The Auburn Plainsman 08.21.14 issue

BID DAY 2014 COVERAGE

STORY, SLIDESHOW AND VIDEO ONLINE AT THEPLAINSMAN.COM

The Auburn Plainsman A SPIRIT THAT IS NOT AFRAID

Thursday, August 21, 2014 Vol. 121, Issue 1, 16 Pages

Nothing to Bragg about

ONLINE

HOUSING

ThePlainsman.com Check for updates on student TB status

INSIDE CAMPUS

Page A4

Renovations to the Hill to start in 2015 COMMUNITY

319 Bragg apartments temporarily displaces students Nickolaus Hines

COMMUNITY REPORTER

U-Haul and Penske trucks navigated Auburn’s streets and filed into town the second week of August as students moved into their new apartments. The residents in Building 2 at 319 Bragg, however, are unable to set up their new home.

Roommates Ashley Burrow, senior in graphic design, and Ashley Brasfield, senior in special education, received an email July 15 from 319 Bragg stating they were not able to move in as scheduled.

They received another email Aug. 5 that 319 Bragg had to put them in a hotel until the apartments are completed. On Aug. 11, Burrow and Brasfield learned their apartments was not going to be finished by the scheduled move-in date of Aug. 15.

“The pool is done, the tanning beds, the study rooms, the weight room, the lobby and the offices are done,” Burrow said. “But the apartments aren’t done.”

According to a statement made by Lauren Melby, member of 319 Bragg’s marketing and public relations firm, construction was delayed because of weather conditions last winter.

“We are in the process of finishing the final components of the interior of the building,” Melby said.

When signing their lease, Brasfield said 319 Bragg did not guarantee the apartments would be completed on schedule. They did, however, state that only under strange circumstances would it not be done and the apartment complex would handle all rooming accom-

KENNETH MOSS / PHOTOGRAPHER

319 Bragg residents who live in Building Two are living in a hotel or with friends until the building is ready.

modations.

319 Bragg is paying for rooms for residents who are still waiting for their building to finish at Home-Towne Suites of Auburn. The hotel is 3 miles from campus near the Village Mall.

“During their time at the hotel, the residents of Building 2 are living rent-free, have access to the Auburn transit line, are able to take advantage of all of the

FOOTBALL

amenities offered in Building 1 and were able to move all of their belongings into Building 2 so that once the second building is complete, it will be a smooth transition into their new home,” Melby said.

Burrow and Brasfield chose to stay with a friend instead.

COURTS

Judge dimisses quota lawsuit

Page A7

Profiles on City Council candidates

Former police officer’s claims not substantiated by evidence

SPORTS

Jim Little

COMMUNITY WRITER

PHOTO FROM FILE

Auburn plays against the University of Georgia on November 16, 2013.

Page B1

Johnson touts Marshall for Heisman INTRIGUE

Tiger fans sell out Auburn breaks previous ticket-selling record for the 2014 football season Andrew Monson SPORTS WRITER

Page B5

Lesson learned from Lutzenkirchen death INDEX Campus Opinion Community Sports Intrigue

» See BRAGG A2

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Following the biggest turnaround in SEC history, Auburn sold all of its football season ticket packages, a feat that has not been accomplished since the 2011 season.

The University has sold 62,900 ticket packages; a new school record.

The preseason hype surrounding head football coach Gus Malzahn and his program has both longtime fans and new fans eager to see the Tigers in person.

Mark Winne, who has attended several games over the years, decided after last season

it was time to buy season tickets.

“I’m all in for Auburn every year, but this year the excitement surrounding the football program is palpable, uplifting, even inspirational,” Mark said.

“Coach Malzahn’s fast-moving, innovative offense is one of the most exciting phenomena in sports and a joy to behold, particularly in person.”

Malzahn’s teaching philosophy and his off-the-field character also attracts Winne to the games.

“I have the sense Coach Malzahn, a man of strong faith, and his staff, which seems to include some good men, stand

for something that transcends football, and that makes me feel even more inspired to sit in those stands,” Mark said.

Auburn also implemented a Young Alumni program, which allows graduates within the last three years to purchase season tickets for only half the contribution.

Jack Winne, 2013 Auburn graduate, decided to take advantage of the deal even with the Alabama and Georgia games being on the road this season.

“Auburn offered the Young Alumni tickets at a reasonable

» See TICKETS A2

A Montgomery federal judge dismissed a former Auburn police officer’s lawsuit Monday, Aug. 18, against Auburn’s city government claiming he was fired for speaking out against what he alleged was a quota system.

Justin Hanners claimed he was fired by the Auburn police department for speaking out against what he called a quota system for issuing citations.

Auburn’s defense attorneys claimed Hanners was fired for poor job performance, according to court documents.

U.S. District Judge W. Harold Albritton ruled Hanners had not shown sufficient proof his dismissal from the Auburn police department was in retaliation for speaking out. “[Hanners] has failed to provide any evidence that his speaking on the alleged quota was a substantial motivating factor in the termination decision,” Albritton said.

Public confidence in the Auburn police department remains strong, according to

City Manager Charles Duggan.

“False and unsubstantiated charges like these place a difficult burden on both law enforcement and taxpayers, and I’m pleased that the Auburn Police Division can move forward now that these allegations have been dismissed by the legal system,” Duggan said.

Hanners filed the lawsuit against the city Aug. 30, 2013 alleging the city had violated his constitutional right to free speech and the Alabama State Employees Protection Act, according to court documents.

In an interview with Reason, a libertarian magazine, Hanners said he first became aware of a quota system of 100 “contacts” a month in 2010. Hanners also released an audio recording he alleged is a police briefing with the voice of Sgt. Trey Neal of the Auburn police department demanding ticket quotas.

“If you didn’t get the 100 hundred contacts you could get mandatory overtime, you could get written up,”

» See QUOTA A2

Campus A2

The Auburn Plainsman

DUI REPORTS The following were arrested and charged with driving under the influence by the Auburn Police Division on June 19-22:

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Tuberculosis case remains contained Corey Williams CAMPUS EDITOR

August 14 - Unlawful breaking and entering of a vehicle at the 300 block of Payne Street at 4:20 p.m.

An Auburn University student has been diagnosed with an active case of pulmonary tuberculosis Thursday, Aug. 14.

Pam Barrett, director of the tuberculosis control office of the Alabama Department of Public Health, said approximately 90 people have been in close contact with the individual.

“The individual has active, contagious TB,” Barrett said. “The people we identified as being in closest contact with that individual were notified yesterday through email. Those people are scheduled to be tested Tuesday.”

According to Barrett, it will take all of Tuesday to evaluate the test results.

“It will take about three days for the results to come back,” Barrett said.

Many Auburn students probably remember being tested for tuberculosis before enrollment. According to Barrett, this is not a test for active TB. “They just tell us if you have been around someone with TB and picked up that the germ,” Barrett said. “Most Alabama schools require skin or blood tests of students before they enter. I know Auburn does.”

Barrett said tuberculosis is only spread through the air.

“TB is a bacteria that spreads through the air when someone shares air for an extended period of time in an enclosed area,” Barrett said. “It is not highly contagious like chicken pox or the flu where you can just touch something and catch it. It is not

- Automobile breaking and entering with theft of property in the third degree ($500 or less) at the 1800 block of Lee Road 12 at 5:19 p.m.

Grant helps Prison Arts & Education Project

- Two counts of shoplifting at the 1600 block of Opelika Road at 1:07 p.m.

Brian Stultz

August 15 - Clark Kerner Evans Opelika Road August 17 - Joseph Angelo Odenweller South College Street

CRIME REPORTS The following crimes were reported by the Auburn Police Division on June 19-22.

August 13 - Criminal mischief in the third degree at the 1600 block of South Donahue Drive at 4:15 a.m.

- Shoplifting at the 1700 block of South College Street at 9:45 a.m.

- Harassing communications at the 200 block of Lee Road 22 at 12:14 a.m.

- Theft of property in the second degree (greater than $500 - $2500) and criminal trespass in the third degree at the 600 block of Briarwood Drive at 5:05 p.m.

- Jame Leigh Langley was arrested and charged with theft of property in the third degree at South College Street

- Felicia Denise Tate was arrested and charged with failure to appear and bail jumping in the second degree - Mitchell Wayne Giles was arrested and charged with theft of property in the third degree August 17 - Unlawful breaking and entering of a vehicle, criminal trespass in the third degree and carrying an illegal weapon (knife) at the 400 block of Frazier Street at 10:10 p.m.

- Unauthorized use of other vehicle (no force) and criminal mischief in the third degree ($500 or less) at the 600 block of Lem Morrison Drive at 10:35 a.m.

- Fleeing and attempting to elude an officer at Beehive Drive at Cox Road at 11:35 a.m.

- Assault in the second degree at the 800 block of North Gay Street at 12:17 a.m.

- Al Jarome Ellis was arrested and charged with forgery in the third degree on Gentry Drive at 12:55 a.m.

- George Edward Armstrong Jr., 52, was arrested and charged with burglary in the third degree and two counts of robbery in the first degree at Lee Road 188 –Reports provided by the Auburn Department of Public Safety

BRAGG » From A1

instead.

Neither Burrow nor Brasfield knew a date they could move in as of Monday afternoon.

“We went there last Friday, and they said that they couldn’t give us a date because they didn’t want to give us wrong information,” Brasfield said.

Officials at 319 Bragg are working to keep their current residents happy.

“After seeing their future

home and everything that they have to look forward to our residents have been very understanding and are just excited to live at 319 Bragg,” Melby said. “We have already started a waitlist for Fall 2015.”

Burrow’s belongings are in her friend’s apartment she is staying at. Brasfield’s belongings are at her home in Birmingham. Both said moving during classes will be difficult.

“Seeing as I’m living out of a suitcase with no books or anything, that’s affecting my classes,” Burrow said.

CAMPUS WRITER

A recent $55,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) will help the Alabama Prison Arts & Eduction project at Auburn University continue.

The project, housed in the department of human development and family studies in the College of Human Sciences, has provided visual arts classes to many correctional facilities in Alabama since 2003, when it first partnered with the NEA. According to the project’s website, they believe it is important for the adult prison population to gain a quality education, and to build a relationship with learning that will continue to grow for the rest of their lives.

The project has grown from one poet teaching in one prison to more than 100 writers, artists, scholars teach in correctional facilities in Alabama.

Kyes Stevens, the project’s director, spoke on the importance of keeping the grant going.

“The main motivation of the project is that education is good for people,” Stevens said. “This is another population that we can reach.”

Auburn’s project has partnered with the Alabama Department of Corrections to offer semester-long classes in arts, sciences and English in 10 facilities.

“Our students are people who have nev-

“

The main motivation of the project is that education is goof for people.This is another population that we can reach.”

—Kyes Stevens PROJECT DIRECTOR

er had the opportunity that many of us have had,” Stevens said. “We want to help them develop for their future.”

Auburn has received seven grants from the NEA Art Works program Since the project began in 2003.

The NEA Art Works program’s main goal is to support the creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence.

This grant will fund the program through 2015.

Former prison arts students who are released from the correctional facilities still stay in touch, often attributing it as a positive effect.

“We leave it up to our students to contact us when they are released,” Stevens said.

“We have had former students who view the program as the primary reason they could get through their incarceration.”

One warden, according to the program,

» From A1

Hanners said in a video on Reason’s YouTube channel.

Hanners also said in the video some officers were rewarded.

“The officer who wrote the most tickets and the one who came in second were given gift cards for steak dinners.”

Auburn announced July 16 the results of an independent investigation by attorney Bob Eddy, former investigator with the Alabama Attorney General’s office, which concluded Hanners’ accusations of a quota system were false.

“For Patrol Officers, those expectations do include enforcing traffic laws,

» From A1

KENNETH MOSS / PHOTOGRAPHER

something you would get in passing, or just with casual exposure.”

Worldwide, tuberculosis kills approximately 1.3 million people every year and is the world’s second deadliest infectious disease.

However, only a tiny percentage of those deaths come from the United States.

Jan King, Auburn University Medical

QUOTA

TICKETS

All facilities on site are completed except for Builing Two.

STEPHANIE REEVES / GRAPHICS ASSOCIATE

price in the lower bowl,” Jack said. “It’s a heck of a deal.

Having to play both of those red teams on the road is unfortunate and I was slightly more apprehensive about pulling the trigger as a result, but I’m expecting big things from the Tigers this year, so I’m glad I did.”

There is no question last year’s magical season is the main selling point for most season ticket holders, but Cassie Arner, associate athletic director for strategic communications, said she believes there’s much more to the Auburn game day than just the game.

“Our fans know there’s no better way to experience Au-

“

which does require making contact with individuals on Auburn streets and sidewalks,” said Duggan in the 2013 statement. “Officers make those contacts not in response to quotas, but in response to apparent violations of the law.”

Auburn police chief Paul Register, said he was pleased with the quota ruling.

“I just hate that some of the officers have had to contend with the negative feelings from the public over this case,” Register said, “I’m glad the information is out there so citizens and students can be proud of their police department.”

Hanners’ attorneys with the Walton Law Firm declined to comment on the dismissal of the lawsuit.

Clinic’s Nursing Manager, said Auburn students have no reason to worry for their safety.

“The general population of Auburn should not be concerned about catching tuberculosis,” King said. “We’ve notified everyone who needs to be notified. We are working really closely with the Alabama Public Health Department.”

said he could always tell who participated in the program, saying they had an air of purpose and are driven to succeed in learning.

The prison arts and education classes are taught as college-level courses, helping to prove the students that they can earn a degree when released from the facilities.

The prison arts and education students can request transcripts as the classes are offered as Continuing Education through Auburn.

Dae Jackson, junior in journalism, said she thinks the program is a great benefit for those who may not have had educational opportunities growing up.

“Education is important and the fact they are providing that opportunity to gain education while incarcerated can help,” Jackson said. “It can help put them on a better path.”

John Carvalho, journalism professor, taught a class at one of the facilities.

“The inmates responded to the readings we provided beforehand,” Carvalho said.

“They came to class with in-depth questions.”

Stevens also spoke about the enthusiasm that students bring to the program.

“A lot of people want to make judgments on the prison population,” Stevens said. “They react with an enthusiasm for an education that I have never seen anywhere else.”

“

I just hate that some of the officers have had to contend with the negative feelings from the public over this case. I’m glad the information is out there so citizens and students can be proud of their police department .”

Our fans know there’s no better way to experience Auburn football than being inside Jordan-Hare Stadium.There’s so much pageantry and tradition that can only be felt while on campus .”

—Cassie Arner

ASSOCIATE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR FOR STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION

burn football than being inside Jordan-Hare Stadium,” Arner said. “There’s so much pageantry and tradition that can only be felt while on campus.”

Arner expects the increased ticket sales to continue due to the amazing support of the Auburn fans.

“We’ve averaged over 80,000 [fans] in Jordan-Hare Stadium over the last few

years,” Arner said. “Auburn fans are very passionate about Auburn football and all Auburn sports, and when they come to the stadium, they know they are going to experience a lot of tradition, and that stands the test of time.”

The success and excitement around the football program is also rubbing off on the rest of the athletic program, especial-

—Paul Register POLICE CHIEF

ly the basketball team and new haead basketball coach Bruce Pearl.

Arner said she can see the difference already.

“There’s a lot of excitement on Auburn’s campus right now about all of our sports,” Arner said. “(Basketball tickets) are already selling better than they have the last few years.

People are more than thrilled about what we can expect from men’s basketball in the coming years.”

Mark has also contemplated buying basketball tickets as well.

“I have thought of buying basketball tickets, purely because of Bruce Pearl,” Mark said. “I get a lot out of watching his embrace of the Auburn Family and his unfolding story of redemption.”

HER

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Campus A3

The Auburn Plainsman

greek life

Sorority recruitment comes to a close with Bid Day Ben Ruffin

Campus Reporter

Each year, thousands of girls arrive at Auburn early to participate in sorority recruitment with the hope of getting in their favorite sorority.

This year was no different, as the green space outside the basketball arena was filled with friends and family of those participating in recruitment.

Rumors have spread throughout the Greek community this years’ recruitment would be one of the largest in the school’s history. Jill Moore, director of Auburn Greek Life, said this year’s recruitment was the same as every year’s with the exception of the number of girls.

“Over the past five years, the average new member class has been about 60 members, but that has been creeping upward,” Moore said. “Based on the trends and registration and the size of the incoming freshmen class, some classes may have about 70 girls.”

Moore, who estimated there to be between 1,400-1,500 potential members prior to re-

Kenneth Moss / photographer

Pledges run to their sororities.

cruitment, said this year’s recruitment, while larger than previous years’, was still only a few potential members more than the five-year average.

“It’s only about 200 more than our five-year average of 1,214,” Moore said. “The Pi Chi groups might have had two or three more people and we had to order a little more supplies, but the process did not change.”

Moore also said the new member learning process,

Raye MAY / PHOTO EDITOR

Gamma Phi Beta sorority waits for their new pledges.

which comes after recruitment is finished, will probably not be affected by the larger group of girls.

“We always want the newmember education processes to be safe and fun,” Moore said. “But these new member classes will not be big enough to mandate a change in the way we do things.”

This year, Auburn Panhellenic gave out 1,278 bids to girls who are now referred to as new members. There were

1,401 girls registered for recruitment but 17 were no shows, leaving 1,384 girls who participated in sorority recruitment.

Anna McCarthy, junior in marketing and member of Pi Beta Phi, said this year’s rush was one that brought their sorority together while having the chance to meet a great group of girls.

“There was so much planning involved at times which could be a little much,” Mc-

Carthy said. “However, a lot of people stepped up to the plate to help which brought everyone closer, I think. I’m just excited to watch these girls join our sorority and develop over the next couple of years.”

McCarthy, who accepted a bid from Pi Beta Phi nearly two years ago to the day, said she remembers the feeling of opening the Panhellenic paper and knows the excitement the girls are feeling right now and will feel for some time to

come.

“It’s an overwhelming feeling, but it really doesn’t set in until a few days later,” McCarthy said. “Going through a week of rush isn’t as easy as some people make it out to be.

There’s a lot of waking up early and a list of other things. Today is a day of celebration and finally some relaxation for everyone.”

Hope Hays, incoming freshman and now a new member of Alpha Delta Pi, said the experience was exhausting at times, but worth it when it is all said and done.

“I met a lot of awesome girls over the past week and made friendships that may not have been made without going through recruitment,” Hays said.

Hays said she is excited to get to know her new sorority sisters over the coming years.

“I’m so excited and blessed to have the opportunity to join ADPi,” Hays said. “A week of recruitment is without a doubt worth it when bid day comes around and I can’t wait to see what the coming years have in store.”

CONGRATULATIONS NEWLY SELECTED 2014-2015 COSAM LEADERS

bid day snapshots

Anna Marie Buchanan Alisha Chauhan Austin Coker Holton Deatherage Francesca DiSantis Tyler Finley Will Gibson Alex Green Sally Harrison Hannah Hashimi Alexis Jackson Luke McGee Patrick Michael Jonathon Whitehead Javeya Williams Taylor Young

THE COLLEGE OF SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS photos by raye may / photo editor

Campus A4

Thursday, August 21, 2014

The Auburn Plainsman

The Hill to undergo makeover in 2015 Dorms

Corey Williams Campus Editor

Students who live in the Hill dormitories are often plagued by problems, from technical issues to unsightly rooms.

Ward Taliaferro, sophomore in architecture, lived in the Hill’s Graves Hall during his freshman year.

“The paint in the rooms was chipping, there was mold in the showers, the power failed every now and then and, sometimes, the hallways smelled pretty bad too.” Taliaferro said. “The walls were thin so one loud neighbor was extremely audible. It was always hot and everyone always had their windows open and fans in their rooms.”

According to Taliaferro, however, the Hill did have one redeeming quality.

“The convenience and proximity to campus almost made everything worth it,” Taliaferro said.

“It was quite the experience.”

Major renovations for the Hill will be taking place as soon as next year.

Jim Carroll, university architect, said he and his team have very long-term goals for the project.

“It is just time for the buildings to be renovated,” Carroll said. “We want these buildings to be around for a very long time, so we have to occasionally do some work on them.”

According to Carroll, there are a lot of changes that need to be made.

“The units themselves, the mechanical systems and most of the technical engineering sys-

Raye MAY / PHOTO EDITOR

The Hill dormitories interior renovation is set to begin May 2015.

tems are definitely in need of renovation,” Carroll said. “We will also be looking to clean up the interior, so we will be looking from an architectural perspective as well. It is a systemic renovation.”

According to Carroll, the renovation will also affect areas that were once used for Greek organizations.

“It will go through all the units, even the public spaces and the formerly used chapter rooms,

which are on the ground floors.”

However, the renovations are expected to take at least a few years.

According to Bob Ritenbaugh, associate vice president for Auxiliary Services, this is because of a high on-campus housing demand, especially for freshmen.

“Unfortunately, we have to stretch it out,” Ritenbaugh said. “There is a real demand for

housing for freshmen that first year. We do not have the luxury to just wipe out more than 300 beds per year because we need them for freshmen. We really need every bed to make sure we meet all of their needs.”

According to Ritenbaugh, the project will be completed in multiple phases.

“During each phase, we will take two or three buildings offline,” Ritenbaugh said.

Also included in the renovation is a popular student eatery.

“When the renovation is over, we will have renovated all the buildings in the Hill and Terrell Dining Hall.”

Ritenbaugh said he thinks all the hard work will pay off.

“We all understand the need for it,” Ritenbaugh said.

According to Ritenbaugh, the Hill’s renovation is long overdue.

“The last time the buildings were renovated was about 25 years ago, so it is something that is needed,” Ritenbaugh said. “We need to get those buildings up to a good standard.”

The project is set to begin immediately after students move out of the dorms for summer break.

“This academic year is when we will do some planning and testing of the issues we expect to encounter,” Ritenbaugh said.“So the first phase will start sometime in May after this year’s students move out.”

students

Humans of Auburn captures snapshots of the Auburn Family Savannah Downey Campus Writer

Inspired by Humans of New York (HONY), a popular photo blog that’s mission is to “create an exhaustive catalogue of New York City’s inhabitants,” according to the group’s Facebook page.

Humans of Auburn has brought the social media project to The Plains.

Humans of Auburn (HOA) initially began as an idea in a freshmen leadership group and was brought to life by Tomi Obebe, junior in nutrition sciences and president of HOA, in April 2014.

“We do draw inspiration from HONY’s founder Brandon Stanton, but we are still working on finding our own identity and signature,” Obebe

said.

It’s anticipated most subjects photographed for the project will reflect its audience, ranging between the ages of 18-25.

Obebe said she hopes fans will view each interview either as relatable or eye opening.

The key difference between the two projects is the sense of familiarity that comes with Humans of Auburn.

HOA’s vice president Carrie Culwell, sophomore in French international trade, said fans of the page will likely see friends or faces from around campus, as opposed to the strangers found on HONY. Though the subjects posted on the page may be

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recognizable, Obebe said the stories are anything but predictable.

“Some of the most profound responses come from the unexpected,” Obebe said.

Stories on HOA’s Facebook page cover a range of topics, such as academics and personal history, as well as goals and aspirations.

The photo project’s mission of documenting the people of Auburn also serves a dual purpose for its staff.

Both Obebe and Culwell agreed that approaching individuals and asking them personal questions is the most challenging, yet rewarding, aspect of their jobs.

“You have to be brave,” Culwell said of the in-

terview process.

Staff photographer Andria Moore, junior in journalism, said she found engaging in conversations with strangers has improved her communication skills.

Dillon Nettles, senior in political science, was one of the first subjects to be documented for the project.

Nettles said he was caught offguard when his photo was snapped while on campus one morning.

“You don’t have time to think of anything creative or clever,” Culwell said. “But there is definitely something to be said about being captured in the moment.”

Graduate students

History pays off for graduate student Erica Vatella was recently awarded $24,000 for the prestigious James Madison history fellowship Megan Barkdull Campus writer

Erica Vatella, recent graduate, was awarded the James Madison Memorial Fellowship.

The Fellowship allocates up to $24,000 toward a master’s degree in social studies education.

The Fellowship is named for James Madison, the fourth president of the United States and a signer of the Constitution.

It is given each year to one person from every state. The Fellowship is typically awarded to secondary school teachers who are dedicated to teaching the Constitution and American history.

Vatella’s academic advisor, Jada Kohlmeier, said she encouraged Vatella to apply for the Fellowship.

“She has a lot of gifts and strengths in developing complex lessons that are inquiry based, where students are investigating problems,” Kohlmeier said.

According to Kohlmeier, coming up with lessons that make students care about history is the hardest part of teaching.

“Social studies, in national polls, tends to be the least popular courses for students, particularly 7th through 12th grade students, because they find it very hard and irrelevant,” Kohlmeier said.

Kohlmeier said she thought the strengths Vatella demonstrated during her undergraduate at Auburn would help her create a classroom in which students care about history.

John Saye, professor of Social Science Education, agreed.

“Erica is extremely bright,” Saye said. “She really knows her content. She’s really diligent in working through difficulties that come up with

kenneth moss / photographer

Vatella will teach at Auburn High School while she completes her master’s degree.

“

It’s not just learning about a bunch of dead people,” Vatella said. I want them to learn it still matters and can teach us lessons for today.”

Erica Vatella Fellowship recipient

teaching.”

Saye said he feels the study of history is under appreciated.

“Too often when people think back on their experiences in history it’s just a bunch of memorization and a lot of names and dates, but history is really a tool that helps you understand today,” Saye said.

“The more teachers we get like Erica to do just that, the better chance we have of changing

that perception.”

Vatella said if she can teach her students one thing, it would be that history does matter.

“It’s not just learning about a bunch of dead people,” Vatella said. “I want them to learn it still matters and can teach us lessons for today.”

Vatella said teaching the Constitution to future generations is especially important.

According to Vatella, without an understanding of the Constitution, students will be unable to understand current political events.

“It’s the basis of our country,” Vatella said.

The Fellowship will cover Vatella’s tuition for graduate school.

“It is a pretty great honor that I won,” Vatella said. “It means I get to continue my education, which will hopefully contribute to me being a better teacher.”

Kohlmeier has helped two other University students win the Fellowship.

Kohlmeier herself was also a recipient.

She said it helped her earn her teaching certificate from Kansas University and her master’s degree from Washington University in Saint Louis.

Years later, through legislation passed in Kansas, it helped Kohlmeier obtain her doctorate.

“It really paid dividends for a long time for me,” Vatella said.

“I think it’s an example of when the public invests in education and in teachers.”

Vatella will be continuing her education with Auburn University’s graduate program while teaching American History at Auburn High School for 10th and 11th grades.

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Campus A5

The Auburn Plainsman

Auburn’s biggest welcome ever

Students return to a Welcome Week greeting Derek Herscovici CAMPUS REPORTER

Auburn is having its biggest Welcome Week ever, bringing free food and fun to campus for new and returning students of all types from Aug. 13-23.

“Welcome Week is longer this year than it has ever been,” said Welcome Week advisor John-Michael Roehm. “We extended the number of days and with that we have included a larger number of events that are going to be taking place.

Right now, I believe the count is around 115 plus events that are planned between Aug. 1323, in the traditional Welcome Week time.”

The biggest innovation to this year’s events is the social media platform Guidebook, which allows users to preview events before they attend, with customizable event checklists and alarms to notify users before events.

“The neat thing about Guidebook is it allows students to filter through the 115 events,” Roehm said. “(Welcome Week) can seem a bit overwhelming and there’s a lot of different things going on, so we made different categories for events.”

Among the different categories of events are those designed for new students, returning students, graduate students and international students, events.

The social media platform is available for free on most smartphones.

A web-friendly version of Guidebook is available through a link on the committee’s website,auburn.edu/welcomeweek.

This is the first time Welcome Week has gone with an electronic-only event guide, and the funding normally reserved for printed fliers has been used to enhance other events, according to Welcome Week assistant director Matt Smith.

“Guidebook has been used

“

Welcome Week is longer this year than it’s ever been.

We’ve extended the number of days and with that we have included a larger number of events that are going to be taking place. Right now I believe the count is about 115 plus.”

-John Michael ROEHM Welcome Week advisor

in the past,” Smith said. “The University wanted to try it out a few years ago so we decided we’re going to keep pushing that, So many people are using their phones nowadays for everything. I know a lot of people, myself included, who have their schedules in their phones.

It makes it a lot easier to take it with you and have something on your person at all times.”

Though this is the first time the University has openly used Guidebook to help promote its events, past semesters have seen various clubs and organizations use it to facilitate their programs.

“In Camp War Eagle, they actually make incoming freshmen download the Guidebook app just to stay in touch with certain things,” Smith said.

Smith said the requirement simplifies things for the Welcome Week staff, “It makes it easier for us since they’re required to download it.”

Smith said the total number of students who have downloaded the Welcome Week event schedule on Guidebook has exceeded 2,000, and it is steadily rising.

The swelling number of students participating in the events

this year can partially be attributed to the diverse number of colleges, organizations and clubs who have taken it upon themselves to welcome students in their own way.

Past Welcome Week committees have been plagued by misinformation or miscommunication, something Welcome Week Director Megan Eldridge is determined to change.

“We really try to let people know that this is not just for freshman and that it’s for everyone,” Eldridge said. “This year, other than having ‘Freshman Food and Fun,’ which is only for freshmen at the president’s house, we try to say that it is for returning students too, because that gets lost a bunch of times.

It’s for everyone.”

Eldridge said she arrived during the enrollment boom of 2011 and had to live off campus her freshman year, which limited her interaction with other freshmen.

On a whim, Eldridge and her roommates went to Casino Night because it offered free food.

“It was a little weird, just being on campus with all those people was kind of overwhelming,” Eldridge said. “Casino Night was something where I met a lot of new people and I met a lot of my friends. It was a really big deal for me because I didn’t know anybody here at Auburn and coming to that, I met people I still know to this day.”

Welcome Week will continue until Saturday, Aug. 23, with multiple events happening every day.

For questions about event times or categories, consult the Auburn University Welcome Week 2014 guide in Guidebook or the Welcome Week website, www.auburn.edu/welcomeweek for details.

“I think if I hadn’t gone to Welcome Week and met these people I wouldn’t have done as much as I do now,” Eldridge said.

Wanted

Do you order shirts for your Club or Greek Organization? Want to become a campus rep & get paid doing it? Email us at Reps@TheNeonSouth.com

HONOR STUDENTS Phi Sigma Theta National Honor Society is seeking motivated students to establish a campus chapter.

Email Director@PhiSigmaTheta.org

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ACROSS DOWN 38 Suffix with major 51 Potato or yam 52 “Lord, __?”: 1 Got one’s or Smurf 1 Junk email Buy . Sell . Trade Matthew 39 D.C. baseball uniform dirty, as 5 “A Streetcar __ 53 Fit for a king team a base runner Desire” - Phones, IPads, 56 Couplet creator 2 Feet pampering, 40 Beyond the 10 Talks and talks Digital Cameras 57 Michelin burbs briefly and talks product 3 State confidently 43 Shuffling gait 14 Strauss of denim - Laptops & Tablets 58 Tennis great 46 “30 Rock” 4 Error 15 Double-reed Lendl creator 5 “Never gonna instruments - Vintage Video 59 Mythical 48 Brainstorm happen” 16 Author __ Games monster’s loch 6 Finds repugnant 49 Wife of 27-Down Stanley Gardner 61 Org. with narcs 50 Request 7 Tie up in the - Vinyl Records 17 Fateful date for 62 Oscar Wilde’s earnestly, as harbor Caesar forte mercy 8 At any time, to - Posters & Art 18 Unlucky thing to Frost draw ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE: 9 Summer hrs.

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GAME DAY Coming 8/28

221 S. 9th St. opelika, AL 36801

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Opinion

A6

Thursday, August 21, 2014

ThePlainsman.com

Opinion

our view

her view

The downside of upscale living

Raye May Photo Editor

photo@theplainsman.com

Topic: Poor choices for student living

It’s OK to hate the Auburn bar scene

Viewpoint: luxury amenities are a poor substitute for a decent apartment Finding a decent place to live shouldn’t be part of what makes college difficult. Paying tuition, maintaining a good GPA, avoiding alcohol poisoning — these should be high on your list of college-related concerns. Worrying whether or not you’ll have to spend part of the semester in a hotel should be low on that list.

Unfortunately, renting in Auburn is a gamble. Anyone who isn’t wealthy or hasn’t needed to diligently shop around for reasonable housing can tell you how much of a nightmare it can be.

Take 319 Bragg for example.

319 Bragg’s management led renters to believe they would be able to move in by the beginning of the fall semester. However, renters are now stuck in hotels, waiting for a move-in date that has yet to be announced.

The management is attempting to appease renters by paying for hotel accommodations, and allowing the renters to still use the complex’s hyped amenities. While this is a nice gesture, it does nothing to alleviate the burden now faced by renters who have to start the year in such a dismal situation.

This is an inexcusable error, but it is typical of student housing in Auburn.

On campus, the Village dorms have been in various states of disrepair since they were built in 2009. The dorms on the Hill are ancient — last renovated 25 years ago. Both of these locations cost entirely too much considering what you get when you move in.

Off campus, there are shady landlords, dishonest property managers and greedy real estate agents to contend with, and they will do and say anything to take your money.

They run cheap, unsound buildings and

On any given weekend, I’d much rather spend my nights eating cereal on my couch and binging on my latest Netflix addiction. In those moments, the thought of going downtown to drink repulses me on a level similar to going to the dentist.

But that’s what people in this town do.

Picture this: it’s 9:30 on a Friday night. You’ve abandoned shoes and pants for an oversized t-shirt and a bowl of Froot Loops. You’re well into a happy TV coma when suddenly, your phone lights up.

It’s your BFFs, and they’re all out at Skybar, furiously texting you to come get your drink on with them.

Some people might jump at the chance to go out and party with friends, and that’s okay. You do you.

But let me do me, too, and say no.

It’s not that I don’t like my friends. It’s not that I don’t enjoy a beer or two every now and then. I just don’t like bars—especially the overcrowded, sweaty, loud ones in downtown Auburn.

I don’t like the music. I don’t like dancing. I’m not a big fan of crowds, and I’d like to be able to carry on a conversation with my friends. Five minutes of fruitless yelling into each other’s ear only to nod and smile and pretend we had any clue what was said doesn’t count as conversation.

Whenever I go out I come home with a thinner wallet, a pounding headache and usually the disdain of my friends because I left too early.

I don’t understand why college students are expected to like this stuff.

I don’t get why I’m seen as some kind of lame, prudish outlier for not.

If I’m hanging out with someone, it’s because I want to spend time with them. I want to hear their thoughts and have a conversation without having to scream over the newest misogynistic rap song or maneuver around sweaty, wasted couples grinding in odd contortions on the dance floor.

Not to mention being a girl is like a crime at the bar, where the punishment is having random drunk guys groping your ass and trying to sleep with you.

Sorry, no, I’m not going to put myself in those situations.

I’m not interested in being hollered at or having my personal space invaded. I’m not interested in paying way too much for some watered down drink I could make at home. I don’t need to feel like I’m partying like a celebrity.

And that’s okay.

But until my fellow students start treating it like it’s okay, I’m going to keep ignoring your texts and pretending to be asleep.

Charlotte Kelly / Graphics Editor

charge overpriced rent. For these people, Auburn students are cash cows.

So be wary of any apartment that seems too good to be true, because it is. That Jacuzzi and sauna may sound like great selling points, but those will be the last thing on your mind when your toilet is broken and the maintenance guy can’t fix it until next week.

Instead, we advise practicality.

There is no need to spend $700 or more every month just to have access to a few luxury items. If you inform yourself and act with some common sense, then you can avoid the housing nightmare many Auburn students have to deal with at least once in their time here.

As for the renters of 319 Bragg, this would be a great opportunity for them to demand their deposit back, and maybe get a few months free rent while they’re at it.

question of the week: Have you been in a bad living situation in Auburn?

Yes No I’m in one now!

Vote online at ThePlainsman.com

his view

Make your degree more valuable; get a job now Eric Wallace Sports Editor

SPorts@theplainsman. com

Incoming freshmen have likely heard it all by this point.

By the time they’ve finally sat down for their first class of the semester, freshmen have probably been bombarded by advice from parents, friends and advisors for the last six months about the right way to navigate college and score an all-important degree.

When I was a freshman, this advice ranged from the obvious; for instance, why you should attend class regularly, to the more specified, such as the million reasons you should avoid that vat of hunch punch your roommate’s friend concocted last night.

While this advice is for the most part helpful in guiding students toward a degree, it often ends up being shortsighted of the final goal in earning a degree: landing a job.

With in-state undergraduates paying $39,408 in tuition and fees over four years, it seems to make sense that a student salvage as much value as possible from their investment in earning a degree.

But what good is a 40K degree with no pay off afterward?

According to the United States Department of Labor, the unemployment rate for 2013 college graduates, those ages 20-29 who earned a four-year or advanced degree, was 10.9 percent.

Applying those numbers to the 3,670 students who graduated in Auburn’s spring 2014 ceremony, 400 graduates would be left searching for employment despite holding a four-year degree.

That number may not seem too high, but that’s one of three graduation ceremonies Auburn will hold in 2014. And Auburn is just one of 629 four-year public universities in the United States.

As important as a degree is, it’s really not that rare: 1,439,264 bachelor’s degrees were awarded in the United States in 2013 alone, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

While those degrees are scattered amongst fields that vary in availability, competition amongst degree-holding graduates is only increasing as continued growth in college enrollment is projected by the National Center for Education Statistics through 2022.

So, if a degree is no longer the end-all for securing a job, how can a student reap the most from their hefty college investment?

Even though there are few sure-fire ways of securing employment, gaining outside work experience in their prospective field can give students a leg up over their classmates, who may not be putting in the extra work. The sooner you start adding to your resume, the better.

Whether it’s writing for local newspapers during the summer, working as a research assistant in the computer science department or simply finding an internship, there are plenty of opportunities to gain a little extra experience in Auburn.

The benefits of this extra experience are incalculable; you won’t build individual contacts, on-the-job skills and references in the classroom.

The Editorial Board Becky Hardy Editor-in-Chief

Corey Williams campus

Raye May Photo

Maddie Yerant Managing Editor

Ashtyne Cole community

Kris Sims multimedia

Jordan Hays Copy

Eric Wallace Sports

Charlotte Kelly Graphics

Cat Watson Online

Ben Croomes Opinion

Kyle Nazario Intrigue

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

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.

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

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.

YES 14%

NO

86%

THIS WEEK’S QUESTION Have you been in a bad living situation in Auburn?

Yes

No I’m in one now

The Auburn Plainsman 255 Heisman Drive, Suite 1111, AU Student Center Auburn, AL 36849 Newsroom - (334) 844-9108 Advertising - (334) 844-4130

Editor-in-Chief - Becky Hardy

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COMMUNITY Editor - Ashtyne Cole Reporter - Nick Hines Writer - Kailey Miller Writer - Rachel Davis Writer - Kerry Coppinger Writer - Jim Little

INTRIGUE

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

LAST WEEK’S POLL RESULTS Have you ever been denied entrance to a bar in Auburn because of your clothing?

Editor - Kyle Nazario Reporter - Kate Seckinger Writer - Grayson Temple Writer - Payden Evans Writer - Lindsey Raygan Writer - Gautham Sabundam

SPORTS

Editor - Eric Wallace Asst. Editor - Kyle Van Fechtmann Reporter - David McKinney Writer - Pierce Quinn Writer - Andrew Monson Writer - Derek Thompson

ADVERTISING OPINION Editor - Ben Croomes

PHOTO Editor - Raye May Asst. Editor - Emily Enfinger Photographer - Sarah May Photographer - Kenneth Moss Photographer - Charles Tatum

GRAPHICS AND DESIGN Graphics Editor - Charlotte Kelly Asst. Graphics Editor - Shelby Reister Asst. Design Editor - Stephanie Reeves Design Associate - Heather Webster

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OFFICE MANAGER Kim Rape (334) 844-4130 kelleka@auburn.edu

Community Thursday, August 21, 2014

A7 ThePlainsman.com

Community

MASCOTS

Southeastern Raptor Center lets fans see eagles up close Jim Little

News Writer

Fans wanting to get a closer look at birds of prey, including Auburn’s eagle mascots Spirit and Nova that are kept at the Southeastern Raptor Center, will have their chance at the Football, Fans and Feathers events this fall.

Football, Fans and Feathers is an educational program held every Friday before home football games at 4 p.m., according to Marianne Hudson, assistant director of the Southeastern Raptor Center.

“We give folks the chance to see our eagles and our other birds up close,” Hudson said.

Admission to the first Football, Fans and Feathers event, which will take place at Plainsman Park on Aug. 29, will be free. However, a special memorial will be held for Tiger, War Eagle VI, who passed away June 18, and donations in Tiger’s honor will be accepted.

“We have the eagles, hawks, owls, falcons and vultures for people to see,” Hudson said.

All other Football, Fans and Feathers shows will take place at the Southeastern Raptor Center’s Edgar B. Carter amphitheater, and admission will be $5, according to Hudson.Fans will get to see up to 12 different raptors during shows in the 350-seat amphitheater at the Southeastern Raptor Center.

“We teach the attendees interesting information about each species and talk to them about the types of birds they may find in their own neighborhood,” Hudson said. “Also, we fly the birds right over the crowd’s heads.”

Before the shows, raptors are housed in cages on raised platforms above the amphitheater, according to Andrew Hopkins, raptor specialist at the Southeastern Raptor Center.

“We move the birds down here from their permanent housing before the show,” Hopkins said.

The Southeastern Raptor Center admits injured birds from all over the Southeast. Birds are cared for by the veterinarian staff until they are well enough to be released. Birds that wouldn’t survive if released become members of the center’s permanent population.

Birds shown during Football, Fans and Feathers are from the Southeastern Raptor Center’s permanent raptor population. A raptor has to see, hear and fly well in order to survive in the wild, according to Hudson.

“Sometimes our birds are admitted with injuries, such as being hit by a car, a gunshot or any variety of other issues, such as being orphaned or ill,” Hudson said. ”Often times, if those birds aren’t mended back to 100 percent, they can still have a useful life here as educational birds.”

Support for the Southeastern Raptor Center

Raye May / Photo Editor

A memorial for Tiger will also be held during the event.

comes from the College of Veterinary Medicine and outreach programs put on by the center all over the Southeast. Hudson and Hopkins travel to schools, scout groups and churches to educate the public about birds of prey.

“This amphitheater is great place to come and learn about the birds,” Hudson said, “We hope people will come and learn more about the raptor center and give us their support.”

Large groups wanting to attend Football, Fans

CITY COUNCIL

Meet the candidates running for Auburn City Council Nickolaus Hines

Residents in Wards 1, 3, 5 and 6 will vote to elect their representatives for the Auburn City Council for the 2014-2018 term on Aug. 26.

Community Reporter

Clemon Byrd, Ward 1 Byrd is a graduate of the Alabama Military Academy and an Afghanistan War veteran. He spent 15 years working with the Auburn Police Division as a police officer, corporal, training officer, police sergeant and D.A.R.E. school resource officer.

Byrd graduated from Auburn High School in 1995. He received his B.S. in criminal justice from Faulkner University. He is also a graduate of the Montgomery Police Academy.

If elected, Byrd would like to develop mentor programs for Auburn’s youth, build a positive relationship between residents of Ward 1 and public safety officials, create a job fair for the community and start a gun turn-in program to assist removal of illegal guns.

Arthur Dowdell, Ward 1 Dowdell is running for re-election for Ward 1.

He was first elected in 1994 and has represented Ward 1 since then for every term except one.

Dowdell is an Auburn native and served in the Army.

While serving on City Council, he helped create student communications during City Council meetings.

“We want to continue that rapport because it’s the best way to know what the students want,” Dowdell said.

Dowdell is a minister and civil rights activist.

If re-elected, he hopes to improve the relationship between the police force and residents, work toward the city hiring more minorities and ensure that students are safe downtown.

Beth Witten, Ward 3 Witten has lived in Auburn since 1997 and is the managing partner of the marketing and event management firm Blue Turtle Creative.

Witten serves on the Auburn Chamber of Commerce board. She also coordinates the AuburnOpelika Air Show, honoring veterans and raising money for aviation education.

If elected, Witten said she would focus on funding for facilities and resources at Auburn City Schools. She would also like to take the steps needed to create more historic preservation areas and recruit more retail businesses.

“We need a stronger partnership with the University and student organizations,” Witten said. “I think we have a good base for a relationship, but it could be stronger.

Wendell McLain, Ward 3 McLain is a retired Brigadier General with the Alabama National Guard and a veteran of the Gulf War. He worked for Alabama Power for 38 years and received his B.S. from Jacksonville State University and his master’s degree from Troy University. If elected, McLain said he would improve handicap accessibility around Auburn, improve streets and infrastructure and recruit new industries and jobs by partnering with small businesses.

McLain has three children that graduated from Auburn University and six grandchildren in the Auburn public school systems.

“The city and Auburn University have had a long, good relationship,” McLain said. “We want to make it easy for students when they come here to get relocated and settled in.”

Robin Kelley, Ward 5 Kelley is running for his third re-election for Ward 5 and has been a representative of the wardfor two terms.

Kelley received his B.A. in political science and government from Virginia Wesleyan College.

He recieved his master’s in public administration and master’s in community planning from Auburn University and his Juris Doctorate at the University of Alabama.

He is bar certified in both Alabama and Georgia.

Kelley has also served in the Army Reserve for eight years.

If re-elected, Kelley said he hopes to continue improving the quality of life in Auburn and make it a better place for students to stay and raise a family. He also wants to improve outdoor recreational activities for the city and inlcude more familyfriendly events.

Lynda Tremaine, Ward 5 Tremaine is a fifth-generation Auburn resident.

She was a teacher for 24 years and recently retired after serving as principal of Wrights Mill Road Elementary for 16 years. She said her experience as an educator has prepared her for a seat on the council.

If elected, she would like to work on getting more retail and businesses to move into downtown Auburn.

She would also focus on ensuring the city’s growth doesn’t affect the efficiency of its public safety officials.

Tremaine owns and rents three houses to Auburn University students.

She said she believes the city needs to work more closely with the University. Tremaine said she believes working with the University is important because it is central to the city’s economy.

Brad Donnelly, Ward 6 Donnelly is an Auburn native with a long history in public safety. He has worked for the Auburn Police Department, the Lee County Sherriff’s Department, the U.S. Secret Service under President Ronald Reagan and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Donnelly also has a strong connection to Auburn University. His father was a professor and researcher in plant breeding for 40 years and his son recently graduated in criminology.

According to Donnelly, residents have been telling him the current City Council is like “the good ole’ boys.” He said he believes this is because they have no opposition.

If elected, he would like to fight for a two-term limit in City Council, encourage business growth, balance the budget and stay better connected with his constituents.

Dick Phelan, Ward 6 Phelan is running for re-election.

He has served on City Council for 12 years, and served as mayor pro tempore for the past eight years.

He graduated from the Naval Academy, served as a Navy pilot and was the Commanding Officer of the Naval ROTC Unit at Auburn University.

He is currently a financial planner for Wilson Investment Group.

Phelan said he believes his years of experience with City Council will benefit the citizens if he is reelected.

“It takes a couple years to get oriented,” Phelan said. “I believe my history has really helped me with that.”

Phelan would focus on bringing in new businesses, as well as making Auburn an attractive place for businesses to stay.

Councilman Dowdell accuses candidate of breaking election rule Jim Little

News Writer

Councilman Arthur Dowdell spoke for 12 minutes at the end of the 22 minute city councilmeeting, claiming his opponent in the Aug. 26 election, Clemon Byrd, does not live in Ward 1.

“My residence is 1116 Martin Luther King Drive,” Byrd said. “That is my residence.”

The location falls under the district lines of Ward 1.

“Outside of the statements made at the council meeting, we’re not aware of any police officers having campaigned for any candidates,” Director of Public Affairs, David Dorton, said. “We’ve requested, but haven’t seen, the evidence the talked about at themeeting.

Dowdell also held up photographs saying uniformed police were campaigning for Byrd.

“These police officers are

in uniform with their guns and branded across their chest is ‘the City of Auburn’ and they are campaigning for Clemon Byrd,” Dowdell said.

Byrd was an Auburn police officer for 15 years.

The photographs of officers Bill Schallock and Keith Horne with Byrd were from an Auburn Housing Authority community hosted block party, according to Byrd.

“The photos were originally posted to my campaign Facebook page,” Byrd said. “We then took them off of the campaign page and they are strictly on my personal Facebook page.”

A resolution for the street closures required for the University homecoming parade was also unanimously passed at the Tuesday. Aug. 16 city council meeting after members of

the Auburn SGA presented the planned route.

SGA members Colson Smith and Rachel Berube told the council the University Lawn cannot be used for this year’s concert and another location will have to be found.

Before the council meeting, the Committee of the Whole failed to add a resolution to the city council’s agenda giving city retirees a one-time bonus

that would have cost the city approximately $80,000.

Municipalities in Alabama vote individually to give their retirees a cost of living adjustment that would then be paid pack by the state the following year.

The city will not meet until after the Aug. 31 deadline and will not qualify for the program, according to Mayor Bill Ham.

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Community A8

The Auburn Plainsman

Contributed by the Auburn Student Alumni Association

Color Me Auburn 5K paints campus orange and blue

The fun run will begin at Jordan-Hare Stadium and is not limited to professional runners.

Rachel Davis

Community Writer

Auburn runners will have the chance to be dyed orange and blue during the Color Me Auburn 5K on Saturday, Aug. 23.

The fun run, hosted by the Auburn University Student Alumni Association (SAA), will begin at Jordan-Hare Stadium and go through the Village, War Eagle Way toward Thach Concourse, Mell Street toward the Arboretum and turn back on Duncan Drive to end back at the stadium.

According to Jennifer Gibson, graduate assistant at the Office of Alumni Affairs and organizer of this year’s run, racers may “run, walk or frolic” throughout the race.

“Last year we had moms with strollers and kids,” Gibson said. “If you want to run it, we’re going to put you toward the front so you aren’t going to ruin the day of people who want to walk it. If you know you want to walk it, we’re going to put you toward the back so you can enjoy your time. We’re trying to make it fun for everyone.”

For people who still want to be involved, several volunteers are needed for every stage of the race.

“There are so many small committees that work on every single part of the run,” Gibson said. “Sometimes that’s just one person and a few volunteers, and sometimes it’s 40 people [for each committee].”

Earth Fare will be catering the hospitality tent at the end of the run, supplying drinks, fruit and granola to racers.

There will also be a vendor mall on the Green Space near the Student Center. Sponsors will have booths with giveaways and sweepstakes, including Auburn University’s Student Government Association, SAA, Mountain High Outfitters and Palm Beach Tan. Entry fees benefit SAA’s scholarship endowment and their annual scholarship fund. Last year was the first Color Me Auburn 5K. According to Dori Weldon, membership coordinator for the Office of Alumni Affairs and last year’s run orga-

nizer, it was a success.

“We honestly didn’t know what to expect when we were going into it,” Weldon said. “We were just hoping for a couple hundred [participants]. We had close to 600 people do the run last year, so word of mouth really spread quickly.”

The run generated more than $8,000 for SAA scholarships.

“It was really rewarding and really interesting to work for something that directly benefited students,” Weldon said. “None of the money goes back into our operational fund. It goes straight to scholarships.”

This year, SAA is planning for at least 600 participants.

SAA teamed up with Auburn Waste Management and Recycling to do a zero-waste run. Inspiration for the earth-friendly plans came from Auburn University’s Green Game last season.

“With the run, you do have waste, but it’s not a lot,” Gibson said. “It’s water bottles, it’s cups, it’s food and that’s about it. Why don’t we try and do

it for the run [and] add that extra bit of fun to it?”

All cups and bottles used for water or color will be recycled. Compost bins for uneaten food and recycling bins will be provided at every color station, along with trash cans.

“If anyone is coming to the run and bringing their own stuff, make sure it’s recyclable or compostable,” Gibson said. “And then, of course, we’ll have a trash can in case there is something not recyclable or compostable.”

A volunteer session will be held Thursday night in the Alumni Center for individuals interested in volunteering.

“Even if they haven’t signed up, they can come and we will use them in some way,” Gibson said. “If you sign up, you’re guaranteed to do something more fun.”

Gibson said the powder is completely safe if ingested.

“It’s food coloring and corn starch,” Gibson said. “There are so many runs that use that exact product, so it’s very safe.”

Opelika shines as Alabama’s only city with a fiber optic network Jim Little

News Writer

Google made headlines when they unveiled fiber optic Internet service for cities, such as Kansas City, Missouri and Austin, Texas. Chattanooga, Tennessee styled itself the “Gig City” after building its own fiber optic network. But in Alabama, Opelika has quietly built its own high-tech fiber optic network.

In 2008, the city-owned Opelika Power Services (OPS),

then called Opelika Light and Power, began looking to upgrade its power lines to the new smart grid technology. Meanwhile, Opelika’s Mayor Gary Fuller was trying to get Internet providers to invest in more broadband in the city.

It soon became clear the new technology for the power company could provide the type of high-speed internet residents wanted, according to June Owens, manager of marketing and communications at OPS.

“When the utility company already owns the poles, it cuts a lot of cost for doing something like this,” Owens said. “It just made sense.”

Today, residents of Opelika can decide if they want Internet, television and phone service from the traditional cable company, the traditional phone company or from the power company – a third option many cities in the country don’t have.

Opelika used Chattanooga as a model to build their network.

However, unlike Chattanooga, which offers one gigabit per second internet service for $70 a month, OPS offers 1 gigabit per second for $500 per month.

“At some point in time, we hope we’ll be able to do like Chattanooga did and offer it to everyone for 70 bucks a month when we get enough customers,” Owens said.

However, fiber does offer a benefit that cable companies don’t match currently: the ability to have symmetrical upload

and download speeds. OPS’s 60 megabits per second package is priced to be competitive with the other internet service providers in Opelika, according to Owens.

“Being a city-owned business they (the customers) are owners of this thing,” said David Horton, director of OPS. “Response from the community has been great.”

OPS was created when Opelika bought a private power company that powered the

city’s street lights in 1911.

Field service manager Terry Coxwell said the change from being an electric utility company to a more competitive television and Internet provider has been a good move for OPS. “Citizens didn’t really have a choice with what power they have, but now with the data services they have an option,” Coxwell said. “Being part of the community we can provide services at a fair market price and excel in customer service.”

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Purchaser must be eligible for Apple Education Individual Pricing;Mac App Store, the iTunes Store, the App Store, and the iBooks Store. If the Mac or iPad is returned, your refund may be reduced by the full amount of the App Store Gift Card. Terms and conditions apply. Visit www.apple.com/promo for full details. The Mac App Store, the iTunes Store, the App Store, and the iBooks Store are available only to persons age 13 or older in the U.S.TM and © 2014 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. L532722A-en_US

Sports

B1

Thursday, August 21, 2014

scoreboard

THIS WEEK Season opener at Clemson Aug. 22 at 6 p.m.

Volleyball

UPCOMING George Washington Invitational Aug. 29 - North Dakota Aug. 29 - George Washington Aug. 30 - Arkansas State

Sports

State of the program No. 2 Softball

Soccer

LAST WEEK Exhibition loss at Georgia 3-0

ThePlainsman.com

In a year of turnarounds, Clint Myers and Auburn softball pulled off one of the most surprising.

The Tigers went from missing the SEC Tournament in 2013 to one game short of the program’s first Super Regional berth in 2014.

Auburn combined one of the nation’s most potent offenses with the nation’s top fielding percentage in 2014, leaving signs that the best has yet to come. previous rankings: No. 15: Baseball No. 14: Men's Basketball No. 13: Men's Tennis No. 12: Women's Basketball No. 11: Women's Soccer No. 10: Women's Tennis No. 9: Volleyball No. 8: Women’s Golf No. 7: Track and Field / Cross Country No. 6: Gymnastics No. 5: Men’s Golf No. 4: Swimming and Diving No. 3: Equestrian

Key departures: Maris Medina, Kristyn Richards Key returnees: Kasey Cooper, Branndi Melero, Emily Carosone, Lexi Davis, Marcy Harper The future: Softball has a glut of talented young contributors, and the return of record-breakers Melero and Cooper means the Tigers should be able to swing with anyone. The continued development of junior pitchers Davis and Harper will be critical to advancing further in 2015.

2013-14 finish: 42-19-1 (11-13 SEC) 2012-13 finish: 30-23 (7-17 SEC) 5-year record: 176-110-1 (.613)

Sophomore Kasey Cooper

Games in Washington D.C.

Men’s golf photos contributed by auburn athletics

football

auburn athletics UPCOMING Carpet Capital Collegiate Sept. 5-7

Tournament held at The Farm Golf Course in Rocky Face, Georgia.

women’s golf

auburn athletics UPCOMING The “Mo” Morial Sept. 8-10

Tournament held at The Traditions Private Golf & Country Club in Bryan, Texas.

Equestrian

UPCOMING

Season opener at Tennessee-Martin Sept. 19 Home opener vs. South Carolina Oct. 10 at 3 p.m.

Sarah may / photographer

Raye may / photo editor

Senior quarterback Nick Marshall attempts a pass during the 2014 A-Day game.

Sophomore quarterback Jeremy Johnson takes reps during fall practice.

Johnson sticks up for Marshall, predicts Heisman Kyle Van Fechtmann Assistant Sports Editor

Since Nick Marshall’s marijuana citation July 11, he has worked to regain his teammates’ and coaches’ trust, but sophomore quarterback Jeremy Johnson already trusts Marshall because of how he has been leading the team on and off the field.

“With the incident that happened, I called him right away,” Johnson said. “He learned from his mistake and I know for a fact that he won’t do it again.”

Marshall and Johnson’s close relationship remains unchanged despite both competing for the same position, according to Johnson.

“I talk to Nick all the time; we’re good friends,” Johnson said. “On and off the field we hang out with each other. I’ve got his back, he’s got mine.”

Johnson said Marshall is the one who always picks him up

when he has a rough day.

Marshall also has worked with Johnson to help him improve his skills at quarterback in the offseason.

“When it comes to zone reads, he tells me how to do it and what to do with it,” Johnson said. “He’s vocal. He’s the first one on the field every day.”

Offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee has also noticed how close their relationship has developed.

“I have even teased them before about their bromance on Instagram,” Lashlee said.

“They are just good friends.

They get along. They are good in meetings. They are good on the practice field.”

Even though they both play the same position, that does not alter their relationship whatsoever, according to Lashlee.

“I have never one time thought one had ulterior motives over the other and I think

“

No doubt in my mind, I know he’ll win (the Heisman trophy). He led us to the National Championship and we were 13 seconds away. This year he has gotten better at passing and running and better with the reads.”

—Jeremy Johnson

Marshall for Heisman?

2013 stats 142 Completions 1976 passing yds 1068 rushing yds Touchdowns: 14 passing 12 rushing

sophomore quarterback

that’s been a huge plus for our team,” Lashlee said. “They really do a good job of pulling for each other. And that’s hard at quarterback because only one of them plays.”

Although head coach Gus Malzahn hasn’t announced Johnson as the starter against Arkansas, Johnson is ready if he does get his first SEC start

in the opener against Arkansas.

His work with Marshall will prepare him to lead Auburn’s offense.

“If I’m called upon, I’ll be ready,” Johnson said. “I’m really not going to be nervous. I’ll be very confident.”

Despite Marshall not being the starter in the season opener, Johnson knows Marshall is

the starting quarterback. Johnson also made a prediction for Marshall’s upcoming season.

“No doubt in my mind, I know he’ll win (the Heisman trophy),” Johnson said. “He led us to the National Championship and we were 13 seconds away. This year he has gotten better at passing and running and better with the reads.”

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Sports B2

The Auburn Plainsman

football

opinion

Via NYtimes.com

Lightly attended baseball games are just one effect of America’s weakening interest in the sport.

Bringing casual fans back to our national pastime Eric Wallace Sports@ theplainsman. com

Sarah may / photographer

Auburn football players warm up prior to the first practice of fall camp.

Coaches said new freshmen living up to the hype in first fall practice Kyle Van Fechtmann Assistant Sports Editor

Auburn University’s incoming freshman class came to The Plains as a top 10 recruiting class, and the freshmen offensive players have already helped prove in fall camp why they deserved those high recruit rankings, according to Auburn coaches.

“Overall, I’m very pleased with our freshmen class on the offensive side of the ball,” said offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee on Aug. 17. “I feel like a lot of those guys are what we thought they were or maybe more.”

Lashlee listed Myron Burton Jr., Chris Laye, Jakell Mitchell, Kamryn Pettway, Braden Smith, Roc Thomas, Stanton Truitt and Sean White as freshmen players who could make an impact in Auburn’s offense.

Whether they play their freshman season will be determined as the year progresses.

“All of those guys we feel like have a chance to help us either now or in the future,” Lashlee said.

One true freshman who Lashlee does expect to play right away is 6-foot-6inch, 299-pound offensive lineman

Smith, or as Lashlee likes to call him, “The Hulk.”

“Braden is someone who physically is ready and could potentially help us this year,” Lashlee said. “He’s not starting now but he’s going to be in our two deep, there is no secret there. He can really move and bend for a big guy.”

When it comes to running backs, both Thomas and Pettway are competing for the third string running back position behind Corey Grant and Cameron ArtisPayne.

“We’ve given both those two new running backs a lot of carries,” Lashlee said.

“They’ve gotten better and better. You can’t have enough running backs in this league.”

Thomas has already started to live up to his five-star recruit ranking in fall practices but his role for this upcoming season is still up in the air, according to Lashlee. “(Thomas) is an all-around back,” Lashlee said. “Is he physically ready to carry it like Tre (Mason) did 30 times in a game? Well, no, but when Tre was a freshman he was not an every down guy and then you saw how he bulked up. He will be an every down back.”

According to Lashlee and head coach Gus Malzahn, White has already jumped to the No. 3 quarterback because of how well he has been performing under center so far.

White had to learn the offense quicker than a normal freshman usually does since the other quarterbacks already have experience in the system.

“By now, at practice 20, it’s starting to slow down for him, so that’s been impressive,” Lashlee said. “For a young guy learning a system, he can really anticipate a throw and make it happen.

He can really extend the play and keep things alive.”

White is another freshman who may need to wait for his turn if quarterbacks Nick Marshall and Jeremy Johnson, who are currently ahead of White on the depth chart, stay healthy.

“What I told him is you’ve got to continue to progress and continue to learn the offense and be ready when your number is called,” Lashlee said. “Hopefully, in a perfect world, it’s not until after this season, but he’s got to prepare himself to be ready. You would not burn a redshirt on a young man just to put him in for a quarter to hand the ball off.”

From performance-enhancing drug scandals to three-hour game times and decreased scoring, baseball is battling a litany of issues that seem to drive casual fans from the game.

Statistics show that attendance numbers are declining from their all-time peak in 2007, likely a product of ever-increasing ticket prices and the comfort of watching games at home.

That’s not to say Major League Baseball isn’t trying to improve.

The institution of instant replay has been a positive and relieved pressure from umpires trying to call the game.

But one of baseball’s most enduring problems is also rooted in one of its most deep-seated traditions: the 162 game schedule.

Baseball’s lengthy season wasn’t a problem in the past when it was still the nation’s favorite sport, but the schedule now over steps its bounds, extending well into September and October when it has to compete against not only the NFL, but college football as well.

The start of football season, which in this area also coincides with the Atlanta Braves’ annual fall from relevancy, snatches the spotlight from America’s pastime during its most dramatic time.

Football is king in the United States, and its legion of followers is only growing.

According to a Harris Poll conducted in 2014, 35 percent of adult fans (ages 18 and over) called the NFL their favorite sport. That’s an 11 percent in-

crease from the 24 percent of fans who called the NFL their favorite sport in a 1985 Harris Poll.

College football even managed to bring in 11 percent of fans in the 2014 poll.

Baseball, meanwhile, is down from 23 percent in 1985 to a measly 14 percent in the 2014 poll.

A reduced schedule wouldn’t be the ultimate cure to baseball’s interest ailments, but it would give the MLB a chance to take a page from the NBA and showcase its best product: the drama and inspiration of the postseason.

Moments like Game 6 of the 2011 World Series, where David Freese saved my St. Louis Cardinals with his two out, two strike triple before crushing a walk-off home run in the 11th inning, are what help baseball create lasting memories.

But baseball currently doesn’t spotlight the best portion of its product.

Instead, it drags on from April to October, leaving casual fans ready for a swift end so they can focus on football.

As important as each and every game can be (just ask the 2011 Boston Red Sox and Atlanta Braves), it’s difficult to generate excitement in the casual fan when their team still has 40+ games left to play in the middle of August.

As much as I love regular season baseball, the sport’s best moments are not written in the dog days of summer.

They’re written on cool autumn nights under the lights of the great baseball cathedrals of Fenway Stadium, Busch Stadium and Camden Yards.

But as long as those moments are competing with two ongoing football seasons, they’ll never quite get their due.

football

Concessions, scalping rules highlight gameday changes David McKinney Sports Reporter

Auburn University has announced a list of 25 enhancements coming to football game days in an attempt to make Saturdays at Jordan-Hare Stadium more enjoyable.

Items on the list include concession price reductions and fan events, among other things.

At the concession stand, a 20 oz. bottled water will now cost attendees $2 instead of $4, and hotdog prices have been knocked down from $4 to $3.

Rush Jones, senior in Pre-med, said he was excited about the concession changes.

“I think they’re good,” Jones said.

“My favorite was the hotdog and water decrease in prices.”

Other enhancements in the concession department will be the addition of “grab-and-go” concession stands at gate 0 and 2, as well general public access Friday nights to Auburn’s new Wellness Kitchen.

Several of the other items on the list concern ticketing and ticket access. For instance, fans will be able to access their tickets to games on their smartphones, which can then be scanned upon entry like a paper ticket.

Fans will also be able to enter the stadium through gates that were previously designated for University faculty.

Faculty tickets will have unique barcodes, and faculty will be permitted through any of the public gates.

The University is also making efforts to minimize purchases of fake tickets, instituting a system that will require scalpers to identify themselves as such. Scalpers must be licensed to

photo from File

Concession stand changes, scalper licenses and smartphone integration are just a few of the changes being made to the gameday experience this fall.

sell tickets and will wear identification.

“While this does not legitimize the tickets as authentic, it does give the buyer the ability to write down the name of the seller to notify the authorities if counterfeit tickets are identified,” according to the list released by the University There were several events listed as well, including fan access to Pat Dye Field following the game against Samford on Saturday, Nov. 22, the honoring of two past Tiger teams (1989 and 2004) and the third annual military appreciation game Nov. 8 against Texas

A&M. Also announced was the opening of Café Jordan-Hare.

Described as a “unique dining experience at the 50-yard line,” it will be open the Fridays prior to the games against LSU and South Carolina.

Jones said he doesn’t plan on trying to take part in Café Jordan-Hare.

“I could see it being expensive,” Jones said. “And I don’t have a lot of money.”

Restrooms in Jordan-Hare will also be receiving enhancements, including bathroom attendants, fans and audio for access to the Auburn IMG Net-

work broadcasts in all restrooms located on the lower concourse.

“We’re extremely grateful for the hard work that Auburn Athletics has put into improving the game day experience,” said SGA President Logan Powell. “Mr. Jacobs’ leadership in putting students and fans first will only improve a football atmosphere that is already first-class.”

Powell also said these enhancements add to the already high level of anticipation for the 2014 season.

“I’m confident that I’m speaking on behalf of the student body when saying this only makes me even more ex-

cited for the upcoming season,” Powell said.

SGA Treasurer Richmond Gunter also pointed how the changes the changes will mimic the action on the football field this fall.

“Our offense is fast on the field; hopefully our texts and tweets will be faster following this upgrade,” Gunter said. “Keeping students hydrated and connected will allow each of us to enjoy gamedays even more.”

These enhancements will all be instituted by Auburn’s first home game, a 3:00 p.m. matchup with SEC West foe Arkansas on Aug. 30.

Sports B3

The Auburn Plainsman

Thursday, August 21, 2014

opinion

Auburn fast is ‘13 seconds better’ in 2014 Kyle Van Fechtmann Sports@ theplainsman.com

Last year’s motto “It’s a New Day” could not have been more true for Auburn football’s bottom to top of the league miraculous 2013 season.

It is likely no season will ever come close to the excitement of the Prayer in Jordan-Hare and Kick Six on top of an SEC Championship finish.

Although this year’s slogan of Auburn Fast will most likely become true because of head coach Gus Malzahn’s now famous hurry-up no huddle offense, this year will be yet another ‘New Day’ for the senior class that has been through the worst, the mediocre and some of the best days of Auburn football.

Now it’s their turn to decide what type of new day the 2014 Tigers will experience.

Looking back, every season for Auburn’s seniors truly has been a new day.

They came in as freshmen in 2011, the year after a junior college transfer quarterback took the Plains by

storm and led them to their first National Championship victory since 1957, and committed to play for Auburn, hungry for a Crystal Ball trophy of their own.

But the seniors decided to play for the Tigers knowing it would take time and plenty of hard work in order to get back to the top of the college football world.

Their freshman campaign was an above average 8-5 season that was capped off by a 43-24 Chick-fil-A Bowl victory.

Some would argue that was an average or even below average day for Auburn football, nonetheless it was a new day following the undefeated championship season.

Then expectations were up in the air for their sophomore season once a new offensive and defensive coordinator were brought in.

Nobody could have predicted what kind of day that 2013 season would be.

As we all know by now, that was the winless SEC season that gave birth to the slogan, “It’s a New Day.” Nobody, and this time I mean nobody, could have predicted what kind of day their junior season would produce.

As we know now, that was the day

one of their mentors who recruited them returned to become head coach, one player from their class broke Bo Jackson’s all-time yards in a season record and another player from their class was drafted No. 2 overall.

Well, and a few other things happened in last year’s new day.

Although some may not want to move past that 2013 movie-like brand new positive day of a season, according to coaches and players, the 2014 Tigers are now hungrier than ever and are striving each and every day to be “13 seconds better.”

“We’ve got some leaders who have really stepped up,” Malzahn said.

“When you get that close [to winning it all] that has a way of motivating guys.”

Despite the departure of Tre Mason and Greg Robinson, the 2011 recruiting class with the addition of Nick Marshall and Corey Grant are ready to lead the team for their senior year still searching for what they originally came for.

Except now it’s not for a Crystal Ball.

It’s only fitting that this class experiences the new day for college football in their quest to become the first ones to hold up the new College Football Playoff trophy.

Contributed by Zach bland

The memory of the 2013 BCS National Championship loss to Florida State has motivated Auburn players like Cameron Artis-Payne (#44) this offseason.

Charlotte Kelly / Graphics Editor

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Sports B4

The Auburn Plainsman

Contributed by Auburn athletics

Ellie Leek (13) strikes the ball in an exhibition match against Georgia.

contributed by auburn athletics

New director of women’s basketball services Alli Bracewell takes a shot during her Auburn playing days.

This Week in Auburn Sports Soccer

The Auburn University soccer team dropped a 3-0 decision to SEC-rival Georgia on Saturday night in its only exhibition game of the 2014 season. Both teams battled to a scoreless draw at halftime, but it was Georgia, that was able to find the back of the net three times in the second half to secure the three goal victory.

“It was great to play a quality exhibition match,” said Auburn head coach Karen Hoppa.

“They were, obviously, a great team and it was an SEC-level game. This match showed us a lot.

I thought there were some flashes of really good stuff from us, but there were a lot of breakdowns.

It’s going to be great to have the film and look at it and show us what we need to work on to get ready for Clemson next week.”

The Bulldogs had the early advantage in the shot category after the first half, finding multiple holes in the Auburn defense and getting off seven shots to Auburn’s three. However, in the second half, Georgia broke through and scored on an Alexa Antetomaso kick that found the high left corner of the net after she corralled a corner at the 34 minute mark.

Not long after, Georgia added two more goals

to its line, getting scores from Rachel Garcia and Kelsey Killean, all within three minutes.

Auburn was more aggressive in the second half, but could only get three shots off, one on frame. Georgia tallied 12 shots in the game to Auburn’s six and notched nine corners, while the Tigers could only get three, two coming in the second half.

Even though the line score wasn’t ideal for the Tigers, much of the team saw the field as 18 players recorded minutes.

One standout was freshman Ellie Leek, who seemed to really come into her own at the attacking-mid position.

Leek finished the game with two shots in 75 minutes, but both times came very close to being on-target.

Auburn now sets its sights on its season-opener at Clemson next Friday.

The team will travel to Clemson, South Carolina on Thursday and get ready for its Friday match, which will kick off at 6 p.m. CST.

Women’s basketball

Former Auburn women’s basketball standout

Alli (Smalley) Bracewell has joined head coach Terri Williams-Flournoy’s staff as director of basketball services, Williams-Flournoy announced Thursday.

Bracewell, a 2012 Auburn graduate, joins the women’s basketball staff after spending the last year as a graduate assistant working in academics.

“I’m very excited about being back,” Bracewell said. “I think it’s a great privilege to come back and be on staff where I played, here at my alma mater. I’m really looking forward to being any help that I can be. I’ve enjoyed talking to Coach Flo and getting to know her, and I’m excited about what she’s doing here.”

Bracewell was a four-year letterwinner for the Tigers from 2007-11, playing in 130 games in her career, which ranks fourth all-time at Auburn.

She scored 1,611 points in her career to rank eighth in school history, and she is the all-time leader in 3-point shooting for the Tigers with 219 successful 3-point attempts in her career.

Her 68 3-point field goals during her sophomore season of 2008-09 were both the secondmost in the SEC and the second-best number in school history, helping lead the Tigers to the 2009

SEC regular season title.

Bracewell was an All-SEC first team selection in 2011 and also earned a second-team nod in 2010.

She helped lead the Tigers to the postseason in three of her four years (NCAA in 2008 and 2009; WNIT in 2011).

Men’s Golf

Guilford College head coach Corey Maggard has been named assistant men’s golf coach at Auburn, Tigers head coach Nick Clinard announced Friday.

Maggard led Guilford to 16 tournament wins in his four seasons, including four-straight Old Dominion Athletic Conference Championships.

Maggard was named the Jack Jensen ODAC Coach of the Year three-straight seasons from 2011-13.

Guilford spent time ranked No. 1 in the nation

by Golf World and in the Golfstat.com rankings in 2011 and 2012 as the Quakers finished ninth at the 2011 NCAA Div. III Championship, 11th in 2012 and 17th in both 2013 and 2014.

Compiled by Eric Wallace

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THURSDAY 1-4pm, 8/28

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ON CAMPUS

Intrigue

B5

Thursday, June 26, 2014

ThePlainsman.com

Intrigue

saftey

Lutz’s death sends reminder to stay safe while driving Kate Seckinger Intrigue Reporter

Hearts were broken across the Southeast when a car crash claimed the life of 23-year-old Philip Lutzenkirchen, a former Auburn football player, on June 29.

Just as the Auburn Family was beginning to heal from its loss, Georgia State Police released the blood alcohol content levels of the driver of the vehicle and Lutzenkirchen, which reopened the wound for those affected by his death.

USA Today said the supplemental accident report published Aug. 6 revealed Joseph Ian Davis, 22, who was driving Lutzenkirchen and two other passengers, had a BAC level of 0.17 – more than twice Georgia’s legal limit of 0.08.

After failing to stop at an intersection, the 2006 Chevy Tahoe that held the four passengers hit two ditches and overturned for 129 feet on Lower Big Springs Road in LaGrange, Georgia. The force ejected Davis and Lutzenkirchen from the vehicle, killing both.

Test results also revealed Lutzenkirchen, who was seated behind Davis, had a BAC level of 0.377.

After reporting this information about the fatal accident, news stations across the nation received thousands of comments from upset readers and viewers.

Charlie Reynolds, who read a similar article on espn. go.com, commented, “Lutzenkirchen was a passenger.

I don’t see why this is even news. The families don’t need this right now. Classless move, ESPN.” While many disagree with the recent reports, some have seen a value in releasing the alcohol-related information to the public.

According to the Nation-

al Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 1,825 college students between the ages 1824 die each year from unintentional alcohol-related injuries.

“The majority of college students will experiment with alcohol,” said Randy Cerovsky, associate director of public safety. “The important thing is that they do it responsibly.”

Cerovsky said drinking responsibly means using a designated driver.

“When someone is assigned the role of designated driver, it doesn’t mean that he or she can have two or three drinks while everyone else has eight, and then get behind the wheel because they’re the ‘most sober,’” Cerovsky said.

One Auburn police officer gave similar advice.

“The designated driver shouldn’t have anything alcoholic to drink, period,” said Capt. William Mathews. “Designated driver means you are designated to have zero drinks for the entire evening so you can get everyone home safely.

Even one beer will negatively impact your reaction time on the road.”

With outings involving alcohol consumption, Mathews and Cerovsky advise students to drink in moderation to maximize safety.

“There’s a difference between drinking to have fun with friends, and drinking to the point of harming yourself,” Mathews said. “We have to take anyone with a BAC over 0.3 to the hospital before we deal with him or her legally. Anything 0.4 or higher is near the death area unless you’re a chronic alcoholic. Don’t do that to yourselves even if you’re not getting behind the wheel.”

Mathews advises not to get in the car with anyone who has had even one drink. This rule

applies to drinking alcohol at any age – not just young people.

“Offer to share a taxicab with your designated driver if they’ve had a drink,” Mathews said. “It’s always better to be safe than sorry, and prevent an injury or tragedy that will affect you and your loved ones for the rest of your lives.”

College students are often strapped for money, and taxicabs may seem expensive, but Mathews said it’s worth the money compared to the alternative.

“A taxi is much less expensive than the fines that would be incurred from a DUI charge, wrecking your vehicle, or hospital and funeral costs you may cause yourself or others,” Mathews said.

Tiger Taxi, KGM Auburn Trax and the Tiger Ten buses are options for students downtown.

Of Lutzenkirchen, Cerovsky spoke positively.

“There’s been a lot of positive things said about Phil since the accident, and they’re all true,” Cerovsky said. “I know because I knew him.”

Cerovsky said no matter what news comes out of Lutzenkirchen’s death, the positive memories of him should remain untarnished.

“Similarly, I wouldn’t think any less of a student who was intoxicated even if he or she was clearly underage,” Cerovsky said. “I wouldn’t think anything less of them, and neither would any police officer or Tiger Transit driver.”

Cerovsky advised students to take the safe way home.

“For the sake of your wellbeing and the sake of the Auburn Family, make smart choices when drinking,” Cerovsky said. “Don’t drive, take the Tiger Ten, but more than anything, stay safe.”

both photos from file

Former Auburn tightend Philip Lutzenkirchen died in a car accident June 29.

animals

kyle nazario / Intrigue editor

Dexter, a 4-month-old kitten, reaches through the bars of his cage in the Humane Society’s lobby.

kyle nazario / Intrigue editor

Two cats sleep on a chair in the Lee County Humane Society’s adoption rule.

Lee County Humane Society offers alternative to purchasing purebred animals Kyle Nazario Intrigue Editor

The kitten was so small it could have lived in a shoebox with room to spare. Its matte black fur, which clung to its body, wound around its new owner’s fingers. Its determined effort to jump several feet to the floor ended with a quick grab.

“I have a one-bedroom apartment and I wanted a companion because I was just a little bit lonely, so I thought why not get a kitten?” said Brittany Taylor as her new cat mewled loudly.

Taylor was one of a doz-

en people who visited the Lee County Humane Society on Aug. 16 to look at prospective pets.

Taylor said she did not know why she came to the Humane Society instead of a breeder.

“It’s the most humane thing to do,” Taylor said.

Paige LaPointe, animal care technician at the Humane Society and Auburn animal science graduate, recommended adopting a pet from the shelter before buying one from a breeder.

“Don’t breed or buy while shelter pets die,” LaPointe

said. “There’s no point in breeding a special breed when beautiful, loving, wonderful animals here are having to be euthanized.”

She used her own dog as an example. Although it is an unidentifiable mix of breeds, LaPointe said her dog has been a loyal companion.

LaPointe said buying purebred animals supports a harmful practice. “(Purebred animals) have so much wrong with them genetically that we can’t really fix all of the problems,” LaPointe said.

When breeders make new

dog breeds, they mate them with close relatives who share the characteristics the breeder wants.

“When you’re trying to make a purebred dog, you a lot of times are going to have to inbreed,” LaPointe said.

“You’re going to have to breed a dog back to its parents or its siblings or its first cousins.”

This process can hurt the animals, according to LaPointe.

Breeders often favor genes, which, while aesthetically appealing, carry defects.

“It’s all convoluted and very interconnected,” LaPointe said. “So [if] you’re selecting

for, say, long ears and a short nose, but at the same time you select for a long back, that causes to the dog to be more predisposed to intervertebral disk disease, ear infections and maybe allergies.”

Scientists have tracked this trend. The Veterinary Journal published a study in 2009 of purebred British dogs.

It found that each of the top 50 breeds in the U.K. Kennel Club has a trait predisposing it to a physical disorder.

“Large German Shepherds are predisposed to hip displasia and degenerative malopothy, which is when the spine

tissue starts degenerating,” LaPointe said. “Great Danes are really prone to heart conditions or bone cancers.”

LaPointe said she would prefer prospective pet owners adopt an animal instead of buying one from a breeder.

“Adopting from the Humane Society is not going to guarantee that you’re going to get a generally sound animal,” LaPointe said. “There’s no way to guarantee that beforehand, but it does put you in a lot better position if you’re adopting a mutt; you’re getting, a lot of times, the best of both worlds.”

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Intrigue B6

The Auburn Plainsman

theater

Black box theater opens new doors for theater department

Lindsey Raygan Intrigue Reporter

The new black box theater and dance studio offer state-of-the-art facilities and new opportunities for the Auburn department of theatre.

The two-story addition department consists of a production space, which holds up to 150 patrons, and a new dance studio that will also serve as an event space.

The 10,471-square foot space cost $3.9 million.

Robin Jaffe serves as an associate professor of theatre for design and technology.

“This is one of the most exciting things for the department in a long time,” Jaffe said. “We can do anything in a black box theater.”

According to Jaffe, the department made do with the old space. The black box adds solid black walls, a tension grid and a larger dance studio, which is as big as the main stage of the Telfair Peet Theatre.

The department can seat people in any location throughout the room, ac-

tors can perform in any place in the room and the tension grid allows for lights to be hung in a variety of ways for the best performance experience possible.

“It just lets your imagination flow,” Jaffe said.

Jaffe compared the new theater and dance studio to the lab of a biologist or scientist.

“That is where we do our work,” Jaffe said. “It gives us space to work in both directions and not have to do everything in one space.”

Jaffe said he believes the new space will better prepare and educate students for the real world.

“I am excited beyond belief,” Jaffe said. “This is something we have been waiting for a long time.”

Nora Brown, junior in theatre performance, shared Jaffe’s excitement for the new theater and dance studio.

“It is so nice and has got so many cool things,” Brown said. “It’s nice to know they invested in this resource with us.”

Brown said she realizes the effect

this new facility will have on her education and is excited for the future.

“It is great especially for student productions,” Brown said.

Brown said she believes the new theater and dance studio will add to the diversity of what Auburn theater students can do and the performances the department can hold.

Brown also said she is excited for the opportunities the new space will provide.

“Before, we had to make a big deal about reserving a ticket, but now we don’t have to,” Brown said.

According to the chair of the department of theater Scott Phillips, the additions improve the department’s facilities.

“We made do with what was supposed to be a costume shop,” Phillips said. “If we taught ballet in there, we could not do lifts.”

The new space solves that problem, according to Phillips.

“It’s wonderful,” Phillips said. “One of the things about a black box space is that it is so flexible.”

emily enfinger / photographer

The black box theater and dance studio gives students more space to perform.

Phillips said he is confident the new space will enable the faculty to successfully train actors, designers and technicians, as well as draw in new students.

“Our majors are thrilled about it,” Phillips said. “I think there is widespread excitement all the way around.”

The theater department will utilize the new space in its October production of the musical comedy “Nunsense.” The department hopes to bring in crowds with a popular play.

The department encourages students to attend productions, which are free with identification.

restaurants

Fink’s offers varied brews and alcohol expertise Payden Evans Intrigue Writer

no deposit required for students!

STUDENT DISCOUNTS MOVE-IN SPECIALS ON TIGER-TRANSIT ROUTE CLUBHOUSE • LAUNDRY FACILITY • SWIMMING POOL

The city of Auburn offers many places to eat and drink, but few offer the atmosphere people will find at Fink’s Craft Bar & Grill.

Fink’s is located at 230 N. Gay St. near the railroad tracks.

On the inside, Fink’s has a certain charm to it that’s hard to find elsewhere.

The lighting is dim and the seating is plentiful.

Modern fixtures hang from the walls.

The bar is long and spacious, but the real eye candy is the

Adver tisement

draft beer wall.

At Fink’s, beer is a way of life.

Mark Tesney, general manager with 10 years of experience, oversees the operation.

“Servers are put through training in styles of beers and how to make suggestions,” Tesney said.

Tesney said the restaurant constantly brings in new brews.

“We got about six new types of brews in the past two days,” Tesney said.

Fink’s cycles certain specialty items in and out based on the types of beer that are in season

raye may / photo editor

The new Fink’s Craft Bar & Grill treats beer like a way of life.

at the time.

“We like to be as creative as possible,” said owner Jeff Finkhousen.

Fink’s passion for brews has made it a popular option amongst local college and grad-

uate students, and older clientele as well.

With honey wine, classified as mead, honey ciders and a beer cocktail, Fink’s has a variety of drinks it encourages patrons to sample.

charity

You deserve a factual look at . . .

The Shame of Gaza Hundreds of innocents have died in Gaza.

Who is really to blame for this tragedy?

Israel left Gaza completely in 2005, freeing the Palestinians to build an autonomous state there. Yet since then, the Hamas terror regime has instead chosen to use its resources to wage an unrelenting war against the Jewish state from military installations located in the midst of densely populated Arab residential areas.

What are the facts?

Thanks to I srael’s I ron Dome missile defense system and the Palestinians’ poor targeting When I srael evacuated its citizens and military capabilities, these attacks have yet to kill large from Gaza in 2005, Israelis hoped this would be the numbers of Israelis. But it’s not for lack of trying: beginning of a win-win, land-for-peace exchange with Hamas aims to kill as many Jews as possible. the Palestinians. American Jewish donors even paid What I s to B e Done? In 1945, during World War II, $14 million to purchase 3,000 greenhouses left by the United States bombed Dresden, Germany, and, a I sraeli settlers and transferred them to the few months later, Hiroshima Palestinian Authority. and Nagasaki, Japan, killing But instead of creating a By basing its military operations in 220,000 people, most of thriving agricultural enterprise, the greenhouses urban centers, Hamas’ intention seems them civilians. Who was to were vandalized and precisely to allow its citizens to be killed blame for these tragic Was it the United destroyed. Gaza’s golden and injured for propaganda purposes. deaths?

States, which was Mediterranean beaches responding defensively to could have made it a Middle two deadly enemies, or was it the leaders of Germany E ast tourist mecca. But instead of the vibrant state and Japan, who had sworn themselves to the that both Israel and many Palestinians envisioned, enslavement and destruction of many nations, today under Hamas Gaza’s poverty is worse than ever, including our own? The U.S. believed it needed to its cities are ravaged by self-inflicted warfare and its demonstrate to Germany and Japan that unless they people suffer under an Islamist dictatorship. What a surrendered, their military, their infrastructure and, if shame that is. necessary, their people would be decimated.

What’s worse, since Hamas strong-armed the I srael’s situation today is even more dire than that Palestinian Authority out of power in Gaza in 2007, of the U.S . in 1945. Israelis are being attacked daily the terror group began attacking Israel with a nearly by a Palestinian terrorist group sworn to the Jewish continuous barrage of unsophisticated, but still state’s destruction and launching military offensives deadly short-range rockets. Avowedly committed to on Israeli civilians. This is an existential threat that destroying I srael, Hamas and other Gaza-based no nation would or should tolerate. An implacable jihadis have since 2001 fired more than 15,000 enemy like this must not merely be temporarily rockets at Israeli cities and kibbutzim. deterred, it must be defeated.

I srael responded in 2009 with a ground offensive We pray that few Arab civilians are harmed in in Gaza and in 2012 with intense shelling of Hamas Hamas’ deadly adventure, but demands by the military positions, most of them purposely located in international community that the group move its Gaza’s heavily populated urban areas. Israeli military military operations out of populated areas have been responses did untold damage to Gaza’s ignored for more than a decade. Indeed, by basing its infrastructure, and led to short-term ceasefires by military operations in urban centers, Hamas’ Hamas. Unfortunately, Israel’s defensive responses intention seems precisely to allow its citizens to be also resulted in approximately fifteen hundred killed and injured for propaganda purposes. Such use deaths, many of them Arab civilians living near of human shields is, of course, a war crime.

Hamas military positions. What a shame that is.

Above all, we pray that Hamas and other radical Recently Hamas has acquired longer-range, SyrianArab groups give up their blood vendetta against produced missiles via I ran that are capable of Israel. One thing is clear: If tomorrow Hamas were to reaching Tel Aviv, Ben Gurion International Airport lay down its arms and declare peace with Israel, we and Jerusalem. In the first seven months of 2014, would have peace immediately. But another thing is Hamas militants launched more than 3,500 such also clear: If tomorrow Israel were to lay down its high-powered rockets, threatening 80% of Israel’s arms and declare peace with Hamas, there would population—and sending many of those six million soon be no Israel. This is the ultimate shame. people fleeing in terror to bomb shelters.

Contrary to some media reports, the conflict between Hamas and Israel is not a “cycle of violence,” nor does it require “mutual restraint.” Rather, Israel, a nation smaller than tiny E l Salvador, surrounded by a sea of hostile Arab and Muslim nations, is responding logically to protect its citizens from an enemy directly on its border. What nation would not respond to such existential threats with definitive force meant to defeat this enemy?

This message has been published and paid for by

Facts and Logic About the Middle East P.O. Box 590359 San Francisco, CA 94159

Gerardo Joffe, President

FLAME is a tax-exempt, non-profit educational 501 (c)(3) organization. Its purpose is the research and publication of the facts regarding developments in the Middle East and exposing false propaganda that might harm the interests of the United States and its allies in that area of the world. Your tax-deductible contributions are welcome. They enable us to pursue these goals and to publish these messages in national newspapers and magazines. We have virtually no overhead. Almost all of our revenue pays for our educational work, for these clarifying messages, and for related direct mail.

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raye may / photo editor

The ice bucket challenge raises money for ALS research.

Social media users dump ice buckets for ALS Grayson Temple Intrigue Writer

Videos of people being doused by a bucket of ice water have saturated social media for the past few weeks.

If one is challenged to pour a bucket of ice water over their head and they do not complete it within 24 hours of receiving the nomination, he or she is supposed to donate $100 to fund Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) research.

If they do complete the challenge, he or she is encouraged to donate $10. No one is monitoring whether the money is donated, but videos of someone being showered in ice water have spread across social networks.

The videos typically include a nominee giving a “thank you” for the nomination, as well as a challenge to a few family members or friends to do the same within 24 hours.

This is all a part of the ALS ice bucket challenge, a movement to raise awareness and money for research of ALS. According to nurse Kate Carruthers, ALS is often referred to as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, named after the baseball player who died of the disease in 1941.

Carruthers said ALS is a

neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.

“ALS is degenerative, so it progressively gets worse, similar to Parkinson’s disease,” Carruthers said. “It affects the spinal cord and brain. When the motor neurons die, the patient loses the ability to initiate and control muscle movement.

This eventually leads to paralysis and then death.”

Carson Haley, senior in social science education, was nominated by his brother to complete the challenge.

He then challenged his roommates to do the same.

He said along with seeing his friends complete the challenge, he has enjoyed watching leaders in the sports world get involved.

“I’ve seen [Major League Baseball] players challenge each other, which is cool,” Haley said. “I saw on the MLB Network that the manager of the Red Sox challenged the manager of the Yankees.”

Other Auburn students have gotten involved too. Anna Donze, junior in accounting and Tiger Paw, said the volleyball team nominated the cheerleaders to take an ice bucket for ALS. Donze was relieved to know

the Tiger Paws weren’t challenged, but she has enjoyed seeing how much awareness and money has been raised for the research of ALS. One of the most famous people to take the ice bucket challenge is Apple CEO Tim Cook, an Auburn graduate.

“What should I do?” Cook asked a crowd of Apple employees in a video posted by the company. “I’m going to do both.”

The popularity of the challenge has caused some social media users to become curious about the disease.

Some challenge videos include information about ALS and how to donate to the cause.

The videos have helped spread awareness of ALS. Before the challenge started circulating, Haley said he didn’t realize that ALS was the same as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, the more commonly used name.

“I saw a video of a man with ALS, and his walking and speaking were impaired,” Haley said.“I had heard of the disease before, but didn’t know much about it.”

The ice bucket challenge spreads awareness through social media and raise money for researching a cure for Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Intrigue B7

The Auburn Plainsman

SCHOLARSHIPS

FAB FINDS at

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We don’t just do antiques

Car tags fund scholarships for students charlotte kelly / Graphics editor

Lindsey Raygan Intrigue Reporter

Auburn car tags show Tiger pride while also providing education funding for the school’s students. However, a portion of the profit made from the tags assists in funding freshman scholarships.

The License to Learn program has provided scholarship funds for Auburn University and Auburn University at Montgomery since 1998.

Through the program, the University receives $46-47 from each non-personalized tag and $35-36 from the purchase of a personalized tag.

The University has received more than $35.7 million since the beginning of the License to Learn program, which continues to increase education opportunities for scholarship-worthy students.

More than 1,000 scholarships were awarded last school year from the $1,931,000 in Auburn’s License to Learn fund.

According to Velda Rooker, director of University Scholarships, the scholarships funded by the License to Learn program go to freshman with average test scores

According to King, her scholarship supports a large amount of her education at Auburn. King said she is thankful to be a part of the Auburn Family.

“I would love to (buy a tag) to give back,” King said. “I think it’s a cool way to give back to Auburn.”

One purchaser, 82-year-old James Fleming, said he believes in Auburn and has helped fund freshman scholarships.

“I am a die-hard Auburn fan,” Fleming said.

Fleming shows his love for Auburn by sporting his tag on his family’s RV and plans on purchasing another for his car.

For Fleming, buying a car tag was a way to support the students instead of just cheering for the football team.

“When they started letting us buy tags, it was advertised that a good portion of that money went directly to the schools for scholarships,” Fleming said. “It felt very good.”

Some proceeds from the car tags program go to student scholarships whether they are personalized or not.

Visit auburn.edu/scholarship for more information on purchasing Auburn tags.

rather than the highest scoring students.

“I think more people would support the program if they knew it was raising support for the more average student,” Rooker said.

Rooker sports her own Auburn tag in support of the Auburn Family and the scholarship funding program.

“I just think it’s another way that the Auburn Family supports each other,” Rooker said. “Whether you’re in Georgia or Florida or further away than that, you see an Auburn tag and immediately recognize it and see that connection.”

Rooker said she is confident the program will continue to be successful and provide an education to many Auburn students in the future.

Mariah King, senior in early childhood education, received a freshman scholarship that continues to fund her schooling.

Before learning about the License to Learn program, King said she thought her scholarship, and many others, came from donations.

“It’s nice to know they were looking out for me before I even went there,” King said.

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campus

High enrollment pushes on-campus housing to its limits Grayson Temple Intrigue Writer

After Auburn University experiences success in athletics, application rates tend to increase. Given the successful season experienced by Auburn’s football team this past year, along with the hiring of new coaches in the athletic department, Auburn was bound to attract more aspiring students for fall 2014.

According to the Office of Admissions and Recruitment, the total number of students enrolled at Auburn this year has decreased from 24,864 to 24,469.

However, the number of enrolled freshmen has increased.

Although these freshmen make up a larger percentage of the undergraduate population, they maintain a similar presence on campus.

According to Bethany Gunn, student employee in the Burton Hall Housing Office, 70 percent of students living on campus are freshmen.

The influx of first-year students has pushed more freshmen off campus than ever before. There is a larger percentage of freshmen living off campus this year because Auburn does not have enough on-campus housing.

Gunn said the increase wasn’t too much of a dilemma in the Housing office.

“We always have a waiting list and it was bigger this year,” Gunn said. “It

shelby reister / assistant graphics editor

wasn’t a huge problem. We were able to get most people moved on campus, but some just opted to live off campus, more than usual.”

Some freshmen living off campus for their first year may find it harder to meet new people, a reason often given for living in the dorms.

However, participation in campus activities, such as Greek Life, has grown.

Recruitment this year for the 17 on-campus sororities increased.

While a typical pledge class has approximately 60 girls, the average size of a pledge class this year was approximately 70.

Each girl going through recruitment is assigned to a small group led by a current sorority member known as a Pi Chi. Lauren Jones, Pi Chi, said she had seen a lot more freshman girls rushing.

“There were around 200 more girls who went through Recruitment compared to last year, making the Pi Chi groups a little larger than usual,” Jones said. “The pledge classes are also bigger than they normally are just because more people decided to go to Auburn this year.”

Although more girls went through, the percentage of girls who were placed in a sorority remained the same.

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Intrigue B8

The Auburn Plainsman

ENVIRONMENT

Students celebrate sustainability with picnic

Kyle Nazario Intrigue Editor

For at least one afternoon, it was easy being green.

Students gathered in the Davis Arboretum Thursday, Aug. 14 before classes to learn about sustainable growth and environmentalism at the Sustainability Picnic.

Students gathered in a clearing by the pond, sitting on the grass in clumps and listening to a three-piece cover band. They talked among themselves and giggled as Aubie danced along to the music and climbed a tree.

In the back, environmentally focused student groups set up their tables with information for the attendees.

Garrett Kizer, president of the Environmental Awareness Organization, said the event helps such groups to recruit.

“It’s also a really cool environment to see people that might be interested in our organization without standing on the concourse and yelling at them and throwing things at them,” Kizer said. “Here it’s a little bit more relaxed. We have a band that’s playing, we have food [and] people that just kinda go from table to table and talk to you.”

The students wandered between the tables and free food: whole wheat couscous

pilaf, baked sweet potato salad and roasted garlic hummus. They ate off of upsidedown Frisbees with wooden sporks.

“The free food is definitely a good way to help people, especially when you’re trying to get incoming freshmen,” Kizer said. “I remember when I was a freshman, everything I did [during] Welcome Week was trying to find free food.”

James Elrod, freshman in forestry, said he came mostly for the food. However, he said one organization’s table caught his interest.

“I haven’t really looked through too many of the tables, but I like the recycling one,” Elrod said. “I hate throwing stuff away.”

Elrod said if not for previous commitments, he would consider joining an organization related to his interest in the environment.

“Boy Scouts is real oriented to [recycling], plus my major. It all kind of ties together,” Elrod said.

Nathan McWhirter, junior in mechanical engineering and sustainability studies and secretary of Auburn Real Food Challenge, said he hoped his group could find more members from the students gathered at the picnic.

“Our group is pretty small right now

this year,” McWhirter said. “We had two people that were supposed to be officers, [who] actually got other commitments this semester, so we’re just down to three officers. So we’re really looking to grow our group this semester and this school year.”

McWhirter said he also hopes to help educate students on the merits of environmentalism and sustainable food.

“We’re working to get more local, community-based, ecologically sound, fair and humane foods on campus,” McWhirter said.

These efforts are working, producing changes, such as the Village bulk food bins and reusable silverware in campus dining halls.

AU Dining is also running a program with Chartwells, which runs Auburn’s dining program, and SuperGrow, an organic food grower, to serve more organic, locally grown food to students. It aims to make 20 percent of its food local and organic by fall 2015.

McWhirter said Auburn could see more environmentally friendly changes if there is demand from the students.

“Auburn is responsive to its students,” McWhirter said. “If people are interested in this, it’s going to happen on campus.”

Thursday, August 21, 2014

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

raye may / photo editor

Alexa Burroughs, junior in entrepreneurship and family business, strums her guitar.

TWEETS OF THE WEEK Check out what’s happening on Twitter feeds across Auburn! @aehendo Showing baby brother where his classes are was all fun and games until I remembered HE IS THE SLOWEST WALKER IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD. @vinestajarus Plot twist: it takes less than thirty minutes to get home on the south college transit @C_Flem92 Just rode my bike all the way up to parking services to find out that pick up for a bike permit is in the student center. @lexi_hemp Live tweeting from my 8 am: kind tip my teacher just gave us “don’t come to class stoned” @leeeanneeee Back in Auburn! But more importantly - back to living within walking distance of Chipotle @PEYnutbuttrJely Brought glitter to bid day and was instantly the most popular girl in DG @Cameltoswald I think it’s time we made a fraternity tumblr to show off our #frocks @AIMaxwell Some girl walking around with a pet duck on a leash #WarEagle

kyle nazario / intrigue editor

See something print-worthy or amusing on your Twitter feed? Let us know @TheAUPlainsman.

A Frisbee plate of arugula from SuperGrow.The arugula was grown locally and organically.

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