The Auburn Plainsman 04.28.16 Issue

Special graduation section inside

The Auburn Plainsman A SPIRIT THAT IS NOT AFRAID

Thursday, April 28, 2016 Vol. 123, Issue 28, 12 Pages

EVENTS

First copy is free. Additional copies 50 cents per issue.

COMMUNITY

Family demands answers

Protesters at APD seek explanation for shooting Chip Brownlee

COMMUNITY REPORTER

DAKOTA SUMPTER / PHOTO EDITOR

Kenny Chesney kicked off his Spread the Love tour at the first Music and Miracles concert in Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday, April 23.

» See CHESNEY, 3

CAMPUS

Auburn Memorial

construction begins Corey Williams CAMPUS EDITOR

The Auburn University Garden of Memory will close April 25 and remain closed through the end of August for construction of the Auburn Memorial, according to a University release.

“This project has been a focus of SGA executive leadership teams for more than eight years, but it really took off the last couple of years as a location was secured and former SGA President Walker Byrd worked tirelessly to secure funding,” said SGA President Jesse Westerhouse. “After lots of conversations with the campus community, we are excited to see this project come to fruition, not only to serve students, but all of the Auburn Family.”

Construction of the Memorial project will include installation of a walkway winding through the Garden from Samford Avenue to Mell Street, a memorial wall to include stanzas excerpted from the Auburn Creed, a seating area and a new plaza,

» See MEMORIAL, 2

Michael and Terry Boarts said they never expected the Auburn Police Division to shoot their daughter, Melissa Boarts, when they called police for help on a Sunday afternoon, April 3.

Melissa’s parents were distraught and frantic to help their daughter, who suffered from mental illness.

The Boarts and others led a protest Saturday, April 23, outside the APD headquarters at the Douglas J. Watson Municipal Complex along Ross Street. Others, many who have had children and family members killed by police across the United States, joined the protest.

“I had called 911 to get help for her because she was threatening to cut her wrists,” Terry said. “She has been diagnosed with bipolar [disorder] ... and PTSD. She was really depressed. I had told 911 that she was really depressed.”

Police said officers responded to a report of a suicidal motorist that afternoon.

That call was from Terry, who decided to call the police after her daughter got in her car and disappeared. Terry said she discovered her daughter was on Interstate 85 and began following Melissa in her own car throughout the ordeal.

Terry also had her 2-year-old granddaughter with her.

“I asked my husband, ‘Should I call 911?’” Terry said. “Because the traffic was so bad, I thought maybe 911 could get there quicker. When I called 911, never in a million years did I think they would kill her. I was on the phone the whole time.

I was on the phone with them when they shot and killed her.”

When Melissa finally stopped on a rural road in Macon County, Alabama, police said she rushed officers with a weapon. A single gunshot discharged from an officer’s weapon killed Melissa.

Police say the shooting was justified be-

CHIP BROWNLEE / COMMUNITY REPORTER

Michael Boarts, whose daughter Melissa was killed by officers of the Auburn Police Division in April, holds a sign that reads “Protect and serve who?”

cause she charged officers with a weapon.

“They shot and killed her,” Terry said.

“They said that they were afraid of her.

If they were that afraid of her, they don’t need to be cops.”

According to the Boarts family, the weapon with which Melissa charged police was a small pocket knife she was car-

rying — the same pocket knife with which she threatened to injure herself. Terry said she told police Melissa had the knife.

“They knew when they rolled up on her exactly what the situation was,” Michael said. “We told them what her mental state

» See PROTEST, 2

Price’s Barbecue closing after 38 years BUSINESS

Maria McIlwain COMMUNITY EDITOR

Soon it won’t smell like wood smoke and barbecue near the intersection of Samford Avenue and South College Street anymore.

Price’s Barbecue House, which has been an Auburn installment since 1978, is closing, according to owner Jeff Price. Price said he does not know exactly when it will close, but it could be any time between the end of May and December.

Price, 59, made the decision to sell the

property to a developer because of all the recent redevelopment in the City of Auburn.

“I felt like at my age, I needed to take advantage of that,” Price said.

Price has owned the property for nearly 30 years. He was a part of the business when it opened, left for a time and returned to run the barbecue house. Price’s features a weekday breakfast along with traditional barbecue.

“It’s a good living, but it’s a tough one as well,” Price said.

Price, an Auburn alumnus, said the de-

cision to close was a tough one because he loves the community and his customers who live all over the world. He is working on “taking care” of his employees.

“It’s something that I’ve had to think about for a very long time, and I can’t go on forever,” Price said. “The timing is just right, as sad as it is.”

Its proximity to campus makes the barbecue house a popular spot for students and University staff.

Jamie Gnan, senior in natural resource

management, just found out Price’s was closing. He said he was “disappointed” and would miss eating breakfast with friends there.

“It’s definitely somewhere that I’ll come and meet friends for breakfast,” Gnan said.

“I’ve done that pretty much since my freshman year.”

Price’s closing would be “tragic” for Elise Irwin, who works in the Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Unit in the School of Fisher-

» See PRICE’S, 2

EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT

Sharing rides, stories and blueberry gum

Popular security shuttle driver with tragic past impacts students Lily Jackson

COMMUNITY WRITER

MATTHEW BISHOP / PHOTOGRAPHER

Daniel Church started driving at Auburn 10 years ago.

Daniel Church started chewing blueberry gum after his throat cancer diagnosis nine years ago.

The radiation affected his salivary glands, and the gum helps him feel normal.

Church is known around campus as the “Blueberry Gum Guy,” because he shares his gum while driving a white security shuttle.

Before driving security shuttles, Church was enlisted in

the United States Air Force. He fought and left a tour in Vietnam with small shrapnel in his chest.

“When I look back on it now, it seems like another life,” Church said. “It was a long time ago. It was so far away. There has been a lot of water under the bridge since then.”

He moved to New York and worked on computers after his enlistment ended. After several moves he ended up in Texas working in security.

He left Texas to assist his youngest brother, who was bat-

tling cancer at the time, with his security company in Oklahoma.

After his brother’s passing he returned to Texas and then Alabama.

Cancer ran rampant through Church’s family, killing his mother, sister and one of his brothers, all at the age of 43.

Another brother was diagnosed with throat cancer right before him. He passed away during Church’s treatment.

His treatment was primarily radiation. While treating the radiation also destroyed his taste buds

and salivary glands. The doctor recommended chewing gum.

Church tried several brands, but eventually settled on Trident’s Wild Blueberry Twist.

After losing the last of his family to cancer, Church followed his brother-in-law and left his home in Dallas, Texas, for Alabama. He planned to move back to South Carolina, where he is originally from, until his brother-in-law mentioned a night-shuttle system looking for a startup team.

» See SHUTTLE, 2

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Thursday, April 28, 2016

PRICE’S

DUI REPORTS The following were arrested and charged with driving under the influence by the Auburn Police Division from April 19-22: April 22 - Joseph Benjamin Pratt, 22 South College Street at 3:18 a.m.

April 25 - Augustin Cercantes Morales, 28 Commerce Drive at 3:04 p.m.

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

–Reports provided by the Auburn Department of Public Safety

» From 1

ies, Aquaculture and Aquatic Science. Irwin comes to Price’s three to five times per week for breakfast or lunch — or both.

“I’d have to eat at home,” Irwin said. “There’s nowhere else to eat breakfast in this town.”

Price said the restaurant could reopen, but under different management.

He said he would stick around to make sure the quality remains the same and people have the same experience.

“We may reappear,” Price said. “We many not be done yet.”

MATTHEW BISHOP / PHOTOGRAPHER

Price’s Barbecue House, located on South College Street, opened in 1978.

COMMUNITY

Boys and Girls Club struggles to accommodate large numbers Lily Jackson

COMMUNITY WRITER

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

MEMORIAL » From 1

the release states. The project will also include construction of a stairway entrance from Mell Street, pond and stream enhancements and development of a larger lawn space.

“The Garden of Memory is a unique location on campus with history dating back to the 1950s,” said Ben Burmester, campus planner. “Under the leadership of the Garden Club of Alabama, the garden was originally established in honor of Alabama veterans. Given its history as a memorial location and the serene environment, the Garden is the ideal location for the Auburn Memorial.”

During the construction period, parking along the Garden on Mell Street and pedestrian traffic surrounding the area will be affected.

Anthony Brock waited nearly two years for city leaders to respond to his email.

On Oct. 30, 2014, Brock, unit director for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Lee County, emailed Jarrett Jones, director of the Boykin Community Center, and Mayor Bill Ham requesting a meeting to discuss safety concerns at the Auburn Boys & Girls Clubs.

There was no action taken or response until January 2016, according to Brock. Bill and City Manager Charles Duggan met with Brock to discuss the insufficient space provided for rent to the Auburn Boys & Girls Clubs at 400 Boykin St. “I told them I need their help badly, and I haven’t heard anything back from them,” Brock said.

The facility that is currently hosting the Boys & Girls Clubs, the largest after-school program in Auburn, is the venue for three other organizations. A day care program, a senior center and Auburn Parks and Recreation have access to the facility.

“The facility is our biggest challenge right now,” Brock said. “We are trying our best to find supporters that can help us get our own facility because we have taken a huge hit by this facility and having to share it with the other organizations.”

When asked about the Boys & Girls Clubs’ situation, Duggan said he remembered attending the facility and meeting with Brock. According to Duggan, the provision of a new facility would be under the council’s jurisdiction, and the funds would have to be allocated directly in the city’s budget that will

PROTEST » From 1

CONTRIBUTED BY AUBURN UNIVERSITY

An artist’s rendering shows the plan for the Auburn Memorial.

SHUTTLE » From 1

Church was hired April 11, 2006, making his 10-year anniversary fairly recent.

He was referred to as “Dan the Man” when he first became a driver, a name he prefers over the Blueberry Gum Guy. There were two shuttles when he began at Auburn. Each had an individual direct contact number and students would call the drivers for pickups.

The team was made up of Dan the Man, Mark the Shark and the young driver who drove on off nights, Nick at Night.

There is one story Church tells that stands out in his mind more than any other.

was. We told them the weapon she had.

She had a pocket knife. They still haven’t said outright that it was a knife that she had.

They keep saying a weapon. For a lot of people, (a weapon) is a gun.”

Melissa’s death was the first time the APD has used deadly force in nearly 40 years, according to the APD. “It’s a tragedy for their family and the officers involved,” said Capt. Lorenza Dorsey, public information officer for the APD, in an initial release.

According to Terry, the police told her officers recently received training on how to deal with people with mental illness.

“The Auburn police department had training on how to deal with mental health issues,” Terry said. “Is that the kind of training they got — shoot to kill? They could have stayed in their cars. We were right there. She didn’t know why they were pulling her over. She was in that bipolar mental state. She did not know.”

Those with untreated mental illnesses are 16 times more likely to be shot and killed by the police during a stop or encounter than those without mental illness, according to a study by the Treatment Advocacy Center.

About five years ago, while making his normal rounds, he passed the pack of blueberry gum around the van after one of the girls said she smelled muffins. As one of the girls stepped out of the vehicle, a boy commented, “Hey, dude! Did you smell her? She smelled like blueberry muffins. I gotta get my girl some of that.”

Another girl spoke up.

“Can I get some of that gum,” she asked. “Maybe I’ll meet the man of my dreams tonight.”

Church gave her a piece and dropped her off.

Later that night, the girl hopped back in Church’s van and told him she had met a great guy and the gum had worked.

“He even called me his little blueberry,” she said, according to

“

ELLEN JACKSON / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Children wait in line at the Boys and Girls Club.

be decided in August. “(The Boys & Girls Clubs) has discussed the issue and asked, but we have lots of people coming to us with lots of requests all the time,” Duggan said. “While we believe in the Boys & Girls Club and have supported them for many years, it’s not something we can just do.”

Duggan said the city has not received a formal request for a new facility from the staff at the Boys & Girls Clubs.

Over the last five years, the club has grown from 60–70 children per day to 125–130 children. This rapid growth has put stress on Nearly a quarter of at least 305 individuals shot and killed by police across the U.S. suffered from mental illness, according to Pulitzer Prize-winning database compiled

by The Washington Post.

“All the cops would have had to do is say, ‘Melissa, your parents are right down the road. They’re coming here,’” Terry said.

“I mean, we were right there. We could have helped her. We could have talked her down. We could have made her come back.

We could have said, ‘Melissa, it’s OK. It’s OK.’” An investigation is still underway by the State Bureau of Investigations. Police have not released the names of the officers involved.

“We want their names released,” Terry said. “We want the tapes released. We want to know why they didn’t use a taser — why they didn’t use mace. ... Why did they have to shoot her?”

Police refused to comment following the protest.

Terry and Michael are not the first parents to face the loss of their child because of a bullet shot by the same police officers whom they called for help.

In 2012, Andrew Messina was shot and killed by a police sniper in Cherokee County, Georgia. His mother, Lisa Messi-

I love it, and I’ve loved it from day one. Even after 10 years, I can still tell you how much I love this job.”

-Daniel Church

SECURITY SHUTTLE DRIVER

Church. “We’re going to see each other again.”

A year later, she and that boy stepped into Church’s van. The boy and his “little blueberry” were engaged and living together.

“That story took off like a rocket,” Church said. “All of a sudden, I’m getting people in my bus saying, ‘Hey, you got any of that blueberry gum? I’m going out tonight.’”

workers and the building itself, Brock said.

According to Brock, there is little space for children in the current facility. Once parks and recreation arrives in the afternoon for sports, there is even less. The gym, a vital area for the club, is occupied by parks and recreation in the afternoons.

“My kids are suffering from the lack of space,” Brock said. “They do everything they are told to do. My ultimate goal is to get these kids what they deserve, which is a facility that is their own.”

Without the gym, the club has even less space for their members, and they are unable to provide athletics to those who are interested, Brock said. For example, the students haven’t been able to have their basketball season yet, and the school year is almost over.

“The gym is a place where we can send our kids to alleviate some of the crowdedness, but when they take the gym every evening, we only have two medium-sized rooms for over 100 children,” Brock said.

Although the club does tutor and help to drastically improve students’ grades, the athletic programs help to relieve stress and make time at the club more enjoyable, Brock said.

Carol Ham, Linking Learning tutor and Bill Ham’s wife, helps connect Auburn City Schools with the Boys & Girls Clubs. Carol has been working with the club for six years.

Carol said working with the schools and the club has been a great opportunity, and she has enjoyed being a part of the community through her position.

» See CLUB, 6

CONTRIBUTED BY JULIAN MCPHILLIPS

Melissa Boarts was 36 years old when she died.

na, called the police for help after Andrew threatened to kill himself with a gun after an overwhelming day at school.

Lisa and her husband Nick Messina were at the protest today in support of the Boarts family.

“We lost our child to a police officer’s bullet May 1, 2012,” Nick said. “We know exactly what they’re going through, and we’re just here to give them some support.”

Terry, Michael and their surviving daughter, Melissa’s twin Melinda, are pursuing legal action against the APD and the City of Auburn for Melissa’s death.

Students have started to connect his gum to other successes, Church said, like getting back together with an ex, passing a test, meeting a significant other and getting asked to formals.

Church lives alone and looks forward to his night shifts driving through the City of Auburn. He spends a large percent of his time driving intoxicated students home.

Intoxication has directly affected Church’s life due to the loss of his son to alcohol poisoning. “(Driving security shuttles) is by far the best job I’ve ever had,” Church said. “I love it and I’ve loved it from day one. Even after 10 years, I can still tell you how much I love this job.”

Interacting with the students is one of the best things about driv-

ing for the University, Church said.

He is constantly reminded of what a small world it is by listening to students converse in his van.

Church has watched and listened as long-lost acquaintances have reunited on a 10-minute drive across campus.

Church has received cards, cookies and invitations to weddings and parties.

He has made such a large impact on students, the mere mention of his retirement caused Baret Steed, freshman in elementary education, to yell, “No, Blueberry Man! (If you retire) I will retire from Auburn.”

He laughed and said he has a couple more years of driving in him.

Auburn is his family now, Church said, and he plans to stay a while.

Campus

Thursday, April 28, 2016

3 ThePlainsman.com

Campus

EVENTS

Kenny Chesney and friends pack 50,000 in Jordan-Hare

Corey Williams CAMPUS EDITOR

A stadium full of screaming fans helped Kenny Chesney launch his Spread the Love tour at the first Music and Miracles Superfest on Saturday, April 23.

There couldn’t have been “a better place, a better day, a better night” to start the tour, Chesney said.

“I want you guys to listen to me,” Chesney said to the crowd of more than 50,000 people. “I want you to let me take you by the hand, and I want you to let me take you where I know in my heart that I want to take all of you.”

Proceeds from the show will go toward advancing the fights against cancer and food insecurity.

The concert was the brainchild of Chicken Salad Chick co-founder Kevin Brown.

He came up with idea after he was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2013.

“It was at that point that a voice spoke to me and said, ‘This is your opportunity for much greater things,’” he wrote after his diagnosis. “‘Use this in ways that will impact those around you.’”

Brown died in November.

“If he were here, he’d be working,” said Chicken Salad Chick Foundation Director Barclay Smith. “He was a hardworking, determined individual. But as soon as the music started, he would be having a party. I can just see the smile on his face.”

The crowd went wild when Chesney opened the show with one of his biggest

hits, “Beer in Mexico,” and didn’t cool down until he finished his set nearly two hours later.

Old Dominion, Sam Hunt and Miranda Lambert preceded Chesney. Lighters and cell phones filled the air as Lambert sang “The House that Built Me” — one of the concert’s few solemn moments.

“From the sound of things and from the looks of things, we certainly hope to bottle you guys up and take you with us all the way to the last show,” Chesney said.

Before the concert, Chesney took the brothers of Lambda Chi Alpha up on their offer to swing by the fraternity house Friday, April 22.

Chesney, an East Tennessee State University Lambda Chi alum, treated the house to a performance of “Keg in the Closet,” a song he wrote about his time in the fraternity. It marked the first time he performed the song in an actual Lambda Chi house.

Chesney didn’t officially accept his invitation until Friday afternoon, said Lambda Chi President Graham Davis. The impromptu concert felt “laid-back, almost like a family atmosphere,” Davis said.

The country singer performed two songs, took a quick tour of the house, posed for photos and signed autographs before word spread about his location. He stayed for approximately 20 minutes.

“You hear that song all the time and you hear Lambda Chi referenced,” Davis said.

“To hear him sing it in our kitchen was a really cool experience.”

LEFT: CONTRIBUTED BY ALLISTER ANN / ESSENTIAL BROADCAST MEDIA RIGHT: DAKOTA SUMPTER / PHOTO EDITOR

LEFT: Kenny Chesney visits Lamda Chi. TOP RIGHT: Kenny Chesney peforms on stage at Jordan-Hare. BOTTOM RIGHT: Miranda Lambert plays on stage at Jordan-Hare.

Campus 4

The Auburn Plainsman

EVENTS

Thursday, April 28, 2016

ACADEMICS

WEGL commemorates 45 years Finals week

brings challenges to studying

Andria Moore CAMPUS REPORTER

Auburn University WEGL 91.1 FM radio station held its 45th anniversary reunion this weekend.

Dave Gamble, the reunion organizer and WEGL station manager from 1972– 74, said the reunion was a big deal for all former WEGL members.

“We tried to have a 40th anniversary, but it got too hard,” Gamble said. “But there were a number of us who worked at the station that wanted to get together again.”

The reunion consisted of an extensive tour of the Student Media suite and campus, lunch at the alumni center and a dinner at the Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center.

Some of the reunion members hadn’t seen each other in over 40 years. Much of the time was spent catching up and reminiscing.

Gamble said much has changed since he worked at WEGL. “The No.1 change is the technology in terms of size of equipment,” Gamble said.

“And when we first started out, we were a 10-watt station, and now we are at 3,000 watts.”

When Rob Rainey, the first news director of WEGL, attended Auburn University in the ’70s, the station covered mostly local news stories and campus events. The station itself didn’t even exist until 1971 and was built in Haley Center.

“We literally built the studio when we were trying to get on air,” Rainey said.

“We went in with 2-by-4s, plywood and hammer and nails.”

Don Moseley, the news director of WEGL in 1973, said he feels WEGL was more of a social organization in his time than it is now.

“You knew then that if you walked in

Claire Tulley CAMPUS WRITER

CONTRIBUTED BY DON MOSELEY

Muhammad Ali with Don Moseley live on WEGL in 1973.

the office there would always be at least a half a dozen of us in there,” Moseley said. “You’d have to have someone writing and recording and planning. Now, students have all these bells and whistles so they aren’t forced to spend as much time together.”

During Moseley and Rainey’s time, they were fortunate enough to have a few celebrity appearances.

“I remember when Muhammad Ali came to speak on campus my senior year,” Moseley said. “My job was to introduce him [on air] and then to wrap things up because he had to be done at 5:30. So at 5:25 I went to tell him he had time for one more question, and he literally picked me up by my shirt and said, ‘Boy, don’t you ever tell me how long I have.’”

Along with Ali, Rainey was able to interview feminist icon Gloria Steinem

when she came to campus in 1971. After an interview in which Rainey discussed with Steinem the campus curfew for women, Steinem expressed sentiments on the sexism in the curfew.

“Next thing I know, the president of the University is calling me up asking if I encouraged women to protest the curfew,” Rainey said. “I said, ‘No, sir,’ and he said, ‘Well, there is a large group of women sitting in the Quad refusing to go inside.’”

The reunion provided such happiness for the WEGL alumni that Gamble said he is hoping to organize a 50th anniversary reunion as well.

“The alumni association had a list of everyone who worked at the station,” Gamble said. “We have some people that have been very successful in the broadcast industry. It’s been fun letting everyone tell a little bit about what they are doing now.”

TECHNOLOGY

Student-developed parking apps being tested Andria Moore CAMPUS REPORTER

Parking services is currently testing two student-designed apps that will alert students and faculty to available parking on Auburn University’s campus.

The two apps chosen were MySmartSpot app created by Parking Grid Technologies and FoPark created by Focus Engineering.

Parking Grid Technologies was created last year by Alex Wakefield and Jonathan Philip as part of Auburn University’s Tiger Cage competition. The competition was based off of the ABC show, “Shark Tank” where contestants compete to have their inventions patented.

“It was through this competition that Jonathan and I were able to fully vet our idea and get validation on its worth,” Wakefield, chief operating officer, said.

“Winning the competition also gave us funding and momentum to get our business off the ground.”

Don Andrae, manager of parking services, will determine which app to implement next fall. Students and faculty are able to download the apps and provide feedback.

“We sent emails to all people with Czone permits about testing the apps,” Andrae said.

Andrae said Focus Engineering approached him last year about the same time Parking Grid Technologies won the Tiger Cage competition.

Focus Engineering’s app will send information to the app from a system of cameras mounted to the light poles. Parking Grid Technologies works on a ground sensor system that looks like hockey pucks.

“They [Parking Grid Technologies] want to use a hockey puck that has a battery in it [as the sensor],” Andrae said.

“The cameras [for Focus Engineering] take less infrastructure, but I don’t know yet how dependable it is in the rain or cold.”

Focus Engineering was created by Sakthi Kandaswaamy in 2011. Originally the company’s primary focus was to be an engineering company for the automotive and aerospace industries.

“We were just talking about it one day, because when I was in school we would have to leave class early to find a parking space,” Kandaswaamy said. “We spent time and money to come up with a solution that is better than any other technology.”

Both apps will essentially provide the same service for smartphones: to allow users to find available parking spaces on campus. However, each one uses different technology.

“The system has two main purposes: help parking administration better understand it’s parking usage statistics,” Wakefield said. “And to help drivers find available parking spots.”

Instead of batteries, Wakefield’s system

requires wires to run through the sensors to power them.

“We now found a better way to install the wires,” Andrae said. “Instead of through the light poles, you could cut a little V-shaped trench in the lot and put the wires in there.”

Andrae said both apps use routers that will send a signal to the app. The camera system designed by Focus Engineering will take updated pictures of each angle of the lot, which are then analyzed by algorithms to find empty parking spaces.

Parker Roan, research and developer for Focus Engineering, said the cameras are the same ones already used now for security in campus lots so they will have no problem withstanding all types of weather.

“We have been fiddling around with different techniques,” Roan said. “We started making prototypes to make sure the technology is constantly improved.”

Each app has been currently assigned a certain area of campus for testing.

MySmartSpot app was assigned to the lots behind Biggio and Samford halls, and FoPark was assigned to the backside of the Poultry Science Building.

Andrae said he is proud of the work the students made and is excited to implement the technology soon.

“We help these students get started,” Andrae said. “And I feel like we are going to be a part of something very successful.”

Every student is faced with the difficult task of preparing for finals week at the end of each semester, and it’s made even more stressful when one is uncertain about which study habits will facilitate success.

Hannah Hashimi, Study Partners lead tutor and senior in chemistry, said one of the biggest mistakes students make is to get caught up in the hype of finals week.

“The library is often a fun and exciting place where students come and commiserate with each other rather than studying,” Hashimi said. “It’s all about quality over quantity.”

Hashimi said it’s also a pet peeve of hers when people come to the library for a “marathon social hour” instead of placing their focus on their studies.

“It’s not cool to brag about being in the library for 20 hours straight,” Hashimi said. “What’s better is studying well and then getting some sleep in.”

One of the most important keys to successful finals studying is putting away any distractions, according to Hashimi.

“Your brain can really only focus for about 50 minutes at a time, so plan a fiveto 10-minute break every hour to give your brain a rest to store some of the material you just covered,” Hashimi said.

Hashimi said people should get plenty of sleep and not study through your designated break times.

“Also, plan a date night or relaxed night with friends late at night before your final. You shouldn’t be studying then because you won’t learn anything new anyways,” Hashimi said. “This will force you to relax and

FAB Finds at

rejuvenate before your final.”

Hashimi said her last tip is to never go into a final with a bad attitude claiming you are going to fail.

“Research shows that you will perform worse if you think negative thoughts, so don’t show up early to commiserate with friends about how much you don’t know,” Hashimi said. “Show up only five to 10 minutes early with your favorite song playing and think happy thoughts.”

Kaitlyn Eder, Study Partners lead tutor and senior in nursing, has worked for Study Partners for four years now.

“I have seen it all when it comes to effective and notso-effective study habits,” Eder said. “One thing that I have seen often is that when students come in to be tutored because they have been struggling in a class, they still continue to do what has not been helping them succeed in that class.”

Eder said people should change their study habits if they haven’t been working throughout the semester.

“One of my nursing professors once told my cohort a quote early on in our nursing-student careers: ‘Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results,’” Eder said.

“If what you have been doing in the past has not been helping you succeed, it is time to change something up.”

Eder said there are little things people can change to help their academic success.

“Whether it is changing where you study, how you study or who you study with, try to make a change in an attempt to yield more successful results,” Eder said.

“Most importantly though, we all know that school can be tough, but regardless keep the motivation, stamina and never give up.”

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Opinion Thursday, April 28, 2016

5 ThePlainsman.com

Opinion

OUR VIEW

Speak now, there is no peace

SOCIAL MEDIA ON THE PLAINS

Spring Editorial Board 2016

On Sunday, April 3, Melissa Boarts lost her life.

Melissa’s mother, Terry Boarts, called the Auburn Police Division because she feared for her daughter’s well-being.

“I had called 911 to get help for her because she was threatening to cut her wrists,” Terry told The Plainsman. “She has been diagnosed with bipolar [disorder] ... and PTSD. She was really depressed. I had told 911 that she was really depressed.”

Boarts was driving her car down Interstate 85 when officers began following her.

Eventually, Boarts pulled over on a rural road in Macon County and exited her vehicle.

According to police, she charged officers with a weapon.

In response, an officer shot Boarts once, killing her.

This would mark the first time the APD has had to resort to deadly force in almost 40 years.

With the ongoing investigation, the APD has yet to release dash-cam footage that captured the event.

The aftershocks of Melissa’s death were felt April 23 when members of her family staged a protest.

Reinforced by other families who had been affected by officer-involved shootings, the protest aimed to sway the APD to make more details of the investigation available to the public.

The fact that the officer resorted to lethal force as a first option is unsettling.

Deterrents such as mace or a taser gun would’ve been better suited to eliminate any potential threat posed by Melissa.

The officers had been warned Melissa wasn’t in a good mental state and she possessed a small pocketknife.

After the shooting, the officers involved were placed on administrative leave for an undetermined amount of time.

The ADP and the Alabama State Bureau of Investigations should release more information regarding the case, specifically dashcam footage.

While some are calling for the officers’ names, we believe the names should remain sealed until the investigation concludes.

Releasing the names before the investigation ends could potentially have terrible ef-

Response to “Family protests killing of daughter by Auburn Police Division” Seth McCollough “This is the exact reason why ALL police officers should have at least a bachelors degree with a minor in mental health. The police academy is not sufficient training.”

Alec Monroe Jr. “Sad situation. Hard to blame someone who has a split second to make a decision. I’m sure they are upset and dealing with it too.”

Response to “Kenny Chesney visits Lambda Chi before Jordan-Hare concert” Christi Black Kruse “My nephew is on the front row, of course!!!.”

Suzanne E. Chapman “Friday afternoon at Auburn University is always awesome.

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fects on the officers’ lives and could negatively impact the officers’ families as well.

Releasing the personal information of the officers invites vigilante justice. It’s important to remember the officers are innocent until proven guilty and all should be done to prevent mob mentality from taking root.

Showing the dash-cam footage, however, would serve well in providing the closure needed for the family and the public at large.

Cynicism beckons us toward the memory of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald walking down that Chicago road away from officers while holding a knife — and promptly being shot 16 times Eventually the dash-cam footage of the slaying was released, and all of the builtup tension toward the case was released in a storm of protests.

The officer involved had lied in his report.

His claim that McDonald attempted to attack, which resulted in him backpedaling and shooting to save his life, was directly contradicted by the dash-cam footage.

Given the tensions between the police and the public during the past few years, the public needs no more reason to mistrust officers.

Withholding the footage damages the reputations of those brave men and women who put on the blue uniform to protect us daily.

If the officers’ account is accurate and the response was justified, let the public know by releasing the footage.

If the shooting wasn’t justified, let the public know by releasing the footage.

It is our hope the ADP or the State Bureau of Investigations releases it soon and commits itself to preserving transparency.

Wade Aston “Very good but you left out the one still sitting in prison, Don Seigelman. And the one who ought to be in the cell next to him, Bob Riley” Alan Lee “It always amazes me that these types of articles come out when Republicans are the majority. The Plainsman had 136 years of opportunity to print an article like this when the Democrat Party controlled both houses on Goat Hill but.... only crickets then.”

Response to “New lanes to be added at intersection of South College Street and Samford Avenue” Aaron Morgan “Not as annoying as the traffic caused by Chick-Fil-A on Magnolia”

HER VIEW

Not another sappy senior column Maria Mcilwain COMMUNITY EDITOR

When I walked in the door of The Plainsman office almost two years ago, I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

Long nights taught lessons and forged friendships that will last a lifetime.

And I didn’t start working here until the summer after my sophomore year.

Sometimes, you don’t find where you belong for a while, but you definitely know it when you do.

If you’re struggling to find your place in Auburn, don’t worry — it can take years.

But enjoy the ride. You’ll meet some pretty

cool people and learn a lot of important lessons along the way.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you haven’t found your place at Auburn. If a friend is passionate about their group, ask them about it. You’re friends — you have some common interests, and maybe their organization is a good fit for you too.

Pay attention to the people who make chapter visits or come speak in front of your class.

Even if they’re not there to recruit people for their organization, they’re often knowledgeable about that group. So if it seems like something you would like to do, ask questions.

Looking back on my two years at The Plainsman, I’m glad I didn’t get involved right away. I waited until I was ready to get serious about life after college. I probably

wasn’t ready to report on some of the serious stuff I’ve covered or skip nights like New Year’s Eve with my friends to work. Sometimes waiting — whether because you don’t want to commit or simply don’t know about the organization yet — is the best thing to do.

Even if you don’t find your place until later in your college career, you can still make an impact on others.

The people you meet along the way make the goodbyes the hardest. But those are the people you’re passing your group to, and it’s in good hands.

Now it’s time for you to toss that graduation cap in the air and step out into a world that treats you like an adult.

Maria can be reached at community@ ThePlainsman.com

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

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

Letters must be submitted before 4:30 p.m. on Monday for publication.

Letters must include the author’s name, address and phone number for verification, though the name of the author may be withheld upon request. Submission may be edited for grammar and/or length. Please submit no more than 400 words.

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.

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Community Thursday, April 28, 2016

6 ThePlainsman.com

Community

SUSTAINABILITY

Student group pushes for off-campus recycling

Chip Brownlee

COMMUNITY REPORTER

A group of Auburn students wants recyclables to be picked up from off-campus apartment complexes.

“You go to the off-campus apartments, and to my knowledge, not a single one has a decent recycling option,” said Scott Seelbinder, sophomore in art.

Seelbinder said he and a group of his classmates from one of his sociology classes decided they would go before the City Council to ask for its support, and they did earlier in April.

“The class I’m currently in now, each class member has a certain idea they’re spearheading in order to improve sustainability on Auburn’s campus and off campus,” Seelbinder said.

“Apartment complexes, if they are willing, can have three parking spaces given to a dumpster that can be able to pick up the apartment complex’s recycling.”

But off-campus apartments receive waste service from private companies, not the city’s paid waste-collection service, according to Timothy Woody, director of environmental services for the city.

“The city only provides recycling services to the 14,000-plus customers that subscribe to and pay for the city’s garbage collection services,” Woody said. “None of the off-campus apartments are serviced by the city, but are served by private waste companies, therefore no recycling collection is provided.”

Woody said the city has approached some apartment complexes about providing a collector for recyclables on their property. But in the meantime, students have the option of taking their re-

cyclables to the city’s recyclables drop-off center on North Donahue Drive.

“Within the past few years, we have reached out to a couple of apartment complexes about the possibility of us locating a recycling trailer on the property that can be used by the residents ... but it didn’t work out,” Woody said. “Working with several Auburn University students, we are again in the process of reaching out to property managers ... about the prospect of doing a pilot project at one of the local apartment complexes.”

The city made $40,000 in revenue from selling recycled goods in 2015 and saved more than $30,000 in landfill fees as a result of the recycling services.

But the city also spends more than $200,000 per year to collect and ship the recycled materials to either Waste Recycling Inc. in Opelika or Strategic Materials Inc. in Atlanta, depending on the type of material.

“Everyone needs to keep in mind that recycling is the right thing to do, but there are costs associated with doing it that must be considered,” Woody said. “With recycling markets down right now, the return on recycling sales is not good.”

The students also support the construction of a recycling facility called a materials recovery facility, or MRF for short. The facility would allow for recyclables to be dropped off, processed, baled and shipped to manufacturers who can then transform the recycled material into a new product.

However, the construction of such a facility can cost millions of dollars. A privately-owned MRF facility built for more than $30 million was just recently closed last year in Montgomery.

“We were looking into ways to get pick-up re-

ELLEN JACKSON / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Bottles litter the ground at the recycling center on North Donahue Drive.

cycling in Auburn that’s offered in many other cities,” said Marie Beverly, senior in human resource management, at the council meeting April 5. “(MRF) would be a way to single-stream recycle and take recyclables and then market them as an end product. It could benefit all of Lee County.”

Auburn was the first city in Alabama to offer a curbside-pickup recycling program to residents who pay for the city’s waste collection service when it first went into operation in 1987, accord-

OUTREACH

Relay For Life takes over Lee County Lily Jackson

COMMUNITY WRITER

Relay For Life has been represented well through two events this year in East Alabama. On April 16, Relay For Life of Auburn University was held on the Student Center Greenspace in the shadow of Jordan-Hare Stadium. This past Saturday, April 22, Relay For Life of Lee County was held in downtown Opelika at Courthouse Square.

According to the national Relay For Life website, the overnight event supports those battling cancer of all types.

Teams participating in the relay camp out around the track overnight and take turns making laps. There are different stages and events throughout the night to honor survivors, supporters, fighters and caregivers.

Overall, every year Relay For Life raises about $400 million for the American Cancer Society. Along with walking the track, there are events and activities offered to participants for those that come to support.

This year, Relay For Life of Auburn University raised $83,620. Donations will continue to go up through the summer.

Relay For Life of Auburn University has close to 70 volunteers.

According to Caitlin Miley, senior in public relations and co-chair for Relay For Life of Auburn University, the event was scheduled from noon to 10 p.m. It kicked off at 1 p.m. with the opening ceremony.

Then, cancer survivors took the first lap of the event to celebrate their journey.

Miley said there were about 25–30 teams. The theme for the event was Holiday Extravaganza, and each team dressed to fit a certain holiday. Each team also had a fundraiser that pertained to their holiday and personal experience.

“The traditional holidays, like Christmas and the Fourth of July,” Miley said.

“Then there were some of the more odd

ARMAND DE LAUREAL / PHOTOGRAPHER

Supporters walk at the Lee County Relay for Life 2016 in downtown Opelika on Friday,April 22.

holidays, like National Dog Day and National Sugar Cookie Day.” There were trivia games, spike ball, cornhole, water pong and other games for people to play throughout the day.

There was local music to add a soundtrack to the event, and a local Auburn student spoke about her journey through cancer.

Relay For Life of Auburn University raised $142,000 this year. The event ran from 6 p.m. to midnight. It was a community-wide event that included many churches and Lee County organizations.

According to Ashlee Baggett, American Cancer Society community manager, the teams fundraised all year for the event.

There were 58 teams in all, and the teams finished the long night strong.

There was a DJ on site, face painting, food and inflatables for the children and those participating in the event. The theme for the event was Hope Stock, which was a play on Woodstock, Baggett said.

“There was a slight weather scare in the morning, but everything turned out fine for the night event,” Baggett said. “We had a great attendance, both young and old. We consider it a huge success.”

There was a Jail & Bail game where guests could pay to have their friends and family thrown in jail. The “criminal” would then yell for people to donate in order to bail them out. Aubie was present and got thrown in jail.

“It is a time to honor those that are fighting against cancer and to honor those that have lost their fight,” Baggett said.

ing to Woody.

But Seelbinder said Auburn can do more to be sustainable.

“We’re always taught that we need to keep Auburn lovely,” Seelbinder said. “But a lot of the time I don’t actually see it happen. I don’t actually see people trying to keep this campus and the surrounding area beautiful. We are students here, but we actually care. We don’t just want to get an education and leave. We want to keep this area beautiful.”

CLUB » From 2

“We would love to have a bigger and better facility,” Carol said. “I know the Boys & Girls Club would love to own their own facility. Where I am in tutoring is great. I have my own room. I know of a couple initiatives to try to get a new facility, but I think they are long-term.”

According to Brock, without a change, the staff at the Boys & Girls Clubs will be required to change the way they operate.

“We need to be able to accommodate our large numbers, or we are going to have to start putting a cap on enrollment,” Brock said. “I don’t want to have to tell parents and kids no. That’s not why I took this job. I came back to the club so I could help every kid and every parent that needs our services.”

Capping enrollment will not only hurt the club, but Auburn schools, Brock said. The Boys & Girls Clubs has a valued, close relationship with the Auburn schools and their teachers, according to Brock.

Bill said he was aware of the issue of space provided at the Boykin Center and the technical deficiencies the club has been facing.

“We talked about what the facility needs and the demand,” Bill said. “They need more space, and Anthony asked us to consider that. Is there a resolution at this point?

No, but I can tell you that I am highly in favor of the city collectively looking at a way to improve their situation.”

Doris Hutchinson has a

“

We need to be able to accommodate our large numbers, or we are going to have to start putting a cap on enrollment.

I don’t want to have to tell parents and kids no.That’s not why I took this job. I came back so I could help every kid and every parent that needs our services.”

—Anthony Brock

UNIT DIRECTOR FOR THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF GREATER LEE COUNTY

grandson named Chase, and she attributes his newfound love of reading to the Boys & Girls Clubs and “Mrs. Ham’s” reading lessons.

“These kids have had so much character instilled in them,” Hutchinson said. “(the Boys & Girls Clubs) doesn’t believe in sagging pants, and you won’t see these kids cursing. They are taught life skills and helped in school.”

Hutchinson said the club does not have enough space or transportation. If the club was provided more room, it would be able to expand without the stress it is currently under, Hutchinson said.

“We believe that the city has our back,” Brock said. “I’m just not sure they know about the problems we are having internally.”

CRIME

One suspect arrested on warrants of capital murder in last week’s triple homicide Staff Report

The Auburn Police Division has arrested Tarabien Latrent Cobb, 33, in connection with an early-morning shooting in which three men were killed, according to a news release issued by the Auburn Police Division.

The arrest was made on warrants for capital murder Saturday, April 23.

At approximately 2 a.m. on Saturday, Auburn police arrived on the scene of a shooting where shots were still being fired. Three victims from Auburn — Roderick L. Nelms,

32, Jadarrion L. Spinks, 25, and Recco R. Cobb, 43 — were shot and killed. One victim was transported to East Alabama Medical Center with a non-lifethreatening gunshot wound.

An investigation by the Auburn Police Division revealed that an altercation occurred inside Mr. D’s Lodge, located in the 1200 block of Lee County Road 83, which later resulted in the shooting that took place in the establishment’s parking lot.

Tarabien was later taken into custody at a home in Auburn, according to the press release.

The arrest was made with as-

TARABIEN COBB sistance from the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force.

Tarabien is currently being held without bond at the Lee County Jail. According to the release, the investigation is on-

MADISON OGLETREE / PHOTOGRAPHER

Mr. D’s Lodge is located at the 1200 block of Lee County Road 83.

Thursday, April 28, 2016

The Auburn Plainsman

Community 7

Sports

8

Thursday, April 28, 2016

SCOREBOARD

ThePlainsman.com

EQUESTRIAN

Sports

Riding high

BASEBALL (18-22, 5-13)

AUBURN ATHLETICS

LAST WEEK vs. Alabama State (W, 11-2) at Ole Miss (L, 6-4; L, 7-4; L, 6-5) THIS WEEK April 26 vs. South Alabama (6 p.m.)

April 29-May 1 vs. Kentucky (6 p.m., 6 p.m., 1 p.m.)

SOFTBALL (45-5, 15-3)

JIM LITTLE / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The Auburn equestrian team poses at Toomer’s Corner with its NCEA National Championship trophy on Tuesday, April 26.

Equestrian team caps off title run with rolling of Toomer’s Corner FILE PHOTO

LAST WEEK vs. Florida State (W, 9-6; L, 4-3) vs. Georgia (W, 4-3; W, 13-2 (5); W, 2-1) THIS WEEK April 30-May 2 at Tennessee (7 p.m., 6 p.m., 6 p.m.)

WOMEN’S TENNIS (22-7, 9-4)

FILE PHOTO

LAST WEEK SEC Championships In Baton Rouge, Louisiana vs. South Carolina (W, 4-0) vs. Florida (L, 4-2) COMING UP NCAA Championships

TRACK & FIELD

AUBURN ATHLETICS

LAST WEEK War Eagle Invite Seven gold medals as a team THIS WEEK April 28-30 Penn Relays Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Nathan Deal SPORTS WRITER

A week after clinching the program’s fourth national championship with an 8-7 win over TCU, Auburn’s equestrian team took to Toomer’s Corner on Tuesday to celebrate in the most Auburn fashion possible — with a plethora of toilet paper and smiles.

For coach Greg Williams, who has led the program since its first season in 1996, celebrating at Toomer’s Corner was even more significant because of what happened four years prior.

On April 20, 2013, his program captured its third national title. Three days later, the famous oak trees at Toomer’s Corner were removed.

Four years later, the freshmen on that national championship team became championship-winning seniors, and the tree-rolling in honor of the program’s accomplishments could finally commence.

“I have been dreaming of today since we walked out here in 2013. It’s just such an unbelievable feeling,” Williams said.

Williams always knew he had a good team, but it was clear to him from an early point in the season that his team could potentially win it all.

“I knew this was a special team early on,” Williams said. “We had recruited hard, we worked our plan, we thought it was going to be well, but there was a special chemistry that was happening.”

For Auburn's 11 seniors, the ride might be over, but it couldn't have possibly ended on a higher note.

“It's bittersweet, knowing it’s the end,” said senior Griffin Knight. “But honestly, coming from a team our freshman year that was a national championship team and being able to give these [freshman] girls the same thing that we had is so amazing, and they deserve it.”

Fellow senior Elizabeth Benson echoed Knight's sentiments.

“When we came in as freshmen, we had a really great group of senior girls leading us, and this year we tried to duplicate that for the girls who came in,” Benson said. “For them to really buy in and want to win is super, and it’s great that it worked out that way.”

It’s fitting for Auburn that the national championship was clinched by a senior.

Going into the final event, Reining, Auburn held a 7-5 lead. After the Tigers and Horned Frogs split the first two matches, Hailey Munger tied TCU’s Brooke Boyle, 142-142, to clinch the title.

“I just happened to go in the second session and be second-to-last, it was tied up, and I felt really great with that horse,” Munger said. “I had a lot of pressure, but I knew my teammates were behind me, and I just wanted to bring it home for them. It was incredible.”

Munger’s jubilation was immediately infectious

with her teammates.

“It was incredible,” Knight said. “I can’t describe it. Hailey’s amazing, and not one of us had a doubt.

I was there when she got off of her horse and you could tell how happy she was, not only for herself, but for the group. We had just done something we had worked all year for.”

As Munger rode Auburn to a national championship, all of her teammates were glued to the action and cheering her on.

All of them except one, that is.

“To be honest, I’m very superstitious,” Benson said with a chuckle. “My freshman year, I didn’t watch any of the reining events, so this year, I did the same. I had my face against the wall. I was making sure that I wasn’t looking at the arena at all. I heard the girls screaming and hollering, so I knew that it worked out our way.”

The Tigers’ championship celebration drew a crowd of orange-and-blue-clad supporters.

Laughs were shared, rolls of toilet paper were tossed and, for Williams and his players, memories were made.

“It's the most unbelievable feeling, people turning out,” Williams said. “These girls are so special.

They’ve poured their hearts into Auburn. When you see Auburn people coming out and doing something like this, it’s just incredible. It means the world to me that they’d come out for us.”

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Auburn lands graduate transfer point guard Sam Butler SPORTS EDITOR

After losing Tyler Harris and Cinmeon Bowers to graduation, Auburn coach Bruce Pearl will get another transfer in the fold this season.

Ronnie Johnson, a graduate transfer guard from the University of Houston, committed to play for Pearl and the Auburn Tigers on Monday afternoon, per ESPN. He will be immediately eligible to play. “[Pearl] is a great coach who knows the game and is just as competitive as I am,” Johnson told ESPN's Jeff Borzello. “[It’s] exactly what I want.”

Johnson averaged 9.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 22.3 minutes of action per game for the Cougars last season and tied for fourth in the American Athletic Conference in free-throw percentage at 80 percent.

Johnson came to Houston by way of Purdue, where he was a two-year starter for the Boilermakers, but he

SHOE ROOM

transferred before his junior season.

In his freshman season at Purdue, Johnson averaged 10.3 points per game in 34 appearances for the Boilermakers, with 28 starts.

Johnson’s second year saw him up his scoring average to 10.8 points per game in 32 appearances — 31 of which he started. ­ He, along with incoming four-star prospect Jared Harper, will give the Tigers depth at guard, something they were sorely lacking after the departure of Kareem Canty — who declared for the NBA Draft midway through the season.

New Williams is the only point guard on the team set to return for certain, as Tahj Shamsid-Deen’s status is still up in the air after he suffered another shoulder dislocation and underwent surgery in January.

Johnson could potentially face the team he started his college career with later this year, as both Auburn and Purdue will play in the Cancun Challenge in late November.

JUSTIN TIJERINA / THE COUGAR

Ronnie Johnson (3) will give Bruce Pearl and the Auburn Tigers some much-needed depth at point guard this winter.

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Thursday, April 28, 2016

Sports 9

The Auburn Plainsman

OPINION

The present is dark for Auburn baseball, but the future is bright Bailey Rogers SPORTS WRITER

Listen up, Auburn fans.

Although this baseball season has seen its fair share of ups and downs, don’t count the Tigers out for years to come.

The Tigers currently sit at the bottom of the SEC West with a 5-13 conference record and have an overall record of 18-22, but think about what this team has had to deal with.

Auburn fired its old coach, Sunny Golloway, Sept. 27 and hired Butch Thompson almost a full month later Oct. 22.

Because of this delay, Thompson missed all

of fall practice and didn’t get to see his full team in action until Jan. 29.

This team has been learning on the fly, and the improvement through the season has been astronomical.

For example, in the first game of the season the Tigers recorded seven errors.

They then lost the next two games against Sacramento State.

They have since beaten ranked teams such as Georgia Tech and Texas A&M and have had other ranked teams such as Ole Miss and Mississippi State on the ropes, just one play away.

This team is on the brink of success, they just need an extra push to get them over the hump.

This has been one of those seasons where every 50-50 bounce has gone the other way, but it could all be changing soon.

Last season’s recruiting class was ranked 10th in the country, and the addition of Thompson, one of the top recruiters in the country, bodes well for the immediate future.

Thompson is someone who is familiar with success, as he has spent 23 years as a college coach and has made seven trips to the College World Series.

Thompson spent almost all of his career as a pitching coach and a great one at that.

If you look back at this season so far, it is clear pitching has been the Achilles’ heel, but I urge you to look deeper.

Auburn has played 18 conference games. In the first nine, the Tigers allowed an average of eight runs per game.

Through the past nine games that number has dropped to an average of five runs per game.

This drop in average opposing runs per game is a testament to the progress Thompson is making with the pitching staff and rotation.

Just a couple of weeks ago, Justin Camp pitched the first complete game shutout for an Auburn pitcher since 2014.

Camp allowed only two hits and extended his streak of consecutive scoreless innings to 15.

I only expect the growth of this pitching staff to become even more clear and more overpowering to opposing teams.

This season has not been what you have been hoping for, but don’t give up on this team.

You might regret it in the long run.

Bailey can be reached at sports@ThePlainsman.com

CLUB TENNIS

Auburn club tennis team captures USTA title in 64-team tournament Jonathan Hefner SPORTS WRITER

On Sunday, April 16, the Auburn club tennis team took home the USTA title in the closest match that has occurred in the last 17 years of the event.

The scoring goes as follows: There are five lines total — two double lines, two singles lines, and one mixed doubles line.

Then the game scores from each set count to the total score. The team with the highest total score at the end of the match wins.

Auburn defeated the University of Illinois, North Dakota State University and UC Davis in pool play.

It then beat Dartmouth in the Sweet Sixteen, UC Berkeley in the Elite Eight and Cornell in the Final Four before it reached the North Carolina Tar Heels in the finals.

Auburn and UNC kept it close.

“It was tied 22-22 after all of the lines finished,” said club member Will McWhirt. “So we played a super-tiebreak, and we won it 7-5.”

Auburn’s mixed doubles team, Ashley Kitchen and Mitchell Vegas,

finished the tournament and secured the win for the Tigers.

Auburn’s club tennis team currently has 30 members, but only the top eight participate in tournaments.

This means many of the team members played a double-digit number of sets in a weekend. This translates to numerous hours in the sun for the players.

Although only a fraction of the team played in the tournament, it didn’t mean the rest of the squad was not there Sunday.

The team, clad in Auburn gear and some body paint, rallied around their eight participants and made their presence felt during the final moments of the tournament.

They were a huge part of the late momentum swing in Auburn’s favor.

The players were in large agreement with thanking their teammates who drove to Cary, North Carolina, to support them.

Captain Christian Lyerly, who won his lone match in the national tournament, encourages anyone who wants to participate to join.

CONTRIBUTED BY CAMERAWORK USA

The Auburn club tennis team holds its trophy after capturing the USTA National Championship over UNC-Chapel Hill.

“People can join at any time,” Lyerly said. “At the beginning of the year, there’s an event at campus rec called ‘Get Rec’d,’ and that’s kind of our big promotion to sign up.”

He associates many of his friendships with his time on the team as well.

“It’s just a lot of fun getting to travel and hanging out with other teams,” Lyerly said. “I think all of us on the team have become really good friends. It’s just a really good experience for meeting new people.”

The club practices on Mondays

and Thursdays and participates in approximately five to seven tournaments every year. Every tournament is outside the state of Alabama.

If interested in joining the Tennis club, feel free to visit the team’s AUinvolve page or follow them on Twitter @AUClubTennis.

Sports 10

The Auburn Plainsman

Thursday, April 28, 2016

LIZ DEVITA / SPORTS WRITER

ARMAND DE LAUREAL / PHOTOGRAPHER

Daniel Sprinkle threw three scoreless innings of relief in Auburn’s 8-5 loss to South Alabama on Tuesday. Auburn has dropped four in a row, but it’ll look to get back on track against Kentucky over the weekend.

Paula de Man prepares to return a volley against LSU on March 5. She and the Tigers fell in the seminfinals of the SEC Tournament against Florida, 4-2, after defeating South Carolina the day before.

This Week in Auburn Sports Softball

April 24 vs Georgia W, 2-1 If No. 2 Auburn’s series against No. 12 Georgia revealed anything about the Tigers, it’s that they’re comfortable winning games however they need to. After winning on a walk-off homer on Friday night and crushing the Bulldogs by 11 on Saturday, the Tigers won a pitcher’s duel, 2-1, on Sunday to earn their fourth consecutive SEC sweep and 13th consecutive SEC victory.

Brilliant pitching was the story for Auburn (45-5, 15-3 SEC). Senior Lexi Davis got the start and pitched four innings, allowing all three of Georgia’s hits while striking out two Bulldogs. She allowed a solo home run by Alyssa DiCarlo in the fourth, which broke a scoreless tie.

That homer ultimately was Georgia’s final hit. Davis finished the frame and was relieved

by Rachael Walters to start the fifth. Walters (8-2) earned the win with a strong no-hit performance in the final three innings.

Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the sixth, the Tigers finally started to produce at the plate.

Kasey Cooper and Carlee Wallace both drew

walks to reach base before Bree Fornis came in to pinch-run for Wallace. A double to right center field by Madi Gipson scored Cooper to tie the game at 1-1. That was followed by an RBI groundout by Courtney Shea that sent Fornis home for what was ultimately the game-winning run.

“I think that Lexi and Rachael did a magnificent job of pitching,” said Auburn coach Clint Myers. “That’s what we’ve been relying on all year long: good pitching, good defense and timely hitting. We got that today with Madi’s hit to right center field.”

During their 13-game SEC winning streak, the Tigers have outscored their opponents 112-17.

Baseball

April 26 vs. S. Alabama L, 8-5 The Auburn baseball team failed to find ways to score through eight innings of dominance by Southern Alabama’s starting pitcher Randy Bell. Auburn’s five runs in the ninth inning were far too little, far too late, in Tuesday’s 8-5 loss at Plainsman Park.

Bell (W, 4-1) retired the first 12 Auburn

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batters, allowing just four hits in a complete game pitched. He allowed only one hit in the first eight innings pitched, with three more in the ninth. He struck out seven and walked two.

Auburn coach Butch Thompson gave credit where it was due to the South Alabama pitcher.

“There’s no doubt about it, he’s [Bell] the storyline of the night,” Thompson said.

“When you don’t score, score, score, it almost looks like you’re not competing when somebody’s throwing that type of night. I kind of got that feeling.

“I tip my hat and give him a lot, a lot of credit,” Thompson said.

Auburn freshman reliever Daniel Sprinkle came in to pitch for starting pitcher Andrew Mitchell in the third inning with one out and two in scoring position. Sprinkle allowed one hit and struck out five in three scoreless innings of relief.

“We’ve just got to keep pushing, pushing, pushing,” Thompson said. “We were slow out the gate and we’ve been doing that a little bit, but Daniel Sprinkle did a great job for us tonight. There’s no excuses in this deal, and we won’t make any. We just have to keep pushing

with what we have.”

Auburn scored five runs in the bottom of the ninth on three hits, including a three-RBI home run by Damon Haecker. A sacrifice fly

by Blake Logan scored Jordan Ebert, and a wild pitch scored Melvin Gray.

Ebert hit his 12th double of the season to tie Cody Nulph for team-best. Ebert is third among active SEC hitters with 231 career hits.

South Alabama took an early two-run lead after Matt Bolger hit a two-RBI triple. The Jaguars added two more runs in the third, one earned on a wild pitch by Mitchell and one unearned on a passed ball by Sprinkle, to make the score 4-0.

South Alabama increased the advantage to 6-0 in the eighth on a two-RBI single by Cole Billingsley. They scored their final two runs in the ninth on an RBI triple and a sacrifice fly.

Mitchell took the loss and fell to 4-3 on the season. He pitched just 2.1 innings, allowing five hits and four runs, three of which were earned.

The Tigers fell to 18-23 on the season. Auburn returns to Plainsman Park on Friday at 6 p.m. for game one of a three-game series against Kentucky.

Women’s Tennis

the doubles point.

Burgmans picked up her 194th career win after defeating No. 36 Keegan, 6-4, 6-2, to have 27 singles victories on the season.

Griffin, Paula de Man, Caroline Turner and Dikosavljevic all fell, and Michaud’s match went unfinished as the Tigers lost the match.

The NCAA selection show May 3 is up next for Auburn, where the Tigers will find out which NCAA Tournament Regional they will be placed in.

Burgmans was named to the SEC All-Tournament team for her efforts.

Compiled by Nathan Deal, Liz Devita and Emily Shoffit

April 23 vs. Florida L, 4-2 After defeating No. 11 South Carolina on Friday, the No. 12 Auburn women’s tennis team ended its run in the SEC Tournament after falling, 4-2, to No. 3 Florida in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on Saturday.

Pleun Burgmans and Alizee Michaud got Auburn rolling with an upset over No. 3 pair Brooke Austin and Kourtney Keegan, 7-5.

Andie Dikosavljevic and Alannah Griffin gave Auburn the 1-0 lead after defeating No. 36 Josie Kuhlman and Belinda Woolcock, 7-5, to clinch

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ADAM SPARKS / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Tiffany Howard throws the ball in from the outfield in Auburn’s 4-3 win over Georgia on Saturday.

Intrigue

Thursday, April 28, 2016

11 ThePlainsman.com

Intrigue

ENTERTAINMENT

CONTRIBUTED BY OLD DOMINION

Old Dominion talks achievements Old Dominion won the 2016 ACM award for best new group.

Ben Ruffin

INTRIGUE WRITER

This past weekend, Auburn University hosted one of its only concerts in Jordan-Hare Stadium for the Music and Miracles cause.

With big names such as Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert and Sam Hunt playing in a packed stadium for nearly four hours, it could have been easy to forget the opening act of Old Dominion.

However, in the grand scheme of things, perhaps Old Dominion was overlooked by a number of concert attendees as they performed fresh off being named the Academy of Country Music’s best new duo/vocal group for 2016.

For lead singer Matthew Ramsey, it’s difficult to put into words the meaning of this award to

the band, but the climb to the top has been a tumultuous one.

“It does kind of send you on this whirlwind that we’re all just trying to get through and enjoy,” Ramsey said. “We’re just trying to make sure we live up to it.”

For the singing and songwriting band, the adventure started nearly 10 years ago in a beatup van as they toured the country playing in bars.

Having spent nearly every second of every day together, lead guitarist Brad Tursi said it’s easy to learn someone’s quirks, which he said makes the music more genuine.

“We spent a lot of time being us and figuring out what that was,” Tursi said. “It’s not fabricated.

As country music splits into a rainbow of subclasses to accommodate listeners, artists are given fresh leeway to experiment and with luck, elicit a reaction. In the midst of this momentum, Old Dominion found a niche.

With “Break Up With Him,” a half-serious attempt at winning back an already-gone exgirlfriend, and a new debut album, “Meat and Candy,” Old Dominion is combining the dialup-connected diversity of ‘90s pop culture with undeniable musical talent and a smirking sense of sarcasm.

For keyboardist and guitarist Trevor Rosen, that sense of sarcasm has partly become the band’s calling card, as he said they are known for having a good time while writing together.

“That wisecrack element is just who we are,”

Rosen said. “We just have fun and whatever comes out, comes out, and that’s our personality and who we are.”

Opening for Chesney for his second summer tour in a row, Old Dominion is bound to hear songs they inked years ago and sold to Chesney.

Songs such as “Save It for a Rainy Day” were written by the band members years ago, and Chesney was responsible for taking it up all the way to No. 1 on the Billboard chart.

Now he plays it at nearly every concert on the tour, which Old Dominion will accompany him on this summer.

“Kenny Chesney is the man,” Ramsey said.

“So to have a song on his album, and to get to watch him sing it every night, it just doesn’t get any better than that.”

FEATURE

Ansley Prather: the face of the TigerCard Lily Jackson

COMMUNITY WRITER

One way to be remembered at Auburn is to have your profile tripled in size and posted for the entire campus to see.

The face of TigerCard, Ansley Prather, senior is psychology, knows exactly how this feels.

According to Melissa Prather, director of Auxiliary Services, the current face of TigerCard was introduced in 2012, and the giant TigerCard located on the wall outside of the TigerCard office in the Student Center was put up two years ago..

Ansley works in the TigerCard office during the year and throughout Camp War Eagle sessions.

She helps make and program cards, and works with parents when they are loading money onto their students cards.

Prather said she was surprised when her boss, Bryan Cotney, manager for external affairs, asked her if she would mind being the face on the sample TigerCard.

Prather said it is mostly parents who recognize her.

“Parents walk into the office where I work and look at me funny,” Ansley said. “They eventually ask if it is me.”

Ansley said she has gotten used to the card over time, but at first it was a little strange to see her profile that large.

According to Cotney, there was no single deciding factor when choosing Ansley for the card.

Ansley exemplifies a typical Auburn student, Cotney said.

“She has been a student employee of mine for a few years now and has spent the entirety of that time working in the TigerCard office,” Cotney said.

Cotney said Ansley’s positive attitude, outgoing personality and exceptional work ethic has made her a valuable asset to the office.

Cotney joked he would have used his own picture for the card, but those involved agreed Ansley’s image would be a better way to introduce the new card.

MADISON OGGLETREE / PHOTOGRAPHER

Ansley Prather is the model for the sample TigerCard.

TECHNOLOGY

Why can’t I listen to Beyoncé’s new album?

Rachel Williams INTRIGUE WRITER

If I had believed everything on the Internet, it seemed that I would never get to listen to Beyoncé’s newest album, “Lemonade.”

Long awaited, it officially hit airwaves Saturday night, but agents said it would only be available for stream and purchase from on — for forever.

The same goes for the late Prince’s entire collection of songs, which per his choice will remain exclusive to Tidal.

Tidal is the newest digital music platform to make waves in the industry.

The company, bought by Jay-Z and other high-profile artists, proudly names the included artists’ intentions as its primary goal. It offers two different high-quality audio streaming levels (HiFi sound), unique curation and exclusive releases.

Tidal’s “premium” platform is also highlighted by the service’s control of

mega releases.

In it’s own right, each of the many streaming providers seem to have grasped hold onto its own group of key artists.

When Kanye West decided to push the boundaries of traditional music release, he slowly streamed different versions of his album. After reworking it multiple times between digital releases, he finally dropped it solely via Tidal.

However, two months after its Tidal release, “The Life Of Pablo” was released elsewhere. This was a shock, as in February, West insisted the digital work would never grace the collections of the other services.

Rihanna’s “ANTI” was also a Tidal tease, released on other services only after a significant wait time.

“Lemonade,” too, was a unique release experiment. I can’t review the album, as I haven’t listened to it, but it supposedly pushes the boundaries of sly social media marketing, stunning visual musical documentaries and storytelling.

It is a deep shame for such an exciting release to be held exclusive by a single service.

In fact, the musical turf wars seemed to have caused such noise that less than two days after the Tidal release, “Lemonade” is now officially available for purchase on iTunes, though not for stream on Apple Music; the album can still only be streamed on Tidal.

Tidal is in rough waters, with distrust in the service growing as these multiple exclusivity debacles have unfolded.

Competing with Tidal, Apple Music comes from the point-of-view on the other side of the music business as an attempt to commandeer the streaming space.

It boasts its own huge backing of Apple fans, as well as a foothold of unique pre-releases and industry content.

These two services definitely butt heads and often leave more plebian services such as Spotify in the dust.

If you want to stream both Beyonce’s “Lemonade,” only on Tidal, which starts at $4.99 a month and Taylor Swift’s “1989,” only on Apple Music, $9.99 a month, you would have to pay combined almost $15. You cannot listen to the latest

releases of either artist on Spotify.

Streaming as a whole, in its various forms ranging from radiotype services such as Pandora to the virtually free-range Spotify and SoundCloud, has virtually overhauled the physical music industry.

The beginning of the revolution started at the turn of the century with Napster and became fully commercialized through iTunes and other competitors along the way.

Long gone are the days of boomboxes or record stores on every corner.

When digital first hit the music world, much of the industry still operated as usual. Albums were still sold, leaks were rare and people owned a physical collection of their own audio appreciation. The top charts were based on record sales, and there was little debate.

Billboard’s sales charts determine if albums receive sales certifications such as gold, platinum or diamond, and the music database published the numbers for the top weekly charts.

Now, the lines are blurred. Robin Thicke, luckily, can still be played on Spotify.

If an artist’s music is only released through a single service, never in a physical disc form, and only reaching premium listeners, traditional chart toppers such as Beyoncé and Rihanna may face an impossible battle to score a No. 1 hit.

The only thing clear about the music industry is how it has become extremely complex and competitive, — which only confuses consumers further.

Each major service hopes to spread music to the greater population, but exclusivity and fragmentation could potentially destroy the music industry rather than build it up.

Listeners must choose to support either the big artists or the small ones, in addition to considering the array of budget options.

The rift keeps growing deeper with each week’s drama of releases.

I’m still left to only hope that given her time, Beyoncé will let people have some of her “Lemonade,” even if they aren’t willing to pay to surf the Tidal waves.

Rachel can be reached at intrigue@ ThePlainsman.com.

Thursday, April 28, 2016

Intrigue 12

The Auburn Plainsman

LIFESTYLE

The 5 best places to cry on campus Alex Wilkerson CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Well it’s that time again … finals week.

The semester came and went faster than a Jimmy John’s sandwich. This is crunch time, and if you’re like many Auburn students, you’re preparing for long nights, hastily convened study groups and maybe even some tears.

In the process of stressing over your future, you may be wondering where the best places to cry on campus are. That’s where we come in.

Here are the five best places on campus to cry your eyes out. Get your tissues ready.

5. RBD silent floor The RBD library features an entire floor devoted to quiet studying. The perfect place for collecting your thoughts, debating why you didn’t just go into business like your mom told you to and letting your tears collect in puddles and ruin the resale value of your physics book.

No one will bother you as long as your quiet tears don’t turn into wails.

4. The “secret” underground tunnels Maybe the library isn’t your cup of tea. You’re looking for a place you can really get it out. How about the secret tunnels underground?

I can’t legally tell you where the entrance to these tunnels are, but you should definitely ask your sketchiest friend. They’ve probably been at

least once.

Once you are deep within the confines of the former World War II bunker (I feel like that’s not actually what they were used for), you can freely scream for hours about your professor who is totally, like, being super unfair.

3. That weird patio-thing that’s on the third floor of the Student Center We all know it exists but no one knows why it’s there.

Look at that big Auburn AU symbol and remember our last football season, before things got tough and the stress set in.

Sit on the couches. The cushions are extremely comfortable, perfect for fetal position. Catch some sun and enjoy the fun so often associated with wallowing in self pity.

2. Samford Lawn Step 1: Head to Samford with a blanket, some snacks and a couple of school books.

“This is it,” you say to yourself. “You can study while you enjoy the beautiful April afternoon.”

You know the sight of Samford Hall will give you the inspiration you need to study.

Step 2: Freak out.

After two hours of eating Goldfish and playing on your phone, you take a first look at your notes, and realize you have no idea what you are doing.

“Samford, why have you forsaken me?” you wonder, watching high school seniors on a campus tour as tears stream down your face.

They’ll know your pain soon enough.

Step 3: Give up. You decide it’s better to go

home and take a nap. Afterwards, you can head to RBD and salvage your attempt at studying.

1. The Chick-fil-A line So you’ve just left your first final. You know it didn’t go very well, but that was your worst class.

At least it’s finally over.

Since you have $7.52 on your TigerCard, you decide to treat yourself with the best lunch on campus: Chick-fil-A. You see the line before you enter the room. You expected this. You were ready for this situation.

But as you stand in line, it all hits you.

Why can’t I just get my chicken sandwich?

As you sit there, you think about your other

finals. The tears began to fall.

A fellow Chick-fil-A aficionado acknowledges your tears. They comfort you.

It’ll only be 15 more minutes, they say.

But you know better. You know this line. But you wait.

And you get that Chick-fil-A. As you sit down, you cry a little more. The tears fall into your waffle fries. You can’t stop. Before long your meal disappears. It’s off to your next final.

Soon you will be finished. Soon.

delicately, as they might get offended. Try your hardest not to eat meals with this person — eat in your room if you can. You might also try turning on the TV or music to drown out the sound of their smacks. If you cannot get out of eating together, try suggesting softer foods that would be less likely to make loud noise such as soup.

The music player One of the easiest ways to get under someone’s skin is to blast music while they are trying to relax, study or sleep. If you have a roommate that is constantly turning their music up to obnoxious levels all the time, the best thing to do is ask them to turn it down. If they get defensive, suggest they play the music at a more convenient time for all.

The gossiper I don’t know about you, but the last thing I want to hear when I get home after a long day of classes is someone complain about something petty. If your roommate constantly sucks you into their whirlwind of drama, simply ask to be left out. I’ve found it much easier and convenient to claim neutrality than to sit there listening to blabber about people you don’t even know.

The slob Everyone will encounter this roommate. The one who doesn’t take out the trash, unload the dishwasher or clean up their messes. In this case, I’ve found it most successful not to do the chores for them, but to create a schedule for all of the

roommates. Make a cycle that allows each person to do the dishes and trash each day, evenly.

Disclaimer: There will be some who still won’t do their part, but at that point, you just have to let them fend for themselves.

These are just a few of the types of roommates I have come into contact with during my time at Auburn.

You will most likely encounter at least one of these types, so just make sure you are always considerate of them, even if they are not considerate of you.

FILE PHOTO

Students and future students line up outside the Student Center Chick-fil-A.

Alex can be reached at intrigue@ ThePlainsman.com

How to deal with different types of roommates Anne Dawson INTRIGUE EDITOR

As the semester comes to an end, we have a chance to reflect on those we’ve lived with, and those we will live with.

We’ve all figured out it can be challenging to live with people — some more than others.

I’ve compiled a list of the different kinds of roommates I’ve had and how to handle them.

The loud eater It’s important to handle this situation

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Anne can be reached at intrigue@ ThePlainsman.com.

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