flexible, but I just like to see live music.” As a club, Fat Daddy’s offers a $5 lifetime membership, which is required for the club license.
dakota sumpter / photo editor
Chris Carter is the owner of Fat Daddy’s. The bar has a club license, allowing it to stay open later than bars in downtown areas.
business
courts
Couple serves ice cream with stories Liz Maddux
community writer
Chris and Angela George have always loved Opelika and ice cream. Last summer, the Opelika couple combined the two and started serving Opelikainspired ice cream to the community from a cart. The Georges have since upgraded their beloved ice cream cart to a complete ice cream parlor after realizing how special their ice cream was to the Opelika community. O Town Ice Cream sits on South Railroad Avenue with an eye-catching redand-white striped awning. Inside the parlor, filling up the entire left-hand wall, is a vibrantly painted mural that illustrates all things Opelika. The ice cream flavors continue to paint a picture of the town, as each one is named after something or someone who is meaningful to the Opelika community. “Opelika people are very proud about Opelika and the history here, the heritage here, how we feel about our schools, how we feel about our parks,” Angela said. “It is just a very close community. Now people who come in here and don’t know about Opelika can learn about what makes Opelika special through our shop and through our ice cream.” Chris said Angela named most of the flavors. “I didn’t have anything to do with the naming part,” Chris said. “I wanted to name the flavors after ‘Star Wars.’” “He has asked me three times, ‘Can we just have one “Star Wars” flavor?’” Angela said with a laugh. Chris and Angela met in Opelika, and even though they moved to Atlanta for a period of time, they always wanted to move back. “When I met Angela in Opelika, I knew this was where I wanted to end up,” Chris said. “She made me fall in love with Opelika.” Angela said she desperately wanted to return to Opelika to give back.
dakota sumpter / photo editor
Hubbard leaves TK Davis Justice Center with his wife, Susan Hubbard, and lawyer, Lance Bell.
ellen jackson / staff photographer
Chris and Angela George serve ice cream in their shop.
“When we moved back, we wanted to find something that would help us get back into the community,” Angela said. “I prayed to God, and I said, ‘God, if you get me back to Opelika, I promise I will get really involved.’ I wanted to do something good for the place that we lived and for our kids. I wanted to be involved with the schools. I wanted to be involved with everything.” Chris and Angela noticed Opelika was missing one thing. “We love ice cream,” Chris said. “We realized that Opelika actually did not have a place you could go and get hand-dipped ice cream.” The idea for an ice cream cart with flavors that told a story was born. “When I was a kid, my favorite ice cream was Blue Bell’s rocky road,” Angela said. “I don’t like the rocky road with the marshmallow cream. I like my rocky road to have the mini marshmallows like Blue Bell’s version.” O Town Ice Cream has a custom-made flavor, “Rocky Brook Road,” which has a double dose of mini marshmallows per Angela’s request. “We knew if we named our ice cream flavors things like Chunky Monkey Park
or Rocky Brook Road it would probably start a conversation,” Angela said. And start a conversation it did. Chris and Angela’s ice cream cart quickly became a community phenomenon. “We had no idea the ice cream cart would take off like it did,” Angela said. There were multiple times the line to get ice cream from the Georges’ cart would include an hourlong wait. “We constantly had people asking us, ‘Where is your shop located?’” Chris said. “‘When are you going to open a shop?’ And we knew we wanted to, that part just took some time, but it has finally all come together. The timing of this has been incredible. The weather being the way it is, the people coming to support us they way they have.” O Town Ice Cream officially opened its doors Sunday, Jan. 24, and has since been “telling the story of Opelika one scoop at a time.” “We opened an ice cream shop in January, which is crazy,” Angela said. “It has been great. The community has supported us since the doors opened. We have been constantly busy, and it has been such a fun experience so far. We are truly thankful.”
Judge denies defense motions to dismiss in Hubbard’s case
Maria McIlwain community editor
Judge Jacob A. Walker III denied motions to dismiss Alabama Speaker Mike Hubbard’s ethics case Tuesday, Feb. 2. Hubbard’s defense team was arguing Hubbard’s Constitutional rights had been violated through selective prosecution by Attorney General Luther Strange. “The defendant argues that he was targeted for prosecution by the state in order to benefit General Strange politically and that his prosecution has been pursued invidiously and in bad faith,” the order states. “However, the defendant provided no evidence to this court in support [of] either of these claims.” Walker also denied motions to dismiss the case because the Alabama Ethics Act that Hub-
bard was indicted on is too vague and is unconstitutional. “However, as the state points out in its response, the Alabama Ethics Act only prohibits public officials from being paid to lobby for private entities while acting in their official capacity,” the order reads. “Because the First Amendment doesn’t protect the conduct prohibited by the Alabama Ethics Act, the defendant’s constitutional challenge for overbreadth fails.” Hubbard’s defense also argued he is exempt from the Alabama Ethics Act because of his role as Alabama Republican Party chairman. Hubbard was indicted on 23 counts of felony ethics violations for using his office for personal gain in 2014. Hubbard’s trial is scheduled to begin March 28.
politics
Gov. Bentley calls for a ‘moonshot’ in State of the State address
Jim Little
editor-in-chief
The nostalgic roar of rockets going to the moon echoed through Gov. Robert Bentley’s 2016 State of the State address. Bentley’s speech before a joint session of the Alabama Legislature in the Old House Chamber on Tuesday night, Feb. 2, served as a launching pad for his Great State 2019 agenda. “With that first giant leap for mankind, America achieved the unthinkable, the incredible and the unbelievable,” Bentley said. “And it was Alabama that made the impossible, possible.” Bentley laid out his goals for the 2016 legislative session
and objectives he wants to accomplish before the end of his term in 2019, which is also Alabama’s bicentennial year and the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. One of the goals Bentley called for was to tackle poverty with long-term solutions. “Too many Alabamians are undereducated, undertrained, unhealthy and unable to break the cycle of poverty and the cycle of dependence,” Bentley said. “It drains our state resources, it drains our hope, and it stymies our state’s growth.” Bentley said Alabama continues to rank at the bottom when it comes to poverty. “Poverty does not discrim-
inate,” Bentley said. “In Alabama, it knows no race, no region and no political party.” One of the ways to address poverty was to invest in Alabama’s pre-K education program, according to Bentley. “We know this program works, we’ve seen the statistics, but more importantly, we’ve seen the results in the lives of our students,” Bentley said. Bentley introduced one of his three guests, Miracle Scott, a Eufaula High School senior, who was one of the first enrollees in the pre-K program. Scott has been accepted to Auburn University and will attend in the fall.
Auburn’s representative in the Alabama House and Speaker of the House, Mike Hubbard, said Bentley’s plan was ambitious. “I support most of it,” Hubbard said of Bentley’s plan. “And I’m not saying I don’t support the other parts, but I just have to see the details.” Bentley also called on the closing of overcrowded Alabama prisons, including the Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women. Four new, modern prisons will be built to replace the old prisons. Hubbard said he was in favor of Bentley’s prison plan. “I think it’s time to do something bold and to solve the
problem once and for all,” Hubbard said. Funding Bentley’s proposals may be tough, as Alabama’s General Fund faces at least a $42 million shortfall, according to a report by the Montgomery Advertiser. Meanwhile the Education Trust Fund, which provides state funding to Auburn University, will grow $382 million to $6.3 billion. “I’m sure there will be some who will try to raid the Education Trust Fund, but my goal is to make sure that doesn’t happen,” Hubbard said. Michael Bullington, senior in supply chain management and SGA assistant vice presi-
dent in external affairs, was in attendance. “I thought it was a great speech, and it looks like a lot of great things are coming to Alabama,” Bullington said. “And I hope that Auburn and the Auburn students will be a big part of that.” Bringing up the imagery of the Apollo program and President John F. Kennedy’s call to go to the moon, Bentley called on his own three-year plan for Alabama. “Once again we accept an impossible challenge, and like our scientists in 1969, once again we will succeed,” Bentley said. “This is our moonshot. This is our Great State.”
Sports
8
Thursday, February 4, 2016
SCOREBOARD
FOOTBALL
Men’s Basketball (9-11, 3-5)
ThePlainsman.com
Sports
Top 10 once again
FILE PHOTO
Last Week at Ole Miss (L, 80-63) vs. Oklahoma State (L, 74-63) vs. LSU (L, 80-68) THIS WEEK Feb. 6 at Georgia (4:30 p.m.) UPCOMING Feb. 9 at Tennessee (6 p.m.) Feb. 13 vs. Vanderbilt (5 p.m.)
Women’s Basketball (13-8, 3-5)
Contributed by Auburn athletics
Dameyune Craig celebrates the commitment of Nate Craig-Myers, the No. 2 receiver in the class of 2016.
Four receiver recruits headline Auburn’s ninth-ranked recruiting class for 2016 Evan McCullers
Assistant Sports Editor
file photo
LAST WEEK vs. Arkansas (W, 71-60 (OT)) at Georgia (L, 63-30) at LSU ( W, 63-53) THIS WEEK Feb. 4 vs. Vanderbilt (6 p.m.) Feb. 7 at Alabama (3 p.m.)
GYMNASTICS
Like so many other high school seniors across America, Nate Craig-Myers sat at a table in a crowded gym on Wednesday, surrounded by friends and family. When it came time for his nationally televised announcement, he reached below the table and pulled out a statue of Aubie the Tiger, signaling his commitment to play football at Auburn. In doing so, he solidified one of the best wide receiver classes in the history of Auburn recruiting. In addition to Craig-Myers, Auburn added Eli Stove, Marquis McClain and Kyle Davis, who was already on campus as a January enrollee. “Our wide receiver class, I think is the top in the country,” said Auburn coach Gus Malzahn. “It's guys that we want after over a year ago. We handpicked, that's who we wanted, and we got them. (Wide receivers coach Dameyune Craig) and the offensive staff deserves a lot of credit.” Malzahn and the offensive staff placed a heavy emphasis on big-bodied receivers this year. Craig-Myers, McClain and Davis each fall into that category, as all three are 6-foot-2 and just over 200 pounds.
Craig-Myers is the crown jewel of the class, as he was ranked among the top-10 receivers by each of the four major recruiting services. He had 1,018 yards and 16 touchdowns in his senior year at Tampa Catholic High School. “We really felt like (Craig) was one of the best overall players in the entire country,” Malzahn said. “He's a big guy; he can go get the football. … We’re excited about him. He's got a chance to be an impact player for us.” Davis, a consensus four-star recruit, racked up 1,499 receiving yards and 18 touchdowns in his senior season at Archer High in Loganville, Georgia. Stove had the best high school statistics out of the three, recording 1,878 yards and 22 touchdowns in Niceville, Florida. Malzahn said the Under Armour All-American is flying under the radar due to the overall skill of the wide receiver haul but has a chance to play immediately. “We really feel like he's got a very unique skill set, Malzahn said. “We think he's got a chance to be an impact player. He’ll have a chance to help us next year.” All three receivers were on the ESPN300 list, and McClain, a three-star recruit from Crestview, Flori-
da, adds depth to the impressive haul. The wide receiver class was much-needed for Auburn, which lost leading receivers Ricardo Louis and Melvin Ray to graduation. The Tigers struggled in the passing game as it was last year, finishing 57th among the 65 teams in Power 5 conferences with a paltry 173.6 passing yards per game. In addition to the strong receiving class, Auburn added two quarterbacks, both of whom Malzahn said would have the opportunity to compete for the starting job in a “wide open” race this spring. The most notable addition is John Franklin III, a January enrollee who accounted for over 1,000 total yards and 16 touchdowns last season at East Mississippi Community College. “He's got great speed. We think he throws the ball well,” Malzahn said. “He's familiar with our offense, so we're definitely excited about what he can do.” With all of the offensive firepower in this year’s class, Malzahn is confident in the team’s ability to rebound after a disappointing 7-6 campaign in 2015. “This class is a little bit different [from years past],” Malzahn said. “This class is a special class. … There is true impact players at impact positions.”
SOFTBALL
FILE PHOTO
LAST WEEK vs. Florida (L, 197.075-195.500) at Arkansas (L, 196.600-195.975) THIS WEEK Feb. 5 vs. TWU/Oklahoma/ Illinois State (7:30 p.m.)
MEN’S/WOMEN’S TENNIS
FILE PHOTO
LAST WEEK M: vs. Cal Poly (W, 4-3) W: vs. Samford (W, 7-0, 7-0) THIS WEEK M: Feb. 5 vs. Troy (3 p.m.) W: Feb. 6 vs. Tennessee-Martin/ Troy (11 a.m./5 p.m.)
Three softball players named to Preseason All-SEC Team Emily Shoffit Sports Reporter
Auburn softball's three returning All-Americans are entering the 2016 season for the second year in a row as preseason All-SEC players, the SEC office announced Thursday, Jan. 28. Tiffany Howard, Emily Carosone and Kasey Cooper were each named to the 2016 Preseason All-SEC Team, following a rewarding 2015, including All-American, All-Region and All-SEC selections. Auburn and the University of Florida led all SEC schools with three selections each, this being the second consecutive year Auburn has placed three on the preseason team. Second baseman Carosone was an National Fastpitch Coaches’ Association first-team All-American selection, joining Cooper as the first twotime All-Americans in program history. Thursday's selection marks the third straight for Carosone, who joins Alabama's Haylie McCleney and Florida's Kelsey Stewart as the other three-time preseason selections. The senior led the team last year with a career-high .438 batting average.
She notched 85 hits and scored 88 runs with 18 doubles and 18 home runs. Her 88 runs set a new single-season record for Auburn and was the second-most in a season by an SEC player. Cooper held the third-best batting average on last year's team at .391 with 75 hits, 18 home runs and 64 RBI. The junior was named an NFCA First Team All-American last year along with a Capital One College Sports Information Athletic Directors Academic All-America title, adding to her collection of 10 postseason honors consisting of All-Conference, All-Region or All-American. Howard, Auburn's everyday left fielder, started all 67 games last year and batted .415, the second highest average on the team. Her .525 on-base percentage was the team's highest, reaching base nearly every game in the regular season except for the final. Auburn's 2016 season opener is set for Feb. 11 against Appalachian State with a 6 p.m. first pitch at Jane B. Moore Field.
Adam Sparks / staff photographer
Junior Kasey Cooper is one of three Tigers to be named to the team.
S H O E GIGANTIC SHOE ROOM SALE
FAMOUS NAME BRANDS FOR LESS
Voted #1 Great Brands & Best Prices Hundreds of Brands Thousands of Shoes Save 35% - 80% off of Dept Store Prices 941 Opelika Road, Auburn, AL 334.821.5367 w w w. t h e s h o e r o o m . c o m M-F 10-7 :: Sat 9-6 :: Sun 1-5
Thursday, February 4, 2016
Sports 9
The Auburn Plainsman
BASKETBALL
Around the SEC: Aggies, Gators prove they’re for real C.J. Holmes sports@ThePlainsman.com
The SEC went 3-7 against the Big 12 on Saturday, but overall it wasn’t a complete disappointment. LSU pushed No. 1 Oklahoma to the brink, Florida took a big step toward a tournament bid and the Aggies took care of business against No. 14 Iowa State on their home floor. We at The Auburn Plainsman don’t believe in moral victories, but it’s hard to hate on the conference’s overall effort this past weekend — except for Vanderbilt. Not sure what they had for their pregame meal. Gator Bait: Florida sinks No. 9 West Virginia Final: Florida 88, No. 9 West Virginia 71 FLA: Dorian Finney-Smith 24 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast, West Virginia waltzed into The Swamp on Saturday like it owned the place and showed it by circling up on Florida’s side of the court before tipoff. The gutsy move led to a heated exchange of trash talk between the two teams. However, only one team was able to back it up once the game started. West Virginia entered Saturday’s game winless all-time in Gainesville, and after the game’s first 10 minutes, it was clear that wouldn’t change. Florida was dialed in from behind the arc, knocking down 12 3-pointers in an impressive upset victory over the country’s ninth-ranked team. The Gators had a 15-point advantage at the break and led by as many as 20 points in the second half in a game they never trailed.
Dorian Finney-Smith was the X-factor in this one, scoring 24 points on 7-of-12 shooting (5of-7 from deep). “Press Virginia” still managed to turn the Gators over 14 times, which is about its season average, but the Gators were too hot from the field, shooting 53 percent for the game. It all added up to Florida’s first win over a top10 team since 2010. Sitting at 14-7 on the year, this win over the Mountaineers will certainly help their tournament odds in March. They’re for real: Billy Kennedy gets 300th career win against Cyclones Final: Texas A&M 72, No. 14 Iowa State 62 A&M: Danuel House 20 pts, 2 reb, 2 ast Heading into the season, we knew Texas A&M would be improved from last year, but I’m not sure how many people projected it to be in contention for a top-2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Aggies showed the country yet again why they’re the team to beat in the SEC, knocking off an Iowa State team that’s beaten both Kansas and Oklahoma this season. Winners of nine of their last 10 (18-3 overall), Texas A&M has dominated Big 12 competition this year with wins over Baylor and Kansas State as well. The Aggies will still have to answer to Kentucky and South Carolina before season's end, but as of now, the road to the SEC Championship will go through College Station. Oh, so close: Sooners steal one in Baton Rouge, UK falls short against KU in OT Final: No.1 Oklahoma 77, LSU 75 | No. 4 Kansas 90, No. 20 Kentucky 84
Jordan McPherson / The Independent Florida Alligator
Dorian Finney-Smith and the Gators shut down No. 9 West Virginia, and they proved they weren’t going away.
OU: Buddy Hield 32 pts, 7 reb, 1 ast | KU: Wayne Selden Jr. 33 pts, 3 reb, 2 stl The battle between two of college basketball’s top prospects went exactly how we though it would. Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield put on a shooting clinic, hitting seven of his eight 3-pointers in the second half alone to will his team back from a 14-point deficit. He finished with 32, and his All-American counterpart Ben Simmons had a great allaround game with 14 points, nine rebounds, five assists and two steals. In the end, it was senior guard Isaiah Cousins who put the game on ice, knocking down one of the biggest shots of his career from the left elbow to give the Sooners the lead for good with six seconds to play.
LSU led for most of the game, but losing track of one of the country’s best scorers late ultimately cost them the upset. Not to mention Simmons’ lack of touches — the freshman had zero points in the game’s final 10 minutes. Meanwhile in Lawrence, Kansas, Tyler Ulis (26 points) and Jamal Murray (15 points) gave the Jayhawks all they could handle, but the night belonged to Wayne Selden Jr., who dropped a career-high 33 points to fend off the upset-minded Wildcats. Kansas has now won 35 straight in Phog Allen. Despite the loss, Kentucky is showing improvement every week and is starting to look more and more like the team that entered the season ranked in the top 5. C.J. can be contacted at sports@ThePlainsman.com
The Auburn 2016 Recruiting Class
Nate Craig-Myers (WR)
Tampa, Florida Craig-Myers, a consensus four-star receiver, was ranked the 37th-best overall player in the ESPN300. Rivals ranks him third among receivers and 35th overall, while 247sports ranks him sixth and 43rd, respectively. Craig-Myers, who was committed to Auburn as a junior before decommitting in May, picked the Tigers over North Carolina.
Eli Stove (WR)
Niceville, Florida This 6-foot-1 receiver is ranked 20th at his position and is a consensus four-star prospect. Stove turned down offers from schools such as Alabama, Clemson, Florida State and Michigan to come to Auburn as part of a loaded class at receiver for the Tigers.
Woody Barrett (QB)
Winter Garden, Florida Barrett, a dual-threat quarterback from West Orange High School, will join a heated quarterback competition in the fall. He was named an Under Armour All-American, and started the game at QB in January.
Nick Coe (DE)
Asheboro, North Carolina Coe chose Auburn over North Carolina, Alabama and Florida State, and the imposing 6-foot-5.5 defensive end adds to a defensive line full of talent. He hung with the Tigers despite the overhaul of the defensive staff, primarily because of his connection to Rodney Garner. Coe was also a state wrestling champion in North Carolina, he and will file in to a deep defensive line the Tigers now possess.
Prince Sammons (OL)
Cincinnati, Ohio Sammons beomes the second “Prince” at Auburn, joining fellow Nigeria native Prince Tega Wanogho. He played defensive end in high school, but his 6-foot-8, 280-pound frame projects to the offensive line in college. Sammons was thought to be a commit to a school in the Big 10, possibly Michigan State or Ohio State, but his relationship with newly hired Auburn offensive line coach Herb Hand — who came from Penn State, a Big 10 school — swayed him to The Plains.
Marlon Character (S)
Atlanta, Georgia Character committed to Auburn in November, but he was hotly recruited by since-departed defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, who tried to sway the No. 18 safety in the country to South Carolina.
Marquis McClain (WR)
Crestview, Florida Auburn was one of two SEC offers for McClain, who chose the Tigers over Mississippi State. McClain, along with CraigMyers, Davis and Stove, forms a potent receiver class for the Tigers.
Early Spring Enrollees Marlon Davidson (DE)
Greenville, Alabama Davidson is the 30th-ranked player in the nation, according to 247sports.com, and the No. 4 defensive end. He was an Under Armour All-American.
Antwuan Jackson (DT)
Landon Rice (TE)
Calhoun, Georgia Rice, who stands at 6-foot-5, 220 pounds, is the eighth-ranked tight end in the nation.
John Broussard (CB)
John Franklin III (QB)
Scooba, Mississippi Franklin signed with the Tigers from East Mississippi Community College, where he transferred from Florida State. Franklin threw for 733 yards and seven scores at EMCC.
Ellenwood, Georgia The No. 12 defensive tackle in the country, Jackson was a participant in the U.S. Army All-America game.
Phenix City, Alabama Broussard hails from nearby Phenix City, where he led the Central Red Devils’ defense. He chose Auburn over several other powerhouses, including Clemson, LSU, Michigan and Oklahoma.
Spanish Fort, Alabama Threat racked up 88 tackles in his senior season and 104 his junior year for Spanish Fort.
Kyle Davis (WR)
Paul James III (DE)
Malik Miller (RB)
Lawrenceville, Georgia In his senior season, Davis pulled in 47 catches for 773 yards and six touchdowns for Archer High School. Davis is ranked as one of the top receivers in the country.
Wesson, Mississippi At Copiah-Lincoln Community College, James racked up 47 tackles and 14 sacks, which was fifth in the NJCAA. He started his career at the University of Illinois before transferring.
Tre Threat (OLB)
Madison, Alabama Miller follows his teammate at Madison Academy, Kerryon Johnson, to The Plains. He captured three state titles with Madison Academy and almost secured a fourth in 2015.
Compiled by Sam Butler
Tashawn Manning (DT)
St. Petersburg, Florida Manning measures 6-foot-4 and 270 pounds, and he chose Auburn over schools such as Tennessee, West Virginia, North Carolina and NC State. However, Manning was diagnosed with leukemia in November and is currently undergoing treatment for it.
Brodarious Hamm (OT)
Griffin, Georgia Standing at 6-foot-5, 320 pounds, Hamm shuffles into the rotation at offensive line. Hamm, who hails from Spalding High School in Georgia, had a bevy of offers, including ones from Alabama, Georgia, Louisville, LSU, Mississippi State and Tennessee.
Daniel Thomas (S)
Montgomery, Alabma Thomas signed with Auburn after receiving an offer early Wednesday morning. He was told the night before that Auburn had no room in the class and would not extend an offer, but circumstances changed. Thomas hails from Lee High School in Montgomery and decided on Auburn over Minnesota.
Jayvaughn Myers (CB)
Dade City, Florida Myers joins his half-brother, Nate Craig-Myers, in the 2016 recruiting class. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound cornerback out of Dade City, Florida, chose the Tigers over North Carolina. A three-star recruit, Myers raked in offers from the likes of Alabama, Michigan, Oklahoma and Florida State. From the start, the brothers made it clear they would be a package deal. Compiled by Sam Butler
LARGE
PIZZA
CHEESE OR PEPPERONI
ANY SPECIALTY
5 11
$ 95 $ Carry-Out
95
Plus sales tax. Delivery extra. Expires in 30 days. Premium toppings extra.
AUBURN
1409 S. College St.
1.5 Miles West of the University next to Acapulco’s Mexican Grille
DELIVERY • CARRY-OUT LUNCH • DINNER • LATE NIGHT
826-5555 OVER 550 LOCATIONS
60042
Buford, Georgia Brown is a consensus five-star recruit from Lanier High School in Buford, Georgia, and was the No. 1-ranked player in the state of Georgia. He picked Auburn over four other SEC schools: Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and Mississippi State. Brown stands at 6-foot-4, 317 pounds, and he will strengthen an already formidable defensive line for the Tigers.
334
Derrick Brown (DT)
Sports 10
The Auburn Plainsman
Thursday, February 4, 2016
Photos by Adam Sparks / staff Photographer
LEFT: Khady Dieng drives into the lane against Arkansas. RIGHT: Tyler Harris elevates to try and block Leyton Hammonds’ shot in Auburn’s 74-63 loss to Oklahoma State on Jan. 31.
This Week in Auburn Sports Men’s Basketball
Jan. 30 vs Oklahoma State L, 74-63 When Bruce Pearl and his team walked out of Auburn Arena eleven nights ago, his team was riding high. Back-to-back home wins against then-No. 14 Kentucky and rival Alabama gave the program momentum it had not experienced in years. Two lopsided SEC losses later, the Tigers returned home, but they did not return to form. Auburn got off to a slow start and suffered its poorest shooting night of the season, falling to Oklahoma State, 74-63, in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge. Kareem Canty led Auburn with 21 points, but he shot 7-of-24 and 1-of-10 from 3-point range. Canty has knocked down only three of his 25 3-point attempts since the win over Alabama. Oklahoma State jumped out to a quick 10-2 lead and never looked back, growing the lead to as high as 14 on multiple occasions. Auburn went on several runs in the second half but shot 29 percent and missed all 12 of its second-half 3-point attempts. The Tigers never led. While Tyler Harris also struggled from the field, he recorded a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds. No other Tigers scored in double figures. Oklahoma State placed three players in double figures, including Jawun Evans, who had 21 points. Harris’ eighth double-double left him tied
for the team lead with Cinmeon Bowers, who was suspended from Saturday night’s game for “conduct detrimental to the team.” Pearl said he anticipated the senior forward to return for Tuesday’s matchup against LSU and future NBA lottery pick Ben Simmons, which he did. Bowers’ absence led to increased playing time for freshman Horace Spencer, who recorded career highs in minutes (27), rebounds (11) and blocks (6). In the closing minutes of the game, Oklahoma State’s Jeffrey Carroll knocked down a three to increase the Cowboys’ lead to 10, stared down the Auburn bench and made a throat-slashing gesture. The Tigers, who have now lost three consecutive games by double digits, were finally put out of their misery.
Women’s Basketball Jan. 28 at Georgia L, 63-30
Auburn women’s basketball had no answer for the University of Georgia Thursday night, Jan. 28, falling to the Bulldogs 63-30 in Athens, Georgia. After an even score in the first quarter (1515), the Tigers couldn’t buy a basket for the rest of the game, hitting only six of their final 32 shots down the stretch. “This was probably our worst game all year,” said Auburn coach Terri Williams-Flournoy. “Not just in offensive production but from a
defensive standpoint too. We had a lot of distractions in our preparation this week, and it showed today.” Tra’Cee Tanner scored 6 points for Auburn in the loss and Khady Dieng added 5. Georgia pulled down 18 offensive rebounds and shot 42 percent for the game. The Tigers will return to the court Monday, Feb. 1, against LSU at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Women’s Tennis
Jan. 30-31 vs Samford W, 7-0, 7-0 Following a tough loss to No. 15 Miami, the Auburn women’s tennis team returned home this weekend to sweep Samford, 7-0. Pleun Burgmans and Paula de Man, the No. 30-ranked pair in the nation, clinched the doubles point for Auburn with a 7-6, 7-3 win on court two. Andie Dikosavljevic and Alannah Griffin notched their third straight doubles win, defeating Iva Parapunova and Savannah Wood 6-3. Griffin took the court with dominance to notch a 6-1, 6-1 singles win over Elli Gerlach. Alizee Michaud captured her fourth straight victory for Auburn with a 6-2, 6-1 win, and No. 31-ranked Dikosavljevic clinched the victory for the Tigers, 6-1, 6-4, over Parapunova. “We struggled early in doubles, but came out with a win against a tough Samford team,” said Auburn coach Lauren Spencer. “We have a lot
to work on in doubles, but I was very impressed with how we performed in singles today. We will continue to work and improve as the season progresses.” The Tigers will host UT Martin and Troy Feb. 6 with the first match set against UT Martin at 11 a.m. at the Yarbrough Tennis Center.
Gymnastics
Jan. 29 at Arkansas L, 196.600-195.975 The ninth-ranked Auburn gymnastics team lost to No. 8 Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas, Friday night, 196.600-195.975, the team’s third-straight loss. Auburn began the meet with a 49.250 on bars, led by freshman Emma Engler and sophomore Abby Milliet, each scoring a 9.875. Next up was vault, where the Tigers scored a 49.025, led by junior MJ Rott’s season-high 9.900. On floor, Auburn scored a season-high 49.275. Senior Caitlin Atkinson led the Tigers with a 9.900. Auburn finished on beam, scoring a 48.425, led by Milliet’s 9.825. The Tigers fall to 2-3 overall and 1-3 in the SEC. The team will travel to Denton, Texas, next Friday for a meet with Texas Western, Oklahoma and Illinois State at 7 p.m. Compiled by Evan McCullers, C.J.Holmes, Emily Shoffit and Andrew Monson
BASEBALL
Butch Thompson era underway as scrimmages begin Bailey Rogers Sports Writer
Auburn baseball took the field to conduct its first full practice of the Butch Thompson era on Friday, where the squad took the afternoon to shake off some rust in the form of an intersquad, four-inning, scrimmage. After Sunny Golloway was fired in the fall, Thompson, the former Mississippi State pitching coach, returned to The Plains for the second time in his coaching career. The late coaching change has made for a unique situation for the Tigers heading into the spring. Friday was the first full practice the Tigers have held per NCAA regulations. Up until Friday’s scrimmage they have only been able to meet in fourperson groups. Thompson was clear that he is using this time to evaluate the talent on the team and let the players showcase their style of play. This time will be as much a learn-
ing process for him as it is for the players. “[We’re] trying to see who they are still because there is a difference in practicing four players at a time and getting them out and actually opening up their game," Thompson said. "We will give them some freedom in what pitches they’re selecting and what they are doing. At the same time, we’re trying to gain information by stepping back and let them play a little bit. We’re just trying to see how they navigate their way through [the game].” Thompson has made a point not to take stats during these first scrimmages because he said he doesn't want to be influenced by the numbers, but rather, what his eyes are seeing on the field. This strategy has also proven to take stress off the players as they focus on process and not the results. “This is as simple as it can be,” said junior infielder Niko Buentello. "[To] make it easy on [ourselves].” On this first day of scrimmages, the
team was excited to finally work as a team and was ready to get into the swing of the season. “It was a blast to finally get out here and show off our skill,” Buentello said. “It helps a lot to get out here, four at a time, knock off some rust after sitting for Christmas break, that month off.” Thompson said seniority will be the key to this team’s success as it moves through the season. "Anfernee Grier was so locked in today and so mature," Thompson said. "We are going to count on that. We're going to need Blake Logan, Cody Nulph and Melvin Gray in the middle infield, Grier in center field and Jordan Ebert. We are counting on them to be coaches also. They know everything that's going on but just in how they handle practice. We had a lot of maturity on the field today." The Tigers open the season on Feb. 19 against Sacramento State.
Contributed by Auburn Athletics
Anfernee Grier connects on a pitch during the scrimmage.
FAB FINDS at
ANGEL’S
Architectural Elements We Don’t Just Do Antiques! Open Everyday 10-7 • Sundays 1-5 www.angelsantiqueandfleamall.com 900 Columbus Pkwy. • Opelika, AL 36801 Contributed by Auburn Athletics
Butch Thompson talks to his team during the second scrimmage Saturday, Jan. 31.The Tigers open the season Feb. 19 against Sacramento State.
334-745-3221
Intrigue
Thursday, February 4, 2016
11 ThePlainsman.com
Intrigue
Technology
Gurden Smith / Graphics Editor
The University claims there was no hack, and offers help to those affected by the security incident.
University makes changes regarding security incident Ben Ruffin
Intrigue Writer
Last March, a number of Auburn students, applicants and even nonapplicants to the University received a letter by mail notifying them of a data security incident that potentially exposed their personal information. In a statement, the University said it was made aware on March 2, 2015 that some information stored on one of the University’s servers mistakenly became available online. The incident, which leaked the names, addresses, email addresses, birth dates, Social Security numbers and academic information of 364,012 people, occurred when data was unintentionally stored on a system inappropriately configured, said Bliss Bailey, interim chief information officer of the Office of Information Technology. “It can be referred to as an unintended exposure,” Bailey said. Bailey said there was no hack, and no system was broken into. “The archive server the Office of Enrollment
had used for a number of years, successfully and securely, had failed. Physically, the hardware had failed, and they replaced that with a new server. However, the new server was not configured appropriately,” Bailey said. The leak exposed the personal information of students, applicants and nonapplicants dating back to 2007 and potentially years before that. With nearly 10 years of information archived and eventually leaked, Bailey said the University is going through a process to determine how much data they should keep and for how long before disposing of it. Bailey said he believes the University keeps data for such a long period of time because it helps with the recruiting and enrollment process but also feels there should be a point in which data should be removed from the system. “If you want to know things about your enrollment trends or about graduation trends, the more data the better,” Bailey said. “So there is this tendency to hold onto data so you can have it available for analysis. Now what we’re learning is that data represents a liability, so we need to figure out
how to summarize the data or keep it in a way so it gives us value from an analysis standpoint, but we can reduce or eliminate the risk to hold onto that data.” Gus Youmans, a student at the University of Georgia, applied to Auburn in 2011 and believes Auburn acted irresponsibly by keeping his data after he decided not to enroll at the school. “I feel like once I didn’t enroll in school there, they should have gotten rid of my information,” Youmans said. “If I hadn’t applied to Auburn and received that letter, I would refer to that as illegal, considering I didn’t give them permission to have my personal information. Either way, they should have gotten rid of the data a year or two after they received it.” However, according to Bailey, the University did not act illegally because it purchases the information from ACT and SAT for recruitment purposes. Any information the University has was made available by the student signing consent forms to give their information to universities through the testing process.
Since the incident, Bailey said the University has moved swiftly to ensure nothing like this will happen again. The first change the University made was reconfiguring the firewall to block access from the outside world except to registered servers. The second, and perhaps the most substantial, change the University has made is the implementation of a piece of software called Identity Finder, which helps scan desktops, laptops and servers for personally identifiable information such as Social Security numbers and credit cards. “We know we store that data in secure locations because we need to,” Bailey said. “Identity Finder helps us identify that data and eliminate it or make sure it gets moved to a secure location, and we’re running that on every server on campus.” While the leak put many identities at risk, the University said there is no evidence anyone’s information was misused. Those affected received a letter and free identity monitoring, which were “out of an abundance of caution,” according to the University.
Why binge-watching is so addictive for college students Rachel Williams Intrigue writer
For many young millennials, video streaming has become as addicting as raw cookie dough. Growing up, you were restrained to the TV Guide. You sat down at 3:30 p.m. to watch the same show every afternoon. When it ended, you had nothing to do but homework. Now you sit for hours on end, letting a computer continue to play episode after episode, the clock ticking away. How did this happen? Culture as a whole has undergone a rapid shift. In case you’ve missed it, there is more content available to a wider audience than ever before. You can play any song by nearly any artist on Spotify at any time. For a ride, you just have to click a button on your phone. You can send anyone money with Venmo as easy as you could send a text. Anything we could ever wish to consume is at our fingertips. We aren’t required to wait an entire week anymore to see the next episode of a sitcom. We don’t need years of our lives to follow seasons
of “Friends.” Cliffhangers in dramas can be answered immediately. TV is being produced and distributed differently than it has before. Critic Emily Nussbaum supports some cinematic benefits of binge watching, claiming true immersion allows you to enjoy the whole story. However, the original intent for television shows was to create an outlet for acting in a short format. Consecutively drilling through episodes removes most of the artistic intent. The effects of the passage of time, suspense and viewer-character bonds are muted. The addiction remains, though, and it’s strong. As stigma has slowly faded, we are able to confidently escape many responsibilities. We’re unable to focus on a teacher for 50 minutes, but sitting through four hours of “Breaking Bad” is a cakewalk. And perhaps that’s just it: it’s so easy. It’s easier to turn off our brains than to attempt to grow them through other activities. Generation Y is overwhelmed with thoughts of the future, increasingly anxious about looming expectations. Perhaps we love Netflix because it doesn’t expect anything from us. When “Are you still watching” pops up at the end of an episode on Netflix, it definitely gets me worked up. I get irritated every time I have to ex-
Sterling Waits / Graphics designer
Binge watching Netflix has become a popular addiction for students.
pend effort to click. The next episode is always enticing — cleverly previewed in the corner of the screen — so, yes, of course I’m still watching. Yet lately, as I feel the time I have with the people and community I love is slipping away,
Lifestyle
The history of the famous interlocking AU logo Amanda Myles intrigue Writer
The interlocking AU logo, the symbol that has covered the helmets of national champions and Heisman Trophy winners for almost 50 years, is the University’s primary logo. But the birth of the prestigious logo is debated. Al Eiland, creative supervisor for the Office of Communications and Marketing, said the origin of the AU has several versions. “There are two basic stories, one of which has always been accepted, [and] the other one of which came up about a year ago that nobody ever heard of,” said David Hou-
sel, athletic director emeritus at Auburn. Housel said he holds one of these to be true because he remembers when it happened. Housel said one day football coach Ralph “Shug” Jordan was doodling on his pad on his desk and playing with the AU, Housel said. When athletic director Jeff Beard walked in the room, he told Jordan he liked the sketch, according to Housel. “They put it on the Auburn football helmets in 1966,” Housel said. “It almost didn’t last because Auburn had a losing record that year, and a lot of people blamed [that] on the new logo.”
The other story, Housel said, is that two members of the band claimed to have come up with the AU. The band members supported their claim with a picture of a bass drum that displayed the symbol. They claimed they showed it to the band director, Bodie Hinton, and then athletics took over the design from there, Housel said. “I can’t tell you with certainty what they’re saying is wrong,” Housel said. “I think they’re mistaken in the sense that their version is where the AU logo came from.” The AU symbol was intended solely for the football helmets and never to be an offi-
cial Auburn University logo, Housel said. “It became so popular with Auburn fans once they got used to it that it quickly spread through the University,” Housel said. “I don’t think it’s really changed.” Greg Schmidt, Auburn University librarian, said he has seen various unofficial drawings of the AU. “I really don’t know how it progressed other than the fact that it’s not only the University itself that is involved with this logo, but businesses,” Schmidt said. Today, the AU logo is not just the athletics logo, but a representation of Auburn.
the little message is a chilling reminder that we all need to step away a bit. Maybe soon I’ll try to run an actual marathon. Rachel can be reached at intrigue@ThePlainsman.com.
Intrigue 12
The Auburn Plainsman
Thursday, February 4, 2016
Students meet prime minister of Spain Travel
Emily Esleck
Managing Editor
It was a sunny day in the mid-60s when two Delta Gamma sorority sisters visiting Córdoba, Spain, met who they thought was an important government official. The two were sightseeing Saturday, Jan. 23, a weekend away from their studies at Alcalá de Henares, a university in Spain where many students study abroad. After strolling through the streets, they decided to eat lunch at Mercado Victoria, a market that cooks fresh vegetables and meats in front of guests. Anna Morgan Couch, junior in Spanish-international trade, recalled seeing a familiar-looking man order beside her. “All of a sudden, paparazzi started running through, and they were taking pictures, and people started freaking out, and this guy comes through,” Anna said. “And I knew I had kind of seen his face on the news before, but I couldn’t figure out who it was.” She said she asked the man behind the counter who it was. He replied it was Mariano Rajoy Brey, prime minister of Spain. The prime minister of Spain is the equivalent of the United States president. “And I was like, ‘No, seriously, who is that?’” Anna said. “And he was like, ‘That’s the Spanish president.’” Abbey Phelps, senior in biomedical sciences and minoring in Spanish, was sitting at a table
watching the scene unfold. As Rajoy, dressed in a gray coat and slacks, walked by Phelps’ table, she said he was shaking everyone’s hands. Phelps said he looked at her, leaned over and shook her hand with a firm, business handshake. She greeted him with “Hola” as he kept walking by. After their initial encounter with him, Anna said people were crowding around Rajoy as he ate at a table outside. They decided to walk outside and make their way to the front of the crowd. Wanting to get a good photo with Rajoy, Anna started talking to his security guard. Anna and Phelps had a 10-minute conversation with the guard about where they were from, what they were studying and how they liked it in Spain so far. When Rajoy was finished eating, he stood and started to walk in the opposite direction. Before Anna knew it, the guard grabbed her by the arm and pulled her toward Rajoy. “Obviously, [my] heart started racing because I was like, ‘I’m about to meet the president,’” Anna said. After a quick exchange of questions with a government official, Rajoy started talking with Anna and Phelps. Anna said he wished them luck in their studies and took a photo with them. After meeting Rajoy, Anna messaged her family using Viber, a free text, call and photo sharing
ContrIbuted by Anna Morgan couch
Abbey Phelps (left) and Anna Couch (right) meet Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy Brey.
app powered by Wi-Fi. Frank Couch, Anna’s father, said Anna has always been someone to set high goals for herself. “It’s kind of funny, and it’s surprising, but with her outgoing nature ... there’s not a whole lot she can do that’ll surprise us,” Frank said. Frank also said he was happy Anna is making the most of her time overseas. The two students have been staying with a host family, which includes two 60-year-old parents and three children, two of which are married with
separate families, and the third is 19 years old. The parents have a 10-year-old granddaughter who works on her English with Anna and Phelps. This past weekend, Anna and Phelps traveled to 30-degree Ireland where they toured Galway and Dublin. Their program will end April 29, and they will return to the United States. “We’ve already been here for three weeks, and it’s scary because it’s almost February, and we leave in April,” Phelps said.
Food
Easy, healthy, at-home version of a popular Chick-fil-A meal Anne Dawson Intrigue Editor
College students love Chickfil-A. If you walk into the Student Center, you will see the Chick-fil-A line backed up at almost all times of the day. But what would you do if I told you you could make one of your favorite Chick-fil-A meals
at home? Not only would you avoid the long line, you’d also be saving on many unnecessary processed ingredients in the comfort of your own home. Chick-fil-A’s chicken sandwhich can be made at home. This version comes from happilyunprocessed.com and helps cut out unneeded extra ingredients to give you a cleaner, identical-tasting version of the Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich. 1 large chicken breast
To Place an Ad, Call 334-844-9101 or E-mail admanager@theplainsman.com
Spring Break BAHAMAS SPRING BREAK $189 for 5-Days. All prices include: Round-trip luxury party cruise. Accommodations on the island at your choice of ten resorts. Appalachia Travel. www.BahamaSun.com 800-867-5018
t 334 Jus - -844 Call 9101
4 pm - Close $2.50 / Glass $8 Bottles
1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1 1/2 teaspoon paprika, divided 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard 4 whole wheat buns 1 tablespoon butter 8 pickles 3 tablespoons vinegar 4-5 tablespoons olive oil
Four hours before you start, slice the chicken breasts in half, then cut them in half again, making 4 similar-sized pieces. Pound with a mallet to even out. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and 1/2 teaspoon paprika. Place chicken in a large Ziploc bag and pour the pickle juice in. Let the chicken soak. Put pickle slices in vinegar and set aside. Heat oven to 400 F. Whisk egg and milk togeth-
er in a bowl. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, the remaining 1 teaspoon paprika and dry mustard together in a bowl. Dip chicken into egg bath, then in flour. Heat oil in skillet over medium heat and place chicken in one piece at a time. Cook approximately 2-3 minutes per side. Do not cook through, just until brown. Place chicken on a baking sheet and continue cooking in
Tigermarket
ALMOST ANYTHING BUY . SELL . TRADE -Retro Video Games -Vinyl Records -Comics, Collectibles - Magic Cards -Posters &Art -Phones, IPads & Laptops
JOIN THE STAFF OF
P The Auburn Plainsman +
THEP LAINSMAN.COM
(we buy broken phones/laptops)
334 - 741 - 0808 221 S. 9TH ST. OPELIKA, AL 36801 NEXT TO LEE COUNT Y COURTHOUSE
Wine Night Wednesday
ar
1/2 cup pickle juice 1 large egg 1/4 cup whole mik 1 cup flour 1 tablespoon powdered sug-
Looking for: writers ∙ editors ∙ photographers ∙ videographers ∙ graphic designers ∙ and more
APPLY NOW! Applications available online at ThePlainsman.com or in the
Plainsman office ∙ AUSC 1111 ∙
the oven for approximately 1015 minutes or until done. Butter buns and place in the oven for approximately 3 minutes. Place pickles on bun, then chicken. While this recipe might take time, it is worth it to have healthier and cleaner alternatives to this popular Chick-filA meal. Anne can be reached at intrigue@ThePlainsman.com.
Print Deadline Noon three business days prior to publication