The Auburn Plainsman 09.07.2017

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2017

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Provost reflects ahead of retirement Boosinger to leave after 35 years Lily Jackson MANAGING EDITOR

In 1983, a new assistant professor moved to the small town of Auburn, with his wife to work at the college at which he would later hold one of the highest administrative positions.

After 35 years, Provost Timothy Boosinger is retiring from his position and plans to take a much-needed break before returning to a minimal load of classes.

Boosinger and his wife are looking forward to a break, as they are planning to retire from their current positions at Auburn during the same time period. The two felt their time in upper administration was coming to a solid close, as his wife was heavily involved with the newly completed Mell Classroom building.

At the age of 66, Boosinger is looking forward to a short break and more specific work after a resting period.

“We are going to look at some other professional opportunities to do things in a more limited term kind of basis,” Boosinger said.

He would like to go back to his beginnings and teach in veterinary medicine and other fields closer to his discipline, pathology and infectious diseases.

Before heading back to the field, Boosinger and his wife plan on traveling a bit.

“We would like to go with National Geographic to the Galapagos Islands,” Boosinger said. If they can manage a trip in the spring, they hope to take on the Islands. Along with that trip, Boosinger would like to tramp through the ruins in Lima, Peru, and visit Africa at some point.

Boosinger told The Plainsman the administration has decided to give his official retirement a soft date, as the search for his replacement could go long or happen swiftly depending on the candidates.

JOSHUA FISHER / PHOTOGRAPHER

Provost Timothy Boosinger welcomes guests to the Mell Street Classroom ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday, Sept. 1 (left) and interviews with The Plainsman on Wednesday, Sept. 6 (right).

They are shooting for Feb. 1, 2018. Boosinger said the University should look for a provost that understands and appreciates the variety of disciplines.

With 165 academic departments, Boosinger said the new provost must study each discipline and be a leader for each department. That knowledge has been thoroughly rewarding for Boosinger.

“There was something about Auburn,” Boos-

SPORTS

inger said. “We came to Auburn and we noticed almost immediately that the community of Auburn was married to the University and had this wonderful relationship.”

Boosinger raised two daughters in Auburn and later saw them graduate with degrees from his place of work. Despite other opportunities arising, Boosinger and his wife never questioned their decision to stick with Auburn.

Boosinger laughed and said, “It’s not just about

what happens in class, and Auburn gets that.” He said he had visited other universities and the level of importance Auburn puts on extracurricular and community involvement is refreshing.

“I know the University has been good to us, but I hope we have been good for Auburn,” Boosinger said. “We never saw a better opportunity than Auburn.”

» See BOOSINGER, 2

TOUGH TOPICS

West, George tackle the alt-right Alex Hosey COMMUNITY REPORTER

ADAM SPARKS / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Jarrett Stidham runs for a touchdown vs. Georgia Southern.

Gus confident in QB ahead of Clemson Tyler Rousch SPORTS REPORTER

There’s nothing like the real thing after being away for nearly two years.

Auburn football head coach Gus Malzahn addressed concerns for Jarrett Stidham’s inexperience Tuesday afternoon, as the transfer quarterback relapsed on what were described as easily fixed flaws in Auburn's seasonopening win over Georgia Southern.

“Really the biggest thing that stood out to me is him just needing experience — a guy that hasn’t played in 600 days or something,” he said. “There were some times where he was holding the ball too long.”

» See CLEMSON, 2

Professors Cornel West and Robert P. George sat down with The Plainsman and spoke about Charlottesville, the alt-right, truth and freedom of speech right before their scheduled discussion at Auburn University’s first Critical Conversations series in the Student Center on Friday.

In a statement released in March by West and George titled “Truth Seeking, Democracy, and Freedom of Thought and Expression,” the two scholars encouraged open discussion between polarized groups in our country, beginning with the phrase, “The pursuit of knowledge and the maintenance of a free and democratic society require the cultivation and practice of the virtues of intellectual humility, openness of mind, and, above all, love of truth.”

West, who protested the white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, along with other members of the clergy, said the best and worst qualities of humanity were present at the protests.

“Neo-nazi brothers and sisters represent the worst with the choices they can make.

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Robert P. George and Cornel West listen to a question during an interview at The Auburn Hotel and Conference Center on Friday, Sept. 1, 2017 in Auburn, Ala.

They can change, they’re not locked in, but at the moment they’re tied to hatred and contempt,” West said. “Then you’ve got the best: those trying to live a life of integrity, honesty, decency, compassion and generosity and we saw it in a very raw form in Charlottesville.”

West said that while this display of hatred wasn’t a turning point in American history or anything new, it was a dramatic and significant clash be-

tween the forces of hatred and love.

George said he looked on in horror, as other Americans and the whole world did, at the events in Charlottesville and worried about the future of the conservatism when faced with the growing alt-right.

“I think they have launched what is a struggle for the soul of the conservative movement in the United States,” George said. “An American patriot believes in the principles of the

Declaration of Independence. ... That’s the conservatism I represent, but if it gets hijacked and replaced by a conservatism that says it’s about ethnic identity or being white then that kind of conservatism will become a very destructive force in the United States.”

George addressed the question of appropriate response from universities and their students when faced with dis-

» See TOUGH TOPICS, 2

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2017

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NEWS

HARVEY

CLEMSON » From 1

JESSICA BALLARD / STANDARDS EDITOR (LEFT) AND CONTRIBUTED BY JACK HOOPER (RIGHT)

Jack Hooper (left) and Connor Andrew (right) traveled to Texas to aid victims of Tropical Storm Harvey floods.

KA brothers aid Harvey victims in Texas Lily Jackson MANAGING EDITOR

Two Auburn students guided their boat into the front door of a flooded house and let off a wife and husband. The husband looked down into what used to be his living room and spotted a Roomba vacuum — submerged under water.

“Well, I guess it’s not doing its job,” the husband said and laughed as he stood four-feet deep in waters left after Tropical Storm Harvey dumped millions of gallons of water on Southeast Texas.

Jack Hooper and Connor Andrew, seniors in building science, were amazed at the positivity the couple had after having their lives “flipped upside down.”

Hooper and Andrew, both brothers of Kappa Alpha Order, took to the road with a pickup truck and a boat on Wednesday, Aug. 30, looking to help the victims of Hurricane Harvey in Texas, leaving behind their classes and obligations to go help in whatever way they could.

Hooper is originally from Nashville, Tennessee, another city that suffered from severe flooding in 2010. Although he was not directly affected, he said he remembered the help his city received and wanted to return the kindness.

Hooper said he was watching the news on Wednesday before classes when he got the urge to do something about the devastation he was seeing on flashing across the screen.

“I feel like every time I look at the news or see some event going on like that you feel detached from it, but this time something clicked,” Hooper said. “I thought to myself, ‘We can do something about this.’”

Andrew was a good partner to have, Hooper said. Although the two KA brothers usually spent their time in Auburn fishing on Hooper’s boat, they knew handing out waters, checking houses for survivors and handing out snacks to children would be more rewarding.

The two left Auburn at 1 p.m. and drove until 9 p.m. when they stopped to rest their eyes for a few hours. As they got closer to Texas, they began to run into others who were looking to lend a helping hand. The line of boats from as far as South Carolina traveled together using push-to-talk app called Zello.

TOUGH TOPICS » From 1

agreeable ideas and viewpoints, using Auburn University’s recent experiences with white nationalist leader Richard Spencer as an example.

“Even with someone as vile as Richard Spencer ... he is not someone who should be prohibited from speaking on campus,” George said.

“This does not mean that all speakers are equally worth listening to. I’m not going to cross the street to listen to Richard Spencer. He has nothing to say that I think I can learn anything from.”

Those helping with rescue efforts began to rely on the app heavily, Andrew said.

After a quick snooze at a truck stop in Louisiana, Andrew and Hooper pushed forward to Orange, Texas. Hooper said they wanted to focus on a smaller town like Orange for their own safety and the lack of attention smaller communities were being given.

The only way into Orange was driving through three miles of water.

“The fields looked like oceans and the interstate looked like a river,” Hooper said. “The only way I knew which way I was going was by following the line of traffic.”

Despite the “follow-the-leader” system, Hooper said he drove off the pavement once, saw the hood of the car dip under the water for a second and then regained his control of the truck. It was then the two students felt the most afraid.

Andrew said there were loads of people around to help, specifically law enforcement and public safety officials from many of the surrounding states.

Having trained professionals present was reassuring as Hooper and Andrew floated into a submerged city, passing cars filled to their hoods with rain water and street signs peeking out of the murky water.

“Have you ever seen ‘The Walking Dead?’ ... It’s like that with water,” Hooper said.

They spent the majority of their time handing out waters to those waiting out the flood waters and found joy in handing out Oreos and snacks to children barely old enough to walk. One father smiled for what seemed like the first time in a week after his child was handed a sweet treat, Andrew said.

When they made it to the residential areas and began checking on families door by door, Hooper said he realized some families just wanted to chat. After four days of no energy, a new face was exactly what they wanted he said.

The same husband that looked at his drowning Roomba looked at his prized possession, the flooded Zebra-striped Expedition that took him years to find, and “his smile never left his face.”

Hooper and Andrew said they want others to help Harvey victims.

They ask that students and faculty band with them and donate to the Red Cross by texting HARVEY to 90999 to donate $10.

Auburn and many other college campuses have become the targets of rising alt-right and white nationalist groups and speakers. In the spring, Spencer, who claims to have coined the term “alt-right,” delivered a racist and vitriolic speech on campus and was met with large protests by students.

At first, after receiving an assessment from Auburn police citing the threat of civil unrest and violence, the University decided to block his speech. A federal court later reversed the decision and ordered the University to allow him to speak after a lawsuit was filed. The courts said that there was no evidence of an immedi-

BOOSINGER » From 1

Boosinger looks at the undergraduate experience as one of the most unique and admirable parts of Auburn. As Boosinger rose in the ranks of the University, from assistant professor to dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine from 1995-2011 to associate dean for Academic Affairs from 1993-95, Boosinger said he missed being in the classroom.

“I was hired to do two things: 50 percent teaching and 50 percent research,” Boosinger said. “I have always had interest in research, but I’ve always had a strong commitment and passion for instruction and teaching.”

Boosinger said he thought most highranked administrators at the University found the most joy through interacting with students throughout their early careers.

“I am most proud of the fact, during my watch as dean, that we positioned the college to be very competitive — to be a destination for students that want to be veterinarians,” Boosinger said.

When moving from his position of dean to provost, Boosinger said he wanted to bring the same competitive and encouraging atmosphere with him to the campus as

ate threat of violence.

George recommended that the University and its student groups think hard about choosing who to invite to speak on campus moving forward and choose those who have arguments to make with evidence and logic to back them up, even though Spencer was not invited by the University but by Cameron Padgett, a student from Georgia.

“Don’t bring in the provocateurs.

That doesn’t benefit anybody, nobody learns anything from that,” George said. “Bring in the people who have something interesting to say who can make a compelling argument for the view that students want

a whole.

He said he took the promotion as an opportunity to add value to the institution and he was joining the ranks of other administrators that he felt saw growth and success as a necessity as well. At a point in Boosinger’s career, he did apply for president of the University after being recommended, but he said in hindsight, he feels that he is ending his career at Auburn in the best way possible.

As he leaves, Boosinger said he hopes Auburn continues to preserve the strong attributes it has mastered over the years.

Boosinger said scholarship allotment, graduation rates and research are all subjects being discussed at the moment. He said these will be the main issues at hand for the new provost.

Boosinger said he does not think there are any internal issues that are prevalent in the University staff and operation, but what might stump administrators is what happens around Auburn and in the world.

“How higher education is funded, things that are in the news right now that are relevant to higher educations, immigration for example,” Boosinger said. “Those topics affect the morale of a lot of our students.

Those are the kinds of things we will have to deal with.”

The fundraising efforts by the University

“There were certain things and certain looks that maybe weren’t as open as we thought they’d be,” Malzahn continued.

Throwing for 185 yards, two touchdowns and interception, Stidham added 17 rushing yards with a 14-yard touchdown trot to boot. His fumble early in the game gifted the Eagles’ their lone touchdown.

“You’re going to see he settled in as the game went along, just getting comfortable,” wide receiver Ryan Davis said. “You’ve got to think, the man didn’t play a lot of games in two plus years. It was just all about us as a team just getting behind him, saying, ‘Relax, calm down, you haven’t played in a long time, the game will come to you.’”

Davis caught a 19-yard pass from Stidham in the third quarter — tied with Sal Cannella and Will Hastings for longest on the night — and fought for a touchdown to make it 31-7.

“He was able to execute at a high level,” Davis said. “And you’re going to see, from this week to next week, he’s going to make a tremendous jump, and his level of game is just going to keep on elevating.”

After serving a three-game suspension, Sean White will remain Auburn’s No. 2 quarterback barring an injury to Stidham. Despite Devin Adams getting some playing time, freshman Malik Willis will serve as backup barring any long-term injury, Malzahn said.

“He’ll be back week three, and we expect him to be ready to go,” he said.

Tied with the lead in rushing, Kerryon Johnson left the game with an apparent hamstring injury.

Malzahn maintained that, despite a diagnosis, no timetable is presented for his return.

“He didn’t practice Sunday,” he said. “We are hopeful, but that is the best status I can give you right now. Later in the week I’ll know more.”

With Johnson’s absence, Kamryn Pettway is ready and will be “fresh and in good shape” for a return Saturday at Clemson. Kam Martin, who boasted a 136-yard performance, will serve as Pettway’s backup alongside Malik Miller.

In preparation for Clemson’s boisterous atmosphere Saturday night, Malzahn looks to be ready for a defensive line that is “one of the best in college football.”

“He played well last year against us,” Malzahn said of Clemson’s standout defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence. “He’s not the only one. Their defensive front, like I said, I believe it’s one of the top in the country, and when you turn on the film, it doesn’t take long to figure that out. It’ll be a big test for our guys up front.”

Lawrence had seven tackles and a sack in his first game in a Clemson uniform last season as the eventual national champions escaped Jordan-Hare with a 19-13 victory.

“Obviously, it was a tough loss last year and we’ve got a lot of guys back and they happen to be the defending national champions, and we’re going to their home field,” Malzahn said. “That’s the only thing on our mind. Nothing about last week. Everything moving forward is Clemson and that’s really about it.”

to hear have defended.”

West addressed the question of whether there was a line society should draw when confronted with unpopular opinions or even opinions that verge on violence, citing the legal issue of shouting “fire” in a theater.

“That kind of speech would cause such injurious harm that there’s no possibility for dialogue, critical exchange, respect,” West said. “Every viewpoint always has ragged edges. ...

I don’t think you can come up with a general theory or formula. I think you have to look at it case by case, but you have to exhaust all possibilities of respectful dialogue given deep disagreements.”

are proof of the internal success, Boosinger said. The backing from Auburn alumni and the city’s support are favorable and the state support is “level but stable.”

“We would like for it to grow, but stable is good,” Boosinger said. “We would always like to have more money from the state, but I wouldn’t complain about where we are.”

Boosinger said being in Auburn for 35 years has been a blessing, but he is excited for the adventures to come in retirement.

Auburn will always be their home base, Boosinger said, as they have a “quaint cabin” in Auburn and are not looking to leave it long-term.

“If we leave to work somewhere else for a semester, we will always come back here,” Boosinger said.

Boosinger said one of his proudest moments was in the last 10 years as the University spoke to students about campus climate, resulting in “important discussions” like the reaffirmation to inclusion and diversity.

“I’ve always been impressed by the culture that is created by the Auburn Creed,” Boosinger said. “Some may take university creeds for granted, but I think this University really lives that creed. I think that if students will be true to that creed — hard work and respect for others — this University will continue to thrive and improve and be the great institution that it is.”

George explained the legal difference between our First Amendment’s freedom of speech and an incitement to violence and argued that Americans have both a legal and moral obligation to allow people to speak despite the fact that we may disagree with them.

“We should be prepared to listen and engage anyone who is himself prepared to do business in the currency of intellectual discourse, and that currency consists of evidence, reasons, arguments,” George said.

“This is the kind of speech through which everybody benefits, even when the view being advocated for turns out, in the end, to be incorrect.”

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2017

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OPINION

OUR VIEW

For the good of Auburn, Jacobs should go EDITORIAL BOARD FALL 2017

A driving force in many stories of institutional struggle is the specter of inappropriate sexual appetite, which is often coupled with an unhealthy power dynamic between the perpetrator and victim. And to wrap it all up, there are the inevitable attempts to hide the whole affair.

This specter haunts Auburn University, specifically our softball team. Players have accused the coaching staff of sexual misconduct, along with physical and emotional abuse.

The issue began to loom large after ESPN published a piece quoting current and former players who detailed the allegations: inappropriate sexual behavior from assistant coach Corey Myers toward players; threats from Meredith Jenkins, athletics executive associate director and senior women’s administrator, made to suppress evidence of such relationships.

Later, our reporting detailed allegations from players who were forced to practice after surgery before being released by medical professionals and others who were directed to use untreated hot and cold tubs that caused pus-filled bumps that later required medical treatment.

On top of all of this, the players went repeatedly to Jenkins, who herself is a Title IX deputy coordinator, and athletics director Jay Jacobs. And the players and their families said they were met with nothing but indifference or even contempt.

Back in September 2016, official ethics complaints were filed by several anonymous players.

Along with being an early challenge for Auburn’s new FILE PHOTO president, Steven Leath, this institutional issue casts a shadow over Jacobs’ tenure and casts doubt about the Athletics Athletics director Jay Jacobs sits in his office during an interview with The Plainsman in 2015.

Department’s ability to care for its players.

In a letter to The Plainsman, Jacobs explained how he’s care- dealt with long ago — before March when the younger Myers last month. fully walked a line between, in his mind, behaving as a father left the team and especially before this past August when the “The foundation for ongoing success is here because of would toward the women on the softball team and making ap- elder Myers followed suit. Six months is far too long for com- Coach Myers’ love of Auburn and his desire to see this propropriate changes to the coaching staff. plaints to be circulating and far too long for nothing to have gram reach a level of success that it had never seen before,” JaIn his letter, Jacobs maintains this act involved reaching a been done about either of the coaches. cobs said when Clint Myers retired. balance between respecting privacy and taking action, and in Allowing these coaches to stay on staff for so long may have Even if the athletics director wasn’t directly involved, they’re framing his actions that way, he’s attempted to paint himself as been helpful with respect to maintaining a winning softball still called to solve these issues as soon as they can. Instead, Jaboth a kind father-figure and a reasonable administrator. We team — it could have ruined the season if both coaches left — cobs let this situation drag on for nearly a year before the two believe, if the players’ stories are true, that he was neither. but the role of the Athletics Department is not only to maxi- coaches were allowed to resign and retire, without a word from Ostensibly, Jacobs’ lack of action throughout the year was mize a team’s record. the Athletics Department acknowledging what happened. an effort to try to protect the softball players, whom he cast as Even more important is their obligation to treat studentRegardless of whether Jacobs intentionally or unknowingly his daughters in his damage-control letter, which not only was athletes with dignity, to listen to them, and not ignore their allowed this to continue for so long — while some of his players sent to The Plainsman but athletic boosters, too, who must un- concerns like expendable machines whose sole or even main were allegedly threatened and others were subject to physical doubtedly have their own concerns. purpose is to make our University money. Because that is not, or mental abuse — the possibility that this could happen again But good intentions aside, Jacob’s handling of the allegations and should not be, their purpose. remains. And that is unacceptable. has been at best negligent and at worst crooked, and he needs Ultimately, this situation lands at the feet of the athletics diThis story may continue to harm our University’s image, to step down or be removed from his position so Auburn can rector and his senior administrators. He is ultimately respon- our softball program and, most importantly, the lives of our move forward. Jenkins, who appears not to have done her job sible for ensuring that his coaches are good, Auburn men and student-athletes unless the University and its top leadership as an advocate for victims, should go with him. women who follow the creed — as Jacobs claimed Clint My- make it absolutely clear that this should never happen again.

The problems stemming from the Myers should’ve been ers was in a statement released when the head coach retired Jay Jacobs and Meredith Jenkins should go.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

MARC D. GREENWOOD DEAR EDITOR,

Submit letters online at ThePlainsman.com tact the player allegedly involved with Corey Myers, or the Myers?

Deleting the texts, reeks cover-up.

Wouldn't prudence compel Jenkins to secure the text messages, and let the police determine the legality of the texts?

An incident prior to the Georgia game lends credence that Myers and a player were involved. According to the complaint, several players including Haley Fagan, and AllAmerican Kasey Cooper, refused to board the bus to Athens, if the player who allegedly exchanged text messages with Corey Myers got on the bus.

Can you say Penn State?

JOHN-PAUL O’DRISCOLL DEAR EDITOR,

I am an Auburn dad of a 2017 aerospace graduate and a chemical engineering sophomore. I should

have applauded Auburn University, from students, to faculty, and administration for confronting the bigotry of Richard Spencer and the white supremacists he accompanied on campus in April with civil rejection and vocal dismissal of their hatred. Though they were unwelcome by students and the whole university body, Auburn’s response when they arrived and spoke their hatred was mature, civil, vehement, heartfelt and courageous.

I watched the evening news as students bravely denounced the white supremacists who paraded on campus and as Richard Spencer’s hour of diatribe was unreservedly ridiculed by the thousands who gathered to hear. I learned that some students arranged free concerts for alternative entertainment to coincide with these unwelcome visitors.

The result of this experience on

OPINION PAGE POLICIES LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 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.

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

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

The opinions expressed in columns and letters represent the views and opinions of their individual authors.

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

TAYLOR TRELOAR DEAR EDITOR,

After reading “Neighboring SEC universities deny Richard Spencer visit requests,” I began questioning whether or not it is right for other schools to deny Spencer the opportunity to speak. My answer is absolutely. Freedom of Speech is a fundamental human right that we are fortunate enough to exercise in the United States. Despite any per-

sonal opposition to any of Richard Spencer’s views, I cannot deny that he has a right to say what he wants.

However, is it truly wrong for universities to deny him a place to speak when doing so may endanger the students?

I was one of the students that debated Spencer in April during the “Q&A” part of his speech. He exercised his right to speak freely, and I did the same. However, since then Spencer has gained more recognition, the divide in our country has increased, and having such a controversial speech at a school is questionable.

Schools are supposed to be a place where students are not physically harmed. Richard Spencer himself was pepper sprayed twice during the Charlottesville riots because he could not stay peaceful. If he truly cared about freedom of speech and not attention and violence, he could easily speak at a venue that was not a university. On campus, it is the university’s responsibility to keep students as safe as possible. After seeing protests at events he has held in the past, it goes without question that having a Richard Spencer event at another SEC school would result in strong opposition, protests, and most likely violence.

Taylor Treloar is a junior in political science.

THE EDITORIAL BOARD CHIP BROWNLEE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF LILY JACKSON MANAGING EDITOR JESSICA BALLARD STANDARDS EDITOR WESTON SIMS OPINION EDITOR

CONTACT

Auburn University’s Intimate Relations Policy prohibits anyone in a supervisory position from pursuing or engaging in romantic or sexual relationships with students or anyone else they are supervising.

Alexa Nemeth’s complaint alleges then Auburn coach Clint Myers knowingly let his son have relations and pursue relations with multiple members of the team. Which makes [Clint] Myers complicit if the complaints are true. Furthermore, Myers had an absolute duty to act, report the inappropriate behavior to athletics director Jay Jacobs or the Auburn Police Division.

Corey’s Myers, the coach’s son, resigned with abruptness in March 2016, after players showed Clint Myers text messages from a teammate’s phone that indicated Corey Myers violated the Auburn University Intimate Relations Policy.

Trouble. When the players showed executive associate athletic director Meredith Jenkins the explosives texts, which imperiled Auburn University , the Myers, and the softball program, she whiffed. She warned the players they could be arrested for taking the texts from a teammates phone, and ordered them to delete the messages. Really? Did she advise Jay Jacobs? Did she con-

campus is that free speech was allowed with no benefit gained by these bigots; what they espouse was completely rejected. Auburn reinforced the vital values of the Creed and reaffirmed the warm welcome for everyone on campus, now and in the future, no matter their origin, religion, language, politics or appearance. Auburn’s response to bigotry was actually perfect and it dispelled any worry that extremists like Richard Spencer or Nicholas Fuentes, if he comes, would find any followers for their unGodly beliefs.

If others should come to spew intolerance, prejudice, racism or hatred, the deep abiding humanity and courage displayed by Auburn students, faculty and administration in April tells me that such concepts will always be unwelcome.

Bravo & War Eagle!

LOREN KIMMEL CAMPUS EDITOR SAM WILLOUGHBY COMMUNITY EDITOR WILL SAHLIE SPORTS EDITOR

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CAMPUS

FACILITIES

Collaboration becomes a possibility with new health science buildings Chris Heaney STAFF REPORTER

Students and faculty are now learning and collaborating within two new buildings located on the southwest corner of South Donahue and Lem Morrison Drive.

The Harrison School of Pharmacy’s new Pharmaceutical Research Building and the new School of Nursing building are now part of the Health Sciences Sector that also includes the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine’s Auburn campus.

The Pharmaceutical Research Building, which began construction last June and was completed this May with a $16.6 million budget, features 37,431-square-feet of open-air shared research laboratories within its three floors.

“The building was designed to be a place where science is conducted in a collaborative environment,” Harrison School of Pharmacy Department Head Tim Moore said. “The tradition of lab space being kind of siloed off and partitioned is not the concept that this building was built on.”

Associate Dean of the Harrison School of Pharmacy Paul Jungnickel said the building became a necessity for the school because of the growing number of students not having enough space for research in the existing facilities.

In creating more space for students, the design of the new facility also promotes collaboration between them, something that Associate Professor Miranda Reed said will greatly benefit her Alzheimer’s disease research with graduate students.

“One of the things I love most about it is that it is very open concept, all the labs can see each other and communicate very easily,” Reed said. “Its made collaboration a lot easier.”

While the majority of the building is completed and in use by students and faculty, Moore said the building won’t be in its fully completed state until mid-October, still awaiting completion of the 3rd-floor Vivarium.

“We are close to having our completed building but we still have some lagging issues to take care of,” Moore said. “These issues are certainly not significantly affecting any of our faculty who have moved down there.”

According to Moore, the faculty that have moved into the new space have adjusted quickly and are picking up projects right where they left off in the older facilities. He expects the work done in the new building will provide the School of Pharmacy and University recognition in the world of medicine they have not yet received.

“I think [the new building] puts a nice notice of research activity that we didn’t have before,” Moore said. “We are really hoping it will increase our reputation as a school of pharmacy which would then raise the reputation of the University as a research institute.”

As for the 89,000-square-foot School of Nursing building that was completed this July with a $29 million budget, Dean Gregg Newschwander said faculty are equally as excited about their new facility.

“Faculty have responded very positively to the classroom spaces, the skills lab, and the simulation lab; everybody is very impressed with the building,” Newschwander said. “The opportu-

MADISON OGLETREE / PHOTO EDITOR

Construction workers outside of Auburn University School of Nursing on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2017 in Auburn, Ala.

MADISON OGLETREE / PHOTO EDITOR

Auburn University Pharmaceutical Research Building on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2017 in Auburn, Ala.

nities of the building will provide for them to be better teachers.”

The faculty isn’t the only ones excited for the new spaces, though, as nursing students are enjoying the new facility too according to Newschwander.

“Over the last few years our students haven’t had a place, they’ve been all over the University because we didn’t have any room for them in our hall,” Newschwander said. “There’s a few glitches with parking, food service and things like that but I think they’re really happy with the student spaces, the instructional spaces and just like having a place to call home.”

Like the new Pharmaceutical Research Building, the School of Nursing building will provide students with more collaborative opportunities thanks to their proximity to one another and other parts of the Health Sciences Sector.

“This is a place where people in their last semester will interact with people in their first,” Newschwander said. “I think that the serendipitous meeting of faculty and students in the hallway can happen here — it couldn’t happen when they were all in different buildings — and that’s where some of the best learning happens.”

FAST FOOD

Chick-Fil-A cuts chicken strips from Student Center menu Loren Kimmel CAMPUS EDITOR

JOSHUA FISHER / PHOTOGRAPHER

The on campus Chick-FilA became more express over the summer as the corporation chose to discontinue the sale of their chicken strips at express locations.

Due to less success than other items, the meal option was removed from various University locations across the nation and is said to be undetermined if it will return in the future. “[The] Chick-Fil-A corporate changed the menu for University locations,” said one of the managers for Auburn’s location Oscar Fernandez. “[I’m] not sure about the likeliness of their return as of right now.”

“Traditional stores are still carrying them,” Fernandez said to clear up any possible confusion.

“So many people like strips,” said freshman Avery Kozlows-

ki. “They taste so much different than the chicken nuggets.”

Freshman Brooke Houston agreed as she waited in the packed line to approach the new menu.

“We can only handle so much traffic flow with so many items,” said Brett Henderson, another manager for Auburn’s location.

“I think what we are doing is 2728 hundred transactions a day so we can only field so many items.”

Henderson said the chain’s high volume is contributing to the removal of the product. He said that with such a high number of customers, this branch, along with other university express locations, have trimmed down their menus.

“There should be another item sooner or later coming in its place,” Henderson said, welcoming the possibility of the branch adding a new and different item to the menu.

POLITICS

SPLC releases alt-right guide book for use on college campuses Mikayla Burns CMAPUS WRITER

Students now know how to safely react to the growing alt-right movement when its members visit college campuses.

The Southern Poverty Law Center, a group dedicated to stopping hate and extremism in America, released an alt-right campus guide as an attempt to counteract the movement while upholding the right of the First Amendment.

Lecia Brooks, the SPLC Outreach Director, said that center was pushed to release the guide after the alt-right movement began to recruit members from college campuses and how those colleges responded to the presence of the alt-right.

“White supremacists, who have branded themselves as ‘alt-right,’ are attempting to increase their ranks, raise their profile and advance the false narrative that white folks are being dispossessed in our society,” Brooks said.

The SPLC does not take free speech lightly and says that students must “unequivocally support the First Amendment - even for white supremacists.”

The First Amendment protects all speech, including that dubbed “hate speech.” Restrictions against speech in the amendment include those who are employers, who control educational services or regulate things such as mail, federal radio, law, prisons, and immigration.

The SPLC encourages students to “organize

powerful and peaceful counter event to protest white supremacy,” and the guide was created to help them do just that.

Alt-Right figure Nicholas Fuentes told The Plainsman in the past that he will be planning to come to the Plains in January 2018 and “rally the troops in terms of this new right-wing movement.”

Brooks said that figures such as Fuentes and Richard Spencer, who visited the University last spring, are white nationalists and that it is important for the administration to “educate the community about what the alt-right advocates – white ethno-separate states.”

“Support student safety while honoring the

First Amendment,” Brooks said.

The SPLC believes that the alt-right movement has the right to exercise the First Amendment but encourages colleges to know what are the restrictions of free speech. The guide will help colleges, like Auburn, understand how to react to alt-right figures on their campuses. “[The guide] would have made it clear to campus administrators that is was the absolute wrong thing to do to cancel Spencer’s visit in the first place,” Brooks said about how the university could have benefitted from the guide during last spring’s reaction to Spencer being on campus.

The guide was released on Aug. 10, 2017, and is free to the public on the SPLC’s website.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2017

The Auburn Plainsman

PAGE 5

CRITICAL CONVERSATIONS

George, West talk free speech at ‘Critical Conversations’ Alex Hosey COMMUNITY REPORTER

The first night of Auburn University’s Critical Conversations speaker series was met with a packed room of hundreds of Auburn students, faculty and residents who were eager to hear Cornel West, professor of the practice of public philosophy at Harvard Divinity School, and Robert P. George, McCormick professor of jurisprudence at Princeton University, speak on Friday afternoon.

George and West’s discussion, entitled the Ideological Differences and Free Speech on Campus, was moderated by Auburn University’s Associate Provost and Vice President of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion Taffye Benson Clayton in the Student Center Ballroom.

“The Critical Conversations speaker series will include scholars and thought leaders from throughout the nation who will inform, enrich and challenge our thinking,” Clayton said. “Our desire throughout this academic year is to inspire our entire campus to keep growing, to keep growing and, most of all, to keep the conversation going.”

After introducing the guest speakers, Clayton asked them both for their opening thoughts, to which George, after saying the necessary “War eagle” to a laughing crowd, thanked Auburn’s staff and explained the importance of truth and free speech, drawing from his joint statement made with West in March 2017 entitled “Truth Seeking, Democracy, and Freedom of Thought and Expression,” which had then been signed by around 5,000 people.

“In that statement … we make the case as strongly as we can for respecting and honoring freedom of thought and freedom of expression,” George said. “Truth seeking is what institutions like Auburn University and Harvard University and Princeton University are all about. If universities aren’t in the truth-seeking business then they ought to go out of business.”

George went on to talk about the polarization of American society today, arguing that unity must come through a shared conviction and belief in the principles of a republican democracy despite our differences.

During his opening remarks, West also thanked University administration and staff for inviting them to speak and proceeded to urge Auburn students to examine their lives and beliefs by quoting Plato’s “Apology,” “The unexamined life is not worth living.”

“The crucial part is a critical self-inventory that requires vulnerability, taking a risk and, most importantly, cultivating the capacity to love,” West said. “Love truth, bigger than all of us; love beauty, bigger than all of us; love goodness, bigger than all of us and if you’re religious, a love of the holy, much bigger than all of us.”

West then described today’s America as experiencing a “spiritual blackout,” through which modern Americans are becoming increasingly fixated with individuality, materiality and status while shirking integrity, virtue and our ability to cultivate our capacity for love.

Clayton then asked George and West how best one should treat those with whom one disagrees on ideological issues in a constructive way.

George answered by praising the virtue of intellectual humility, however difficult it is to obtain and sustain, by admitting to ourselves that each and every one of us fallible.

“None of us is right all the time. It’s a little paradox worth reflecting on–that everybody in this room, including the three of us up here,

MADISON OGLETREE / PHOTO EDITOR

Robert P. George speaks on Friday, Sept. 1, 2017

MADISON OGLETREE / PHOTO EDITOR

Associate Provost Taffy Clayton listens on Friday, Sept. 1, 2017

MADISON OGLETREE / PHOTO EDITOR

Cornel West speaks on Friday, Sept. 1, 2017

knows that we are wrong in some of our beliefs,” George said. “But we know also that it’s not easy, and that’s in part because we; as fallible human beings, tend to wrap our emotions around our convictions, sometimes very, very tightly.”

George said that his point was not for human beings to cast away our capacity for emotion and become stoics, but to find a healthy balance between logic and emotion coupled with humility to the point where we welcome contradictory opinions and open ourselves up to being made to feel uncomfortable by viewpoints that contradict our own.

“If we really make progress when it comes to intellectual humility and openness, not only will we welcome our critic as a partner in the truth-seeking enterprise, we will learn to become our own best critics,” George said. “If Auburn does anything for you as students … it should not make you comfortable. If Auburn is making you comfortable, then, Mr. President Leath, we’ve got to fix things.”

West agreed and said that the saving moments of human history were periods when love, dialogue and democracy were valued and warned that if society ceases to value these ideals then we will cycle back into “hatred, contempt, domination, exploitation, xenophobia and so on.”

West then said that finding common ground, no matter how small or seemingly inconsequential, was necessary to facilitate constructive discussion among disagreeing parties.

Clayton asked the visiting professors on their thoughts of moral authority as it relates to leadership, and asked whether or not a moral threshold existed, which led West to discuss American youth’s increasing skepticism of long-time institutions.

“They look at our churches and the pastors that become CEOs, choirs become praise teams, business enterprises, market models,” West said. “They could come to the universities and they see market model versus democratic educational model, the tension between the two.”

George spoke of the moral authority of President Donald Trump and his lack of support for the president based on concerns for his character.

“The lack of virtue in a person will unravel that person’s leadership,” George said. “You need as much virtue in a president who’s a Democrat as you do in a president that’s a Republican … you will not get it unless the people demand it. Remember that this is an experiment, and experiments can fail. How do they fail? One way is the people are willing to tolerate vice in their leaders.”

The speakers were then opened up to a few questions from the audience as dozens of people held up their hands.

The first question from an Auburn student addressed the idea of intellectual discourse and how to protect it from those who would seek to abuse it.

George answered by saying that valuable discourse provides reasons and makes arguments with evidence to support its claims, but acknowledged that there were those who didn’t follow this method of discourse while maintaining that it was still unwise to shut them down.

“We have to tolerate that abuse lest we undermine the conditions of free speech,” George said. “But that doesn’t mean that we have to give equal credit to … mere manipulation or name-calling or shouting.”

The last question addressed the concern as to what would happen if the American’s democratic experiment were to fail, to which George referenced Abraham Lincoln’s thoughts after the Civil War and concluded that despotism would be what we should expect should democracy fail.

“The best we could hope for there is benevolent despotism,” George said. “ I don’t want to let it fail, and we’re not being asked to sacrifice 750,000 lives, we’re just being asked to listen to each other, be decent to each other.”

TIGER TALK

JOSHUA FISHER / PHOTOGRAPHER

Titus Burgess talks on Thursday, Aug. 31, 2017, in Auburn, Ala.

Emmy-nominated actor and Broadway star talks character Mikayla Burns CAMPUS WRITER

Auburn University students walked away from one of this year’s Tiger Talks with a little music in their hearts.

Emmy-nominated actor and Broadway star Tituss Burgess came to Auburn with the help of the University Program Council’s Tiger Talk. The council brought him in to speak to students about his life and accomplishments, as well as advice for Auburn students.

“A friend told me to say ‘War Eagle!’” Burgess said as he greeted Auburn students at the Tiger Talk 2017 event on Aug. 31.

Burgess began the Tiger Talk explaining there would be students invited to the stage to take part in a “talk show” hosted by them.

The first student moderator to be chosen was Angel Brown, sophomore in chemical engineering. Brown asked Burgess about his time working with the show “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” of which he is nominated for an Emmy, and his favorite parts of the job.

“Not the hours,” Burgess said. “My energy level is about a two, but [my character] has a

lot.”

Burgess attributed his costumes for getting him into character but said he has much gratitude for his job and loves working with his boss, Tina Fey. He told the audience about his time before landing the role on “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.” He said he had just left his job on Broadway and prayed for a new opportunity, promising that he would give back after a big break.

Burgess landed his first Broadway show a year and a half after moving to New York City and said he is grateful and lucky that he had such a good experience finding a job in theater so quickly.

Brown then asked Burgess of his opinion on people of color having problems finding jobs in theater.

Burgess said the theater has a bad time wanting to hire people of color as the “big black woman who stops the show,” he said.

He said he had to enter a stage of blocking theater from himself to get out of the loop he, as a man of color, had been put into.

He was asked by another student on his opinion of diversity

in the workplace, not just related to theater.

“I work for a very smart woman and company,” Burgess said, referring to Fey and Netflix.

He gave advice to the students, telling them to make sure to do research on the person or company interviewing them for future jobs. Paying attention to their beliefs and charitable donations are ways to understand who you are trying to work for, he said.

“You have to remember that you are also interviewing them,” he said.

“Treat the janitor the same way you treat your boss,” Burgess said. “Good character is something that is key to growing your career.”

Burgess then advised his audience about individuality.

“For the sake of the world, be you,” he said. “No one’s going to do it like you. If you know how to put a subject and preterit together, you can say anything.”

During the Tiger Talk, two students were called up to the stage to sing with the star. At the end, Burgess bid farewell to the University with a jazz song

by Harold Arlen.

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CAMPUS

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

City council adjusts $80 million 2018 budget Alex Hosey COMMUNITY REPORTER

The Auburn City Council unanimously voted in favor of adjustments to the city’s biennial budget for fiscal years 2017–2018 at their meeting on Tuesday night, which included the allocation of funds related to the city’s 2017 downtown parking plan, efforts to improve traffic congestion, the Downtown Master Plan, the city’s Parks and Recreation master plan and the Northwest Auburn Neighborhood Plan.

“Even though we’re starting to allocate funds and making sure that the funds are available for these projects, it’s still important for the public to know that just because we approved the midbiennium budget, we are not, in essence, saying ‘yes’ to these projects,” said Ward 3 Council Member Beth Witten.

“They still come up to us, we still discuss them and we still understand the full situation of these projects before we say yes or no.”

The primary items within the city’s 2017 downtown parking plan include the East Glenn Avenue parking lot project with a budgeted $1 million from the city’s budget that will provide 88 new parking spaces for downtown, the implementation of a valet parking service, with a budgeted $78,000,

expected to make up to 75 parking spaces available, changes to parking meters and enforcement budgeted at approximately $100,000 and the construction of a new parking deck in the urban core budgeted at $10 million that will provide around 250 parking spaces.

“I think the improvements and strides we’re making in parking are going to be very helpful to the downtown area,” Witten said.

Efforts by the city listed in the accepted budget to improve traffic congestion include improvements to Richland Road budgeted at $1.7 million, Cox and Wire roads’ improvements budgeted at $847,000, new traffic signals around the city budgeted at $876,100 and a comprehensive traffic study budgeted at $500,000.

The implementation of items in the Downtown Master Plan included in the budget for 2017–

2018 include improvements to Wright Street budgeted at $1.2 million, renovation of West Magnolia and East Glenn avenues’ streetscapes budgeted at approximately $800,000 and improvements to South College Street budgeted at $1.2 million.

Auburn’s Parks, Recreation and Culture Master Plan is still being drafted by staff with its final adoption expected to take place this November.

2017–2018 Auburn budget adjustments $79.1 million total budgeted for 2018 $200,000 allocated for joint skate park with city of Opelika $10 million for a new downtown parking lot $500,000 toward University’s new performing arts center $1.2 million for South College improvements $800,000 for West Magnolia and East Glenn renovations $2.1 million for Boykin Community Center improvements $500,000 for comprehensive traffic study

FILE PHOTO

ECONOMY

Capital investments proposed by the Parks and Recreation Department addressed in the new budget include $200,000 for a new skate park in partnership with the city of Opelika and a $500,000 contribution to Auburn University’s upcoming performing arts center.

Public improvements budgeted for Northwest Auburn are valued at over $4 million, which includes $2.1 million for Boykin Community Center renovations, $150,000 for streetlights and sidewalk connectivity, $1.5 million for improvements to Donahue Drive and $150,000 for park improvements.

“We’re going to bring a lot of lights, a lot of sidewalks, we’ve already rehabbed a park over there, and we’re going to rehab a cemetery over there. We’re going to do a ton of work to Boykin Community Center that’s really going to create a center of activity and support for that community,” said Ward 2 Council Member Ron Anders.

“It’s really not everything they need, but it’s a start, and it’s a great redirection of resources for the city.”

Other initiatives the Council addressed in the budget include new enterprise software for the city and single-stream recycling services.

CITY COUNCIL

Outdoor vendors no longer welcome downtown L ily Jackson MANAGING EDITOR

CATHERINE WOFFORD / PHOTOGRAPHER

Gas prices posted at a Shell gas station on Sept. 5, 2017, in Auburn, Ala.

Closed pipeline restarts, Auburn gas prices still high Sam Willoughby COMMUNITY EDITOR

Drivers across town may have noticed a recent hit at the pump, due in part to Hurricane Harvey.

In addition to oil and gas companies operating in Texas and off the Gulf of Mexico stopping or cutting operations because of Harvey, late last week the Colonial Pipeline Company announced they had shut off portions of their fuel lines running out of Houston.

The Colonial Pipeline is the largest refined products pipeline system in the U.S. and transports millions of barrels of gasoline across a 5,500-mile span on the East Coast.

Based on the Auburn gas stations listed on gas-pricetracking website GasBuddy, the average price of regular gasoline in town as of this afternoon is $2.56 a gallon, which is still below the national average of $2.66, but more than the $2.50 average in Alabama.

The average price of die-

sel fuel in Auburn, according to GasBuddy, is now cheaper than the price of regular fuel, a rarity, at $2.50 a gallon.

Gas prices in Montgomery, the closest city to Auburn that GasBuddy provides extensive price history for, sat around $2.07 a gallon on Aug. 24, a day before Harvey made landfall.

Prices have risen since then, and they now sit at $2.60 in Montgomery.

A portion of the pipeline was restarted on Monday, and Colonial announced Tuesday afternoon that the line transporting gasoline between Houston and Lake Charles, Louisiana was restarted.

Still, as long as Houston and the surrounding areas suffer from the lasting effects of Harvey, gas prices in Alabama may be higher than usual.

“Until Texas can recover from Harvey, gasoline prices will likely continue to remain elevated,” said Patrick DeHaan, senior petroleum

analyst for GasBuddy, in a statement released on Tuesday. “The situation is beginning to look up, with many refineries either back online or in the process, and gasoline production is ramping back up.”

With the Colonial Pipeline having shut down last week due to a lack of products, the Southeast and MidAtlantic may be a touchand-go area for gasoline.”

Hurricane Irma, which was upgraded to a Category 5 storm on Tuesday, could also affect gas production and distribution in the South and the rest of the country if the storm edges into the Gulf of Mexico.

In October 2016, an explosion along the Colonial Pipeline left two dead and four others injured in Shelby County while workers were repairing the line that had suffered a rupture the month before.

Both the deadly explosion and rupture also led to gas shortages across the Southeast.

Braden McGraw and his wife, Sandra McGraw, will now have to find another way to help ease the weight of their college loans.

The City Council’s decision to amend Section 247 of Chapter 12, Article X, of the city’s code was made — putting Braden McGraw’s gameday toilet paper business on hold and off Auburn’s downtown sidewalks.

McGraw and McGraw, Braden McGraw’s first small business, became a registered competitor last week after he struck a deal with Trey Johnson, owner of J&M Bookstore, on College Street. Braden McGraw said the business allowed him to set up a stand, selling rolling toilet paper after triumphant home games.

Braden McGraw said his team sold about a hundred rolls at the first game, and with that opening night, they considered the game a success.

In Braden McGraw’s presentation to the Council, he expressed his concern with the amendment, saying he

had followed through with all of the required steps to sell his product downtown and that his permit was then quickly taken back.

“I commend him for wanting to have a business and pursuing his dream,” said Ward 3 Council Member Beth Witten. “However, all of the businesses downtown have worked very hard to pay rent — high rent — and payroll and taxes. They do that 365 days a year, not just seven or eight business days of the year.”

Witten said the Council made the decision in consideration of the downtown business owners, and she felt the decision was fair. “[The downtown merchants] aren’t close-minded to saying, ‘We never want you downtown,’ but there are special times when that is allowed,” Witten said.

“These events put everyone on the same playing field.”

Some of the events Witten said that would be held and welcoming to smallbusiness owners were large community gatherings and festivals like SummerNight.

Mayor Bill Ham agreed

and said there are other ways to start small businesses, and he encourages young entrepreneurs to do so.

T he id e a o r igin a te d from the day of the eclipse.

Braden McGraw said he thought about the sudden need for solar eclipse glasses and because of the shortlived necessity, he couldn’t tap into that specific market.

After thinking about goods needed at just the right moment, Braden and Sandra McGraw decided their business would be in rolling.

“I respect [the Council’s] decision, but I think that it should have been up to the individual businesses to decide if they want street sales,” Braden McGraw said.

“They already had the ability to deny it, but they have taken away the ability for them to allow it.”

Braden McGraw, being the only sidewalk salesman present, said he feels that not many people know of this happening and once more small-business owners want to find a place downtown, the decision will receive backlash.

ADAM SPARKS / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Toilet paper hangs from trees lining South College Street following Auburn’s win over GSU. Auburn vs Georgia Southern on Saturday, Sept. 2 in Auburn, Ala.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2017

The Auburn Plainsman

PAGE 7

SPOTLIGHT

Storybook Farm saddling up for another year Sydney Smith COMMUNITY WRITER

Storybook Farm is opening their barn doors to allow Auburn students and people of the general public to volunteer during this fall season.

The farm is a faith-based nonprofit organization located in Opelika that allows people, ranging from two years old up to young adulthood, with disabilities to escape their daily routines to ride horses, play with animals, grow vegetables in the garden and participate in arts and crafts.

Each animal in the farm is named after a famous literary character like Friar Tuck or Boo Radley.

Storybook aims to give its visitors an experience similar to stepping into their favorite childhood books.

Founder and Executive Director Dena Little said the staff “believes magic happens at Storybook Farm every day.”

The overall mission of this nonprofit organization “is to walk alongside families that have un-

certain futures that are dealing with crisis situations,” Little said.

Volunteers and staff walk with these families both figuratively in life, she said, and literally as they lead the horses around the farm.

Storybook Farm is seeking dependable volunteers that are able to keep a steady volunteering schedule throughout the season.

Volunteers fill a number of roles: working with children, helping around the farm and caring for the almost 40 animals there.

The staff explained that whether you have equine experience or have never even seen a horse before, they train everyone in order to be a successful and knowledgeable volunteer.

“The mentoring ability [allows volunteers] to utilize gifts and talents in order to give back to someone that is walking down a tough path,” Little said.

The programs officially begins on Sept. 18, and the farm is preparing for the 1,500 children they are expecting to participate in their week-

ly activities.

One piece of their mission is to never have a family pay for the services they receive at Storybook Farm.

Whether a family has 10 children riding horses or one, the staff has always promised free mentoring and riding to all who pass through the front gate.

Because of their operating costs, they must have funding in order to support and keep the nonprofit running.

Right now, they have many corporate partners and participate in fundraising initiatives to raise money that goes directly into the programming for the children.

The farm is also raising money through gameday parking.

Funds raisied from parking passes purchased from Regions Bank on home football gamedays go directly to Storybook Farm.

This season, they are also holding a community-wide fundraising initiative, Storybook Stakes,

which allows anyone to help raise money by creating a fundraising page and have followers text in or click to donate.

This works just like a horse race. The horse with the most donations gallops across the finish line first.

Auburn University is also getting involved by creating a student-led, on-campus organization this fall. The club will be holding events to help raise money on campus as well as volunteering in their spare time.

This organization has recruited a staff determined to change the community around them for the better.

“We are making a difference not only in the lives of the kids and staff but everyone who gets involved in Storybook,” said Andrew Skinner, volunteer coordinator.

Storybook Farm or “The Disney World of Lee County,” as nicknamed by Little, is excited for the upcoming programs with new and familiar faces from the kids involved to the volunteers.

EVENTS

Music fills the streets during ‘Come Home to the Corner’ Kailey Beth Smith COMMUNITY WRITER

On Friday, Sept. 1, the City of Auburn’s streets came alive with the sounds of laughter and live music.

The City of Auburn and the Downtown Merchants Association partnered together to celebrate their community’s favorite time of the year: football season.

The event, Come Home to the Corner, was a celebration of sorts.

The downtown streets remained open as stores and restaurants alike opened their own doors to welcome in all natives and visitors to the wellknown intersection of Magnolia and South College streets.

Matt Cain, local musician and volunteer for Auburn Fire Department, made Toomer’s Corner his stage, as he jammed out with a band behind

him.

Cain’s friend and former classmate, Tyler Sheridan, listened to the music with his wife.

“This event has been great,” Cain said. “Everyone is enjoying the night. ... It’s great for the City of Auburn.”

The corner, known as Toomer’s Corner, is where the famed oak trees once stood, and where their descendants now stand.

In recent days, this corner has seen a lot of love from the AuburnOpelika community, as they cheer on the growth of the new trees following multiple replanting efforts after they were poisoned in 2010.

Come Home to the Corner is a relatively new tradition in Auburn, and its organizers say that they plan to continue to host these showcases of family and culture every Friday

KAILEY BETH SMITH / COMMUNITY WRITER

Artists perform during Come Home to the Corner on Sept. 1, 2017.

night before a home football game.

These nights help local businesses, said Abby Campbell, an employee of Auburn Art on South College.

“Football is definitely our busy season. ... It’s good to see all the people come out and visit local stores because we have so many of them in

the Auburn area,” she said.

Each Friday night is a designated entertainment event from 4–10 p.m.

Organizers are hopeful that this will bring the Auburn Family closer together and help local businesses thrive.

“Tonight has been great,” said

Kaitlyn Mulling, owner and operator of The Unicorn Bus, a LulaRoe associate. “Everyone is coming in and checking out what it’s all about.”

The next Come Home to the Corner event is Friday, Sept. 15, the night before the homecoming game versus the Mercer Bears.

sports

8

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2017

THEPLAINSMAN.COM

SPORTS

VOLLEYBALL

Tigers sweep in Puerto Rico WADE RACKLEY / AUBURN ATHLETICS

Gwyn Jones (10) celebrates after a point vs. Alabama State on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017 in Auburn, Ala.

Nathan King ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

After starting the year 3-1 compared to last season’s 0-3 start, Auburn traveled to Puerto Rico in search of a statement type weekend. That is exactly what the Tigers got with wins over No. 16 North Carolina and NC State.

Auburn kicked off the first day of the ACC/SEC Puerto Rico Clasico with a 3-1 (25-23, 25-22, 25-27, 25-21) upset over No. 16 UNC Saturday night.

“I was really happy with the way we battled against a really physical team,” Auburn head coach Rick Nold said. “We knew we would have to be the aggressor in this match, and I thought our mentality was the difference tonight.”

The Tigers (4-1) put together a balanced attack offensively as senior setter Alexa Filley guided the Auburn offense with 47 assists. Senior Macy Reece notched a season-best 13 kills, while sophomore Shaina White chipped in 11. Junior Brenna McIlroy, sophomore Gwyn Jones and freshman Anna Stevenson had nine apiece.

“Alexa (Filley) did a great job keeping the Tar Heel defense off balance with a balanced offense,” Nold said. “Our middles were working hard and that opened opportunities for everyone.”

The Auburn defense limited the Tar Heels to a .150 hitting percentage with senior libero Jesse Earl leading the way with a season-high 20 digs. Freshman Payton White totaled a careerbest with 14 digs, while McIlroy added 14 as well. The Tiger blockers combined for six blocks on the night.

“Defense has always been a strength of our team, and I thought we were really scrappy, which frustrated them,” Nold said.

UNC (0-3) finished three with double-digit kills. Beth Nordhorn and Taylor Leath notched 12 each, while Taylor Borup finished with 10. Setter Holly Carlton had 39 assists and libero Mia Fradenburg had a match-high 24 digs.

Kills from S. White and Reece led to a 5-3 lead to start set one for Auburn. The Tar Heels came back to tie the set at six before a Tiger rally pushed AU up 10-7, forcing a UNC timeout. A handful of Auburn runs highlighted by a Karis Beasley service ace led to an 18-13 advantage, but the Tar Heels persisted and locked

the set up at 23. Another kill from Reece made it set point, and Stevenson closed out the set with a strike, 25-23.

It was a back-and-forth affair in the second before the Tar Heels pushed an 11-9 advantage. Later in the set, a kill from Jones and a Jones/Stevenson block locked it up at 17 apiece. A kill from Reece sent Auburn on a three-point run to take a 2221 lead and a Jones kill sealed the set, 25-22.

Kills from S. White and Filley made it 4-3 early in set three.

Another kill from Reece triggered a three-point Auburn push, 15-11, and tough AU serving made it 17-13. A McIlroy kill and a solo block for S. White put the Tigers up 23-19 before the Tar Heels pressed a run to tie it up at 24. UNC forced the fourth, holding on for a 27-25 win.

Two kills followed by tough serving from S. White led to an 11-6 Auburn lead to start the final set. Back-to-back aces from Beasley forced a UNC timeout, 14-8, and a kill from Jones gave the Tigers a 16-9 advantage. More errors for the Tar Heels lifted AU to a 19-12 lead and a kill from Reece put Auburn at match point, 24-18. UNC used big blocks to stall the Tigers, but Auburn held on to take the match, 25-21.

The team capped its full weekend with a 3-2 (14-25, 25-22, 15-25, 26-24, 15-9) comeback win over NC State Sunday night to close out the ACC/SEC Puerto Rico Clasico.

“Tonight’s match showed that this team has a lot of maturity,” Nold said. “They found themselves in tough situations and found ways to fight their way out. This was a big tournament for us against great competition. We’ve learned a lot about ourselves on this trip.”

A trio of Tigers (5-1) totaled double-digit kills to lead Auburn on the night. Sophomore Gwyn Jones notched a season-best 14 kills, while classmate Shaina White chipped in 12. Junior Brenna McIlroy picked up her second double-double of the year, having 11 kills and 10 digs.

Senior setter Alexa Filley finished with another double-double, upping her season total to four after having a match-high 44 assists and 12 digs. Freshman Anna Stevenson added eight kills and senior Courtney Crable had six.

Defensively, senior libero Jesse Earl led the squad with 16

digs, while freshman Payton White totaled 11. S. White had a great night at the net defensively, totaling a career-high five blocks.

NC State (0-5) had four student-athletes in double digits offensively. Melissa Evans had 20 kills, while Julia Brown added 18. Bree Bailey and Lauryn Terry had 12 and 11 kills, respectively. Libero Mackenzie Kuchmaner had a match-high 26 digs and setter Kylie Pickrell finished with 43 digs and 15 digs.

The Wolfpack opened the match hot, utilizing Auburn errors to take an 11-6 lead. More long runs for NC State lifted the team to 18-11, and the Pack closed out the set, 25-14.

A McIlroy kill and a block from Filley/S. White made it 6-4 early in the second and a handful of two-point Tiger rallies pushed AU to an 11-8 advantage. The Pack battled back to go up at 15-14 and the squads exchanged points until another McIlroy strike pushed Auburn ahead, 21-19. A pair of NC State errors capped the set, 25-22 AU. The Wolfpack regrouped at intermission and found themselves up 5-1 early in set three. Big NC State blocks forced an Auburn timeout, 14-8, and long runs for the Pack pushed the team to a 21-12 lead. NC State finished with a 25-15 win.

Kills by Jones and McIlroy followed by a Pack error had Auburn up 8-6 in the fourth stanza. The Pack came back to tie it at 9-9 and the teams battled back and forth for the lead before a kill from Jones and tough serving by Earl pushed the Tigers ahead at 17-14. NC State was not out yet and locked it up at 20 apiece.

After exchanging sideouts, a Jones kill and a P. White service ace sent the match to extras, 26-24.

The Tigers kept momentum and behind more aggressive serves from Earl, the team opened up with a 4-0 advantage. A kill from Filley lifted Auburn to a 9-5 lead and a pair of McIlroy strikes closed out the match, 15-9, Tigers.

The Tigers return to Auburn Arena for the annual War Eagle Invitational, hosting South Alabama and Clemson. Auburn takes on USA Friday, Sept. 8, at 6 p.m. CST. in Auburn Arena. The Jaguars and Clemson will face off at 12 p.m. CST Saturday, Sept. 9, with the two Tiger teams closing out the weekend at 6 p.m. CT.

FOOTBALL

Stidham plays with heavy heart Peter Santo SPORTS WRITER

MADISON OGLETREE / PHOTO EDITOR

Jarrett Stidham greets fans during Tiger Walk on Saturday, Sept. 2.

2017 in Auburn, Ala.

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After Auburn won its season opener 41-7 over Georgia Southern on Saturday, most of the postgame talk centered around the team’s performance and its upcoming matchup with defending champion Clemson.

But quarterback Jarrett Stidham used a portion of his postgame press conference to remind everyone that there is more to life than just football.

“It’s cool that we won and everything.

It’s cool that we ran the ball great, defense played their butts off. But I do want to say that my heart is going out to the people of Texas right now,” Stid-

ham said. “I’ve had to kind of deal with some stuff all week with that, with some family and friends down in that area. So I want to say that just publicly that we’re praying for the people down there.”

Stidham, a native of Stephenville, Texas, said that the devastation hit home for him and some of his teammates, most notably Texas natives Darius James, Kam Martin, and Spencer Nigh.

“I have people directly affected from it. I know here in Auburn, Alabama it’s hard to kind of understand what’s really happening back there, back home,” Stidham said. “So our thoughts and prayers are with everybody in Texas and Louisi-

ana. Anything will help those people get better. So that’s where a big part of my heart has been all week.”

While he said he wishes he could do more to help, he and his teammates are doing everything they can.

“Yeah, I have some family and friends that actually haven’t been to their homes since I believe Monday. There’s been a lot of flooding and everything,” Stidham said. “Like I said our thoughts and prayers are with everyone out there. I wish I could go and do something to help physically, but I can’t. So as a team we’ve been praying about it every day this week and it’s been heavy on our hearts.”

SOCCER

Soccer falters against North Carolina

Will Sahlie SPORTS EDITOR

After outclassing North Dakota on Aug. 27, the Auburn soccer team travelled to North Carolina for a pair of contests against Top 15 teams in the Duke Nike Classic. The Tigers struggled mightily, and returned home empty-handed.

The Tigers started the weekend with a 5-0 loss to No. 9 North Carolina (4-1), who held Auburn (2-3-1) to just two shots in the match.

“I felt that we started the game well and we were ready,” head coach Karen Hoppa said. “Give credit to UNC for a great goal in the first half, and we really struggled to recover from that.

“We’ve got to respond to goals better. I

thought we could have done a lot more offensively. We committed a couple of fouls that we shouldn’t have that cost us two goals. We’ve got to be better in those moments and I think there’s a lot more we can do.”

Joanna Boyles netted two goals for the Tar Heels, while Alessia Russo, Dorian Bailey and Miah Araba each scored one.

Auburn goalkeeper Sarah Le Beau made a career-high nine saves for the Tigers, who were outshot 23-2 in the match.

Auburn closed the weekend with a 2-0 loss to No. 13 Duke (5-1).

“Obviously, we played a really good Duke team; I thought they played great today,” Hoppa said. “I was really pleased overall with our performance as far as im-

proving from Friday.

“There’s certainly some things we’ve got to fix, but I thought we played a solid game.

Our possession was better and we created some chances. We just have to do better in the final third (of the pitch).”

Ella Stevens scored the first goal of the match in the 24th minute with a free kick that soared past Le Beau. Imani Dorsey scored the second goal of the match for the Blue Devils.

The Tigers were outshot 16-5, and 39-7 over the weekend. Le Beau made eight saves for Auburn vs. Duke.

Auburn will look to return to its winning ways Friday at the Auburn Soccer Complex vs. High Point. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT.

The Auburn Plainsman

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2017

PAGE 9

MEN’S GOLF

FILE PHOTO

Trace Crowe during day two of the Barbasol Championship on Friday, July 21, 2017 in Opelika, Ala.

No. 13 Auburn golf gears up for 2017 season Peter Santo SPORTS WRITER

Having been to six straight NCAA championships, Auburn men’s golf is no stranger to success under head coach Nick Clinard, who is entering his ninth season.

The Tigers finished second at Regionals and 11th at the NCAA Championships last season and are hoping to find similar success this year.

“We have a great skill set, as a team our talent level is very high, it’s just a matter of maturity,” Clinard said. “We have a lot of young guys that bring a lot to the table, it’s just about maturity, how fast they can grow as human beings in life, in college, and as players as well.”

The Tigers return seven players this season, including junior Trace Crowe, who had a team-low 71.82 scoring average last season and was named All-SEC second team.

“Trace is a great player. He’s a very talented kid. He has a great work ethic, he’s got a great motor for the game, it’s just a matter of kind of cleaning it up a little bit,” Clinard said.

“Ball-striking can be just a little bit better, a little straighter on his misses, and make a few more putts and he has a chance to play on the PGA Tour one day.”

In addition to the returning players, the Tigers added

five new freshmen who Clinard hopes will contribute right away.

“I think they come off great pedigrees as junior golfers,” Clinard said. “We have one freshman that’s already won twice on the amateur circuit. They’re big time players and they don’t have a lot of fear. I think they come in with the right culture, and we’re looking forward to seeing what they can do and we’re glad they’re here.”

Auburn will look to blend both the old and the new faces into one cohesive group this season and carry over the winning culture from last season.

“The guys we have returning are very positive, very optimistic human beings and great leaders,” Clinard said. “I think the culture. The culture of the team last year was the best its been since I’ve been here and I think the culture we have in that locker room is huge.”

The Tigers have upcoming qualifiers to determine the lineup heading into the fall season. Freshman Wells Padgett shot a 67 on Monday that included a back-nine 30 to take the early lead, but the lineup is expected to change throughout the season.

“I would anticipate some changes throughout the fall,” Clinard said. “It’s interesting to see what these young guys

can do too. I think they’re going to push the upperclassmen, which from a coaching perspective is a wonderful thing. It makes them work a little bit harder and be really competitive. We’ve created a nucleus on the roster where it’s a very competitive environment. A lot of it is going to be up to them.”

The Tigers are leave themselves no time to ease into the season, as they will begin the year playing against six SEC teams and three ACC teams at the Carpet Capital Collegiate in Dalton, GA on September 8-10.

Their tough fall schedule also includes some of the biggest events in collegiate golf, including the Trinity Forest Invitational in Dallas and the Tavistock Invitational in Orlando.

The Tigers will also defend their title at the Jerry Pate Invitational hosted by the University of Alabama.

“I like where we are. Alabama is really good, Florida’s really good, LSU is always really good. They’re all good. You’re always sitting here as a coach thinking how are we going to beat those guys,” Clinard said. “But I like where we are, we’re worried about Auburn, we’re worried about ourselves. If we can do the right things on and off the golf course, and play to our ability, then I think we can compete and beat anybody in the country.”

FOOTBALL

STUDENT AFFAIRS S P OT L I G H T Auburn University Parents Association

ADAM SPARKS / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Kerryon Johnson (21) runs the ball in the second half. Auburn vs. Clemson on Saturday, Sept. 3 in Auburn, Ala.

Tigers to meet at rivalry peak Jake Wright SPORTS WRITER

Sean White heaved a desperation Hail Mary attempt as the seconds on the JordanHare Stadium clocked ticked away. The pass fell incomplete, as then-No. 2 Clemson would walk away with a 19-13 win.

Clemson would go on to win the national championship last season, however it was no surprise that the game between the two Tigers was a nail biter. The Auburn-Clemson series has been highly competitive in recent years, just like last year’s game. Saturday night’s game in Death Valley should be no different.

The South has many great rivalries in college football. Though they do not play annually, Clemson vs. Auburn has been one of those must-see rivalries. The matchup is something that has been brewing for well over a century.

Auburn and Clemson have a very intriguing history that dates all the way back to the late 1800’s. Walter Riggs, the first coach in Clemson history, was an Auburn graduate.

The next two coaches at Clemson were also graduates of Auburn. Riggs would bring the game of football with him from Auburn to Clemson and was also big reason as to why Clemson’s team colors are so similar to Auburn’s.

In 1899, Auburn and Clemson faced off on the gridiron for the first time. John Heisman, whom the Heisman Trophy is named after, roamed the Auburn sidelines as head coach. The next year, Heisman would move on to coach Clemson. Nearly a century later, Clemson hired Tommy Bowden in 1999, who worked as Auburn’s offensive coordinator from 1991-1996 and is the brother of former Auburn coach Terry Bowden.

Clemson’s current head man, Dabo Swinney, played just a few hours away from The Plains at the University of Alabama. Furthering the connections, Auburn defensive coordinator Kevin Steele held the same position under Sweeney at Clemson from 2009-2011.

Saturday’s game will be the sixth meeting since 2007 between the two teams. Two games have been at Clemson, two at Auburn and two more neutral-site games in Atlanta.

Since 2007, the games have been decided by an average of less than a touchdown. Clemson has won the last three meetings, but Auburn won 14 in a row dating from 1952 all the way up until 2010.

Auburn vs. Clemson has always been intense, but there is no question that it has intensified with so many meaningful meetings in the past few years. Auburn beat Clemson in overtime during the 2010 campaign. That was the year Auburn boasted Heisman winner Cam Newton and the national championship.

The next year, Auburn and Clemson met in Clemson. Clemson would win and go on to claim their first ACC Championship since 1991. Last season, Clemson won the opener against Auburn and went on to beat Alabama in the national championship game.

The 2017 edition of the rivalry will be the last time the two teams will play for at least four more seasons, as neither program currently has the other on any future schedule.

Clemson and Auburn have seen many monumental games since the turn of the century, primarily due to the relevancy of the two programs. This weekend’s game will be a playoff-like nonconference showdown, and the winner’s momentum will have the potential to catapult them through the rest of the season.

SEPTEMBER 15 - 17 Each year, the Office of Parent and Family Programs hosts Fall Family Weekend, an event that serves as an opportunity for parents and families of Auburn University students to attend campus activities during the fall semester. Fall Family Weekend is held in conjunction with Auburn University's homecoming, which is a time for Alumni and current students to join together to celebrate traditions and the Auburn Family.

For more information, please visit auburn.edu/homecoming.

auburn.edu/StudentAffairs

@AuburnStudents

facebook.com/AuburnStudents

@AuburnStudents

Auburn Students

The Auburn Plainsman

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2017

PLAINSMAN PICK ‘EM AU-Clemson

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Stanford-USC

PAGE 10

FOOTBALL

Behind enemy bylines

Dr. John Carvalho Journalism professor

ADAM SPARKS / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Will Sahlie (7-0) Sports Editor

Kerryon Johnson (21) finds a hole to run through on a touchdown run late in the second half of Auburn vs.

Clemson on Saturday, Sept. 3 in Auburn, Ala.

Will Sahlie SPORTS EDITOR

Colin Halm, assistant sports editor at The Tiger, answered a few questions from The Plainsman ahead of Auburn’s matchup with Clemson this Saturday.

Nathan King (6-1) Ast. Sports Editor

1. Can you give a brief scouting report on new Clemson quarterback Kelly Bryant?

Clemson’s Kelly Bryant is a dual-threat quarterback who is a better runner than passer. He has a good nose for finding holes on the ground.

Bryant completed a 61-yard deep ball touchdown to Deon Cain Saturday against Kent State that still went about 45 yards through the air, so you know he has good touch on his passes.

He makes less bad decisions than his predecessor Deshaun Watson, but he still tries to force passes into impossible windows.

Tyler Roush (6-1) Sports Reporter

Sumner Martin (5-2) Sports Writer

2. Clemson lost a good bit of talent from last year’s national championship team. Who are some guys that will be counted on to make plays this season?

Tre Lamar will be trying to do his best Ben Boulware impression on Saturdays this season, but the 4-star linebacker has won the starting weak side linebacker spot as a true sophomore, so he doesn’t have much to prove to the coaches.

Lamar is an instinctual player and a good tackler but is weak in coverage.

On offense, it will have to be the stable of running backs.

CJ Fuller, Tavien Feaster, Adam Choice and Travis Etienne are all capable of making an impact, but they need to take advantage of their limited opportunities.

Jake Wright (5-2) Sports Writer

Peter Santo Sports Writer

Bennett Page Sports Writer

3. Clemson’s defensive line has been described as one of the best in the country, who are some guys to watch out for up front?

The simple answer is all of them. There is no single guy any offensive line can focus on for too long because the other three will break through.

Austin Bryant is probably the weakest one on the line because of a foot injury he sustained last year, but if he’s the worst, there isn’t really a problem.

Christian Wilkins and Dexter Lawrence are the big boys up front that will collapse the running game up front and defensive end Clelin Ferrell is a pass rushing specialist just as good as Vic Beasley.

4. What do you think will be the key position battle on the field on Saturday?

It will be a battle in the trenches against Auburn with Clemson’s defensive line set to spar with Auburn’s offensive line.

Jarrett Stidham needs time in the pocket to beat Clemson, but if Auburn’s line doesn’t hold, they may lose this game early on.

5. What can Auburn fans expect when they visit Death Valley this weekend?

Clemson has been praised before about the manners of its fans. Tailgaters will welcome opposing fans no matter the school.

Inside Death Valley will be much more raucous. Noise inside has been known to reach near-deafening volumes. Make sure to bring protection if you have sensitive ears.

6. Score prediction?

Home field advantage gives Clemson the edge, 30-23.

FOOTBALL

ADAM SPARKS / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Auburn receiver Ryan Davis (83) spins away from Clemson’s Jadar Johnson (18) after a catch in the second half. Auburn vs. Clemson on Saturday, Sept. 3 in Auburn, Ala.

Auburn looks to knock off defending national champions Bennett Page SPORTS WRITER

This Saturday, Auburn will venture into the loud and intimidating atmosphere of Death Valley, but not the same one they visit every other year in Baton Rouge.

The Tigers will take on the challenge of knocking off the defending national champions, Clemson, that beat Alabama on a touchdown pass with one second left to take the College Football Playoff trophy out of Nick Saban’s grasp.

This isn’t the same Clemson team that dominated the playoffs last season, however. Big changes have come, and the other Tigers have lost some of their superstars to the NFL. The most notable difference is at quarterback.

Deshaun Watson, the two-time Heisman trophy finalist, has his first NFL regular-season game with the Houston Texans on Sunday. Replacing him is junior Kelly Bryant, who silenced any doubters in his debut. Bryant went 16-22 for 236 yards, one touchdown and one interception against Kent State. He also ran seven times for 77 yards and another touchdown.

At the wide receiver position, Clemson faces a big challenge in replacing Mike Williams. While they still have veterans Hunter Renfrow and Deon Cain,

Williams is the receiver who torched the Auburn defense for 174 yards in 2016. Aside from Williams, Watson only had 74 other passing yards in their victory over Auburn.

Clemson also lost their feature running back, Wayne Gallman, to the NFL’s New York Giants.

Gallman ran for 123 yards and a touchdown against Auburn in 2016. C.J. Fuller, who had no carries against Auburn last year, has been chosen to replace Gallman as the starting running back.

The Auburn defense will prove a bigger challenge than Kent State, however. Kevin Steele’s Auburn defense held Georgia Southern to 78 yards of total offense in their opener. The Eagles’ quarterback, Shai Werts, was held to a meager 8 passing yards.

The triple option attack of Georgia Southern never reached the end zone, with their seven points coming off a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown.

In their opening game, the Auburn defense could not have looked more dominant. While the offense could have had a stronger outing, there were few concerns.

Most of the offseason hype surrounding Auburn was focused on transfer quarterback Jarrett Stidham. The former Baylor quarterback went 14-24 for 185 yards and two touchdowns, with one interception. He also had nine carries for 17 yards and

a touchdown, with one fumble that went the other way for Southern’s only points.

While it wasn’t a dominating performance by any means, he showed few reasons to be concerned over the quarterback position. It was Stidham’s first time playing a real football game in almost two calendar years.

At the running back position, starter and Heisman candidate Kamryn Pettway was suspended for the Georgia Southern game. Head coach Gus Malzahn did not announce the suspension of Pettway, along with wide receiver Kyle Davis and backup quarterback Sean White, until less than an hour before kickoff.

In Pettway’s absence, the Auburn rushing attack did not struggle by any means. Kam Martin had 14 carries for 136 yards and a touchdown, with one fumble that was recovered by Auburn.

Kerryon Johnson had 16 carries for 136 yards and a touchdown, but pulled up with an apparent leg injury in the second quarter. He was 34 yards into the run and likely would have scored.

The play was reminiscent of Kamryn Pettway’s injury in the 2016 Vanderbilt game, where he was sure to score on a fourth-quarter run but pulled up with a hamstring injury after a 60-yard sprint. Malzahn said on Tuesday that Johnson missed practice

on Sunday, but they are hopeful he will return in time for the Clemson game.

With Kyle Davis suspended, Stidham found success in multiple targets. Will Hastings led the team with four receptions for 68 yards and a touchdown, while Darius Slayton had three catches for 43 yards and one fumble. Stidham threw completions to seven different receivers, but Kyle Davis will provide him with more deep targets when he returns against Clemson.

Pettway will also return in the Clemson game, as Malzahn mentioned when he first announced the suspensions. Pettway’s presence should draw more defenders to the inside, allowing receivers to get open for Stidham.

Clemson, who is currently ranked third in the AP Top 25, will try to stop Auburn’s offense as well as they did against Kent State. Kent State ran for 119 yards while throwing for only one yard.

This game will be the fifth between SEC and ACC teams this season, and an Auburn win would keep the SEC undefeated against the conference of the defending national champions.

The game kicks off at 6 p.m. CT on Saturday and will be aired on ESPN. In a battle between two

playoff contenders, No. 13 Auburn will try to get revenge against No. 3 Clemson this season.

lifestyle THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2017

11 THEPLAINSMAN.COM

LIFESTYLE

HEALTH

A professor’s advice: How to get a good night’s sleep Aidan Lambrecht LIFESTYLE WRITER

When it comes to sleeping, the amount you get can be more crucial than you think.

Professor Joseph Buckhalt of the department of special education, rehabilitation and counseling said that losing sleep can build up a debt that can have many adverse effects on health including emotional regulation, mental cognition and physical health.

“In addition to impairing your attention and learning abilities the next day, a lack of sleep also impairs your consolidation of things learned the previous day,” Buckhalt said.

For those who want to take control of their sleeping schedule and receive the benefits of healthy sleep patterns, Buckhalt offered his expertise.

Buckhalt said that electronic screens are a big culprit that contribute to the minutes spent tossing around in bed trying to fall asleep.

Blue light from screens as small as a phone can delay the release of melatonin, the chemical that helps people fall asleep, because it tricks the brain into thinking that it is still daytime causing them to stay awake.

Additionally, things like Twitter or Netflix are stimulating for people’s brains and rile them up when they should be relaxing into sleep.

To prevent this from affecting sleep, Buck-

ADAM SPARKS / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Turning phones off and not exercising an hour before bed can lead to a better night’s sleep.

halt suggested turning off the screens and attempting to get away from extremely bright lights at least an hour before going to bed.

When restless and lying in bed, Buckhalt said people often think a solution is to get up and exercise to make themselves tired and able to fall asleep more easily.

However, he said this is not true. Exercising promotes a chemical called cortisol, which counteracts and suppresses melatonin, making it less likely to fall asleep fast.

Because of this, he also suggests not exercising within an hour of going to bed in order to give your body time to recover.

Another popular element that interferes with sleep is caffeine. Buckhalt said that caffeine should be avoided because, while it might make you fall asleep, it can also force a lighter and less satisfying sleep.

“One of the reasons caffeinated beverages, coffee included, have become so popular with younger people is because we are all sleep de-

prived and need that jolt to get going and to keep going,” Buckhalt said. “However, caffeine stays in your body for a long time. It’s best not to have caffeine at all in the afternoon.”

Lastly, Buckhalt said darkness, lack of noise and temperature are key for getting the best night’s rest.

“Dark, quiet and cool,” Buckhalt said.

While Buckhalt said these are not the only things that contribute to efficient sleep, following these tips can help make an improvement

EVENTS

Greystone Mansion to host Friday Football Cocktail Anne D awson LIFESTYLE EDITOR

The Greystone Mansion will be hosting a Friday Football Cocktail Series on the Friday nights before home football games featuring a live band, tailgate food and cash bar starting Sept. 1.

Katie Crumpton, event coordinator, said the objective behind the series was to give alumni-aged community members an event

to enjoy that is close to campus without being too close.

“We want to give them a fun and social event near campus without the craziness of downtown, and to give locals something fun to do and a place to host their visiting friends,” Crumpton said.

The idea for the event came from the new business owner J. Davis, who hopes to provide a creative way for the members of the

community and game day visitors to spend their Friday nights before enjoying Auburn football. Also, an event further from traffic will attract more of an audience, Crumpton said.

“We are providing a new experience for groups coming into town for the game weekends and for people who have been around Auburn for years that are looking for a new place to gather,” Crumpton said.

Crumpton said they are trying to attract a crowd of 25 year olds and older, but will welcome alumni, locals and fans.

“There aren’t many places in Auburn that target the post-grad crowd, so we wanted to do just that by providing the Friday Football Cocktails,” Crumpton said.

Tickets for each event can be purchased online through The Greystone Mansion’s Facebook.

The Auburn Plainsman

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2017

PAGE 12

FOOD

COLUMN: Brunch on Sunday the right way Emma Rygiel

soups, salads and sandwiches as a part of its brunch menu. A great choice if you’re looking for a later brunch with family or friends.

LIFESTYLE WRITER

Due to football season’s return, weekends are packed in The Loveliest Village with families, friends and Auburn fans from all over flooding the town. Sunday brunch, a town favorite and possibly the greatest meal ever invented, is a rich Southern tradition that is even more popular on game day weekends.

With so many options in town, I have compiled a list of my five favorite brunch spots around Auburn to help narrow your search and avoid the scramble of what to do come Sunday morning.

Acre This Auburn favorite, described on their website as “a restaurant with sophisticated charm and repurposed architectural details serving stylishly modern food with roots deep in Southern soil,” is a must for visitors and locals alike.

Offering reservations throughout the week, as well as for Sunday brunch, Acre strives to connect Southern traditional eats with a modern twist in a welcoming, family friendly atmosphere. Offering unique menu items such as its “Duke’s chicken salad,” a “chicken fried chicken biscuit,” and crispy smoked salmon cakes, Acre should be near the top of your brunch bucket list.

Crepe Myrtle Bringing a French delicacy to the City of Auburn, Crepe Myrtle is always a solid choice when deciding on your brunch destination.

This cafe offers a new option unlike any other in town, using farm fresh products in all of their menu items.

From dessert crepes to savory ones, there’s something to satisfy every craving. If you’re not a huge crepe fan, Crepe Myrtle also offers other breakfast items such as omelets, scones, pigs n’ a blanket and monkey bread.

Located right off of College Street, its hidden garden-like atmosphere provides an escape from the happening college town. Although its set up is geared toward those with a time crunch, on Sundays it’s best to get there as early as possible. Since it isn’t a formal restaurant and operates on a café style layout, the line can get pretty long. However, if you are able to beat the crowd or wait it out, you’re in for a treat.

The Hound Holding a special place in my heart and my stomach, The Hound is one of the best options for Sunday brunch on The Plains. Family-owned and thriving, this restaurant offers classic menu items with a twist. Partnering with local favorite, Coffee Cat, The Hound also serves great drinks to sip on before, after or during your amazing meal.

Some townie favorites are the “redneck benedict” and “caramel French toast.” Sure to make you want to go day in and day out and worth every penny, The Hound is a go-to for every Auburn brunch goer.

If you aren’t feeling a full meal, a few coffee shops in town worth your while are Prevail Union, The Bean, Coffee Cat, Mama Mocha’s Coffee Emporium and Roasters and Ross House Coffee. All close to campus, these coffee shops are great options to grab a quick treat or morning brew.

Ariccia Trattoria at The Auburn Hotel Hidden within Auburn’s most inviting hotel, Ariccia Trattoria offers its own take on Sunday brunch — buffet style, with an omelet station, chef’s table filled with fruits and veggies, a traditional buffet, ham carving station and dessert station.

What more could you ask for?

Although it’s one of the more expensive options, you definitely get the most out of your money and can fill yourself with enough delicious food to sustain you for hours.

Ariccia Trattoria is a great option for families and those with a big appetite for a great mix of breakfast traditions and lunch originals.

CATHERINE WOFFORD / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

The Hound offers a unique selection of brunch foods.

You’ll be in pure brunch bliss after your meal here.

Hamilton’s An Auburn staple, Hamilton’s restaurant is well known in town for its contemporary American cuisine. A great place for family brunch on The Plains, this restaurant offers many Southern favorites.

Holding its reputation as one of the nicest restaurants in town, Hamilton’s is a more upscale option. With amazing seafood entrees, this stop is sure to leave you wanting more.

Although its Sunday brunch menu only includes four breakfast-style meals, they are prepared to a tee.

Hamilton’s does quality over quantity very well. The restaurant also offers a variety of

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The Depot Built in an old train depot, this restaurant ranks among the best in Auburn for Sunday Brunch because of its unique setting, relaxed ambiance, and irresistible food.

Offering one of the biggest brunch menus in town, The Depot has masterfully created a selection of delicious and new meal options.

They serve “Wood Oven Fired Quiche’s,” “Bacon & Brie Croissant,” “Gourmet Gumbo Pot,” and even “Pecan Banana Bread.”

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Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis

ACROSS 1 Drains 5 Takes from page to screen, say 11 One of Beethoven’s nine: Abbr.

14 Party with tiki torches 15 Flashy Chevy 16 With 36-Down, Dr. Seuss classic with the subtitle “The Simplest Seuss for Youngest Use” 17 Cowardly Snoopy nemesis?

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9/7/17

By Kurt Mengel and Jan-Michele Gianette

DOWN 1 Untidy type 2 Certain something 3 Early late-night host 4 Ice cream treat 5 Polish removers 6 Apply carefully 7 Latin I verb 8 “Friday the 13th: Jason Lives,” sequentially 9 Torrid Zone parallel 10 Junior 11 Words of reproach 12 Up-and-down toy 13 Downloaded video format 18 Jewish folklore figure 22 Mother of Isaac 24 Recipe amt.

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39 Track events with mechanical lures 42 “Strange Magic” gp.

44 Museum with Goyas and El Grecos 47 Recital bonus 48 Red wine option 49 Gary who played Beethoven in “Immortal Beloved”

9/7/17

52 Outcropping 53 Songwriter Loeb 55 __ de force 57 “Dancing Queen” quartet 58 Bubbly maker 59 Old fast fliers 61 Player in an indoor tree 62 Soweto’s country: Abbr.