The Auburn Plainsman 02.14.19

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A SPIRIT THAT IS NOT AFRAID • NEWS SINCE 1893

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2019

VOL. 126 • ISSUE 20 • FIRST COPY FREE THEN 50¢

ELECTIONS

‘More difficult than people know’ Campaign managers weigh in on what it’s like to give it their all but not get it all

By MEGAN FERINGA

All of our fraternity tried to put a hand on him — you know, just good luck.”

At 10:32 p.m., the Elections Council strolled onto Cater Hall’s balcony to roars of delight. Garrison’s hand interlocked with Jones’. Bullington and his crew closed in tighter.

“But then, there’s the overarching thought in my mind: ‘What if we lose?’” Bullington said. “How’s that going to affect Ahbi’s passion for his vision?”

Garrison had similar thoughts.

“It’s not so much nerves that you won’t win. My

Campus Writer campus@theplainsman.com

On election night, Julia Garrison walked arm in arm to the back of Cater Hall with her SGA presidential candidate, Brooks Jones.

“He thought he was going to throw up,” Garrison said. “I thought I was too, but I couldn’t say that.”

Owen Bullington stood right beside his SGA treasurer candidate, Ahbi Gulati.

“I was expecting to lift him on my shoulders,” Bullington said. “All his Top 10 and I locked arms.

» See CAMPAIGNS, 5

CAMERON BRASHER / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Winners of SGA elections are announced at Callouts on Feb. 5, 2019.

TRANSPORTATION

VALENTINE’S DAY

For the love of Joy

By EDUARDO MEDINA Enterprise Editor enterprise@theplainsman.com

discount the University and the ride-hailing partner will be able to provide students, faculty and staff.

“There are different models that work throughout the nation,” Block said. “Some give full discounts and students have free rides. There are some that work with declining debit balance.

Some essentially work like a credit card.”

The University of Alabama launched a similar program last year. It offers anyone with an Alabama ID a 15 percent discount on Lyft rides 24 hours a day. And on typical bar nights, the program offers an additional 10 percent discount for a total 25 percent discount on Lyft rides.

Auburn appears to be moving in a similar direction.

Sometimes french fries poked out of Brooke Joy’s ears, her playful laughter filling the restaurant.

Her girlfriend, Jo McCall, would look around to see if anyone else was watching this jokester — this woman who rescued too many dogs and never learned to swim, whose hazel eyes were warmer than cocoa and may have been the easiest thing to look at in the world.

“Joy laughed all the time,” McCall said. “That was my girl, always making jokes.”

Once, while on the Jenny Lake trail at Teton National Park, the couple heard a grunting sound come out of the woods.

“I took off running,” McCall said.

“And then [Joy] said, ‘Thank you for helping me! Glad you care about me!’”

Of course, caring was crucial for both of their careers. McCall was a physical therapist, Joy a nurse anesthetist. They first met in Birmingham in 1966, when being lesbian was one of the many surefire ways to be unjustly marginalized in Alabama. While McCall was at Auburn studying health science, she felt sick

» See RIDESHARE, 4

» See JOY, 2

FILE PHOTO

Discounted ride-hailing program planned The plan calls for reduced-fair rides for students via a partner like Uber or Lyft

By CHIP BROWNLEE Editor-in-chief editor@theplainsman.com

Starting in July, Auburn is hoping to offer students, faculty and staff discounted rides through a company like Uber or Lyft.

The University released a request for proposals Tuesday, officially launching the process to find a specific company to offer the discounted rides.

The request asks bidders, whether it be Uber, Lyft or another ride-hailing company, to provide specific details about how they could implement such a program on campus.

The partnership with the company will provide “safe-ride” and “ride-share” services within a 5-mile radius of campus during designated hours, according to the request for proposals. The Uni-

versity said the system will supplement existing transportation options on and off campus.

Student Government President Dane Block told The Plainsman that SGA has been heavily involved in pushing for such a ride-hailing partnership.

“This idea of a subsidized ride-share program came from analyzing what students are using most now in the forms of transportation,” Block said.

“We have limited parking on campus, and that issue will be addressed in the coming years, but another issue we need to address is how to get people from point A to point B.” The RFP outlines a broad framework for how the partnership would work. Whether the partnership will be with Uber, Lyft or another third party will be determined by an open bid process.

After a bidder is selected, contract negotiations will determine the exact cost and how much of a

CAMPUS

Blackface, racist photos among those in pages of old Glomerata yearbooks

By CHIP BROWNLEE and LOREN KIMMEL Editor-in-chief and Lifestyle Editor editor@theplainsman.com

A Plainsman review of more than two dozen copies of the Glomerata yearbook found a number of depictions of blackface and racist photos, including one on the page of now-Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey’s

sorority.

Ivey, who was a senior the year the picture ran on Alpha Gamma Delta’s page in 1967, denies knowing about the page, which includes a photo of five young white wom-

en wearing black masks and shirts with exaggerated caricatures of black people on the pockets.

The photo submitted to the yearbook, apparently taken during a rush event that academic year, is accompanied by a caption that reads, “Alpha Gam Minstrels welcome rushees aboard their show-

CAMPUS Auburn Dance Marathon raises more than $500,000 for local hospital Since AUDM came to campus in 2011, the organization has raised over $2.5 million Page 4

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boat.” The women in the photo are not identified on the page.

The photos take on interest amid heightened attention to blackface, minstrelsy, KKK regalia and nooses in university yearbooks as Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam faces calls for his resignation after a racist photo on his 1984

medical school yearbook page surfaced.

Ivey’s spokesman said she had never seen the Alpha Gamma Delta page from her senior year until Saturday morning when The Plainsman contacted her office for comment on this story.

“We talked to the governor this morning,” Ivey’s

press secretary Daniel Sparkman said. “She knows nothing about the page in the first place, and she does not appear on that page.”

Ivey is mentioned for her role as SGA vice president in the write-up about the sorority on the same page, and she

» See YEARBOOKS, 2

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YEARBOOKS » From 1

appears in the composite on the other page of the sorority’s spread.

The governor was president of her pledge class in 1964, but her spokesman said she took on less responsibility in the sorority as her involvement in other campus organizations picked up.

“After that time, she remained a member, but she took no further roles in the sorority because her focus shifted during her freshman year to SGA activities,” Sparkman said. “Every year she was at Auburn, she was elected to an SGA position ending with vice president during her senior year.”

The governor had nothing to say about the sorority’s page or its contents.

“Other than that we know nothing about it,” Sparkman said.

BLACKFACE, RACISM AND THE GLOM Photos of students in blackface, performing minstrel shows and other racist images appear often in archived copies of Auburn University’s official yearbook. The Plainsman’s review of more than 20 Glomerata copies found photos of blackface as late as 1980.

Minstrel shows — comedic performances by white people in exaggerated black makeup, masks or other types of blackface — appeared in a number of photos submitted by Greek organizations throughout the 1960s, ‘70s and ‘80s.

Like Alpha Gamma Delta, other sororities performed minstrel shows, including Auburn’s Gamma Phi Beta chapter shown in the 1969 issue of the Glomerata.

The submitted picture includes two members of the sorority dressed in blackface performing for an audience. The photo caption reads, “Mammy’s little baby loves shortening, shortening…”

Mammy, a common stereotype of black women who did domestic work for white families, was often a staple of minstrel shows.

This caption references the poem turned folk song “Shortnin’ Bread,” which is regarded as a traditional plantation song. The chorus of the song includes, “Mammy’s little baby loves short’nin’, short’nin,’ Mammy’s little

JOY

» From 1 in the head. Every day, the same questions tortured her: Am I alone? Will I be hurt if I’m found out?

After graduation, while living like “a second-class citizen” in the shadows, McCall drove back to her home city of Birmingham — now soaked with firehose water and the blood from black protesters. It was a time when differences meant death and homosexuality was a synonym for crazy. A time when McCall looked around and saw a city in turmoil and looked in the mirror to see a woman afraid to love.

“Back then, you could be killed for being gay,” McCall said.

And so she hid. Then someone else who was hiding, a Chicago girl studying nursing, came up to her at a party. Her hair was brown, her name Joy. And quickly, McCall wondered if it was normal to laugh this much with another person. And Joy looked at her with those almond-colored eyes. And the floor, McCall said, ruptured beneath her. And, now that she thinks about it, it does feel like falling, she said.

“She was so fun,” McCall said. “And she loved to dance.”

McCall pauses and walks toward the wall with a calendar hooked on.

“Here, to give you an idea of us,” McCall said.

They stand beside mountains in the pictures for January. On the next page, their glovedhands are clasped as they pose in Bar Harbor, Maine. In March, Joy’s fingers touch a rubbery dolphin by the Gulf.

When McCall flips through the calendar, all she sees is her girl, and all she can do is go back to that mountain, wondering how it was that they danced on so many trails and so many beaches, feeling the fear of their youth crumble like the sand beneath their feet in June.

“I don’t think our love would’ve been as special if we didn’t love others,” McCall said.

On Valentine’s, they never went out. People would “stare at two women eating out on that day,” McCall said. Instead they stained their mouth purple with wine and ate pasta until they felt bloated. They watched the cinders fall from the fire as they laughed. They — who once felt like the only “different girls in the world,” who heard their country call them sinners and could still feel a familiar, hateful Alabama gaze when going out — looked at one another, McCall said, as if to ask: Who ever loved as we do now?

She’ll still look at Joy’s eyes today, but she might not look back. Or she might be asleep, resting those pretty brown things that have gone through too much since 2007, when she first got lost.

It was a late afternoon in 2011 when Joy,

2 THEPLAINSMAN.COM baby loves short’nin bread.”

The current editor of the Glomerata, Jacob Sparks, said content on organization pages was submitted by the organizations themselves. That remains true today, he said, but in recent years, the yearbook’s staff has strived to better filter content to “best reflect the integrity of Auburn University.”

Austin McCoy, assistant professor of history at Auburn, said minstrel shows were not uncommon in all-white groups even as the performances, once popular in the 1800s, lost appeal throughout the 20th century and especially after the civil rights movement.

“Folks who are participating start to do so in an underground setting,” McCoy said. “It’s not out in the open. It’s not in popular culture as much. It’s mostly limited to a lot of all-white frats, all-white communities and all-white settings that continue this practice. They’re doing so not knowing that eventually imagery or evidence of this is going to come out.”

Public debate about the racist nature of blackface and minstrelsy is not new, though, he said.

Public criticism of blackface and minstrelsy dates back to at least the 1910s, when “The Birth of a Nation” was released in 1915. The film was highly controversial, even in that period, for its portrayal of black men — many of whom were played by white actors in blackface — as sexually aggressive and unintelligent.

“Someone who does this is really trying to embody racist stereotypes of black people,” McCoy said. “Participating in minstrel shows for many white folks who donned blackface was about making black folks not seem real and therefore making it easier for other white Americans to discriminate or even inflict violence against black people. So when people participate in this, they can’t separate their participating in it in the present day from the racist past of minstrelsy and blackface. There is no separating the two.”

On Auburn’s Pi Kappa Phi chapter page in the 1967 Glomerata, a photo including a group of students surrounding someone in blackface was taken at their “Jungle Party.”

Examples of blackface were found as recently as 1980 on Phi Delta Theta’s yearbook page.

A photo shows a student donned in blackface wearing a straw hat. The caption of the photo reads, “Uncle Remus and Daniel Boone tell jokes at the Fisherman’s Party.” crying in her car, called McCall. She told McCall she had no idea where she was — by a church but not sure where.

“I panicked,” McCall said. “I asked her ‘what’s the church?’ and she said ‘I don’t know.

I don’t know.’”

She asked her to walk in the church and ask for help. Then McCall asked the same thing to God. Another night, Joy woke McCall up around 3 a.m. In a frenzy, Joy told McCall, “I got to go home. I got to go see about my dogs.” Their dogs were there beside the bed, as they were every night.

“The next day we went to a neurologist, and that’s when he diagnosed her,” McCall said.

Normally, there’s a series of tests one goes through when checked for dementia. But after watching her girl struggle through the first one, McCall asked the doctor to please stop. It was clear.

She forgot the names of the dogs she rescued. She asked Joy where her bedroom was.

Sometimes her blouse was on backward.

When Joy wanted “to go home,” the two got up and rode around the neighborhood looking until Joy got tired.

“I hope you do not have to watch someone you love disappear before your eyes,” McCall said.

And she hopes no one has to listen to their loved one tell them they’re going to see their mother who died 26 years ago. Or see them drive their car into the mud, forcing someone to take their keys. That is her car, she’ll scream, and people must give her back the things she’s losing because she is angry.

Joy is now in the advanced stage of dementia. She can’t speak anymore, so McCall tells her stories, sings for her and plays their favorite CDs that they took on their trips to see the dolphins.

There’s a video of Joy, before she was in the advanced stage, that shows her dedicate a dance to McCall. “My Girl” by The Temptations plays in the background.

When it’s cold outside, I’ve got the month of May She wears a lime-green shirt and swings her feet gently, trying to match the nurse dancing next to her. McCall, like always, laughs along.

I guess you’d say, what could make me feel this way?

Her fingers point to McCall, then to her heart. There’s hollering in the background, the type heard at school playgrounds when a kid walks to their crush.

My girl, my girl, my girl. Talkin’ ‘bout my girl She messes up the timing and laughs, saying to her lover sweetly, “I’m sorry.”

And how, McCall asks, could she be upset at this beautiful thing.

“Everybody wants the same thing. Everyone wants to be with those they love,” McCall says, as she watches her girl twirl and relives the memory for them both.

NEWS

VIA AUBURN UNIVERSITY DIGITAL ARCHIVES

Bottom: A photo in the 1969 issue on Gamma Phi Beta’s page shows two members of the sorority dressed in blackface performing for an audience. Top: This picture ran on Alpha Gamma Delta’s page in 1967. It includes a photo of five young white women wearing black masks and shirts with exaggerated caricatures of black people on the pockets.

But blackface wasn’t the only type of racist imagery submitted to the Glomerata.

A photo on Delta Sigma Phi’s page in 1970 shows the fraternity chapter with a fraternity brother wearing overalls and posing in a noose held by a fellow member of the fraternity, who is also holding a shotgun in his right hand — an apparent allusion to lynching.

Unlike most of the pages, the young men in these photos are identified explicitly in that year’s issue. The noose also appears within a Glomerata staff diagram of the photo used to identify those in the photo.

The Plainsman found other examples on Alpha Tau Omega and Alpha Chi Omega’s pages in 1980 and 1978.

Auburn University President Steven Leath responded to this story in a statement to The Plainsman.

“Auburn is committed to upholding a com-

munity that supports and promotes dignity, integrity, responsibility and mutual respect,” Leath said. “We focus on preparing our students for life and leadership in a multicultural world.”

Auburn’s yearbook is not the only university annual that includes racist photos.

A number of schools, particularly schools in the South, are reviewing their yearbooks to gain a better understanding of their history. Students, journalists and academics have uncovered dozens of racist photos since Northam’s page was uncovered.

The College of William & Mary last week ordered an audit of its yearbooks after officials acknowledged a number of racist photos.

University of Maryland President Wallace D. Loh called racist images in the school’s old yearbooks “profoundly hurtful and distressing.”

Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award

NOMINATIONS

OPEN

Each year, Auburn University recognizes the efforts of three individuals who represent our institution through their humanitarian leadership and contributions to the community.

Eligible recipients of the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award include one male and one female student from the 2019 graduating class as well as one non-student member of the campus community.

Faculty, students, staff, alumni and friends of the University are encouraged to nominate individuals they believe are deserving of this prestigious honor.

Visit studentaffairs.auburn.edu/for-students/awards/ for more information.

From Auburn Student Affairs @AuburnStudents

auburn.edu/StudentAffairs

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OPINION

OUR VIEW

CHIP BROWNLEE / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF AND LOREN KIMMEL / LIFESTYLE EDITOR

Blackface: It was racist then, and it’s racist now

By EDITORIAL BOARD Spring 2019

Over the last two weeks, images of students, influencers and elected officials clad in theatrical costumes with black paint plastered on their skin resurfaced with due criticism, but also resounding apologist sentiment.

Auburn did not find itself exempt from the widespread American phenomenon of minstrelsy or blackface.

The Auburn Plainsman recently published two stories detailing Auburn’s intimate relationship with racism and blackface. One concerned a review of Glomeratas, and the other involved an incident with an Auburn High School student.

The resurgence of found instances of blackface is rooted in the systemic dehumanization and historical caricaturing of black people.

Although The Plainsman found pictures depicting students in blackface in Glomeratas from 1960 to as recently as 1980, blackface continues to plague our community.

Those who put on blackness as a costume during that time submitted to the yearbook almost annually.

In 2001, members of a fraternity wore Ku Klux Klan costumes and posed with a man in blackface wearing a noose in front of a Confederate flag.

In another image, several members of a fraternity wore blackface and wigs to a party.

Both fraternities were suspended.

Last week, an Auburn High School student posted a picture of herself in blackface with the caption, “Is this what being a n----- feels like.”

Each instance speaks to a larger cultural problem that not only demeans the black body and black culture but also na-

tional and historical understandings of black people as people.

Austin McCoy, assistant professor of history at Auburn, spoke to the damaging nature of blackface, describing its historical groundings in minstrel shows.

“Blackface was about making black folks not seem real and therefore making it easier for other white Americans to discriminate or even inflict violence against black people,” McCoy told The Plainsman.

The act of wearing another human being as a costume separates the race being worn from their personhood. That makes it easier to dismiss their oppression as mere fable.

These mindsets seep into our collective American consciousness, causing the ideology to pass from one generation to the next.

Alabama’s history is inextricable from racism and violence toward the black community. Perhaps, racism’s distinct Alabama-ness is the reason why so many who call the state home are afraid to call these actions what they are — overtly and blatantly racist, then and now.

A number of people who comment on our Facebook and Twitter about our pieces argued the 1960s, ‘70s and ‘80s were a different time — that we should not judge those in that time by today’s moral standards. They said we should “move on.”

That mindset is dangerous. With racism obviously still with us today, it’s imperative that we remember our history and recognize where we went wrong. And we have to do that without qualifiers like, “It was a different time.”

Yes, it was a different time. The difference was that racism was acceptable. Just because something was socially acceptable, doesn’t make it not racist.

Other things, like lynching and Jim Crow segregation, were not only socially acceptable, but they were law. That doesn’t

make them any less immoral or any less racist.

The truth is that blackface and minstrelsy were racist in the 1800s when the practice was a staple of popular culture.

The truth is that blackface and minstrelsy were racist in the 1900s when black people finally had a platform and the right, in some places, to speak out against it.

The truth is that blackface and minstrelsy were racist in the 1960s, ‘70s and ‘80s when white people chose to continue the practice despite frequent and vocal criticism.

And the truth is that it remains racist.

If we can’t recognize, accept and reflect upon the full reality of our past, how are we to correct our present and better our future?

Remnants of our violent, racist past linger with us today.

They are not gone. The racism of today is generally more subtle. It is words spoken behind closed doors, sentences prefaced with, “I have a black friend” or “I am not racist, but,” and through empty apologies and denial.

Today’s racism is perpetuated by way of willful ignorance.

Blackface is not an innocent mistake. It wasn’t a cute attempt at mimicking popular black artists, no matter the intent.

It is a conscious choice to manipulate the black body and don stereotypical or exaggerated images of blackness.

The formulation of caricatures of black people through minstrelsy existed for the sole purpose of dehumanization and socioeconomic and political suppression.

That history cannot be separated from blackface and minstrelsy today or even a few decades ago.

Alabama cannot distance itself from its past. Alabama and Auburn must confront our shortcomings head on.

No longer can an environment exist where any person deems it permissible to wear blackface.

HIS VIEW

Birmingham Iron good for Alabama sports fans

By JAKE WEESE Sports Writer

I’ll start this piece off by letting the reader know that I was not born an Alabamian; I’m a transplant from Colleyville, Texas, a suburb outside of the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

I spent the first 15 years of my life living in a state that is a sports fan’s mecca.

Growing up and having teams in all of the major professional sports leagues like the Dallas Cowboys, Texas Rangers, Dallas Stars, Dallas Mavericks and FC Dallas was something that I took for granted — not to mention the plethora of college teams in the area like TCU, SMU and UNT. It never occurred to me what it was like to live in a state with no professional teams until I moved to Alabama before my sophomore year of high school.

Now a freshman at Auburn, I don’t know if I speak for the rest of the state, but living here with no professional sports teams, frankly, sucks.

Sure, depending on how close you live to Tennessee or Atlanta, you can make the drive every weekend to see the Hawks, Falcons, Grizzlies or Titans, but for the majority of the state, it is highly inconvenient to do so.

For those who don’t know what the AAF is, I’ll give a brief overview of the league.

The AAF is an eight-team league that will run

for 10 weeks starting the week after the Super Bowl and runs an additional two weeks for the playoffs and championship.

The league, while not directly affiliated with the NFL, provides players an opportunity to showcase their talent in hopes of getting either a second chance or an opportunity in the NFL. When the Alliance of American Football was announced to the public in March 2018, I was instantly interested in the possibility of a team coming to Alabama.

I was forced to play the waiting game until June of that year, when the Birmingham Iron was introduced to the public.

The league smartly chose to make sure each team has familiar faces from colleges in the state where the team plays.

The Iron, for example, has players like Blake Sims, Trent Richardson, Trovon Reed, Ryan White and Quan Bray, all of whom spent their college careers at either Alabama or Auburn.

The AAF kicked off this weekend, and I made sure to have my T.V. on for every game that was available, partially due to the excitement of how everything would operate and also because I want the league to succeed.

This past weekend, the Iron had their first home game Sunday at the historic Legion Field.

This was fitting for a state that, until the AAF arrived, was dominated by college sports — particuarly, Auburn and Alabama, who played the Iron

Bowl annually at Legion Field until 1998. The venue also currently hosts UAB football.

The game was a success for the Iron as they won 26-0 and the crowd seemed into the game — and into Alabama’s new team. For a new league, though, how individual teams are performing is not the main priority. The priority is attendance and T.V. ratings.

In its debut, Birmingham drew an announced crowd of 17,039. For comparison, UAB’s largest crowd in program history is currently 28,014.

Wheras Alabama reportedly averaged 101,561 fans during its seven home games in 2018 and Auburn reportedly averaged 84,462 at its seven home games.

Comparing the Iron in their debut to Alabama and Auburn, which are both top teams in the college football landscape, might be harsh, especially since this was the first game in a new football league.

The attendance for the first game for the AAF’s Birmingham Iron wasn’t terrible, and the league itself was happy with the result. But knowing how many fans flock to Jordan-Hare and Bryant-Denny during the fall, it’s annoying to know that Alabama could do a better job of supporting their team.

It’s also frustrating to hear people complain about Alabama not having a professional team and then not showing up to support when they get one.

OPINION PAGE POLICIES The Auburn Plainsman welcomes letters from students, as well as faculty, administrators, alumni and those not affiliated with the University.

Letters must be submitted to editor@theplainsman.com before 4:30 p.m. on Friday for publication.

Letters must include the author’s name, address and phone number for verification.

Submission may be edited for grammar, style and length. Please submit no more than 600 words.

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COLUMNS & EDITORIALS The opinions of The Auburn Plainsman staff are restricted to these pages.

This editorial is the majority opinion of the Editorial Board and is the official opinion of the newspaper.

The opinions expressed in columns and letters represent the views and opinions of their individual authors.

These opinions do not necessarily reflect the Auburn University student body, faculty, administration or Board of Trustees.

CONTACT

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Looking at all the announced attendance’s for the AAF in Week 1, Birmingham finished third out of the four teams that hosted games behind San Antonio (27,857) and Orlando (20,191) but ahead of Arizona (15,000).

People will complain that it’s not the same thing as having an NFL team in the state. If people want a league like the NFL or NBA to take notice of Alabama, than you have to support the organizations you do have.

I understand that not everyone can afford to go to a game either because of gas costs, ticket prices, or travel, but people should support their team on T.V. The AAF debut games on Saturday night, which were a split broadcast, did well, recording a 2.1 in the overnight Nielsen ratings and drew a similar score to ABC’s Saturday night primetime NBA game, which also registered a 2.1.

Once again, I am just one person, and I may only be a naturalized Alabamian, but as someone who has lived in the state for four years now, I will be supporting our Birmingham Iron, and I implore the readers to, as well. You don’t have to attend every game, but support can also be shown by watching the games on T.V. If you want more sports teams in our state, it starts by supporting the ones you have already.

Let’s go Iron.

Jake Weese is a freshman in journalism and is a sportswriter for The Plainsman.

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CAMPUS

FUNDRAISING

AUDM raises $500,000 for local hospital

By JORDAN WINDHAM Campus Writer

Bass shakes the floor. Hundreds of Auburn students illuminated by flashing lights cluster around the stage, screaming the words to “Whatever It Takes” as it’s announced that Auburn University Dance Marathon raised just over $500,000 during the past year for the Columbus Regional Medical Center.

Over the course of the past year, AUDM has fundraised with the efforts culminating at the main event Saturday, a 14-hour Dance Marathon. It began at 10 a.m., and students raised money all the way up until midnight when it was revealed how much AUDM raised for its partner Children’s Miracle Network Hospital.

“I want to be a pediatric nurse and just hearing the families’ stories, that really hits home to me because that’s the reason I want to do what I’m doing,” said Savannah Kubala, freshman AUDM participant. “I want to help families like that, and I want to help kids like that. So I’m probably going to be doing this every year now.”

Part of Children Miracle Network Dance Marathon’s mission statement is to dance for those who can’t. Participants had to stay on their feet for the entirety of the event, which included playing Just Dance, being visited by a hypnotist, singing along to countless songs and listening to the testimonials of over 15 families who have been helped by the work of AUDM. “One person was born like four months early, and it’s amazing that they survived, and that was thanks to the money that we raise here,” said Jacob Dewey, AUDM participant and freshman in aerospace engineering. “It was just nice to be able to see the human side. Instead of like, ‘Oh, we raised half a million.’ It’s like we can see where the money goes and how it affects their lives.”

The total amount raised was $502,195 over the course of the year, which is down from last year when AUDM raised $568,417.

Since AUDM came to campus in 2011, the organization has

raised over $2.5 million.

“We’re here to serve the community in a nice, fun, clean way — a good way to spend a Saturday and take a little study break,” said Gavyn McCall, AUDM participant and senior in psychology. “I’ve met so many good, kind people tonight that I never would have met without this event. There are so many families who have persevered in their struggles. They’ve honestly given me strength to carry on. They inspire me.”

The air was filled with screams of joy as the participants celebrated the work that they have done to benefit Piedmont Regional’s neonatal intensive care unit, which cares for premature babies and has been a primary fundraising focus of AUDM. AUDM aims to raise $2 million in five years specifically for the complete expansion and renovation of the NICU. It’s only the third year of five, and AUDM has already raised more than $1 million.

The favorite moment of the night for Tatom Moore, AUDM vice president of finance, was when a woman approached her, crying and celebrating because she had reached her goal and pushed further, raising more money than she had thought possible.

The participant’s passion for the children, Moore said, was an inspirational moment during an amazing night, igniting the true AUDM spirit.

For those looking to get involved, AUDM is already preparing to open applications for its next fundraising season and Dance Marathon.

“Just because this event ends, doesn’t mean these kids stop being sick,” Moore said.

The organization has many different positions available and welcomes anyone who wants to contribute.

“I have four younger sisters, and so growing up, I always experienced having small children in my house,” Dewey said.

“Nothing was wrong with them, but if something was, then I would have wanted for my parents not to have had to worry about paying medical bills. So being able to raise money for the people who are in that situation just feels amazing.”

IRELAND DODD / PHOTOGRAPHER

AUDM participants dance on Feb. 9, 2019, in Auburn, Ala.

IRELAND DODD / PHOTOGRAPHER

The AUDM Morale team and participants dance on Feb. 9, 2019, in Auburn, Ala.

SPOTLIGHT

Professor’s journey from journalist to teacher

By KAYLA KELLY Campus Writer

Auburn University journalism lecturer Phillip Rawls wrote his own life story stemming from just a small town in Gantt, Alabama.

As a child, Rawls was more engaged in the news than any other teenagers he knew at the time. Rawls had been involved in his high school newspaper since the 10th grade. He worked his way up to being senior editor by the time of his graduation.

On top of his responsibilities with the high school newspaper, Rawls was highly involved with the layout and design of the high school yearbook as well.

But over time, he became more passionate about news and journalism.

“I always enjoyed reading the newspaper, magazines and watching the news on television,” Rawls said. “That is when I became interested in the news world.”

As he began his education at The University of Alabama, Rawls was certain he wanted to major in journalism but was unsure when it came to where he wanted to take his career upon graduation —at least until he started reading The Birmingham News and the Montgomery Advertiser.

“I did not know if I was going to go into journalism and go right to work or if I wanted to go to law school after,” Rawls said. “I decided I wanted to do the journalism route. It seemed like, at the time, everyone was trying to go to law school, and I was never one to go with the flow.”

He always enjoyed really good feature writers.

“There was a feature writer at The Montgomery Advertiser,” Rawls said. “His name was Buster Mcguire, and I read everything he wrote. Being exposed

RIDESHARE » From 1

The framework of the University’s request calls for a “ride-sharing program” to be available 24 hours a day whenever classes are in session.

A separate “safe-ride program” would be available Wednesday night through Sunday night from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. The heftier discount would likely apply during those late-night rides to incentivize students to take safer rides home from local bars.

“During that time frame, any registered student can go on their Uber or Lyft or another third-party app and request a ride within a certain radius of the campus,” Block said. “We’re utilizing the University’s funds for transportation and utilizing the third parties who have perfected giving these personalized rides.”

Block said part of the discussion has been about how to better make use of the University’s funds.

Tiger Ten service — the late-night buses that run from downtown on weekends from 10:30 p.m. to 3 a.m. — has seen a decrease in ridership in recent years. The decrease is about 50 percent since the service launched, he said.

“I don’t think this is really any surprise

to those newspapers alongside the magazines and Sunday New York Times my mother had delivered to her beauty shop had an influence.”

During his time at The University of Alabama, Rawls worked for the newspaper on campus and had started working on his first story before even beginning his first freshman courses.

He was assigned a story that was going to cover the behind the scenes of the brand new multi-purpose arena, Coleman Coliseum.

The story was going to be a tell-all piece about the several features within the arena. After calling the sports information department to set up a visit, Rawls began to head over to the arena to meet with someone who was part of the staff to be given a tour.

When Rawls got there, he was introduced to head football coach and athletic director at the time, Paul “Bear” Bryant.

Bryant showed Rawls every aspect of the arena. From the locker rooms to the practice hall in the basement and the entertainment room, Rawls was on an hour-and-a-half long tour with an Alabama legend.

“He was just so gracious,” Rawls said. “When you go from writing for a high school newspaper and yearbook to interviewing Bear Bryant, not much intimidated me after that. He did me a real favor and probably never even realized it. An experience like that changed my trajectory.”

After earning a bachelor’s degree in journalism, Rawls decided to stick around the University of Alabama to receive his master’s in journalism.

Rawls went onto a career writing for The Atmore Advance and the Montgomery Advertiser before retiring a 35-year reporting career with the Associated Press.

because we’re always pushing and moving forward,” Block said. “Students love technology. People love technology. It’s really just figuring out how to leverage that technology when it comes to transportation.”

With any new service, there will be concerns about safety, Block said. The contract will include certain safety requirements like background checks and licensing.

“They are constantly being innovative in how they can improve the rides for the individual, whether that be technology on the phone to track where you’re going to or to share your location with a friend or a family member,” Block said. “Or also being able to dial 911 or another emergency service right there through the app.”

Tiger Ten has had its own safety issues that may have contributed to a drop in ridership.

In 2017, two drivers were arrested and charged in connection with a student who was raped on a Tiger Ten bus.

The trial of the two men, Tony Patillo and James Johnson, is set for later this month.

The contractor who runs the bus system, First Transit, later decided to place a security guard on each late-night bus.

It isn’t clear whether the Tiger Ten service will be discontinued or simply restructured when a ride-hailing partner-

During his time with AP, Rawls covered everything from sports to weather but mostly concentrated on politics and government. Rawls ended up covering seven governors during his time with AP. After spending 35 years within the journalism industry, Rawls thought it was a good time to settle down and retire. Surely enough, he found that the retirement life was not for him.

“When you’re used to making split-second decisions in the news business and then suddenly the only decision you have to make is what day this week I was going to mow the grass, I just didn’t make that transition very well at all,” Rawls said.

A member of Auburn’s Journalism Advisory Council later contacted him about a job opening.

Rawls was interested and made the decision to head back to work.

“One thing I love about working here at Auburn is the students,” Rawls said. “The students are so eager to learn and energetic. I particularly love the ones who have to work hard for everything. I always had to work hard for everything and love the ones who have to struggle a little bit as I did. I was never the smartest person in any room. So I know I’m not going to be the smartest person in the room, but I am going to be the hardest working in the room. I really enjoy the students that have that kind of philosophy.”

From a decades-long journalism career to a teaching career at Auburn University, Rawls has made an impact on campus with all of his students.

“I learned the best piece of advice as a journalist from my very first boss,” Rawls said. “Write every story as if the first person you’re going to run into the next morning at the coffee shop will be the person you wrote about, that way you will always do your best to be fair. I think that still applies.”

ship arrives on campus.

“One thing we’ve really done as SGA is to make sure we’ve done everything as far as marketing to make sure everyone knows about the opportunities,” Block said. “As we’ve seen, it did not improve the ridership at all. When the Tiger Ten was first implemented it was serving masses. It was killing it. But as time has gone on, ridership has decreased.”

Daytime Tiger Transit service won’t be leaving campus, though. The 24/7 discounted Uber or Lyft rides will be a supplement to Tiger Transit service, which is free for students. Security shuttles, which provide free nighttime transportation on campus, will remain, as well.

“Obviously you can’t fully take out a University-funded transit such as Tiger Transit,” Block said. “That serves the masses. Uber and Lyft or any other third party just simply won’t have the capability to serve a student body of over 30,000.”

The University is also working to standardize pick-up and drop-off zones within main campus.

The partnership would provide benefits for Auburn students, faculty and staff on official University trips, too.

The deadline for companies to bid on providing the service is March 13, and the service will be fully implemented by July 1, 2019.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2019

The Auburn Plainsman

PAGE 5

CURRENT EVENTS

New York abortion law sparks discussion among students

By NATALIE BECKERINK Campus Writer

Recently, the Reproductive Health Act passed in New York, prompting fierce reactions from both sides of the political aisle.

The controversial legislation has been hailed by abortion rights advocates as a victory for reproductive choice and criticized by anti-abortion activists as a step backward. Auburn students have an opinion on the matter, too.

The Reproductive Health Act changed parts of New York’s abortion restrictions, one of the most prominent being that abortions can now be performed after 24 weeks. This action was restricted to protecting the mother’s health or in the absence of fetal viability.

Anti-abortion students from the Students for Life organization had just returned from the March for Life when the new law passed.

Conner Ettmueller, junior in professional flight, was in charge of organizing the trip and expressed the thoughts of the group after receiving the news.

“It feels like we go to this march, and we’re excited to stand for something, and then we get slapped in the face, but that’s not the way I like to look at it,” Ettmueller said. “I like to look at it as an opportunity to show the students that were involved that this is a real-world thing, and this is something other people believe — so long as we are able to love these people the same way we do anyone else and show them affection and show them we are with them in times of trouble.”

Auburn’s chapter of Students for Life holds strong anti-abortion views, a sentiment that was shown through the way Ettmueller discussed the movement.

“As an organization, we believe that life is valuable and precious and should be protected at any stage,” Ettmueller said.

“Whether that’s in the womb [or] at the point of conception, that’s where we believe life begins.”

While the Students for Life saw the passage as a bad thing, students in Auburn’s College Democrats believed the law to be very helpful for the women’s rights movement. Abbyleigh Jenkins, senior in political science, emphasized this excitement shared among many of her peers.

“I think it’s great because previously if women had health risks late term in their pregnancy, they would have to leave the state of New York to go get help, so I think it’s great that they are able to stay there and get the help they need,” Jenkins said.

With two very different takes on the legislation, there were also contrasting ideas on how a change to abortion legislation would shift the rest of the country’s view on the topic.

Ettmueller believed that the country may go two ways — there could be a stronger resistance to pro-abortion rights legislation or more states may begin to pass laws in favor of the pro-abortion rights movement.

“From a negation standpoint, I think it does set a legal precedent for other states to use the same logic and legislation,” Ettmueller said. “There are more liberal states ... that may follow the same legislation.”

CAMPAIGNS » From 1

belief in Brooks never wavered,” Garrison said.

“But it’s hard not to compare yourself to the other candidates – How many people did they get?

Were they on that corner? Did we need people there?”

Through the lawn’s anxious silence, the Elections Council fired off the winning names.

“It’s a feeling that’s so difficult to understand because you pour your heart and soul into one thing for months on end, working harder than you ever worked on anything else, and then, within minutes, it all comes to an end,” said Tracy Moore, Daniel Calhoun’s presidential campaign manager.

First came Miss Auburn.

“I was upset,” said Tyler Jorgensen, Maddie Sullivan’s campaign manager. “Not for my sake, but for Maddie’s.”

Then, SGA treasurer.

“We dropped our arms once Short’s name was called,” Bullington said. “I just hugged him. It was a hug of relief, a hug of friendship.”

SGA vice president followed.

“I basically collapsed,” said Cameron Veazey, Riley Hambrick’s campaign manager. “In that moment, it’s hard to pretend like you’re alright.”

And finally, SGA president.

“Brooks handled it so humbly — like a real politician,” Garrison said. “I started crying. I was exhausted, and we had put everything into it.”

According to Jorgensen, a campaign manager is a motivator, an activator and a friend. At its simplest, it’s the person “who does what needs to be done” as Moore put it, which includes bringing Taco Bell to the candidate’s aid or answering phone calls at 2 or 3 a.m.

“Your life becomes the life of the candidate,” Veazey said.

Every day is planned, Garrison said.

“What you’re handing out, where you’ll be, who’ll be there, the countless emails you send to people who probably never read them,” Garrison said.

Then come the rules, numbers, platform scripts, graphics, videos, keeping people engaged, creating the teams, confirming materials — the colors, signs, gimmicks — all having to stay under the $1,500 budget.

“And you’re campaigning at all times, every day,” Moore said. “So even though you feel physically horrible, you have to put on a smile as often as you can since everything you do in that shirt reflects back on the campaign.”

Campaign mornings began at 6 a.m. sharp, and the final push began at 5 a.m. on voting day.

“You’re running on fumes and a lot of caffeine,” Garrison said.

“I’d be lucky if I left my house in matching shoes,” Veazey said.

Each night, Bullington found his head hitting his pillow at an hour prior to midnight. Sleep re-

FILE PHOTO

Pro-life demonstration in front of Cater Hall on Tuesday, Oct. 18 in Auburn, Ala.

The idea that family and moral issues should be left up to the states, which is a popular opinion held among the anti-abortion movement, was also discussed by Ettmueller. He emphasized how he believed that this legislation was almost a call to action for state legislators.

“Family and moral issues should be left up for state governments,” Ettmueller said. “It’s very difficult to sit back and watch a federal government made up of nine Supreme Court justices make the decision for an entire country on what the country stands for. Then, it basically becomes the United States of New York and California.”

The students in College Democrats noticed a swift change toward hostility on social media after the law passed. Ashley Henton, junior in apparel design and merchandising, shared her experience.

“Judging from what I’ve seen so far, it’s already sparking a huge uproar with the pro-life community,” Henton said. “Everyone on my Facebook is coming out as pro-life like it’s some controversial thing to be pro-life, and I’ve just heard nothing but a debate on abortion since it passed, so it’s really started a huge conversation.”

With an issue as controversial as abortion, tensions inevitably rose during debates, creating a divide. Jenkins mentioned how she had a personal encounter with negativity on the subject.

“I’ve heard a lot of people within my church group saying, ‘Oh, well obviously you’re not a real Catholic since you are prochoice,’ so I’ve seen a lot of division, especially among religious groups,” Jenkins said.

Though both sides have an opposing take on the subject, everyone can agree that something needs to be done to support women. Students from each organization have ideas on how to make a change, even in Auburn.

fused to come.

And there’s the bother of being a student.

“Even in class, I was thinking I should be doing something campaign related,” Bullington said.

And inevitably, problems arose.

The day before voting day, Bullington drove to Montgomery to pick up a sign, only to realize it was at the Auburn location. Garrison forgot to write No. 1 foam fingers on the materials list, the campaign’s very theme. Moore’s phone broke on kick-off morning.

“If you do your job well, you allow the candidate to shine, letting them fully focus on connecting with the student body, while you handle all the stress and details,” Moore said.

Campaigning wasn’t new for several of the managers.

Garrison worked on Dane Block’s winning presidential campaign last year. Jorgensen had worked on four previous campaigns. Bullington has been on two Top 5 lists.

Yet, the possibility of losing was also not novel. Moore ran for Miss Homecoming last year and placed second. Veazey’s sister ran for Miss Auburn last year and lost.

“Campaigns can truly kill your soul and definitely discourage you,” Veazey said. “But if you can inspire one person, I see it as a win.”

Campaigning at Auburn can be challenging, particularly when voter turnout amasses to just about 40 percent of eligible students, very few attend the candidates’ debates and campaigning’s stigma of a name-recognition game often weighs heavy.

For many students who aren’t involved with SGA, campaign week means matching T-shirts, slogan chanting and avoiding the concourse at all costs.

“I feel like a lot of times people don’t even know the candidates’ platforms and just vote based off who catches them first on voting day or because of cool graphics,” Veazey said. “I wish there was a way to better inform students on what and who they are voting on along with their platforms.”

Campaigning is showing that one really wants to make change at the University, Bullington said, who also said his constant motivation wasn’t the win but rather the candidate.

“Sure, it’d be amazing to have sorority backing and 100-plus people ready to help whenever, but in reality, it didn’t work out that way, but it was still amazing to see the amount of Ahbi shirts out there,” Bullington said.

For the campaign managers, waking up at the crack of dawn, missing meals and losing voices was for more than a bound up the back steps of Cater to a tumultuous applause, though it would’ve helped.

Ultimately, the campaign was a person with a new vision for Auburn.

“We each had a goal in our hearts that we all felt was worth fighting for,” Moore said. “Win or lose, that feeling is indescribable. I do believe in the long run, this is more than a loss. Auburn is in incredible hands heading into this next year.”

The Students for Life in Auburn are focused specifically on educating others on their views instead of responding with hatred and anger.

“As a young pro-life generation, I think there is a huge push on the realization and education on this issue for young people,” Ettmueller said.

Each year, the Students for Life go to the March for Life in Washington D.C. in order to take a stand for their position.

They also hold an event once a year called Crosses on Cater, where an individual cross is placed on Cater Lawn to represent a certain number of abortions. The organization is hoping to bring speakers to campus in the future to further spread their message.

“No life is ours to take,” Ettmueller said. “Life is ours to value.”

The College Democrats also expressed how they wanted to help raise awareness not through negativity but through helping those in need. Last year, the organization partnered with Alabama Coalition Against Rape, and this March, they will be hosting a fundraiser with the Rape Counselors of East Alabama.

“We aren’t encouraging women to get abortions; we’re not saying, ‘Oh, go get abortions,’” Henton said. “We want to do everything we can to protect women to where they don’t find themselves in that situation because no matter how pro-choice we are, even we can agree that it’s a very emotional experience for a woman to go through.”

Henton also said she believed a lot of people were misinformed on the issue.

“There is a lot of misinformation about the law so far,” Henton said. “Most everything that I’ve seen people complaining about is how women are just casually going to decide at nine months that they don’t want a baby anymore and have an abortion, and that’s not the case. No matter what, they’ll always be saved for women with severe health risks.”

SUMMER.KENNESAW.EDU ENJOY A SUMMER AT KENNESAW STATE AND GRADUATE SOONER!

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to take classes during that session. For example, if your application and documents are received after May 13th, you will not be able to register for classes for the May and 10-Week sessions, but you will be eligible to register for classes for the 4-Week I, 8-Week, 6-Week and 4-Week II sessions.

community THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2019

6 THEPLAINSMAN.COM

COMMUNITY

HOUSING

Auburn rent can be costly — but how bad is it? according to a 2016 report from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

“Many students — disproportionately low-income students — cope (with high rents) by enrolling part-time or working long hours at jobs, which can make it more difficult for them to complete their education,” the report says.

In the 2018 National Student Engagement Survey, 6 percent of Auburn students said there was at least one instance where they did not pay their full housing or utility bill in the last year.

High housing prices may even affect a school’s recruitment base, as lower-income students can face a “sticker shock” that deters them from even bothering to apply, according to a different report from HUD in 2015.

The City of Auburn is wading through the issue, which has proven particularly thorny. Luxury high-rise, student-housing complexes brought criticism from some who thought the towering buildings damaged the quality of Auburn’s downtown.

Small houses, designed to look like single-family homes but meant to house students, brought their own controversies.

Known as academic-detached dwelling units, these houses have raised fears of gentrification, as these threaten to encroach into minority and traditional residential neighborhoods.

Auburn Mayor Ron Anders convened a task force to search for student housing solutions. The city is still considering ways to regulate ADDUs, and it may well need to, as the Danter Report anticipates the city will need more beds over the years to absorb an ever-increasing demand.

$1,200

Median rent at SEC schools

$1,000

Auburn falls about in the middle of rents in the SEC

Vanderbilt

Ole Miss

Texas A&M

Florida

Tennessee

Auburn

LSU

Georgia

$0

Alabama

$200

Kentucky

$400

Arkansas

$600

South Carolina

$800

Missouri

The frantic hunt for housing is a cycle many students know too well.

Which complexes still have vacancies? How far away is it?

Who needs a roommate? Would it be cheaper to live on campus?

Is there even space on campus? How many bedrooms are there?

And perhaps most important of all: How much is the rent?

It’s no secret that Auburn’s student housing market is going through some growing pains. A clamoring demand has pushed the average vacancy rate to below 3 percent, according to the landmark Danter Report on student housing prepared for the city in 2018. Those rock-bottom vacancy rates mean the housing supply is not meeting the demand, according to the report.

That has consequences — namely, higher rent prices.

From March 2015 to May 2018, average rents for off-campus student housing shot up by more than 25 percent, The Plainsman reported in October 2018. That’s an average of about 8 percent per year, ending with a median rent for a 2-bedroom apartment at $914 in 2018.

Those prices put Auburn right in the middle of the pack compared to other SEC schools, according to data from the U.S. Census’ American Community Survey and the rent price database RentCafe.

Out of all 14 schools in the SEC, Auburn came in as the eighth most expensive place to find student housing. The most expensive area was Nashville, Tennessee, home of Vanderbilt University, with a median rent of $1,126 for a 2-bedroom apartment.

The cheapest was Starkville, Mississippi, home of Mississippi State University, with a median rent of about $700 for a 2-bedroom apartment.

Auburn’s rent is expensive for the region as well. Surrounding Alabama and Georgia cities, such as Columbus, LaGrange, Montgomery and Opelika, all had cheaper median rents than Auburn.

Birmingham was more costly, with a median 2-bedroom apartment rent of $946 compared to Auburn’s $914.

On-campus student housing was cheaper, with the cheapest option coming in at $3,060 per semester, which is $612 a month, at the Hill Residence Halls. However, Auburn only has enough beds on-campus to house 4,725 of its over 30,000 students, according to the Danter Report.

Navigating the maze of prices and places can be a major task for students. Aaron Carpenter, graduate student in public administration, said he began searching for housing a year before actu-

ally moving to the city.

“I didn’t want a roommate, and it was difficult finding something, and a lot of stuff was too expensive,” he said.

Carpenter said prices in Auburn were higher than in Dothan, Alabama, where he used to live, although he said part of that may be because some students have lofty expectations for apartment amenities.

“It wasn’t hard to hear about hardwood floors and granite countertops in listings,” he said.

Carpenter has been able to stay in the same rental since moving to Auburn, but others have repeated the search many times.

Aura Reyna, senior in mechanical engineering, said rent increases or roommate issues have pushed her to make stressful moves several times.

She said the overall price of rent did concern her at times, but compared to her hometown of Houston, Texas, prices in Auburn seemed downright reasonable.

“At Auburn you can find a really nice apartment,” Reyna said.

“All of my friends who are from the South, a lot say, ‘I’m not willing to pay more than $600 for a good apartment,’ and for them, that’s reasonable. That’s what their parents had at Auburn, they only paid $250 for rent ever, why would we pay more than that?”

But prices like those are long gone, she concluded.

“Times have changed and apartments like to steal money from students,” Reyna said.

High rents can lead to housing instability, forcing students to take outside jobs to make ends meet and hurting their academics,

Miss. State

By SCOTT BERSON Assistant Community Editor

via U.S. Census Data

BUSINESS

‘Healing without the high’: Local business promotes CBD

By ELLIE FALCONER Community Writer

Some Auburn citizens may be wary of using products containing CBD, or cannabidiol, because it’s produced from industrial hemp, which is often associated with marijuana. However, CBD products don’t elicit psychoactive effects and are completely legal to buy and use in Alabama.

Pamala Connor, owner of Your CBD Store in Auburn, said her products can help the body heal.

She said CBD products can be sold and used if there is no THC present, which is the component

DUBRAY MCNEAL / PHOTOGRAPHER

CBD products sit on the shelf at Your CBD Store on Feb. 7, 2019, in Auburn, Ala.

of the hemp plant that elicits psychoactive effects.

Her store features only CBD products that don’t contain THC. “The stereotype is that you’re getting marijuana,” Connor said. “[Marijuana] is the THC portion of the hemp plant. Our products do not carry THC. It is legal in the state of Alabama to have 0.03 percent THC in a product, but ours are at zero to coincide with the standards for Lee County.”

She said people often assume there is marijuana in her business’s products.

“If you’re drug tested with our CBD product, you will have a clean test,” Connor said. “There is no THC in our products. We will give you the healing without the high.”

Connor said CBD products are beneficial for the body. They are used to help medical conditions such as arthritis, inflammation, chronic pain, ADHD, stress, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and some skin conditions.

“It’s a natural healing process,” Connor said.

“Without any THC and without getting high. It’s an alternative to regular prescription medication.”

Connor’s husband is a Vietnam War veteran and suffered from insomnia, heart conditions and other health problems.

“He had an amazing turnaround,” Connor said.

She was in a severe car accident and suffered from aches and pains.

“I was, I’ll call myself, an Advil junkie,” Connor said.

She said CBD products have helped her with severe pain, sleeping and irritation and inflamma-

tion in her body.

“I’d go through a large Advil bottle a month.,” Conner said. “Now I take Advil maybe once a week.”

There is some medical evidence for the benefits of CBD, according to Harvard University. Cannabidiol seems to help with seizures. There is limited evidence that it may help with anxiety, insomnia and chronic pain. But there is still a need for further study, according to the university.

Your CBD Store employee and regular CBD user Ana Schiripo said CBD helps her fight inflammation and helps people become focused and calm.

“It’s very healing for the body,” Schiripo said.

“We have cannabinoid receptors in our body and when we take it, our body knows exactly what to do with it.”

She said she believes everyone should take CBD products.

“If not for a condition or a disorder in their body, just for their well-being because, again, it’s going to support your body,” Schiripo said. “In some way, shape or form people should be taking CBD because it’s amazing.”

Tess Massey, a regular user of CBD products, said CBD has tremendously improved her life. She has fibromyalgia, a condition that causes nerve pain, and said she researched natural remedies because there isn’t a specific prescription for fibromyalgia. “[CBD] allowed me to control those issues that are everyday struggles and are a roadblock for getting through my day,” Massey said. “If I take the

CBD oil, I’m able to function daily without the pain and all the symptoms that come along with having fibromyalgia.”

Massey believes there’s a stigma surrounding CBD products in Auburn because people aren’t as educated about it in the city. She said people often think CBD products will “get you hooked on weed,” and that’s not the case.

“I’ve even had to explain it to friends who are pretty open-minded, and they just didn’t know what it was,” she said. “I just don’t think that people in Auburn and people in Alabama have been exposed to it because of the state that we live in. I err on the side of caution to say this, but we are not the most progressive state in the United States.”

CBD products include edible gummies, water solubles, vape cartridges, oil tinctures, skin creams and dog treats. To purchase vape products, someone must be 19 or older, and if a customer is under 19, parent permission is required for all other CBD products.

“What I like about going to Your CBD Store is there’s someone to talk to you one-on-one about which product would be best for what you’re trying to get relief from,” Massey said. “They will tell [me], ‘I don’t think you need edible (gummies) for X, Y and Z, but the tincture would work well for that.’”

Massey said she’s an advocate of using natural remedies and not prescription drugs.

“I do think that if people would educate themselves and research a little bit more, they would learn that [CBD] is not a bad thing, but a very good thing,” Massey said.

CITY

Why Auburn nixed creating a local holiday for Rosa Parks

By CORY BLACKMON Community Reporter

The City of Auburn recently entertained the idea of making a city holiday in honor of Rosa Parks before deciding the cost was too high. But how exactly is a holiday created, and why is the cost so high?

David Dorton, the City of Auburn director of public affairs, said the City Council is the body that starts the process of adopting a new holiday.

On an official city holiday, city offices are closed and employees get the day off.

“The City Council adopts holidays by adopting a resolution, either directly relating to the holiday or by approving the city’s personnel policies, which define holidays for city employees,”

Dorton said.

Dorton said the Council must weigh the costs against the benefits before approving a new holiday, as well as the value and meaning of the holiday itself.

“Analysis of creating a new holiday is driven in large part by the city’s stewardship of tax dollars,” Dorton said. “A paid holiday increases city expenses by creating a day on which employees are paid, but there’s limited productivity towards providing city services or accomplishing city projects.”

The estimated cost of a holiday is about $130,000, while the benefits of a holiday include attracting and retaining employees in a competitive labor market, promotion of good employee relations and work-life balance by en-

abling employees to take part in commonly recognized holidays with their families, Dorton said.

Councilmember Tommy Dawson suggested a holiday in honor of Parks, but the Council came to the conclusion that a day of remembrance was a better idea.

“I think she did so much for the civil rights movement and really put it into action to make things better for everybody involved,” Dawson said. “I think her sacrifice needs to be acknowledged each year.”

Dawson said he wants Auburn to be in the forefront of educating youth about people like Parks.

He believes remembering the trials of Parks and others like her can bridge the gap between the polarized views that contribute to our volatile politi-

cal state.

“I think we need to remember what our ancestors have done,” Dawson said. “I think we need to remember the difference people like Mrs. Parks tried to make and did make.”

Mayor Ron Anders said it is the responsibility of the City Council to find ways to improve the lives of the citizens, and it is the mayor’s job to support and nurture the ideas of the council.

“The responsibility of the mayor is to allow the freedom to bring new ideas forward,” Anders said. “To take those ideas and set them in motion to a place where we can ultimately make the decision of if they are good for the community or not.”

Ultimately, the Council and the mayor agreed that the cost of offici-

ating the new holiday was too high, and the money could be used more effectively elsewhere. Instead, the City Council and mayor are working on a day of remembrance in honor of Parks.

“We like the idea of doing something for Rosa Parks,” Anders said.

“We’re trying to put together a good plan that we can present to the community.”

Anders and Dawson both confirmed they had some ideas lined up, hinting that they were focused on December, the month Rosa Parks was born.

“We are considering a particular project that would be very exciting,” Anders said. “I hope we can announce that in the near future, but the cat’s not ready to be let out of the bag yet.”

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2019

The Auburn Plainsman

PAGE 7

ORGANIZATIONS

Local autism resource center closes

By ELIZABETH HURLEY Community Editor

Parents with children in the autism community were shocked earlier this year when they learned that Lee County Autism Resource and Advocacy was closing its doors for good.

Justin Brown, whose 9-year-old son Ethan has autism, was one of many parents who learned the news through a Facebook post on the group’s page on Jan. 7. The posting announced the group would be dissolving after five years.

“It probably wasn’t an easy decision for them because they’ve been in the community for a long time, and they’ve served a lot of parents,” Brown said.

He said he would miss the monthly speakers LCARA would have who discussed different topics, from how to relay a child’s needs to their school to how to get insurance coverage for different kinds of therapy.

The need for this kind of information was part of the reason LCARA started.

Maria Gutierrez, LCARA’s president, moved to Lee County, Alabama, and found it difficult to find the information she needed to help her son with autism.

As she searched for the information, she found other parents looking for the same things.

Gutierrez and other parents of children with autism decided to form LCARA as a nonprofit in August 2013 aimed at providing parents with information about the resources available to them and their children with autism.

“Our mission was to bridge the gap,” Gutierrez said. “We felt that, at that time, parents didn’t know how to navigate the system.”

Throughout the organization’s five year run, it hosted events where parents could learn about those resources and could connect with other

parents dealing with the same things they were.

LCARA began hosting a summer camp for parents and their children with autism. The parents attended autism resource education sessions while the children participated in typical camp activities.

“The camp was something that came out because we [needed] to provide the families with an opportunity to enjoy [themselves,]” Gutierrez said.

Providing information about resources and giving families the opportunity to connect with each other through events like the summer camp was LCARA’s top priority, but many board members and other parents went beyond that, said Carly Baum, LCARA’s secretary and treasurer.

“We pushed for more programs and made connections with other agencies,” Baum said.

“We really tried to put our voices out there and say, ‘We exist for Lee County, but what exists for other places?’”

That is part of the reason LCARA decided to close its doors. Leaders of the group said they wanted to spread the knowledge they have gained during their time with LCARA throughout the state.

The decision was not an easy one, but the board members of LCARA agreed that while there is still work to be done, there are many resources available to families in Lee County and their time would be better spent focusing on spreading those resources throughout the state.

Their goal now is to work as individuals or as groups of parents to strengthen the resources throughout the state, something they said they couldn’t do as LCARA. “It’s not like I’m just going to be going home,” Gutierrez said. “My agenda is full of dates for meetings. It’s still being an advocate, being the voice, helping to continue being a voice

throughout the state in whatever capacity we’re needed to continue creating awareness.”

Just because LCARA is gone now doesn’t mean the resources available to children with autism in Lee County go away, Gutierrez and Baun stressed.

The Regional Autism Network, which LCARA had a hand in bringing to Auburn University and has partnered with for many events, is now in its third year and is continuing to grow, said Doris Hill, a director for RAN. RAN encompasses the entire state and ensures resources for families are more widespread. Hill serves the fourth of five districts, each of which are based at a university in Alabama.

“While the RAN serves 20 counties, I will miss LCARA’s family-oriented services here in Lee County and input (while) the RANs came into being, as well as their passion for advocacy,” Hill said. “The members of LCARA have been heroes to families impacted by autism and developmental disabilities here in Lee County.”

Parents can also look to the Auburn and Opelika Parks and Recreation departments, both of which provide programs for people with special needs, such as Special Olympics and Miracle League, said Dana Stewart, director of The Exceptional Foundation. The foundation manages a program for adults with special needs that enables them to continue learning and serving in the community.

“By being involved in these different organizations, they get to bond with other parents and make friendships where they can help each other,” Stewart said. “It’s vital for these families to look out for each other and support each other.”

The foundation and other organizations often have newsletters or other ways to provide a constant stream of updates with helpful information, Stewart said. Still, she said it was a blow to see a local advocacy and resource center shut

its doors.

“I’m just sad that they did have to close down,” Stewart said. “It was a great group of people that ran it that just had such a heart and passion for this population.”

CLOSED

ABBY SCHMIDT / GRAPHIC DESIGNER

CITY

Diversity Task Force lays groundwork

By JACK WEST Community Writer

Auburn residents were still reeling from news of a racist photograph posted by an Auburn High School student when they met with Mayor Ron Anders and City Councilmembers for the first meeting of the Diversity Task Force on Feb. 7.

This brainstorming meeting was set long before the photo emerged online. In fact, the idea for it began months prior.

During the 2018 municipal elections, mayoral candidate Brittany Cannon Dement began floating the idea of a city task force that was focused on diversity and inclusion.

Mayor Ron Anders has worked with Dement to put that idea into action. He appointed Ward 1 Councilmember Connie Fitch-Taylor and Ward 5 Councilmember Steven Dixon to the new task force and asked that each of them select an additional three members from their constituencies.

The photograph, which had surfaced online earlier that day, was a hot topic at the meeting.

“I don’t take it lightly that we’re all here on the same day that something awful has really happened in the city of Auburn,” Anders said. “I believe that the work of this committee could go a long way toward being mindful of those kinds of activities in the future.”

Through tears, Auburn mom of three Mindy Seidman said the school system was broken.

“Today’s incident went viral,” Seidman said. “But there are a lot of incidents that do not go viral.”

This incident and meeting came days before several councilmembers and Anders were to interview candidates for the open Auburn Board of Education position.

Anders said he had yet to think about whether the incident with the photo would impact how he approached the interview process. He said he did not like the idea of the city government working directly to solve problems in the school system.

“Our job is to provide resources to the school system and provide school board members for them,” Anders said. “They are school professionals, and they know how to operate and run their schools and we don’t. Obviously, as human beings, citizens and parents of children that are in the school system, we have all the rights to express ideas, thoughts and concerns. But by no means would I ever think that the city has any place in telling the school system how to run its operations.”

Leading up to the meeting, several city officials gave their thoughts on what they thought the task force should focus on during previous interviews with The Plainsman.

Fitch-Taylor said she would like the city government to become more diverse. While City Manager Jim Buston said he though the task force should look into discrimination of minority groups in housing. Many Councilmembers have expressed interest in establishing the task force as a permanent committee.

While the task force did include representatives from Auburn’s African-American, Jewish, LGBT, Muslim and special-needs communities, task force members noted there are still groups lacking representation on the task force, such as the Hispanic and Korean communities.

Though not a member of the task force, Ward 6 Councilmember Bob Parsons was present and live streamed the meeting to his Facebook page.

“I guess I’m a representative of another part of this town, as I’m an immigrant,” Parsons said. “And may I just say how proud I am of all of you. It’s very moving, and it’s a valuable and necessary conversation that we’re all having.”

Task force members mentioned hosting community workshops, potlucks and service projects, though none of the ideas were finalized.

“I don’t know what will end up coming from this, but I do know that we’ve got the right people involved,” Anders said.

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sports

8

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2019

THEPLAINSMAN.COM

SPORTS

STUDENT-ATHLETES

TIGERS ON TRACK TRACK & FIELD PHOTOS BY AUBURN ATHLETICS, FOOTBALL PHOTOS BY JOSHUA FISHER (TOP), FILE PHOTO (BOTTOM).

Dual-sport stars shining for Auburn

By NATHAN KING Sports Editor

After an impressive 2018 on the gridiron, Auburn’s dual-sport stars are shining on the track, too.

At Friday’s Clemson Tiger Paw Invitational, Auburn freshman Anthony Schwartz broke the program’s freshman 60m record twice, and sophomore Noah Igbinoghene set a new personal best on the men’s long jump with a 7.71m/25-3.5.

Schwartz cracked the record with a 6.62 in the semifinal heats.

Two hours later, he broke it again with a 6.59 — tying the fastest 60m of the Olympic gold medalist’s life.

“Anthony really lit it up,” Auburn head coach Ralph Spry said.

“He’s still making that transition (from football) and has a lot of room for improvement. He didn’t get a great start like he normally does on his 6.59 race, but he held his composure and was pretty impressive overall.”

The time is the ninth-fastest in the nation this season, tying the top spot among freshmen. Schwartz finished third in the 60m behind NC State’s Cravont Charleston (6.54) and Houston’s Mario Burke (6.58).

Schwartz, the 2018 Gatorade national boys track and field athlete of the year, previously ran a 6.59 last March at the New

Balance Nationals Indoors in New York.

The performance earned Schwartz the SEC weekly honor of Men’s Track and Field Freshman of the Week.

A native of Pembroke Pines, Florida, the 6-foot, 180-pound Schwartz filled in for the injured Eli Stove at the flanker receiver position for Auburn football this past fall. Schwartz scored seven touchdowns — five rushing and two receiving — on 49 touches. As a sophomore next season, the Tigers will look to Schwartz again as a consistent fixture in the offense after 2018 wide receiver starters Ryan Davis and Darius Slayton graduated and declared for the NFL Draft, respectively.

Igbinoghene set a personal record for the second meet in a row at the Clemson event with his long jump, finishing third behind South Carolina’s Yann Randrianasolo and Houston’s Trumaine Jefferson.

“Noah is starting to get it figured out,” Spry said. “He had a PR and even had a foul that was longer. He did a great job and continues to get better each meet.”

As a starter at cornerback for the Tigers last football season, Igbinoghene broke up 11 passes and forced one fumble and one interception. The Trussville, Alabama, product was also Auburn’s primary kick returner, taking one kickoff for a touchdown against Arkansas.

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2019 FOOTBALL

The Auburn Plainsman

PAGE 9

FOOTBALL

Auburn picking up early steam in 2020 recruiting

By NATHAN KING Sports Editor

Auburn’s 2020 recruiting class, along with its potential 2020 starting offensive line, is already starting to take shape.

Last week, four-star offensive tackle recruit Avery Jernigan committed to the Tigers. Jernigan, who was also being pursued by Florida State, Kentucky and Louisville, ultimately committed to Auburn Feb. 7.

Now, Auburn has added another talented offensive line recruit in JUCO offensive tackle Jonathan Buskey. Buskey currently plays at Coffeyville Community College in Kansas.

Buskey announced his decision through his Twitter on Tuesday night.

“Glad to have the opportunity to say I have committed to Auburn University,” Buskey wrote in a tweet. “#WarEagle @KennyDillingham” The commitment is good news for Auburn as head coach Gus Malzahn has made it a point of emphasis in the current recruiting cycle to go after offensive linemen.

“I think, right now, if you look at our line situation going into this next year, I feel very good about it,” said Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn. “You look nowadays that a lot of offensive linemen can come in and play earlier, and that’s what we’ll be looking for in this 2020 class, which I think is a positive because usually, the elite guys want to come in and play early.”

Buskey played in five games for Coffeyville Community College in the fall.

FILE PHOTO

Calvin Ashley (70) high-fives a fan while running out to the field at the A-Day game on Saturday, April 7, 2018, in Auburn, Ala.

Former 5-star OT enters transfer portal

By NATHAN KING Sports Editor

MADISON OGLETREE / PHOTO EDITOR

Auburn football head coach Gus Malzahn holds a press conference after National Signing Day on Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2019, in Auburn, Ala.

Untitled-6 1

Another Tiger has entered the transfer portal.

Calvin Ashley, a former five-star offensive tackle from the class of 2017 and one of the highest rated offensive line prospects in Auburn history, has entered the NCAA transfer portal, Ashley announced Monday morning.

“After much thought and consideration and talking to my family, I have decided to enter my name in the NCAA transfer portal and will explore my options,” Ashley wrote on Twitter. “I would like to thank the great fans and the coaching staff at Auburn for believing in me. To my teammates/brothers, I will indeed miss the moments shared with you all and wish you all the best.”

A redshirt freshman, Ashley missed the second half of Auburn’s 2018 season with an undisclosed medical issue. Before that, the Orlando product appeared in five games, including a start in a road loss to Mississippi State while starting right tackle Jack Driscoll was sidelined with an injury.

With Auburn’s starting offensive line set to possibly consist of all seniors next season (Prince Tega Wanogho, left tackle; Marquel Harrell, left guard; Ka-

leb Kim, center; Mike Horton, right guard; Driscoll, right tackle), Ashley would likely have to wait until 2020 to become a fixture among the starting five.

Since 2013, Gus Malzahn’s first year as head coach on The Plains, Auburn has signed nine five-star prospects. Of that group, three have transferred or intend to transfer (Roc Thomas, Byron Cowart, Ashley).

Ashley becomes the fourth Tiger to enter the transfer portal this offseason. Backup defensive lineman Jaunta’vius Johnson was picked up by Colorado as a graduate transfer, backup receiver James Owen Moss’ name is reportedly still in the portal and reserve receiver Griffin King reportedly entered his name into the portal last month.

The 2017 Mr. Football in Alabama, Asa Martin, also left the program in December after the Auburn coaching staff burned Martin’s redshirt this past season after promising Martin and his family to keep it in tact.

With his name in the transfer portal, Ashley is allowed to freely speak with other programs. He can choose to return to Auburn and not transfer, however, Malzahn is not required to honor the scholarship.

Auburn spring practice begins March 18, with the team’s annual A-Day spring game set for April 13 at 3 p.m. CST inside Jordan-Hare Stadium.

2/13/19 11:00 AM

The Auburn Plainsman

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2019

PAGE 10

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Tigers planning to use Pearl’s unorthodox methods, ‘gritty’ effort to improve rebounding

By NATHAN KING Sports Editor

The Tigers are well aware they’re struggling in the rebounding department.

In a Saturday loss to LSU, despite out-shooting the purple and gold Tigers 48 percent to 39 percent, Auburn was bested by the length and physicality of LSU in the frontcourt.

Will Wade’s Tigers corralled 22 offensive boards to Auburn’s seven, and LSU bullied Bruce Pearl’s team with 38 points in the paint to Auburn’s 18. It also didn’t help Auburn’s case that it coughed up the rock 19 times, resulting in 31 points off turnovers for LSU. Granted, Auburn is still without a fully healthy Austin Wiley, who played three minutes at LSU while he recovers from a lower right leg injury that kept him out five straight games last month.

But the Tigers aren’t making excuses.

“Sheesh, we was trying to figure that out ourselves,” said senior forward Horace Spen-

cer of the rebounding struggles. “Honestly, we just got to be more physical and be more stronger on our check-outs and boxouts and hold a team down from scoring. Honestly, it really just comes down to who wants to be more gritty.”

Pearl has a plan, though. Or, rather, he’s had a plan this whole season.

When asked why Auburn struggles on the offensive glass (second-to-last in the SEC in defensive rebounds per game with 23.7) but seems to be fine on the other end, even without Wiley, Pearl explained his methodology.

“One of the things we do is, we have offensive rebounding assignments,” Pearl said before the Wednesday game against Ole Miss. “And sometimes we take shots when there’s no backside rebounders and there are guys running to the boards because they’re not good shots. But most of our shots, we actually have a rebounding plan of action.”

Pearl said that while that plan of attack isn’t common in college basketball, it’s something he’s done his entire career.

The 37-year head coaching veteran explained that if Auburn was bigger at the guard spots, the Tigers would force opposing offense to take longer looks, using said length to defend jump shots while remaining inside the 3-point arc.

But Auburn doesn’t have that luxury; shooting guard Bryce Brown is 6-foot-3, and point guard Jared Harper is maybe 5-foot-11. Granted, that hasn’t ailed Auburn offensively in the Pearl era as Brown ranks seventh in SEC history in made 3-pointers (322) and Harper can catch fire from well beyond NBA range any given night. The coach also consistently glows on the speed of his backcourt and how length is sometimes overrated when the quickness and shooting ability of Harper and Brown is at his disposal.

But on the defensive end, it makes things tricky for the Tigers while they wait on their 6-foot-11 starting center to return to form.

“Austin’s not in there,” Pearl said. “So we’re small at the 5. That combination of extending

and being out and away from the basket a little bit makes it harder for us to come back down and rebound on the defensive glass.

“I mean, LSU manhandled us. They just manhandled us. We could do a better job of checking out, holding our check-outs, a better job of competing for 50-50 balls — we absolutely have to do a better job.”

While Auburn’s current nine-man rotation of Harper, Brown, Samir Doughty, Chuma Okeke, Anfernee McLemore, Spencer, Malik Dunbar, J’Von McCormick and Danjel Purifoy works to buff out those issues, Pearl will continue to give Wiley the time he needs to recover fully and look the part of a former fivestar prospect and current NBA prospect.

Because, as Spencer put it, Auburn fans still haven’t seen Wiley at full force, which Auburn will need late in the season as it continues to contend for SEC and NCAA Tournament seeding.

“You haven’t seen the best of Austin (Wiley) yet,” Spencer said with a smile. “Trust me.”

MADISON OGLETREE / PHOTO EDITOR

Horace Spencer (0) celebrates a score during Auburn Men’s Basketball vs. Florida on Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2019, in Auburn, Ala.

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lifestyle

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2019

THEPLAINSMAN.COM

LIFESTYLE

THEATER

Auburn theater prepares for showing of ‘Big Fish’

By MIRANDA SHAFFER Lifestyle Writer

A story of fantasy, love and family is coming to Auburn on Feb. 14, just in time for Valentine’s Day. “Big Fish,” Auburn ‘s Department of Theatre musical, is set in Alabama.

This musical follows father and son Edward and Will Bloom as Will struggles to understand and relate to his father. Edward is known for his fantastic and larger-than-life stories, such as meeting giants, werewolves, witches and much more.

“Through his stories he teaches his son Will about being a man and finding himself; however, as he becomes older, Will becomes jaded and distant from his father,” said cast member Diontae Black, senior in musical theater.

The show’s premiere on Valentine’s Day appears intentional as this show is regarded as a love story. The play includes classic romantic love, in addition to the love of family and friendship and how love can change and become more difficult to understand as one ages. “‘Big Fish’ boils down to a broken relationship between a fa-

ther and son and how the two of them must overcome their differences,” said Grant Lackey, junior in theater, who is playing Will Bloom.

This is a big show that also has a really big heart, said Chase Bringardner, director of the show.

“It’s all in service of a story that has a lot of heart within it,” Bringardner said.

As the title of the show reflects, everything in this show is

» See THEATER, 12

VALENTINE’S DAY

MODERN LOVE STORIES Cupid Shuffle

By MADELINE MUSCAT Lifestyle Writer

JOSIE WITEK / ILLUSTRATOR

Seven years ago on Valentine’s Day, Courtney and her now-husband went on their first date. By June, they were engaged and were married in December of that same year.

“One of his best friends and my best friend started dating in college,” said Courtney, pursuing a doctorate in public administration and public policy. “And so we slowly started hanging out with each other, and a fire was almost immediately lit.”

Courtney said when you know, you know.

She said her husband, Cody, worked dil-

igently to try and make his proposal one to remember.

“He had music playing, and it was one of our favorite love songs,” Courtney said.

“He starts just pouring his heart out to me — why he loves me, how he wants to spend his life with me.”

She joked that Cody can be quite the talker.

“Probably about three minutes pass by, and the love song that was on flips to this hilarious, club dance, booty-shaking song,” Courtney said laughing.

Embarrassed, Cody switched the radio back to another love song.

“Finally, he proposes, and I say ‘yes,’” Courtney said.

JOSIE WITEK / ILLUSTRATOR

Puppy love

DM to dating

By CARMEN MCCRACKIN

By CARRIE JOHNSON

Lifestyle Writer

Lifestyle Writer

Nicholas and Allison experienced puppy love the moment they started talking.

Nicholas took on the challenge of sending puppy photos to Allison every day over Instagram DMs in order to get her number. Not just one photo a day, mind you, multiple — this was a man after Allison’s animal-lover heart.

Allison attributed this fateful DM to be one of the main reasons why the two ended up together.

“He only stopped when I started puppy shopping,” Allison said.

Two years since that first DM, a wedding ring sitting happily on Allison’s finger and a couple of adopted pets later, it’s safe to say that Nicholas’ puppy-pursuit worked.

Before the DMs, however, this fated couple was set up by their mutual friends. Nicholas was a frequent “third-wheeler” on the mutual friends’ dates, so the friends took it upon themselves to work some magic for Allison and Nicholas. Allison had recently gone through a break up when she was introduced to Nicholas, but timing can be funny that way.

Although Allison and Nicholas’ relationship can be seen as a modern love story, the couple still value personal communication.

“Whenever we have a miscommunication and we talk it out, we always high-five afterwards. We are a team,” Allison said.

The two married in May of 2018, and with their dogs in the wedding photos.

Anna, junior in nursing, said her first interaction with her boyfriend was when he direct messaged her on Twitter two summers ago asking for her Snapchat username.

“Trae always tells people, ‘I saw one of her tweets, and it was funny, so I went to her profile and checked out her profile picture. She was cute, and you know, shooters shoot,’” Anna said.

Anna said the couple did not begin hanging out until last February and officially began dating in March.

“Trae wanted me to meet his mom before we started dating, which seemed opposite of what I thought normally happened,” Anna said. “But since I met his mom, my mom and dad then wanted to meet him.”

Anna said since both sets of parents gave their approval they knew that dating was a good idea for them. She knew it was good to have that assurance, since the relationship began in such an unconventional way.

She said she thought dating in college would be hard due to them both having busy schedules.

“But Trae and I are both nursing majors, so we got to study together at the beginning of our relationship, which helped keep a balance between studies and having fun,” Anna said.

Anna said one thing she and her boyfriend do is try new restaurants together. As of now, their favorite is the Dumps Like a Truck food truck.

JOSIE WITEK / ILLUSTRATOR

It all began with ice cream

By CARRIE JOHNSON Lifestyle Writer

Tay Tay, senior in early childhood education, met her boyfriend in high school after building up confidence to make a bet with him.

“He was on the cross-country team, and I knew he loved ice cream, so I said, ‘If you beat your personal record, I’ll bring you ice cream,’” Tay Tay said.

To her surprise, Tay Tay said he ran his fastest race leading her to complete her end of the deal.

“The rest seems like history; we started dating shortly after, and I’m honored to still be dating almost five years later,” Tay

Tay said.

Tay Tay and her boyfriend are now in a long-distance relationship as she attends Auburn, and he goes to the University of Alabama.

“Long distance isn’t my favorite thing, but there are so many cool things about it,” Tay Tay said. “I get to have two communities, one at Auburn and one at Alabama.”

Tay Tay joked that, believe it or not, there is a really sweet community at the University of Alabama.

“We have our own lives while getting to share the really sweet part of college together,” Tay Tay said. “Carter makes it so fun and so worth it; three hours has nothing on us.”

Snapchat’s flash shines light on Will Hastings’ girlfriend

By LAUREN PIEPER Lifestyle Writer

Auburn wide receiver Will Hastings said when he met his girlfriend, Gracie Henley, senior in public relations, a light was shining on her, and it was amazing.

The couple met through mutual friends.

Hastings said he was out to eat with his friends Tucker Tuberville, Daniel Carlson and CJ Uzomah when he first

heard of Henley.

“I was sitting next to Tucker, [and] I saw this amazing girl he was snapchatting so I asked who was that, and he said Gracie Henley,” Hastings said.

“I thought it was the most beautiful name.”

Today, the couple has been together for two years.

While the couple agreed football puts time constraints on their dating, Henley said she loves cheering Hastings on. One of the greatest feelings

and things for her to witness is when he achieves his goals, she said.

“I am so proud of him,” she said.

“I get to watch him do something he loves.”

Henley said, although dating a football player is fun, she remembers her nerves for his safety every time he steps on the field.

Hastings said Henley is a rock among the chaos of being an athlete.

“She’s a rock like no other,” Hastings said. “When you find someone

like that, make sure you hold onto them forever and never [let them] go.”

The couple said their first date was stargazing, and the adventures have not stopped since.

“Our favorite thing to do is drive around and sing at the top of our lungs and just mess around,” Henley said.

For Hastings, Henley was almost the one that got away. He said freshman year they were talking, but it was

not the right time for the relationship to start. However, after months of missing her, Hastings said he got the courage to ask her out.

The pair gives Auburn the credit for their great love story.

“If I had never come here, I would’ve never met the girl I love with all my heart, forever and always,” Hastings said. “This place will always be special to me because it brought me not only one thing I love (football), but two things by bringing Gracie to me.”

DEVELOPMENT

The architectural design behind the Auburn University’s campus

By CARRIE JOHNSON Lifestyle Writer

Auburn University has been known for the architecture of the buildings seen on campus for many years.

From Langdon Hall, the oldest building on campus, to

the Mell Classroom Building, one of the most recently completed, Auburn’s architecture throughout the years maintained a balance between variety and uniformity.

As Auburn University undergoes a period of seemingly constant, widespread con-

struction, many students, visitors and residents alike have expressed curiosity concerning the process that leads to a new building on campus.

Christian Dagg, head of Auburn’s School of Architecture, said originally, many of the buildings on campus had

to be built under strict parameters. This includes the buildings that house the College of Sciences and Mathematics, which are now thought to be impractically large.

Many of the more current buildings, like the new nursing, physics and executive ed-

ucation buildings, were built in loose accordance with the same guidelines previously used — those guidelines became suggestions.

In general, however, most buildings on campus range from 80 to 100 feet wide and are typically about 250 feet

long. Many of the buildings most similar to one another include red brick and large windows, each building maintaining different aspects.

“It’s interesting how some of the buildings that are loved

» See ARCHITECTURE, 12

The Auburn Plainsman

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2019

PAGE 12

BUSINESS

Entrepreneur succeeds in Auburn with transportation

By LAUREN PIEPER Lifestyle Writer

Small towns are not typically hubs for entrepreneurial success; however, when Kevin McCarley saw a need for safe transportation, he got to work on his business.

Today, his original company, Tiger Transportation, has expanded to Tiger Taxi, Tiger Limo and Tiger Charter Bus. McCarley has opened a hot dog stand among his transportation businesses.

McCarley originally formulated the idea for Tiger Transportation when he noticed the high rate of driving under the influence in downtown Auburn.

“It all started with one taxi and an idea to make a difference in Auburn.” McCarley said. “There was nothing here. I saw people drinking and driving, and I saw there was a chance to help students feel safe and for their parents to know that their kids were safe.”

Today, the company is 12 years old and thriving, but it was not always smooth sailing for the en-

ARCHITECTURE » From 11

most, like Comer Hall, the president’s mansion and Samford Hall, were not built under the current guidelines,” Dagg said. “But as a whole, the buildings here are simple, and the campus is organized around green spaces, enhancing the beauty of the buildings.”

Many of the current and future buildings on campus, such as Mell, the new business school building and the physics building include Auburn graduates on the design teams.

On the other hand, some of the buildings on campus are results of work by companies that have no Auburn ties. The new performing arts center that is opening spring 2019 has a design team consisting of tvsdesign of Atlanta and Wilson Butler Architects of Boston.

“It is nice to have Auburn graduates working on these projects because they went to school here, and they know the community, the history, the space and the needs of the campus very well,” Dagg said. “It’s also good to have some outside influence working on the designs of these

trepreneur.

McCarley wanted to ensure his customers had the best experience, so he worked tirelessly to make it happen.

“I was working like a madman the first few years to ensure every thing was a great experience for them,” he said. “Those years, I regularly worked 80-90 hours, and I still work those hours during the fall semester.”

McCarley said he is confident the changes and upgrades he’s made in the first few years made the company stand out as the best in the area.

He said he makes an effort to know each one of his drivers. McCarley said he genuinely feels they each are trustworthy and great people to have working for him.

Growing up, he said he always had the spirit of an entrepreneur and enjoyed finding ways to solve problems.

“I always wanted to start my own business,” he said. “When I was 6 years old, I had the first lemonade stand on the golf course in my neighborhood.”

McCarley said on his first day he sold out of lem-

buildings. There seems to be a good mix of the two.”

Sometimes, student feedback can affect the design and placement of buildings on campus.

Dagg said that, in 2002, the Student Center was originally intended to be built near the RO parking lot, which is past the Village residents halls.

Landscape architecture students appeared in front of the board of trustees with signed petitions and a PowerPoint presentation, convincing the board that the Student Center should be in the center of campus, resulting in its current central location.

Dagg said that most often, students influence the design of the campus by leaving Auburn for a school that has facilities that the students find more desirable.

But who decides which projects take priority on Auburn’s campus?

Typically, the original idea for a project comes about when a dean of a college will decide there is not enough space for students in that college and that additional facilities are necessary. Then, an architect is hired to do the initial design stages of the building and create exterior images

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onade but realized it was because his dad had asked his friends to come. This upset McCarley.

“I wanted to be successful on my own, and that made starting Tiger Taxi years later so important to me,” he said.

McCarley saw this business as a way not to benefit himself, but to serve his community.

“As an Auburn grad, I have always loved the people and the city,” he said. “When it came to starting my business I wanted to serve the people that I feel closest to, and that meant staying right here in the best place in the world.”

McCarley’s small-town start-up has grown to be a success. The limo and charter bus section of his company is now in Columbus, Georgia, Montgomery, Opelika and other places besides the Auburn area.

“We hope to continue to offer more services and do more special trips,” he said. “Our trips to Callaway Gardens Fantasy in Lights has been a popular trip since we started, and we are always open for new events to partner with and serve.”

Aside from promoting safe and fun transporta-

of what is to come so that the community, potential donors and trustees can visualize the potential project and want to support it.

Then, the project must be approved by those in charge of facilities.

Once a month, a Board of Trustees meeting takes place at the Auburn Hotel where a discussion takes place regarding the buildings currently on campus, what is currently being built, what needs to be built and the funding required. This meeting is open to the public.

Most projects are approved by Dan King, Auburn University’s assistant vice president for facilities.

King is in charge of the university’s planning, design and construction, facilities maintenance, utilities and building service operations.

Dagg said that Auburn’s campus will likely be much larger for the future generations of Auburn students.

If the Haley Center is replaced, seven or eight buildings will be necessary to fulfill all of Haley’s purposes.

Auburn has plenty of space for expansion, such as the space between the new performing arts center and Samford Avenue.

tion, McCarley has also recently opened a hot dog cart.

“Award Wieners, the hot dog cart, is just an opportunity that I saw and decided to provide this service to help feed students that want quick, easy food options,” he said.

McCarley said there is still growth to be done in this business because it is still in its infancy. Since finding the right employees, the business has been running more smoothly, he said.

“I have big plans for getting more involved in the food business, and this was proof that what I’ve been working on can succeed,” McCarley said.

“I would like to start serving either dumplings or bahn mi sandwiches.”

He said the whole reason for starting this was to bring something new to the area and told customers to look for new food items to appear on the hot dog cart in the near future.

Overall, McCarley said he enjoys being his own boss and encouraged other entrepreneurs to take action in their plans.

“If you see an opportunity, jump on it,” he said.

THEATER » From 11

big, Bringardner said. This includes the tall tales told throughout the play to the cast of the show, which exceeding 30 people not including everyone behind the scenes.

The theme for this season at Auburn’s theater is in celebration of the bicentennial of the state of Alabama, so each show aims to reflect stories and experiences related to Alabama or the South.

“When you think of Alabama and a musical, ‘Big Fish’ is always the show that comes immediately to mind,” Bringardner said.

Alabama native Daniel Wallace is the author of the original tale of “Big Fish,” and he wrote the fictional account less than 30 minutes from Auburn.

One of the most iconic scenes of the show takes place on campus, and it was teased by both the cast and the director that students can expect a glimpse of Auburn within the show.

“I think everybody is going

to get a kick out of seeing it on stage,” said Benjamin Strickland, returning Auburn alumnus and cast member. “It’s just been interesting knowing that there is a huge big-budget Broadway musical that has our campus featured in it.”

Strickland graduated in May of 2017 with a graduate degree in musical theatre, but he is returning to his alma mater to play the part of Edward Bloom.

Strickland was born and raised in Auburn but left for Atlanta almost immediately after graduation to pursue an acting career.

He said coming back and being able to do this show feels like coming home.

Edward Bloom is a larger than life character, and the audience will get to see his entire life displayed before their eyes through both flashbacks and present-day scenes, Strickland said.

“He’s from Alabama, and it’s a story about him growing up and trying to find his place in the world,” Strickland said. “I think every young person can appreciate that story and that struggle.”

JOSHUA FISHER / PHOTOGRAPHER

TIGERMARKET

Abbigail Hickey, Auburn Universitys campusPrint dietitian speaks with The PlainsDeadline: man on Thursday, Aug. 23, 2018 in Auburn, NoonAla. three business days

prior to publication.

Release Date: Thursday, February 14, 2019

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Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

ACROSS 1 Queen, e.g.

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ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:

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02/14/19

02/14/19