Father and son stormtroopers page 7
The Auburn Plainsman A Spirit That Is Not Afraid
Thursday, February 11, 2016 Vol. 123, Issue 19, 12 Pages
First copy is free. Additional copies 50 cents per issue.
community
‘Devastating’ Community comes to student’s aid after she loses home, pets in fire
Maria McIlwain
Community editor
Darma, Katie Hogan’s 6-year-old hound mix, was unusually well-behaved on her 3/4mile walk around the trailer park they called home. “I wish I would have let her sniff every piece of grass and pee on everything she wanted to and take our time,” Hogan said. “If only I would have known.” Hogan, fourth-year veterinary student, scolded 4-year-old Rueben, a domestic shorthair, for eating out of Wednesday, her 5-month-old tortoise-shell kitten’s bowl. “I remember scolding him like, ‘Stop, Rueben. You’re going to get fatter,’” Hogan said. That was Darma’s last walk and the last time she would scold
Rueben. Hogan’s pets died in a fire that destroyed her home on Monday, Feb. 1. She was at school, sitting in the critical care rounds room working on a computer when she heard the news of the “devastating” fire. “Rachel, a girl who lives in the park and who’s also a fourth-year vet student, opens the door and says, ‘Katie, I’m really sorry to have to tell you this, but your house is on fire,’” Hogan said. “I just ran ... I remember just crying and saying, ‘Bring me my pets, bring me my pets.’ And so after they got the fire under control, I was able to go see them, and I just sat with them for a little while.” The moment she arrived was “handsdown” the worst moment of her life. “They were on a little tarp out there,” Hogan said. “I remember running up and crying and seeing them, and everybody that was already here was crying for me.”
If someone looks through the charred remains of the front room that used to be her bedroom, they can almost see down the length of the trailer. Inside, much of what used to be her belongings lie untouched. It would be a typical student’s living room, except for the wilted ceiling fan, melted glass windows, lingering smell of smoke and black soot. The soot coats everything except for one patch in front of the refrigerator. She thinks that’s where the firefighters found Darma. “They immediately busted down that door and grabbed Darma,” Hogan said. “They put oxygen on her and everything. They tried their best.” Hogan had Darma since her days at Murray State, where she earned her undergraduate degree. Darma was a Carmen dog, named for the Carmen Pavilion, where they keep seven or eight dogs so veterinary students at Murray State can learn how to perform medical treatments. “I joked that she knew I was her mom way before I did,” Hogan said. “When I decided to take her, I still had a year left of
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dakota sumpter / photo editor
Elections
Westerhouse wins SGA president
Student Government
Corey Williams Campus Editor
The votes are in, and Jesse Westerhouse is Auburn’s next SGA president. “I want to thank the Lord above all else,” Westerhouse said shortly after receiving the news. SGA reported receiving 8,800 total votes, but only 7,646 votes were cast in the presidential election. Turnout for the election was approximately 34 percent, roughly the same as last year. At Monday’s debate, Westerhouse said his qualifications for SGA president come down to two things: his experience and his passion. “My passion is to serve each and every one of you,” Westerhouse said. He faced a small amount of criticism from his opponents, especially Drake Pooley, during the debate. “If you want a goofy and kindhearted man who’s in a fraternity, vote for Jesse Westerhouse tomorrow,” Pooley said. He was also the only presidential candidate to receive violation reports, though he was found not guilty of all three. One violation, reported by opponent Adam Brasher, alleged Westerhouse’s “W” logo violated section 709.1.7.1 of the Code of Laws, which states, “No candidate shall model a campaign design off of a trademarked or copyrighted design or logo held by a public or private company or organization regardless of the campaign receiving permission.” Brasher claimed the design and copyright for the design is held by Spalding Group, a Republican design firm. The elections council ruled 5-1 that the design was “sufficiently original.” Westerhouse said his team did
Dakota sumpter / photo editor
SGA President Walker Byrd hosts the SGA debate. Dakota sumpter / photo editor
SGA President-elect Jesse Westerhouse hugs a supporter at SGA callouts on the steps of Cater Hall.
extensive research and did not find a copyright. He also changed the font to ensure it wasn’t an exact copy of George W. Bush’s famous logo. “When it was approved by the elections twice, we figured we were good to go,” Westerhouse said. “Tons of credit to my campaign manager, Hunter Gibson, for all the research and preparation he did to ensure we ran a good, clean campaign.” All other violations were unanimously dismissed. Despite the accusations, SGA reported Westerhouse received 55 percent of the presidential vote. Pooley came in second with 37 percent, and Brasher finished last with 8 percent. Pooley said Westerhouse is “a great guy and a great friend,” and he was glad the students’ voices were heard. Brasher was disappointed with his loss, but said students voted
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Byrd seeks to end late ‘high-stakes’ assignments Jim Little
editor-in-chief
The clock is running on Walker Byrd’s term as SGA president, but there is one initiative Byrd hopes to build student support on. Over the course of the last year, Byrd’s administration has sought to work with the University to bring a halt to “high-stakes” assignments such as projects, test and quizzes from being due during the last week of regular classes. Byrd said the proposal started with a resolution passed in the SGA senate in 2014 calling for dead days in the academic calendar. “Dead days weren’t really a feasible option for the calendar,” Byrd said. “So we re-evaluated and looked at what’s best for students’ success. After looking at it, we thought some kind of terminology like this proposal would be the route to go.” SGA President-elect Jesse Westerhouse, who serves as executive vice president of initiatives in Byrd’s administration, said he’s worked on the proposal over the last year. Gurden Smith / Graphics editor
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