The Auburn Plainsman 06.25.15 issue

News

sports

Page 3 Pieology rolls into Auburn to replace the Bank Vault

Page 5 Fishing team seeks support from Auburn

intrigue

Page 6 Wounded Warrior raises awareness for bicycle ride

index News Opinion Sports Intrigue

1 4 5 6

The Auburn Plainsman A Spirit That Is Not Afraid

First copy is free. Additional copies 50 cents

Thursday, June 25, 2014 Vol. 123, Issue 6, 6 Pages

campus

Boom:

Highest beam tops out video board Emily Esleck Editor-in-chief

From anywhere on campus, a towering structure can be seen protruding from the south end zone of Jordan-Hare Stadium. An official rendering of the largest video board in college athletics was released by Auburn athletics on Monday night, June 23.

The closer the board comes to completion, the more excitement increases for the 2015-16 football season.

Martha Koontz, public relations and communications specialist for Facilities Management, said the “topping out” of the structure will be completed Friday, June 26, where construction workers will hoist the highest beam to the top.

In the coming weeks, Gregory Forthofer, professional engineer and lead design project

manager, said to expect activity from different contractors such as electricians, video board workers and metal panel workers.

“So now, you’re starting to see two, three and four different contractors on the site at the same time, so it’ll get a little hectic, but we’re on schedule, and I think we’re excited to have a successful project,” Forthofer said.

According to Forthofer, the configuration of the lanes on Heisman Drive will be the same until the end of the project.

Forthofer also said the 32-feettall and 66-feet-wide audio cabinet will be the next step of construction for the board. He said the full board with the audio cabinet attached to the top is 185 feet tall above the field, which is

» See board, 2

contributed by auburn athletics

Students go bright with Fulbright Matthew Goforth

Tyler Look •Where: Munich •Why: continue research on fusion energy plasmas with the Complex Plasma Research Group •AU degrees: physics with a minor in German

“My work at the German Aerospace Center will include the planning of complex plasma experiments as well as providing a detailed analysis of space data.”

Matthew Pollock

•Where: German village of Trittau •Why: teach high school English •AU degrees: English literature & Spanish with minors in linguistics & German

“My work as a tutor in the Miller Writing Center has prepared me well for the rigors of teaching English in Germany. Of course, teaching is a two-way street ...”

•Where: Berlin •Why: examine public transportation systems •AU degrees: aviation management & German-international trade with a minor in Spanish “The focus of my research is to analyze the economic, political, social and environmental factors that specifically influence citizens to choose various modes of transportation.”

Steven Vickers

•Where: Riga, Latvia •Why: teach English to Latvian high school and middle school students •AU degrees: history •Former police officer

“My time as a police officer in Mobile forced me to see the world from many different perspectives. In Latvia, I will be immersed in a culture completely different from my own.”

Complied by Raye May, managing editor. All information gathered by Office of Communications and Marketing

Four students awarded scholarship Maria McIlwain News editor

A record four recent graduates were awarded Fulbright Scholarships to study in Europe.

Matthew Pollock, recent graduate in English will be teaching English in Trittau, Germany. Matthew Goforth,

recent graduate in physics, will join the Complex Plasma Research Group at the Technical University of Munich. Tyler Look, who graduated in aviation management, will be studying public transportation at the Technical University of Berlin. Steven Vickers, recent graduate in history, will serve

as an English teaching assistant in Latvia.

Vickers said he will be teaching high school and middle school students, and be involved in the community. Vickers said he has been discussing volunteer opportunities,

» See Fulbright, 2

Contributed by don andrae

The camera that will scan the license plates sits on top of a Parking Services truck.

“

No more hang tags used for parking Emily Esleck Editor-in-chief

Parking at Auburn has seen several changes. From changes to parking permit prices in 2014 to changes in parking ticket charges in 2015, parking will change again for the 2015-16 year.

Faculty, staff and students will no longer receive a parking hang tag when purchasing their permit. Parking Services will be using a new license plate recognition system for enforcement.

Registration for permits will open for faculty and staff July 1, and students can register July 6, according to Don Andrae, manager of Parking Services.

Andrae said they will download license plate numbers and the zones assigned to each plate to the Parking Services trucks. The trucks have a camera that takes photos of the plates.

“It sounds more difficult in a way, we’ve had some peo-

Well, it’s going to be a lot, certainly, a lot more friendly to the economy from one standpoint, and the environment.”

—Don Andrae parking manager

ple say, ‘Well how are you going to know if people belong in there,’ but as I said, the way the database says this license plate belongs in this zone, and it just comes up on the screen and flags it in a big red thing and beeps and says, ‘Oh, nope this one does not,” Andrae said.

Other universities such as Texas Tech use this system, according to Andrae.

He said they will still be distributing permits for bicycles, motorcycles, retirees,

vendors and administrators.

According to Andrae, they tested the system in the RO parking lots. They found a truck could scan every car in the lot in 30 minutes. They also found the truck could still pick up every plate number it passed at 25 miles per hour.

“We’ve had a truck on campus since last January, have been checking it out, see how it works, it’s worked very well,” Andrae said.

According to Andrae, they have given out tickets to people who forget to put their parking permit back up after having their apartment permit displayed.

“You have to have a permit to park in apartment complexes, and it’s much more important to have that one up, because most apartment complexes will tow ya in a minute if you don’t have it up,” Andrae said.

He also said Parking

» See parking, 2

Page 2

The Auburn Plainsman

Thursday, June 25, 2015

construction

DUI reports The following were arrested and charged with driving under the influence by the Auburn Police Division on June 16-22: June 16 - Andrew Dalton Sclesi, 21 West Longleaf Drive, 3:52 a.m.

Haley Center receives facelift Sommer Henry Writer

June 19 - Rodney Demond Ross, 36 South College Street, 2:13 a.m.

June 20 - Connie Ann Marshall, 48 North Gay Street, 2:22 a.m.

June 21 - Joel David Ward, 29 North Ross Street, 2:14 a.m.

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

–Reports provided by the Auburn Department of Public Safety

Parking

Many have seen the construction going on around the Haley Center and wondered what it is.

“We are redoing the caulking around the windows and resealing the glass in the frames, so that we can prevent window leaks that have been occurring,” said Joe Ruscin, campus architect.

Ruscin said Haley Center wouldn’t close during construction, but a small portion of the roof will be closed for a short time.

“There are people that give tours of the Eagles’ Nest, and a portion of that actually will be closed for a couple of weeks,” Ruscin said.

Jada Kohlmeier, associate professor of secondary social science education, said she isn’t affected by the construction.

“I can’t speak for the other teachers, but

FULBRIGHT

» From Page 1

Services had problems with people with multiple cars registered forgetting to move their permit to the other car.

“As long as we have the cars registered, and people remember to let us know when they change their license plate, it’s going to make it easier on us from an enforcement standpoint,” Andrae said.

Barbara Barnes, 14-year Parking Services employee, said she thinks the system will be easier for faculty, staff and students.

“I think it’s going to be great, I think it’s going ti do a good job, you know sometimes you have to tweak stuff a little bit to get it going how it’s supposed to go, but other than that, I think it’s going to be wonderful,” Barnes said.

In the new system two vehicles per person can be registered to one permit. For more than two vehicles, there will be a $20 charge.

According to Andrae there is two percentage error when reading the plate number, specifically with the AU personalized license plates where the AU was being picked up and scanned as part of the license plate.

Andrae said Genetec, the company that manufactures the system, went back and redid the pixel representations on the license plates.

However, in some cases, the workers will have to manually check the plate. For example, Andrae said people who back in to parking spaces will not receive a violation, and the employee will have to get out and enter the number in manually.

Andrae said it takes five minutes or less to download all the plate numbers and zones to a truck, and they will be downloading at least four times per day in the fall.

This past fall semester, Parking Services used the new system for enforcement even though the hang tags were still on the vehicles, according to Andrae.

Andrae said Parking Services has approximately 1,000-1,500 hang tags leftover from year to year.

“Well, it is going to be a lot, certainly, a lot more friendly to the economy from one standpoint, and the environment especially, you know at the end of the year you have this plastic hang tag, what do you do with it?” Andrae said. “It goes into a landfill somewhere, so actually from an environmental standpoint we’re helping the environment.”

The cost of registration will be the same as last year: A-Zone will be $80, B-Zone will be $40 and motorcycle will be $15 and users will not have to pay for the hang tag, since the the permit is the vehicle, according to Andrae.

» From Page 1

specifically environmental opportunities, with the U.S. embassy in Latvia.

“They also expect me to be involved with the local community as a cultural ambassador as well as a teacher,” Vickers said.

Vickers said his interest in the Fulbright was sparked when his sister declined a Fulbright Scholarship to Germany. He also said he wanted to go somewhere different where he had never been before.

“I wanted to experience a culture vastly different from my own, that also I knew would challenge me, whether it’s through language barriers, but also challenge the way I look at the world, and what better place than a former Soviet republic,” Vickers said.

Vickers said the hardest part of the application process was writing personal statements because he had to take the Fulbright Commission into consideration, while maintaining individuality.

“The Commission, they’re reading dozens, if not hundreds of applications, and if you don’t catch their eyes and really draw them in immediately, then it’s all for naught,” Vickers said.

Vickers said he thinks his experience as a police officer in Mobile for six years before coming to Auburn will help him overcome cultural and language barriers in Latvia.

“We had a large Hispanic community [in Mobile], and, at the time, I didn’t speak any Spanish at all, so it forced me to find ways to communicate and to find ways to overcome challenges in order to address any issue I had to be addressing,” Vickers said.

Vickers said the stress of being a police officer, as well as the stress of attending college while working full time helped him develop skills to overcome stress he encounters in Latvia.

Winning the Fulbright Scholarship was second only to graduating from Auburn, accord-

Dakota SUmpter / photo editor

Students walk out one of the protected entrances to Haley Center.

it has not affected me or my job at all,” Kohlmeier said.

Leah Bostany, Camp War Eagle counselor, also spoke of the construction going on.

“Them blocking off those windows for

ing to Vickers. He said he found out while driving to a history conference at Mississippi State.

“It’s a feeling of accomplishment that I had never felt before,” Vickers said. “Being told that I had value, that my ideas, that everything that I had worked for to achieve had a purpose and that there was real meaning to what I was doing.”

Vickers said he plans to pursue a Ph.D. in history, and his interest area is in civil and political unrest. He said he wants to be a professor at a research-driven institute. He said the experience will impact his future research and perspective on history.

Look said he has been to Germany before on an exchange program, as well as a few times on his own, and has family living there.

He said he became interested in the Fulbright after a friend won it in 2013.

Look said he took an interest in German from a young age, and brought that interest to college with him.

“It’s been interesting how this Fulbright is kind of a culmination of the experiences I’ve had in my academic background as well,” Look said.

Look said he began the application process last August, and said being proactive is key in winning the scholarship.

“The key to it really was getting started early and had I not done that, I would have missed the opportunity,” Look said.

Look said the processes for different Fulbright Scholarships is different. For his research scholarship, he included a statement about his research with the personal statement.

He said a candidate must also be invited by a foreign university to do their research.

“I think that was the biggest hurdle, finding a professor who would invite me to do my research at the university there,” Look said.

Look said his research is based on why people use the transportation they use. He said it is technical, social and anthropological.

Look said cultural differences, such as making friends, will also take adjusting to. He

repairs means that we kind of have to take a detour, but otherwise it hasn’t been a huge inconvenience,” Bostany said.

Ruscin said the construction on the Haley Center will be done by Aug. 14. said Germans can take time to trust people and warm up to them.

Patience was something Look said he had to learn during the process.

“We as Americans are very impatient, we want quick answers, and Germans can take their time, but it’s with good intention,” Look said.

Look said a professor responded to him quickly, which was surprising.

Look said he hopes the experience will help him broaden his horizons for potential careers.

“Public transportation will open up my door to kind of diversify my study and my experience a little bit more than just aviation,” Look said. “I actually have a really strong interest in public transportation, so it’s really a blessing to not only lead research, but also on a freelance, kind of independent basis over there.”

Look said he found out he won two weeks early, in his international economics class.

“They always tell you never to check your email in class,” Look said. “But I did. I completely flipped out. I almost had to step out of class.”

Paul Harris, associate director of prestigious national scholarships in the Honors College, is the Fulbright adviser at Auburn.

Harris said the most challenging part of the job is fine-tuning candidates’ personal statements, and helping them “find their voice.”

He was also a Fulbright Scholar in 1994, as a doctoral student at Auburn.

“It was great,” Harris said. “I had a wonderful time. One of the best years of my life.”

Harris said his favorite part of the process is working with the students and watching them grow, even if they don’t win a scholarship.

“Getting to know them, getting to help them articulate their dreams and their scholarly goals and getting to help them see that,” Harris said. “That’s the most gratifying part of the job.”

Harris said he is excited to see the Fulbright winners chase their dreams.

“It will be a great year for them,” Harris said. “A great year abroad.”

Work for

the auburn plainsman student center suite 1111 meetings every monday at 6

ashley harris / design editor

Board

» From Page 1 approximately half way up the stadium lights.

“So what you’ll start to see is the delivery of the audio system, which will be on the top of the scoreboard,” Forthofer said. “And then also what you’re going to start to see in the next few weeks is, what we call the metal cladding, or the metal panels that go around and kind of frame out the video board.”

Forthofer said they will start placing the metal panels on the structure when placing the black panels is finished.

In the rendering, an orange interlocking AU with a white border surrounding it is placed on top of the video board.

“That is actually part of the audio cabinet, so that will go on a screened mesh material that will be the face of the audio cabinet, because there’s speakers in behind it, and so it’s got to be able to project sound through that mesh fabric,” Forthofer said.

According to Forthofer, the previous audio system was positioned lower in the stadium, and the new system will be placed at the upper deck level above the press box.

“And what that will do, is that will increase the sound quality, because it’ll be less reverberation off of different pieces of glass, you know, the press box on one side, the suites on the other, and that’ll make for a higher quality sound system based on the orientation of where those speakers are,” Forthofer said.

He said there will still be spaces for static advertising for Coca-Cola, Alpha and YellaWood below the 56-feet-tall and 190-feet-wide moving video screen flanking the game clock.

Cassie Arner, associate athletic director for strategic communications, said they expect to utilize the larger video board during football games.

“Certainly there’s a lot more real estate to work with now and the ability to show replays at a higher quality and also maybe the potential to do split screens, and do multiple video ele-

ments at the same time,” Arner said. “The number of ways we can use this are limitless and what we’re doing right now is working on the best use of the board, so that when it does come to August and September when we have fans in the stadium, they do see a better fan experience.”

According to Arner, the philosophy of the Auburn game day experience with band music and house music will stay the same, even with the new audio system.

Structurally, Forhofer said the engineer made sure the board is built to the proper building codes and safety factors, because it’s next to a large assembly space.

“Obviously, nothing is 100 percent collapsefree, I mean a direct hit from a tornado would be problematic, but it’s designed to withstand building code wind speeds of plus 90 mile an hour wind speeds,” Forthofer said.

He also said the foundation for the board is 15-20 feet into bedrock, which is approximately 35-40 feet existing grade.

“We’ve done what we think is feasible to keep

the board from collapsing, or falling over or tilting over, you know, all the different ways folks could think about doomsday,” Forthofer said.

The video board is still projected for completion by the first home football game, Saturday, Sept. 12, where the Tigers face the Jacksonville State Gamecocks.

Forthofer said many people have seen the process of constructing the board through social media sites.

Auburn athletics averages about 70,000 views per week on the live stream video of the board on Youtube, according to Arner.

“By the end of this week people will get to see exact, you know, how high it really is, I think it’ll be a lot of fun,” Forthofer said. “So I’m looking forward to it just as a spectator.”

Forthofer also said students coming back for the fall semester will see a completely different board than when they left May 8.

“I think everyone’s going to come back going, ‘Wow, there’s a lot of work that got done,’ and they’ll be able to enjoy it,” Forthofer said.

Page 3

The Auburn Plainsman

Thursday, June 25, 2015

outreach

Auburn participates in the PUSH to end world hunger

Maria McIlwain news editor

Presidents United to Solve Hunger and foreign dignitaries met in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, June 17, to discuss hunger issues and implement a plan of action to end hunger around the world.

Paula Hunker, director of strategy and policy with the Hunger Solutions Institute in the College of Human Sciences said university presidents from six continents were represented at the meeting.

The main international speaker was Juan Hernandez, president of Honduras.

“He sees PUSH as a tipping point in solving hunger,” Hunker said.

During the meeting, Hernandez announced he was establishing a branch of the Hunger Solutions Institute in Honduras to build sustainable practices that will last long term in Honduras.

Sara Rains, senior in nutrition, wellness option, with a minor in hunger studies, said she saw “really overwhelming support” from university presidents.

“I was really excited afterwards,” Rains said.

Rains said she felt honored to attend the meeting.

Hunker said PUSH aims to encourage collaboration between universities.

“Traditionally, universities are competitors,” Hunker said. “They’re competitors for students, they’re competitors on the football field, they’re competitors in many areas ... the goal of PUSH is to come up with a different kind of paradigm where they become collaborators.”

Approximately 80 university presidents are members of PUSH, and Auburn president Jay Gogue is a member of the steering committee.

Hunker said the June 17 meeting was designed to discuss implementing the plan of inventory and mapping, teaching, research and outreach.

She said they launched the first step, inventory and mapping, at the meeting.

“They were saying, ‘We don’t even know everything that we’re doing,’” Hunker said. “So this inventory and mapping will, one, it will give presidents a really good finger on the pulse idea of everything that’s happening on their campus.

Contributed by amy weaver

Honduran president Juan Hernandez speaks at the PUSH meeting in Washington, D.C.

Two, it will give PUSH, the collective group, an understanding of where there’s opportunities for collaboration.”

Hunker said Auburn has many things to be proud of with their involvement and leadership within PUSH. “(PUSH) never would have happened without

Auburn,” Hunker said.

Hunker said the outreach emphasis at landgrant universities such as Auburn is essential.

“Getting the research that comes out of universities out of the so-called ivory towers and into the hands of people that need it the most,” Hunker said.

Construction

Samford Hall and Park on the path to completion Emily Esleck Editor-in-chief

Construction, construction and more construction. Looking around Auburn’s campus, it’s obvious the University is expanding and revitalizing for the coming year.

Not only has Toomer’s Corner construction blocked off a large amount of downtown, but some walkways have been fenced off as a result of the Samford Park redevelopment project.

Phase I of the Samford Park project was completed in February 2014 with the planting of the new Toomer’s Oaks, according to Ben Burmester, campus planner. Phase II began with the installation of a 14-foot-wide brick arching walkway reaching from Toomer’s Corner to Samford Hall.

“It’s an arching path with a direct connection rather than the existing path network that meandered up toward Langdon and then over to Samford,” Burmester said. “We think the project’s going to create a more open park that’s better, has better usage for all the Auburn community.”

Martha Koontz, public relations and communications specialist for Facilities Management, said construction fences block the sidewalks in front of Biggin and Hargis Hall, extending from Toomer’s Corner to Langdon Hall, but will be removed at the end of June as the first section of the new walkway in the park is opened.

Even with those blocked walkways Koontz said she doesn’t think it is a problem maneuver-

ing downtown, since there are other ways people can get to Toomer’s Corner such as walking down the Thach concourse.

According to Koontz, the city has put pedestrian crossings behind Biggin and Hargis Hall to help people get downtown.

Koontz also said in addition to redevelopment of the park, renovations started this summer on the Samford Hall roof replacement and minor envelope repair project, which will help protect the building from weather.

“We are reroofing Samford Hall, we are also recaulking some of the windows, installing a new lightning protection system, updating gutters and downspouts, and also replacing cornices, which is the wooden architectural features around the top of the building,” Koontz said.

Scaffolding went up around the west side of Samford Hall two weeks ago and will move to the front of the building in July, according to Koontz.

Burmester and Koontz said the project is on track to be completed fall 2015.

“Our goal is to have it completed by the first home football game,” Koontz said. “That is the plan at this time, but that could change due to weather-related elements.”

According to Koontz, the last time Samford Hall was reroofed was in 1994.

David Dorton, director of public affairs for the city of Auburn, said parking has been added on South College Street in front of Samford Hall be-

dakota sumpter / photo editor

A close up view of the scaffolding at Samford Hall. Renovations are expected to be completed in the fall.

cause of the Toomer’s Corner construction project.

There is a two hour time limit in place for the added parking spaces from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, and vehicles in the spaces past two hours will receive a parking ticket, according to Dorton.

The extra parking on South College Street will be removed when the Corner construction is completed, according to Dorton.

“Our goal right now is Aug. 1 to open the inter-

section and Aug. 17 to be completely done with all Corner construction,” Dorton said.

Burmester said the added parking would not affect the Samford Park construction.

“The way that they did the parking still allows us to have access to our construction site, so it was a well-coordinated effort from the city and fine by us,” Burmester said.

The next portion of the Samford Park project is planting 20 descendent oak trees along the walkway next winter, according to Burmester.

service

business

Auburn earns community service honor Emily Esleck editor-in-chief

file photo

The Bank Vault, which closed May 30, will be replaced by Pieology Pizzeria.

Pizza chain coming to former Vault space Rachael Taylor writer

The Bank Vault closed at the beginning of the summer, but it will not be empty for long.

Pieology, a casual pizza chain, has started construction on the building and hopes to open in early September, according to Joshua McBride, director of operations for Segovia Aslan Enterprises.

“We are thrilled to bring the unique Pieology experience to the Auburn community and we hope to inspire our guests to express their culinary creativity and build their perfect pizza without limitations, for one simple price,” McBride said in a press release.

McBride said the restaurant will have seating for 150 people and will also have a meeting room.

He said it will be the biggest Pieology in the nation.

Before opening, Pieology, there will be improvements to the building such as adding

a new air conditioner and fire sprinklers. They are, however, trying to maintain the historical nature of the building, according to McBride.

Madeline Johnson, senior in fitness conditioning and performance, said there are enoough pizza restaurants in Auburn.

“I think we have a lot of pizza places in Auburn and I think they could have picked something that would have given downtown a little more variety,” Johnson said.

Others are disappointed The Bank Vault is no longer open.

“It kind of stinks that the Vault is closing down,” said Catherine Montz, sophomore in nursing.

However, Montz said she is excited about the idea of a pizza chain.

There are Pieology locations throughout the United States.

There is currently a Pieology in Huntsville, and another under construction in Birmingham.

Auburn University was named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction, the highest federal honor a higher education institution can receive for service work, for the fourth consecutive year.

According to Ralph Foster, director of Public Service, the university received the award three weeks ago from the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency promoting public service on behalf of the President of the United States.

The agency measures the university’s method of engaging its faculty, students and staff in programming within the curriculum and public service activity, according to Foster.

“We’ve done this now for the last five years, we’ve received the honor roll designation four years in a row at the, what they call with distinction level, meaning that we are considered an engaged university, but also with a degree of quality and scope of programming that they designate as being with distinction,” Foster said.

The application for this coming year reflecting the 2014-15 academic year has been completed, and the university will not know the results until next fall or early 2016, according to Foster.

Foster said the community and civic engagement program has improved during his time working in the Office of Public Service.

Foster said Auburn’s numerous student-led community service organizations, as well as classes that require service learning contributed to the honor.

Other groups active in service are the Impact group, the food pantry and the Campus Kitchens project.

“There’s a great spirit for service on this campus, it’s stressed from the very beginning in the Auburn creed, which a line says, ‘I believe in the human touch,’ so Auburn are, they’re very giving people, they’re very community engaged people,

ashley harris / design editor

Auburn has been named to the community serivce honor roll for four consecutive years.

and there’s a great deal of value for outreach and service on this campus, and in response it engages the community more in our activities on campus,” Foster said.

Mike Kensler, director of the Office of Sustainability, said students benefit from participating in community service projects by realizing, organizing it and putting good ideas into action.

“They could have a tremendous impact,” Kensler said. “For the students I think it’s very empowering, it helps them realize that they have the ability and power to make a difference.”

According to Foster, Auburn is one of five universities in Alabama that received the honor roll, and Auburn is one of two universities to receive the distinction designation.

“Our activity is much more pervasive

across campus, there’s not just one unit that is producing outreach work, there [are] multiple units, there [are] programs in each school and college, there’s student organizations ... so I would say the scope of the involvement at Auburn is much more comprehensive than you might see at other universities where their service responses are more focused in fewer areas,” Foster said.

Foster said this recognition affirms Auburn’s commitment to engagement on a national level.

“We have to realize that Auburn University is part of the community, when we say community that includes Auburn University, so really, what we’re doing is, we are a neighbor working with our other neighbors to elevate the quality of life for the entire community,” Foster said.

Opinion

4

Thursday, June 25, 2015

ThePlainsman.com

Opinon

our view

Mama Mia, no more pizza

Most everyone is aware the City of Auburn is undergoing some changes, particularly in its downtown area.

One of those changes includes a new pizza restaurant planning to open, Pieology Pizzeria.

The pizzeria will be taking the previous location of The Bank Vault, which closed its doors May 30.

The building is located at 101 N. College directly across the street from Toomer’s Corner.

Auburn already has numerous other pizza restaurants within city limits. Mellow Mushroom, two Papa John’s, one being on campus and Little Italy will be within a one -mile radius of Pieology.

Pizza Schmizza and Uncle Maddio’s are also in Auburn, both fairly new to the area.

This count, of course, does not include the numerous other chain pizza venues specializing in delivery or rapid pickup, such as Pizza Hut, Papa John’s, Marco’s Pizza, Domino’s and Little Caesar’s.

This is the main reason we do not believe Pieology Pizzeria will be a good use of space.

There are already several great pizza options to choose from in Auburn.

There is simply no demand. Unfortunately, we were not able to get in contact with anyone about what may have influenced the decision to bring another pizza option to Auburn.

However, we do believe, residents of Auburn, particularly students, would benefit more if a new bar were planning to open instead.

Auburn’s nightlife is what is lacking, not the amount of pizza restaurants.

After all, The Bank Vault is not the only bar or nightclub that announced its closing recently.

The War Eagle Supper Club is also scheduled to close its doors Dec. 31.

Regardless, Pieology Pizzeria still may prove to be a successful business decision.

Responses to “Pizza chain to roll into the former Bank Vault location” Scott Ballard “WOW! A pizza place downtown!! This is a great idea since we don’t have ANY pizza places down town....”

Alex Carter “so lame. just what we need more pizza.”

Response to “Parking Services to use license plate recognition in place of hang tags”

Gurden Smith / Contributing Designer

Yet, for this to be true, they will likely need to do something that sets them apart from other similar, but popular restaurants.

For example, Mellow Mushroom has pint night every Monday-Wednesday from 4-9 p.m.

They have also recently added a larger bar area to their restaurant. What will make Pieology stand out?

The website for Pieology Pizzeria states that they serve custom pizzas and unlimited toppings for one price.

Will this be enough to set them apart from others?

Being not only downtown, but also close to Toomer’s Corner may help boost their likelihood for success.

In addition, if they have lower prices, but still maintain a high quality pizza, they may be able to provide their customers with what many people would agree they like best about each individual pizza restaurant.

For example, Little Italy is a hot spot for Auburn students.

This is likely because they stay open late

question of the week: Yes No I wish the Bank Vault hadn’t closed.

Vote online at ThePlainsman.com and provide low prices.

In contrast, Mellow Mushroom does not stay open as late, but they offer good quality pizza. Pizza Schmizza and Uncle Maddio’s do not have as great of locations, whereas the popular chain delivery restaurants cannot offer the fun atmosphere.

We do not believe Pieology was the best use of space.

However, it is possible for them to gain popularity among Auburn residents as long as they have something to offer their competitors do not.

Should you be tested for allergies? photo Editor

The hives started on the back of my arms. One day later they had spread to my legs and chest.

On the third day, the hives continued their warfare onto my face. These were not normal hives, as some were four inches in diameter. They burned and itched.

I began making a list of everything I had eaten in the past few days. There was nothing out of the ordinary I could recall.

That night I went to an urgent care clinic and had a shot to alleviate the itching and swelling.

The shot worked, but only for one day, then the hives returned.

I scheduled an appointment with the allergist, and they took blood

samples for further analysis.

Within a week the results were back. I had a meat allergy.

Like most, meat was an important part of my diet. To me a steak was better than any dessert, and barbeque pork was like candy. There was nothing more sumptuous than a juicy double cheeseburger from a local burger joint.

The allergy is a reaction to galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose, a carbohydrate found in mammalian meat. Unlike most allergies, which are a response to proteins, the alpha-gal allergy is different, because it is a reaction to the sugars present in beef, lamb, pork and other non-primate mammals.

What causes the allergy? A simple bite from the lone star tick. This species of tick is located from Texas to Maine and is identifiable by a small white dot on its back.

One of the leading researchers of this allergy is Thomas Platts-Mills of the University of Virginia. Platts-Mills was researching a cancer drug that contains alpha-galactose sugar. Patients who were having allergic reactions to this drug were found to mostly reside in the Southeastern states, and also had high levels of alpha-galactose in their bodies already.

While on a hiking trip, PlattsMills was bit by lone star ticks, and later found himself to have a high level of alpha-galactose.

Analysis of the saliva of lone star ticks showed it causes the spike in alpha-galactose in humans.

Since the largest concentration of the lone star tick population is in the Southeastern United States, the majority of the alpha-galactose allergy cases are also located here. A delayed reaction to the consumption of

mammalian meat makes it difficult for people to identify what they may be allergic to, as it takes four to six hours for symptoms to appear. These symptoms are generally hives, but anaphylaxis is also possible, depending on the severity of the allergy.

I never would have expected to have an allergy to meat.

When the allergist told me the news, I was in disbelief, and at first thought he was making it up. My diet has since been reduced to primarily vegetables, and I have to be careful where I eat. If you spend a lot of time in the woods, I urge you to pay attention to any delayed reaction you may have. If you notice hives, don’t wait to be tested until it’s too late.

Dakota Sumpter is the photo editor for The Plainsman. He can be reached at photo@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 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.

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

Response to “Gov. Robert Bentley removes Confederate flag from state capital grounds” Alan Lee “I’m a transplant to Alabama from WI who grew up 15 miles from the birthplace of the abolitionist movement (Ripon) which was also the birthplace of the modern Republican Party. My ancestors range from signers of the US Constitution to WI regiments in the Civil War to General Robert E Lee himself. This decision by Governor Bentley shows both arrogance and stupidity. I fear it will end in an eradication of centuries of American history.

Pushing history behind museum walls only invites revisionism. History IS epilogue.

Response to “Gov. Bentley removes Confederate flag from state capital grounds” Patrick Robinson “Alabama follows suit....good on you Gov. Bentley”

In last week’s editorial, “Reduce dining options, not hours,” we feel it may not have been clear that Au Bon Pain is not closing permanently, only for the summer.

last week’s poll results: Yes, I’d have liked input 92% No, I don’t care 8% I’m not bothered by the hours 0%

255 Heisman Drive, Suite 1111, AU Student Center Auburn, AL 36849

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

“Nobody register. Park wherever you want. Never pay the tickets. They’re not law enfocement.”

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Sports Thursday, June 25, 2015

5 ThePlainsman.com

Sports

team spotlight

Reeling in some recognition Fishing team seeks support from Auburn

Lauren Christopher sports editor

Being a part of the SEC, Auburn is nationally known for its football, basketball and softball teams, especially with these programs’ success.

However, Auburn is home to more sports teams than students are aware of. One of these programs is the fishing team.

Fishing has been at Auburn for about seven years, according to Lucas Brown, senior in mechanical engineering and member of the team.

“For competition wise, you’ve obviously got your pros,” Brown said. “But it’s slowly moved its way into college.

It’s everywhere … Fishing is very predominant in the South.”

The way the fishing team works is through competitions the team competes in throughout the year.

Approximately 40 members of the team draw from a hat and are divided into pairs of boaters and co-anglers. The pair then competes as a smaller team and must each catch five fish within their time slot on the water.

Once the five fish are caught, they are weighed, and this ending weight is how the fishers’ performances are measured.

Fishers can catch as many as they want, but can only keep a limit of five. For example, if a fisher has already caught five, but catches another in their time slot of approximately seven and a half hours that weighs more than a fish they already have, they can swap the two to maximize the average weight they catch to increase their chances of winning the competition.

“You can catch fish all day long,” Brown said. “You’re just trying to get the five biggest.”

These competitions usually last about three days, where the teams with the most weight advance until there is a winner.

Once a winning team has been established, the boater and co-angler compete against each other, and the individual with the most weight advances to compete in the Bass Masters Classic.

“The Bass Masters Classic is like the Masters or the Super Bowl for football,” Brown said. “So there’s two things you’re going for.”

Auburn has sent two fishers to the Bass Masters Classic; Jordan and Matt Lee, brothers who won the National Championship in back to back years.

Matt did not make it far in the Classic, but Jordan placed sixth the following year.

This month, Auburn is gearing up for the National Championship in Wisconsin, where they will send their top 18 fishers to compete.

“The National Championship is by far the biggest tournament you can fish in college, that’s why it’s such a big deal for us,” Brown said. “We’re not the football team, we get it, but Auburn is a very sought-out school. Auburn is getting a lot of exposure through the fishing team when we’re at these big tournaments. If they see your jersey and see that you fish for Auburn, they want to come talk to you.

It makes us feel good because then we know that we’re representing the school in the right manner.”

Murphy Klumpp, senior in marketing, joined the team

last year after transferring from South Alabama, where he participated in their fishing program.

Klumpp and Brown both said the team is divided when it comes to having the drive to make it to the professional level, but the ones who are driven are a tight-knit group.

“I’m really close with the guys on the Auburn team,” Klumpp said. “Pro is always a goal, but you have to be realistic.”

Brown said since the team holds approximately 40 members, the difference is easy to spot.

“We’re one of the larger teams in the South,” Brown said. “Anyone that wants to fish can fish. We have a lot of people that want to just fish for fun. There’s probably like 10-15 of us that are super serious about it. We’re close, we kind of have a bond within the team because we all share the same passion. We all chase the same dream.”

Ben Wall, junior in supply chain management, joined the team this year, and also said being a part of the fishing program has allowed him to meet other people who share his passion for bass fishing.

“I’ve made so many friends from joining this club and we’ve made friends from other colleges just because we all love the same thing, we’re all around the same age, and so, you meet so many other people,” Wall said.

When it comes to seeking recognition, the team has enough to show to prove its success.

According to Klumpp, the team holds impressive national standings, and has even won boats from competitions.

“There’s so many programs here and being such a large school, it’s not really something that a lot of people focus on, even though we represent the school as best we can,” Klumpp said. “We’ve done so well in so many events.”

Brown said it would be nice to receive some support from the Auburn Family every now and then.

“As much effort that we put into it, and the way we represent the school, it would be nice to know our school is supporting us, it makes you feel better,” Brown said.

Wall said the team tried to sell T-shirts once on campus, and were approached by many students who didn’t know the team existed.

“We used to sell T-shirts, but people would stop and say, ‘We have a fishing team? I didn’t know we had a fishing team,’” Wall said. “A lot of people don’t understand the sport of bass fishing. For the guys in our club, it’s a lot more. We put a lot of time into this, a lot of money, but we’re just in love with bass fishing. Just the fun and the thrill that we get from it.”

Wall said the team is planning on bringing in more publicity by getting involved in the community.

“We really want to help play a big part in the community,” Wall said. “Whether it’s little fishing events, little fundraisers to spread the word about tournament fishing and bass fishing, and helping to get kids involved and seeing them light up when they catch their first fish. We really strive for that.”

Brown said although he takes fishing seriously, there is a lot more to it than what it seems.

“There’s a lot more to fishing than just catching fish,” Brown said. “There’s nothing better than watching the sun rise on the water where it’s quiet and you have time to think.”

dakota sumpter / photo editor

Lucas Brown and Murphy Klumpp enjoy a day on the water.

sports in the community

Smooth-‘N-Groove holds father-son basketball tournament Evan McCullers sports writer

For Keon Davis, owner of Smooth-‘NGroove, a smoothie shop in Auburn, the inaugural Man-Up Basketball Tournament was all about family and community, helping to celebrate Father’s Day weekend.

“I grew up without my [dad], and back at home we used to do this event, the father-son two-on-two tournament,” Keon said. “I never had the chance to play. When I got older I got the idea to host the event so that me and my son could play.”

Devin Davis is Keon’s 10-year-old son.

“My favorite part was just playing a game of basketball with my dad,” Devin said.

The tournament was held on Saturday, June 20, at the Frank Brown Recreation Center, and drew fathers and sons from up to two hours away.

Mario Jackson and his son, 10-year-old Ca-

meran Franklin, drove from Atlanta to participate in the event.

“We play basketball pretty regularly, but as far as a tournament, this is the first time we’ve done this,” Jackson said. “We had a great time.

Great food, great people.”

Jackson said the tournament was tiring, but fun.

“We’re a little winded, little tired,” Jackson said, laughing. “But we had a great time.”

Anthony Brock and his son, Shamori Brock, also competed in the event.

“This is our first time playing together in competition,” Brock said. “We shoot around at home and go to the gym and shoot around, but this is our first time at a two-on-two father-son competition. Hopefully me and my son will develop some memories. Just compete and have fun, that’s what it’s all about.”

Keon said proceeds from the basketball tournament will go toward a school supply drive at

Smooth-‘N-Groove later this summer.

“We want one event to help the next event,” Keon said. “The event will be called Fill the Deck. We have a deck at our smoothie bar, so we want to get everybody to help donate school supplies. You can drive by and drop them onto the deck, and we’re going to try to fill the deck with school supplies.”

Keon said this is the first time the store has done an event for the community, but he plans to do more.

“We plan on doing [the basketball tournament] every year,” Davis said. “We’re going to do it every Father’s Day weekend. We’re going to do a lot more events too. We’re going to do kickball and different things to bring some fun to the community. We just want to bring the same atmosphere that we use at our store, the excitement, the friendly environment, we just want to bring it to other areas. We want to bring everyone together.”

dakota sumpter / photo editor

Michael Johnson, athletic director for the Boys and Girls Club of Auburn, guards against Keon Davis, owner of Smooth-‘N-Groove.

Intrigue Thursday, June 25, 2015

6 ThePlainsman.com

Intrigue

LIFESTYLE

Wounded Warrior fundraising to ride

Dakota Sumpter Photo Editor

Dave Enderton fulfills many different roles: athlete, father, graduate student, soldier and wounded warrior.

Originally from Buffalo, New York, where he served in the National Guard, Enderton moved to Auburn when he was stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia.

After looking at Columbus State University in Columbus, Georgia, Enderton said he chose Auburn to pursue his graduate degree.

While in the Army in 2010, the vehicle he was riding in was hit by an improvised explosive device.

“I got my fair share of injuries that I’ve worked through,” Enderton said.

Not only a student in kinesiology, Enderton is also on the club rowing team.

“I just wanted to try something new,” Enderton said. “I’ve got some knee problems from my injury, and running long distances is painful. I wanted something that would help me do some cardio and stay in shape. I’ve always used the rowing machine in the gym, and it has always been my favorite.”

Enderton attended the State University of New York at Buffalo to complete his undergraduate degree.

“I was an, at best, mediocre college student,” Enderton said.

He said joining the Army helped him when he decided to obtain a graduate degree.

“It sets your bar higher,” Enderton said. “It teaches you to really apply yourself in ways you

didn’t know you could.”

As a member of the Wounded Warrior Project, Enderton was asked if he would participate in the Historic Savannah Century, a 102-mile bicycle ride in Savannah, Georgia. “(Wounded Warrior Project) asked for people to sign up, and I said, ‘Yeah, I’d love to go on that ride,’” Enderton said.

He said the project isn’t just about the bicycle ride for him, it’s also a source of support.

“It’s always good to get a group of wounded warriors together to build that support group, and know that whatever it is you’re dealing with, there’s other people dealing with the same thing,” Enderton said.

Enderton has served in the military for approximately 10 years.

“I started out enlisted in the National Guard, and then I commissioned and went active duty,” Enderton said.

After graduating from SUNY Buffalo, Enderton became an officer in the Army and served in Afghanistan. Even after sustaining injuries, Enderton keeps himself motivated.

“I have a lot of reasons to put myself last, but it’s always important to make time for yourself and push yourself,” Enderton said.

Enderton said he would like to fundraise in the Auburn community to help him purchase a bike and the necessary equipment.

“It would be really cool to represent the Auburn community,” Enderton said.

Once his time in Auburn is done, Enderton said his plan is to continue cycling or donate the bike.

Dakota Sumpter / photo editor

Dave Enderton trains at the Auburn Student Recreation Center for the Savannah Century ride.

“I’d like to take what I’ve been a part of for the Savannah ride, and create a team at the next place I go,” Enderton said. “If that isn’t feasible, if it’s [the bike] funded by community support, I’d donate it back to the local Wounded Warrior office. I’m really not looking for personal gain.”

Enderton said he enjoys the community and his time at Auburn.

“The people out here have been amazing, everywhere from the rowing team to the kinesiology department,” Enderton said. “Everyone I’ve met has been awesome and made this experience enjoyable for me, and football season hasn’t even started yet.

I wanted to leave here and think that I’ve left a little mark on the community. I’ve considered com-

ing back once I’m out of the Army and working on my Ph.D.” Enderton said he realized other veterans were in the majority of his classes.

“There has been one class where there hasn’t been a veteran, and it’s a summer class that only has four people,” Enderton said. “[Veterans] are a big part of the community here.”

Danny James, owner of James Bros. Bikes said Enderton contacted him to enlist the shop’s support. “(Enderton) asked me about using James Bros. as a donation drop site,” James said.

Donations for Enderton’s ride can be made at James Bros. Bicycles on South College Street.

art

Former instructor finds roots in Alabama soil Emily Esleck Editor-in-chief

Nancy Owen Nelson’s grandmother, Nannie B. Russell Chandler, was always a mystery to Nelson, who at age 13 found that the woman she knew to be her grandmother was in fact her stepgrandmother.

In 1905, Nelson’s mother, Nannie B. Chandler (Nelson) was born in a small community near New Hope.

However, Nelson’s gradmother died during childbirth. Originally from Alabama, Nelson lives in Dearborn, Michigan, near Detroit.

Nelson completed graduate school at Auburn University in 1979, receiving her Ph.D. in English and taught as a graduate teaching assistant from 1970-74 and from 1976-79.

Nelson’s mother passed in 2001.

Nelson said her mother thought of her mother dying in childbirth her entire life.

“I will say that many of us don’t, we wish that we had ask our parents things after they’re

gone, and she basically just, it was a shadow over her life, people in her family would not talk about her biological mother,” Nelson said.

Nelson began looking into her family history November 2011, 10 years after her mother died.

Three years later her book, “Searching for Nannie B.,” was published as a memoir.

Nelson said she had been working with memoirs for a long time, teaching workshops with Springfed Arts in Michigan once per week for six weeks to “hone my craft.”

Nelson said she wrote progressive chapters during the three year time span writing her memoir.

Nelson started her search attempting to locate her grandmother’s gravestone through Ancestry.com. She said at the beginning of her book, she wrote her 10-year-old mother stood at the grave and overheard women passing by, “It’s too bad the baby lived and Nannie B., my grandmother, died.”

According to Nelson, her

mother carried that with her all her life.

“So I decided I wanted to figure out what it had to do with me, which is really no more obviously, most often comes back to the impact on the writer,” Nelson said. “Sometimes you have to go to bad and dark places, and sometimes you find out really valuable information.”

Priscilla Scott, 25-year “professional volunteer” for the Elizabeth Carpenter Public Library in New Hope, met with Nelson to help find her grandmother’s grave.

According to Scott, Nelson called the library asking for the resident genealogist.

“And that’s kind of a standing joke at the library, but it’s just because I am so interested in people’s local history, and so, that part is true, I pretty much drop everything if I can help somebody find their people,” Scott said.

Scott said she also volunteers with FindAGrave.com, taking photos of gravestones and recording the information on the

Photos contributed by Nancy Owen Nelson

Nancy Owen Nelson stands by her grandmother’s gravestone.

website.

When Nelson saw the gravestone she realized her grandmother’s name was misspelled – it read “Nanie B. wife of R. B. Chandler.”

“And I thought, you know, this is such an injustice here, somebody needs to know more

about her, so that was my goal,” Nelson said.

Nelson said she replaced the gravestone to correct the spelling mistakes and spell out her grandmother’s full name.

“I found out a lot about myself and about my mother,” Nelson said.

“Searching for Nannie B.” launched Sunday, June 21.

Nelson will be at The Gnu’s Room in Opelika at 4 p.m. Saturday, June 27, for a book signing.

Nelson will also be at The Auburn Unitarian-Universalist Fellowship on Sunday, June 28, at 10 a.m.

lifestyle

10 Alabama places to explore this summer 1. Chewacla State Park is definitely the most local option for Auburn residents. The 696-acre park offers hiking and biking trails, swiming, camping and lodging.

2. Tuskeegee National Forest is also an option for those who don’t want to travel far.

The land was established as a national forest in 1959 and features hiking and biking trails, shooting ranges, horseback riding, camping and more.

3. Monte Sano State Park near Huntsville is a bit of a drive from Auburn. At 2,140 acres, Monte Sano offers a wide range of hiking trails that overlook mountains in north Alabama and Tennessee. The park offers hiking, camping, a disc golf course and is also a short drive from Lake Guntersville and Cathedral Caverns.

sits atop Lookout Mountain in Fort Payne.

Some of its features include the 104-foothigh DeSoto Falls, the Little River Canyon Nature Preserve and fly fishing as well as hiking, swimming, golfing, camping, kayaking, canoeing, geocaching and more.

8. If you’re looking to head to the beach, check out Gulf State Park on the coast in Gulf Shores. While the main attraction tends to be the two miles of beachfront access, the park still offers more traditional entertainment, such as hiking and geocaching, as well as ziplining and a fishing pier that extends 6. Oak Mountain State Park in Pelham is 1,512 feet into the Gulf. approximately a two-hour drive from Auburn University, making it one of the closer parks 9. While a bit more pricey than State Parks, to visit for students.

DeSoto Caverns Park is a good way for those At 9,940 acres, it is Alabama’s largest state who are less inclined to love the outdoors to park and offers more than 50 miles of hik- still get a taste of the natural world. ing and biking trails, including multiple that The park offers an hour-long tour through lead up to Peavine Falls. Oak Mountain State the caverns and a laser light show based on Park is also home to The Oaks golf course, the book of Genesis as well as panning for Oak Mountain BMX, FlipSide Watersports, a gemstones, multiple mazes, go-karts, bumper petting farm, beaches, boat rentals as well as cars, paddle boats, a seasonal butterfly house camping, swimming and fishing. and more.

7. Rickwood Caverns State Park in Warrior is one of the only parks in the state to offer cave tours 175 feet below ground as well as hiking and swimming.

The park features an Olympic-size swimming pool fed by waters from the massive cave around which the park is built. However, if proposed budget cut plans for Alabama remain in effect, the final day to swim in the 5. DeSoto State Park is 3,502 acres and pool will be Aug. 9.

4. Cheaha State Park in Delta boasts the highest point in Alabama at 2,407 feet above sea level. As one of the larger parks in the state, Cheaha offers more activities than most, from traditional hiking, swimming and camping to rappelling, rock climbing and two historical museums and a gem mine to visit.

10.Cathedral Caverns State Park in Woodville in north Alabama was originally named Bat Cave, but was renamed because of the grand appearance of the entrance to the cave.

It features one of the largest stalagmites in the world, measuring 45 feet tall and 243 feet in diameter. The park offers gem mining, camping and cave tours.

Compiled by Raye May, managing editor