The Auburn Plainsman 05.22.14 Issue

Page 1

Auburn community members host third annual Bluegrass on the Plains Festival Page A4

Weekly farmer’s market provides fresh produce to students and locals Page A8

Softball season comes to an end one game short of Super Regional berth Page A6

The Auburn Plainsman A Spirit That Is Not Afraid

Thursday, May 22, 2014 • Vol. 121, Issue 1, 8 Pages

Navy ROTC sophomore dies in car accident Campus

Taylor Ennis

News Reporter

contributed by Kythia Stofer

Burnett kisses Aubie at the Military Appreciation Day for the Navy ROTC May 10, 2013.

Leslie Burnett, sophomore in nursing, passed away early May 13 due to critical injuries sustained in a two-car accident. The accident occurred May 12 at the intersection of Helena Road and Wooddale Drive in Pelham, Alabama at approximately 3 p.m. Burnett was driving to pick up her younger brother from high school, according to her mother, Leigh Burnett. Burnett was born in Homewood, Alabama and graduated from Pelham High School in 2013. While in high school, Burnett was involved in the Navy Jr. ROTC program and served as a Commanding Officer her senior year. Burnett was also a competitive figure skater at the Birmingham Figure Skating Club and was working toward the gold medal level for ice dancing. “She was an amazing ice skater, very determined,” friend of Burnett, Virginia Savage said. After graduation, Burnett continued to chase her dream by attending Auburn, and was in-

alumni

ducted in to the U.S. Navy ROTC scholarship program for nursing. “She had the ability to take care of others and the knowledge to be there for people when they were in situations where they couldn’t be there for themselves,” Savage said. “She was wonderful and it hasn’t fully registered yet that she won’t be back in the fall.” Burnett was an Auburn legacy and left her mark on campus in every endeavor, especially in the Navy ROTC. She was determined to be a nurse in the Navy and dedicated herself to her academics, family and friends. “Her drive was different than most,” Capt. Puck Esposito Navy ROTC Unit said. “She had a direction and knew where she wanted to be. She was only here for a short time, but she already made herself a valuable asset.” Esposito said Burnett was a remarkable part of the Auburn and Navy Family. However, Burnett’s family was above everything, especially her brother, according to Esposito. “As with any midshipman when trage-

dy strikes, you miss their presence,” Esposito said. “You miss her personality and involvement whether it was an intramural activity or a drill, because of who she was you’ll know she’s missing.” Through Burnett’s volunteerism, dedication to the Navy and adoration for Auburn, her presence and drive will be cherished. Burnett will continue to be an inspiration for Navy ROTC students and the university community. She never thought of herself and had a great heart for others, which was a rare find, according to CDR Kevin Downey Navy ROTC unit. “She was loving life and took everything she could out of it,” Savage said. On Military Appreciation Day for the Navy ROTC May 10, 2013, Aubie approached Burnett and landed a kiss. “That picture encompasses everything in my involvement with her,” Esposito said. “It is Aubie representing the Auburn Family. It is her in her Navy uniform and her drive to give back to the country to take care of sailors. That to me is the perfect way to describe who she was.”

Community

raye may / photo and design editor

The Radio Frequency Identification Reseach Center will open late June.

University signals innovation

Radio frequency identification research center will develop applications for Auburn Ashtyne Cole News Editor

contributed by tyler Viars

While in Kenya, Matt Viars (right) worked with the locals and cooked meals with them.

Alum impresses ‘MasterChef’ with southern-style cooking Nicole Fulkerson News Writer

The way to success for Tyler Viars, Auburn alum, is cooking. Tyler Viars, alumnus, competed on season 5 of FOX’s MasterChef in August 2013 and is one of the country’s top 30 home chefs. In October 2013, Viars attended an open audition for FOX’s MasterChef where home cooks brought their “signature dish” to present to a panel of food experts.

Being an Auburn man, Viars went with a barbecued pork butt that he smoked for 13 hours before the audition. Viars moved on to the next round and competed for nine weeks among other prospective Master Chefs behind camera. During these nine weeks, Viars and the other competitors completed a series of cooking challenges including creating a three-course meal for a wedding; working in groups to prepare a meal

to serve 500 service people on an army base, and creating a game day meal for football fans. MasterChef host, Gordon Ramsey has been known to have an intense similar to a football coach. “He’s like a coach, he pulls you by your facemask and screams at you until you do it right,” Viars said. “He is so passionate about cooking.” Viars love for cooking

» See Chef, A2

Wireless routers and mock storefronts will replace fresh produce and choice meats. Bruno’s grocery store will be the home of RFID (radio frequency identification) Research Center in June. For the past six months, Auburn University has been working with the RFID Research Center at the University of Arkansas. It will open as the RFID Lab, which was founded and directed by Professor Bill Hardgrave, the Harbert College of Business Dean in 2005. According to Hardgrave, the lab will be a “hub for thought and leadership involving industry-leading companies interested in developing and exploring applications for RFID.” In 2003, Hardgrave began his work at the University of Arkansas. The center took root

Charlotte Kelly / assistant graphics editor

in 2006, in large part to support Walmart and other companies who are interested in what the technology will provide. Larry Fillmer, executive director of the Natural Resources Management and Development Institute at Auburn University, emphasized the popular emer-

gence of RFID technology. “It has the potential to, over time, replace bar code readers and the technology used to read or scan at the stores or registers,” Fillmer said. “It gets to another level of detail and gives

» See research, A2


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.
The Auburn Plainsman 05.22.14 Issue by The Auburn Plainsman - Issuu