The Auburn Plainsman 04.07.16 Issue

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The Auburn Plainsman A SPIRIT THAT IS NOT AFRAID

Thursday, April 7, 2016 Vol. 123, Issue 26, 24 Pages

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CRIME

CAMPUS

Plan in development to shorten semester-long wait for student counseling Corey Williams CAMPUS EDITOR

JIM LITTLE / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Auburn police say shooting justified

Crime scene tape marks the scene of the shooting death of Melissa C. Boarts by Auburn police on Sunday, April 3, on Red Creek Road in Macon County.

Maria McIlwain COMMUNITY EDITOR

Police said the shooting death of a suicidal woman in Macon County on Sunday, April 3, was justified.

Officers shot and killed Melissa C. Boarts, 36, in Macon County on Sunday afternoon after she charged officers with a weapon, according to an Auburn Police Division press release.

“We support the officers’ actions,” said APD Capt. Lorenza Dorsey.

Police said they responded to reports of a “suicidal motorist” on Interstate 85 at approximately 3:40 p.m.

Police followed the vehicle for several miles until it stopped on Red Creek Road in Macon

County, according to the release.

Boarts exited her car and charged officers “in a threatening manner” when the police opened fire.

Boarts died at the scene.

Dorsey said Auburn police officers met with Boarts’ family Sunday night and spoke “at length.”

“It’s a tragedy for their family and the officers involved,” Dorsey said.

It was the first time in nearly 40 years APD officers used deadly force, according to Dorsey.

Julian McPhillips, a Montgomery-based personal injury attorney, was contacted by Boarts’ family. He said he handles a lot of wrongful death cases and plans to pursue civil action on

“

It’s a tragedy for their family and the officers involved.”

—Capt. Lorenza Dorsey AUBURN POLICE DIVISION

their behalf.

“For (police) to shoot and kill her is abominable,” McPhillips said.

McPhillips said police were initially following Boarts because her parents called 911. He

» See SHOOTING, 2

POLITICS

Representatives file bill to impeach Bentley

EVENTS

47 arrested at annual Alpha Psi Rodeo Maria McIlwain COMMUNITY EDITOR

true. This is about the allegations against him including that he obstructed justice within the Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency.”

If the House voted to pass the resolution issuing articles of impeachment against the governor, the Senate would then serve — under the supervision of Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore — as the court and jury.

Conceivably, a simple majority, super majority or unanimous vote of the Senate could be required by the Rules Committee to remove Bentley from office. The constitution describes no set process for impeachment once it reaches the Senate.

» See IMPEACH, 2

» See RODEO, 2

COMMUNITY REPORTER

DAKOTA SUMPTER / PHOTO EDITOR

Gov. Robert Bentley enters the old Statehouse at the State of the State address on Feb. 2. Bentley called the impeachment bill a “political attack.”

er Mike Hubbard could recognize Henry during a session of the House. At such a point Henry could ask for the rules to be suspended and introduce the resolution to the floor himself. Suspending the rules would a require a 4/5 vote of the membership, though.

Alabama's small Democratic House delegation could play a pivotal roll for the first time in years, as Henry's resolution seems to have bipartisan support.

“I want to commend Rep. Ed Henry for taking the bold step of leadership in bringing forth these articles,” said Craig Ford, D-Gadsden, and House minority leader. “This is not about Democrats and Republicans. This is about right and wrong. Nothing that the governor has said is

» See COUNSELING, 2

Approximately 47 people were arrested at the 2016 Alpha Psi Rodeo, which is similar to last year’s total, according to Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones. Jones said 50 charges were filed.

Eli Young Band headlined the event, which took place Saturday, April 2, at Ingram Farms.

Jones said officers tried to be lenient, and everyone’s safety was their priority. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office was in charge of security, and officers from the Opelika Police Department, the Auburn Police Division, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, Alabama Alabama Beverage Control and a private security firm assisted in policing the event.

“Our primary and ultimate goal was just to do everything we could to ensure the safety of the attendees,” Jones said.

Jones said people were drinking “copious quantities” of alcohol, and the event had “elements of unsafe activities” because of intoxication.

People were arrested for offenses such as disorderly contact, minor in possession of alcohol, public lewdness and misdemeanor theft, specifically vendors reporting stolen generators.

Jones said one sexual assault has been reported.

Fourteen thousand people attended the event, according to Jones.

“Those arrests were a very small percentage of the attendees,” Jones said.

Six people were taken to the hospital, according to Jones, but he said he did not believe there were any serious injuries. He said they were transported because of “alcohol ingestion issues.”

Justin Gibson, co-chairman of rodeo, said he thought the event was a success.

“The Eli Young Band, along with Josh Thompson and Muscadine Bloodline, put on an awesome show, and all guest we talked to told us they were having a great time,” Gibson said via email.

Chip Brownlee

For the first time in Alabama history, the Yellowhammer State’s governor will face the possibility of impeachment. Rep. Ed Henry, RHartselle, introduced articles of impeachment against Gov. Robert Bentley on Tuesday, April 5.

“We’ve never done this before,” Henry said.

“We've never tried to impeach a governor. It”s going to be a process, but the process starts today.”

The last time the Legislature tried to impeach a constitutional officer in Alabama was in 1915 when the House held proceedings against the then-Secretary of State John Purifoy.

Henry said the articles of impeachment are a result of the governor’s dishonest actions.

According to Henry, Bentley has betrayed the state's trust.

“Actions and lies ... have caused us to have some doubt about his leadership,” Henry said.

“The only course the people of Alabama have to address this issue is through the impeachment process.”

The Alabama Constitution does not provide a method for a recall election. According to Henry, the process of impeachment is the only way to remove the governor from office.

“Robert Bentley has said time and time again publicly how much he loves the people of Alabama,” Henry said. “If he truly loves the people of this state, he'll step down, and he'll relieve us of this pressure and this burden that he's placed on us.”

The Alabama House of Representatives will have to pass a resolution issuing the articles of impeachment, which will require a majority vote of all members of the chamber. The House will also choose the charges against the governor.

But first, Henry’s resolution will have to make it through the Rules Committee, where resolutions are automatically sent. Henry said he hoped the Rules Committee would have the resolution on the floor for a up-or-down vote by next Tuesday.

Alternatively, Auburn Republican and Speak-

A five-year plan that will improve Student Counseling Services is in the works, according to Vice President for Student Affairs Bobby Woodard.

SCS, located on the second floor of the Medical Clinic, is the primary counseling center for undergraduate and graduate students. Students are allowed 10 free individual counseling sessions per academic year. SCS provides other services, such as animal-assisted therapy and group therapy, for students waiting for one-on-one sessions.

Currently, students seeking individual counseling must wait up to one semester before they begin regularly meeting with a counselor. Students are usually seen for an intake appointment within a week of contacting SCS. People in need

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The Auburn Plainsman

Thursday, April 7, 2016

SGA

DUI REPORTS The following were arrested and charged with driving under the influence by the Auburn Police Division from March 29–April 4: March 29 - Bridgett Lachelldee Ward, 38 Webster Road at Wire Road at 3:51 a.m.

March 31 - 21-year-old, 12:02 a.m.

- Kitty Lauren White, 22 South College Street at West Samford Avenue at 2:18 a.m.

April 2

- Christopher Edward Luce, 26 Webster Road at 3:15 a.m.

- Louis John Ferris III, 19 West Magnolia Avenue at 10:40 p.m.

- Gunnar Hank Lantrip, 20 South College Street at 10:49 p.m.

April 3 - David Michael Blake, 20

Research begins for dining additions Claire Tully CAMPUS WRITER

Trey Fields, executive vice president of initiatives, addressed SGA senate on April 4 to seek senators’ input on the possibility of new additions to Tiger Dining with options such as Einstein’s Bagels and Panera Bread.

In planning the dining options for the Mell Street Classroom, the University considered Einstein’s Bagels upon students’ requests before being approached

by Panera Bread, according to Fields.

“Recently, Glenn Loughridge, who’s the director of dining for the University, was approached by Panera Bread to be on the campus in some form, so that’s kind of a dynamic option,” Fields said.

Fields said while it would be natural to consider Panera for the Mell Street dining, he is concerned about taking students’ wishes into consideration.

“So a problem with that in our eyes is

… that Einstein’s was voted on by the student body and [they] overwhelmingly picked that,” Fields said. “We don’t want students to think that as SGA exec or as student leaders that we are trying to make unilateral decisions.”

Loughridge had the idea to potentially put Einstein’s Bagels on the bottom floor of the Haley Center and put Panera Bread in the Mell Street Classroom Building, according to Fields.

Fields said he’d like to conduct preliminary research and have students be a part of this decision-making process.

“You as senators are obviously leaders on this campus, and part of your job is to reach out to your constituents, so I really encourage you to do that early on in your terms,” Fields said. “Go out and talk to students about this and see how they feel.”

Brandon Honeywell, SGA vice president, echoed Fields and encouraged sen-

ators to gather student input on potential dining changes.

“This week for office hours, instead of spending your office hours in the SGA office, I would love it if you guys would spend it on campus garnering feedback about that,” Honeywell said. “You’ll do that and write down the responses, and we’ll look at those next week when you come back.”

Jesse Westerhouse, SGA president, also said senators would benefit from contacting cabinet members to create beneficial relationships that will help with future projects.

“As you may know, last week 80 new members of cabinet were selected, so over these next few weeks before summer starts I really, really encourage you to reach out to those people and build relationships with them,” Westerhouse said.

“Just get to know them on a business level, but also on a personal level.”

East Longleaf Drive at 2:59 a.m.

A full crime report provided by the Auburn Department of Public Safety is available online at ThePlainsman.com.

–Reports provided by the Auburn Department of Public Safety

DEVELOPMENT

Business coming to Technology Park West Chip Brownlee

COMMUNITY REPORTER

(334) 329-7777 2059 S College St, Auburn

Auburn Technology Park West should soon see the arrival of another company as the industrial park nears its capacity.

The new company, Project Mountain, will join the park’s other residents, including three German automotive suppliers, Kemmerich USA, Schmidt Maschinenbau and Rausch & Pausch.

In 2014, General Electric Aviation began construction on an engine additive manufacturing plant with 3D printing capabilities. The plant began production in 2015.

The city usually announces when a new company plans to move to Auburn. Plans haven’t been finalized yet, and city officials couldn’t share what type of manufacturing the company will do.

However, according Planning Commission documents, Project Mountain will manufacture parts for several industrial sectors.

“We also don’t want to interfere with any company’s ability to set their own timeframe to make announcements about an Auburn facility or the specifics.

DAKOTA SUMPTER / PHOTO EDITOR

According to Dorton, the city’s Economic Development Department has a strategy of recruiting small- to medium-sized manufacturers to Auburn’s market.

“Speaking generally of recruiting industry, the City of Auburn Economic Development has long had a strategy of recruiting a diversity of smallto mid-size, knowledge-based, value-added manufacturing companies to the Auburn market,” Dorton said. “The goal is to recruit industries that will provide local jobs, maintain and increase the tax base that funds local schools and city services and provides an economy that is stable and growing because of its diversity and because of the quality of indus-

tries in the market.”

Auburn Technology Park West has been home to more than $150 million in capital investment over the past five years. GE’s additive manufacturing facility alone represented more than $50 million in investment by the company.

When the announcement of the Kemmerich facility was made in 2014, investment was expected to total at more than $16 million, according to a city press release.

Kemmerich manufacturers automotive parts for auto makers including BMW, Ford, GM, Mercedes and Volkswagen.

The plant is expected to provide more than 160 jobs by the time it reaches full production.

According to Dorton, high-

tech industry is attracted to Auburn because of the major research university, the quality of life and the city’s workforce.

“Quality of life is important, as those who will work for a new or expanding business need a great place to live and raise their families,” Dorton said. “So all of the things that make people want to live in Auburn are also attractive to industries that might locate here. A quality labor force is also an attractive element for companies.”

Auburn was recently named one of the nation’s Top 10 Best Performing Small Cities. The Auburn-Opelika metropolitan area boasts the state of Alabama’s lowest unemployment rate.

IMPEACH

RODEO

“There are no grounds for impeachment, and I will vigorously defend myself and my administration from this political attack,” Bentley said in a press release on Tuesday.

“Today’s press conference is nothing more than political grandstanding intended to grab headlines and take the focus away from the important issues the Legislature still has to address before the end of the session.”

The Senate, if it votes to remove the governor from office, could not issue any criminal charges against Bentley because of limits imposed by the constitution.

Henry’s resolution calling for the impeachment of the governor follows several eventful weeks for Bentley.

The revolution that Bentley engaged in an inappropriate sexual relationship with one of his top political aides, Rebekah Mason, surfaced after Bentley fired former Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Secretary Spencer Collier.

A recording of a sexually-charged phone call between Bentley and Mason surfaced the same day. Bentley

Gibson said he did not know how much money the event made because they are still paying for services from the weekend. However, he said proceeds will be donated to the College of Veterinary Medicine and Storybook Farm.

“These are our traditional donations, but we will donate to as many local charitable organizations as we can as long as the funds are available,” Gibson said.

There were several safety changes at this year’s rodeo.

Gates did not open until 11 a.m. and lighting was added to ensure a safe environment. Gibson said the fraternity will meet with officials to assess the improvements and come up with ways to make the event as safe as possible.

“I believe the changes we made were effective in making the event safer, but we all know there is always room for improvement,” Gibson said. “We have many post-event meetings in place with both the private security and the sheriff’s department to discuss ways to make the event safer.”

» From 1

» From 1

DAKOTA SUMPTER / PHOTO EDITOR

Rep. Mike Hubbard speaks to the press at the State of the State.

has denied a physical affair but apologized last week for his “inappropriate remarks.”

Mason is not a state employee, but she resigned March 30 from her position as Bentley’s top political adviser, an unofficial position, and discontinued her involvement with the Alabama Council for Excellent Government, a 501(c)(4) political action “dark money” organization founded to support Bentley.

DAKOTA SUMPTER / PHOTO EDITOR

Chief Justice Roy Moore looks on at the State of the State.

Mason’s company, RCM Communications, has received more than $500,000 from Bentley’s campaign since summer 2013, according to the state’s financial reporting system.

In a press conference with several state and national news outlets, Collier also alleged, along with an affair, that Bentley fired him for refusing to follow an order that would have required Collier to subvert the attorney general’s ethics investiga-

tion into Hubbard.

Bentley is reportedly under investigation by the Alabama Ethics Commission, the Alabama attorney general’s office and federal authorities for possible misuse of state and campaign funds and his involvement in Hubbard’s trial.

Bentley’s possible impeachment and a criminal trial would occur separately, with neither having any bearing on the other.

SHOOTING

COUNSELING

also said she had mental health issues and was only armed with a small knife.

“It should never have happened,” McPhillips said. “There’s no excuse.

People with mental health issues should be treated with more respect.”

The State Bureau of Investigations is investigating the shooting along with the Macon County Sheriff’s Office and the Macon County Coroner’s office.

Police did not release the names of the officers. They have been put on administrative leave, according to Dorsey.

of urgent care are assigned to a counselor right away, said Director of Student Counseling Doug Hankes.

However, if the student does not appear to be in immediate danger, he or she will be put on a wait list.

Hankes, who called the length of the wait list “terrible,” said he is encouraged by the attention mental health has received on campus lately. The student-led mental health task force will make its findings public soon.

“I’ve never been more optimistic,” Hankes said.

“We’re going to get there,” Woodard said. “But it’s not going to change overnight.”

Details for the five-year plan and the Mental Health Task Force’s findings have not yet been made public.

» From 1

JIM LITTLE / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Red Creek Road in Macon County is where Auburn police officers shot and killed Melissa C. Boarts.

» From 1

Campus

3

Thursday, April 7, 2016

ThePlainsman.com

Campus

MENTAL HEALTH

‘Question, persuade, refer’

FITNESS

University offers QPR training to prevent suicide Claire Tully CAMPUS WRITER

The University offers a service called QPR training to help prevent suicide on campuses.

QPR teaches people to recognize the signs of depression and suicidal thoughts, according to Eric Smith, director of Health Promotion and Wellness Services.

QPR is an acronym for question, persuade and refer, Smith said.

“It is the mental health equivalent of CPR and is built upon a foundation of hope,” Smith said. “Proving hope can help build a lifeline of support and keep folks from attempting suicide.”

The training is meant for any person at Auburn, Smith said.

“Our goal is to train staff, faculty and students in QPR so that they can serve as gatekeepers helping to recognize suicide clues, persuading folks to seek help and referring them to the appropriate resources,” Smith said.

India Way, SGA senator for the college of business and senior in management, said as the Auburn Family, she believes students should all start looking out for each other.

“Suicide is the second leading cause of death in teens and college students,” Way said. “Yet, it’s also one of the most preventable causes of death. So why aren’t we preventing it?”

Way said she believes people often get uncomfortable and avoid the topic of mental health and suicide.

“People don’t ask because they don’t want to know,” Way said. “If everyone would just realize they could save a life by asking a question, we would have much less than 13 suicides in the past four years at Auburn.”

Way said her personal experience with suicide has made her passionate about being a listening ear to those struggling with depression.

“I have lost a cousin and close friend to suicide and been a listening ear to many friends contemplating as well,” Way said. “I, as most people do, kept asking myself what I could have done, why I didn’t know they were struggling, if I could have prevented this.”

Way said she has read several books, picked the brains of professionals, joined foundations and taken psychology classes to help understand people and recognize the signs of suicidal thoughts.

“Through noticing the signs in a friend my senior year of

“

Suicide is the second leading cause of death in teens and college students.Yet, it’s also one of the most preventable causes of death. So why aren’t we preventing it?”

-India Way

high school and taking action, I realized it is possible to recognize the signs and prevent someone from taking their life,” Way said. “That is where my passion for suicide prevention awareness began.”

Doug Hankes, director of Student Counseling Services, said for colleges, approximately one suicide occurs for every 10,000 students.

“So for a campus of Auburn’s size, we would anticipate about two to three completed suicides per year,” Hankes said. “Over 1,100 college students each year commit suicide.”

Unexpected changes in behavior are the best indicators that there might be a problem, according to Hankes.

“For example, changes in hygiene, isolating from others if they are normally extroverted, no longer getting enjoyment in activities that formerly were fun, no interest in academics when they used to be very concerned about academic performance, et cetera,” Hankes said. “There are a lot of other signs and symptoms of depression.”

Way said making positive behavioral changes can make a difference.

“A little motto I came up with a few years ago is be kind, be observant, love well,” Way said. “It’s astonishing how many people you can positively affect by doing those simple things.”

There is an overwhelming stigma surrounding mental illness that people need to overcome, according to Way. “You never know when you are about to pass a student on the concourse who looks upset and may be thinking about ending their life,” Way said. “By smiling and saying hello, you may have given them just enough optimism and hope to keep going one more day.”

Auburn professor honored by Alabama Academy of Science sprouse

CAMPUS WRITER

An Auburn University professor has received the highest honor from the Alabama Academy of Science.

Pradeep Lall, the John and Anne MacFarlane Professor in the department of mechanical engineering, is the 2016 recipient of the Wright Gardner Award. Lall said it was a great honor to be recognized by the academy.

“It was a little bit unexpected, but it was wonderful to be recognized,” Lall said.

“The fact that my contributions and my accomplishments had been recognized by the academy to a level where they would deem it at the level that it would be recognized with the Gardner award was special.”

The academy contacted him ahead of its annual meeting in February to let him know he would be recognized.

Lall was recognized for his research involving electronic systems operating in harsh environments. He said most of his work and his research have been based on creating pre-competitive technologies to make a societal impact.

As the director for Center for Advanced Vehicle and Extreme Environment Electronics, a National Science Foundation Center, Lall said he works with members of the industry to come together and solve problems of greater societal interest.

“The idea is to work on pre-competitive things before it becomes a product and companies are worried about sharing ideas,” Lall said.

“It’s in a pre-competitive stage where it’s not a product, [but] it’s more of a technology and the companies are

LALL

saying, ‘Okay, we’re going to come together and solve a bigger problem, and then we can take the information that’s a part of the solution and create products based on it.’”

Lall is also the director of the Harsh Environment Node of Nextflex, where he leads the effort for flexible hybrid electronics. The idea, according to Lall, is to make everything flexible so it won’t break and can be moved easily. For example, cell phones are rigid and can break when dropped.

Lall said this new type of technology would be able to make “this kind of rollable, flexible, foldable [or] bendable” material where it won’t break if dropped.

“You can imagine a world where you can say, ‘I’m going to take my monitor, I’m going to roll it up as a poster, put it in a tube, [and] get on a plane,’” Lall said. “[Then] I go to my hotel room and I can hang it up on my wall and have a 60-inch TV instead of that small 19-inch that I [would] have to watch in the hotel room.”

Because Alabama and the South have a strong manufacturing foothold, with companies such as Kia and Hyundai based in the region, flexible technology could become a major partner in these indus-

Rec Center to make group fitness changes

SGA SENATOR FOR THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS

ACADEMICS

Rachel

FILE PHOTO

Students take a cycling class.

tries, according to Lall.

One of the things the institute hopes to do is bring some of the manufacturing jobs that have gone off shore back to the U.S., according to Lall.

“You could have flexible heads-up displays so while you’re driving, you could have your text messages displayed on the screen,” Lall said. “I don’t have to look at my phone [while I drive].”

Lall also teaches classes in the Business-Engineering-Technology Program and said he wants students to have a bigger perspective beyond engineering so they can picture how things come together with business and technology. Lall has an MBA in finance and said the BET program is “wonderful” because it allows students to tie in aspects of business and engineering.

“Once you get out into the real world, you have to worry about the technical aspects, but you have to worry about how everything comes together to kind of make an economic impact,” Lall said.

“I feel that program helps the business and the engineering community melt together, come together.”

Lall said he thinks there are excellent students at Auburn, and they are the ones who make it possible for him to do all these things.

“Nothing really happens, none of the research ever happens [without them], so I’m always very excited about the quality of students that we get here and how hard-working they are,” Lall said. “They are actually the folks who work in the labs and work with the professors to make all these things happen so ... that’s really the big driving force.

That’s the big secret.”

Claire tully CAMPUS WRITER

The rec center makes changes to its group fitness schedules each semester based on popularity and class attendance, and these changes are largely in the hands of students.

Annie Sauer, senior in applied mathematics and Auburn rec group fitness instructor, said student instructors and group fitness attendees play a huge role in the schedules.

“Group fitness class schedules change every semester, partly because our instructors are students whose academic class schedules change each semester as well,” Sauer said.

Sauer said she does not know which classes are most popular at the moment because they look at attendance at the end of each semester and make changes accordingly.

If someone has a class they love, it is important to attend as a way to let the rec center employees know they want to keep it on the schedule, according to Sauer.

“The best way to keep a class on the schedule is to attend it each week,” Sauer said. “In monitoring our class schedule, a class with high participation numbers will have a better chance of sticking around.”

Sauer said she balances two other part-time jobs with her rec center work and academic responsibilities at Auburn.

“Making a new schedule each semester can be a stressful time because I have to work my fitness classes around my academic schedule and my other work schedules,” Sauer said. “Our professional staff works hard to make this process as seamless as possible and to make sure we are offering the best classes we can.”

Sauer said each semester is a chance to change the rec’s schedule.

“I cannot speak to any schedule changes at this time,” Sauer said.

“We are working on our summer and fall class schedules, and our summer schedule will be coming out by the end of the semester.”

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Campus 4

Thursday, April 7, 2016

The Auburn Plainsman

TECHNOLOGY

Spear phishing increases among hackers A ndria M oore CAMPUS REPORTER

Having access to your email password means a scammer could have access to your entire life.

In the past year, Auburn University has had increasing problems with online scamming known as spear phishing.

Spear phishing is when a hacker sends an email pretending to be from a friend or business.

However, it’s from the same scammers who want access to your credit card and social security number.

“They will address it to you and use your first name and maybe only send it to a select number of people,” said Mark Wilson, manager of information security. “It will seem like it’s coming from a legitimate organization or from your friend or professor.”

A few Auburn University students were recently victims of a spear phishing scam, Wilson said.

“What happened was the students fell for a scam where they act as a mule,” Wilson said.

“The scammer says, ‘I’ll send you a check for $1,500, you deposit $500 and keep $1,000 and then send another check to a different person.’ Then when they deposit the check,

the bank says it’s bounced and you suddenly owe $1,500.”

Bill Miaoulis, information security officer, said there are key factors to look for in emails to determine any red flags.

“Be very careful when checking emails,” Miaoulis said. “You may get one that says it’s from jaygogue@auburn.edu, but really it’s a fake email address that scammers have masked to look like President Gogue’s email account. Another one targeting students is with job situations. People will say they need your help with payroll processing or offer an internship and ask for you to confirm information.”

Wilson warns against ever typing in your password in an unknown site.

He recommends never using your Auburn University password as an identifier for other sites.

“And just be aware that your professor is never going to email you asking to verify your password,” Wilson said.

Miaoulis said hackers have even learned to create entire websites that resemble a website students see daily.

“Sometimes a hacker will take a legitimate website and change one word slightly,” Miaoulis said. “So an example is instead of ‘au-

burn.edu’ it will be ‘auburnuniversity.edu.’”

Another popular scamming method is known as ransom, which is when attackers sneak into people’s network and hold their files for ransom.

“They encrypt your machine so that you have to pay them back to get all of your files back,” Miaoulis said. “Just be careful, especially with emails saying they are sending you money.”

Wilson said the Office of Information Technology has been working to combat these recent scams. But there isn’t much to be done, he said.

“Auburn University gets hundreds of thousands of emails a day that are just junk,” Wilson said. “It’s very difficult to block everyone because everyone is different. A lot of times when faculty get scam emails, they forward them to us, and then we run an analysis on it and block it in firewall.”

Wilson said the problem with email scams is that hackers are becoming too smart.

“It’s happening more and more because people are the weakest link,” Wilson said.

“We can do all the tech stuff, but if they get to the human, the human is the weak link.”

Miaoulis said that is why he believes educating not only student, but the community on

FILE PHOTO

Students recently became victims of spear phishing.

online safety is important.

“The third floor library has a help desk where you can go and get your computer checked for viruses,” Miaoulis said. “But I just really tell people you have to be careful.”

EVENTS

Laura Bush and 9/11 survivor to speak on campus this month S taff Report

BUSH

The 2016 Women’s Philanthropy Board Spring Symposium and Luncheon at Auburn University will feature Will Jimeno, a Sept.

11 survivor, and Laura Bush, former first lady.

Jimeno, a former detective with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department, survived the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.

He will speak Monday, April 11, at 10 a.m. in the auditorium of The Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center.

His presentation is free and

open to the public, according to a University press release.

Laura, wife of the 43rd president of the United States, George W. Bush, will provide the keynote address during the luncheon at noon.

Tickets for the event are no longer available, the release states.

“The Women’s Philanthropy Board is honored to bring Will Jimeno and former first lady Laura Bush to the campus of Auburn University,” said June Henton, dean of the College of Human Sciences.

“We are committed to provid-

ing the community with the opportunity to learn from such notable individuals.”

As chair of the Woman’s Initiative at the George W. Bush Institute, Laura continues her work on global health care innovations, empowering women in emerging democracies and education reform and supporting those who have served in America’s military, the release states.

Jimeno was a rookie police officer assigned to the Port Authority Bus Terminal on Sept. 11, 2001.

Jimeno and his fellow officers responded to the World Trade

Center site after an airplane hit the North Tower.

When the South Tower collapsed, Jimeno, Port Authority Sgt. John McLoughlin and others were buried under the concourse between the two towers.

Only Jimeno and McLoughlin survived amongst the rubble, according to the release.

Jimeno was rescued after 13 hours; McLoughlin after 22, according to the release.

In November, Jimeno donated a piece of steel from the World Trade Center to the Auburn University Veteran’s Resource Center.

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Opinion Thursday, April 7, 2016

5 ThePlainsman.com

Opinion

Mental health cannot wait OUR VIEW

SOCIAL MEDIA ON THE PLAINS

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Spring Editorial Board 2016

Approximately one in five adults in the U.S. suffer from mental health issues each year, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

Colleges have seen the percentage of students suffering from mental health issues climb steadily throughout the past few decades, and Auburn University is no exception.

In 2015 alone, five Auburn students ended their own lives.

Students struggling with mental health issues at Auburn have the opportunity to make an appointment at Student Counseling Services and usually have it scheduled within a week or two.

This appointment consists of a mental health professional performing an intake assessment for the patient to determine which professional help options would best suit them.

In addition to this matching process, the urgency of each individual case is considered when determining the wait time for the counseling sessions to begin.

If the case is urgent enough, students can receive care immediately.

An on-call psychologist is present at Student Counseling Services from 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

But if a student isn’t deemed to be in urgent need of counseling, that wait time usually extends to about an entire semester.

A semester-long wait can be deadly. Time is of the essence when you’re in an embattled state with your own mind. Life doesn’t take a pause to respect this waitlist. Life continues its beaten path whether you’re mentally prepared or not.

With regards to people conveying their urgency, two potential issues come to mind.

Some students, recognizing how urgency is given preference, may easily invalidate their own feelings and convey less urgency.

This could stem from the fear of diverting time away from others who they believe need it more, even if that’s not the case.

On the other hand, it’s not a stretch to imagine some students knowing how preference works and responding in the opposite manner.

Claims of urgency could be inflated and so students who are truly in need of urgent care would be worse for it.

While exaggerating urgency for mental

health issues would be immoral to do, how much blame could really be placed on students who would do such a thing?

With a waitlist of over 300 students and only 11 counselors to provide care, many students feel boxed out of a solution.

This has to change. We need more counselors to provide help to the growing number of students who require it.

Mental health should be treated with the same level of importance as physical health.

Instead of treating a visit to a mental health professional as something only to be done during a crisis, people ought to view their mental well-being as something that routinely needs to be checked up on and worked on.

The same preventative emphasis placed on our physical state should be extended to our mental state.

Imagine if you had a broken bone and the Auburn University Medical Clinic told you to come back sometime next semester to see a doctor. The ridiculousness of the situation is parallel to current issue facing Student Counseling Services. It is our hope that the upcoming five year plan will provide a solution.

HER VIEW

The generation without communication Rachel Sprouse CAMPUS WRITER

If you’ve seen the recent post about Chick-fil-A’s “family challenge” circulating on Facebook, you know about the 150+ restaurants that allow families to lock up their cellphones for their entire meal in exchange for a free ice cream cone.

This idea is a wonderful motivation tool to promote family time and discussion at the dinner table, but it points out a bigger flaw our society faces.

We have become dependent on cellphones, so much so that a popular fast food chain has taken it upon themselves to try to spark the change.

I thought the idea was odd until I observed my own friends’ behavior when we went out to dinner.

We try to go out once a week to catch up, seeing as each person’s schedule is different.

Almost everyone had their phones out on the table, as though the phone was a dining utensil itself.

Before we had even placed our order, two friends insisted we take group photos together so they could post them on Instagram.

Throughout the night, they alternated from having a conversation with the others at the table to scrolling through their texts and Facebook notifications.

I had never noticed this before or thought of it as rude, but as the evening went on and I watched each person at the table become glued to their screens, I realized this was the problem Chick-fil-A is trying to address.

Technology is meant to enhance our lives, not replace them. Social media apps are great to make connections and reach out to others, but they should not be the only way we communicate with one another.

The art of conversation is getting replaced with emojis and hashtags, and it won’t be long until we forget how to function without our phones.

I’m not saying delete your apps or go without your cellphone. So much of our

lives is stored on our phones, from our calendar to our contacts, that it’s harder to go without it. But small changes, such as logging out of your apps when you’re out with friends, can make a difference.

Focusing on the here and now and the people you’re surrounded by can change your perspective on what’s important in life.

Since I observed that dinner, I’ve made a conscious effort to put my phone away when I talk to others.

It was hard at first, and I was tempted to grab my phone when the people around me scrolled through their news feed at dinner.

But it starts with one person, and over the next weeks, I noticed my friends start to put their phones down and listen to the people around them.

So take the challenge.

Put your phone away during dinner and get the ice cream cone. Turn off your apps for an hour and notice the change in the people around you.

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Sierra Patterson “Yes, if there were pleasurable or medicinal results in smoking poison ivy, people would be smoking poison ivy.

Poison ivy also is not an herb or “herbal”. Lots of herbs are used for their medicinal qualities. Surprisingly, poison ivy is not one of them.”

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Community Thursday, April 7, 2016

6 ThePlainsman.com

Community

CONSTRUCTION

Wider sidewalk and new lighting set for Ross Street

Chip Brownlee

COMMUNITY REPORTER

The City of Auburn is set to begin yet another infrastructure upgrade intended to make the city more walkable and pedestrian-friendly.

A stretch of North Ross Street between East Magnolia and East Glenn avenues will soon have a wider sidewalk and more pedestrian street lighting.

According to David Dorton, the City of Auburn director of public affairs, the upgrades will tie in to other upgrades and landscaping improvements to the Douglas J. Watson Municipal Complex and Fire Station No. 1 on East Magnolia Avenue.

“The city has been investing in new infrastructure around town to improve pedestrian and vehicular safety for several years,” Dorton said. “Pedestrian lighting downtown and within walking distance to campus has been a part of that.”

The improvements will come to the west side of Ross Street. The east side of Ross Street saw its sidewalk and lighting upgraded during the construction of the 160 Ross apartment complex.

The streetscape upgrades were funded by the developer, Dorton said.

The upgrade will include the construction of a wider sidewalk that will be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as 15 new pedestrian street lights and 16 street trees, according to city documents.

Access ramps will be built at the intersec-

tion of Glenn Avenue and Ross Street.

Bidding for the project was announced March 24 and will close April 21.

Construction is expected to begin in late May and should be completed in about 45 days.

“These landscaping improvements tie in with these overall renovations at that municipal complex and also with the fact that there’s more pedestrian traffic in that area, especially with folks walking from 160 Ross to downtown and to campus,” Dorton said. “The Downtown Master Plan, zoning ordinance and Public Works Design and Construction manual also speak to streetscape improvements in the Urban Core and Urban Neighborhood districts.”

In early March, the City Council approved the codified form of the city’s new Downtown Master Plan, which calls for a more walkable city.

“As development continues in the downtown area and as new residential developments within walking distance to campus come on line, the provision of pedestrian improvements to provide a safe, comfortable walking environment have definitely become a priority,” Dorton said.

It’s not all about aesthetics, according to Dorton.

The streetscape improvements will make the area safer as well.

“In addition to walkability, these streetscape projects can help provide for visibility and security,” Dorton said.

ARMAND DE LAUREAL / PHOTOGRAPHER

Lighting improvements and a wider sidewalk are coming to a section of Ross Street near 160 Ross.

OUTREACH

CITY COUNCIL

Ball helps support Boys & Girls Club Lily Jackson

COMMUNITY WRITER

The 11th Annual Mayor’s Jeans & Jackets Ball was hosted March 13 to support the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Lee County.

According to Wanda Lewis, president of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Lee County, the event was a tremendous success. So far the event has raised over $92,000. The goal for the event was $100,000, but contributions are still encouraged. There were initially 400 reservations and despite the bad whether, the venue was packed.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Lee County has two locations, Auburn and Opelika, serving students ages 6–18.

The clubs serve as after school care and are open full days during the summer. The local clubs have served over 6,000 young people over the years.

“It doesn’t matter what age, what ethnicity or where their parents are from or where the work,” Lewis said. “There is something for every child at the Boys & Girls Club. I don’t know what Auburn and Opelika would be like without the clubs.”

The mayor’s ball auction featured artwork crafted by boys and girls from the local clubs. Ball attendees bid on art and donated goods to help raise funds for the clubs.

A jazz band serenaded the attendees as they ate and mingled. Tonya Turner, a single parent of a club member, stood to speak about the importance of the Boys & Girls Clubs.

Jake Gulledge, a comedian from Atlanta, kept the crowd laughing throughout the night, Lewis said.

“He was a good, clean, funny comedian,” Lewis said. “He spoke about his time growing up and how people impacted his

DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN

VIA THE CITY OF AUBURN

Renderings show how the new development would fit in downtown.

Keep Auburn Lovely questions hotel developer Chip Brownlee

COMMUNITY REPORTER

PHOTO VIA WANDA LEWIS / BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF GREATER LEE COUNTY

Members of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Lee County pose for a picture.

life, which he then tied back to the importance of the club.”

The funds raised by the ball help pay for daily expenses produced by the two clubs.

Technology, meals and overall operation is possible with the help of the ball, grants and individual contributors.

“It is very important that we have the contributions that we have,” Lewis said.

“Without the help of the ball and community supporters, we wouldn’t be able to run the club the way we do now.”

The club has three impact areas. Academic success, good character and citizenship and healthy lifestyle are the main focus points for the clubs.

Lewis said that the clubs have strong relationships with local schools and teachers to ensure that students receive needed assistance in troublesome subjects. The club takes field trips, gardening and partakes in artistic activities. The club has differ-

ent sports teams and a cheerleading team.

Club members are also given the chance to participate in fine art activities and crafts.

Each year, a Youth of the Year is chosen for each branch of the Boys & Girls Clubs.

The program is a national program that all clubs participate in. Autumn Hayes was selected as the 2016 Boys & Girls Clubs Youth of the Year.

“This program identifies and recognizes a young person in the clubs that displays leadership in the club, their community and their schools,” Lewis said. “The student selected is usually a good role model to their peers, someone that can be looked up to.”

Lewis has lived in Auburn her entire life and has worked with the clubs for 18 years. The Auburn and Opelika clubs have been around for 25 years.

Lewis said that there is nothing she would rather do.

Susan Hunnicutt, public relations officer for the grassroots organization Keep Auburn Lovely, spoke before the Auburn City Council on Tuesday night, urging the council to reconsider the redevelopment of the Municipal Parking Deck.

On Jan. 5 the Auburn City Council approved a term-sheet agreement with Birminghambased real estate developer Blackwater Resources to build a new 700-space parking garage, a 30,000-square-foot urban grocery and a 90–130room boutique hotel.

Hunnicutt questioned Blackwater Resources’ reliability.

“Five years ago they had a real string of bankruptcy projects, all of which were shopping center developments throughout the Southeast,” Hunnicutt said.

Chairman Alex Baker founded Blackwater Resources from a previous company, AIG Baker Shopping Center Properties, after several bankruptcy filings following the Great Recession and the collapse of its equity partner and backer, the American International Group Inc., or AIG. After over a year of untangling, Baker separated his company from AIG in spring 2010, according to an AL.com article.

But that was not before AIG Baker nearly lost two shopping centers in the Birmingham area to foreclosure: the Patton Creek shopping center and the Vestavia Hills City Center.

“If he’s going to run out on his employees and his lenders, he might have no problem qualms about running out on the City of Auburn,” Hunnicutt said.

The Chapter 11 bankruptcy was filed after the principal holder of the debt, Huntsville’s Propst Properties, attempted to foreclose on the property, ac-

cording to the article. Chapter 11 bankruptcy often forces debt holders to renegotiate the debt of the filer.

“Once that land is gone, they can sell it to any New York or out-of-state real estate development trust,” Hunnicutt said.

“Those guys, they’re not going to care about what’s going on in Auburn.”

Blackwater Resources President John Abernathy refused to comment.

The public-private partnership brokered by city officials would have the developer pay a $10-per-month rent for the land on which the parking deck will sit.

The low rent was intended to incentivize the private developer into footing the bill for the multimillion dollar parking garage, according to Economic Development Director Phillip Dunlap and City Manager Charles Duggan.

Blackwater Resources, instead of the city, will finance the new parking garage, pay all maintenance fees and ensure the deck is inspected biannually — saving the city more than $10 million.

“We’re not having to build a deck and put that in the general fund,” Dunlap said at the City Council meeting on Jan. 26. “We’re probably saving $800,000–$900,000 a year in debt service to build this deck. It frees us up to be able to achieve a longer-term strategy for parking.”

Two other real estate developers returned a proposal for the property.

The next step for the project will be the approval of a development agreement by the City Council. The agreement was initially intended to be on the council’s agenda as early as April, but Duggan said he anticipated it would be further in the future. He did not give a date.

Thursday, April 7, 2016

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Sports

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Thursday, April 7, 2016

SCOREBOARD

ThePlainsman.com

Sports

Catching up with K.T.

GYMNASTICS

AUBURN ATHLETICS

LAST WEEK NCAA Regional in Ann Arbor, Michigan T-1st Place w/ Stanford 196.525

MEN’S TENNIS (11-10, 1-7)

AUBURN ATHLETICS

LAST WEEK at Mississippi State (L, 4-2) vs. Alabama A&M (W, 4-0; W, 4-0) vs. Vanderbilt (L, 4-3) THIS WEEK April 8 at South Carolina (4 p.m.)

BASEBALL (13-15, 2-7)

FILE PHOTO

LAST WEEK vs. Alabama (W, 10-1) MAX Capital City Classic in Montgomery vs. LSU (W, 8-5; L, 8-6; L, 10-5) vs. Georgia State (W, 7-4)

THIS WEEK April 7-9 at Missouri (6:30 p.m.; 6 p.m.; 1 p.m.)

SOFTBALL (33-4, 9-3)

C.J. HOLMES / SPORTS REPORTER

After cementing himself in Auburn basketball lore, KT Harrell has found a career in professional basketball playing for Akhisar Belediye in Turkey.

After going undrafted, Harrell finds footing overseas C.J. Holmes

SPORTS REPORTER

Sometimes, life is about risking everything for a dream no one can see but you. And after three All-SEC seasons, former Auburn basketball player K.T. Harrell has taken his leap of faith.

Harrell’s 5.2 points per game on 27.3 percent shooting wasn’t enough to secure a roster spot this past summer with the Philadelphia 76ers during the NBA Summer League, but the 6-foot-4, 212-pound shooting guard from Montgomery remained optimistic.

Harrell opted to continue his basketball career overseas — signing with Akhisar Belediye of the Turkish Basketball Second League.

And although Harrell was born on European soil — in Weisbaden, Germany — the 23-year-old suddenly finds himself in unfamiliar territory.

Harrell shared some of his experiences with The Auburn Plainsman’s C.J. Holmes in an exclusive one-on-one interview from Harrell’s apartment in Turkey.

Q: How did you end up with your current team?

H: Basically, they scouted me when I was in Philly playing summer league, and the head coach gave my agent a call when I got back. He contacted my agent and called me with a lot of interest, and I ended up coming out here.

Q: What was the exact moment you realized, “I’m definitely not at home anymore?”

H: The exact moment I realized I wasn’t home anymore is when I saw that I was the only black person here, and I saw a lot of people staring at me and wondering why I was here. It definitely made me realize that I wasn’t home.

Q: What's the pro game like overseas?

H: You have a lot of skill players here. A lot of veteran guys, a lot of older guys. Very patient. Back home you usually see a lot of fast-paced basketball, but guys out here are really patient. They look for open shots — they don’t force a lot of shots. It’s something I definitely had to adjust to. Taking my time and being more patient.

Q: In what ways have you had to adjust your game?

FILE PHOTO

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April 8-10 vs. Longwood (6 p.m.; 6 p.m.; 1 p.m.)

H: Like I said, the biggest thing for me was just being more patient. A lot of people here, they don’t force a lot of things because a lot of coaches trust them to pass the ball, and everybody’s touching the ball looking for the open shot.

Q: What kind of league do you play in?

H: I play in the second division here in Turkey, which is a really good division. Of course, the first division is the best division, but we have a lot of good competition here and a lot of great basketball players. It’s been a really humbling experience to play against a lot of really good competition.

Q: What is the fan culture like?

SHOE ROOM

H: It’s really good. Our last game we had great fan support. The crowd was going berserk, and it was a lot of fun. They really love their sports here.

Q: Describe your living situation.

H: I have a one-bedroom apartment. It’s real nice. Got a nice balcony with a nice view. You get to see the mountains. It’s really nice — nothing spectacular, but it gets the job done. I like my apartment.

Q: What's the area like?

H: It’s pretty chill. It’s not like the bigger cities like Istanbul and Izmir, but it’s a place where you can drive around and get where you need to go.

It’s not real busy like Istanbul. If you go there, it’s going to take you an hour to get from one place to another because there are so many people. I like it, man. It’s got nice views of the mountain. It’s a real chill area.

Q: Take us through your daily routine.

H: Depending on whether or not we have weights, I wake up in the morning, make breakfast, go to weights, come back, take a nap because usually we have weights around nine and I’m kind of tired. Then we’ll usually have practice around five or six, and then after practice I’ll probably go with my teammate to a restaurant at the mall and eat dinner. After that, I’ll just come back and chill to get rest for the next day.

Q: It’s one thing to have teammates from all over the country, but what’s it like having teammates from all over the world?

H: It’s really no different. Globally, there’s a certain perception you have about teammates. They’re supposed to have your back, and they’re supposed to always be there for you. Just like it was back home, that’s how it is here. We all have each others back, and they always want what’s best for you. Especially when you’re out there on the court and stuff goes wrong, they’re always there to pick you up. It’s the same thing whether you’re back home or overseas.

Q: What’s it like playing for a coach that doesn’t speak English as his first language?

H: A lot of players have struggled because some of the coaches out here don’t speak English at all, but I’m fortunate enough to have a coach that speaks really good English. It definitely helps a lot.

Q: At the end of the day, basketball is a job, and you play to put food on the table. With that being said, take me through your emotions when you cashed your first professional paycheck.

H: It was an amazing feeling. You put so much work into the game, and you finally see the results from it. It was a great feeling, something that I will always take with me for the rest of my life. I’m going to continue to make money playing the game I love, but I’ll always remember the first time I got paid. It was very rewarding to see the results of all the hard work that I’ve been putting in over the years and finally get the benefits from it.

It was great.

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Thursday, April 7, 2016

Sports 9

The Auburn Plainsman FOOTBALL

HARRELL » From 8

Q: What are your personal and team goals for this season and beyond?

H: As a team, we want to make the playoffs and eventually win the championship in our league. I think that’s everybody’s goal. Individual goals never really meant anything to me. Of course, I want to be the best player I can be, but that’s for the team.

I want to be the best player I can be for the team and whatever individual rewards I get from that that’s great, but if we don’t win and get the goal as a team then it really doesn’t matter. That’s what I’m striving for, to be the best player I can and help us get to the playoffs and win a championship.

Q: What is the biggest misconception about overseas basketball?

H: A lot of people think that there isn’t as much talent than there is in the NBA. There’s a different level. The NBA is the highest level of basketball, but there are some very talented basketball players here overseas, some really great teams overseas and great coaches. A lot of guys think that it’s easy to come overseas and play, but it’s not. You got a lot of great players and great teams.

Q: What advice would you give to college basketball players considering the overseas route?

H: Well, you definitely have to prepare.

It’s not for everybody. If you’re somebody who’s dependent on family members or friends, it’s something you need to really consider because when you come out here, you’re out here on your own. You have to fend for yourself. You have to provide for yourself — being able to cook and do other things for yourself is important. You can’t just look at it like, ‘I’m just going to go overseas and make the money’ because it’s not about the money. It’s about making sure that you’re in a good area, you’re in a good situation and not dependent on anybody. I think that’s the most important thing. When you ask yourself, ‘Am I dependent on anybody? Can I do things without needing anybody’s help? Can I go a couple of days without speaking to the people that I love and care about and still be able to do my job?’ That’s the most important thing.

My advice would be to sit down and weigh the pros and cons and really ask yourself those questions.

See C.J.’s video from his time in Turkey with K.T. Search “Catching up with Auburn Basketball’s K.T. Harrell” on YouTube.

RENEE FARRELL / THE MIAMI STUDENT

Marshall Taylor (21) lines up against Michigan in the Big House.

Auburn lands cornerback transfer from Miami of Ohio Sam Butler SPORTS EDITOR

CONTRIBUTED BY AKHISAR BELEDIYE

KT Harrell searches for an open play to make during one of Akhisar Belediye’s games.

A second graduate transfer has entered the fold at Auburn.

Cornerback Marshall Taylor committed to Auburn on Sunday while on his first official visit to The Plains.

Taylor was on the second of his four-visit trip to a handful of Power 5 schools. He visited Louisville last weekend and was scheduled to visit Florida and Michigan State, but he canceled those plans after committing to Auburn.

Taylor is a 6-foot-3, 200-pound corner who spent the last four years at Miami University in Ohio. He started 22 games in the last two seasons and racked up 39 tackles with a pair of interceptions in 2015 for the RedHawks.

He will provide depth at corner for the Tigers, who lose two starting cornerbacks in Jonathan Jones and Blake Countess to graduation and the NFL Draft.

Taylor’s interest in Auburn stemmed from his connection to secondary coach Wesley Mc-

Griff, who recruited him while McGriff was at Vanderbilt.

“How can you not be impressed with his resume?” Taylor told Mike Niziolek of the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer. “He is a high-caliber coach, and he just left the NFL. He knows what scouts are looking for and can help elevate my game.”

Taylor is eligible to play this season, joining Auburn's other graduate transfer in linebacker T.J. Neal from Illinois.

A native of Cordele, Georgia, Taylor initially chose Miami because teams deemed him too small to play cornerback. Now, 40 pounds heavier than he was out of high school, Taylor is determined to prove that was a mistake.

“No one wanted to give me the opportunity when I was coming out of high school,” Taylor told the Ledger-Enquirer. “They didn’t think I could put on the weight, thought I was too skinny. This reconfirmed in my head that I can do this, you know? I always knew I was good enough. I’m ready to prove it.”

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Sports 10

Thursday, April 7, 2016

The Auburn Plainsman

ARMAND DE LAUREAL / PHOTOGRAPHER

CONTRIBUTED BY AUBURN ATHLETICS

Kullen Hlawek performs her routine on the beam in Auburn’s home match against Arizona State. The Tigers secured a spot in the NCAA Championships last weekend with a first-place finish in the Ann Arbor Regional.

Pleun Burgmans returns a hit in Auburn’s 4-3 win over Alabama on April 1.

This Week in Auburn Sports Softball

Auburn’s pitching staff was the true story of the game. The staff, consisting of Sprinkle, the starter, and relievers Klobosits and Casey Mize, finished with a season-high 15 strikeouts.

“We wanted to elevate our fastballs, we felt like they [Georgia State] would go for it,” said coach Butch Thompson. “When 15 of the 27 outs are strikeouts, it takes a lot of pressure off of the defense.”

Sprinkle finished the game with eight Ks. His previous record for strikeouts in a game was just two. He earned his first career win as a Tiger in tonight’s outing.

April 3 vs Kentucky W, 3-1 (9 innings) With a road series against a ranked team already clinched, No. 3 Auburn rode its pitching and timely hitting late in the game to beat No. 12 Kentucky, 3-1, in nine innings in Lexington on Sunday afternoon.

The Tigers (33-4, 9-3 SEC) have won eight consecutive games — seven of which were SEC games — and 11 of their last 12.

Auburn is 3-0 in extra-inning games this season and 5-3 against ranked teams.

Jenna Abbott’s ninth-inning RBI double scored Jade Rhodes from first base to break a 1-1 tie and ultimately deliver the Tigers the sweep of the Wildcats (33-8, 8-4 SEC).

Later in the inning, Bree Fornis — pinch running for Abbott — scored on an RBI groundout by Whitney Jordan to deliver the final run of the game.

The scoring began in the second inning, when Rhodes hit a solo shot to make it 1-0.

Rhodes has 13 home runs this season, which leads the SEC. Lexi Davis earned the start for Auburn, pitching five innings and allowing just four hits.

She allowed Kentucky’s only run in the fifth inning before being relieved by Kaylee Carlson, who allowed two hits and improved to 10-0 on the season after picking up the win.

Kasey Cooper went 2-of-3 on the day, making it 37 consecutive games in which she's reached base.

With the sweep of Kentucky and Alabama's series victory over Florida, Auburn is now tied with the Gators for first place in the SEC.

Gymnastics

April 2 NCAA Regionals T-1st Place For the first time in school history, Auburn gymnastics has qualified for nationals in consecutive seasons.

Auburn advanced to the NCAA Championships with a tie for first in the Ann Arbor, Michigan, regional Saturday night, earning the fifth trip to nationals in school history.

“To have this opportunity is incredible,” said senior Lexus Demers. “We’re going to go to nationals with our heads held high and prove to everyone that we deserve to be back there.”

The Tigers scored a 196.525, which tied with Stanford for the top spot. Auburn will advance as the No. 1 seed because of a tiebreaker.

It’s the first regional win in school history.

Auburn opened the night with a first-round

Women’s Tennis

April 1 vs Alabama W, 4-3

ADAM SPARKS / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

The softball team celebrates its win over South Carolina. It swept Kentucky the following week.

bye before scoring a 49.125 on bars.

Senior Kait Kluz, sophomore Abby Milliet and freshman Taylor Krippner each scored a 9.850 to lead Auburn.

The Tigers then totaled a 48.850 on beam.

Demers led Auburn with a 9.875, which was good for third place in the meet.

Auburn made its jump on the floor, where the Tigers scored a 49.400.

Leading the way were three seniors — Kluz, Demers and Caitlin Atkinson — who tied for first overall with a 9.9.

“I believe the team was feeling the stress on the first two events,” said Auburn coach Jeff Graba. “The second bye was really good for us. We were able to go back and regroup. I knew we were confident and comfortable on floor. I think the team came out with a purpose to really turn it on. They knew they were capable of making it to nationals with the two events at the end.”

Auburn closed the meet with a 49.150 on vault. MJ Rott won the event with a 9.9.

Atkinson finished fifth in the all-around with a score of 39.350.

Auburn will travel to Fort Worth, Texas, to compete in the NCAA Championships on April 15–16.

“I thought the team did a really good job with handling the pressure tonight,” Graba said. “There was a handful of early hiccups to start, but I thought we did really well at the end and cranked out some good routines. To make nationals for the second year in a row solidifies the fact that we are a contender to advance to

the national championship every year.”

Baseball

April 5 vs Georgia State W, 7-4 Auburn baseball defeated the Georgia State Panthers at Plainsman Park Tuesday, 7-4.

Early in the game, freshman pitcher Daniel Sprinkle was the only man to provide any entertainment as he struck out six of Georgia State’s first nine batters.

Georgia State scored first in the third inning on a two-run home run courtesy of Joey Roach, who also hit a solo shot in the eighth inning inning.

Auburn took the lead in the fifth inning and didn’t look back.

Melvin Gray started off the inning with a single, Damon Haecker was hit by a pitch and Kyler Deese loaded the bases with an infield single.

Then Jonathan Foster, who went 3-for-4 on the night, stroked a 2-2 pitch down the left field line to score two runs. Anfernee Grier knocked in the other run of the inning with an RBI groundout to shortstop.

“With two strikes, Coach Sisson teaches us to spread out and to look for a fastball and adjust [to an off-speed pitch],” Foster said. “I was lucky he threw me an inside fastball and I turned on it.”

After Auburn switched from Sprinkle to reliever Gabe Klobosits in the seventh inning, Georgia State scored another run, shrinking the lead to one.

However, Auburn bounced back in the bottom of the inning, capitalizing on an errant throw from third baseman Jarrett Hood.

A “complete team win” is all the No. 14 Auburn women’s tennis team needed to defeat No. 51 Alabama for the first time since 2008, according to Auburn coach Lauren Spencer.

The Tigers (19-4, 7-2 SEC) notched a 4-3 victory over the Crimson Tide (4-13, 0-9 SEC) at the Yarbrough Tennis Center in Auburn on Friday afternoon.

In doubles play, Alannah Griffin and Andie Dikosavljevic were the sole winners for Auburn, defeating Bennett Dunn and Aryn Green, 6-2.

Pleun Burgmans and Alizee Michaud fell 6-3 and Paula de Man and Caroline Turner dropped their match against Andie Daniell and Joanna Savva, 7-6.

“I have to give a lot of credit to Alabama,” Spencer said. “They came out and fought until the end tonight. I am especially proud of our freshmen. For them to come out and perform as well as they did is huge for our team.”

Burgmans kicked off singles with a victory over Natalia Maynetto 6-1, 6-0 for the 185th win of her career.

Dikosavljevic got her second straight SEC win, defeating Daniell 6-4, 6-4.

Freshmen Griffin and Turner sealed the deal for Auburn, with Griffin improving to 6-0 in SEC play after a 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 victory. Turner clinched the match for the Tigers with a 6-2, 0-6, 7-5 win over Dunn.

Griffin is the first freshman to begin her career 6-0 in the SEC since Burgmans in 2013.

“I want to thank all the fans that came out and supported us tonight in this tremendous program victory,” Spencer said.

The Tigers will continue play next weekend with their final home stand of the season, facing No. 8 South Carolina on Friday for senior day and No. 6 Florida on Sunday at the Yarbrough Tennis Center.

Compiled by Nathan Deal, Evan McCullers and Emily Shoffit

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Daniel Sprinkle rears back to throw a pitch in Auburn’s 7-4 win over Georgia State. He and the rest of the pitching staff combined for 15 strikeouts.

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Intrigue

Thursday, April 7, 2016

11 ThePlainsman.com

Intrigue

LIFESTYLE

Students propose donating TigerCard money

Ben Ruffin

INTRIGUE WRITER

At the end of each spring semester, many Auburn students pack up their belongings following a grueling semester and week of finals and prepare to head home declaring themselves a broke college student.

However, one thing a number of students fail to realize before heading for the hills is that they are not necessarily broke because their TigerCard still holds money on it, or at least it did.

Each year, TigerCard money rolls over from the fall semester into the spring semester. However, that is not the case for returning to school after the summer. Instead, those unspent dollars from the spring are given back to the University and Tiger Dining for bettering the dining experience for the coming semester.

However, for the first time in the school’s history, not one but two organizations approached Glenn Loughridge, director of campus dining, in hopes of making charitable donations with the leftover TigerCard funds.

According to Loughridge, approximately 10 percent of TigerCard money is not spent each year, meaning nearly $1 million is returned back to the University and Tiger Dining.

Richard McBride, senior in supply chain management, first had the idea of turning the leftover money into an event where students could turn that money into cash and spend it at that event, which would then be given to a charity.

However, McBride found that went against the University’s policy and decided to look for alter-

MADISON OGLETREE / PHOTOGRAPHER

You can find affordable food options in the Village Cub Stop Store.

nate ways.

While McBride’s hopes of turning the TigerCard money into cash for charity fell flat, he partnered with the Committee of 19 and the Auburn Food Bank to devise a plan in which students can purchase food from the on-campus stores with their TigerCard money and put it in a donation box at one of the many locations, including all Cstores, fraternity houses and sorority halls.

“All the TigerCard money we have is required by the University to go toward food, and the University is required to encourage all students to buy food for themselves,” McBride said. “But

then we found we could encourage people to donate as much as we wanted so that was the best plan of action for us to make a difference in our community and to put that unused money to good use.”

While Loughridge is busy running the day-today dining operations at the University, which feeds thousands of people every day, he said he certainly doesn’t mind taking time out of his day to help find a way to feed those who are less fortunate in the Auburn community.

For him, seeing students go beyond the call of just succeeding in academics but also wanting to

serve a community they’re only going to live in for four to five years is a rewarding part of the job, but one that didn’t come until this year.

“It’s funny because this is the first time I’ve been approached about it, but this year two different organizations took it upon themselves to do something about it,” Loughridge said. “It’s really cool to see students care so much about their community and those around them.

With a poverty rate of 31.3 percent, Auburn is one of the most impoverished cities in Alabama according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

For McBride, that number should be the reason not a single student leaves a single dollar on their dining card when the end of the semester comes.

“This is probably the easiest way to donate money, donate anything towards a better cause, especially one that could help our community so much,” McBride said. “Does someone want to leave Auburn with $100 that could be countless meals for children, families, people that don’t have means enough to even have two meals daily? I certainly wouldn’t.”

While McBride is excited to help begin this process for Auburn, he is not sure what to expect in its first year but hopes to rival the Beat Bama Food Drive, which brings in mass amounts of donated food to the Auburn community each year.

Since this is the first year, McBride said, it is tough to set a goal.

However, he aims for a goal somewhat similar to the Beat Bama Food Drive, which received around 3 million pounds of food last year.

BUSINESS

Alumni works on film following three brothers Anne Dawson INTRIGUE EDITOR

Three brothers from Iowa — Adam, Seth and Sam Coster — quit their jobs and dropped everything to create video games when they found out their youngest brother Sam had stage 4B lymphoma in 2013.

As a last wish, they worked to create Sam’s dream game. After Sam beat cancer and survived, the game, “Crashlands,” came out and the brothers continued making video games.

In August 2015, Alessio Summerfield decided to tell their story.

Summerfield graduated from Auburn in 2013. Directly after he graduated, he and his wife moved to St. Louis.

Summerfield and James Reichmuth then decided to open up their own boutique vid-

eo development and production house, which they called Forever An Astronaut.

One project Summerfield and Reichmuth felt passionately about was a film series telling stories of game developers in St. Louis.

What should have been a three-hour interview with the the Coster brothers turned into eight hours. Summerfield and Reichmuth decided their story was too important not to tell.

Instead of filming just an episode about the brothers for the series, they decided to produce a full-length film about them.

The film, “Brace For Impact: The Crashlands Story,” has been in the works since August 2015 with Summerfield as director, and he and Reichmuth as co-executive producers.

Once the editing is finished, the film will come out in August 2016.

INSTAGRAM OF THE WEEK

CONTRIBUTED BY ALESSIO SUMMERFIELD FROM FOREVER AN ASTRONAUT

Adam, Seth and Sam Coster are the creators of the game “Crashlands.”

TECHNOLOGY

Our virtual future: the release of Oculus Rachel WIlliams INTRIGUE WRITER

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As the release of wild new technologies seems to become more common, feelings of opposition to a futuristic world grow to new levels. The role of technology and change in society is a highly personal stance. However, following the official release of Oculus — the first commercial virtual reality headset — we all must question if the future has become the present.

The pre-orders for Oculus Rift, the first commercial realization of virtual reality, officially began March 28. Through what looks like a pair of oversized ski goggles, people can play games and experience interactive scenarios in a world that is completely removed from the physical one they are in.

Discussions of virtual reality began over 80 years ago with simulations and simple toys. It has grown to be a huge realm of the technology world in terms of interest and development efforts, consuming many innovators’ entire careers.

The Oculus Rift and applied virtual reality does indeed create a rift between the user and the actual world. This rift brings both dangers and benefits to users and society.

For various applications, including gaming and education and bridging distances, the ability to see and function in a new space is valuable. Games become more real, convincing and immersive through advanced sensory development, connecting movement, sound and touch — maybe soon smell — in a virtual world.

Positional trackers, gaming controllers and audio elements combine to make the experience smooth and fun. The headsets and systems facilitate new spaces and activities that even skeptics may enjoy. Users

GURDEN SMITH / GRAPHICS EDITOR

Virtual reality makes experiences and opportunities possible like no technology before.

say it’s unlike any other experience: transformative and delightful.

Family gatherings, educational demonstrations, field trips, surgeries and medical appointments may all gain a new level of accessibility and adventure through the possibilities virtual reality brings.

From a psychological perspective, virtual reality can actually offer impactful benefits. Experiences and personalities in the virtual realm can transfer to everyday life.

People can overcome fears and PTSD, gain confidence and acquire traits of their virtual reality character.

There is a difference between virtual reality and augmented reality.

The former completely submerses the user in the virtual experience and blocks out the real world. The latter combines virtual elements into the visible real world.

The virtual reality headsets don’t have lenses that let you see the environment around you. Some prototypes put the user at risk for tripping on wires, elements in the room or on other people around you.

Imagine if someone unable to manage such overwhelming risk, such as a child, were to accidentally put on a headset.

If the virtual world were to be perfect, people may struggle to remain involved in the real world.

Virtual reality may streamline or so sig-

nificantly improve experiences to the extent people will not want to behave under the strains of reality. There could be issues of responsibility and ethics, addiction or even health impacts like we experience now from technology, such as weight gain or nutritional deterioration.

Various insights and a recent poll from Fortune indicate that a significant amount of people are interested in trying virtual reality. However, less than 20 percent plan to purchase one.

The founder of Oculus tweeted, “VR will become something everyone wants before it becomes something everyone can afford.”

The price for Oculus is $599. Other concepts to be released soon include the HTC Vive and the PlayStation VR. The market continues to develop, and as prices reduce, the devices may become more common.

I am still a bit nauseated thinking of a virtual world coming so soon — and in fact that virtual reality might actually cause nausea — but it does seem to have more potential applications than I imagined.

Whether it is a technology just for games or one that changes the way we conduct our lives is yet to be known.

Rachel can be reached at intrigue@ThePlainsman.com.

Intrigue 12

FITNESS

The Auburn Plainsman

Thursday, April 7, 2016

Staying fit as a student

FitDesk Bike Desk: a healthy way to study Amanda Myles INTRIGUE WRITER

As more fitness trends are becoming available, finding time to fit exercise in students’ hectic schedules is becoming easier.

One of these fitness trends is the FitDesk Bike Desk, which is appearing in college libraries.

The Bike Desk is a combination of a stationary bicycle with a desk platform that allows users to pedal while reading, writing or using a computer.

The Bike Desks have been installed at colleges including UCLA, Florida State University, Mississippi State, Clemson, Tulane, and Troy University.

June Pilcher, alumni distinguished professor of

psychology at Clemson, introduced the FitDesk Bike Desk to Clemson in fall 2013 when she wanted to research the effects of activity when doing a necessary task such as studying.

As part of the research project, Clemson has 12 Bike Desks in its library.

Most students who use the desk enjoy it, Pilcher said.

“If students are already in the library studying, they go ahead and use it,” Pilcher said. “I encourage students that are falling asleep to get on the FitDesk.”

Pilcher said she is impressed with the Bike Desk and its stability, and over time she hopes to move the FitDesk around to random places on

campus that are more available to students.

For example, she said she hopes one day there will be a bike where students might just be sitting or waiting for class to start.

Pilcher said she recommends the Bike Desk for other universities.

“I think putting them in places where students are just waiting for class to start would be interesting,” Pilcher said. “I think most students would find it enjoyable.”

Josh Parker, freshman in mechanical engineering, said the Bike Desk is an interesting idea, and thinks it would attract students.

Danielle Wadsworth, associate professor of kinesiology, said at first the FitDesk might be hard

to use because it involves multitasking.

However, she said ultimately it can help with memorization and retaining certain information because students will associate the activity with what they are studying.

Wadsworth said she would not prescribe the FitDesk as an exercise regime, but rather a way to increase memory capacity and the ability to pay attention and focus.

Wadsworth said she recommends study breaks with the FitDesk.

“You definitely can only retain so much information over a period of time,” Wadsworth said.

“Every 30, 45 minutes you definitely should get up, take a break, walk around and do something.”

How to get in a good workout without a gym Anne Dawson INTRIGUE EDITOR

I’m pretty sure we can all admit that working out can get pushed to the back burner.

So what do you do if you only have time to work out late at night but your gym is closed?

No worries. There are ab, arm and leg workouts you can do without ever leaving your home.

Abs 1. The easiest ab exercise you can do is crunches. You can do them anywhere. For a challenge, try putting your feet on the base of a chair and doing crunches with your legs elevated.

2. Another good exercise is to hold plank. But make sure your back is straight and not bent.

3. Russian twists and bicycles are also good to do at home because they don’t take up a lot of space. When doing Russian twists, try to hold something heavier such as a box of cat litter or a textbook in place of weights.

Arms 1. Keep that box of litter or textbook and do squats with extended arm raises. After each squat,

lift the weight above your head. This works not only your arms, but your legs as well.

2. Pushups are the best for toning your arms and can easily be done on the floor.

3. Triceps dips are also good to do at home because they don’t require much motion. You can do them on the floor, but to get a better workout, put your hands on the edge of a couch or chair.

Legs 1. Regular squats are great for legs, but you can mix it up too. Try sumo squats, which are just regular squats with your feet spread farther apart.

Also, try jump squats to add in some cardio to your workout.

2. A great way to tone inner thighs is by doing lunges, especially raised individual leg lunges.

Put one foot on a couch or chair, squat with the leg that’s not on the raised surface, then switch.

3. Another way to squeeze cardio into your workout while working your legs is to do stepups. Grab a chair and step up one leg at time.

These are just a few of my favorite at-home exercises. Get creative, add weight when you think you need it and be sure to push yourself.

Anne can be reached at intrigue@ThePlainsman.com.

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